The first big screen Star Wars movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker has earned a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is set to land in cinemas on Friday 22 May, picks up with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), aka Mando, and Grogu after the events of the Disney+ series, following the pair as they work with the New Republic to track down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy.
Along the way, they meet a new friend in Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), as well as a new nemesis in Rotta the Hutt (voiced of Jeremy Allen White).
The film is directed by the show’s creator, Jon Favreau, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.
The review embargo for the film lifted on Tuesday morning (19 May) and, at the time of writing, it's score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes sits at 63 per cent based on 68 reviews – indicating a mediocre reception from critics.
In our own Radio Times review, we gave the film 3 stars, with critic Patrick Cremona calling it "a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise".
The review added that, while there are "some fun scenes" and "a few endearingly touching moments", "it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen".
The first big screen Star Wars movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker has earned a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is set to land in cinemas on Friday 22 May, picks up with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), aka Mando, and Grogu after the events of the Disney+ series, following the pair as they work with the New Republic to track down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy.
Along the way, they meet a new friend in Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), as well as a new nemesis in Rotta the Hutt (voiced of Jeremy Allen White).
The film is directed by the show’s creator, Jon Favreau, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.
The review embargo for the film lifted on Tuesday morning (19 May) and, at the time of writing, it's score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes sits at 63 per cent based on 68 reviews – indicating a mediocre reception from critics.
In our own Radio Times review, we gave the film 3 stars, with critic Patrick Cremona calling it "a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise".
The review added that, while there are "some fun scenes" and "a few endearingly touching moments", "it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen".
The first big screen Star Wars movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker has earned a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is set to land in cinemas on Friday 22 May, picks up with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), aka Mando, and Grogu after the events of the Disney+ series, following the pair as they work with the New Republic to track down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy.
Along the way, they meet a new friend in Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), as well as a new nemesis in Rotta the Hutt (voiced of Jeremy Allen White).
The film is directed by the show’s creator, Jon Favreau, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.
The review embargo for the film lifted on Tuesday morning (19 May) and, at the time of writing, it's score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes sits at 63 per cent based on 68 reviews – indicating a mediocre reception from critics.
In our own Radio Times review, we gave the film 3 stars, with critic Patrick Cremona calling it "a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise".
The review added that, while there are "some fun scenes" and "a few endearingly touching moments", "it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen".
It's exciting times for Pokémon TCG fans as the launch of the Chaos Rising set is imminent. And, to make the final days of waiting a little bit more bearable, we can exclusively reveal two cards from the new range.
Generally speaking, this is shaping up to be a big year for Pokémon as a brand, with its 30th anniversary celebrations giving way to all sorts of exciting things — in terms of new video games, we've already had Pokopia, and Pokémon Winds and Waves is coming up.
Let's not forget the collabs with real-life brands, too. Pokémon has teamed up with the National Trust and Ikea, not to mention the Kellogg's Pokémon cereal that we've all been eating every day without fail (right?).
But, of course, for some fans, nothing means as much as the iconic Trading Card Game. And we're very proud to be able to reveal not one, but two cards from the Chaos Rising collection. Here's the first one to feast your eyes on.
Ah, the humble Minccino. A basic Pokémon with 70HP and one move (Take Down, which will do 30 damage to your opponent and 10 damage to itself).
It's hardly going to win you many prize cards on its own, but Minccino will surely find a home in some competitive decks because of what it can evolve into (more on that in a sec).
Plus, let's take a second to appreciate the very cute Minccino artwork by Ryoma Uratsuka. Those ears! That background! You truly love to see it. And now, let's check out the second card that we're honoured to reveal today.
Boom, there it is. Allow us to introduce you to Cinccino EX, the stage 1 evolution that your trusty little Minccino can evolve into.
Cinccino EX boasts one powerful move, Energised Slap, which will dish out 40 damage for every energy card that you attach to it. On top of that, the Smooth Coat ability allows you to prevent incoming damage if coin-flips go your way.
And again, let's shout out the illustrator. This Cinccino EX card art is brought to you by 5ban Graphics, and we've got to admit that is does bring a lot of joy just to look at it bursting out of the frame with such a gleeful expression.
So, if this two cards peak your interest, you might be wondering when they come out. Well, they'll both launch as part of the Chaos Rising set, which is due to launch on 22 May 2026.
As ever, countless retailers in the UK and beyond will have stock for sale, if you get there quickly enough to pick them up before your rival collectors. Magic Madhouse is well worth checking if you prefer online shopping, too.
It's exciting times for Pokémon TCG fans as the launch of the Chaos Rising set is imminent. And, to make the final days of waiting a little bit more bearable, we can exclusively reveal two cards from the new range.
Generally speaking, this is shaping up to be a big year for Pokémon as a brand, with its 30th anniversary celebrations giving way to all sorts of exciting things — in terms of new video games, we've already had Pokopia, and Pokémon Winds and Waves is coming up.
Let's not forget the collabs with real-life brands, too. Pokémon has teamed up with the National Trust and Ikea, not to mention the Kellogg's Pokémon cereal that we've all been eating every day without fail (right?).
But, of course, for some fans, nothing means as much as the iconic Trading Card Game. And we're very proud to be able to reveal not one, but two cards from the Chaos Rising collection. Here's the first one to feast your eyes on.
Ah, the humble Minccino. A basic Pokémon with 70HP and one move (Take Down, which will do 30 damage to your opponent and 10 damage to itself).
It's hardly going to win you many prize cards on its own, but Minccino will surely find a home in some competitive decks because of what it can evolve into (more on that in a sec).
Plus, let's take a second to appreciate the very cute Minccino artwork by Ryoma Uratsuka. Those ears! That background! You truly love to see it. And now, let's check out the second card that we're honoured to reveal today.
Boom, there it is. Allow us to introduce you to Cinccino EX, the stage 1 evolution that your trusty little Minccino can evolve into.
Cinccino EX boasts one powerful move, Energised Slap, which will dish out 40 damage for every energy card that you attach to it. On top of that, the Smooth Coat ability allows you to prevent incoming damage if coin-flips go your way.
And again, let's shout out the illustrator. This Cinccino EX card art is brought to you by 5ban Graphics, and we've got to admit that is does bring a lot of joy just to look at it bursting out of the frame with such a gleeful expression.
So, if this two cards peak your interest, you might be wondering when they come out. Well, they'll both launch as part of the Chaos Rising set, which is due to launch on 22 May 2026.
As ever, countless retailers in the UK and beyond will have stock for sale, if you get there quickly enough to pick them up before your rival collectors. Magic Madhouse is well worth checking if you prefer online shopping, too.
It's exciting times for Pokémon TCG fans as the launch of the Chaos Rising set is imminent. And, to make the final days of waiting a little bit more bearable, we can exclusively reveal two cards from the new range.
Generally speaking, this is shaping up to be a big year for Pokémon as a brand, with its 30th anniversary celebrations giving way to all sorts of exciting things — in terms of new video games, we've already had Pokopia, and Pokémon Winds and Waves is coming up.
Let's not forget the collabs with real-life brands, too. Pokémon has teamed up with the National Trust and Ikea, not to mention the Kellogg's Pokémon cereal that we've all been eating every day without fail (right?).
But, of course, for some fans, nothing means as much as the iconic Trading Card Game. And we're very proud to be able to reveal not one, but two cards from the Chaos Rising collection. Here's the first one to feast your eyes on.
Ah, the humble Minccino. A basic Pokémon with 70HP and one move (Take Down, which will do 30 damage to your opponent and 10 damage to itself).
It's hardly going to win you many prize cards on its own, but Minccino will surely find a home in some competitive decks because of what it can evolve into (more on that in a sec).
Plus, let's take a second to appreciate the very cute Minccino artwork by Ryoma Uratsuka. Those ears! That background! You truly love to see it. And now, let's check out the second card that we're honoured to reveal today.
Boom, there it is. Allow us to introduce you to Cinccino EX, the stage 1 evolution that your trusty little Minccino can evolve into.
Cinccino EX boasts one powerful move, Energised Slap, which will dish out 40 damage for every energy card that you attach to it. On top of that, the Smooth Coat ability allows you to prevent incoming damage if coin-flips go your way.
And again, let's shout out the illustrator. This Cinccino EX card art is brought to you by 5ban Graphics, and we've got to admit that is does bring a lot of joy just to look at it bursting out of the frame with such a gleeful expression.
So, if this two cards peak your interest, you might be wondering when they come out. Well, they'll both launch as part of the Chaos Rising set, which is due to launch on 22 May 2026.
As ever, countless retailers in the UK and beyond will have stock for sale, if you get there quickly enough to pick them up before your rival collectors. Magic Madhouse is well worth checking if you prefer online shopping, too.
It's exciting times for Pokémon TCG fans as the launch of the Chaos Rising set is imminent. And, to make the final days of waiting a little bit more bearable, we can exclusively reveal two cards from the new range.
Generally speaking, this is shaping up to be a big year for Pokémon as a brand, with its 30th anniversary celebrations giving way to all sorts of exciting things — in terms of new video games, we've already had Pokopia, and Pokémon Winds and Waves is coming up.
Let's not forget the collabs with real-life brands, too. Pokémon has teamed up with the National Trust and Ikea, not to mention the Kellogg's Pokémon cereal that we've all been eating every day without fail (right?).
But, of course, for some fans, nothing means as much as the iconic Trading Card Game. And we're very proud to be able to reveal not one, but two cards from the Chaos Rising collection. Here's the first one to feast your eyes on.
Ah, the humble Minccino. A basic Pokémon with 70HP and one move (Take Down, which will do 30 damage to your opponent and 10 damage to itself).
It's hardly going to win you many prize cards on its own, but Minccino will surely find a home in some competitive decks because of what it can evolve into (more on that in a sec).
Plus, let's take a second to appreciate the very cute Minccino artwork by Ryoma Uratsuka. Those ears! That background! You truly love to see it. And now, let's check out the second card that we're honoured to reveal today.
Boom, there it is. Allow us to introduce you to Cinccino EX, the stage 1 evolution that your trusty little Minccino can evolve into.
Cinccino EX boasts one powerful move, Energised Slap, which will dish out 40 damage for every energy card that you attach to it. On top of that, the Smooth Coat ability allows you to prevent incoming damage if coin-flips go your way.
And again, let's shout out the illustrator. This Cinccino EX card art is brought to you by 5ban Graphics, and we've got to admit that is does bring a lot of joy just to look at it bursting out of the frame with such a gleeful expression.
So, if this two cards peak your interest, you might be wondering when they come out. Well, they'll both launch as part of the Chaos Rising set, which is due to launch on 22 May 2026.
As ever, countless retailers in the UK and beyond will have stock for sale, if you get there quickly enough to pick them up before your rival collectors. Magic Madhouse is well worth checking if you prefer online shopping, too.
In terms of scale, it's probably the biggest LEGO game Traveller's Tales has ever made, mostly thanks to the sheer size of Gotham City.
So, how long does it take to complete the full LOTDK story? Here's what you need to know.
How long is LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight? Time to beat explained
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will take the average player roughly 15 hours to complete.
Based on our time with the game for our review, this assumes that, as well as completing all of the game's story missions, you take some time to explore the side content (and there's a LOT of it) that Gotham City has to offer.
If one was so inclined, you could probably finish the game in as little as 12 hours if you wanted to focus entirely on the story.
If you're thinking about 100% completion, however, things are vastly different.
A completionist run of LEGO Batman: LOTDK requires you to complete every single piece of side content – of which there are hundreds – as well as collecting every Collectible, Suit, Vehicle, Skill and Gadget Upgrade, Batcave Trophy and WayneTech Cache.
Anyone who remembers the infamous Riddler puzzles of the Arkham games will understand the pain here, as to 100% LOTDK you will probably need to spend upwards of 50 hours with the game, with the vast majority of that time being exploring Gotham ticking off these challenges.
Thankfully, most of the achievements are things you'll complete by simply playing through the story, or simple achievements like changing the Batcomputer's screensaver – 30 seconds of work compared to 30 hours for the rest of it!
In terms of scale, it's probably the biggest LEGO game Traveller's Tales has ever made, mostly thanks to the sheer size of Gotham City.
So, how long does it take to complete the full LOTDK story? Here's what you need to know.
How long is LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight? Time to beat explained
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will take the average player roughly 15 hours to complete.
Based on our time with the game for our review, this assumes that, as well as completing all of the game's story missions, you take some time to explore the side content (and there's a LOT of it) that Gotham City has to offer.
If one was so inclined, you could probably finish the game in as little as 12 hours if you wanted to focus entirely on the story.
If you're thinking about 100% completion, however, things are vastly different.
A completionist run of LEGO Batman: LOTDK requires you to complete every single piece of side content – of which there are hundreds – as well as collecting every Collectible, Suit, Vehicle, Skill and Gadget Upgrade, Batcave Trophy and WayneTech Cache.
Anyone who remembers the infamous Riddler puzzles of the Arkham games will understand the pain here, as to 100% LOTDK you will probably need to spend upwards of 50 hours with the game, with the vast majority of that time being exploring Gotham ticking off these challenges.
Thankfully, most of the achievements are things you'll complete by simply playing through the story, or simple achievements like changing the Batcomputer's screensaver – 30 seconds of work compared to 30 hours for the rest of it!
In terms of scale, it's probably the biggest LEGO game Traveller's Tales has ever made, mostly thanks to the sheer size of Gotham City.
So, how long does it take to complete the full LOTDK story? Here's what you need to know.
How long is LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight? Time to beat explained
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will take the average player roughly 15 hours to complete.
Based on our time with the game for our review, this assumes that, as well as completing all of the game's story missions, you take some time to explore the side content (and there's a LOT of it) that Gotham City has to offer.
If one was so inclined, you could probably finish the game in as little as 12 hours if you wanted to focus entirely on the story.
If you're thinking about 100% completion, however, things are vastly different.
A completionist run of LEGO Batman: LOTDK requires you to complete every single piece of side content – of which there are hundreds – as well as collecting every Collectible, Suit, Vehicle, Skill and Gadget Upgrade, Batcave Trophy and WayneTech Cache.
Anyone who remembers the infamous Riddler puzzles of the Arkham games will understand the pain here, as to 100% LOTDK you will probably need to spend upwards of 50 hours with the game, with the vast majority of that time being exploring Gotham ticking off these challenges.
Thankfully, most of the achievements are things you'll complete by simply playing through the story, or simple achievements like changing the Batcomputer's screensaver – 30 seconds of work compared to 30 hours for the rest of it!
In terms of scale, it's probably the biggest LEGO game Traveller's Tales has ever made, mostly thanks to the sheer size of Gotham City.
So, how long does it take to complete the full LOTDK story? Here's what you need to know.
How long is LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight? Time to beat explained
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will take the average player roughly 15 hours to complete.
Based on our time with the game for our review, this assumes that, as well as completing all of the game's story missions, you take some time to explore the side content (and there's a LOT of it) that Gotham City has to offer.
If one was so inclined, you could probably finish the game in as little as 12 hours if you wanted to focus entirely on the story.
If you're thinking about 100% completion, however, things are vastly different.
A completionist run of LEGO Batman: LOTDK requires you to complete every single piece of side content – of which there are hundreds – as well as collecting every Collectible, Suit, Vehicle, Skill and Gadget Upgrade, Batcave Trophy and WayneTech Cache.
Anyone who remembers the infamous Riddler puzzles of the Arkham games will understand the pain here, as to 100% LOTDK you will probably need to spend upwards of 50 hours with the game, with the vast majority of that time being exploring Gotham ticking off these challenges.
Thankfully, most of the achievements are things you'll complete by simply playing through the story, or simple achievements like changing the Batcomputer's screensaver – 30 seconds of work compared to 30 hours for the rest of it!
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Coronation Street, which airs at 8.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Did Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) kill Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in Coronation Street?
As it stands, a mountain of evidence is stacked against her – and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) is convinced that she was responsible for his death.
Last month, following wedding celebrations on the cobbles, Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) found his body in the corner shop backyard. Attentions initially turned to George, who was noticeably absent for much of the evening, and then to his partner Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).
Earlier this week, George was startled to find a very incriminating page of Summer's journal, that detailed her desire to aim a gun at Theo's head. Summer was already looking visibly unnerved whenever the murder investigation was mentioned, and had even decided to move to America to escape the madness.
She was furious to find George and Christina rifling through her diary, and proceeded to burn the evidence in the back yard.
George noted that this could've been seen as evidence, and that it intensified what could be perceived as a guilty demeanour.
Little did they realise, over at the police station, attentions were already beginning to turn towards her. While flicking through her wedding photos with Kit, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) clocked a photo of Summer chatting to two of the partygoers - wearing the brooch that had been found on the floor of Theo's flat.
In today's episode, Summer was whisked into the station and interviewed under caution.
She presented the photo of her wearing the brooch, and questioned how it would make its way across the road and upstairs into the scene of the crime.
Summer denied all knowledge, saying that it must've fallen off her while she was leaving the wedding party and that Theo had picked it up. Connor-Swain looked unconvinced by her reasoning, but allowed her to leave.
Upon returning to the cobbles, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tore strips off the copper for bringing Summer in, insisting that she had nothing to do with it. He also suspected that George had reported her, though this wasn't the case.
He whole-heartedly apologised for going through her belongings, but when she explained about the brooch, his suspicions were aroused once again.
George asked Summer whether she went to the flat that night, though she lied through her teeth and said that she hadn't. A telling flashback took us back to the fateful evening, as George spotted Summer rushing off from the direction of the corner shop.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Coronation Street, which airs at 8.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Did Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) kill Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in Coronation Street?
As it stands, a mountain of evidence is stacked against her – and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) is convinced that she was responsible for his death.
Last month, following wedding celebrations on the cobbles, Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) found his body in the corner shop backyard. Attentions initially turned to George, who was noticeably absent for much of the evening, and then to his partner Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).
Earlier this week, George was startled to find a very incriminating page of Summer's journal, that detailed her desire to aim a gun at Theo's head. Summer was already looking visibly unnerved whenever the murder investigation was mentioned, and had even decided to move to America to escape the madness.
She was furious to find George and Christina rifling through her diary, and proceeded to burn the evidence in the back yard.
George noted that this could've been seen as evidence, and that it intensified what could be perceived as a guilty demeanour.
Little did they realise, over at the police station, attentions were already beginning to turn towards her. While flicking through her wedding photos with Kit, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) clocked a photo of Summer chatting to two of the partygoers - wearing the brooch that had been found on the floor of Theo's flat.
In today's episode, Summer was whisked into the station and interviewed under caution.
She presented the photo of her wearing the brooch, and questioned how it would make its way across the road and upstairs into the scene of the crime.
Summer denied all knowledge, saying that it must've fallen off her while she was leaving the wedding party and that Theo had picked it up. Connor-Swain looked unconvinced by her reasoning, but allowed her to leave.
Upon returning to the cobbles, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tore strips off the copper for bringing Summer in, insisting that she had nothing to do with it. He also suspected that George had reported her, though this wasn't the case.
He whole-heartedly apologised for going through her belongings, but when she explained about the brooch, his suspicions were aroused once again.
George asked Summer whether she went to the flat that night, though she lied through her teeth and said that she hadn't. A telling flashback took us back to the fateful evening, as George spotted Summer rushing off from the direction of the corner shop.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Coronation Street, which airs at 8.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Did Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) kill Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in Coronation Street?
As it stands, a mountain of evidence is stacked against her – and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) is convinced that she was responsible for his death.
Last month, following wedding celebrations on the cobbles, Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) found his body in the corner shop backyard. Attentions initially turned to George, who was noticeably absent for much of the evening, and then to his partner Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).
Earlier this week, George was startled to find a very incriminating page of Summer's journal, that detailed her desire to aim a gun at Theo's head. Summer was already looking visibly unnerved whenever the murder investigation was mentioned, and had even decided to move to America to escape the madness.
She was furious to find George and Christina rifling through her diary, and proceeded to burn the evidence in the back yard.
George noted that this could've been seen as evidence, and that it intensified what could be perceived as a guilty demeanour.
Little did they realise, over at the police station, attentions were already beginning to turn towards her. While flicking through her wedding photos with Kit, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) clocked a photo of Summer chatting to two of the partygoers - wearing the brooch that had been found on the floor of Theo's flat.
In today's episode, Summer was whisked into the station and interviewed under caution.
She presented the photo of her wearing the brooch, and questioned how it would make its way across the road and upstairs into the scene of the crime.
Summer denied all knowledge, saying that it must've fallen off her while she was leaving the wedding party and that Theo had picked it up. Connor-Swain looked unconvinced by her reasoning, but allowed her to leave.
Upon returning to the cobbles, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tore strips off the copper for bringing Summer in, insisting that she had nothing to do with it. He also suspected that George had reported her, though this wasn't the case.
He whole-heartedly apologised for going through her belongings, but when she explained about the brooch, his suspicions were aroused once again.
George asked Summer whether she went to the flat that night, though she lied through her teeth and said that she hadn't. A telling flashback took us back to the fateful evening, as George spotted Summer rushing off from the direction of the corner shop.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Coronation Street, which airs at 8.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Did Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) kill Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in Coronation Street?
As it stands, a mountain of evidence is stacked against her – and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) is convinced that she was responsible for his death.
Last month, following wedding celebrations on the cobbles, Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) found his body in the corner shop backyard. Attentions initially turned to George, who was noticeably absent for much of the evening, and then to his partner Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).
Earlier this week, George was startled to find a very incriminating page of Summer's journal, that detailed her desire to aim a gun at Theo's head. Summer was already looking visibly unnerved whenever the murder investigation was mentioned, and had even decided to move to America to escape the madness.
She was furious to find George and Christina rifling through her diary, and proceeded to burn the evidence in the back yard.
George noted that this could've been seen as evidence, and that it intensified what could be perceived as a guilty demeanour.
Little did they realise, over at the police station, attentions were already beginning to turn towards her. While flicking through her wedding photos with Kit, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) clocked a photo of Summer chatting to two of the partygoers - wearing the brooch that had been found on the floor of Theo's flat.
In today's episode, Summer was whisked into the station and interviewed under caution.
She presented the photo of her wearing the brooch, and questioned how it would make its way across the road and upstairs into the scene of the crime.
Summer denied all knowledge, saying that it must've fallen off her while she was leaving the wedding party and that Theo had picked it up. Connor-Swain looked unconvinced by her reasoning, but allowed her to leave.
Upon returning to the cobbles, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tore strips off the copper for bringing Summer in, insisting that she had nothing to do with it. He also suspected that George had reported her, though this wasn't the case.
He whole-heartedly apologised for going through her belongings, but when she explained about the brooch, his suspicions were aroused once again.
George asked Summer whether she went to the flat that night, though she lied through her teeth and said that she hadn't. A telling flashback took us back to the fateful evening, as George spotted Summer rushing off from the direction of the corner shop.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Coronation Street, which airs at 8.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Did Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) kill Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in Coronation Street?
As it stands, a mountain of evidence is stacked against her – and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) is convinced that she was responsible for his death.
Last month, following wedding celebrations on the cobbles, Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) found his body in the corner shop backyard. Attentions initially turned to George, who was noticeably absent for much of the evening, and then to his partner Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).
Earlier this week, George was startled to find a very incriminating page of Summer's journal, that detailed her desire to aim a gun at Theo's head. Summer was already looking visibly unnerved whenever the murder investigation was mentioned, and had even decided to move to America to escape the madness.
She was furious to find George and Christina rifling through her diary, and proceeded to burn the evidence in the back yard.
George noted that this could've been seen as evidence, and that it intensified what could be perceived as a guilty demeanour.
Little did they realise, over at the police station, attentions were already beginning to turn towards her. While flicking through her wedding photos with Kit, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) clocked a photo of Summer chatting to two of the partygoers - wearing the brooch that had been found on the floor of Theo's flat.
In today's episode, Summer was whisked into the station and interviewed under caution.
She presented the photo of her wearing the brooch, and questioned how it would make its way across the road and upstairs into the scene of the crime.
Summer denied all knowledge, saying that it must've fallen off her while she was leaving the wedding party and that Theo had picked it up. Connor-Swain looked unconvinced by her reasoning, but allowed her to leave.
Upon returning to the cobbles, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tore strips off the copper for bringing Summer in, insisting that she had nothing to do with it. He also suspected that George had reported her, though this wasn't the case.
He whole-heartedly apologised for going through her belongings, but when she explained about the brooch, his suspicions were aroused once again.
George asked Summer whether she went to the flat that night, though she lied through her teeth and said that she hadn't. A telling flashback took us back to the fateful evening, as George spotted Summer rushing off from the direction of the corner shop.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Coronation Street, which airs at 8.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Did Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) kill Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in Coronation Street?
As it stands, a mountain of evidence is stacked against her – and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) is convinced that she was responsible for his death.
Last month, following wedding celebrations on the cobbles, Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) found his body in the corner shop backyard. Attentions initially turned to George, who was noticeably absent for much of the evening, and then to his partner Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).
Earlier this week, George was startled to find a very incriminating page of Summer's journal, that detailed her desire to aim a gun at Theo's head. Summer was already looking visibly unnerved whenever the murder investigation was mentioned, and had even decided to move to America to escape the madness.
She was furious to find George and Christina rifling through her diary, and proceeded to burn the evidence in the back yard.
George noted that this could've been seen as evidence, and that it intensified what could be perceived as a guilty demeanour.
Little did they realise, over at the police station, attentions were already beginning to turn towards her. While flicking through her wedding photos with Kit, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) clocked a photo of Summer chatting to two of the partygoers - wearing the brooch that had been found on the floor of Theo's flat.
In today's episode, Summer was whisked into the station and interviewed under caution.
She presented the photo of her wearing the brooch, and questioned how it would make its way across the road and upstairs into the scene of the crime.
Summer denied all knowledge, saying that it must've fallen off her while she was leaving the wedding party and that Theo had picked it up. Connor-Swain looked unconvinced by her reasoning, but allowed her to leave.
Upon returning to the cobbles, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tore strips off the copper for bringing Summer in, insisting that she had nothing to do with it. He also suspected that George had reported her, though this wasn't the case.
He whole-heartedly apologised for going through her belongings, but when she explained about the brooch, his suspicions were aroused once again.
George asked Summer whether she went to the flat that night, though she lied through her teeth and said that she hadn't. A telling flashback took us back to the fateful evening, as George spotted Summer rushing off from the direction of the corner shop.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have been confirmed as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman delivered the shocking news that they would be leaving their roles as hosts of the BBC's flagship entertainment programme, saying it "felt like the right time".
Since 2014, Tess and Claudia have hosted the show together, with Tess at the helm since Strictly's inception in 2004 and Claudia making the move from It Takes Two to the main results show in 2010, before taking on full weekend duties following Sir Bruce Forsyth's departure.
Ever since their announcement, rumours have been flying as to who might step into the breach – and now, the BBC has finally confirmed just who will be joining the programme in their place.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said: "Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last! I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantel.
"Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn."
Meanwhile, The Voice and former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis added: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.
"It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.
"I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"
Strictly professional favourite Johannes Radebe noted: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe says: "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television.
"I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume
Later this year, the trio will head out onto the Strictly dance floor for the first time, followed by the annual Christmas special.
Details on which celebrities will try their hand at becoming the next Strictly Come Dancing champion are yet to be unveiled, but we expect official confirmation in the summer of 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have been confirmed as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman delivered the shocking news that they would be leaving their roles as hosts of the BBC's flagship entertainment programme, saying it "felt like the right time".
Since 2014, Tess and Claudia have hosted the show together, with Tess at the helm since Strictly's inception in 2004 and Claudia making the move from It Takes Two to the main results show in 2010, before taking on full weekend duties following Sir Bruce Forsyth's departure.
Ever since their announcement, rumours have been flying as to who might step into the breach – and now, the BBC has finally confirmed just who will be joining the programme in their place.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said: "Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last! I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantel.
"Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn."
Meanwhile, The Voice and former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis added: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.
"It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.
"I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"
Strictly professional favourite Johannes Radebe noted: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe says: "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television.
"I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume
Later this year, the trio will head out onto the Strictly dance floor for the first time, followed by the annual Christmas special.
Details on which celebrities will try their hand at becoming the next Strictly Come Dancing champion are yet to be unveiled, but we expect official confirmation in the summer of 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have been confirmed as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman delivered the shocking news that they would be leaving their roles as hosts of the BBC's flagship entertainment programme, saying it "felt like the right time".
Since 2014, Tess and Claudia have hosted the show together, with Tess at the helm since Strictly's inception in 2004 and Claudia making the move from It Takes Two to the main results show in 2010, before taking on full weekend duties following Sir Bruce Forsyth's departure.
Ever since their announcement, rumours have been flying as to who might step into the breach – and now, the BBC has finally confirmed just who will be joining the programme in their place.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said: "Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last! I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantel.
"Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn."
Meanwhile, The Voice and former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis added: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.
"It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.
"I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"
Strictly professional favourite Johannes Radebe noted: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe says: "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television.
"I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume
Later this year, the trio will head out onto the Strictly dance floor for the first time, followed by the annual Christmas special.
Details on which celebrities will try their hand at becoming the next Strictly Come Dancing champion are yet to be unveiled, but we expect official confirmation in the summer of 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have been confirmed as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman delivered the shocking news that they would be leaving their roles as hosts of the BBC's flagship entertainment programme, saying it "felt like the right time".
Since 2014, Tess and Claudia have hosted the show together, with Tess at the helm since Strictly's inception in 2004 and Claudia making the move from It Takes Two to the main results show in 2010, before taking on full weekend duties following Sir Bruce Forsyth's departure.
Ever since their announcement, rumours have been flying as to who might step into the breach – and now, the BBC has finally confirmed just who will be joining the programme in their place.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said: "Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last! I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantel.
"Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn."
Meanwhile, The Voice and former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis added: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.
"It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.
"I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"
Strictly professional favourite Johannes Radebe noted: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe says: "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television.
"I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume
Later this year, the trio will head out onto the Strictly dance floor for the first time, followed by the annual Christmas special.
Details on which celebrities will try their hand at becoming the next Strictly Come Dancing champion are yet to be unveiled, but we expect official confirmation in the summer of 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe and Johannes Radebe have been confirmed as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman delivered the shocking news that they would be leaving their roles as hosts of the BBC's flagship entertainment programme, saying it "felt like the right time".
Since 2014, Tess and Claudia have hosted the show together, with Tess at the helm since Strictly's inception in 2004 and Claudia making the move from It Takes Two to the main results show in 2010, before taking on full weekend duties following Sir Bruce Forsyth's departure.
Ever since their announcement, rumours have been flying as to who might step into the breach – and now, the BBC has finally confirmed just who will be joining the programme in their place.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said: "Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last! I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantel.
"Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn."
Meanwhile, The Voice and former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis added: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.
"It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.
"I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"
Strictly professional favourite Johannes Radebe noted: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe says: "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television.
"I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume
Later this year, the trio will head out onto the Strictly dance floor for the first time, followed by the annual Christmas special.
Details on which celebrities will try their hand at becoming the next Strictly Come Dancing champion are yet to be unveiled, but we expect official confirmation in the summer of 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe and Johannes Radebe have been confirmed as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman delivered the shocking news that they would be leaving their roles as hosts of the BBC's flagship entertainment programme, saying it "felt like the right time".
Since 2014, Tess and Claudia have hosted the show together, with Tess at the helm since Strictly's inception in 2004 and Claudia making the move from It Takes Two to the main results show in 2010, before taking on full weekend duties following Sir Bruce Forsyth's departure.
Ever since their announcement, rumours have been flying as to who might step into the breach – and now, the BBC has finally confirmed just who will be joining the programme in their place.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said: "Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last! I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantel.
"Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn."
The Voice and former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis added: “It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend.
"It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.
"I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"
Strictly professional favourite Johannes Radebe noted: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe says: "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television.
"I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume
Later this year, the trio will head out onto the Strictly dance floor for the first time, followed up by the annual Christmas special.
Details on which celebrities will try their hand at becoming the next Strictly Come Dancing champion are yet to be unveiled, but we expect official confirmation in the summer of 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass? That question may seem like it has an obvious answer, but in truth, the situation is slightly more complicated than you might expect.
With the game launching today, it's only natural to wonder if you can play it cheaply through Microsoft's subscription service, especially with all of the glowing reviews tempting you into action.
To quote our Forza Horizon 6 review: "This is a rare review when I genuinely can’t think of any negatives worth mentioning, hence the five-star score at the top of the page.
"Whether you’ve got 20 minutes spare or a whole evening, you’ll find something fun to do here. And when you hit one of the big show-stopper moments (you may have seen one in the trailers featuring a giant mech), your jaw will genuinely be on the floor."
If all the hype has made you want to play Forza Horizon 6, will you be able to get it on Xbox Game Pass? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Game Pass, but you'll need to have the right tier of Xbox Game Pass membership if you want to get the game through this service.
To get the Xbox Series X/S version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you need to subscribe specifically to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier.
To get the PC version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you'll need an active Xbox Game Pass PC subscription and the Xbox PC app installed. Alternatively, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership would also get you the PC version.
The game will also run on the cloud version of Game Pass and on handheld Xbox devices, as long as you have an Ultimate subscription.
Essentially, you won't get Forza Horizon 6 included if you only have an Essential or Premium membership. You need Ultimate or PC membership to play this bad boy on day one with forking out for the full game price.
If you're holding out for the PS5 launch of the game, we're afraid to say that Xbox Game Pass won't help you on that front. You'll need to buy the game if you want to play it on PlayStation.
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass? That question may seem like it has an obvious answer, but in truth, the situation is slightly more complicated than you might expect.
With the game launching today, it's only natural to wonder if you can play it cheaply through Microsoft's subscription service, especially with all of the glowing reviews tempting you into action.
To quote our Forza Horizon 6 review: "This is a rare review when I genuinely can’t think of any negatives worth mentioning, hence the five-star score at the top of the page.
"Whether you’ve got 20 minutes spare or a whole evening, you’ll find something fun to do here. And when you hit one of the big show-stopper moments (you may have seen one in the trailers featuring a giant mech), your jaw will genuinely be on the floor."
If all the hype has made you want to play Forza Horizon 6, will you be able to get it on Xbox Game Pass? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Game Pass, but you'll need to have the right tier of Xbox Game Pass membership if you want to get the game through this service.
To get the Xbox Series X/S version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you need to subscribe specifically to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier.
To get the PC version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you'll need an active Xbox Game Pass PC subscription and the Xbox PC app installed. Alternatively, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership would also get you the PC version.
The game will also run on the cloud version of Game Pass and on handheld Xbox devices, as long as you have an Ultimate subscription.
Essentially, you won't get Forza Horizon 6 included if you only have an Essential or Premium membership. You need Ultimate or PC membership to play this bad boy on day one with forking out for the full game price.
If you're holding out for the PS5 launch of the game, we're afraid to say that Xbox Game Pass won't help you on that front. You'll need to buy the game if you want to play it on PlayStation.
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass? That question may seem like it has an obvious answer, but in truth, the situation is slightly more complicated than you might expect.
With the game launching today, it's only natural to wonder if you can play it cheaply through Microsoft's subscription service, especially with all of the glowing reviews tempting you into action.
To quote our Forza Horizon 6 review: "This is a rare review when I genuinely can’t think of any negatives worth mentioning, hence the five-star score at the top of the page.
"Whether you’ve got 20 minutes spare or a whole evening, you’ll find something fun to do here. And when you hit one of the big show-stopper moments (you may have seen one in the trailers featuring a giant mech), your jaw will genuinely be on the floor."
If all the hype has made you want to play Forza Horizon 6, will you be able to get it on Xbox Game Pass? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Game Pass, but you'll need to have the right tier of Xbox Game Pass membership if you want to get the game through this service.
To get the Xbox Series X/S version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you need to subscribe specifically to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier.
To get the PC version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you'll need an active Xbox Game Pass PC subscription and the Xbox PC app installed. Alternatively, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership would also get you the PC version.
The game will also run on the cloud version of Game Pass and on handheld Xbox devices, as long as you have an Ultimate subscription.
Essentially, you won't get Forza Horizon 6 included if you only have an Essential or Premium membership. You need Ultimate or PC membership to play this bad boy on day one with forking out for the full game price.
If you're holding out for the PS5 launch of the game, we're afraid to say that Xbox Game Pass won't help you on that front. You'll need to buy the game if you want to play it on PlayStation.
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass? That question may seem like it has an obvious answer, but in truth, the situation is slightly more complicated than you might expect.
With the game launching today, it's only natural to wonder if you can play it cheaply through Microsoft's subscription service, especially with all of the glowing reviews tempting you into action.
To quote our Forza Horizon 6 review: "This is a rare review when I genuinely can’t think of any negatives worth mentioning, hence the five-star score at the top of the page.
"Whether you’ve got 20 minutes spare or a whole evening, you’ll find something fun to do here. And when you hit one of the big show-stopper moments (you may have seen one in the trailers featuring a giant mech), your jaw will genuinely be on the floor."
If all the hype has made you want to play Forza Horizon 6, will you be able to get it on Xbox Game Pass? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Game Pass, but you'll need to have the right tier of Xbox Game Pass membership if you want to get the game through this service.
To get the Xbox Series X/S version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you need to subscribe specifically to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier.
To get the PC version of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass, you'll need an active Xbox Game Pass PC subscription and the Xbox PC app installed. Alternatively, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership would also get you the PC version.
The game will also run on the cloud version of Game Pass and on handheld Xbox devices, as long as you have an Ultimate subscription.
Essentially, you won't get Forza Horizon 6 included if you only have an Essential or Premium membership. You need Ultimate or PC membership to play this bad boy on day one with forking out for the full game price.
If you're holding out for the PS5 launch of the game, we're afraid to say that Xbox Game Pass won't help you on that front. You'll need to buy the game if you want to play it on PlayStation.
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) has had reservations about her plot against Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) in Emmerdale - but it may be too late to change her mind.
It's about time he experienced some comeuppance, after Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) discovered that he blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting passports belonging to Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters's (Joe Absolom) enslaved workers in the living room of Butler's Farm.
She was framed, and sent down for several months on a human trafficking and double murder charge. If Robert had refused, Joe would've took an incriminating video of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth) to the police.
Becoming increasingly guilt-ridden, Robert decided to come clean. Moira was, understandably, furious - though said that she wouldn't go to the police - it was her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) that he had to watch out for.
Seeking revenge on Joe, Moira made her way to Home Farm and aimed a double-barreled shotgun towards him. Dawn intervened, revealing that she was pregnant, and demanded to know whether Joe had really committed the crimes.
He denied everything, but she could tell that he was lying.
Later, she met with Moira and Cain on a country road, and the trio began to put a plan in place. Moira told Dawn that they needed to look at the situation from a fresh perspective, and reallymake Joe pay for his crimes.
She hoped that Dawn would resume their 'happy' life together, go through with their wedding, and then take him for everything he has.
Dawn promised that she would handover the funds to the Dingles, which would further enrage Joe.
However, in today's episode, she began to feel guilt-ridden over her scheming as Joe doted over her. She was experiencing morning sickness, and he bought her a care package to try and ease the symptoms and hopefully make her feel a little brighter.
Joe even invited her ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) for a meal, wanting to cement their new blended family.
Dawn rushed off to Wishing Will Cottage to tell Moira that she was questioning their plans. Moira suggested that she should flee the village before Joe discovered what they were doing, but she was insistent that he should be the one who left, and not her.
Vowing to win the war, Dawn agreed that she was going to take Joe for every penny that he owned.
Little did she realise, Joe and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) were well aware of what was going on - and they were playing the long game to ensure that she didn't get away with it.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) has had reservations about her plot against Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) in Emmerdale - but it may be too late to change her mind.
It's about time he experienced some comeuppance, after Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) discovered that he blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting passports belonging to Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters's (Joe Absolom) enslaved workers in the living room of Butler's Farm.
She was framed, and sent down for several months on a human trafficking and double murder charge. If Robert had refused, Joe would've took an incriminating video of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth) to the police.
Becoming increasingly guilt-ridden, Robert decided to come clean. Moira was, understandably, furious - though said that she wouldn't go to the police - it was her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) that he had to watch out for.
Seeking revenge on Joe, Moira made her way to Home Farm and aimed a double-barreled shotgun towards him. Dawn intervened, revealing that she was pregnant, and demanded to know whether Joe had really committed the crimes.
He denied everything, but she could tell that he was lying.
Later, she met with Moira and Cain on a country road, and the trio began to put a plan in place. Moira told Dawn that they needed to look at the situation from a fresh perspective, and reallymake Joe pay for his crimes.
She hoped that Dawn would resume their 'happy' life together, go through with their wedding, and then take him for everything he has.
Dawn promised that she would handover the funds to the Dingles, which would further enrage Joe.
However, in today's episode, she began to feel guilt-ridden over her scheming as Joe doted over her. She was experiencing morning sickness, and he bought her a care package to try and ease the symptoms and hopefully make her feel a little brighter.
Joe even invited her ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) for a meal, wanting to cement their new blended family.
Dawn rushed off to Wishing Will Cottage to tell Moira that she was questioning their plans. Moira suggested that she should flee the village before Joe discovered what they were doing, but she was insistent that he should be the one who left, and not her.
Vowing to win the war, Dawn agreed that she was going to take Joe for every penny that he owned.
Little did she realise, Joe and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) were well aware of what was going on - and they were playing the long game to ensure that she didn't get away with it.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) has had reservations about her plot against Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) in Emmerdale - but it may be too late to change her mind.
It's about time he experienced some comeuppance, after Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) discovered that he blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting passports belonging to Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters's (Joe Absolom) enslaved workers in the living room of Butler's Farm.
She was framed, and sent down for several months on a human trafficking and double murder charge. If Robert had refused, Joe would've took an incriminating video of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth) to the police.
Becoming increasingly guilt-ridden, Robert decided to come clean. Moira was, understandably, furious - though said that she wouldn't go to the police - it was her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) that he had to watch out for.
Seeking revenge on Joe, Moira made her way to Home Farm and aimed a double-barreled shotgun towards him. Dawn intervened, revealing that she was pregnant, and demanded to know whether Joe had really committed the crimes.
He denied everything, but she could tell that he was lying.
Later, she met with Moira and Cain on a country road, and the trio began to put a plan in place. Moira told Dawn that they needed to look at the situation from a fresh perspective, and reallymake Joe pay for his crimes.
She hoped that Dawn would resume their 'happy' life together, go through with their wedding, and then take him for everything he has.
Dawn promised that she would handover the funds to the Dingles, which would further enrage Joe.
However, in today's episode, she began to feel guilt-ridden over her scheming as Joe doted over her. She was experiencing morning sickness, and he bought her a care package to try and ease the symptoms and hopefully make her feel a little brighter.
Joe even invited her ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) for a meal, wanting to cement their new blended family.
Dawn rushed off to Wishing Will Cottage to tell Moira that she was questioning their plans. Moira suggested that she should flee the village before Joe discovered what they were doing, but she was insistent that he should be the one who left, and not her.
Vowing to win the war, Dawn agreed that she was going to take Joe for every penny that he owned.
Little did she realise, Joe and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) were well aware of what was going on - and they were playing the long game to ensure that she didn't get away with it.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) has had reservations about her plot against Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) in Emmerdale - but it may be too late to change her mind.
It's about time he experienced some comeuppance, after Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) discovered that he blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting passports belonging to Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters's (Joe Absolom) enslaved workers in the living room of Butler's Farm.
She was framed, and sent down for several months on a human trafficking and double murder charge. If Robert had refused, Joe would've took an incriminating video of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth) to the police.
Becoming increasingly guilt-ridden, Robert decided to come clean. Moira was, understandably, furious - though said that she wouldn't go to the police - it was her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) that he had to watch out for.
Seeking revenge on Joe, Moira made her way to Home Farm and aimed a double-barreled shotgun towards him. Dawn intervened, revealing that she was pregnant, and demanded to know whether Joe had really committed the crimes.
He denied everything, but she could tell that he was lying.
Later, she met with Moira and Cain on a country road, and the trio began to put a plan in place. Moira told Dawn that they needed to look at the situation from a fresh perspective, and reallymake Joe pay for his crimes.
She hoped that Dawn would resume their 'happy' life together, go through with their wedding, and then take him for everything he has.
Dawn promised that she would handover the funds to the Dingles, which would further enrage Joe.
However, in today's episode, she began to feel guilt-ridden over her scheming as Joe doted over her. She was experiencing morning sickness, and he bought her a care package to try and ease the symptoms and hopefully make her feel a little brighter.
Joe even invited her ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) for a meal, wanting to cement their new blended family.
Dawn rushed off to Wishing Will Cottage to tell Moira that she was questioning their plans. Moira suggested that she should flee the village before Joe discovered what they were doing, but she was insistent that he should be the one who left, and not her.
Vowing to win the war, Dawn agreed that she was going to take Joe for every penny that he owned.
Little did she realise, Joe and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) were well aware of what was going on - and they were playing the long game to ensure that she didn't get away with it.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) has had reservations about her plot against Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) in Emmerdale - but it may be too late to change her mind.
It's about time he experienced some comeuppance, after Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) discovered that he blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting passports belonging to Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters's (Joe Absolom) enslaved workers in the living room of Butler's Farm.
She was framed, and sent down for several months on a human trafficking and double murder charge. If Robert had refused, Joe would've took an incriminating video of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth) to the police.
Becoming increasingly guilt-ridden, Robert decided to come clean. Moira was, understandably, furious - though said that she wouldn't go to the police - it was her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) that he had to watch out for.
Seeking revenge on Joe, Moira made her way to Home Farm and aimed a double-barreled shotgun towards him. Dawn intervened, revealing that she was pregnant, and demanded to know whether Joe had really committed the crimes.
He denied everything, but she could tell that he was lying.
Later, she met with Moira and Cain on a country road, and the trio began to put a plan in place. Moira told Dawn that they needed to look at the situation from a fresh perspective, and reallymake Joe pay for his crimes.
She hoped that Dawn would resume their 'happy' life together, go through with their wedding, and then take him for everything he has.
Dawn promised that she would handover the funds to the Dingles, which would further enrage Joe.
However, in today's episode, she began to feel guilt-ridden over her scheming as Joe doted over her. She was experiencing morning sickness, and he bought her a care package to try and ease the symptoms and hopefully make her feel a little brighter.
Joe even invited her ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) for a meal, wanting to cement their new blended family.
Dawn rushed off to Wishing Will Cottage to tell Moira that she was questioning their plans. Moira suggested that she should flee the village before Joe discovered what they were doing, but she was insistent that he should be the one who left, and not her.
Vowing to win the war, Dawn agreed that she was going to take Joe for every penny that he owned.
Little did she realise, Joe and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) were well aware of what was going on - and they were playing the long game to ensure that she didn't get away with it.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
Show full content
Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) has had reservations about her plot against Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) in Emmerdale - but it may be too late to change her mind.
It's about time he experienced some comeuppance, after Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) discovered that he blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting passports belonging to Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters's (Joe Absolom) enslaved workers in the living room of Butler's Farm.
She was framed, and sent down for several months on a human trafficking and double murder charge. If Robert had refused, Joe would've took an incriminating video of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth) to the police.
Becoming increasingly guilt-ridden, Robert decided to come clean. Moira was, understandably, furious - though said that she wouldn't go to the police - it was her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) that he had to watch out for.
Seeking revenge on Joe, Moira made her way to Home Farm and aimed a double-barreled shotgun towards him. Dawn intervened, revealing that she was pregnant, and demanded to know whether Joe had really committed the crimes.
He denied everything, but she could tell that he was lying.
Later, she met with Moira and Cain on a country road, and the trio began to put a plan in place. Moira told Dawn that they needed to look at the situation from a fresh perspective, and reallymake Joe pay for his crimes.
She hoped that Dawn would resume their 'happy' life together, go through with their wedding, and then take him for everything he has.
Dawn promised that she would handover the funds to the Dingles, which would further enrage Joe.
However, in today's episode, she began to feel guilt-ridden over her scheming as Joe doted over her. She was experiencing morning sickness, and he bought her a care package to try and ease the symptoms and hopefully make her feel a little brighter.
Joe even invited her ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) for a meal, wanting to cement their new blended family.
Dawn rushed off to Wishing Will Cottage to tell Moira that she was questioning their plans. Moira suggested that she should flee the village before Joe discovered what they were doing, but she was insistent that he should be the one who left, and not her.
Vowing to win the war, Dawn agreed that she was going to take Joe for every penny that he owned.
Little did she realise, Joe and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) were well aware of what was going on - and they were playing the long game to ensure that she didn't get away with it.
With it coming out all the back in 2012, when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were enjoying their last year as current-gen affairs, we reckon it’s alright to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats these days, and we’ve got the full list of codes and extras to unlock!
But you’re probably screaming at us to get on with it, and who are we to keep you away from instantly unlocking Radagast the Brown? Read on for the full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheat codes and how to use them!
How to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
To use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats codes, all you need to do is press Pause, and then select the Extras menu.
In the Extras menu, select Input Code, and from there, you can type in one of the character or unlockable extras codes.
If the code was input correctly, then you will be able to make use of the item or play the character you have unlocked.
Full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats are separated into two categories: characters and unlockable extras. Luckily for you, we have them both in full for you down below!
LEGO Lord of the Rings character codes
Below are all the unlockable characters in LEGO Lord of the Rings and the codes you can use to unlock them right away, without having to do so by playing all the way through.
C19F3A – Madril
PJB6MV – Shagrat
F4M7FC – Mouth of Sauron
A9FB4Q – Elrond (Second Age)
J4337V – Bilbo Baggins
LYQU1F – Ringwraith (Twilight)
7B4VWH – Galadriel
LG5GI7 – Gondor Ranger
R7XKDH – Easterling
5LV6EB – Radagast the Brown
73HJP6 – Háma
AVJII1 – Gamling
BU95CB – Grima Wormtongue
C2A58D – Lothlórien Elf
UE5Z7H – Berserker
U47AOG – Éomer
IH7E58 – King of the Dead
RJV4KB – Denethor
HTYADU – Boromir (Captain)
QL28WB – Lurtz (Newborn)
LEGO Lord of the Rings unlockable extras codes
The following are all the unlockable extras to be had in LEGO Lord of the Rings, and we’ve put what we reckon to be the most useful at the top of the list: the Studs x2 multiplier, which will – you guessed it – double the amount of studs you earn when you pick them up.
With it coming out all the back in 2012, when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were enjoying their last year as current-gen affairs, we reckon it’s alright to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats these days, and we’ve got the full list of codes and extras to unlock!
But you’re probably screaming at us to get on with it, and who are we to keep you away from instantly unlocking Radagast the Brown? Read on for the full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheat codes and how to use them!
How to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
To use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats codes, all you need to do is press Pause, and then select the Extras menu.
In the Extras menu, select Input Code, and from there, you can type in one of the character or unlockable extras codes.
If the code was input correctly, then you will be able to make use of the item or play the character you have unlocked.
Full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats are separated into two categories: characters and unlockable extras. Luckily for you, we have them both in full for you down below!
LEGO Lord of the Rings character codes
Below are all the unlockable characters in LEGO Lord of the Rings and the codes you can use to unlock them right away, without having to do so by playing all the way through.
C19F3A – Madril
PJB6MV – Shagrat
F4M7FC – Mouth of Sauron
A9FB4Q – Elrond (Second Age)
J4337V – Bilbo Baggins
LYQU1F – Ringwraith (Twilight)
7B4VWH – Galadriel
LG5GI7 – Gondor Ranger
R7XKDH – Easterling
5LV6EB – Radagast the Brown
73HJP6 – Háma
AVJII1 – Gamling
BU95CB – Grima Wormtongue
C2A58D – Lothlórien Elf
UE5Z7H – Berserker
U47AOG – Éomer
IH7E58 – King of the Dead
RJV4KB – Denethor
HTYADU – Boromir (Captain)
QL28WB – Lurtz (Newborn)
LEGO Lord of the Rings unlockable extras codes
The following are all the unlockable extras to be had in LEGO Lord of the Rings, and we’ve put what we reckon to be the most useful at the top of the list: the Studs x2 multiplier, which will – you guessed it – double the amount of studs you earn when you pick them up.
With it coming out all the back in 2012, when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were enjoying their last year as current-gen affairs, we reckon it’s alright to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats these days, and we’ve got the full list of codes and extras to unlock!
But you’re probably screaming at us to get on with it, and who are we to keep you away from instantly unlocking Radagast the Brown? Read on for the full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheat codes and how to use them!
How to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
To use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats codes, all you need to do is press Pause, and then select the Extras menu.
In the Extras menu, select Input Code, and from there, you can type in one of the character or unlockable extras codes.
If the code was input correctly, then you will be able to make use of the item or play the character you have unlocked.
Full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats are separated into two categories: characters and unlockable extras. Luckily for you, we have them both in full for you down below!
LEGO Lord of the Rings character codes
Below are all the unlockable characters in LEGO Lord of the Rings and the codes you can use to unlock them right away, without having to do so by playing all the way through.
C19F3A – Madril
PJB6MV – Shagrat
F4M7FC – Mouth of Sauron
A9FB4Q – Elrond (Second Age)
J4337V – Bilbo Baggins
LYQU1F – Ringwraith (Twilight)
7B4VWH – Galadriel
LG5GI7 – Gondor Ranger
R7XKDH – Easterling
5LV6EB – Radagast the Brown
73HJP6 – Háma
AVJII1 – Gamling
BU95CB – Grima Wormtongue
C2A58D – Lothlórien Elf
UE5Z7H – Berserker
U47AOG – Éomer
IH7E58 – King of the Dead
RJV4KB – Denethor
HTYADU – Boromir (Captain)
QL28WB – Lurtz (Newborn)
LEGO Lord of the Rings unlockable extras codes
The following are all the unlockable extras to be had in LEGO Lord of the Rings, and we’ve put what we reckon to be the most useful at the top of the list: the Studs x2 multiplier, which will – you guessed it – double the amount of studs you earn when you pick them up.
With it coming out all the back in 2012, when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were enjoying their last year as current-gen affairs, we reckon it’s alright to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats these days, and we’ve got the full list of codes and extras to unlock!
But you’re probably screaming at us to get on with it, and who are we to keep you away from instantly unlocking Radagast the Brown? Read on for the full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheat codes and how to use them!
How to use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
To use LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats codes, all you need to do is press Pause, and then select the Extras menu.
In the Extras menu, select Input Code, and from there, you can type in one of the character or unlockable extras codes.
If the code was input correctly, then you will be able to make use of the item or play the character you have unlocked.
Full list of LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats
LEGO Lord of the Rings cheats are separated into two categories: characters and unlockable extras. Luckily for you, we have them both in full for you down below!
LEGO Lord of the Rings character codes
Below are all the unlockable characters in LEGO Lord of the Rings and the codes you can use to unlock them right away, without having to do so by playing all the way through.
C19F3A – Madril
PJB6MV – Shagrat
F4M7FC – Mouth of Sauron
A9FB4Q – Elrond (Second Age)
J4337V – Bilbo Baggins
LYQU1F – Ringwraith (Twilight)
7B4VWH – Galadriel
LG5GI7 – Gondor Ranger
R7XKDH – Easterling
5LV6EB – Radagast the Brown
73HJP6 – Háma
AVJII1 – Gamling
BU95CB – Grima Wormtongue
C2A58D – Lothlórien Elf
UE5Z7H – Berserker
U47AOG – Éomer
IH7E58 – King of the Dead
RJV4KB – Denethor
HTYADU – Boromir (Captain)
QL28WB – Lurtz (Newborn)
LEGO Lord of the Rings unlockable extras codes
The following are all the unlockable extras to be had in LEGO Lord of the Rings, and we’ve put what we reckon to be the most useful at the top of the list: the Studs x2 multiplier, which will – you guessed it – double the amount of studs you earn when you pick them up.
ITV have revealed their broadcast plans and line-up for World Cup 2026, including a new 24/7 channel on ITVX and the surprise inclusion of Man v Food star Adam Richman.
This summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which starts on Thursday 11 June and runs until Sunday 19 July, is set to be the biggest ever after the expansion to 48 teams.
All 104 matches from World Cup 2026 will be available on free-to-air TV for UK viewers. 51 of those will be broadcast live on ITV channels and online via ITVX, with 54 shown on the BBC.
Among the big games that ITV will have coverage for are the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, England's first and final Group L fixtures, Scotland's group game against Morocco, and three of the four quarter-finals.
Leading the broadcaster's coverage from their studio in New York City will be Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods, and Semra Hunter.
In a surprise inclusion, they are joined in ITV's roster by Richman, who made his name taking on eating challenges in the reality TV series Man v Food. He will be joined by celebrity guests to discuss all the big social and cultural moments from the World Cup.
ITV has confirmed an impressive roster of pundits, which includes Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, Ange Postecoglou, Juan Mata, Emma Hayes, Duncan Ferguson, Jobi McAnuff, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The live match coverage will be soundtracked by the familiar voices of commentators such as Sam Matterface, Jon Champion, Seb Hutchinson, and Joe Speight, who will be paired with co-commentators such as Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist, Andros Townsend, and Lucy Ward.
At his 19th major tournament, Gabriel Clarke will be the broadcaster's England reporter, while Connie McLaughlin will provide all the latest news from the Scotland camp, and Daniyal Khan is ITV Sport's social reporter.
Beyond the live match coverage, the broadcaster has also revealed plans for a World Cup 24/7 channel on ITVX, which will show 40 classic World Cup matches as well as series on the 16 host cities and every team's route to the tournament.
There will also be a 24/7 stream on the ITV Sport YouTube channel showing up-to-date highlights, interviews and features, while a new digital series 'Inside the World Cup' will be part of their offering across social channels.
"This is the biggest FIFA World Cup in history and we will be live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, bringing every key moment to life, free-to-air," said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
"Nothing unifies the UK audience more than a global sporting event and they don't come much bigger than this. Our broadcast line-up is second to none and our comprehensive coverage across ITV, ITVX, our World Cup 24/7 Channel, plus our digital platforms will ensure the ITV audience doesn't miss a second of action."
World Cup 2026 gets under way on Thursday 11 June. The first of 51 matches live on ITV and ITVX is Mexico v South Africa at 8pm on Thursday 11 June.
ITV have revealed their broadcast plans and line-up for World Cup 2026, including a new 24/7 channel on ITVX and the surprise inclusion of Man v Food star Adam Richman.
This summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which starts on Thursday 11 June and runs until Sunday 19 July, is set to be the biggest ever after the expansion to 48 teams.
All 104 matches from World Cup 2026 will be available on free-to-air TV for UK viewers. 51 of those will be broadcast live on ITV channels and online via ITVX, with 54 shown on the BBC.
Among the big games that ITV will have coverage for are the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, England's first and final Group L fixtures, Scotland's group game against Morocco, and three of the four quarter-finals.
Leading the broadcaster's coverage from their studio in New York City will be Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods, and Semra Hunter.
In a surprise inclusion, they are joined in ITV's roster by Richman, who made his name taking on eating challenges in the reality TV series Man v Food. He will be joined by celebrity guests to discuss all the big social and cultural moments from the World Cup.
ITV has confirmed an impressive roster of pundits, which includes Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, Ange Postecoglou, Juan Mata, Emma Hayes, Duncan Ferguson, Jobi McAnuff, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The live match coverage will be soundtracked by the familiar voices of commentators such as Sam Matterface, Jon Champion, Seb Hutchinson, and Joe Speight, who will be paired with co-commentators such as Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist, Andros Townsend, and Lucy Ward.
At his 19th major tournament, Gabriel Clarke will be the broadcaster's England reporter, while Connie McLaughlin will provide all the latest news from the Scotland camp, and Daniyal Khan is ITV Sport's social reporter.
Beyond the live match coverage, the broadcaster has also revealed plans for a World Cup 24/7 channel on ITVX, which will show 40 classic World Cup matches as well as series on the 16 host cities and every team's route to the tournament.
There will also be a 24/7 stream on the ITV Sport YouTube channel showing up-to-date highlights, interviews and features, while a new digital series 'Inside the World Cup' will be part of their offering across social channels.
"This is the biggest FIFA World Cup in history and we will be live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, bringing every key moment to life, free-to-air," said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
"Nothing unifies the UK audience more than a global sporting event and they don't come much bigger than this. Our broadcast line-up is second to none and our comprehensive coverage across ITV, ITVX, our World Cup 24/7 Channel, plus our digital platforms will ensure the ITV audience doesn't miss a second of action."
World Cup 2026 gets under way on Thursday 11 June. The first of 51 matches live on ITV and ITVX is Mexico v South Africa at 8pm on Thursday 11 June.
ITV have revealed their broadcast plans and line-up for World Cup 2026, including a new 24/7 channel on ITVX and the surprise inclusion of Man v Food star Adam Richman.
This summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which starts on Thursday 11 June and runs until Sunday 19 July, is set to be the biggest ever after the expansion to 48 teams.
All 104 matches from World Cup 2026 will be available on free-to-air TV for UK viewers. 51 of those will be broadcast live on ITV channels and online via ITVX, with 54 shown on the BBC.
Among the big games that ITV will have coverage for are the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, England's first and final Group L fixtures, Scotland's group game against Morocco, and three of the four quarter-finals.
Leading the broadcaster's coverage from their studio in New York City will be Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods, and Semra Hunter.
In a surprise inclusion, they are joined in ITV's roster by Richman, who made his name taking on eating challenges in the reality TV series Man v Food. He will be joined by celebrity guests to discuss all the big social and cultural moments from the World Cup.
ITV has confirmed an impressive roster of pundits, which includes Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, Ange Postecoglou, Juan Mata, Emma Hayes, Duncan Ferguson, Jobi McAnuff, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The live match coverage will be soundtracked by the familiar voices of commentators such as Sam Matterface, Jon Champion, Seb Hutchinson, and Joe Speight, who will be paired with co-commentators such as Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist, Andros Townsend, and Lucy Ward.
At his 19th major tournament, Gabriel Clarke will be the broadcaster's England reporter, while Connie McLaughlin will provide all the latest news from the Scotland camp, and Daniyal Khan is ITV Sport's social reporter.
Beyond the live match coverage, the broadcaster has also revealed plans for a World Cup 24/7 channel on ITVX, which will show 40 classic World Cup matches as well as series on the 16 host cities and every team's route to the tournament.
There will also be a 24/7 stream on the ITV Sport YouTube channel showing up-to-date highlights, interviews and features, while a new digital series 'Inside the World Cup' will be part of their offering across social channels.
"This is the biggest FIFA World Cup in history and we will be live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, bringing every key moment to life, free-to-air," said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
"Nothing unifies the UK audience more than a global sporting event and they don't come much bigger than this. Our broadcast line-up is second to none and our comprehensive coverage across ITV, ITVX, our World Cup 24/7 Channel, plus our digital platforms will ensure the ITV audience doesn't miss a second of action."
World Cup 2026 gets under way on Thursday 11 June. The first of 51 matches live on ITV and ITVX is Mexico v South Africa at 8pm on Thursday 11 June.
ITV have revealed their broadcast plans and line-up for World Cup 2026, including a new 24/7 channel on ITVX and the surprise inclusion of Man v Food star Adam Richman.
This summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which starts on Thursday 11 June and runs until Sunday 19 July, is set to be the biggest ever after the expansion to 48 teams.
All 104 matches from World Cup 2026 will be available on free-to-air TV for UK viewers. 51 of those will be broadcast live on ITV channels and online via ITVX, with 54 shown on the BBC.
Among the big games that ITV will have coverage for are the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, England's first and final Group L fixtures, Scotland's group game against Morocco, and three of the four quarter-finals.
Leading the broadcaster's coverage from their studio in New York City will be Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods, and Semra Hunter.
In a surprise inclusion, they are joined in ITV's roster by Richman, who made his name taking on eating challenges in the reality TV series Man v Food. He will be joined by celebrity guests to discuss all the big social and cultural moments from the World Cup.
ITV has confirmed an impressive roster of pundits, which includes Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, Ange Postecoglou, Juan Mata, Emma Hayes, Duncan Ferguson, Jobi McAnuff, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The live match coverage will be soundtracked by the familiar voices of commentators such as Sam Matterface, Jon Champion, Seb Hutchinson, and Joe Speight, who will be paired with co-commentators such as Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist, Andros Townsend, and Lucy Ward.
At his 19th major tournament, Gabriel Clarke will be the broadcaster's England reporter, while Connie McLaughlin will provide all the latest news from the Scotland camp, and Daniyal Khan is ITV Sport's social reporter.
Beyond the live match coverage, the broadcaster has also revealed plans for a World Cup 24/7 channel on ITVX, which will show 40 classic World Cup matches as well as series on the 16 host cities and every team's route to the tournament.
There will also be a 24/7 stream on the ITV Sport YouTube channel showing up-to-date highlights, interviews and features, while a new digital series 'Inside the World Cup' will be part of their offering across social channels.
"This is the biggest FIFA World Cup in history and we will be live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, bringing every key moment to life, free-to-air," said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
"Nothing unifies the UK audience more than a global sporting event and they don't come much bigger than this. Our broadcast line-up is second to none and our comprehensive coverage across ITV, ITVX, our World Cup 24/7 Channel, plus our digital platforms will ensure the ITV audience doesn't miss a second of action."
World Cup 2026 gets under way on Thursday 11 June. The first of 51 matches live on ITV and ITVX is Mexico v South Africa at 8pm on Thursday 11 June.
ITV have revealed their broadcast plans and line-up for World Cup 2026, including a new 24/7 channel on ITVX and the surprise inclusion of Man v Food star Adam Richman.
This summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which starts on Thursday 11 June and runs until Sunday 19 July, is set to be the biggest ever after the expansion to 48 teams.
All 104 matches from World Cup 2026 will be available on free-to-air TV for UK viewers. 51 of those will be broadcast live on ITV channels and online via ITVX, with 54 shown on the BBC.
Among the big games that ITV will have coverage for are the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, England's first and final Group L fixtures, Scotland's group game against Morocco, and three of the four quarter-finals.
Leading the broadcaster's coverage from their studio in New York City will be Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods, and Semra Hunter.
In a surprise inclusion, they are joined in ITV's roster by Richman, who made his name taking on eating challenges in the reality TV series Man v Food. He will be joined by celebrity guests to discuss all the big social and cultural moments from the World Cup.
ITV has confirmed an impressive roster of pundits, which includes Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, Ange Postecoglou, Juan Mata, Emma Hayes, Duncan Ferguson, Jobi McAnuff, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The live match coverage will be soundtracked by the familiar voices of commentators such as Sam Matterface, Jon Champion, Seb Hutchinson, and Joe Speight, who will be paired with co-commentators such as Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist, Andros Townsend, and Lucy Ward.
At his 19th major tournament, Gabriel Clarke will be the broadcaster's England reporter, while Connie McLaughlin will provide all the latest news from the Scotland camp, and Daniyal Khan is ITV Sport's social reporter.
Beyond the live match coverage, the broadcaster has also revealed plans for a World Cup 24/7 channel on ITVX, which will show 40 classic World Cup matches as well as series on the 16 host cities and every team's route to the tournament.
There will also be a 24/7 stream on the ITV Sport YouTube channel showing up-to-date highlights, interviews and features, while a new digital series 'Inside the World Cup' will be part of their offering across social channels.
"This is the biggest FIFA World Cup in history and we will be live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, bringing every key moment to life, free-to-air," said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
"Nothing unifies the UK audience more than a global sporting event and they don't come much bigger than this. Our broadcast line-up is second to none and our comprehensive coverage across ITV, ITVX, our World Cup 24/7 Channel, plus our digital platforms will ensure the ITV audience doesn't miss a second of action."
World Cup 2026 gets under way on Thursday 11 June. The first of 51 matches live on ITV and ITVX is Mexico v South Africa at 8pm on Thursday 11 June.
ITV have revealed their broadcast plans and line-up for World Cup 2026, including a new 24/7 channel on ITVX and the surprise inclusion of Man v Food star Adam Richman.
This summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which starts on Thursday 11 June and runs until Sunday 19 July, is set to be the biggest ever after the expansion to 48 teams.
All 104 matches from World Cup 2026 will be available on free-to-air TV for UK viewers. 51 of those will be broadcast live on ITV channels and online via ITVX, with 54 shown on the BBC.
Among the big games that ITV will have coverage for are the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, England's first and final Group L fixtures, Scotland's group game against Morocco, and three of the four quarter-finals.
Leading the broadcaster's coverage from their studio in New York City will be Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods, and Semra Hunter.
In a surprise inclusion, they are joined in ITV's roster by Richman, who made his name taking on eating challenges in the reality TV series Man v Food. He will be joined by celebrity guests to discuss all the big social and cultural moments from the World Cup.
ITV has confirmed an impressive roster of pundits, which includes Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, Ange Postecoglou, Juan Mata, Emma Hayes, Duncan Ferguson, Jobi McAnuff, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The live match coverage will be soundtracked by the familiar voices of commentators such as Sam Matterface, Jon Champion, Seb Hutchinson, and Joe Speight, who will be paired with co-commentators such as Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist, Andros Townsend, and Lucy Ward.
At his 19th major tournament, Gabriel Clarke will be the broadcaster's England reporter, while Connie McLaughlin will provide all the latest news from the Scotland camp, and Daniyal Khan is ITV Sport's social reporter.
Beyond the live match coverage, the broadcaster has also revealed plans for a World Cup 24/7 channel on ITVX, which will show 40 classic World Cup matches as well as series on the 16 host cities and every team's route to the tournament.
There will also be a 24/7 stream on the ITV Sport YouTube channel showing up-to-date highlights, interviews and features, while a new digital series 'Inside the World Cup' will be part of their offering across social channels.
"This is the biggest FIFA World Cup in history and we will be live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, bringing every key moment to life, free-to-air," said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
"Nothing unifies the UK audience more than a global sporting event and they don't come much bigger than this. Our broadcast line-up is second to none and our comprehensive coverage across ITV, ITVX, our World Cup 24/7 Channel, plus our digital platforms will ensure the ITV audience doesn't miss a second of action."
World Cup 2026 gets under way on Thursday 11 June. The first of 51 matches live on ITV and ITVX is Mexico v South Africa at 8pm on Thursday 11 June.
These aren't cheats, to be clear, but codes tied to certain LEGO sets that unlock skins for Batman and his vehicles that you can use throughout LOTDK's story.
So, to get your hands on the elusive Golden Batman outfit, among a few other skins, read on!
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight codes – All free outfits and skins
At the time of writing, there are four codes for Batman LEGO sets that include a QR code to be scanned.
Unfortunately, that does mean that you're going to have to buy one of the Batman LEGO sets to get your hands on them.
Here is every LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight QR code skin and their corresponding LEGO sets.
When you've purchased one of the above LEGO sets, you will find a QR code on the building instructions. Once you've found it, simply follow these steps:
These aren't cheats, to be clear, but codes tied to certain LEGO sets that unlock skins for Batman and his vehicles that you can use throughout LOTDK's story.
So, to get your hands on the elusive Golden Batman outfit, among a few other skins, read on!
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight codes – All free outfits and skins
At the time of writing, there are four codes for Batman LEGO sets that include a QR code to be scanned.
Unfortunately, that does mean that you're going to have to buy one of the Batman LEGO sets to get your hands on them.
Here is every LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight QR code skin and their corresponding LEGO sets.
When you've purchased one of the above LEGO sets, you will find a QR code on the building instructions. Once you've found it, simply follow these steps:
These aren't cheats, to be clear, but codes tied to certain LEGO sets that unlock skins for Batman and his vehicles that you can use throughout LOTDK's story.
So, to get your hands on the elusive Golden Batman outfit, among a few other skins, read on!
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight codes – All free outfits and skins
At the time of writing, there are four codes for Batman LEGO sets that include a QR code to be scanned.
Unfortunately, that does mean that you're going to have to buy one of the Batman LEGO sets to get your hands on them.
Here is every LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight QR code skin and their corresponding LEGO sets.
When you've purchased one of the above LEGO sets, you will find a QR code on the building instructions. Once you've found it, simply follow these steps:
These aren't cheats, to be clear, but codes tied to certain LEGO sets that unlock skins for Batman and his vehicles that you can use throughout LOTDK's story.
So, to get your hands on the elusive Golden Batman outfit, among a few other skins, read on!
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight codes – All free outfits and skins
At the time of writing, there are four codes for Batman LEGO sets that include a QR code to be scanned.
Unfortunately, that does mean that you're going to have to buy one of the Batman LEGO sets to get your hands on them.
Here is every LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight QR code skin and their corresponding LEGO sets.
When you've purchased one of the above LEGO sets, you will find a QR code on the building instructions. Once you've found it, simply follow these steps:
"I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
Show full content
New four-part BBC series Dear England tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the manager of England, but it isn't the first time this tale has been told as a drama.
In fact, Dear England is adapted by James Graham from his own acclaimed National Theatre stage play of the same name.
While, of course, many things had to be changed when taking the drama from the stage to the screen, one key element remained the same, with Joseph Fiennes returning to play Southgate, having originated the role on stage.
Fiennes and his co-star Jodie Whittaker recently spoke with Radio Times exclusively about the new series, and Fiennes admitted he had "reservations" about reprising the role in a different medium.
"I was coming to the end of the National and we’d just got a transfer deal to go to the West End," Fiennes said of the TV show's origins. "I had heard that James was approached by numerous buyers, two of which were Netflix and the BBC, and he went with the BBC.
"Which I think was brilliant, because it's in the spirit of the national psyche, and I think that's the right home for it. But I heard about this, and I definitely had some reservations about how I could portray Gareth on the screen, when the close ups are very giveaway.
"On stage, if you're in the middle of the stalls and you squint, it's like, 'Oh yeah, could be Gareth,' and you get away with the conceit. I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
He continued: "The good thing is, Gareth, the players, football even, is a conduit. It's a lens, a transportation mode for bigger subjects beyond those personas and football itself. We look at toxic masculinity, racism, pressures that young athletes are under at extraordinary high levels, and psychology within the game."
When it came to his Fiennes's fears about the conceit of him as Southgate, he was helped on screen by the addition of prosthetics and make up, a clear differentiation from the play.
"Just on the sort of outside perspective, from the costumes which our designer was incredibly precise and detailed about, authenticity was everything," Fiennes said. "And then there's the hair and makeup team, who were incredible and diligent in the same regard.
"We were so lucky to be blessed with an incredible support group. I did a lot of research and listening to his book countless times in headphones, day in, day out. But that only takes you so far. What I'm more interested in is what I term the critical juncture in his life, and that's 96.
"We all, in our lives, have great moments and painful moments, and it's how you regain yourself, your confidence, and move on and use that experience. I think, for me, that was where I was more excited, is landing in the psychology of that, the ghosts of that and, by the end of the series, you'll see how those ghosts creep back in."
The series, which charts Southgate's tenure as England manager from 2016 to 2024, also stars Whittaker (Doctor Who), Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman), Jason Watkins (The Game), John Hodgkinson (Small Axe), Daniel Ryan (The Hack) and Sam Spruell (The Gold).
Dear England will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Add Dear England to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
"I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
Show full content
New four-part BBC series Dear England tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the manager of England, but it isn't the first time this tale has been told as a drama.
In fact, Dear England is adapted by James Graham from his own acclaimed National Theatre stage play of the same name.
While, of course, many things had to be changed when taking the drama from the stage to the screen, one key element remained the same, with Joseph Fiennes returning to play Southgate, having originated the role on stage.
Fiennes and his co-star Jodie Whittaker recently spoke with Radio Times exclusively about the new series, and Fiennes admitted he had "reservations" about reprising the role in a different medium.
"I was coming to the end of the National and we’d just got a transfer deal to go to the West End," Fiennes said of the TV show's origins. "I had heard that James was approached by numerous buyers, two of which were Netflix and the BBC, and he went with the BBC.
"Which I think was brilliant, because it's in the spirit of the national psyche, and I think that's the right home for it. But I heard about this, and I definitely had some reservations about how I could portray Gareth on the screen, when the close ups are very giveaway.
"On stage, if you're in the middle of the stalls and you squint, it's like, 'Oh yeah, could be Gareth,' and you get away with the conceit. I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
He continued: "The good thing is, Gareth, the players, football even, is a conduit. It's a lens, a transportation mode for bigger subjects beyond those personas and football itself. We look at toxic masculinity, racism, pressures that young athletes are under at extraordinary high levels, and psychology within the game."
When it came to his Fiennes's fears about the conceit of him as Southgate, he was helped on screen by the addition of prosthetics and make up, a clear differentiation from the play.
"Just on the sort of outside perspective, from the costumes which our designer was incredibly precise and detailed about, authenticity was everything," Fiennes said. "And then there's the hair and makeup team, who were incredible and diligent in the same regard.
"We were so lucky to be blessed with an incredible support group. I did a lot of research and listening to his book countless times in headphones, day in, day out. But that only takes you so far. What I'm more interested in is what I term the critical juncture in his life, and that's 96.
"We all, in our lives, have great moments and painful moments, and it's how you regain yourself, your confidence, and move on and use that experience. I think, for me, that was where I was more excited, is landing in the psychology of that, the ghosts of that and, by the end of the series, you'll see how those ghosts creep back in."
The series, which charts Southgate's tenure as England manager from 2016 to 2024, also stars Whittaker (Doctor Who), Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman), Jason Watkins (The Game), John Hodgkinson (Small Axe), Daniel Ryan (The Hack) and Sam Spruell (The Gold).
Dear England will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Add Dear England to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
"I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
Show full content
New four-part BBC series Dear England tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the manager of England, but it isn't the first time this tale has been told as a drama.
In fact, Dear England is adapted by James Graham from his own acclaimed National Theatre stage play of the same name.
While, of course, many things had to be changed when taking the drama from the stage to the screen, one key element remained the same, with Joseph Fiennes returning to play Southgate, having originated the role on stage.
Fiennes and his co-star Jodie Whittaker recently spoke with Radio Times exclusively about the new series, and Fiennes admitted he had "reservations" about reprising the role in a different medium.
"I was coming to the end of the National and we’d just got a transfer deal to go to the West End," Fiennes said of the TV show's origins. "I had heard that James was approached by numerous buyers, two of which were Netflix and the BBC, and he went with the BBC.
"Which I think was brilliant, because it's in the spirit of the national psyche, and I think that's the right home for it. But I heard about this, and I definitely had some reservations about how I could portray Gareth on the screen, when the close ups are very giveaway.
"On stage, if you're in the middle of the stalls and you squint, it's like, 'Oh yeah, could be Gareth,' and you get away with the conceit. I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
He continued: "The good thing is, Gareth, the players, football even, is a conduit. It's a lens, a transportation mode for bigger subjects beyond those personas and football itself. We look at toxic masculinity, racism, pressures that young athletes are under at extraordinary high levels, and psychology within the game."
When it came to his Fiennes's fears about the conceit of him as Southgate, he was helped on screen by the addition of prosthetics and make up, a clear differentiation from the play.
"Just on the sort of outside perspective, from the costumes which our designer was incredibly precise and detailed about, authenticity was everything," Fiennes said. "And then there's the hair and makeup team, who were incredible and diligent in the same regard.
"We were so lucky to be blessed with an incredible support group. I did a lot of research and listening to his book countless times in headphones, day in, day out. But that only takes you so far. What I'm more interested in is what I term the critical juncture in his life, and that's 96.
"We all, in our lives, have great moments and painful moments, and it's how you regain yourself, your confidence, and move on and use that experience. I think, for me, that was where I was more excited, is landing in the psychology of that, the ghosts of that and, by the end of the series, you'll see how those ghosts creep back in."
The series, which charts Southgate's tenure as England manager from 2016 to 2024, also stars Whittaker (Doctor Who), Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman), Jason Watkins (The Game), John Hodgkinson (Small Axe), Daniel Ryan (The Hack) and Sam Spruell (The Gold).
Dear England will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Add Dear England to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
"I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
Show full content
New four-part BBC series Dear England tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the manager of England, but it isn't the first time this tale has been told as a drama.
In fact, Dear England is adapted by James Graham from his own acclaimed National Theatre stage play of the same name.
While, of course, many things had to be changed when taking the drama from the stage to the screen, one key element remained the same, with Joseph Fiennes returning to play Southgate, having originated the role on stage.
Fiennes and his co-star Jodie Whittaker recently spoke with Radio Times exclusively about the new series, and Fiennes admitted he had "reservations" about reprising the role in a different medium.
"I was coming to the end of the National and we’d just got a transfer deal to go to the West End," Fiennes said of the TV show's origins. "I had heard that James was approached by numerous buyers, two of which were Netflix and the BBC, and he went with the BBC.
"Which I think was brilliant, because it's in the spirit of the national psyche, and I think that's the right home for it. But I heard about this, and I definitely had some reservations about how I could portray Gareth on the screen, when the close ups are very giveaway.
"On stage, if you're in the middle of the stalls and you squint, it's like, 'Oh yeah, could be Gareth,' and you get away with the conceit. I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
He continued: "The good thing is, Gareth, the players, football even, is a conduit. It's a lens, a transportation mode for bigger subjects beyond those personas and football itself. We look at toxic masculinity, racism, pressures that young athletes are under at extraordinary high levels, and psychology within the game."
When it came to his Fiennes's fears about the conceit of him as Southgate, he was helped on screen by the addition of prosthetics and make up, a clear differentiation from the play.
"Just on the sort of outside perspective, from the costumes which our designer was incredibly precise and detailed about, authenticity was everything," Fiennes said. "And then there's the hair and makeup team, who were incredible and diligent in the same regard.
"We were so lucky to be blessed with an incredible support group. I did a lot of research and listening to his book countless times in headphones, day in, day out. But that only takes you so far. What I'm more interested in is what I term the critical juncture in his life, and that's 96.
"We all, in our lives, have great moments and painful moments, and it's how you regain yourself, your confidence, and move on and use that experience. I think, for me, that was where I was more excited, is landing in the psychology of that, the ghosts of that and, by the end of the series, you'll see how those ghosts creep back in."
The series, which charts Southgate's tenure as England manager from 2016 to 2024, also stars Whittaker (Doctor Who), Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman), Jason Watkins (The Game), John Hodgkinson (Small Axe), Daniel Ryan (The Hack) and Sam Spruell (The Gold).
Dear England will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Add Dear England to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
"I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
Show full content
New four-part BBC series Dear England tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the manager of England, but it isn't the first time this tale has been told as a drama.
In fact, Dear England is adapted by James Graham from his own acclaimed National Theatre stage play of the same name.
While, of course, many things had to be changed when taking the drama from the stage to the screen, one key element remained the same, with Joseph Fiennes returning to play Southgate, having originated the role on stage.
Fiennes and his co-star Jodie Whittaker recently spoke with Radio Times exclusively about the new series, and Fiennes admitted he had "reservations" about reprising the role in a different medium.
"I was coming to the end of the National and we’d just got a transfer deal to go to the West End," Fiennes said of the TV show's origins. "I had heard that James was approached by numerous buyers, two of which were Netflix and the BBC, and he went with the BBC.
"Which I think was brilliant, because it's in the spirit of the national psyche, and I think that's the right home for it. But I heard about this, and I definitely had some reservations about how I could portray Gareth on the screen, when the close ups are very giveaway.
"On stage, if you're in the middle of the stalls and you squint, it's like, 'Oh yeah, could be Gareth,' and you get away with the conceit. I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
He continued: "The good thing is, Gareth, the players, football even, is a conduit. It's a lens, a transportation mode for bigger subjects beyond those personas and football itself. We look at toxic masculinity, racism, pressures that young athletes are under at extraordinary high levels, and psychology within the game."
When it came to his Fiennes's fears about the conceit of him as Southgate, he was helped on screen by the addition of prosthetics and make up, a clear differentiation from the play.
"Just on the sort of outside perspective, from the costumes which our designer was incredibly precise and detailed about, authenticity was everything," Fiennes said. "And then there's the hair and makeup team, who were incredible and diligent in the same regard.
"We were so lucky to be blessed with an incredible support group. I did a lot of research and listening to his book countless times in headphones, day in, day out. But that only takes you so far. What I'm more interested in is what I term the critical juncture in his life, and that's 96.
"We all, in our lives, have great moments and painful moments, and it's how you regain yourself, your confidence, and move on and use that experience. I think, for me, that was where I was more excited, is landing in the psychology of that, the ghosts of that and, by the end of the series, you'll see how those ghosts creep back in."
The series, which charts Southgate's tenure as England manager from 2016 to 2024, also stars Whittaker (Doctor Who), Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman), Jason Watkins (The Game), John Hodgkinson (Small Axe), Daniel Ryan (The Hack) and Sam Spruell (The Gold).
Dear England will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Add Dear England to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
"I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
Show full content
New four-part BBC series Dear England tells the story of Gareth Southgate's tenure as the manager of England, but it isn't the first time this tale has been told as a drama.
In fact, Dear England is adapted by James Graham from his own acclaimed National Theatre stage play of the same name.
While, of course, many things had to be changed when taking the drama from the stage to the screen, one key element remained the same, with Joseph Fiennes returning to play Southgate, having originated the role on stage.
Fiennes and his co-star Jodie Whittaker recently spoke with Radio Times exclusively about the new series, and Fiennes admitted he had "reservations" about reprising the role in a different medium.
"I was coming to the end of the National and we’d just got a transfer deal to go to the West End," Fiennes said of the TV show's origins. "I had heard that James was approached by numerous buyers, two of which were Netflix and the BBC, and he went with the BBC.
"Which I think was brilliant, because it's in the spirit of the national psyche, and I think that's the right home for it. But I heard about this, and I definitely had some reservations about how I could portray Gareth on the screen, when the close ups are very giveaway.
"On stage, if you're in the middle of the stalls and you squint, it's like, 'Oh yeah, could be Gareth,' and you get away with the conceit. I was terrified that I wouldn't get away with the conceit quite so much."
He continued: "The good thing is, Gareth, the players, football even, is a conduit. It's a lens, a transportation mode for bigger subjects beyond those personas and football itself. We look at toxic masculinity, racism, pressures that young athletes are under at extraordinary high levels, and psychology within the game."
When it came to his Fiennes's fears about the conceit of him as Southgate, he was helped on screen by the addition of prosthetics and make up, a clear differentiation from the play.
"Just on the sort of outside perspective, from the costumes which our designer was incredibly precise and detailed about, authenticity was everything," Fiennes said. "And then there's the hair and makeup team, who were incredible and diligent in the same regard.
"We were so lucky to be blessed with an incredible support group. I did a lot of research and listening to his book countless times in headphones, day in, day out. But that only takes you so far. What I'm more interested in is what I term the critical juncture in his life, and that's 96.
"We all, in our lives, have great moments and painful moments, and it's how you regain yourself, your confidence, and move on and use that experience. I think, for me, that was where I was more excited, is landing in the psychology of that, the ghosts of that and, by the end of the series, you'll see how those ghosts creep back in."
The series, which charts Southgate's tenure as England manager from 2016 to 2024, also stars Whittaker (Doctor Who), Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman), Jason Watkins (The Game), John Hodgkinson (Small Axe), Daniel Ryan (The Hack) and Sam Spruell (The Gold).
Dear England will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Add Dear England to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Yoshi returns and this time he's more wholesome than ever.
Show full content
Yoshi’s back! That is, to be honest, all there is to say... right? Well, hopefully not, because we've written a full review of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for you.
Ever since his first outing on the SNES, where he battled Bowser's forces while protecting a baby Mario (those annoying cries still haunt us), Yoshi’s side adventures have been fun explorations into the Mario universe, and this entry is no different – with Yoshi quite literally writing the book on creative creatures and collectathons.
The Mysterious book in question is Mr E, an anthropomorphised leather tome complete with monocle and a moustache to be envied (one day, top lip... one day you’ll feel the warm embrace of an iconic cookie duster).
With Bowser Jr running riot amongst his pages in search of a unique creature, Mr E tasks the Yoshis with exploring his pages to remove the pest, while at the same time studying the creatures within to fill his sheets with as many encyclopaedic discoveries as possible. What’s a book without some ink, after all?
It’s a simple set up and an easy-to-understand gameplay loop, but it’s delivered with the charm and creative flair you’d expect from Nintendo’s main efforts, and we were pretty instantly hooked in.
Off the bat, it’s worth noting that this adventure is quite clearly aimed at kids first and foremost - difficulty doesn’t spike anywhere and there’s no fail state to be seen. You can fall off a cliff and the game will just rewind Yoshi back to where he jumped off. Even in the handful of boss battles you’ll encounter, there’s no way to die, you just either finish the task quickly or take a little longer.
We don’t bring this up as a negative at all, but more to set the expectation that this Yoshi adventure is one about fun exploration and not your usual platforming skill test.
In fact, in our time with it we felt that it has surprisingly more in common with Tony Hawks Pro Skater than previous Yoshi games.
That feeling of starting a level and trying to tick off a list of tricks and collectibles in as smooth a run as possible was something we thought about often.
Each page is essentially its own mini world, and within it you’ll jump into specific habitats for each creature, serving as levels. These range in size from short trips left to right with lots of height to explore and vice versa, to longer more sprawling areas - but each has a unique twist thanks to the local creature which you’ll need to test to their limits.
For example, one creature that looks like a slug but can be thrown like a boomerang was useful for cutting grass, but not smashing rocks, unless you happen to dodge it flying back so it could build up power. It did not however taste very nice and bees would not attack it - how do we know this? Through purely scientific methods, of course.
The same methods helped us discover egg-shaped penguins can’t be eaten but will follow you and act like projectiles when the time calls for it, and that singing birds aren’t fans of chilli peppers and will bounce around in pain should you feed them any.
Did this stop us feeding them copious amounts so these living breathing trampolines would move to a more prime position for our coin hunting needs? Of course. For science! (and those coins we mentioned).
In many ways this is almost a cosy game if you like, you pick a lush world, look for an interesting creature and with no pressure just run around experimenting and trying any idea that comes to mind, which more often than not leads to a discovery.
Once marked in the book, you’ll be given some stars based on how important that discovery may be, which in turn unlock more pages as you build up your bounty.
Each area has a manor-sized creature to discover, but rather than fighting them, you’ll almost always team up with them and use their innate ability to tackle Bowser Jr and stop him stealing some of their children or some other useful resource from the wild. These are simple enough but fun encounters, from attacking a rapidly-crafted UFO with some sort of Drill-faced lion that can leap great distances to riding a water creature that can split into hundreds of minions or grow to the size of a tower and eat Bowser's iconic clown copter.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Encourages replays, not just for you to go back and find all the discoveries you missed, but as you move forward and unlock new creatures, they’ll start appearing in previous pages and interacting with other creatures in some interesting ways.
Now, you’re probably wondering why we keep referring to them as creatures. This is because once you’ve finished a habitat for the first time, you’ll be given the chance to name them…
Of course Mr E can offer a more official name, but we went for a more specific naming convention. That of the ‘Butt’. Yes, we will forever remember the tale of FlappyButt being attacked by a swarm of BuzzyButt’s as WetButt looked on in horror. DrillButt was standing by on the sidelines though as ShyButt hid in a hut, with a flock of GulButt’s lining the sky as it happened.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to offer from Yoshi and the Mysterious Book if you’re down for some relaxed mucking around in fun mini zones that have all the hallmarks of a classic Yoshi and Mario adventure – with plenty of end game content after you complete the story to give you a reason to dive back into Mr E’s pages and torment some daft creatures in the name of science and discovery.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches 21 May for Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now.
Yoshi returns and this time he's more wholesome than ever.
Show full content
Yoshi’s back! That is, to be honest, all there is to say... right? Well, hopefully not, because we've written a full review of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for you.
Ever since his first outing on the SNES, where he battled Bowser's forces while protecting a baby Mario (those annoying cries still haunt us), Yoshi’s side adventures have been fun explorations into the Mario universe, and this entry is no different – with Yoshi quite literally writing the book on creative creatures and collectathons.
The Mysterious book in question is Mr E, an anthropomorphised leather tome complete with monocle and a moustache to be envied (one day, top lip... one day you’ll feel the warm embrace of an iconic cookie duster).
With Bowser Jr running riot amongst his pages in search of a unique creature, Mr E tasks the Yoshis with exploring his pages to remove the pest, while at the same time studying the creatures within to fill his sheets with as many encyclopaedic discoveries as possible. What’s a book without some ink, after all?
It’s a simple set up and an easy-to-understand gameplay loop, but it’s delivered with the charm and creative flair you’d expect from Nintendo’s main efforts, and we were pretty instantly hooked in.
Off the bat, it’s worth noting that this adventure is quite clearly aimed at kids first and foremost - difficulty doesn’t spike anywhere and there’s no fail state to be seen. You can fall off a cliff and the game will just rewind Yoshi back to where he jumped off. Even in the handful of boss battles you’ll encounter, there’s no way to die, you just either finish the task quickly or take a little longer.
We don’t bring this up as a negative at all, but more to set the expectation that this Yoshi adventure is one about fun exploration and not your usual platforming skill test.
In fact, in our time with it we felt that it has surprisingly more in common with Tony Hawks Pro Skater than previous Yoshi games.
That feeling of starting a level and trying to tick off a list of tricks and collectibles in as smooth a run as possible was something we thought about often.
Each page is essentially its own mini world, and within it you’ll jump into specific habitats for each creature, serving as levels. These range in size from short trips left to right with lots of height to explore and vice versa, to longer more sprawling areas - but each has a unique twist thanks to the local creature which you’ll need to test to their limits.
For example, one creature that looks like a slug but can be thrown like a boomerang was useful for cutting grass, but not smashing rocks, unless you happen to dodge it flying back so it could build up power. It did not however taste very nice and bees would not attack it - how do we know this? Through purely scientific methods, of course.
The same methods helped us discover egg-shaped penguins can’t be eaten but will follow you and act like projectiles when the time calls for it, and that singing birds aren’t fans of chilli peppers and will bounce around in pain should you feed them any.
Did this stop us feeding them copious amounts so these living breathing trampolines would move to a more prime position for our coin hunting needs? Of course. For science! (and those coins we mentioned).
In many ways this is almost a cosy game if you like, you pick a lush world, look for an interesting creature and with no pressure just run around experimenting and trying any idea that comes to mind, which more often than not leads to a discovery.
Once marked in the book, you’ll be given some stars based on how important that discovery may be, which in turn unlock more pages as you build up your bounty.
Each area has a manor-sized creature to discover, but rather than fighting them, you’ll almost always team up with them and use their innate ability to tackle Bowser Jr and stop him stealing some of their children or some other useful resource from the wild. These are simple enough but fun encounters, from attacking a rapidly-crafted UFO with some sort of Drill-faced lion that can leap great distances to riding a water creature that can split into hundreds of minions or grow to the size of a tower and eat Bowser's iconic clown copter.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Encourages replays, not just for you to go back and find all the discoveries you missed, but as you move forward and unlock new creatures, they’ll start appearing in previous pages and interacting with other creatures in some interesting ways.
Now, you’re probably wondering why we keep referring to them as creatures. This is because once you’ve finished a habitat for the first time, you’ll be given the chance to name them…
Of course Mr E can offer a more official name, but we went for a more specific naming convention. That of the ‘Butt’. Yes, we will forever remember the tale of FlappyButt being attacked by a swarm of BuzzyButt’s as WetButt looked on in horror. DrillButt was standing by on the sidelines though as ShyButt hid in a hut, with a flock of GulButt’s lining the sky as it happened.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to offer from Yoshi and the Mysterious Book if you’re down for some relaxed mucking around in fun mini zones that have all the hallmarks of a classic Yoshi and Mario adventure – with plenty of end game content after you complete the story to give you a reason to dive back into Mr E’s pages and torment some daft creatures in the name of science and discovery.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches 21 May for Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now.
Yoshi returns and this time he's more wholesome than ever.
Show full content
Yoshi’s back! That is, to be honest, all there is to say... right? Well, hopefully not, because we've written a full review of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for you.
Ever since his first outing on the SNES, where he battled Bowser's forces while protecting a baby Mario (those annoying cries still haunt us), Yoshi’s side adventures have been fun explorations into the Mario universe, and this entry is no different – with Yoshi quite literally writing the book on creative creatures and collectathons.
The Mysterious book in question is Mr E, an anthropomorphised leather tome complete with monocle and a moustache to be envied (one day, top lip... one day you’ll feel the warm embrace of an iconic cookie duster).
With Bowser Jr running riot amongst his pages in search of a unique creature, Mr E tasks the Yoshis with exploring his pages to remove the pest, while at the same time studying the creatures within to fill his sheets with as many encyclopaedic discoveries as possible. What’s a book without some ink, after all?
It’s a simple set up and an easy-to-understand gameplay loop, but it’s delivered with the charm and creative flair you’d expect from Nintendo’s main efforts, and we were pretty instantly hooked in.
Off the bat, it’s worth noting that this adventure is quite clearly aimed at kids first and foremost - difficulty doesn’t spike anywhere and there’s no fail state to be seen. You can fall off a cliff and the game will just rewind Yoshi back to where he jumped off. Even in the handful of boss battles you’ll encounter, there’s no way to die, you just either finish the task quickly or take a little longer.
We don’t bring this up as a negative at all, but more to set the expectation that this Yoshi adventure is one about fun exploration and not your usual platforming skill test.
In fact, in our time with it we felt that it has surprisingly more in common with Tony Hawks Pro Skater than previous Yoshi games.
That feeling of starting a level and trying to tick off a list of tricks and collectibles in as smooth a run as possible was something we thought about often.
Each page is essentially its own mini world, and within it you’ll jump into specific habitats for each creature, serving as levels. These range in size from short trips left to right with lots of height to explore and vice versa, to longer more sprawling areas - but each has a unique twist thanks to the local creature which you’ll need to test to their limits.
For example, one creature that looks like a slug but can be thrown like a boomerang was useful for cutting grass, but not smashing rocks, unless you happen to dodge it flying back so it could build up power. It did not however taste very nice and bees would not attack it - how do we know this? Through purely scientific methods, of course.
The same methods helped us discover egg-shaped penguins can’t be eaten but will follow you and act like projectiles when the time calls for it, and that singing birds aren’t fans of chilli peppers and will bounce around in pain should you feed them any.
Did this stop us feeding them copious amounts so these living breathing trampolines would move to a more prime position for our coin hunting needs? Of course. For science! (and those coins we mentioned).
In many ways this is almost a cosy game if you like, you pick a lush world, look for an interesting creature and with no pressure just run around experimenting and trying any idea that comes to mind, which more often than not leads to a discovery.
Once marked in the book, you’ll be given some stars based on how important that discovery may be, which in turn unlock more pages as you build up your bounty.
Each area has a manor-sized creature to discover, but rather than fighting them, you’ll almost always team up with them and use their innate ability to tackle Bowser Jr and stop him stealing some of their children or some other useful resource from the wild. These are simple enough but fun encounters, from attacking a rapidly-crafted UFO with some sort of Drill-faced lion that can leap great distances to riding a water creature that can split into hundreds of minions or grow to the size of a tower and eat Bowser's iconic clown copter.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Encourages replays, not just for you to go back and find all the discoveries you missed, but as you move forward and unlock new creatures, they’ll start appearing in previous pages and interacting with other creatures in some interesting ways.
Now, you’re probably wondering why we keep referring to them as creatures. This is because once you’ve finished a habitat for the first time, you’ll be given the chance to name them…
Of course Mr E can offer a more official name, but we went for a more specific naming convention. That of the ‘Butt’. Yes, we will forever remember the tale of FlappyButt being attacked by a swarm of BuzzyButt’s as WetButt looked on in horror. DrillButt was standing by on the sidelines though as ShyButt hid in a hut, with a flock of GulButt’s lining the sky as it happened.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to offer from Yoshi and the Mysterious Book if you’re down for some relaxed mucking around in fun mini zones that have all the hallmarks of a classic Yoshi and Mario adventure – with plenty of end game content after you complete the story to give you a reason to dive back into Mr E’s pages and torment some daft creatures in the name of science and discovery.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches 21 May for Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now.
Yoshi returns and this time he's more wholesome than ever.
Show full content
Yoshi’s back! That is, to be honest, all there is to say... right? Well, hopefully not, because we've written a full review of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for you.
Ever since his first outing on the SNES, where he battled Bowser's forces while protecting a baby Mario (those annoying cries still haunt us), Yoshi’s side adventures have been fun explorations into the Mario universe, and this entry is no different – with Yoshi quite literally writing the book on creative creatures and collectathons.
The Mysterious book in question is Mr E, an anthropomorphised leather tome complete with monocle and a moustache to be envied (one day, top lip... one day you’ll feel the warm embrace of an iconic cookie duster).
With Bowser Jr running riot amongst his pages in search of a unique creature, Mr E tasks the Yoshis with exploring his pages to remove the pest, while at the same time studying the creatures within to fill his sheets with as many encyclopaedic discoveries as possible. What’s a book without some ink, after all?
It’s a simple set up and an easy-to-understand gameplay loop, but it’s delivered with the charm and creative flair you’d expect from Nintendo’s main efforts, and we were pretty instantly hooked in.
Off the bat, it’s worth noting that this adventure is quite clearly aimed at kids first and foremost - difficulty doesn’t spike anywhere and there’s no fail state to be seen. You can fall off a cliff and the game will just rewind Yoshi back to where he jumped off. Even in the handful of boss battles you’ll encounter, there’s no way to die, you just either finish the task quickly or take a little longer.
We don’t bring this up as a negative at all, but more to set the expectation that this Yoshi adventure is one about fun exploration and not your usual platforming skill test.
In fact, in our time with it we felt that it has surprisingly more in common with Tony Hawks Pro Skater than previous Yoshi games.
That feeling of starting a level and trying to tick off a list of tricks and collectibles in as smooth a run as possible was something we thought about often.
Each page is essentially its own mini world, and within it you’ll jump into specific habitats for each creature, serving as levels. These range in size from short trips left to right with lots of height to explore and vice versa, to longer more sprawling areas - but each has a unique twist thanks to the local creature which you’ll need to test to their limits.
For example, one creature that looks like a slug but can be thrown like a boomerang was useful for cutting grass, but not smashing rocks, unless you happen to dodge it flying back so it could build up power. It did not however taste very nice and bees would not attack it - how do we know this? Through purely scientific methods, of course.
The same methods helped us discover egg-shaped penguins can’t be eaten but will follow you and act like projectiles when the time calls for it, and that singing birds aren’t fans of chilli peppers and will bounce around in pain should you feed them any.
Did this stop us feeding them copious amounts so these living breathing trampolines would move to a more prime position for our coin hunting needs? Of course. For science! (and those coins we mentioned).
In many ways this is almost a cosy game if you like, you pick a lush world, look for an interesting creature and with no pressure just run around experimenting and trying any idea that comes to mind, which more often than not leads to a discovery.
Once marked in the book, you’ll be given some stars based on how important that discovery may be, which in turn unlock more pages as you build up your bounty.
Each area has a manor-sized creature to discover, but rather than fighting them, you’ll almost always team up with them and use their innate ability to tackle Bowser Jr and stop him stealing some of their children or some other useful resource from the wild. These are simple enough but fun encounters, from attacking a rapidly-crafted UFO with some sort of Drill-faced lion that can leap great distances to riding a water creature that can split into hundreds of minions or grow to the size of a tower and eat Bowser's iconic clown copter.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Encourages replays, not just for you to go back and find all the discoveries you missed, but as you move forward and unlock new creatures, they’ll start appearing in previous pages and interacting with other creatures in some interesting ways.
Now, you’re probably wondering why we keep referring to them as creatures. This is because once you’ve finished a habitat for the first time, you’ll be given the chance to name them…
Of course Mr E can offer a more official name, but we went for a more specific naming convention. That of the ‘Butt’. Yes, we will forever remember the tale of FlappyButt being attacked by a swarm of BuzzyButt’s as WetButt looked on in horror. DrillButt was standing by on the sidelines though as ShyButt hid in a hut, with a flock of GulButt’s lining the sky as it happened.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to offer from Yoshi and the Mysterious Book if you’re down for some relaxed mucking around in fun mini zones that have all the hallmarks of a classic Yoshi and Mario adventure – with plenty of end game content after you complete the story to give you a reason to dive back into Mr E’s pages and torment some daft creatures in the name of science and discovery.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches 21 May for Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now.
This is a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise.
Show full content
Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.
While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned.
What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).
The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.
A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).
Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.
Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.
These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done.
Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion.
Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.
Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."
In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.
This is a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise.
Show full content
Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.
While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned.
What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).
The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.
A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).
Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.
Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.
These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done.
Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion.
Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.
Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."
In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.
This is a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise.
Show full content
Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.
While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned.
What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).
The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.
A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).
Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.
Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.
These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done.
Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion.
Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.
Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."
In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.
This is a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise.
Show full content
Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.
While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned.
What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).
The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.
A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).
Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.
Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.
These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done.
Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion.
Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.
Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."
In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.
This is a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise.
Show full content
Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.
While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned.
What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).
The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.
A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).
Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.
Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.
These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done.
Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion.
Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.
Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."
In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.
This is a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise.
Show full content
Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.
While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned.
What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).
The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.
A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).
Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.
Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.
These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done.
Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion.
Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.
Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."
In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.
Once again, Rivals has stormed right back onto the scene as if it never left, injecting some much-needed humour, wit and charm to the streaming options. While everyone in the Jilly Cooper series is positively hilarious, they aren't exactly the best kinds of people, as evidenced by the fallout at the end of episode 3.
Speaking to Radio Times, Alex Hassell said that the state that Rupert is left in is "the lowest he’s potentially been, I think", adding: "He’s forced to re-evaluate and recalibrate what he’s doing with his life and his actions."
We're sure Rupert won't be struck down for too long but things did end in a very precarious place, with fans patiently waiting to see what will unfold next in the fictional county.
Unlike the first season, this second outing has a different format and so, many may be wondering why their binge-watch of the season has been cut short. So, when will you be able to stream the next episodes of Rivals? Read on to find out.
Rivals season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes land on Disney Plus?
Rivals season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on Friday 15 May at 7am with the first three episodes. The season has been split into two six episode batches, meaning that the rest of the first batch will continue airing weekly.
That means that new episodes can be found on Disney Plus every Friday from 7am.
Rivals season 2 release schedule
The full release schedule for Rivals season 2 is as follows. As you can see, the release dates for the second batch of Rivals season 2 episodes hasn't yet been confirmed but watch this space.
Episode 1 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 2 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 3 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 4 - 22 May 2026
Episode 5 - 29 May 2026
Episode 6 - 5 June 2026
Episode 7 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 8 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 9 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 10 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 11 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 12 - TBC, late 2026
Rivals season 2 trailer
You can watch the trailer for Rivals season 2 below.
Once again, Rivals has stormed right back onto the scene as if it never left, injecting some much-needed humour, wit and charm to the streaming options. While everyone in the Jilly Cooper series is positively hilarious, they aren't exactly the best kinds of people, as evidenced by the fallout at the end of episode 3.
Speaking to Radio Times, Alex Hassell said that the state that Rupert is left in is "the lowest he’s potentially been, I think", adding: "He’s forced to re-evaluate and recalibrate what he’s doing with his life and his actions."
We're sure Rupert won't be struck down for too long but things did end in a very precarious place, with fans patiently waiting to see what will unfold next in the fictional county.
Unlike the first season, this second outing has a different format and so, many may be wondering why their binge-watch of the season has been cut short. So, when will you be able to stream the next episodes of Rivals? Read on to find out.
Rivals season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes land on Disney Plus?
Rivals season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on Friday 15 May at 7am with the first three episodes. The season has been split into two six episode batches, meaning that the rest of the first batch will continue airing weekly.
That means that new episodes can be found on Disney Plus every Friday from 7am.
Rivals season 2 release schedule
The full release schedule for Rivals season 2 is as follows. As you can see, the release dates for the second batch of Rivals season 2 episodes hasn't yet been confirmed but watch this space.
Episode 1 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 2 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 3 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 4 - 22 May 2026
Episode 5 - 29 May 2026
Episode 6 - 5 June 2026
Episode 7 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 8 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 9 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 10 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 11 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 12 - TBC, late 2026
Rivals season 2 trailer
You can watch the trailer for Rivals season 2 below.
Once again, Rivals has stormed right back onto the scene as if it never left, injecting some much-needed humour, wit and charm to the streaming options. While everyone in the Jilly Cooper series is positively hilarious, they aren't exactly the best kinds of people, as evidenced by the fallout at the end of episode 3.
Speaking to Radio Times, Alex Hassell said that the state that Rupert is left in is "the lowest he’s potentially been, I think", adding: "He’s forced to re-evaluate and recalibrate what he’s doing with his life and his actions."
We're sure Rupert won't be struck down for too long but things did end in a very precarious place, with fans patiently waiting to see what will unfold next in the fictional county.
Unlike the first season, this second outing has a different format and so, many may be wondering why their binge-watch of the season has been cut short. So, when will you be able to stream the next episodes of Rivals? Read on to find out.
Rivals season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes land on Disney Plus?
Rivals season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on Friday 15 May at 7am with the first three episodes. The season has been split into two six episode batches, meaning that the rest of the first batch will continue airing weekly.
That means that new episodes can be found on Disney Plus every Friday from 7am.
Rivals season 2 release schedule
The full release schedule for Rivals season 2 is as follows. As you can see, the release dates for the second batch of Rivals season 2 episodes hasn't yet been confirmed but watch this space.
Episode 1 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 2 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 3 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 4 - 22 May 2026
Episode 5 - 29 May 2026
Episode 6 - 5 June 2026
Episode 7 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 8 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 9 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 10 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 11 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 12 - TBC, late 2026
Rivals season 2 trailer
You can watch the trailer for Rivals season 2 below.
Once again, Rivals has stormed right back onto the scene as if it never left, injecting some much-needed humour, wit and charm to the streaming options. While everyone in the Jilly Cooper series is positively hilarious, they aren't exactly the best kinds of people, as evidenced by the fallout at the end of episode 3.
Speaking to Radio Times, Alex Hassell said that the state that Rupert is left in is "the lowest he’s potentially been, I think", adding: "He’s forced to re-evaluate and recalibrate what he’s doing with his life and his actions."
We're sure Rupert won't be struck down for too long but things did end in a very precarious place, with fans patiently waiting to see what will unfold next in the fictional county.
Unlike the first season, this second outing has a different format and so, many may be wondering why their binge-watch of the season has been cut short. So, when will you be able to stream the next episodes of Rivals? Read on to find out.
Rivals season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes land on Disney Plus?
Rivals season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on Friday 15 May at 7am with the first three episodes. The season has been split into two six episode batches, meaning that the rest of the first batch will continue airing weekly.
That means that new episodes can be found on Disney Plus every Friday from 7am.
Rivals season 2 release schedule
The full release schedule for Rivals season 2 is as follows. As you can see, the release dates for the second batch of Rivals season 2 episodes hasn't yet been confirmed but watch this space.
Episode 1 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 2 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 3 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 4 - 22 May 2026
Episode 5 - 29 May 2026
Episode 6 - 5 June 2026
Episode 7 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 8 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 9 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 10 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 11 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 12 - TBC, late 2026
Rivals season 2 trailer
You can watch the trailer for Rivals season 2 below.
Once again, Rivals has stormed right back onto the scene as if it never left, injecting some much-needed humour, wit and charm to the streaming options. While everyone in the Jilly Cooper series is positively hilarious, they aren't exactly the best kinds of people, as evidenced by the fallout at the end of episode 3.
Speaking to Radio Times, Alex Hassell said that the state that Rupert is left in is "the lowest he’s potentially been, I think", adding: "He’s forced to re-evaluate and recalibrate what he’s doing with his life and his actions."
We're sure Rupert won't be struck down for too long but things did end in a very precarious place, with fans patiently waiting to see what will unfold next in the fictional county.
Unlike the first season, this second outing has a different format and so, many may be wondering why their binge-watch of the season has been cut short. So, when will you be able to stream the next episodes of Rivals? Read on to find out.
Rivals season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes land on Disney Plus?
Rivals season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on Friday 15 May at 7am with the first three episodes. The season has been split into two six episode batches, meaning that the rest of the first batch will continue airing weekly.
That means that new episodes can be found on Disney Plus every Friday from 7am.
Rivals season 2 release schedule
The full release schedule for Rivals season 2 is as follows. As you can see, the release dates for the second batch of Rivals season 2 episodes hasn't yet been confirmed but watch this space.
Episode 1 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 2 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 3 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 4 - 22 May 2026
Episode 5 - 29 May 2026
Episode 6 - 5 June 2026
Episode 7 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 8 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 9 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 10 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 11 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 12 - TBC, late 2026
Rivals season 2 trailer
You can watch the trailer for Rivals season 2 below.
Once again, Rivals has stormed right back onto the scene as if it never left, injecting some much-needed humour, wit and charm to the streaming options. While everyone in the Jilly Cooper series is positively hilarious, they aren't exactly the best kinds of people, as evidenced by the fallout at the end of episode 3.
Speaking to Radio Times, Alex Hassell said that the state that Rupert is left in is "the lowest he’s potentially been, I think", adding: "He’s forced to re-evaluate and recalibrate what he’s doing with his life and his actions."
We're sure Rupert won't be struck down for too long but things did end in a very precarious place, with fans patiently waiting to see what will unfold next in the fictional county.
Unlike the first season, this second outing has a different format and so, many may be wondering why their binge-watch of the season has been cut short. So, when will you be able to stream the next episodes of Rivals? Read on to find out.
Rivals season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes land on Disney Plus?
Rivals season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on Friday 15 May at 7am with the first three episodes. The season has been split into two six episode batches, meaning that the rest of the first batch will continue airing weekly.
That means that new episodes can be found on Disney Plus every Friday from 7am.
Rivals season 2 release schedule
The full release schedule for Rivals season 2 is as follows. As you can see, the release dates for the second batch of Rivals season 2 episodes hasn't yet been confirmed but watch this space.
Episode 1 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 2 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 3 - 15 May 2026 (out now)
Episode 4 - 22 May 2026
Episode 5 - 29 May 2026
Episode 6 - 5 June 2026
Episode 7 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 8 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 9 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 10 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 11 - TBC, late 2026
Episode 12 - TBC, late 2026
Rivals season 2 trailer
You can watch the trailer for Rivals season 2 below.
The results are in from our poll to find your favourite modern comedy – and it’s clear that British TV is still in a league of its own
Show full content
Democracy has prevailed – and its results, as always, make for interesting reading. In February, when RT asked our readers to vote for their favourite modern British comedy, we set out to dispel the negativity that can characterise conversations on the current state of the genre. To this end, we focused on shows that started from 2010 onwards, which, controversially, barred treasured 21st-century series such as The Office, Gavin & Stacey and Peep Show from being included in the longlist.
Although the absence of these shows – among others – was undoubtedly felt by fans, our aim was to produce a result distinct from any other polls we’ve seen in the past. In the process, we sought to elevate the next generation of “all-time greats”. British comedy has been one of our proudest exports for decades, but we can only protect its premier status for future generations if we celebrate recent efforts as enthusiastically as the genre-defining classics.
Once more our thanks go to our industry panel – which included experts, from commissioners to writers, from actors to stand-up comics, of all ages and backgrounds – who whittled 15 years of British comedy from nearly 100 prospects to a longlist of 25 contenders. These 25 formed our readers’ poll, voted on earlier this year, with the results now revealed here.
Those results certainly prove that there are still plenty of laughs to be had – clearly, while the comedy genre faces the same challenges as the wider British television industry (if not more acutely), reports of its “death” have been greatly exaggerated. This is no clearer than in our top 10, which shows the impressive breadth of comedies that struck a chord with viewers in the past decade and a half.
Our cover star, unfiltered comic Ricky Gervais, remains the king of the UK comedy scene, with fans showing up to propel After Life to the top spot. Never a stranger to controversy, the prolific writer’s blend of sharp-tongued commentary and unflinching poignancy remains irresistible to many viewers. But as you go down the list, it’s clear our national taste extends much further.
Gervais’s former co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook takes second place, bringing a different flavour entirely. Detectorists found its way into our hearts with less provocative characters who could deliver big laughs all the same. This understated sitcom turns the spotlight on the beauty of the British countryside, its communities and the passions that can bring unexpected groups together.
And coming in at a close third, haunted-house sitcom Ghosts carries the torch for the larger-than-life characters, creative wordplay and fast-paced physical comedy pioneered by the likes of Fawlty Towers. Of all the shows in our top 10, this one probably brought the most families together, with the spooks of Button House delighting viewers of all ages.
Your votes determined the final result and we thank everyone who took part in helping to imagine the future of British comedy.
Looking ahead, from Small Prophets to Amandaland, and from Here We Go to Twenty Twenty Six, there’s every reason to believe we’ll have many more modern favourites to cheer for in 10 years’ time.
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
The results are in from our poll to find your favourite modern comedy – and it’s clear that British TV is still in a league of its own
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Democracy has prevailed – and its results, as always, make for interesting reading. In February, when RT asked our readers to vote for their favourite modern British comedy, we set out to dispel the negativity that can characterise conversations on the current state of the genre. To this end, we focused on shows that started from 2010 onwards, which, controversially, barred treasured 21st-century series such as The Office, Gavin & Stacey and Peep Show from being included in the longlist.
Although the absence of these shows – among others – was undoubtedly felt by fans, our aim was to produce a result distinct from any other polls we’ve seen in the past. In the process, we sought to elevate the next generation of “all-time greats”. British comedy has been one of our proudest exports for decades, but we can only protect its premier status for future generations if we celebrate recent efforts as enthusiastically as the genre-defining classics.
Once more our thanks go to our industry panel – which included experts, from commissioners to writers, from actors to stand-up comics, of all ages and backgrounds – who whittled 15 years of British comedy from nearly 100 prospects to a longlist of 25 contenders. These 25 formed our readers’ poll, voted on earlier this year, with the results now revealed here.
Those results certainly prove that there are still plenty of laughs to be had – clearly, while the comedy genre faces the same challenges as the wider British television industry (if not more acutely), reports of its “death” have been greatly exaggerated. This is no clearer than in our top 10, which shows the impressive breadth of comedies that struck a chord with viewers in the past decade and a half.
Our cover star, unfiltered comic Ricky Gervais, remains the king of the UK comedy scene, with fans showing up to propel After Life to the top spot. Never a stranger to controversy, the prolific writer’s blend of sharp-tongued commentary and unflinching poignancy remains irresistible to many viewers. But as you go down the list, it’s clear our national taste extends much further.
Gervais’s former co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook takes second place, bringing a different flavour entirely. Detectorists found its way into our hearts with less provocative characters who could deliver big laughs all the same. This understated sitcom turns the spotlight on the beauty of the British countryside, its communities and the passions that can bring unexpected groups together.
And coming in at a close third, haunted-house sitcom Ghosts carries the torch for the larger-than-life characters, creative wordplay and fast-paced physical comedy pioneered by the likes of Fawlty Towers. Of all the shows in our top 10, this one probably brought the most families together, with the spooks of Button House delighting viewers of all ages.
Your votes determined the final result and we thank everyone who took part in helping to imagine the future of British comedy.
Looking ahead, from Small Prophets to Amandaland, and from Here We Go to Twenty Twenty Six, there’s every reason to believe we’ll have many more modern favourites to cheer for in 10 years’ time.
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
The results are in from our poll to find your favourite modern comedy – and it’s clear that British TV is still in a league of its own
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Democracy has prevailed – and its results, as always, make for interesting reading. In February, when RT asked our readers to vote for their favourite modern British comedy, we set out to dispel the negativity that can characterise conversations on the current state of the genre. To this end, we focused on shows that started from 2010 onwards, which, controversially, barred treasured 21st-century series such as The Office, Gavin & Stacey and Peep Show from being included in the longlist.
Although the absence of these shows – among others – was undoubtedly felt by fans, our aim was to produce a result distinct from any other polls we’ve seen in the past. In the process, we sought to elevate the next generation of “all-time greats”. British comedy has been one of our proudest exports for decades, but we can only protect its premier status for future generations if we celebrate recent efforts as enthusiastically as the genre-defining classics.
Once more our thanks go to our industry panel – which included experts, from commissioners to writers, from actors to stand-up comics, of all ages and backgrounds – who whittled 15 years of British comedy from nearly 100 prospects to a longlist of 25 contenders. These 25 formed our readers’ poll, voted on earlier this year, with the results now revealed here.
Those results certainly prove that there are still plenty of laughs to be had – clearly, while the comedy genre faces the same challenges as the wider British television industry (if not more acutely), reports of its “death” have been greatly exaggerated. This is no clearer than in our top 10, which shows the impressive breadth of comedies that struck a chord with viewers in the past decade and a half.
Our cover star, unfiltered comic Ricky Gervais, remains the king of the UK comedy scene, with fans showing up to propel After Life to the top spot. Never a stranger to controversy, the prolific writer’s blend of sharp-tongued commentary and unflinching poignancy remains irresistible to many viewers. But as you go down the list, it’s clear our national taste extends much further.
Gervais’s former co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook takes second place, bringing a different flavour entirely. Detectorists found its way into our hearts with less provocative characters who could deliver big laughs all the same. This understated sitcom turns the spotlight on the beauty of the British countryside, its communities and the passions that can bring unexpected groups together.
And coming in at a close third, haunted-house sitcom Ghosts carries the torch for the larger-than-life characters, creative wordplay and fast-paced physical comedy pioneered by the likes of Fawlty Towers. Of all the shows in our top 10, this one probably brought the most families together, with the spooks of Button House delighting viewers of all ages.
Your votes determined the final result and we thank everyone who took part in helping to imagine the future of British comedy.
Looking ahead, from Small Prophets to Amandaland, and from Here We Go to Twenty Twenty Six, there’s every reason to believe we’ll have many more modern favourites to cheer for in 10 years’ time.
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
The newest queer drama from the Doctor Who showrunner will be his first for Channel 4 since It’s A Sin.
Show full content
The air date for Russell T Davies's much-anticipated new drama Tip Toe has finally been confirmed… and it's coming much sooner than you’d think.
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbours, Tip Toe heralds Davies's return to Channel 4, following 2021’s BAFTA-nominated It’s A Sin, and his first original work since returning to helm Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023. Tip Toe functions as something of an It’s A Sin reunion for Davies with the mini-series' producer, Nicola Shindler, and its director, Peter Hoar.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the five-part series will officially launch in May 2026, and will broadcast on Channel 4 and be available to stream via Channel 4 on demand.
The first two episodes of Tip Toe will air Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June at 9pm on Channel 4, and become available to stream on the night of 31 May.
The final three episodes will follow on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June at the same time, and became available to stream on the night of 7 June.
Precise details for Tip Toe’s plot are unknown at present, but we do know that it will centre on Cumming’s character Leo, a bar owner in Manchester’s gay district of Canal Street, who gets embroiled in a feud with his long-standing neighbour Clive, played by David Morrissey. The two have lived next door to each for a decade, always getting along, but then something major shifts, changing their relationship forever.
The series has been written by Davies as an exploration of the rise of homophobic rhetoric in society in the last few years, and how easy it is for people’s opinions to be radicalised on issues such as homophobia and transphobia. Given how It’s A Sin explored the intricacies of how wide-spread homophobia in British society contributed to public and private opinions of the AIDs crisis, Tip Toe looks to give credence to how, even in 2026, this same type of homophobia hasn’t gone away, yet simply evolved into another form.
The synopsis for Tip Toe reads: "Just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
"The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies's trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives."
Tip Toe, which has been called "astonishing," also acts as a reunion for Davies and its two lead stars. Cumming was featured in the most recent season of Doctor Who as the voice of the villainous God of Light, Lux, while Morrissey starred alongside David Tennant in the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor.
A recent first look at the series included a tense stand-off between Cumming and Morrissey’s characters in a house passageway. The cast for Tip Toe also includes Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive's wife Marie and Elizabeth Berrington (Frauds) as Leo's best friend Stephanie. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Charlie Condou (Emmerdale) and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road).
Tip Toe will not be the last we see from Davies this year, either. The acclaimed writer is expected to pen the upcoming Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will seek to answer the (many) questions fans have after witnessing Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mysteriously regenerated into a character played by Billie Piper, who rose to fame as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.
The newest queer drama from the Doctor Who showrunner will be his first for Channel 4 since It’s A Sin.
Show full content
The air date for Russell T Davies's much-anticipated new drama Tip Toe has finally been confirmed… and it's coming much sooner than you’d think.
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbours, Tip Toe heralds Davies's return to Channel 4, following 2021’s BAFTA-nominated It’s A Sin, and his first original work since returning to helm Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023. Tip Toe functions as something of an It’s A Sin reunion for Davies with the mini-series' producer, Nicola Shindler, and its director, Peter Hoar.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the five-part series will officially launch in May 2026, and will broadcast on Channel 4 and be available to stream via Channel 4 on demand.
The first two episodes of Tip Toe will air Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June at 9pm on Channel 4, and become available to stream on the night of 31 May.
The final three episodes will follow on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June at the same time, and became available to stream on the night of 7 June.
Precise details for Tip Toe’s plot are unknown at present, but we do know that it will centre on Cumming’s character Leo, a bar owner in Manchester’s gay district of Canal Street, who gets embroiled in a feud with his long-standing neighbour Clive, played by David Morrissey. The two have lived next door to each for a decade, always getting along, but then something major shifts, changing their relationship forever.
The series has been written by Davies as an exploration of the rise of homophobic rhetoric in society in the last few years, and how easy it is for people’s opinions to be radicalised on issues such as homophobia and transphobia. Given how It’s A Sin explored the intricacies of how wide-spread homophobia in British society contributed to public and private opinions of the AIDs crisis, Tip Toe looks to give credence to how, even in 2026, this same type of homophobia hasn’t gone away, yet simply evolved into another form.
The synopsis for Tip Toe reads: "Just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
"The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies's trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives."
Tip Toe, which has been called "astonishing," also acts as a reunion for Davies and its two lead stars. Cumming was featured in the most recent season of Doctor Who as the voice of the villainous God of Light, Lux, while Morrissey starred alongside David Tennant in the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor.
A recent first look at the series included a tense stand-off between Cumming and Morrissey’s characters in a house passageway. The cast for Tip Toe also includes Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive's wife Marie and Elizabeth Berrington (Frauds) as Leo's best friend Stephanie. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Charlie Condou (Emmerdale) and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road).
Tip Toe will not be the last we see from Davies this year, either. The acclaimed writer is expected to pen the upcoming Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will seek to answer the (many) questions fans have after witnessing Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mysteriously regenerated into a character played by Billie Piper, who rose to fame as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.
The newest queer drama from the Doctor Who showrunner will be his first for Channel 4 since It’s A Sin.
Show full content
The air date for Russell T Davies's much-anticipated new drama Tip Toe has finally been confirmed… and it's coming much sooner than you’d think.
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbours, Tip Toe heralds Davies's return to Channel 4, following 2021’s BAFTA-nominated It’s A Sin, and his first original work since returning to helm Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023. Tip Toe functions as something of an It’s A Sin reunion for Davies with the mini-series' producer, Nicola Shindler, and its director, Peter Hoar.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the five-part series will officially launch in May 2026, and will broadcast on Channel 4 and be available to stream via Channel 4 on demand.
The first two episodes of Tip Toe will air Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June at 9pm on Channel 4, and become available to stream on the night of 31 May.
The final three episodes will follow on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June at the same time, and became available to stream on the night of 7 June.
Precise details for Tip Toe’s plot are unknown at present, but we do know that it will centre on Cumming’s character Leo, a bar owner in Manchester’s gay district of Canal Street, who gets embroiled in a feud with his long-standing neighbour Clive, played by David Morrissey. The two have lived next door to each for a decade, always getting along, but then something major shifts, changing their relationship forever.
The series has been written by Davies as an exploration of the rise of homophobic rhetoric in society in the last few years, and how easy it is for people’s opinions to be radicalised on issues such as homophobia and transphobia. Given how It’s A Sin explored the intricacies of how wide-spread homophobia in British society contributed to public and private opinions of the AIDs crisis, Tip Toe looks to give credence to how, even in 2026, this same type of homophobia hasn’t gone away, yet simply evolved into another form.
The synopsis for Tip Toe reads: "Just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
"The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies's trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives."
Tip Toe, which has been called "astonishing," also acts as a reunion for Davies and its two lead stars. Cumming was featured in the most recent season of Doctor Who as the voice of the villainous God of Light, Lux, while Morrissey starred alongside David Tennant in the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor.
A recent first look at the series included a tense stand-off between Cumming and Morrissey’s characters in a house passageway. The cast for Tip Toe also includes Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive's wife Marie and Elizabeth Berrington (Frauds) as Leo's best friend Stephanie. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Charlie Condou (Emmerdale) and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road).
Tip Toe will not be the last we see from Davies this year, either. The acclaimed writer is expected to pen the upcoming Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will seek to answer the (many) questions fans have after witnessing Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mysteriously regenerated into a character played by Billie Piper, who rose to fame as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.
The newest queer drama from the Doctor Who showrunner will be his first for Channel 4 since It’s A Sin.
Show full content
The air date for Russell T Davies's much-anticipated new drama Tip Toe has finally been confirmed… and it's coming much sooner than you’d think.
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbours, Tip Toe heralds Davies's return to Channel 4, following 2021’s BAFTA-nominated It’s A Sin, and his first original work since returning to helm Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023. Tip Toe functions as something of an It’s A Sin reunion for Davies with the mini-series' producer, Nicola Shindler, and its director, Peter Hoar.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the five-part series will officially launch in May 2026, and will broadcast on Channel 4 and be available to stream via Channel 4 on demand.
The first two episodes of Tip Toe will air Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June at 9pm on Channel 4, and become available to stream on the night of 31 May.
The final three episodes will follow on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June at the same time, and became available to stream on the night of 7 June.
Precise details for Tip Toe’s plot are unknown at present, but we do know that it will centre on Cumming’s character Leo, a bar owner in Manchester’s gay district of Canal Street, who gets embroiled in a feud with his long-standing neighbour Clive, played by David Morrissey. The two have lived next door to each for a decade, always getting along, but then something major shifts, changing their relationship forever.
The series has been written by Davies as an exploration of the rise of homophobic rhetoric in society in the last few years, and how easy it is for people’s opinions to be radicalised on issues such as homophobia and transphobia. Given how It’s A Sin explored the intricacies of how wide-spread homophobia in British society contributed to public and private opinions of the AIDs crisis, Tip Toe looks to give credence to how, even in 2026, this same type of homophobia hasn’t gone away, yet simply evolved into another form.
The synopsis for Tip Toe reads: "Just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
"The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies's trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives."
Tip Toe, which has been called "astonishing," also acts as a reunion for Davies and its two lead stars. Cumming was featured in the most recent season of Doctor Who as the voice of the villainous God of Light, Lux, while Morrissey starred alongside David Tennant in the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor.
A recent first look at the series included a tense stand-off between Cumming and Morrissey’s characters in a house passageway. The cast for Tip Toe also includes Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive's wife Marie and Elizabeth Berrington (Frauds) as Leo's best friend Stephanie. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Charlie Condou (Emmerdale) and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road).
Tip Toe will not be the last we see from Davies this year, either. The acclaimed writer is expected to pen the upcoming Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will seek to answer the (many) questions fans have after witnessing Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mysteriously regenerated into a character played by Billie Piper, who rose to fame as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.
The newest queer drama from the Doctor Who showrunner will be his first for Channel 4 since It’s A Sin.
Show full content
The air date for Russell T Davies's much-anticipated new drama Tip Toe has finally been confirmed… and it's coming much sooner than you’d think.
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbours, Tip Toe heralds Davies's return to Channel 4, following 2021’s BAFTA-nominated It’s A Sin, and his first original work since returning to helm Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023. Tip Toe functions as something of an It’s A Sin reunion for Davies with the mini-series' producer, Nicola Shindler, and its director, Peter Hoar.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the five-part series will officially launch in May 2026, and will broadcast on Channel 4 and be available to stream via Channel 4 on demand.
The first two episodes of Tip Toe will air Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June at 9pm on Channel 4, and become available to stream on the night of 31 May.
The final three episodes will follow on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June at the same time, and became available to stream on the night of 7 June.
Precise details for Tip Toe’s plot are unknown at present, but we do know that it will centre on Cumming’s character Leo, a bar owner in Manchester’s gay district of Canal Street, who gets embroiled in a feud with his long-standing neighbour Clive, played by David Morrissey. The two have lived next door to each for a decade, always getting along, but then something major shifts, changing their relationship forever.
The series has been written by Davies as an exploration of the rise of homophobic rhetoric in society in the last few years, and how easy it is for people’s opinions to be radicalised on issues such as homophobia and transphobia. Given how It’s A Sin explored the intricacies of how wide-spread homophobia in British society contributed to public and private opinions of the AIDs crisis, Tip Toe looks to give credence to how, even in 2026, this same type of homophobia hasn’t gone away, yet simply evolved into another form.
The synopsis for Tip Toe reads: "Just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
"The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies's trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives."
Tip Toe, which has been called "astonishing," also acts as a reunion for Davies and its two lead stars. Cumming was featured in the most recent season of Doctor Who as the voice of the villainous God of Light, Lux, while Morrissey starred alongside David Tennant in the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor.
A recent first look at the series included a tense stand-off between Cumming and Morrissey’s characters in a house passageway. The cast for Tip Toe also includes Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive's wife Marie and Elizabeth Berrington (Frauds) as Leo's best friend Stephanie. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Charlie Condou (Emmerdale) and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road).
Tip Toe will not be the last we see from Davies this year, either. The acclaimed writer is expected to pen the upcoming Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will seek to answer the (many) questions fans have after witnessing Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mysteriously regenerated into a character played by Billie Piper, who rose to fame as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.
The newest queer drama from the Doctor Who showrunner will be his first for Channel 4 since It’s A Sin.
Show full content
The air date for Russell T Davies's much-anticipated new drama Tip Toe has finally been confirmed… and it's coming much sooner than you’d think.
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbours, Tip Toe heralds Davies's return to Channel 4, following 2021’s BAFTA-nominated It’s A Sin, and his first original work since returning to helm Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023. Tip Toe functions as something of an It’s A Sin reunion for Davies with the mini-series' producer, Nicola Shindler, and its director, Peter Hoar.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the five-part series will officially launch in May 2026, and will broadcast on Channel 4 and be available to stream via Channel 4 on demand.
The first two episodes of Tip Toe will air Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June at 9pm on Channel 4, and become available to stream on the night of 31 May.
The final three episodes will follow on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 June at the same time, and became available to stream on the night of 7 June.
Precise details for Tip Toe’s plot are unknown at present, but we do know that it will centre on Cumming’s character Leo, a bar owner in Manchester’s gay district of Canal Street, who gets embroiled in a feud with his long-standing neighbour Clive, played by David Morrissey. The two have lived next door to each for a decade, always getting along, but then something major shifts, changing their relationship forever.
The series has been written by Davies as an exploration of the rise of homophobic rhetoric in society in the last few years, and how easy it is for people’s opinions to be radicalised on issues such as homophobia and transphobia. Given how It’s A Sin explored the intricacies of how wide-spread homophobia in British society contributed to public and private opinions of the AIDs crisis, Tip Toe looks to give credence to how, even in 2026, this same type of homophobia hasn’t gone away, yet simply evolved into another form.
The synopsis for Tip Toe reads: "Just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
"The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies's trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives."
Tip Toe, which has been called "astonishing," also acts as a reunion for Davies and its two lead stars. Cumming was featured in the most recent season of Doctor Who as the voice of the villainous God of Light, Lux, while Morrissey starred alongside David Tennant in the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor.
A recent first look at the series included a tense stand-off between Cumming and Morrissey’s characters in a house passageway. The cast for Tip Toe also includes Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive's wife Marie and Elizabeth Berrington (Frauds) as Leo's best friend Stephanie. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Charlie Condou (Emmerdale) and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road).
Tip Toe will not be the last we see from Davies this year, either. The acclaimed writer is expected to pen the upcoming Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will seek to answer the (many) questions fans have after witnessing Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mysteriously regenerated into a character played by Billie Piper, who rose to fame as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay? If you've been asking that trending question, you're not alone! And luckily, we do have a nice clear answer to this one.
As we said in our Forza Horizon 6 review: "Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games have mastered the art of creating these giant sandbox environments, stuffing them with varied things to do, and letting you loose in a staggering array of different vehicles to just have fun.
"Tune the radio to your favourite music genre, start your engines, and let yourself enjoy it."
And, of course, that enjoyment will only be multiplied if you can play Forza Horizon 6 with your friends on other platforms. But is that possible? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay?
Yes, we're pleased to report that Forza Horizon 6 is crossplay, with players able to play together across the game's two launch platforms (PC and Xbox Series X/S).
This news was confirmed on the official Forza Horizon social media accounts, where the developers announced: "Thanks to cross-save and cross-play, you can play anywhere with anyone!"
The social post added: "For the first time ever, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-save across PC and consoles, including Xbox, Steam and PlayStation 5."
Just make sure you've added the people you want to play with as Xbox friends, and you should be able to jump into races together regardless of your platform of choice.
Does Forza Horizon 6 have cross-progression?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-progression, with players able to sync up their save files and pick up where they left off.
This news was revealed in the same social post that confirmed cross-play, with the developers promising that you'll be able to carry over your save across both launch platforms (PC and Xbox) and the one extra platform that has been confirmed to follow later (PS5).
If anything changes on this front, we'll be sure to update this article. Until then, happy racing!
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay? If you've been asking that trending question, you're not alone! And luckily, we do have a nice clear answer to this one.
As we said in our Forza Horizon 6 review: "Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games have mastered the art of creating these giant sandbox environments, stuffing them with varied things to do, and letting you loose in a staggering array of different vehicles to just have fun.
"Tune the radio to your favourite music genre, start your engines, and let yourself enjoy it."
And, of course, that enjoyment will only be multiplied if you can play Forza Horizon 6 with your friends on other platforms. But is that possible? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay?
Yes, we're pleased to report that Forza Horizon 6 is crossplay, with players able to play together across the game's two launch platforms (PC and Xbox Series X/S).
This news was confirmed on the official Forza Horizon social media accounts, where the developers announced: "Thanks to cross-save and cross-play, you can play anywhere with anyone!"
The social post added: "For the first time ever, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-save across PC and consoles, including Xbox, Steam and PlayStation 5."
Just make sure you've added the people you want to play with as Xbox friends, and you should be able to jump into races together regardless of your platform of choice.
Does Forza Horizon 6 have cross-progression?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-progression, with players able to sync up their save files and pick up where they left off.
This news was revealed in the same social post that confirmed cross-play, with the developers promising that you'll be able to carry over your save across both launch platforms (PC and Xbox) and the one extra platform that has been confirmed to follow later (PS5).
If anything changes on this front, we'll be sure to update this article. Until then, happy racing!
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay? If you've been asking that trending question, you're not alone! And luckily, we do have a nice clear answer to this one.
As we said in our Forza Horizon 6 review: "Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games have mastered the art of creating these giant sandbox environments, stuffing them with varied things to do, and letting you loose in a staggering array of different vehicles to just have fun.
"Tune the radio to your favourite music genre, start your engines, and let yourself enjoy it."
And, of course, that enjoyment will only be multiplied if you can play Forza Horizon 6 with your friends on other platforms. But is that possible? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay?
Yes, we're pleased to report that Forza Horizon 6 is crossplay, with players able to play together across the game's two launch platforms (PC and Xbox Series X/S).
This news was confirmed on the official Forza Horizon social media accounts, where the developers announced: "Thanks to cross-save and cross-play, you can play anywhere with anyone!"
The social post added: "For the first time ever, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-save across PC and consoles, including Xbox, Steam and PlayStation 5."
Just make sure you've added the people you want to play with as Xbox friends, and you should be able to jump into races together regardless of your platform of choice.
Does Forza Horizon 6 have cross-progression?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-progression, with players able to sync up their save files and pick up where they left off.
This news was revealed in the same social post that confirmed cross-play, with the developers promising that you'll be able to carry over your save across both launch platforms (PC and Xbox) and the one extra platform that has been confirmed to follow later (PS5).
If anything changes on this front, we'll be sure to update this article. Until then, happy racing!
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay? If you've been asking that trending question, you're not alone! And luckily, we do have a nice clear answer to this one.
As we said in our Forza Horizon 6 review: "Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games have mastered the art of creating these giant sandbox environments, stuffing them with varied things to do, and letting you loose in a staggering array of different vehicles to just have fun.
"Tune the radio to your favourite music genre, start your engines, and let yourself enjoy it."
And, of course, that enjoyment will only be multiplied if you can play Forza Horizon 6 with your friends on other platforms. But is that possible? Keep on reading to find out!
Is Forza Horizon 6 crossplay?
Yes, we're pleased to report that Forza Horizon 6 is crossplay, with players able to play together across the game's two launch platforms (PC and Xbox Series X/S).
This news was confirmed on the official Forza Horizon social media accounts, where the developers announced: "Thanks to cross-save and cross-play, you can play anywhere with anyone!"
The social post added: "For the first time ever, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-save across PC and consoles, including Xbox, Steam and PlayStation 5."
Just make sure you've added the people you want to play with as Xbox friends, and you should be able to jump into races together regardless of your platform of choice.
Does Forza Horizon 6 have cross-progression?
Yes, Forza Horizon 6 will support cross-progression, with players able to sync up their save files and pick up where they left off.
This news was revealed in the same social post that confirmed cross-play, with the developers promising that you'll be able to carry over your save across both launch platforms (PC and Xbox) and the one extra platform that has been confirmed to follow later (PS5).
If anything changes on this front, we'll be sure to update this article. Until then, happy racing!
Forza Horizon 6 launches 19 May on PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass. The PS5 launch will follow at an unconfirmed date.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Show full content
"Might as well shave my head and start wearing three-piece suits. Apple don't fall far from the cheat tree, does it?"
Oscar Branning's (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) self-awareness is clearly frightening him in EastEnders, as he came to the realisation that he's following in the footsteps of love rat father Max (Jake Wood).
The beloved character, who burst onto our screens last year, has found himself in quite a pickle. Amid his relationship with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), he's fallen for her twin brother Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan).
The two first connected, unknowingly, while Jasmine was locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her father Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It wasn't until Oscar bumped into Josh in The Queen Vic that he realised his mistake.
In Oscar's defence, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with Jasmine, and feared that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
After her release, he was forced to have an awkward conversation with Josh, where they pledged to stay apart from one another and just be friends. It was clear that they were both harbouring their true feelings, which began to resurface over the last week.
Oscar has tried to avoid Josh where possible, something which has been noticed by cousin Penny (Kitty Castledine). Jasmine suggested a day out to the beach, though when Oscar was unable to secure a car, they headed to Walford Park instead – with Josh joining them.
The twins began to play a game from their childhood, but when it transpired that Josh had continued to play it with his adoptive mother after Jasmine had left their family unit, she was offended and stormed off.
Later that night, Josh was drowning his sorrows in The Prince Albert, and Oscar walked over to comfort him. Sparks began to fly, but the two pulled away before they kissed.
However, in today's episode, they couldn't deny the chemistry. Josh was down in the dumps after Oscar's rejection and tried to extend an olive branch, deciding to step away from one another and just be friends so that Jasmine didn't get hurt.
Penny witnessed the awkward interaction and approached her cousin, and he admitted that he thought he was in love with twins.
At The Albert, Josh told Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) that he'd been burnt by a man, and she urged him to get back on the dating scene and speak to someone else. As he chatted up another fella, Oscar and Penny watched from afar.
Oscar was clearly devastated, but decided to seize the day and swoop Josh into an embrace. He then guided him towards the toilets, clearly prepared to risk everything that he has with Jasmine.
How long will it be before she inevitably finds out?
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Show full content
"Might as well shave my head and start wearing three-piece suits. Apple don't fall far from the cheat tree, does it?"
Oscar Branning's (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) self-awareness is clearly frightening him in EastEnders, as he came to the realisation that he's following in the footsteps of love rat father Max (Jake Wood).
The beloved character, who burst onto our screens last year, has found himself in quite a pickle. Amid his relationship with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), he's fallen for her twin brother Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan).
The two first connected, unknowingly, while Jasmine was locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her father Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It wasn't until Oscar bumped into Josh in The Queen Vic that he realised his mistake.
In Oscar's defence, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with Jasmine, and feared that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
After her release, he was forced to have an awkward conversation with Josh, where they pledged to stay apart from one another and just be friends. It was clear that they were both harbouring their true feelings, which began to resurface over the last week.
Oscar has tried to avoid Josh where possible, something which has been noticed by cousin Penny (Kitty Castledine). Jasmine suggested a day out to the beach, though when Oscar was unable to secure a car, they headed to Walford Park instead – with Josh joining them.
The twins began to play a game from their childhood, but when it transpired that Josh had continued to play it with his adoptive mother after Jasmine had left their family unit, she was offended and stormed off.
Later that night, Josh was drowning his sorrows in The Prince Albert, and Oscar walked over to comfort him. Sparks began to fly, but the two pulled away before they kissed.
However, in today's episode, they couldn't deny the chemistry. Josh was down in the dumps after Oscar's rejection and tried to extend an olive branch, deciding to step away from one another and just be friends so that Jasmine didn't get hurt.
Penny witnessed the awkward interaction and approached her cousin, and he admitted that he thought he was in love with twins.
At The Albert, Josh told Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) that he'd been burnt by a man, and she urged him to get back on the dating scene and speak to someone else. As he chatted up another fella, Oscar and Penny watched from afar.
Oscar was clearly devastated, but decided to seize the day and swoop Josh into an embrace. He then guided him towards the toilets, clearly prepared to risk everything that he has with Jasmine.
How long will it be before she inevitably finds out?
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Show full content
"Might as well shave my head and start wearing three-piece suits. Apple don't fall far from the cheat tree, does it?"
Oscar Branning's (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) self-awareness is clearly frightening him in EastEnders, as he came to the realisation that he's following in the footsteps of love rat father Max (Jake Wood).
The beloved character, who burst onto our screens last year, has found himself in quite a pickle. Amid his relationship with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), he's fallen for her twin brother Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan).
The two first connected, unknowingly, while Jasmine was locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her father Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It wasn't until Oscar bumped into Josh in The Queen Vic that he realised his mistake.
In Oscar's defence, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with Jasmine, and feared that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
After her release, he was forced to have an awkward conversation with Josh, where they pledged to stay apart from one another and just be friends. It was clear that they were both harbouring their true feelings, which began to resurface over the last week.
Oscar has tried to avoid Josh where possible, something which has been noticed by cousin Penny (Kitty Castledine). Jasmine suggested a day out to the beach, though when Oscar was unable to secure a car, they headed to Walford Park instead – with Josh joining them.
The twins began to play a game from their childhood, but when it transpired that Josh had continued to play it with his adoptive mother after Jasmine had left their family unit, she was offended and stormed off.
Later that night, Josh was drowning his sorrows in The Prince Albert, and Oscar walked over to comfort him. Sparks began to fly, but the two pulled away before they kissed.
However, in today's episode, they couldn't deny the chemistry. Josh was down in the dumps after Oscar's rejection and tried to extend an olive branch, deciding to step away from one another and just be friends so that Jasmine didn't get hurt.
Penny witnessed the awkward interaction and approached her cousin, and he admitted that he thought he was in love with twins.
At The Albert, Josh told Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) that he'd been burnt by a man, and she urged him to get back on the dating scene and speak to someone else. As he chatted up another fella, Oscar and Penny watched from afar.
Oscar was clearly devastated, but decided to seize the day and swoop Josh into an embrace. He then guided him towards the toilets, clearly prepared to risk everything that he has with Jasmine.
How long will it be before she inevitably finds out?
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Show full content
"Might as well shave my head and start wearing three-piece suits. Apple don't fall far from the cheat tree, does it?"
Oscar Branning's (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) self-awareness is clearly frightening him in EastEnders, as he came to the realisation that he's following in the footsteps of love rat father Max (Jake Wood).
The beloved character, who burst onto our screens last year, has found himself in quite a pickle. Amid his relationship with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), he's fallen for her twin brother Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan).
The two first connected, unknowingly, while Jasmine was locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her father Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It wasn't until Oscar bumped into Josh in The Queen Vic that he realised his mistake.
In Oscar's defence, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with Jasmine, and feared that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
After her release, he was forced to have an awkward conversation with Josh, where they pledged to stay apart from one another and just be friends. It was clear that they were both harbouring their true feelings, which began to resurface over the last week.
Oscar has tried to avoid Josh where possible, something which has been noticed by cousin Penny (Kitty Castledine). Jasmine suggested a day out to the beach, though when Oscar was unable to secure a car, they headed to Walford Park instead – with Josh joining them.
The twins began to play a game from their childhood, but when it transpired that Josh had continued to play it with his adoptive mother after Jasmine had left their family unit, she was offended and stormed off.
Later that night, Josh was drowning his sorrows in The Prince Albert, and Oscar walked over to comfort him. Sparks began to fly, but the two pulled away before they kissed.
However, in today's episode, they couldn't deny the chemistry. Josh was down in the dumps after Oscar's rejection and tried to extend an olive branch, deciding to step away from one another and just be friends so that Jasmine didn't get hurt.
Penny witnessed the awkward interaction and approached her cousin, and he admitted that he thought he was in love with twins.
At The Albert, Josh told Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) that he'd been burnt by a man, and she urged him to get back on the dating scene and speak to someone else. As he chatted up another fella, Oscar and Penny watched from afar.
Oscar was clearly devastated, but decided to seize the day and swoop Josh into an embrace. He then guided him towards the toilets, clearly prepared to risk everything that he has with Jasmine.
How long will it be before she inevitably finds out?
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Show full content
"Might as well shave my head and start wearing three-piece suits. Apple don't fall far from the cheat tree, does it?"
Oscar Branning's (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) self-awareness is clearly frightening him in EastEnders, as he came to the realisation that he's following in the footsteps of love rat father Max (Jake Wood).
The beloved character, who burst onto our screens last year, has found himself in quite a pickle. Amid his relationship with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), he's fallen for her twin brother Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan).
The two first connected, unknowingly, while Jasmine was locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her father Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It wasn't until Oscar bumped into Josh in The Queen Vic that he realised his mistake.
In Oscar's defence, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with Jasmine, and feared that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
After her release, he was forced to have an awkward conversation with Josh, where they pledged to stay apart from one another and just be friends. It was clear that they were both harbouring their true feelings, which began to resurface over the last week.
Oscar has tried to avoid Josh where possible, something which has been noticed by cousin Penny (Kitty Castledine). Jasmine suggested a day out to the beach, though when Oscar was unable to secure a car, they headed to Walford Park instead – with Josh joining them.
The twins began to play a game from their childhood, but when it transpired that Josh had continued to play it with his adoptive mother after Jasmine had left their family unit, she was offended and stormed off.
Later that night, Josh was drowning his sorrows in The Prince Albert, and Oscar walked over to comfort him. Sparks began to fly, but the two pulled away before they kissed.
However, in today's episode, they couldn't deny the chemistry. Josh was down in the dumps after Oscar's rejection and tried to extend an olive branch, deciding to step away from one another and just be friends so that Jasmine didn't get hurt.
Penny witnessed the awkward interaction and approached her cousin, and he admitted that he thought he was in love with twins.
At The Albert, Josh told Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) that he'd been burnt by a man, and she urged him to get back on the dating scene and speak to someone else. As he chatted up another fella, Oscar and Penny watched from afar.
Oscar was clearly devastated, but decided to seize the day and swoop Josh into an embrace. He then guided him towards the toilets, clearly prepared to risk everything that he has with Jasmine.
How long will it be before she inevitably finds out?
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Show full content
"Might as well shave my head and start wearing three-piece suits. Apple don't fall far from the cheat tree, does it?"
Oscar Branning's (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) self-awareness is clearly frightening him in EastEnders, as he came to the realisation that he's following in the footsteps of love rat father Max (Jake Wood).
The beloved character, who burst onto our screens last year, has found himself in quite a pickle. Amid his relationship with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), he's fallen for her twin brother Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan).
The two first connected, unknowingly, while Jasmine was locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her father Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It wasn't until Oscar bumped into Josh in The Queen Vic that he realised his mistake.
In Oscar's defence, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with Jasmine, and feared that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
After her release, he was forced to have an awkward conversation with Josh, where they pledged to stay apart from one another and just be friends. It was clear that they were both harbouring their true feelings, which began to resurface over the last week.
Oscar has tried to avoid Josh where possible, something which has been noticed by cousin Penny (Kitty Castledine). Jasmine suggested a day out to the beach, though when Oscar was unable to secure a car, they headed to Walford Park instead – with Josh joining them.
The twins began to play a game from their childhood, but when it transpired that Josh had continued to play it with his adoptive mother after Jasmine had left their family unit, she was offended and stormed off.
Later that night, Josh was drowning his sorrows in The Prince Albert, and Oscar walked over to comfort him. Sparks began to fly, but the two pulled away before they kissed.
However, in today's episode, they couldn't deny the chemistry. Josh was down in the dumps after Oscar's rejection and tried to extend an olive branch, deciding to step away from one another and just be friends so that Jasmine didn't get hurt.
Penny witnessed the awkward interaction and approached her cousin, and he admitted that he thought he was in love with twins.
At The Albert, Josh told Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) that he'd been burnt by a man, and she urged him to get back on the dating scene and speak to someone else. As he chatted up another fella, Oscar and Penny watched from afar.
Oscar was clearly devastated, but decided to seize the day and swoop Josh into an embrace. He then guided him towards the toilets, clearly prepared to risk everything that he has with Jasmine.
How long will it be before she inevitably finds out?
This excellent new film from Romanian writer/director Christian Mungiu is a gripping culture war tale that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Show full content
Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.
The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.
Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland.
From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed.
We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to.
Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school.
But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse.
Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).
What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them?
And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?
The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case.
Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight.
It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.
This excellent new film from Romanian writer/director Christian Mungiu is a gripping culture war tale that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Show full content
Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.
The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.
Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland.
From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed.
We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to.
Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school.
But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse.
Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).
What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them?
And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?
The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case.
Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight.
It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.
This excellent new film from Romanian writer/director Christian Mungiu is a gripping culture war tale that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Show full content
Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.
The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.
Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland.
From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed.
We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to.
Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school.
But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse.
Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).
What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them?
And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?
The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case.
Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight.
It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.
This excellent new film from Romanian writer/director Christian Mungiu is a gripping culture war tale that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Show full content
Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.
The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.
Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland.
From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed.
We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to.
Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school.
But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse.
Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).
What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them?
And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?
The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case.
Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight.
It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.
This excellent new film from Romanian writer/director Christian Mungiu is a gripping culture war tale that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Show full content
Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.
The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.
Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland.
From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed.
We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to.
Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school.
But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse.
Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).
What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them?
And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?
The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case.
Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight.
It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.
This excellent new film from Romanian writer/director Christian Mungiu is a gripping culture war tale that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Show full content
Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.
The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.
Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland.
From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed.
We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to.
Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school.
But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse.
Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).
What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them?
And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?
The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case.
Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight.
It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.
Plus, you can check out our image IDs and music IDs if you fancy a more personal Roblox experience!
But right now, you want Slime RNG codes, and you can find the full list of the latest ones down below for you to redeem in May 2026!
Slime RNG codes (May 2026): Full list of codes
Here are all of the available codes for Slime RNG:
Active codes
Sliming – 1x Big Dice, 1x Roll Speed Boost
AAisComing – 1x Big Dice
goingBananas – 1x Ultra Luck Boost, 1x Roll Speed Boost
TEST – 100x Coins
GULLIBLE – 1x Coin
Expired codes
giveMeLuckNOW
2muchluck
SPARKLEZ
mutationPLS
time2grind
craftAway
Semils
moonSlimeNoWay2
THATSHUGE
RAWRRR
stonks
Release!
spin2win
GOFAST
SUPERL00T
SUNOB
Release!
New codes are added to the game all the time, so make sure to check back here later to see what rewards you can get!
How to redeem codes in Slime RNG explained
If you want to redeem your Slime RNG codes, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
Launch Slime RNG from the Roblox Launcher
Tap the 'Shop' icon on the right side of your screen
Scroll down to the bottom of the Shop menu until you find a text box
Type or paste your code of choice into the box on screen
Hit 'Redeem'
Enjoy your codes!
If you've entered your code in correctly and it's still not working, then it's likely that the code has already expired – when we add new codes, make sure to redeem them as soon as possible!
Plus, you can check out our image IDs and music IDs if you fancy a more personal Roblox experience!
But right now, you want Slime RNG codes, and you can find the full list of the latest ones down below for you to redeem in May 2026!
Slime RNG codes (May 2026): Full list of codes
Here are all of the available codes for Slime RNG:
Active codes
Sliming – 1x Big Dice, 1x Roll Speed Boost
AAisComing – 1x Big Dice
goingBananas – 1x Ultra Luck Boost, 1x Roll Speed Boost
TEST – 100x Coins
GULLIBLE – 1x Coin
Expired codes
giveMeLuckNOW
2muchluck
SPARKLEZ
mutationPLS
time2grind
craftAway
Semils
moonSlimeNoWay2
THATSHUGE
RAWRRR
stonks
Release!
spin2win
GOFAST
SUPERL00T
SUNOB
Release!
New codes are added to the game all the time, so make sure to check back here later to see what rewards you can get!
How to redeem codes in Slime RNG explained
If you want to redeem your Slime RNG codes, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
Launch Slime RNG from the Roblox Launcher
Tap the 'Shop' icon on the right side of your screen
Scroll down to the bottom of the Shop menu until you find a text box
Type or paste your code of choice into the box on screen
Hit 'Redeem'
Enjoy your codes!
If you've entered your code in correctly and it's still not working, then it's likely that the code has already expired – when we add new codes, make sure to redeem them as soon as possible!
Plus, you can check out our image IDs and music IDs if you fancy a more personal Roblox experience!
But right now, you want Slime RNG codes, and you can find the full list of the latest ones down below for you to redeem in May 2026!
Slime RNG codes (May 2026): Full list of codes
Here are all of the available codes for Slime RNG:
Active codes
Sliming – 1x Big Dice, 1x Roll Speed Boost
AAisComing – 1x Big Dice
goingBananas – 1x Ultra Luck Boost, 1x Roll Speed Boost
TEST – 100x Coins
GULLIBLE – 1x Coin
Expired codes
giveMeLuckNOW
2muchluck
SPARKLEZ
mutationPLS
time2grind
craftAway
Semils
moonSlimeNoWay2
THATSHUGE
RAWRRR
stonks
Release!
spin2win
GOFAST
SUPERL00T
SUNOB
Release!
New codes are added to the game all the time, so make sure to check back here later to see what rewards you can get!
How to redeem codes in Slime RNG explained
If you want to redeem your Slime RNG codes, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
Launch Slime RNG from the Roblox Launcher
Tap the 'Shop' icon on the right side of your screen
Scroll down to the bottom of the Shop menu until you find a text box
Type or paste your code of choice into the box on screen
Hit 'Redeem'
Enjoy your codes!
If you've entered your code in correctly and it's still not working, then it's likely that the code has already expired – when we add new codes, make sure to redeem them as soon as possible!
Plus, you can check out our image IDs and music IDs if you fancy a more personal Roblox experience!
But right now, you want Slime RNG codes, and you can find the full list of the latest ones down below for you to redeem in May 2026!
Slime RNG codes (May 2026): Full list of codes
Here are all of the available codes for Slime RNG:
Active codes
Sliming – 1x Big Dice, 1x Roll Speed Boost
AAisComing – 1x Big Dice
goingBananas – 1x Ultra Luck Boost, 1x Roll Speed Boost
TEST – 100x Coins
GULLIBLE – 1x Coin
Expired codes
giveMeLuckNOW
2muchluck
SPARKLEZ
mutationPLS
time2grind
craftAway
Semils
moonSlimeNoWay2
THATSHUGE
RAWRRR
stonks
Release!
spin2win
GOFAST
SUPERL00T
SUNOB
Release!
New codes are added to the game all the time, so make sure to check back here later to see what rewards you can get!
How to redeem codes in Slime RNG explained
If you want to redeem your Slime RNG codes, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
Launch Slime RNG from the Roblox Launcher
Tap the 'Shop' icon on the right side of your screen
Scroll down to the bottom of the Shop menu until you find a text box
Type or paste your code of choice into the box on screen
Hit 'Redeem'
Enjoy your codes!
If you've entered your code in correctly and it's still not working, then it's likely that the code has already expired – when we add new codes, make sure to redeem them as soon as possible!
The actor let slip a major update on The One Show.
Show full content
Ben Miller has offered an exciting update on the future of his ITV detective drama Professor T, suggesting his meticulous detective has plenty more cases left to solve.
The series, which premiered in summer 2021, stars Miller as esteemed criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who assists Cambridge police on local cases, while living with complications from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The project marks Miller's second major detective drama, after serving as the original star of Death in Paradise, which ultimately became an enduring hit for BBC One, which now swaps out its lead actor every few years.
Professor T itself is proving to have long legs too, with a fifth season coming soon – and the future beyond that is looking bright too, as revealed by Miller himself on The One Show last night.
"It is coming back... We've got season 5 that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn," he began. "I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season 6. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
The Professor T cast also includes Frances de la Tour, Sunetra Sarker, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, Barney White and Rhian Blundell, all of whom are expected to return for season 5 – due in (approximately) a few months' time.
The next batch of episodes are confirmed to include "a boxing match that takes a bloody turn and a series of inexplicable sudden deaths at an upmarket spa," while each of the key characters will "face some tough choices" in their own lives.
Executive producer Jo McGrath teased: "Season 5 will prove to be a momentous one for Professor T, both personally and professionally, and the series will climax with one of its trademark series finale episodes guaranteed to keep audiences glued."
Filming on the next episodes wrapped last summer, with Miller marking the occasion via Instagram. We'll bring you more updates on Professor T seasons 5 and 6 as they come in.
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX. Season 5 coming soon.
Add Professor T to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The actor let slip a major update on The One Show.
Show full content
Ben Miller has offered an exciting update on the future of his ITV detective drama Professor T, suggesting his meticulous detective has plenty more cases left to solve.
The series, which premiered in summer 2021, stars Miller as esteemed criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who assists Cambridge police on local cases, while living with complications from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The project marks Miller's second major detective drama, after serving as the original star of Death in Paradise, which ultimately became an enduring hit for BBC One, which now swaps out its lead actor every few years.
Professor T itself is proving to have long legs too, with a fifth season coming soon – and the future beyond that is looking bright too, as revealed by Miller himself on The One Show last night.
"It is coming back... We've got season 5 that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn," he began. "I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season 6. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
The Professor T cast also includes Frances de la Tour, Sunetra Sarker, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, Barney White and Rhian Blundell, all of whom are expected to return for season 5 – due in (approximately) a few months' time.
The next batch of episodes are confirmed to include "a boxing match that takes a bloody turn and a series of inexplicable sudden deaths at an upmarket spa," while each of the key characters will "face some tough choices" in their own lives.
Executive producer Jo McGrath teased: "Season 5 will prove to be a momentous one for Professor T, both personally and professionally, and the series will climax with one of its trademark series finale episodes guaranteed to keep audiences glued."
Filming on the next episodes wrapped last summer, with Miller marking the occasion via Instagram. We'll bring you more updates on Professor T seasons 5 and 6 as they come in.
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX. Season 5 coming soon.
Add Professor T to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The actor let slip a major update on The One Show.
Show full content
Ben Miller has offered an exciting update on the future of his ITV detective drama Professor T, suggesting his meticulous detective has plenty more cases left to solve.
The series, which premiered in summer 2021, stars Miller as esteemed criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who assists Cambridge police on local cases, while living with complications from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The project marks Miller's second major detective drama, after serving as the original star of Death in Paradise, which ultimately became an enduring hit for BBC One, which now swaps out its lead actor every few years.
Professor T itself is proving to have long legs too, with a fifth season coming soon – and the future beyond that is looking bright too, as revealed by Miller himself on The One Show last night.
"It is coming back... We've got season 5 that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn," he began. "I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season 6. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
The Professor T cast also includes Frances de la Tour, Sunetra Sarker, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, Barney White and Rhian Blundell, all of whom are expected to return for season 5 – due in (approximately) a few months' time.
The next batch of episodes are confirmed to include "a boxing match that takes a bloody turn and a series of inexplicable sudden deaths at an upmarket spa," while each of the key characters will "face some tough choices" in their own lives.
Executive producer Jo McGrath teased: "Season 5 will prove to be a momentous one for Professor T, both personally and professionally, and the series will climax with one of its trademark series finale episodes guaranteed to keep audiences glued."
Filming on the next episodes wrapped last summer, with Miller marking the occasion via Instagram. We'll bring you more updates on Professor T seasons 5 and 6 as they come in.
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX. Season 5 coming soon.
Add Professor T to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The actor let slip a major update on The One Show.
Show full content
Ben Miller has offered an exciting update on the future of his ITV detective drama Professor T, suggesting his meticulous detective has plenty more cases left to solve.
The series, which premiered in summer 2021, stars Miller as esteemed criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who assists Cambridge police on local cases, while living with complications from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The project marks Miller's second major detective drama, after serving as the original star of Death in Paradise, which ultimately became an enduring hit for BBC One, which now swaps out its lead actor every few years.
Professor T itself is proving to have long legs too, with a fifth season coming soon – and the future beyond that is looking bright too, as revealed by Miller himself on The One Show last night.
"It is coming back... We've got season 5 that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn," he began. "I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season 6. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
The Professor T cast also includes Frances de la Tour, Sunetra Sarker, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, Barney White and Rhian Blundell, all of whom are expected to return for season 5 – due in (approximately) a few months' time.
The next batch of episodes are confirmed to include "a boxing match that takes a bloody turn and a series of inexplicable sudden deaths at an upmarket spa," while each of the key characters will "face some tough choices" in their own lives.
Executive producer Jo McGrath teased: "Season 5 will prove to be a momentous one for Professor T, both personally and professionally, and the series will climax with one of its trademark series finale episodes guaranteed to keep audiences glued."
Filming on the next episodes wrapped last summer, with Miller marking the occasion via Instagram. We'll bring you more updates on Professor T seasons 5 and 6 as they come in.
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX. Season 5 coming soon.
Add Professor T to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The actor let slip a major update on The One Show.
Show full content
Ben Miller has offered an exciting update on the future of his ITV detective drama Professor T, suggesting his meticulous detective has plenty more cases left to solve.
The series, which premiered in summer 2021, stars Miller as esteemed criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who assists Cambridge police on local cases, while living with complications from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The project marks Miller's second major detective drama, after serving as the original star of Death in Paradise, which ultimately became an enduring hit for BBC One, which now swaps out its lead actor every few years.
Professor T itself is proving to have long legs too, with a fifth season coming soon – and the future beyond that is looking bright too, as revealed by Miller himself on The One Show last night.
"It is coming back... We've got season 5 that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn," he began. "I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season 6. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
The Professor T cast also includes Frances de la Tour, Sunetra Sarker, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, Barney White and Rhian Blundell, all of whom are expected to return for season 5 – due in (approximately) a few months' time.
The next batch of episodes are confirmed to include "a boxing match that takes a bloody turn and a series of inexplicable sudden deaths at an upmarket spa," while each of the key characters will "face some tough choices" in their own lives.
Executive producer Jo McGrath teased: "Season 5 will prove to be a momentous one for Professor T, both personally and professionally, and the series will climax with one of its trademark series finale episodes guaranteed to keep audiences glued."
Filming on the next episodes wrapped last summer, with Miller marking the occasion via Instagram. We'll bring you more updates on Professor T seasons 5 and 6 as they come in.
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX. Season 5 coming soon.
Add Professor T to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The actor let slip a major update on The One Show.
Show full content
Ben Miller has offered an exciting update on the future of his ITV detective drama Professor T, suggesting his meticulous detective has plenty more cases left to solve.
The series, which premiered in summer 2021, stars Miller as esteemed criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who assists Cambridge police on local cases, while living with complications from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The project marks Miller's second major detective drama, after serving as the original star of Death in Paradise, which ultimately became an enduring hit for BBC One, which now swaps out its lead actor every few years.
Professor T itself is proving to have long legs too, with a fifth season coming soon – and the future beyond that is looking bright too, as revealed by Miller himself on The One Show last night.
"It is coming back... We've got season 5 that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn," he began. "I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season 6. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
The Professor T cast also includes Frances de la Tour, Sunetra Sarker, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, Barney White and Rhian Blundell, all of whom are expected to return for season 5 – due in (approximately) a few months' time.
The next batch of episodes are confirmed to include "a boxing match that takes a bloody turn and a series of inexplicable sudden deaths at an upmarket spa," while each of the key characters will "face some tough choices" in their own lives.
Executive producer Jo McGrath teased: "Season 5 will prove to be a momentous one for Professor T, both personally and professionally, and the series will climax with one of its trademark series finale episodes guaranteed to keep audiences glued."
Filming on the next episodes wrapped last summer, with Miller marking the occasion via Instagram. We'll bring you more updates on Professor T seasons 5 and 6 as they come in.
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX. Season 5 coming soon.
Add Professor T to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.
That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.
They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.
However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.
Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"
She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."
It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.
James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.
That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.
They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.
However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.
Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"
She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."
It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.
James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.
That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.
They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.
However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.
Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"
She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."
It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.
James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.
That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.
They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.
However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.
Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"
She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."
It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.
James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.
That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.
They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.
However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.
Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"
She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."
It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.
James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.
That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.
They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.
However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.
Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"
She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."
It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.
The PlayStation Plus new prices are a big investment, let's see how we can help with that.
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Sony has announced a price hike on basic PlayStation Plus memberships coming into effect from today (Wednesday 20 May).
The gaming giant has increased the cost of the Essential tier by £1 to £7.99, $10.99, and €9.99 respectively. Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will go up by £3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively.
The company cited "market conditions" as its reason for the price hike, which also followed a £90 increase in the cost of the PS5 console this March. At the time, Sony spoke about "continued pressures in the global economic landscape," this has clearly hit gaming brands across the board as the Nintendo Switch 2 has also gone up in US and EU countries.
If you're looking to save money on your PS Plus subscription, here's a few simple solutions for you.
How to save on PlayStation Plus in the UKBuy annual or multiple month subscriptions
The best thing to do when buying an PlayStation Plus subscription is to buy in bulk. UK retailers like Loaded (formerly CD Keys) offer membership subscriptions ranging from 14 days to 24 months which save you money overall.
At the time of writing, the cost of these subscriptions are reduced, so you may be able to snag a cheaper membership if you act fast and buy for the whole year. Right now, the cheapest cost for the PlayStation Plus Premium 24 Months Subscription is £194.99 (£8 a month).
If you're new to the PS5 entirely, you can also buy PS Plus subscriptions in a bundle with a new PS5. These are available at EE and Argos and cost £679.99, so £569.99 for the PS5 and £110 for the PS Plus (£9 a month).
Where should I buy the PlayStation Plus in the UK?
The PlayStation Plus bulk subscriptions are available at a range of UK retailers:
The PlayStation Plus new prices are a big investment, let's see how we can help with that.
Show full content
Sony has announced a price hike on basic PlayStation Plus memberships coming into effect from today (Wednesday 20 May).
The gaming giant has increased the cost of the Essential tier by £1 to £7.99, $10.99, and €9.99 respectively. Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will go up by £3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively.
The company cited "market conditions" as its reason for the price hike, which also followed a £90 increase in the cost of the PS5 console this March. At the time, Sony spoke about "continued pressures in the global economic landscape," this has clearly hit gaming brands across the board as the Nintendo Switch 2 has also gone up in US and EU countries.
If you're looking to save money on your PS Plus subscription, here's a few simple solutions for you.
How to save on PlayStation Plus in the UKBuy annual or multiple month subscriptions
The best thing to do when buying an PlayStation Plus subscription is to buy in bulk. UK retailers like Loaded (formerly CD Keys) offer membership subscriptions ranging from 14 days to 24 months which save you money overall.
At the time of writing, the cost of these subscriptions are reduced, so you may be able to snag a cheaper membership if you act fast and buy for the whole year. Right now, the cheapest cost for the PlayStation Plus Premium 24 Months Subscription is £194.99 (£8 a month).
If you're new to the PS5 entirely, you can also buy PS Plus subscriptions in a bundle with a new PS5. These are available at EE and Argos and cost £679.99, so £569.99 for the PS5 and £110 for the PS Plus (£9 a month).
Where should I buy the PlayStation Plus in the UK?
The PlayStation Plus bulk subscriptions are available at a range of UK retailers:
The PlayStation Plus new prices are a big investment, let's see how we can help with that.
Show full content
Sony has announced a price hike on basic PlayStation Plus memberships coming into effect from today (Wednesday 20 May).
The gaming giant has increased the cost of the Essential tier by £1 to £7.99, $10.99, and €9.99 respectively. Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will go up by £3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively.
The company cited "market conditions" as its reason for the price hike, which also followed a £90 increase in the cost of the PS5 console this March. At the time, Sony spoke about "continued pressures in the global economic landscape," this has clearly hit gaming brands across the board as the Nintendo Switch 2 has also gone up in US and EU countries.
If you're looking to save money on your PS Plus subscription, here's a few simple solutions for you.
How to save on PlayStation Plus in the UKBuy annual or multiple month subscriptions
The best thing to do when buying an PlayStation Plus subscription is to buy in bulk. UK retailers like Loaded (formerly CD Keys) offer membership subscriptions ranging from 14 days to 24 months which save you money overall.
At the time of writing, the cost of these subscriptions are reduced, so you may be able to snag a cheaper membership if you act fast and buy for the whole year. Right now, the cheapest cost for the PlayStation Plus Premium 24 Months Subscription is £194.99 (£8 a month).
If you're new to the PS5 entirely, you can also buy PS Plus subscriptions in a bundle with a new PS5. These are available at EE and Argos and cost £679.99, so £569.99 for the PS5 and £110 for the PS Plus (£9 a month).
Where should I buy the PlayStation Plus in the UK?
The PlayStation Plus bulk subscriptions are available at a range of UK retailers:
The PlayStation Plus new prices are a big investment, let's see how we can help with that.
Show full content
Sony has announced a price hike on basic PlayStation Plus memberships coming into effect from today (Wednesday 20 May).
The gaming giant has increased the cost of the Essential tier by £1 to £7.99, $10.99, and €9.99 respectively. Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will go up by £3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively.
The company cited "market conditions" as its reason for the price hike, which also followed a £90 increase in the cost of the PS5 console this March. At the time, Sony spoke about "continued pressures in the global economic landscape," this has clearly hit gaming brands across the board as the Nintendo Switch 2 has also gone up in US and EU countries.
If you're looking to save money on your PS Plus subscription, here's a few simple solutions for you.
How to save on PlayStation Plus in the UKBuy annual or multiple month subscriptions
The best thing to do when buying an PlayStation Plus subscription is to buy in bulk. UK retailers like Loaded (formerly CD Keys) offer membership subscriptions ranging from 14 days to 24 months which save you money overall.
At the time of writing, the cost of these subscriptions are reduced, so you may be able to snag a cheaper membership if you act fast and buy for the whole year. Right now, the cheapest cost for the PlayStation Plus Premium 24 Months Subscription is £194.99 (£8 a month).
If you're new to the PS5 entirely, you can also buy PS Plus subscriptions in a bundle with a new PS5. These are available at EE and Argos and cost £679.99, so £569.99 for the PS5 and £110 for the PS Plus (£9 a month).
Where should I buy the PlayStation Plus in the UK?
The PlayStation Plus bulk subscriptions are available at a range of UK retailers:
The broadcaster has said "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" have been made against a small number of past contributors.
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Channel 4 has pulled all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after two women said they were raped during filming.
The broadcaster announced on Monday (18 May) an external review, which was commissioned in April, into contributor welfare on the series following "very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors".
In a BBC Panorama investigation, two women said they were raped, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all said the show did not do enough to protect them.
The Married at First Sight franchise, which also has popular Australian and US versions, involves couples marrying after meeting for the first time on their wedding day and going on 'honeymoon', before moving in together and navigating their relationships. It is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
The statement continued: "The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 said in a statement: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
She added: "It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
"On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre."
She continued: "Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
Concluding, she added: "That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors."
Elsewhere in its statement, Channel 4 said that MAFS UK is "produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry", including background checks, a Code of Conduct, and "daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team".
The broadcaster has said "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" have been made against a small number of past contributors.
Show full content
Channel 4 has pulled all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after two women said they were raped during filming.
The broadcaster announced on Monday (18 May) an external review, which was commissioned in April, into contributor welfare on the series following "very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors".
In a BBC Panorama investigation, two women said they were raped, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all said the show did not do enough to protect them.
The Married at First Sight franchise, which also has popular Australian and US versions, involves couples marrying after meeting for the first time on their wedding day and going on 'honeymoon', before moving in together and navigating their relationships. It is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
The statement continued: "The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 said in a statement: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
She added: "It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
"On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre."
She continued: "Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
Concluding, she added: "That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors."
Elsewhere in its statement, Channel 4 said that MAFS UK is "produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry", including background checks, a Code of Conduct, and "daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team".
The broadcaster has said "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" have been made against a small number of past contributors.
Show full content
Channel 4 has pulled all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after two women said they were raped during filming.
The broadcaster announced on Monday (18 May) an external review, which was commissioned in April, into contributor welfare on the series following "very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors".
In a BBC Panorama investigation, two women said they were raped, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all said the show did not do enough to protect them.
The Married at First Sight franchise, which also has popular Australian and US versions, involves couples marrying after meeting for the first time on their wedding day and going on 'honeymoon', before moving in together and navigating their relationships. It is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
The statement continued: "The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 said in a statement: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
She added: "It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
"On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre."
She continued: "Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
Concluding, she added: "That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors."
Elsewhere in its statement, Channel 4 said that MAFS UK is "produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry", including background checks, a Code of Conduct, and "daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team".
The broadcaster has said "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" have been made against a small number of past contributors.
Show full content
Channel 4 has pulled all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after two women said they were raped during filming.
The broadcaster announced on Monday (18 May) an external review, which was commissioned in April, into contributor welfare on the series following "very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors".
In a BBC Panorama investigation, two women said they were raped, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all said the show did not do enough to protect them.
The Married at First Sight franchise, which also has popular Australian and US versions, involves couples marrying after meeting for the first time on their wedding day and going on 'honeymoon', before moving in together and navigating their relationships. It is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
The statement continued: "The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 said in a statement: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
She added: "It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
"On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre."
She continued: "Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
Concluding, she added: "That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors."
Elsewhere in its statement, Channel 4 said that MAFS UK is "produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry", including background checks, a Code of Conduct, and "daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team".
The broadcaster has said "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" have been made against a small number of past contributors.
Show full content
Channel 4 has pulled all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after two women said they were raped during filming.
The broadcaster announced on Monday (18 May) an external review, which was commissioned in April, into contributor welfare on the series following "very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors".
In a BBC Panorama investigation, two women said they were raped, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all said the show did not do enough to protect them.
The Married at First Sight franchise, which also has popular Australian and US versions, involves couples marrying after meeting for the first time on their wedding day and going on 'honeymoon', before moving in together and navigating their relationships. It is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
The statement continued: "The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 said in a statement: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
She added: "It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
"On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre."
She continued: "Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
Concluding, she added: "That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors."
Elsewhere in its statement, Channel 4 said that MAFS UK is "produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry", including background checks, a Code of Conduct, and "daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team".
The broadcaster has said "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" have been made against a small number of past contributors.
Show full content
Channel 4 has pulled all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after two women said they were raped during filming.
The broadcaster announced on Monday (18 May) an external review, which was commissioned in April, into contributor welfare on the series following "very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors".
In a BBC Panorama investigation, two women said they were raped, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all said the show did not do enough to protect them.
The Married at First Sight franchise, which also has popular Australian and US versions, involves couples marrying after meeting for the first time on their wedding day and going on 'honeymoon', before moving in together and navigating their relationships. It is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
The statement continued: "The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 said in a statement: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
She added: "It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
"On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre."
She continued: "Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
Concluding, she added: "That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors."
Elsewhere in its statement, Channel 4 said that MAFS UK is "produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry", including background checks, a Code of Conduct, and "daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team".
Tickets for Rent are going on sale today with a familiar face already confirmed.
Show full content
Jonathan Larson's seminal musical Rent is returning to the West End with Stranger Things royalty at its helm.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known as beloved character Dustin Henderson in the sci-fi Netflix series, will be making his West End debut as Mark at the Duke of York’s Theatre this September.
Matarazzo already has a lengthy list of stage appearances under his belt, such as starring in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
His character Mark is an aspiring filmmaker that sits at the centre of the musical, all about a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and and find love in 1990s New York City's East Village while living under the strain of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
This latest run is celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway. Which famously hit the stage just days after Larson died of a sudden aortic aneurysm in January 1996.
After its launch, the rock opera skyrocketed to success and became known as Larson's best show, surpassing previous works such as Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Following the announcement, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said today: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Rent back to the West End in this bold new production. We were completely exhilarated when we first saw Luke Sheppard’s staging at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 – it felt immediate, emotional and utterly alive.
"Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
While Luke Sheppard, director of Paddington the Musical, said: “It's an honour to be bringing Rent into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson's extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response.
"The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is Rent in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Tickets for Rent go on sale today (Tuesday 19 May).
Tickets for Rent are going on sale today with a familiar face already confirmed.
Show full content
Jonathan Larson's seminal musical Rent is returning to the West End with Stranger Things royalty at its helm.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known as beloved character Dustin Henderson in the sci-fi Netflix series, will be making his West End debut as Mark at the Duke of York’s Theatre this September.
Matarazzo already has a lengthy list of stage appearances under his belt, such as starring in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
His character Mark is an aspiring filmmaker that sits at the centre of the musical, all about a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and and find love in 1990s New York City's East Village while living under the strain of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
This latest run is celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway. Which famously hit the stage just days after Larson died of a sudden aortic aneurysm in January 1996.
After its launch, the rock opera skyrocketed to success and became known as Larson's best show, surpassing previous works such as Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Following the announcement, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said today: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Rent back to the West End in this bold new production. We were completely exhilarated when we first saw Luke Sheppard’s staging at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 – it felt immediate, emotional and utterly alive.
"Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
While Luke Sheppard, director of Paddington the Musical, said: “It's an honour to be bringing Rent into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson's extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response.
"The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is Rent in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Tickets for Rent go on sale today (Tuesday 19 May).
Tickets for Rent are going on sale today with a familiar face already confirmed.
Show full content
Jonathan Larson's seminal musical Rent is returning to the West End with Stranger Things royalty at its helm.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known as beloved character Dustin Henderson in the sci-fi Netflix series, will be making his West End debut as Mark at the Duke of York’s Theatre this September.
Matarazzo already has a lengthy list of stage appearances under his belt, such as starring in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
His character Mark is an aspiring filmmaker that sits at the centre of the musical, all about a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and and find love in 1990s New York City's East Village while living under the strain of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
This latest run is celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway. Which famously hit the stage just days after Larson died of a sudden aortic aneurysm in January 1996.
After its launch, the rock opera skyrocketed to success and became known as Larson's best show, surpassing previous works such as Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Following the announcement, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said today: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Rent back to the West End in this bold new production. We were completely exhilarated when we first saw Luke Sheppard’s staging at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 – it felt immediate, emotional and utterly alive.
"Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
While Luke Sheppard, director of Paddington the Musical, said: “It's an honour to be bringing Rent into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson's extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response.
"The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is Rent in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Tickets for Rent go on sale today (Tuesday 19 May).
Tickets for Rent are going on sale today with a familiar face already confirmed.
Show full content
Jonathan Larson's seminal musical Rent is returning to the West End with Stranger Things royalty at its helm.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known as beloved character Dustin Henderson in the sci-fi Netflix series, will be making his West End debut as Mark at the Duke of York’s Theatre this September.
Matarazzo already has a lengthy list of stage appearances under his belt, such as starring in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
His character Mark is an aspiring filmmaker that sits at the centre of the musical, all about a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and and find love in 1990s New York City's East Village while living under the strain of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
This latest run is celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway. Which famously hit the stage just days after Larson died of a sudden aortic aneurysm in January 1996.
After its launch, the rock opera skyrocketed to success and became known as Larson's best show, surpassing previous works such as Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Following the announcement, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said today: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Rent back to the West End in this bold new production. We were completely exhilarated when we first saw Luke Sheppard’s staging at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 – it felt immediate, emotional and utterly alive.
"Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
While Luke Sheppard, director of Paddington the Musical, said: “It's an honour to be bringing Rent into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson's extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response.
"The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is Rent in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Tickets for Rent go on sale today (Tuesday 19 May).
Tickets for Rent are going on sale today with a familiar face already confirmed.
Show full content
Jonathan Larson's seminal musical Rent is returning to the West End with Stranger Things royalty at its helm.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known as beloved character Dustin Henderson in the sci-fi Netflix series, will be making his West End debut as Mark at the Duke of York’s Theatre this September.
Matarazzo already has a lengthy list of stage appearances under his belt, such as starring in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
His character Mark is an aspiring filmmaker that sits at the centre of the musical, all about a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and and find love in 1990s New York City's East Village while living under the strain of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
This latest run is celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway. Which famously hit the stage just days after Larson died of a sudden aortic aneurysm in January 1996.
After its launch, the rock opera skyrocketed to success and became known as Larson's best show, surpassing previous works such as Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Following the announcement, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said today: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Rent back to the West End in this bold new production. We were completely exhilarated when we first saw Luke Sheppard’s staging at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 – it felt immediate, emotional and utterly alive.
"Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
While Luke Sheppard, director of Paddington the Musical, said: “It's an honour to be bringing Rent into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson's extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response.
"The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is Rent in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Tickets for Rent go on sale today (Tuesday 19 May).
Tickets for Rent are going on sale today with a familiar face already confirmed.
Show full content
Jonathan Larson's seminal musical Rent is returning to the West End with Stranger Things royalty at its helm.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known as beloved character Dustin Henderson in the sci-fi Netflix series, will be making his West End debut as Mark at the Duke of York’s Theatre this September.
Matarazzo already has a lengthy list of stage appearances under his belt, such as starring in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
His character Mark is an aspiring filmmaker that sits at the centre of the musical, all about a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and and find love in 1990s New York City's East Village while living under the strain of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
This latest run is celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway. Which famously hit the stage just days after Larson died of a sudden aortic aneurysm in January 1996.
After its launch, the rock opera skyrocketed to success and became known as Larson's best show, surpassing previous works such as Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Following the announcement, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said today: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Rent back to the West End in this bold new production. We were completely exhilarated when we first saw Luke Sheppard’s staging at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 – it felt immediate, emotional and utterly alive.
"Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
While Luke Sheppard, director of Paddington the Musical, said: “It's an honour to be bringing Rent into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson's extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response.
"The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is Rent in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Tickets for Rent go on sale today (Tuesday 19 May).
Sci-fiTVAmazon Prime VideoContains TrailerOn demand
It's been a long wait, but season 5 is finally here...
Show full content
It's the one we've all been waiting for - we're now just hours away from seeing the final episode of The Boys.
A trailer has teased what exactly is set to go down in the last ever episode of Prime Video's superb superhero smash, which has changed the landscape of sci-fi TV over the past seven years.
He told TV Line: "I'm hopeful that's not the last time you see them, because we don't end their storyline in The Boys.
"Like, that's all done and they head off to have more adventures. Those characters still have things to work on, and that was very intentional. We still want the opportunity to be able to do that."
Here's everything you need to know about what time The Boys finale will hit Prime Video.
What time will The Boys season 5 finale be released on Prime Video?
The finale episode of The Boys season 5, titled Blood and Bone, will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 20 May at 8am BST in the UK.
Around the world, that works out to the following times:
12am (midnight) PT (USA)
2am CT (USA)
3am ET (USA)
8am BST (UK)
9am CET (Central Europe)
3pm AWST (Australia)
5pm AEST (Australia)
The Boys season 5 finale trailer
You can check out the trailer for the finale episode of The Boys season 5 below.
Sci-fiTVAmazon Prime VideoContains TrailerOn demand
It's been a long wait, but season 5 is finally here...
Show full content
It's the one we've all been waiting for - we're now just hours away from seeing the final episode of The Boys.
A trailer has teased what exactly is set to go down in the last ever episode of Prime Video's superb superhero smash, which has changed the landscape of sci-fi TV over the past seven years.
He told TV Line: "I'm hopeful that's not the last time you see them, because we don't end their storyline in The Boys.
"Like, that's all done and they head off to have more adventures. Those characters still have things to work on, and that was very intentional. We still want the opportunity to be able to do that."
Here's everything you need to know about what time The Boys finale will hit Prime Video.
What time will The Boys season 5 finale be released on Prime Video?
The finale episode of The Boys season 5, titled Blood and Bone, will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 20 May at 8am BST in the UK.
Around the world, that works out to the following times:
12am (midnight) PT (USA)
2am CT (USA)
3am ET (USA)
8am BST (UK)
9am CET (Central Europe)
3pm AWST (Australia)
5pm AEST (Australia)
The Boys season 5 finale trailer
You can check out the trailer for the finale episode of The Boys season 5 below.
Sci-fiTVAmazon Prime VideoContains TrailerOn demand
It's been a long wait, but season 5 is finally here...
Show full content
It's the one we've all been waiting for - we're now just hours away from seeing the final episode of The Boys.
A trailer has teased what exactly is set to go down in the last ever episode of Prime Video's superb superhero smash, which has changed the landscape of sci-fi TV over the past seven years.
He told TV Line: "I'm hopeful that's not the last time you see them, because we don't end their storyline in The Boys.
"Like, that's all done and they head off to have more adventures. Those characters still have things to work on, and that was very intentional. We still want the opportunity to be able to do that."
Here's everything you need to know about what time The Boys finale will hit Prime Video.
What time will The Boys season 5 finale be released on Prime Video?
The finale episode of The Boys season 5, titled Blood and Bone, will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 20 May at 8am BST in the UK.
Around the world, that works out to the following times:
12am (midnight) PT (USA)
2am CT (USA)
3am ET (USA)
8am BST (UK)
9am CET (Central Europe)
3pm AWST (Australia)
5pm AEST (Australia)
The Boys season 5 finale trailer
You can check out the trailer for the finale episode of The Boys season 5 below.
Sci-fiTVAmazon Prime VideoContains TrailerOn demand
It's been a long wait, but season 5 is finally here...
Show full content
It's the one we've all been waiting for - we're now just hours away from seeing the final episode of The Boys.
A trailer has teased what exactly is set to go down in the last ever episode of Prime Video's superb superhero smash, which has changed the landscape of sci-fi TV over the past seven years.
He told TV Line: "I'm hopeful that's not the last time you see them, because we don't end their storyline in The Boys.
"Like, that's all done and they head off to have more adventures. Those characters still have things to work on, and that was very intentional. We still want the opportunity to be able to do that."
Here's everything you need to know about what time The Boys finale will hit Prime Video.
What time will The Boys season 5 finale be released on Prime Video?
The finale episode of The Boys season 5, titled Blood and Bone, will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 20 May at 8am BST in the UK.
Around the world, that works out to the following times:
12am (midnight) PT (USA)
2am CT (USA)
3am ET (USA)
8am BST (UK)
9am CET (Central Europe)
3pm AWST (Australia)
5pm AEST (Australia)
The Boys season 5 finale trailer
You can check out the trailer for the finale episode of The Boys season 5 below.
Sci-fiTVAmazon Prime VideoContains TrailerOn demand
It's been a long wait, but season 5 is finally here...
Show full content
It's the one we've all been waiting for - we're now just hours away from seeing the final episode of The Boys.
A trailer has teased what exactly is set to go down in the last ever episode of Prime Video's superb superhero smash, which has changed the landscape of sci-fi TV over the past seven years.
He told TV Line: "I'm hopeful that's not the last time you see them, because we don't end their storyline in The Boys.
"Like, that's all done and they head off to have more adventures. Those characters still have things to work on, and that was very intentional. We still want the opportunity to be able to do that."
Here's everything you need to know about what time The Boys finale will hit Prime Video.
What time will The Boys season 5 finale be released on Prime Video?
The finale episode of The Boys season 5, titled Blood and Bone, will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 20 May at 8am BST in the UK.
Around the world, that works out to the following times:
12am (midnight) PT (USA)
2am CT (USA)
3am ET (USA)
8am BST (UK)
9am CET (Central Europe)
3pm AWST (Australia)
5pm AEST (Australia)
The Boys season 5 finale trailer
You can check out the trailer for the finale episode of The Boys season 5 below.
Sci-fiTVAmazon Prime VideoContains TrailerOn demand
It's been a long wait, but season 5 is finally here...
Show full content
It's the one we've all been waiting for - we're now just hours away from seeing the final episode of The Boys.
A trailer has teased what exactly is set to go down in the last ever episode of Prime Video's superb superhero smash, which has changed the landscape of sci-fi TV over the past seven years.
He told TV Line: "I'm hopeful that's not the last time you see them, because we don't end their storyline in The Boys.
"Like, that's all done and they head off to have more adventures. Those characters still have things to work on, and that was very intentional. We still want the opportunity to be able to do that."
Here's everything you need to know about what time The Boys finale will hit Prime Video.
What time will The Boys season 5 finale be released on Prime Video?
The finale episode of The Boys season 5, titled Blood and Bone, will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 20 May at 8am BST in the UK.
Around the world, that works out to the following times:
12am (midnight) PT (USA)
2am CT (USA)
3am ET (USA)
8am BST (UK)
9am CET (Central Europe)
3pm AWST (Australia)
5pm AEST (Australia)
The Boys season 5 finale trailer
You can check out the trailer for the finale episode of The Boys season 5 below.
The eight-part drama comes from writer/creator Catherine Shepherd.
Show full content
New BBC drama Two Weeks in August follows a group of friends who reunite on a holiday to Greece, but an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
The eight-part series comes from writer Catherine Shepherd, who spoke with Radio Times exclusively, and told us that she was inspired by her own experiences of Greek holidays.
"I wanted to write something about a group holiday, and a group holiday in Greece, specifically," Shepherd said. "I was inspired by real life, many, many group holidays, some really good, as well as some bad. I used to go to Greece a lot as a child and into my 20s, with my parents and my siblings, and one event really stayed with me.
"We were in Corfu at the end of a really nice day. We could see Albania across the water and we saw gunfire - people were shooting at each other.
"It was really far away, so we weren’t in danger, but it struck me as the blackest of comedy that we continued to have dinner while that was going on, and emblematic of what it's like to be alive at the moment – trying to have a good time while bad things are going on.
"And clinging on to this idea that you can have and deserve time away and to not have to think about real things, which I think is really interesting. It's really true. When I was thinking about the project I was planning a holiday in Greece and I went on to some of the message boards for Greece.
"And again, they are the most sort of comi-tragic things, because they're people saying, ‘How bad is the political situation in this island? And while it's kind of awful to ask these questions, it's also truthful. You don't want your two weeks spoiled by real things."
Shepherd revealed that she had, at one time, thought the concept would work for a film, but she was later encouraged to write it as a project for TV.
"It was a long process," she said. "The scripts were challenging. There were so many characters and all of their stories intersect, so I set myself a challenge. Getting it set up was complicated.
"It took several years to come to fruition, and by the time we ended up in Malta, we couldn't make it work to shoot it in Greece, so we shot it in Malta for Greece, which actually works really, really well."
The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a woman who goes on holiday with her family and university friends to rediscover joy in her life. However, after the illicit kiss takes place she begins to act on her deepest desires, and with Greek myths on her mind, the question opens up as to whether bigger forces are at play.
Damien Molony plays her husband, Dan, while other stars include Antonia Thomas as Jess, Nicholas Pinnock as Solomon, Leila Farzad as Nat and Hugh Skinner as Jacob.
Speaking with Radio Times, Raine explained how she came to be involved with the project and why she was drawn to it.
"I had a meeting with Catherine and [director] Tom George," she said. "I walked into that room, and almost, to a certain degree, getting the job was neither here nor there – I just wanted to go and talk about the script.
"And we had this great discussion about everything that the script pulls out, which is a sign of an incredible piece of work.
"So I was really attracted to the tone of the piece, which is very unique. It's funny, but it's also incredibly sad. And then you've got the surreal quality of the Greek mythology. And it really wrong-foots you, you don't expect it. And I absolutely fell in love with Zoe. I really felt for her.
"I find it quite funny when you watch people trying to suppress their anxiety and pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't, and watching a people pleaser finally stand up for herself, knowing what she was going to go to throughout the series, I was thrilled.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I got offered the job. It was a rare case of like, 'I have to do this.'"
Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Add Two Weeks in August to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The eight-part drama comes from writer/creator Catherine Shepherd.
Show full content
New BBC drama Two Weeks in August follows a group of friends who reunite on a holiday to Greece, but an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
The eight-part series comes from writer Catherine Shepherd, who spoke with Radio Times exclusively, and told us that she was inspired by her own experiences of Greek holidays.
"I wanted to write something about a group holiday, and a group holiday in Greece, specifically," Shepherd said. "I was inspired by real life, many, many group holidays, some really good, as well as some bad. I used to go to Greece a lot as a child and into my 20s, with my parents and my siblings, and one event really stayed with me.
"We were in Corfu at the end of a really nice day. We could see Albania across the water and we saw gunfire - people were shooting at each other.
"It was really far away, so we weren’t in danger, but it struck me as the blackest of comedy that we continued to have dinner while that was going on, and emblematic of what it's like to be alive at the moment – trying to have a good time while bad things are going on.
"And clinging on to this idea that you can have and deserve time away and to not have to think about real things, which I think is really interesting. It's really true. When I was thinking about the project I was planning a holiday in Greece and I went on to some of the message boards for Greece.
"And again, they are the most sort of comi-tragic things, because they're people saying, ‘How bad is the political situation in this island? And while it's kind of awful to ask these questions, it's also truthful. You don't want your two weeks spoiled by real things."
Shepherd revealed that she had, at one time, thought the concept would work for a film, but she was later encouraged to write it as a project for TV.
"It was a long process," she said. "The scripts were challenging. There were so many characters and all of their stories intersect, so I set myself a challenge. Getting it set up was complicated.
"It took several years to come to fruition, and by the time we ended up in Malta, we couldn't make it work to shoot it in Greece, so we shot it in Malta for Greece, which actually works really, really well."
The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a woman who goes on holiday with her family and university friends to rediscover joy in her life. However, after the illicit kiss takes place she begins to act on her deepest desires, and with Greek myths on her mind, the question opens up as to whether bigger forces are at play.
Damien Molony plays her husband, Dan, while other stars include Antonia Thomas as Jess, Nicholas Pinnock as Solomon, Leila Farzad as Nat and Hugh Skinner as Jacob.
Speaking with Radio Times, Raine explained how she came to be involved with the project and why she was drawn to it.
"I had a meeting with Catherine and [director] Tom George," she said. "I walked into that room, and almost, to a certain degree, getting the job was neither here nor there – I just wanted to go and talk about the script.
"And we had this great discussion about everything that the script pulls out, which is a sign of an incredible piece of work.
"So I was really attracted to the tone of the piece, which is very unique. It's funny, but it's also incredibly sad. And then you've got the surreal quality of the Greek mythology. And it really wrong-foots you, you don't expect it. And I absolutely fell in love with Zoe. I really felt for her.
"I find it quite funny when you watch people trying to suppress their anxiety and pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't, and watching a people pleaser finally stand up for herself, knowing what she was going to go to throughout the series, I was thrilled.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I got offered the job. It was a rare case of like, 'I have to do this.'"
Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Add Two Weeks in August to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The eight-part drama comes from writer/creator Catherine Shepherd.
Show full content
New BBC drama Two Weeks in August follows a group of friends who reunite on a holiday to Greece, but an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
The eight-part series comes from writer Catherine Shepherd, who spoke with Radio Times exclusively, and told us that she was inspired by her own experiences of Greek holidays.
"I wanted to write something about a group holiday, and a group holiday in Greece, specifically," Shepherd said. "I was inspired by real life, many, many group holidays, some really good, as well as some bad. I used to go to Greece a lot as a child and into my 20s, with my parents and my siblings, and one event really stayed with me.
"We were in Corfu at the end of a really nice day. We could see Albania across the water and we saw gunfire - people were shooting at each other.
"It was really far away, so we weren’t in danger, but it struck me as the blackest of comedy that we continued to have dinner while that was going on, and emblematic of what it's like to be alive at the moment – trying to have a good time while bad things are going on.
"And clinging on to this idea that you can have and deserve time away and to not have to think about real things, which I think is really interesting. It's really true. When I was thinking about the project I was planning a holiday in Greece and I went on to some of the message boards for Greece.
"And again, they are the most sort of comi-tragic things, because they're people saying, ‘How bad is the political situation in this island? And while it's kind of awful to ask these questions, it's also truthful. You don't want your two weeks spoiled by real things."
Shepherd revealed that she had, at one time, thought the concept would work for a film, but she was later encouraged to write it as a project for TV.
"It was a long process," she said. "The scripts were challenging. There were so many characters and all of their stories intersect, so I set myself a challenge. Getting it set up was complicated.
"It took several years to come to fruition, and by the time we ended up in Malta, we couldn't make it work to shoot it in Greece, so we shot it in Malta for Greece, which actually works really, really well."
The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a woman who goes on holiday with her family and university friends to rediscover joy in her life. However, after the illicit kiss takes place she begins to act on her deepest desires, and with Greek myths on her mind, the question opens up as to whether bigger forces are at play.
Damien Molony plays her husband, Dan, while other stars include Antonia Thomas as Jess, Nicholas Pinnock as Solomon, Leila Farzad as Nat and Hugh Skinner as Jacob.
Speaking with Radio Times, Raine explained how she came to be involved with the project and why she was drawn to it.
"I had a meeting with Catherine and [director] Tom George," she said. "I walked into that room, and almost, to a certain degree, getting the job was neither here nor there – I just wanted to go and talk about the script.
"And we had this great discussion about everything that the script pulls out, which is a sign of an incredible piece of work.
"So I was really attracted to the tone of the piece, which is very unique. It's funny, but it's also incredibly sad. And then you've got the surreal quality of the Greek mythology. And it really wrong-foots you, you don't expect it. And I absolutely fell in love with Zoe. I really felt for her.
"I find it quite funny when you watch people trying to suppress their anxiety and pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't, and watching a people pleaser finally stand up for herself, knowing what she was going to go to throughout the series, I was thrilled.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I got offered the job. It was a rare case of like, 'I have to do this.'"
Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Add Two Weeks in August to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The eight-part drama comes from writer/creator Catherine Shepherd.
Show full content
New BBC drama Two Weeks in August follows a group of friends who reunite on a holiday to Greece, but an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
The eight-part series comes from writer Catherine Shepherd, who spoke with Radio Times exclusively, and told us that she was inspired by her own experiences of Greek holidays.
"I wanted to write something about a group holiday, and a group holiday in Greece, specifically," Shepherd said. "I was inspired by real life, many, many group holidays, some really good, as well as some bad. I used to go to Greece a lot as a child and into my 20s, with my parents and my siblings, and one event really stayed with me.
"We were in Corfu at the end of a really nice day. We could see Albania across the water and we saw gunfire - people were shooting at each other.
"It was really far away, so we weren’t in danger, but it struck me as the blackest of comedy that we continued to have dinner while that was going on, and emblematic of what it's like to be alive at the moment – trying to have a good time while bad things are going on.
"And clinging on to this idea that you can have and deserve time away and to not have to think about real things, which I think is really interesting. It's really true. When I was thinking about the project I was planning a holiday in Greece and I went on to some of the message boards for Greece.
"And again, they are the most sort of comi-tragic things, because they're people saying, ‘How bad is the political situation in this island? And while it's kind of awful to ask these questions, it's also truthful. You don't want your two weeks spoiled by real things."
Shepherd revealed that she had, at one time, thought the concept would work for a film, but she was later encouraged to write it as a project for TV.
"It was a long process," she said. "The scripts were challenging. There were so many characters and all of their stories intersect, so I set myself a challenge. Getting it set up was complicated.
"It took several years to come to fruition, and by the time we ended up in Malta, we couldn't make it work to shoot it in Greece, so we shot it in Malta for Greece, which actually works really, really well."
The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a woman who goes on holiday with her family and university friends to rediscover joy in her life. However, after the illicit kiss takes place she begins to act on her deepest desires, and with Greek myths on her mind, the question opens up as to whether bigger forces are at play.
Damien Molony plays her husband, Dan, while other stars include Antonia Thomas as Jess, Nicholas Pinnock as Solomon, Leila Farzad as Nat and Hugh Skinner as Jacob.
Speaking with Radio Times, Raine explained how she came to be involved with the project and why she was drawn to it.
"I had a meeting with Catherine and [director] Tom George," she said. "I walked into that room, and almost, to a certain degree, getting the job was neither here nor there – I just wanted to go and talk about the script.
"And we had this great discussion about everything that the script pulls out, which is a sign of an incredible piece of work.
"So I was really attracted to the tone of the piece, which is very unique. It's funny, but it's also incredibly sad. And then you've got the surreal quality of the Greek mythology. And it really wrong-foots you, you don't expect it. And I absolutely fell in love with Zoe. I really felt for her.
"I find it quite funny when you watch people trying to suppress their anxiety and pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't, and watching a people pleaser finally stand up for herself, knowing what she was going to go to throughout the series, I was thrilled.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I got offered the job. It was a rare case of like, 'I have to do this.'"
Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Add Two Weeks in August to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The eight-part drama comes from writer/creator Catherine Shepherd.
Show full content
New BBC drama Two Weeks in August follows a group of friends who reunite on a holiday to Greece, but an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
The eight-part series comes from writer Catherine Shepherd, who spoke with Radio Times exclusively, and told us that she was inspired by her own experiences of Greek holidays.
"I wanted to write something about a group holiday, and a group holiday in Greece, specifically," Shepherd said. "I was inspired by real life, many, many group holidays, some really good, as well as some bad. I used to go to Greece a lot as a child and into my 20s, with my parents and my siblings, and one event really stayed with me.
"We were in Corfu at the end of a really nice day. We could see Albania across the water and we saw gunfire - people were shooting at each other.
"It was really far away, so we weren’t in danger, but it struck me as the blackest of comedy that we continued to have dinner while that was going on, and emblematic of what it's like to be alive at the moment – trying to have a good time while bad things are going on.
"And clinging on to this idea that you can have and deserve time away and to not have to think about real things, which I think is really interesting. It's really true. When I was thinking about the project I was planning a holiday in Greece and I went on to some of the message boards for Greece.
"And again, they are the most sort of comi-tragic things, because they're people saying, ‘How bad is the political situation in this island? And while it's kind of awful to ask these questions, it's also truthful. You don't want your two weeks spoiled by real things."
Shepherd revealed that she had, at one time, thought the concept would work for a film, but she was later encouraged to write it as a project for TV.
"It was a long process," she said. "The scripts were challenging. There were so many characters and all of their stories intersect, so I set myself a challenge. Getting it set up was complicated.
"It took several years to come to fruition, and by the time we ended up in Malta, we couldn't make it work to shoot it in Greece, so we shot it in Malta for Greece, which actually works really, really well."
The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a woman who goes on holiday with her family and university friends to rediscover joy in her life. However, after the illicit kiss takes place she begins to act on her deepest desires, and with Greek myths on her mind, the question opens up as to whether bigger forces are at play.
Damien Molony plays her husband, Dan, while other stars include Antonia Thomas as Jess, Nicholas Pinnock as Solomon, Leila Farzad as Nat and Hugh Skinner as Jacob.
Speaking with Radio Times, Raine explained how she came to be involved with the project and why she was drawn to it.
"I had a meeting with Catherine and [director] Tom George," she said. "I walked into that room, and almost, to a certain degree, getting the job was neither here nor there – I just wanted to go and talk about the script.
"And we had this great discussion about everything that the script pulls out, which is a sign of an incredible piece of work.
"So I was really attracted to the tone of the piece, which is very unique. It's funny, but it's also incredibly sad. And then you've got the surreal quality of the Greek mythology. And it really wrong-foots you, you don't expect it. And I absolutely fell in love with Zoe. I really felt for her.
"I find it quite funny when you watch people trying to suppress their anxiety and pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't, and watching a people pleaser finally stand up for herself, knowing what she was going to go to throughout the series, I was thrilled.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I got offered the job. It was a rare case of like, 'I have to do this.'"
Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Add Two Weeks in August to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The eight-part drama comes from writer/creator Catherine Shepherd.
Show full content
New BBC drama Two Weeks in August follows a group of friends who reunite on a holiday to Greece, but an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
The eight-part series comes from writer Catherine Shepherd, who spoke with Radio Times exclusively, and told us that she was inspired by her own experiences of Greek holidays.
"I wanted to write something about a group holiday, and a group holiday in Greece, specifically," Shepherd said. "I was inspired by real life, many, many group holidays, some really good, as well as some bad. I used to go to Greece a lot as a child and into my 20s, with my parents and my siblings, and one event really stayed with me.
"We were in Corfu at the end of a really nice day. We could see Albania across the water and we saw gunfire - people were shooting at each other.
"It was really far away, so we weren’t in danger, but it struck me as the blackest of comedy that we continued to have dinner while that was going on, and emblematic of what it's like to be alive at the moment – trying to have a good time while bad things are going on.
"And clinging on to this idea that you can have and deserve time away and to not have to think about real things, which I think is really interesting. It's really true. When I was thinking about the project I was planning a holiday in Greece and I went on to some of the message boards for Greece.
"And again, they are the most sort of comi-tragic things, because they're people saying, ‘How bad is the political situation in this island? And while it's kind of awful to ask these questions, it's also truthful. You don't want your two weeks spoiled by real things."
Shepherd revealed that she had, at one time, thought the concept would work for a film, but she was later encouraged to write it as a project for TV.
"It was a long process," she said. "The scripts were challenging. There were so many characters and all of their stories intersect, so I set myself a challenge. Getting it set up was complicated.
"It took several years to come to fruition, and by the time we ended up in Malta, we couldn't make it work to shoot it in Greece, so we shot it in Malta for Greece, which actually works really, really well."
The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a woman who goes on holiday with her family and university friends to rediscover joy in her life. However, after the illicit kiss takes place she begins to act on her deepest desires, and with Greek myths on her mind, the question opens up as to whether bigger forces are at play.
Damien Molony plays her husband, Dan, while other stars include Antonia Thomas as Jess, Nicholas Pinnock as Solomon, Leila Farzad as Nat and Hugh Skinner as Jacob.
Speaking with Radio Times, Raine explained how she came to be involved with the project and why she was drawn to it.
"I had a meeting with Catherine and [director] Tom George," she said. "I walked into that room, and almost, to a certain degree, getting the job was neither here nor there – I just wanted to go and talk about the script.
"And we had this great discussion about everything that the script pulls out, which is a sign of an incredible piece of work.
"So I was really attracted to the tone of the piece, which is very unique. It's funny, but it's also incredibly sad. And then you've got the surreal quality of the Greek mythology. And it really wrong-foots you, you don't expect it. And I absolutely fell in love with Zoe. I really felt for her.
"I find it quite funny when you watch people trying to suppress their anxiety and pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't, and watching a people pleaser finally stand up for herself, knowing what she was going to go to throughout the series, I was thrilled.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I got offered the job. It was a rare case of like, 'I have to do this.'"
Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Add Two Weeks in August to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
And in that spirit, LOTDK foregoes the traditional LEGO approach, flipping between linear story missions and a vast open world Gotham City.
If you're curious how far you are through the story, as well as what collectibles are on offer, here's a full list of all the chapters and missions in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight chapters – Full list of chapters and missions
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is split up into seven chapters, including a prologue.
Each of these chapters is subsequently split into anywhere from one to six missions, each of which contains their own sub-missions.
Some missions – especially in chapter 1 – can be completed in 10 minutes or so, while others later down the line can take upwards of an hour.
Completing each missions will net you a Skill Brick that can be used to upgrade your combat and exploration abilities.
Here is a full list of chapters and main missions in LEGO Batman: LOTDK:
Prologue
Early Years
Wayne Manor Grounds
Falcone Confrontation
The League of Shadows
Mountain Climb
Combat Training
Stealth Training
Gadget Training
Infiltration (1x Red Brick, 5x Trophy Pieces, 5x WayneTech Chests)
And in that spirit, LOTDK foregoes the traditional LEGO approach, flipping between linear story missions and a vast open world Gotham City.
If you're curious how far you are through the story, as well as what collectibles are on offer, here's a full list of all the chapters and missions in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight chapters – Full list of chapters and missions
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is split up into seven chapters, including a prologue.
Each of these chapters is subsequently split into anywhere from one to six missions, each of which contains their own sub-missions.
Some missions – especially in chapter 1 – can be completed in 10 minutes or so, while others later down the line can take upwards of an hour.
Completing each missions will net you a Skill Brick that can be used to upgrade your combat and exploration abilities.
Here is a full list of chapters and main missions in LEGO Batman: LOTDK:
Prologue
Early Years
Wayne Manor Grounds
Falcone Confrontation
The League of Shadows
Mountain Climb
Combat Training
Stealth Training
Gadget Training
Infiltration (1x Red Brick, 5x Trophy Pieces, 5x WayneTech Chests)
And in that spirit, LOTDK foregoes the traditional LEGO approach, flipping between linear story missions and a vast open world Gotham City.
If you're curious how far you are through the story, as well as what collectibles are on offer, here's a full list of all the chapters and missions in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight chapters – Full list of chapters and missions
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is split up into seven chapters, including a prologue.
Each of these chapters is subsequently split into anywhere from one to six missions, each of which contains their own sub-missions.
Some missions – especially in chapter 1 – can be completed in 10 minutes or so, while others later down the line can take upwards of an hour.
Completing each missions will net you a Skill Brick that can be used to upgrade your combat and exploration abilities.
Here is a full list of chapters and main missions in LEGO Batman: LOTDK:
Prologue
Early Years
Wayne Manor Grounds
Falcone Confrontation
The League of Shadows
Mountain Climb
Combat Training
Stealth Training
Gadget Training
Infiltration (1x Red Brick, 5x Trophy Pieces, 5x WayneTech Chests)
And in that spirit, LOTDK foregoes the traditional LEGO approach, flipping between linear story missions and a vast open world Gotham City.
If you're curious how far you are through the story, as well as what collectibles are on offer, here's a full list of all the chapters and missions in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight chapters – Full list of chapters and missions
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is split up into seven chapters, including a prologue.
Each of these chapters is subsequently split into anywhere from one to six missions, each of which contains their own sub-missions.
Some missions – especially in chapter 1 – can be completed in 10 minutes or so, while others later down the line can take upwards of an hour.
Completing each missions will net you a Skill Brick that can be used to upgrade your combat and exploration abilities.
Here is a full list of chapters and main missions in LEGO Batman: LOTDK:
Prologue
Early Years
Wayne Manor Grounds
Falcone Confrontation
The League of Shadows
Mountain Climb
Combat Training
Stealth Training
Gadget Training
Infiltration (1x Red Brick, 5x Trophy Pieces, 5x WayneTech Chests)
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 between PSG and Arsenal – and whether you can watch for free.
Show full content
The new kings of Europe will be crowned at the end of May when PSG and Arsenal face off in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The Gunners have reached their first final since 2006 but will need to unseat the current holders to get their hands on a maiden European title.
Having held their nerve to edge past Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, Mikel Arteta's side now need to raise their game against a frightening PSG side.
After winning their first Champions League title last year, the Ligue 1 winners are looking to go back-to-back and blew past fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich in the last four.
Last season, and in previous campaigns, all three UEFA finals were made available to watch for free by TNT Sports but will UK viewers be treated to the same this term?
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 and whether you can watch for free.
Will the Champions League final be available to watch for free?
No. As things stand, there are no confirmed plans for the Champions League final to be available to watch for free.
Despite English teams contesting all three European finals, TNT Sports has made the decision not to make the showpiece games available free of charge, which, according to a report from The Guardian, has frustrated UEFA.
Last season, fans could tune in to watch the Champions League final on YouTube or by signing up for free for discovery+, which was the streaming partner of TNT Sports before the recent switch to HBO Max.
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
The Champions League final 2026 will be shown live onTNT Sports 1and HBO Max.
All three European finals, including the Champions League decider, will be available for no extra cost to all HBO Max subscribers on any Monthly or Saver Plan – starting from Basic with Ads (£4.99/month) and above.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the match on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 between PSG and Arsenal – and whether you can watch for free.
Show full content
The new kings of Europe will be crowned at the end of May when PSG and Arsenal face off in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The Gunners have reached their first final since 2006 but will need to unseat the current holders to get their hands on a maiden European title.
Having held their nerve to edge past Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, Mikel Arteta's side now need to raise their game against a frightening PSG side.
After winning their first Champions League title last year, the Ligue 1 winners are looking to go back-to-back and blew past fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich in the last four.
Last season, and in previous campaigns, all three UEFA finals were made available to watch for free by TNT Sports but will UK viewers be treated to the same this term?
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 and whether you can watch for free.
Will the Champions League final be available to watch for free?
No. As things stand, there are no confirmed plans for the Champions League final to be available to watch for free.
Despite English teams contesting all three European finals, TNT Sports has made the decision not to make the showpiece games available free of charge, which, according to a report from The Guardian, has frustrated UEFA.
Last season, fans could tune in to watch the Champions League final on YouTube or by signing up for free for discovery+, which was the streaming partner of TNT Sports before the recent switch to HBO Max.
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
The Champions League final 2026 will be shown live onTNT Sports 1and HBO Max.
All three European finals, including the Champions League decider, will be available for no extra cost to all HBO Max subscribers on any Monthly or Saver Plan – starting from Basic with Ads (£4.99/month) and above.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the match on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 between PSG and Arsenal – and whether you can watch for free.
Show full content
The new kings of Europe will be crowned at the end of May when PSG and Arsenal face off in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The Gunners have reached their first final since 2006 but will need to unseat the current holders to get their hands on a maiden European title.
Having held their nerve to edge past Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, Mikel Arteta's side now need to raise their game against a frightening PSG side.
After winning their first Champions League title last year, the Ligue 1 winners are looking to go back-to-back and blew past fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich in the last four.
Last season, and in previous campaigns, all three UEFA finals were made available to watch for free by TNT Sports but will UK viewers be treated to the same this term?
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 and whether you can watch for free.
Will the Champions League final be available to watch for free?
No. As things stand, there are no confirmed plans for the Champions League final to be available to watch for free.
Despite English teams contesting all three European finals, TNT Sports has made the decision not to make the showpiece games available free of charge, which, according to a report from The Guardian, has frustrated UEFA.
Last season, fans could tune in to watch the Champions League final on YouTube or by signing up for free for discovery+, which was the streaming partner of TNT Sports before the recent switch to HBO Max.
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
The Champions League final 2026 will be shown live onTNT Sports 1and HBO Max.
All three European finals, including the Champions League decider, will be available for no extra cost to all HBO Max subscribers on any Monthly or Saver Plan – starting from Basic with Ads (£4.99/month) and above.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the match on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 between PSG and Arsenal – and whether you can watch for free.
Show full content
The new kings of Europe will be crowned at the end of May when PSG and Arsenal face off in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The Gunners have reached their first final since 2006 but will need to unseat the current holders to get their hands on a maiden European title.
Having held their nerve to edge past Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, Mikel Arteta's side now need to raise their game against a frightening PSG side.
After winning their first Champions League title last year, the Ligue 1 winners are looking to go back-to-back and blew past fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich in the last four.
Last season, and in previous campaigns, all three UEFA finals were made available to watch for free by TNT Sports but will UK viewers be treated to the same this term?
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 and whether you can watch for free.
Will the Champions League final be available to watch for free?
No. As things stand, there are no confirmed plans for the Champions League final to be available to watch for free.
Despite English teams contesting all three European finals, TNT Sports has made the decision not to make the showpiece games available free of charge, which, according to a report from The Guardian, has frustrated UEFA.
Last season, fans could tune in to watch the Champions League final on YouTube or by signing up for free for discovery+, which was the streaming partner of TNT Sports before the recent switch to HBO Max.
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
The Champions League final 2026 will be shown live onTNT Sports 1and HBO Max.
All three European finals, including the Champions League decider, will be available for no extra cost to all HBO Max subscribers on any Monthly or Saver Plan – starting from Basic with Ads (£4.99/month) and above.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the match on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 between PSG and Arsenal – and whether you can watch for free.
Show full content
The new kings of Europe will be crowned at the end of May when PSG and Arsenal face off in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The Gunners have reached their first final since 2006 but will need to unseat the current holders to get their hands on a maiden European title.
Having held their nerve to edge past Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, Mikel Arteta's side now need to raise their game against a frightening PSG side.
After winning their first Champions League title last year, the Ligue 1 winners are looking to go back-to-back and blew past fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich in the last four.
Last season, and in previous campaigns, all three UEFA finals were made available to watch for free by TNT Sports but will UK viewers be treated to the same this term?
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 and whether you can watch for free.
Will the Champions League final be available to watch for free?
No. As things stand, there are no confirmed plans for the Champions League final to be available to watch for free.
Despite English teams contesting all three European finals, TNT Sports has made the decision not to make the showpiece games available free of charge, which, according to a report from The Guardian, has frustrated UEFA.
Last season, fans could tune in to watch the Champions League final on YouTube or by signing up for free for discovery+, which was the streaming partner of TNT Sports before the recent switch to HBO Max.
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
The Champions League final 2026 will be shown live onTNT Sports 1and HBO Max.
All three European finals, including the Champions League decider, will be available for no extra cost to all HBO Max subscribers on any Monthly or Saver Plan – starting from Basic with Ads (£4.99/month) and above.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the match on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 between PSG and Arsenal – and whether you can watch for free.
Show full content
The new kings of Europe will be crowned at the end of May when PSG and Arsenal face off in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The Gunners have reached their first final since 2006 but will need to unseat the current holders to get their hands on a maiden European title.
Having held their nerve to edge past Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, Mikel Arteta's side now need to raise their game against a frightening PSG side.
After winning their first Champions League title last year, the Ligue 1 winners are looking to go back-to-back and blew past fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich in the last four.
Last season, and in previous campaigns, all three UEFA finals were made available to watch for free by TNT Sports but will UK viewers be treated to the same this term?
Radio Times brings you the details about the Champions League final 2026 and whether you can watch for free.
Will the Champions League final be available to watch for free?
No. As things stand, there are no confirmed plans for the Champions League final to be available to watch for free.
Despite English teams contesting all three European finals, TNT Sports has made the decision not to make the showpiece games available free of charge, which, according to a report from The Guardian, has frustrated UEFA.
Last season, fans could tune in to watch the Champions League final on YouTube or by signing up for free for discovery+, which was the streaming partner of TNT Sports before the recent switch to HBO Max.
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
The Champions League final 2026 will be shown live onTNT Sports 1and HBO Max.
All three European finals, including the Champions League decider, will be available for no extra cost to all HBO Max subscribers on any Monthly or Saver Plan – starting from Basic with Ads (£4.99/month) and above.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the match on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Stranger Things could've looked a whole lot different.
Show full content
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, have revealed that another actor was actually their first choice for the role of Hopper.
As played by David Harbour, the disgruntled sheriff of Hawkins, Indiana was one of the series' most sympathetic and popular characters, as well as one of the most important, given his close relationship to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
But what if it had all been different?
Apparently, Harbour was the Duffers' second choice for the part of Hopper - and only secured the role after their favoured star turned it down.
Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers revealed that Hollywood star Billy Crudup was actually their preferred pick for Hopper.
"It was Billy Crudup," Matt Duffer confirmed, after fielding a pre-recorded question by none other than David Harbour himself. "Which is a very different– like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place. But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time."
Crudup is best known for his roles in films such Almost Famous, Zack Snyder’s ill-fated Watchmen adaption and Alien: Covenant, though he’s returned to prominence in recent years by playing Cory Ellison in the Apple TV drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
For his role as Ellison, Crudup has won two Emmys for best supporting actor in a drama series.
Speaking on the audition process for Hopper, Ross Duffer admitted that, after Crudup passed on the role, Harbour came in to read for the part on the advice of the show’s casting director.
"He came and read and he just did one take," he remembered of the time. "We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape and it was just so clear: this is Hopper. We cast him then and there."
Harbour ended up playing Hopper for all five seasons of Stranger Things, and earned two Emmy nominations during his time on the series; for best supporting actor in 2017 and 2018.
Even though Stranger Things ended its run with a blockbuster fifth season earlier this year, the world of the show continues with various spin-offs in the running.
Stranger Things could've looked a whole lot different.
Show full content
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, have revealed that another actor was actually their first choice for the role of Hopper.
As played by David Harbour, the disgruntled sheriff of Hawkins, Indiana was one of the series' most sympathetic and popular characters, as well as one of the most important, given his close relationship to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
But what if it had all been different?
Apparently, Harbour was the Duffers' second choice for the part of Hopper - and only secured the role after their favoured star turned it down.
Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers revealed that Hollywood star Billy Crudup was actually their preferred pick for Hopper.
"It was Billy Crudup," Matt Duffer confirmed, after fielding a pre-recorded question by none other than David Harbour himself. "Which is a very different– like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place. But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time."
Crudup is best known for his roles in films such Almost Famous, Zack Snyder’s ill-fated Watchmen adaption and Alien: Covenant, though he’s returned to prominence in recent years by playing Cory Ellison in the Apple TV drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
For his role as Ellison, Crudup has won two Emmys for best supporting actor in a drama series.
Speaking on the audition process for Hopper, Ross Duffer admitted that, after Crudup passed on the role, Harbour came in to read for the part on the advice of the show’s casting director.
"He came and read and he just did one take," he remembered of the time. "We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape and it was just so clear: this is Hopper. We cast him then and there."
Harbour ended up playing Hopper for all five seasons of Stranger Things, and earned two Emmy nominations during his time on the series; for best supporting actor in 2017 and 2018.
Even though Stranger Things ended its run with a blockbuster fifth season earlier this year, the world of the show continues with various spin-offs in the running.
Stranger Things could've looked a whole lot different.
Show full content
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, have revealed that another actor was actually their first choice for the role of Hopper.
As played by David Harbour, the disgruntled sheriff of Hawkins, Indiana was one of the series' most sympathetic and popular characters, as well as one of the most important, given his close relationship to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
But what if it had all been different?
Apparently, Harbour was the Duffers' second choice for the part of Hopper - and only secured the role after their favoured star turned it down.
Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers revealed that Hollywood star Billy Crudup was actually their preferred pick for Hopper.
"It was Billy Crudup," Matt Duffer confirmed, after fielding a pre-recorded question by none other than David Harbour himself. "Which is a very different– like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place. But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time."
Crudup is best known for his roles in films such Almost Famous, Zack Snyder’s ill-fated Watchmen adaption and Alien: Covenant, though he’s returned to prominence in recent years by playing Cory Ellison in the Apple TV drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
For his role as Ellison, Crudup has won two Emmys for best supporting actor in a drama series.
Speaking on the audition process for Hopper, Ross Duffer admitted that, after Crudup passed on the role, Harbour came in to read for the part on the advice of the show’s casting director.
"He came and read and he just did one take," he remembered of the time. "We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape and it was just so clear: this is Hopper. We cast him then and there."
Harbour ended up playing Hopper for all five seasons of Stranger Things, and earned two Emmy nominations during his time on the series; for best supporting actor in 2017 and 2018.
Even though Stranger Things ended its run with a blockbuster fifth season earlier this year, the world of the show continues with various spin-offs in the running.
Stranger Things could've looked a whole lot different.
Show full content
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, have revealed that another actor was actually their first choice for the role of Hopper.
As played by David Harbour, the disgruntled sheriff of Hawkins, Indiana was one of the series' most sympathetic and popular characters, as well as one of the most important, given his close relationship to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
But what if it had all been different?
Apparently, Harbour was the Duffers' second choice for the part of Hopper - and only secured the role after their favoured star turned it down.
Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers revealed that Hollywood star Billy Crudup was actually their preferred pick for Hopper.
"It was Billy Crudup," Matt Duffer confirmed, after fielding a pre-recorded question by none other than David Harbour himself. "Which is a very different– like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place. But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time."
Crudup is best known for his roles in films such Almost Famous, Zack Snyder’s ill-fated Watchmen adaption and Alien: Covenant, though he’s returned to prominence in recent years by playing Cory Ellison in the Apple TV drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
For his role as Ellison, Crudup has won two Emmys for best supporting actor in a drama series.
Speaking on the audition process for Hopper, Ross Duffer admitted that, after Crudup passed on the role, Harbour came in to read for the part on the advice of the show’s casting director.
"He came and read and he just did one take," he remembered of the time. "We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape and it was just so clear: this is Hopper. We cast him then and there."
Harbour ended up playing Hopper for all five seasons of Stranger Things, and earned two Emmy nominations during his time on the series; for best supporting actor in 2017 and 2018.
Even though Stranger Things ended its run with a blockbuster fifth season earlier this year, the world of the show continues with various spin-offs in the running.
Stranger Things could've looked a whole lot different.
Show full content
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, have revealed that another actor was actually their first choice for the role of Hopper.
As played by David Harbour, the disgruntled sheriff of Hawkins, Indiana was one of the series' most sympathetic and popular characters, as well as one of the most important, given his close relationship to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
But what if it had all been different?
Apparently, Harbour was the Duffers' second choice for the part of Hopper - and only secured the role after their favoured star turned it down.
Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers revealed that Hollywood star Billy Crudup was actually their preferred pick for Hopper.
"It was Billy Crudup," Matt Duffer confirmed, after fielding a pre-recorded question by none other than David Harbour himself. "Which is a very different– like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place. But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time."
Crudup is best known for his roles in films such Almost Famous, Zack Snyder’s ill-fated Watchmen adaption and Alien: Covenant, though he’s returned to prominence in recent years by playing Cory Ellison in the Apple TV drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
For his role as Ellison, Crudup has won two Emmys for best supporting actor in a drama series.
Speaking on the audition process for Hopper, Ross Duffer admitted that, after Crudup passed on the role, Harbour came in to read for the part on the advice of the show’s casting director.
"He came and read and he just did one take," he remembered of the time. "We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape and it was just so clear: this is Hopper. We cast him then and there."
Harbour ended up playing Hopper for all five seasons of Stranger Things, and earned two Emmy nominations during his time on the series; for best supporting actor in 2017 and 2018.
Even though Stranger Things ended its run with a blockbuster fifth season earlier this year, the world of the show continues with various spin-offs in the running.
Stranger Things could've looked a whole lot different.
Show full content
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, have revealed that another actor was actually their first choice for the role of Hopper.
As played by David Harbour, the disgruntled sheriff of Hawkins, Indiana was one of the series' most sympathetic and popular characters, as well as one of the most important, given his close relationship to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
But what if it had all been different?
Apparently, Harbour was the Duffers' second choice for the part of Hopper - and only secured the role after their favoured star turned it down.
Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers revealed that Hollywood star Billy Crudup was actually their preferred pick for Hopper.
"It was Billy Crudup," Matt Duffer confirmed, after fielding a pre-recorded question by none other than David Harbour himself. "Which is a very different– like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place. But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time."
Crudup is best known for his roles in films such Almost Famous, Zack Snyder’s ill-fated Watchmen adaption and Alien: Covenant, though he’s returned to prominence in recent years by playing Cory Ellison in the Apple TV drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
For his role as Ellison, Crudup has won two Emmys for best supporting actor in a drama series.
Speaking on the audition process for Hopper, Ross Duffer admitted that, after Crudup passed on the role, Harbour came in to read for the part on the advice of the show’s casting director.
"He came and read and he just did one take," he remembered of the time. "We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape and it was just so clear: this is Hopper. We cast him then and there."
Harbour ended up playing Hopper for all five seasons of Stranger Things, and earned two Emmy nominations during his time on the series; for best supporting actor in 2017 and 2018.
Even though Stranger Things ended its run with a blockbuster fifth season earlier this year, the world of the show continues with various spin-offs in the running.
Ginny Weasley will be played by a new actor in season 2.
Show full content
While we are yet to see a single episode from the Harry Potter TV series, plans are moving on apace for the already confirmed second season based on JK Rowling's second book, The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, it has been confirmed that one central role will be recast, with the young actor playing Ginny Weasley, Gracie Cochrane, having dropped out after one season.
The news was confirmed by Deadline as season 1 is wrapping production, with Cochrane and her family saying in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1.
"Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
Meanwhile, HBO said in a statement: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
For those who know their Potter, they will be well aware that Ginny plays a crucial role in The Chamber of Secrets.
Back in August 2025, an image was released of the actors playing the Weasley children, including Ron star Alastair Stout, Ginny star Cochrane, Fred star Tristan Harland, George star Gabriel Harland and Percy star Ruari Spooner.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series is set to arrive on HBO Max this Christmas.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.
In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.
Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Ginny Weasley will be played by a new actor in season 2.
Show full content
While we are yet to see a single episode from the Harry Potter TV series, plans are moving on apace for the already confirmed second season based on JK Rowling's second book, The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, it has been confirmed that one central role will be recast, with the young actor playing Ginny Weasley, Gracie Cochrane, having dropped out after one season.
The news was confirmed by Deadline as season 1 is wrapping production, with Cochrane and her family saying in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1.
"Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
Meanwhile, HBO said in a statement: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
For those who know their Potter, they will be well aware that Ginny plays a crucial role in The Chamber of Secrets.
Back in August 2025, an image was released of the actors playing the Weasley children, including Ron star Alastair Stout, Ginny star Cochrane, Fred star Tristan Harland, George star Gabriel Harland and Percy star Ruari Spooner.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series is set to arrive on HBO Max this Christmas.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.
In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.
Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Ginny Weasley will be played by a new actor in season 2.
Show full content
While we are yet to see a single episode from the Harry Potter TV series, plans are moving on apace for the already confirmed second season based on JK Rowling's second book, The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, it has been confirmed that one central role will be recast, with the young actor playing Ginny Weasley, Gracie Cochrane, having dropped out after one season.
The news was confirmed by Deadline as season 1 is wrapping production, with Cochrane and her family saying in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1.
"Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
Meanwhile, HBO said in a statement: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
For those who know their Potter, they will be well aware that Ginny plays a crucial role in The Chamber of Secrets.
Back in August 2025, an image was released of the actors playing the Weasley children, including Ron star Alastair Stout, Ginny star Cochrane, Fred star Tristan Harland, George star Gabriel Harland and Percy star Ruari Spooner.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series is set to arrive on HBO Max this Christmas.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.
In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.
Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Ginny Weasley will be played by a new actor in season 2.
Show full content
While we are yet to see a single episode from the Harry Potter TV series, plans are moving on apace for the already confirmed second season based on JK Rowling's second book, The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, it has been confirmed that one central role will be recast, with the young actor playing Ginny Weasley, Gracie Cochrane, having dropped out after one season.
The news was confirmed by Deadline as season 1 is wrapping production, with Cochrane and her family saying in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1.
"Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
Meanwhile, HBO said in a statement: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
For those who know their Potter, they will be well aware that Ginny plays a crucial role in The Chamber of Secrets.
Back in August 2025, an image was released of the actors playing the Weasley children, including Ron star Alastair Stout, Ginny star Cochrane, Fred star Tristan Harland, George star Gabriel Harland and Percy star Ruari Spooner.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series is set to arrive on HBO Max this Christmas.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.
In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.
Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Ginny Weasley will be played by a new actor in season 2.
Show full content
While we are yet to see a single episode from the Harry Potter TV series, plans are moving on apace for the already confirmed second season based on JK Rowling's second book, The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, it has been confirmed that one central role will be recast, with the young actor playing Ginny Weasley, Gracie Cochrane, having dropped out after one season.
The news was confirmed by Deadline as season 1 is wrapping production, with Cochrane and her family saying in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1.
"Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
Meanwhile, HBO said in a statement: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
For those who know their Potter, they will be well aware that Ginny plays a crucial role in The Chamber of Secrets.
Back in August 2025, an image was released of the actors playing the Weasley children, including Ron star Alastair Stout, Ginny star Cochrane, Fred star Tristan Harland, George star Gabriel Harland and Percy star Ruari Spooner.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series is set to arrive on HBO Max this Christmas.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.
In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.
Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Ginny Weasley will be played by a new actor in season 2.
Show full content
While we are yet to see a single episode from the Harry Potter TV series, plans are moving on apace for the already confirmed second season based on JK Rowling's second book, The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, it has been confirmed that one central role will be recast, with the young actor playing Ginny Weasley, Gracie Cochrane, having dropped out after one season.
The news was confirmed by Deadline as season 1 is wrapping production, with Cochrane and her family saying in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1.
"Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
Meanwhile, HBO said in a statement: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
For those who know their Potter, they will be well aware that Ginny plays a crucial role in The Chamber of Secrets.
Back in August 2025, an image was released of the actors playing the Weasley children, including Ron star Alastair Stout, Ginny star Cochrane, Fred star Tristan Harland, George star Gabriel Harland and Percy star Ruari Spooner.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series is set to arrive on HBO Max this Christmas.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.
In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.
Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and TV schedule.
Show full content
Rugby union fans rejoice! The inaugural season of the Nations Championship roars into life this summer.
The new tournament is a shake-up to the international calendar and brings together the top 12 teams in the world for six rounds of fixtures, which will set up a thrilling finals weekend.
The nations are split into two geographic conferences, with the Northern Hemisphere sides hosting the first three rounds in July and the Southern Hemisphere teams returning the favour in November.
The winner of each conference will compete for the first Nations Championship title at the end of November on finals weekend, when all 12 teams will be in action at Twickenham.
It promises to be a thrilling ride, which will see the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and kick-off time.
When is the Nations Championship 2026?
The inaugural season of the Nations Championship starts with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 July 2026 and will conclude with the final at Twickenham on Sunday 29 November 2026.
It will be split into three parts. The Southern Hemisphere Series runs from Saturday 4 July until Saturday 18 July, the Northern Hemisphere Series runs from Friday 6 November to Saturday 21 November, and the finals run from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November.
Where is the Nations Championship 2026?
The Southern Hemisphere teams will play three home games against Northern Hemisphere teams in July,
Each team will play three home games during the series in their hemisphere and three away games during the series in the other hemisphere.
The six finals will all be played at Twickenham, in London, across Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 November.
Watch the Nations Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
UK fans can watch the Nations Championship 2026 rugby exclusively on ITV.
All 42 matches from this year's tournament will be available free-to-air on ITV channels and streamed on ITVX.
As part of a deal with Six Nations Rugby, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights for the first two seasons of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028.
Nations Championship 2026 TV scheduleSouthern Hemisphere Series
Saturday 4 July
New Zealand v France (TBC, Christchurch) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Italy (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Ireland (TBC, Sydney) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Wales (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v England (TBC, Johannesburg) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Scotland (TBC, Cordoba) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 11 July
New Zealand v Italy (TBC, Wellington) ITV / ITVX
Australia v France (TBC, Brisbane) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Ireland (TBC, Newcastle, Australia) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v England (TBC, Liverpool) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Scotland (TBC, Pretoria) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Wales (TBC, San Juan) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 18 July
New Zealand v Ireland (TBC, Auckland) ITV / ITVX
Japan v France (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Italy (TBC, Perth) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Scotland (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Wales (TBC, Durban) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v England (TBC, Santiago del Estero) ITV / ITVX
Northern Hemisphere Series
Friday 6 November
Ireland v Argentina (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 7 November
Italy v South Africa (TBC, Turin) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v New Zealand (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Japan (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Fiji (TBC, Lyon) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 8 November
England v Australia (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Friday 13 November
France v South Africa (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 14 November
Italy v Argentina (TBC, Genoa) ITV / ITVX
Wales v New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
England v Japan (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v Fiji (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 15 November
Scotland v Australia (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 21 November
England v New Zealand (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v Japan (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v South Africa (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Italy v Fiji (TBC, Udine) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Australia (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Argentina (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Finals
Friday 27 November
11th Place Final: Northern 6 v Southern 6 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
5th Place Final: Northern 3 v Southern 3 (8:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 28 November
9th Place Final: Northern 5 v Southern 5 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
3rd Place Final: Northern 2 v Southern 2 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 29 November
7th Place Final: Northern 4 v Southern 4 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and TV schedule.
Show full content
Rugby union fans rejoice! The inaugural season of the Nations Championship roars into life this summer.
The new tournament is a shake-up to the international calendar and brings together the top 12 teams in the world for six rounds of fixtures, which will set up a thrilling finals weekend.
The nations are split into two geographic conferences, with the Northern Hemisphere sides hosting the first three rounds in July and the Southern Hemisphere teams returning the favour in November.
The winner of each conference will compete for the first Nations Championship title at the end of November on finals weekend, when all 12 teams will be in action at Twickenham.
It promises to be a thrilling ride, which will see the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and kick-off time.
When is the Nations Championship 2026?
The inaugural season of the Nations Championship starts with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 July 2026 and will conclude with the final at Twickenham on Sunday 29 November 2026.
It will be split into three parts. The Southern Hemisphere Series runs from Saturday 4 July until Saturday 18 July, the Northern Hemisphere Series runs from Friday 6 November to Saturday 21 November, and the finals run from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November.
Where is the Nations Championship 2026?
The Southern Hemisphere teams will play three home games against Northern Hemisphere teams in July,
Each team will play three home games during the series in their hemisphere and three away games during the series in the other hemisphere.
The six finals will all be played at Twickenham, in London, across Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 November.
Watch the Nations Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
UK fans can watch the Nations Championship 2026 rugby exclusively on ITV.
All 42 matches from this year's tournament will be available free-to-air on ITV channels and streamed on ITVX.
As part of a deal with Six Nations Rugby, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights for the first two seasons of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028.
Nations Championship 2026 TV scheduleSouthern Hemisphere Series
Saturday 4 July
New Zealand v France (TBC, Christchurch) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Italy (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Ireland (TBC, Sydney) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Wales (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v England (TBC, Johannesburg) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Scotland (TBC, Cordoba) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 11 July
New Zealand v Italy (TBC, Wellington) ITV / ITVX
Australia v France (TBC, Brisbane) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Ireland (TBC, Newcastle, Australia) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v England (TBC, Liverpool) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Scotland (TBC, Pretoria) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Wales (TBC, San Juan) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 18 July
New Zealand v Ireland (TBC, Auckland) ITV / ITVX
Japan v France (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Italy (TBC, Perth) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Scotland (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Wales (TBC, Durban) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v England (TBC, Santiago del Estero) ITV / ITVX
Northern Hemisphere Series
Friday 6 November
Ireland v Argentina (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 7 November
Italy v South Africa (TBC, Turin) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v New Zealand (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Japan (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Fiji (TBC, Lyon) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 8 November
England v Australia (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Friday 13 November
France v South Africa (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 14 November
Italy v Argentina (TBC, Genoa) ITV / ITVX
Wales v New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
England v Japan (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v Fiji (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 15 November
Scotland v Australia (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 21 November
England v New Zealand (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v Japan (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v South Africa (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Italy v Fiji (TBC, Udine) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Australia (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Argentina (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Finals
Friday 27 November
11th Place Final: Northern 6 v Southern 6 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
5th Place Final: Northern 3 v Southern 3 (8:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 28 November
9th Place Final: Northern 5 v Southern 5 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
3rd Place Final: Northern 2 v Southern 2 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 29 November
7th Place Final: Northern 4 v Southern 4 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and TV schedule.
Show full content
Rugby union fans rejoice! The inaugural season of the Nations Championship roars into life this summer.
The new tournament is a shake-up to the international calendar and brings together the top 12 teams in the world for six rounds of fixtures, which will set up a thrilling finals weekend.
The nations are split into two geographic conferences, with the Northern Hemisphere sides hosting the first three rounds in July and the Southern Hemisphere teams returning the favour in November.
The winner of each conference will compete for the first Nations Championship title at the end of November on finals weekend, when all 12 teams will be in action at Twickenham.
It promises to be a thrilling ride, which will see the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and kick-off time.
When is the Nations Championship 2026?
The inaugural season of the Nations Championship starts with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 July 2026 and will conclude with the final at Twickenham on Sunday 29 November 2026.
It will be split into three parts. The Southern Hemisphere Series runs from Saturday 4 July until Saturday 18 July, the Northern Hemisphere Series runs from Friday 6 November to Saturday 21 November, and the finals run from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November.
Where is the Nations Championship 2026?
The Southern Hemisphere teams will play three home games against Northern Hemisphere teams in July,
Each team will play three home games during the series in their hemisphere and three away games during the series in the other hemisphere.
The six finals will all be played at Twickenham, in London, across Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 November.
Watch the Nations Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
UK fans can watch the Nations Championship 2026 rugby exclusively on ITV.
All 42 matches from this year's tournament will be available free-to-air on ITV channels and streamed on ITVX.
As part of a deal with Six Nations Rugby, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights for the first two seasons of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028.
Nations Championship 2026 TV scheduleSouthern Hemisphere Series
Saturday 4 July
New Zealand v France (TBC, Christchurch) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Italy (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Ireland (TBC, Sydney) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Wales (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v England (TBC, Johannesburg) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Scotland (TBC, Cordoba) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 11 July
New Zealand v Italy (TBC, Wellington) ITV / ITVX
Australia v France (TBC, Brisbane) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Ireland (TBC, Newcastle, Australia) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v England (TBC, Liverpool) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Scotland (TBC, Pretoria) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Wales (TBC, San Juan) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 18 July
New Zealand v Ireland (TBC, Auckland) ITV / ITVX
Japan v France (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Italy (TBC, Perth) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Scotland (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Wales (TBC, Durban) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v England (TBC, Santiago del Estero) ITV / ITVX
Northern Hemisphere Series
Friday 6 November
Ireland v Argentina (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 7 November
Italy v South Africa (TBC, Turin) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v New Zealand (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Japan (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Fiji (TBC, Lyon) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 8 November
England v Australia (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Friday 13 November
France v South Africa (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 14 November
Italy v Argentina (TBC, Genoa) ITV / ITVX
Wales v New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
England v Japan (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v Fiji (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 15 November
Scotland v Australia (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 21 November
England v New Zealand (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v Japan (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v South Africa (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Italy v Fiji (TBC, Udine) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Australia (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Argentina (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Finals
Friday 27 November
11th Place Final: Northern 6 v Southern 6 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
5th Place Final: Northern 3 v Southern 3 (8:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 28 November
9th Place Final: Northern 5 v Southern 5 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
3rd Place Final: Northern 2 v Southern 2 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 29 November
7th Place Final: Northern 4 v Southern 4 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and TV schedule.
Show full content
Rugby union fans rejoice! The inaugural season of the Nations Championship roars into life this summer.
The new tournament is a shake-up to the international calendar and brings together the top 12 teams in the world for six rounds of fixtures, which will set up a thrilling finals weekend.
The nations are split into two geographic conferences, with the Northern Hemisphere sides hosting the first three rounds in July and the Southern Hemisphere teams returning the favour in November.
The winner of each conference will compete for the first Nations Championship title at the end of November on finals weekend, when all 12 teams will be in action at Twickenham.
It promises to be a thrilling ride, which will see the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and kick-off time.
When is the Nations Championship 2026?
The inaugural season of the Nations Championship starts with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 July 2026 and will conclude with the final at Twickenham on Sunday 29 November 2026.
It will be split into three parts. The Southern Hemisphere Series runs from Saturday 4 July until Saturday 18 July, the Northern Hemisphere Series runs from Friday 6 November to Saturday 21 November, and the finals run from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November.
Where is the Nations Championship 2026?
The Southern Hemisphere teams will play three home games against Northern Hemisphere teams in July,
Each team will play three home games during the series in their hemisphere and three away games during the series in the other hemisphere.
The six finals will all be played at Twickenham, in London, across Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 November.
Watch the Nations Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
UK fans can watch the Nations Championship 2026 rugby exclusively on ITV.
All 42 matches from this year's tournament will be available free-to-air on ITV channels and streamed on ITVX.
As part of a deal with Six Nations Rugby, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights for the first two seasons of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028.
Nations Championship 2026 TV scheduleSouthern Hemisphere Series
Saturday 4 July
New Zealand v France (TBC, Christchurch) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Italy (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Ireland (TBC, Sydney) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Wales (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v England (TBC, Johannesburg) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Scotland (TBC, Cordoba) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 11 July
New Zealand v Italy (TBC, Wellington) ITV / ITVX
Australia v France (TBC, Brisbane) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Ireland (TBC, Newcastle, Australia) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v England (TBC, Liverpool) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Scotland (TBC, Pretoria) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Wales (TBC, San Juan) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 18 July
New Zealand v Ireland (TBC, Auckland) ITV / ITVX
Japan v France (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Italy (TBC, Perth) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Scotland (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Wales (TBC, Durban) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v England (TBC, Santiago del Estero) ITV / ITVX
Northern Hemisphere Series
Friday 6 November
Ireland v Argentina (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 7 November
Italy v South Africa (TBC, Turin) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v New Zealand (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Japan (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Fiji (TBC, Lyon) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 8 November
England v Australia (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Friday 13 November
France v South Africa (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 14 November
Italy v Argentina (TBC, Genoa) ITV / ITVX
Wales v New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
England v Japan (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v Fiji (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 15 November
Scotland v Australia (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 21 November
England v New Zealand (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v Japan (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v South Africa (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Italy v Fiji (TBC, Udine) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Australia (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Argentina (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Finals
Friday 27 November
11th Place Final: Northern 6 v Southern 6 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
5th Place Final: Northern 3 v Southern 3 (8:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 28 November
9th Place Final: Northern 5 v Southern 5 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
3rd Place Final: Northern 2 v Southern 2 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 29 November
7th Place Final: Northern 4 v Southern 4 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and TV schedule.
Show full content
Rugby union fans rejoice! The inaugural season of the Nations Championship roars into life this summer.
The new tournament is a shake-up to the international calendar and brings together the top 12 teams in the world for six rounds of fixtures, which will set up a thrilling finals weekend.
The nations are split into two geographic conferences, with the Northern Hemisphere sides hosting the first three rounds in July and the Southern Hemisphere teams returning the favour in November.
The winner of each conference will compete for the first Nations Championship title at the end of November on finals weekend, when all 12 teams will be in action at Twickenham.
It promises to be a thrilling ride, which will see the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and kick-off time.
When is the Nations Championship 2026?
The inaugural season of the Nations Championship starts with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 July 2026 and will conclude with the final at Twickenham on Sunday 29 November 2026.
It will be split into three parts. The Southern Hemisphere Series runs from Saturday 4 July until Saturday 18 July, the Northern Hemisphere Series runs from Friday 6 November to Saturday 21 November, and the finals run from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November.
Where is the Nations Championship 2026?
The Southern Hemisphere teams will play three home games against Northern Hemisphere teams in July,
Each team will play three home games during the series in their hemisphere and three away games during the series in the other hemisphere.
The six finals will all be played at Twickenham, in London, across Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 November.
Watch the Nations Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
UK fans can watch the Nations Championship 2026 rugby exclusively on ITV.
All 42 matches from this year's tournament will be available free-to-air on ITV channels and streamed on ITVX.
As part of a deal with Six Nations Rugby, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights for the first two seasons of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028.
Nations Championship 2026 TV scheduleSouthern Hemisphere Series
Saturday 4 July
New Zealand v France (TBC, Christchurch) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Italy (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Ireland (TBC, Sydney) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Wales (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v England (TBC, Johannesburg) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Scotland (TBC, Cordoba) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 11 July
New Zealand v Italy (TBC, Wellington) ITV / ITVX
Australia v France (TBC, Brisbane) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Ireland (TBC, Newcastle, Australia) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v England (TBC, Liverpool) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Scotland (TBC, Pretoria) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Wales (TBC, San Juan) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 18 July
New Zealand v Ireland (TBC, Auckland) ITV / ITVX
Japan v France (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Italy (TBC, Perth) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Scotland (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Wales (TBC, Durban) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v England (TBC, Santiago del Estero) ITV / ITVX
Northern Hemisphere Series
Friday 6 November
Ireland v Argentina (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 7 November
Italy v South Africa (TBC, Turin) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v New Zealand (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Japan (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Fiji (TBC, Lyon) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 8 November
England v Australia (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Friday 13 November
France v South Africa (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 14 November
Italy v Argentina (TBC, Genoa) ITV / ITVX
Wales v New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
England v Japan (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v Fiji (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 15 November
Scotland v Australia (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 21 November
England v New Zealand (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v Japan (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v South Africa (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Italy v Fiji (TBC, Udine) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Australia (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Argentina (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Finals
Friday 27 November
11th Place Final: Northern 6 v Southern 6 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
5th Place Final: Northern 3 v Southern 3 (8:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 28 November
9th Place Final: Northern 5 v Southern 5 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
3rd Place Final: Northern 2 v Southern 2 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 29 November
7th Place Final: Northern 4 v Southern 4 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and TV schedule.
Show full content
Rugby union fans rejoice! The inaugural season of the Nations Championship roars into life this summer.
The new tournament is a shake-up to the international calendar and brings together the top 12 teams in the world for six rounds of fixtures, which will set up a thrilling finals weekend.
The nations are split into two geographic conferences, with the Northern Hemisphere sides hosting the first three rounds in July and the Southern Hemisphere teams returning the favour in November.
The winner of each conference will compete for the first Nations Championship title at the end of November on finals weekend, when all 12 teams will be in action at Twickenham.
It promises to be a thrilling ride, which will see the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head.
Radio Times brings you the details about the Nations Championship 2026 rugby, including date and kick-off time.
When is the Nations Championship 2026?
The inaugural season of the Nations Championship starts with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 July 2026 and will conclude with the final at Twickenham on Sunday 29 November 2026.
It will be split into three parts. The Southern Hemisphere Series runs from Saturday 4 July until Saturday 18 July, the Northern Hemisphere Series runs from Friday 6 November to Saturday 21 November, and the finals run from Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November.
Where is the Nations Championship 2026?
The Southern Hemisphere teams will play three home games against Northern Hemisphere teams in July,
Each team will play three home games during the series in their hemisphere and three away games during the series in the other hemisphere.
The six finals will all be played at Twickenham, in London, across Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 November.
Watch the Nations Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
UK fans can watch the Nations Championship 2026 rugby exclusively on ITV.
All 42 matches from this year's tournament will be available free-to-air on ITV channels and streamed on ITVX.
As part of a deal with Six Nations Rugby, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights for the first two seasons of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028.
Nations Championship 2026 TV scheduleSouthern Hemisphere Series
Saturday 4 July
New Zealand v France (TBC, Christchurch) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Italy (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Ireland (TBC, Sydney) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Wales (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v England (TBC, Johannesburg) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Scotland (TBC, Cordoba) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 11 July
New Zealand v Italy (TBC, Wellington) ITV / ITVX
Australia v France (TBC, Brisbane) ITV / ITVX
Japan v Ireland (TBC, Newcastle, Australia) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v England (TBC, Liverpool) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Scotland (TBC, Pretoria) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v Wales (TBC, San Juan) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 18 July
New Zealand v Ireland (TBC, Auckland) ITV / ITVX
Japan v France (TBC, Tokyo) ITV / ITVX
Australia v Italy (TBC, Perth) ITV / ITVX
Fiji v Scotland (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
South Africa v Wales (TBC, Durban) ITV / ITVX
Argentina v England (TBC, Santiago del Estero) ITV / ITVX
Northern Hemisphere Series
Friday 6 November
Ireland v Argentina (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 7 November
Italy v South Africa (TBC, Turin) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v New Zealand (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Japan (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Fiji (TBC, Lyon) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 8 November
England v Australia (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Friday 13 November
France v South Africa (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 14 November
Italy v Argentina (TBC, Genoa) ITV / ITVX
Wales v New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
England v Japan (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v Fiji (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 15 November
Scotland v Australia (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 21 November
England v New Zealand (TBC, London) ITV / ITVX
Scotland v Japan (TBC, Edinburgh) ITV / ITVX
Ireland v South Africa (TBC, Dublin) ITV / ITVX
Italy v Fiji (TBC, Udine) ITV / ITVX
Wales v Australia (TBC, Cardiff) ITV / ITVX
France v Argentina (TBC, Paris) ITV / ITVX
Finals
Friday 27 November
11th Place Final: Northern 6 v Southern 6 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
5th Place Final: Northern 3 v Southern 3 (8:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Saturday 28 November
9th Place Final: Northern 5 v Southern 5 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
3rd Place Final: Northern 2 v Southern 2 (4:40pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
Sunday 29 November
7th Place Final: Northern 4 v Southern 4 (1:10pm, Twickenham) ITV / ITVX
New episodes of the crime thriller drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.
Show full content
Criminal Record star Cush Jumbo has opened up about receiving "amazing" feedback from serving police detectives for the gritty Apple TV crime drama.
The actor plays DS June Lenker in the hit series, co-starring opposite Doctor Who alum Peter Capaldi as seasoned veteran DCI Daniel Hegarty. The pair work on highly sensitive and urgent cases, the latest of which concerns a far-right extremist group.
Speaking to Radio Times at an Apple TV event ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026, Jumbo revealed that she "loves" getting stuck into June's action sequences – but beyond the thrills, she argues it's an important step for portraying the character.
"I think it helps you to understand that there are real people out there doing these jobs, so you have to physically understand it before you can play it," she explained.
The actor, also known for Vera and The Good Fight, revealed that she'd received positive feedback from real detectives regarding the authenticity of her portrayal.
"The main thing to remember about this job is that most of them go home and are not allowed to talk about it to their partners, to their families," continued Jumbo.
"If you are working in police situations where you're dealing with very sensitive cases, you have no one to share it with apart from your team members – and some of those team members work alone, like June does."
She added: "It's been nice to hear from people being like, 'You're literally reflecting my experience and I don't even get to talk to anybody about it'."
Criminal Record is currently ranking among the most popular shows on Apple TV in the UK, with Jumbo admitting her own mother was ecstatic to see the show beating stiff competition from the likes of Jon Hamm's Your Friends & Neighbours.
Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation of a third season just yet. So what did Jumbo have to say on that front? "We would love it, but it's not up to us!"
Criminal Record season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV, up until the season finale on Wednesday 10 June. Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), Luca Pasqualino (Rivals) and Luther Ford (Black Doves) also feature in the Criminal Record cast.
New episodes of the crime thriller drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.
Show full content
Criminal Record star Cush Jumbo has opened up about receiving "amazing" feedback from serving police detectives for the gritty Apple TV crime drama.
The actor plays DS June Lenker in the hit series, co-starring opposite Doctor Who alum Peter Capaldi as seasoned veteran DCI Daniel Hegarty. The pair work on highly sensitive and urgent cases, the latest of which concerns a far-right extremist group.
Speaking to Radio Times at an Apple TV event ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026, Jumbo revealed that she "loves" getting stuck into June's action sequences – but beyond the thrills, she argues it's an important step for portraying the character.
"I think it helps you to understand that there are real people out there doing these jobs, so you have to physically understand it before you can play it," she explained.
The actor, also known for Vera and The Good Fight, revealed that she'd received positive feedback from real detectives regarding the authenticity of her portrayal.
"The main thing to remember about this job is that most of them go home and are not allowed to talk about it to their partners, to their families," continued Jumbo.
"If you are working in police situations where you're dealing with very sensitive cases, you have no one to share it with apart from your team members – and some of those team members work alone, like June does."
She added: "It's been nice to hear from people being like, 'You're literally reflecting my experience and I don't even get to talk to anybody about it'."
Criminal Record is currently ranking among the most popular shows on Apple TV in the UK, with Jumbo admitting her own mother was ecstatic to see the show beating stiff competition from the likes of Jon Hamm's Your Friends & Neighbours.
Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation of a third season just yet. So what did Jumbo have to say on that front? "We would love it, but it's not up to us!"
Criminal Record season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV, up until the season finale on Wednesday 10 June. Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), Luca Pasqualino (Rivals) and Luther Ford (Black Doves) also feature in the Criminal Record cast.
New episodes of the crime thriller drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.
Show full content
Criminal Record star Cush Jumbo has opened up about receiving "amazing" feedback from serving police detectives for the gritty Apple TV crime drama.
The actor plays DS June Lenker in the hit series, co-starring opposite Doctor Who alum Peter Capaldi as seasoned veteran DCI Daniel Hegarty. The pair work on highly sensitive and urgent cases, the latest of which concerns a far-right extremist group.
Speaking to Radio Times at an Apple TV event ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026, Jumbo revealed that she "loves" getting stuck into June's action sequences – but beyond the thrills, she argues it's an important step for portraying the character.
"I think it helps you to understand that there are real people out there doing these jobs, so you have to physically understand it before you can play it," she explained.
The actor, also known for Vera and The Good Fight, revealed that she'd received positive feedback from real detectives regarding the authenticity of her portrayal.
"The main thing to remember about this job is that most of them go home and are not allowed to talk about it to their partners, to their families," continued Jumbo.
"If you are working in police situations where you're dealing with very sensitive cases, you have no one to share it with apart from your team members – and some of those team members work alone, like June does."
She added: "It's been nice to hear from people being like, 'You're literally reflecting my experience and I don't even get to talk to anybody about it'."
Criminal Record is currently ranking among the most popular shows on Apple TV in the UK, with Jumbo admitting her own mother was ecstatic to see the show beating stiff competition from the likes of Jon Hamm's Your Friends & Neighbours.
Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation of a third season just yet. So what did Jumbo have to say on that front? "We would love it, but it's not up to us!"
Criminal Record season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV, up until the season finale on Wednesday 10 June. Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), Luca Pasqualino (Rivals) and Luther Ford (Black Doves) also feature in the Criminal Record cast.
New episodes of the crime thriller drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.
Show full content
Criminal Record star Cush Jumbo has opened up about receiving "amazing" feedback from serving police detectives for the gritty Apple TV crime drama.
The actor plays DS June Lenker in the hit series, co-starring opposite Doctor Who alum Peter Capaldi as seasoned veteran DCI Daniel Hegarty. The pair work on highly sensitive and urgent cases, the latest of which concerns a far-right extremist group.
Speaking to Radio Times at an Apple TV event ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026, Jumbo revealed that she "loves" getting stuck into June's action sequences – but beyond the thrills, she argues it's an important step for portraying the character.
"I think it helps you to understand that there are real people out there doing these jobs, so you have to physically understand it before you can play it," she explained.
The actor, also known for Vera and The Good Fight, revealed that she'd received positive feedback from real detectives regarding the authenticity of her portrayal.
"The main thing to remember about this job is that most of them go home and are not allowed to talk about it to their partners, to their families," continued Jumbo.
"If you are working in police situations where you're dealing with very sensitive cases, you have no one to share it with apart from your team members – and some of those team members work alone, like June does."
She added: "It's been nice to hear from people being like, 'You're literally reflecting my experience and I don't even get to talk to anybody about it'."
Criminal Record is currently ranking among the most popular shows on Apple TV in the UK, with Jumbo admitting her own mother was ecstatic to see the show beating stiff competition from the likes of Jon Hamm's Your Friends & Neighbours.
Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation of a third season just yet. So what did Jumbo have to say on that front? "We would love it, but it's not up to us!"
Criminal Record season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV, up until the season finale on Wednesday 10 June. Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), Luca Pasqualino (Rivals) and Luther Ford (Black Doves) also feature in the Criminal Record cast.
New episodes of the crime thriller drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.
Show full content
Criminal Record star Cush Jumbo has opened up about receiving "amazing" feedback from serving police detectives for the gritty Apple TV crime drama.
The actor plays DS June Lenker in the hit series, co-starring opposite Doctor Who alum Peter Capaldi as seasoned veteran DCI Daniel Hegarty. The pair work on highly sensitive and urgent cases, the latest of which concerns a far-right extremist group.
Speaking to Radio Times at an Apple TV event ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026, Jumbo revealed that she "loves" getting stuck into June's action sequences – but beyond the thrills, she argues it's an important step for portraying the character.
"I think it helps you to understand that there are real people out there doing these jobs, so you have to physically understand it before you can play it," she explained.
The actor, also known for Vera and The Good Fight, revealed that she'd received positive feedback from real detectives regarding the authenticity of her portrayal.
"The main thing to remember about this job is that most of them go home and are not allowed to talk about it to their partners, to their families," continued Jumbo.
"If you are working in police situations where you're dealing with very sensitive cases, you have no one to share it with apart from your team members – and some of those team members work alone, like June does."
She added: "It's been nice to hear from people being like, 'You're literally reflecting my experience and I don't even get to talk to anybody about it'."
Criminal Record is currently ranking among the most popular shows on Apple TV in the UK, with Jumbo admitting her own mother was ecstatic to see the show beating stiff competition from the likes of Jon Hamm's Your Friends & Neighbours.
Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation of a third season just yet. So what did Jumbo have to say on that front? "We would love it, but it's not up to us!"
Criminal Record season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV, up until the season finale on Wednesday 10 June. Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), Luca Pasqualino (Rivals) and Luther Ford (Black Doves) also feature in the Criminal Record cast.
New episodes of the crime thriller drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.
Show full content
Criminal Record star Cush Jumbo has opened up about receiving "amazing" feedback from serving police detectives for the gritty Apple TV crime drama.
The actor plays DS June Lenker in the hit series, co-starring opposite Doctor Who alum Peter Capaldi as seasoned veteran DCI Daniel Hegarty. The pair work on highly sensitive and urgent cases, the latest of which concerns a far-right extremist group.
Speaking to Radio Times at an Apple TV event ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026, Jumbo revealed that she "loves" getting stuck into June's action sequences – but beyond the thrills, she argues it's an important step for portraying the character.
"I think it helps you to understand that there are real people out there doing these jobs, so you have to physically understand it before you can play it," she explained.
The actor, also known for Vera and The Good Fight, revealed that she'd received positive feedback from real detectives regarding the authenticity of her portrayal.
"The main thing to remember about this job is that most of them go home and are not allowed to talk about it to their partners, to their families," continued Jumbo.
"If you are working in police situations where you're dealing with very sensitive cases, you have no one to share it with apart from your team members – and some of those team members work alone, like June does."
She added: "It's been nice to hear from people being like, 'You're literally reflecting my experience and I don't even get to talk to anybody about it'."
Criminal Record is currently ranking among the most popular shows on Apple TV in the UK, with Jumbo admitting her own mother was ecstatic to see the show beating stiff competition from the likes of Jon Hamm's Your Friends & Neighbours.
Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation of a third season just yet. So what did Jumbo have to say on that front? "We would love it, but it's not up to us!"
Criminal Record season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV, up until the season finale on Wednesday 10 June. Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), Luca Pasqualino (Rivals) and Luther Ford (Black Doves) also feature in the Criminal Record cast.
Seth Rogen said he was "amazed" by some of the people involved in the upcoming episodes.
Show full content
The Studio stars Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz have assured that the acclaimed Apple TV comedy won't be resting on its laurels in season 2 – describing it as "far more ambitious" than the first.
The showbiz comedy follows Matt Remick (Rogen) as an incoming Hollywood studio executive, who tries to balance a desire for artistic credibility with the (often conflicting) demand for big profits.
The series earned high praise for its frantic pace, involving several elaborate long single takes, with the stinging satire appearing painfully accurate to both movie buffs and industry workers.
"I would say [that] season 2, which we're in the midst of shooting right now, is far more ambitious. It's been very difficult to achieve, I say that as someone who was filming two days ago," he began.
"But as I'm seeing it come together, it's very exciting. It's really allowed us to work with some people that I'm amazed we've been able to work with, and go places I'm amazed we've been able to go."
Rogen continued: "I hope it makes the show even funnier and higher stakes, and more thoroughly giving people a peek behind the curtain."
The Studio co-star Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt's friend and colleague Sal Saperstein, concurred that the second season of the show is on a "massive scale" – citing the show's recreation of the Venice Film Festival as a highlight.
"We have gone to different countries, we've gone to more cities, we've tackled bigger institutions – things like a film festival," explained Barinholtz. "We had more toys in season 2 and we played with them."
The first season featured an array of big-name guest stars and cameos, including director Martin Scorsese, actor Charlize Theron and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, which brought the show's glitzy world to life to great effect.
On how the second chapter compares, Rogen added: "A couple of people do come back and there's many, many, many new ones as well. For me personally, it's an exciting part of the show, getting to work with so many people – filmmakers, actors – that I love.
"I think it makes the show even more specific, we really try to come up with stories that are curated for the guest stars as much as possible."
Hollywood legend Catherine O'Hara played a leading role in The Studio season 1, but sadly passed away before the second could commence filming. Rogen has opened up about returning to work on the show in her absence.
Seth Rogen said he was "amazed" by some of the people involved in the upcoming episodes.
Show full content
The Studio stars Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz have assured that the acclaimed Apple TV comedy won't be resting on its laurels in season 2 – describing it as "far more ambitious" than the first.
The showbiz comedy follows Matt Remick (Rogen) as an incoming Hollywood studio executive, who tries to balance a desire for artistic credibility with the (often conflicting) demand for big profits.
The series earned high praise for its frantic pace, involving several elaborate long single takes, with the stinging satire appearing painfully accurate to both movie buffs and industry workers.
"I would say [that] season 2, which we're in the midst of shooting right now, is far more ambitious. It's been very difficult to achieve, I say that as someone who was filming two days ago," he began.
"But as I'm seeing it come together, it's very exciting. It's really allowed us to work with some people that I'm amazed we've been able to work with, and go places I'm amazed we've been able to go."
Rogen continued: "I hope it makes the show even funnier and higher stakes, and more thoroughly giving people a peek behind the curtain."
The Studio co-star Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt's friend and colleague Sal Saperstein, concurred that the second season of the show is on a "massive scale" – citing the show's recreation of the Venice Film Festival as a highlight.
"We have gone to different countries, we've gone to more cities, we've tackled bigger institutions – things like a film festival," explained Barinholtz. "We had more toys in season 2 and we played with them."
The first season featured an array of big-name guest stars and cameos, including director Martin Scorsese, actor Charlize Theron and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, which brought the show's glitzy world to life to great effect.
On how the second chapter compares, Rogen added: "A couple of people do come back and there's many, many, many new ones as well. For me personally, it's an exciting part of the show, getting to work with so many people – filmmakers, actors – that I love.
"I think it makes the show even more specific, we really try to come up with stories that are curated for the guest stars as much as possible."
Hollywood legend Catherine O'Hara played a leading role in The Studio season 1, but sadly passed away before the second could commence filming. Rogen has opened up about returning to work on the show in her absence.
Seth Rogen said he was "amazed" by some of the people involved in the upcoming episodes.
Show full content
The Studio stars Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz have assured that the acclaimed Apple TV comedy won't be resting on its laurels in season 2 – describing it as "far more ambitious" than the first.
The showbiz comedy follows Matt Remick (Rogen) as an incoming Hollywood studio executive, who tries to balance a desire for artistic credibility with the (often conflicting) demand for big profits.
The series earned high praise for its frantic pace, involving several elaborate long single takes, with the stinging satire appearing painfully accurate to both movie buffs and industry workers.
"I would say [that] season 2, which we're in the midst of shooting right now, is far more ambitious. It's been very difficult to achieve, I say that as someone who was filming two days ago," he began.
"But as I'm seeing it come together, it's very exciting. It's really allowed us to work with some people that I'm amazed we've been able to work with, and go places I'm amazed we've been able to go."
Rogen continued: "I hope it makes the show even funnier and higher stakes, and more thoroughly giving people a peek behind the curtain."
The Studio co-star Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt's friend and colleague Sal Saperstein, concurred that the second season of the show is on a "massive scale" – citing the show's recreation of the Venice Film Festival as a highlight.
"We have gone to different countries, we've gone to more cities, we've tackled bigger institutions – things like a film festival," explained Barinholtz. "We had more toys in season 2 and we played with them."
The first season featured an array of big-name guest stars and cameos, including director Martin Scorsese, actor Charlize Theron and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, which brought the show's glitzy world to life to great effect.
On how the second chapter compares, Rogen added: "A couple of people do come back and there's many, many, many new ones as well. For me personally, it's an exciting part of the show, getting to work with so many people – filmmakers, actors – that I love.
"I think it makes the show even more specific, we really try to come up with stories that are curated for the guest stars as much as possible."
Hollywood legend Catherine O'Hara played a leading role in The Studio season 1, but sadly passed away before the second could commence filming. Rogen has opened up about returning to work on the show in her absence.
Seth Rogen said he was "amazed" by some of the people involved in the upcoming episodes.
Show full content
The Studio stars Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz have assured that the acclaimed Apple TV comedy won't be resting on its laurels in season 2 – describing it as "far more ambitious" than the first.
The showbiz comedy follows Matt Remick (Rogen) as an incoming Hollywood studio executive, who tries to balance a desire for artistic credibility with the (often conflicting) demand for big profits.
The series earned high praise for its frantic pace, involving several elaborate long single takes, with the stinging satire appearing painfully accurate to both movie buffs and industry workers.
"I would say [that] season 2, which we're in the midst of shooting right now, is far more ambitious. It's been very difficult to achieve, I say that as someone who was filming two days ago," he began.
"But as I'm seeing it come together, it's very exciting. It's really allowed us to work with some people that I'm amazed we've been able to work with, and go places I'm amazed we've been able to go."
Rogen continued: "I hope it makes the show even funnier and higher stakes, and more thoroughly giving people a peek behind the curtain."
The Studio co-star Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt's friend and colleague Sal Saperstein, concurred that the second season of the show is on a "massive scale" – citing the show's recreation of the Venice Film Festival as a highlight.
"We have gone to different countries, we've gone to more cities, we've tackled bigger institutions – things like a film festival," explained Barinholtz. "We had more toys in season 2 and we played with them."
The first season featured an array of big-name guest stars and cameos, including director Martin Scorsese, actor Charlize Theron and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, which brought the show's glitzy world to life to great effect.
On how the second chapter compares, Rogen added: "A couple of people do come back and there's many, many, many new ones as well. For me personally, it's an exciting part of the show, getting to work with so many people – filmmakers, actors – that I love.
"I think it makes the show even more specific, we really try to come up with stories that are curated for the guest stars as much as possible."
Hollywood legend Catherine O'Hara played a leading role in The Studio season 1, but sadly passed away before the second could commence filming. Rogen has opened up about returning to work on the show in her absence.
Seth Rogen said he was "amazed" by some of the people involved in the upcoming episodes.
Show full content
The Studio stars Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz have assured that the acclaimed Apple TV comedy won't be resting on its laurels in season 2 – describing it as "far more ambitious" than the first.
The showbiz comedy follows Matt Remick (Rogen) as an incoming Hollywood studio executive, who tries to balance a desire for artistic credibility with the (often conflicting) demand for big profits.
The series earned high praise for its frantic pace, involving several elaborate long single takes, with the stinging satire appearing painfully accurate to both movie buffs and industry workers.
"I would say [that] season 2, which we're in the midst of shooting right now, is far more ambitious. It's been very difficult to achieve, I say that as someone who was filming two days ago," he began.
"But as I'm seeing it come together, it's very exciting. It's really allowed us to work with some people that I'm amazed we've been able to work with, and go places I'm amazed we've been able to go."
Rogen continued: "I hope it makes the show even funnier and higher stakes, and more thoroughly giving people a peek behind the curtain."
The Studio co-star Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt's friend and colleague Sal Saperstein, concurred that the second season of the show is on a "massive scale" – citing the show's recreation of the Venice Film Festival as a highlight.
"We have gone to different countries, we've gone to more cities, we've tackled bigger institutions – things like a film festival," explained Barinholtz. "We had more toys in season 2 and we played with them."
The first season featured an array of big-name guest stars and cameos, including director Martin Scorsese, actor Charlize Theron and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, which brought the show's glitzy world to life to great effect.
On how the second chapter compares, Rogen added: "A couple of people do come back and there's many, many, many new ones as well. For me personally, it's an exciting part of the show, getting to work with so many people – filmmakers, actors – that I love.
"I think it makes the show even more specific, we really try to come up with stories that are curated for the guest stars as much as possible."
Hollywood legend Catherine O'Hara played a leading role in The Studio season 1, but sadly passed away before the second could commence filming. Rogen has opened up about returning to work on the show in her absence.
Seth Rogen said he was "amazed" by some of the people involved in the upcoming episodes.
Show full content
The Studio stars Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz have assured that the acclaimed Apple TV comedy won't be resting on its laurels in season 2 – describing it as "far more ambitious" than the first.
The showbiz comedy follows Matt Remick (Rogen) as an incoming Hollywood studio executive, who tries to balance a desire for artistic credibility with the (often conflicting) demand for big profits.
The series earned high praise for its frantic pace, involving several elaborate long single takes, with the stinging satire appearing painfully accurate to both movie buffs and industry workers.
"I would say [that] season 2, which we're in the midst of shooting right now, is far more ambitious. It's been very difficult to achieve, I say that as someone who was filming two days ago," he began.
"But as I'm seeing it come together, it's very exciting. It's really allowed us to work with some people that I'm amazed we've been able to work with, and go places I'm amazed we've been able to go."
Rogen continued: "I hope it makes the show even funnier and higher stakes, and more thoroughly giving people a peek behind the curtain."
The Studio co-star Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt's friend and colleague Sal Saperstein, concurred that the second season of the show is on a "massive scale" – citing the show's recreation of the Venice Film Festival as a highlight.
"We have gone to different countries, we've gone to more cities, we've tackled bigger institutions – things like a film festival," explained Barinholtz. "We had more toys in season 2 and we played with them."
The first season featured an array of big-name guest stars and cameos, including director Martin Scorsese, actor Charlize Theron and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, which brought the show's glitzy world to life to great effect.
On how the second chapter compares, Rogen added: "A couple of people do come back and there's many, many, many new ones as well. For me personally, it's an exciting part of the show, getting to work with so many people – filmmakers, actors – that I love.
"I think it makes the show even more specific, we really try to come up with stories that are curated for the guest stars as much as possible."
Hollywood legend Catherine O'Hara played a leading role in The Studio season 1, but sadly passed away before the second could commence filming. Rogen has opened up about returning to work on the show in her absence.
The votes for RT's Best Modern Comedy are in and the After Life star is celebrating in style. Plus the top 10 revealed.
Show full content
There is something heartening about a nation arguing over comedy. Not politics, not interest rates, not whether the bins have been collected, but which funny show over the past 15 years has made us laugh, wince, recognise ourselves and perhaps feel a little less alone.
British comedy has always done more than provide punchlines. At its best it captures the rhythms of everyday life: the awkwardness, the humiliations, the tiny acts of kindness that somehow matter most.
Thank you to everyone who put together our poll to find Britain's favourite modern comedy (take a bow senior writer David Craig) and all those who voted. The passion with which readers cast their votes and defend their favourites is a reminder that these programmes become woven into people's lives.
They are watched on sofas, quoted in offices and school playgrounds and are revisited during difficult times and endlessly recommended to friends.
How fortunate we are that Ricky Gervais, whose After Life took the top spot, embraced the poll with such generosity and enthusiasm. What emerges from his conversation with Caroline Frost is how certain stories endure.
Gervais remains as sharp, self-aware and unexpectedly thoughtful as ever. And as he reflects, people responded to After Life because "everyone has been through something like it".
Behind the jokes sits something recognisably human: grief, embarrassment, companionship and the struggle to keep calm and carry on. Which, when you think about it, is very British indeed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Also in this week's Radio Times:
Johannes Radebe reflects on Strictly success and finding his feet on the West End stage.
Following the stage play written by James Graham, Joseph Fiennes now brings England football manager Gareth Southgate to life on screen.
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke pays tribute to the genius Miles Davis, who supercharged jazz.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service?
Add After Life to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The votes for RT's Best Modern Comedy are in and the After Life star is celebrating in style. Plus the top 10 revealed.
Show full content
There is something heartening about a nation arguing over comedy. Not politics, not interest rates, not whether the bins have been collected, but which funny show over the past 15 years has made us laugh, wince, recognise ourselves and perhaps feel a little less alone.
British comedy has always done more than provide punchlines. At its best it captures the rhythms of everyday life: the awkwardness, the humiliations, the tiny acts of kindness that somehow matter most.
Thank you to everyone who put together our poll to find Britain's favourite modern comedy (take a bow senior writer David Craig) and all those who voted. The passion with which readers cast their votes and defend their favourites is a reminder that these programmes become woven into people's lives.
They are watched on sofas, quoted in offices and school playgrounds and are revisited during difficult times and endlessly recommended to friends.
How fortunate we are that Ricky Gervais, whose After Life took the top spot, embraced the poll with such generosity and enthusiasm. What emerges from his conversation with Caroline Frost is how certain stories endure.
Gervais remains as sharp, self-aware and unexpectedly thoughtful as ever. And as he reflects, people responded to After Life because "everyone has been through something like it".
Behind the jokes sits something recognisably human: grief, embarrassment, companionship and the struggle to keep calm and carry on. Which, when you think about it, is very British indeed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Also in this week's Radio Times:
Johannes Radebe reflects on Strictly success and finding his feet on the West End stage.
Following the stage play written by James Graham, Joseph Fiennes now brings England football manager Gareth Southgate to life on screen.
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke pays tribute to the genius Miles Davis, who supercharged jazz.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service?
Add After Life to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The votes for RT's Best Modern Comedy are in and the After Life star is celebrating in style. Plus the top 10 revealed.
Show full content
There is something heartening about a nation arguing over comedy. Not politics, not interest rates, not whether the bins have been collected, but which funny show over the past 15 years has made us laugh, wince, recognise ourselves and perhaps feel a little less alone.
British comedy has always done more than provide punchlines. At its best it captures the rhythms of everyday life: the awkwardness, the humiliations, the tiny acts of kindness that somehow matter most.
Thank you to everyone who put together our poll to find Britain's favourite modern comedy (take a bow senior writer David Craig) and all those who voted. The passion with which readers cast their votes and defend their favourites is a reminder that these programmes become woven into people's lives.
They are watched on sofas, quoted in offices and school playgrounds and are revisited during difficult times and endlessly recommended to friends.
How fortunate we are that Ricky Gervais, whose After Life took the top spot, embraced the poll with such generosity and enthusiasm. What emerges from his conversation with Caroline Frost is how certain stories endure.
Gervais remains as sharp, self-aware and unexpectedly thoughtful as ever. And as he reflects, people responded to After Life because "everyone has been through something like it".
Behind the jokes sits something recognisably human: grief, embarrassment, companionship and the struggle to keep calm and carry on. Which, when you think about it, is very British indeed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Also in this week's Radio Times:
Johannes Radebe reflects on Strictly success and finding his feet on the West End stage.
Following the stage play written by James Graham, Joseph Fiennes now brings England football manager Gareth Southgate to life on screen.
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke pays tribute to the genius Miles Davis, who supercharged jazz.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service?
Add After Life to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The votes for RT's Best Modern Comedy are in and the After Life star is celebrating in style. Plus the top 10 revealed.
Show full content
There is something heartening about a nation arguing over comedy. Not politics, not interest rates, not whether the bins have been collected, but which funny show over the past 15 years has made us laugh, wince, recognise ourselves and perhaps feel a little less alone.
British comedy has always done more than provide punchlines. At its best it captures the rhythms of everyday life: the awkwardness, the humiliations, the tiny acts of kindness that somehow matter most.
Thank you to everyone who put together our poll to find Britain's favourite modern comedy (take a bow senior writer David Craig) and all those who voted. The passion with which readers cast their votes and defend their favourites is a reminder that these programmes become woven into people's lives.
They are watched on sofas, quoted in offices and school playgrounds and are revisited during difficult times and endlessly recommended to friends.
How fortunate we are that Ricky Gervais, whose After Life took the top spot, embraced the poll with such generosity and enthusiasm. What emerges from his conversation with Caroline Frost is how certain stories endure.
Gervais remains as sharp, self-aware and unexpectedly thoughtful as ever. And as he reflects, people responded to After Life because "everyone has been through something like it".
Behind the jokes sits something recognisably human: grief, embarrassment, companionship and the struggle to keep calm and carry on. Which, when you think about it, is very British indeed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Also in this week's Radio Times:
Johannes Radebe reflects on Strictly success and finding his feet on the West End stage.
Following the stage play written by James Graham, Joseph Fiennes now brings England football manager Gareth Southgate to life on screen.
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke pays tribute to the genius Miles Davis, who supercharged jazz.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service?
Add After Life to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The votes for RT's Best Modern Comedy are in and the After Life star is celebrating in style. Plus the top 10 revealed.
Show full content
There is something heartening about a nation arguing over comedy. Not politics, not interest rates, not whether the bins have been collected, but which funny show over the past 15 years has made us laugh, wince, recognise ourselves and perhaps feel a little less alone.
British comedy has always done more than provide punchlines. At its best it captures the rhythms of everyday life: the awkwardness, the humiliations, the tiny acts of kindness that somehow matter most.
Thank you to everyone who put together our poll to find Britain's favourite modern comedy (take a bow senior writer David Craig) and all those who voted. The passion with which readers cast their votes and defend their favourites is a reminder that these programmes become woven into people's lives.
They are watched on sofas, quoted in offices and school playgrounds and are revisited during difficult times and endlessly recommended to friends.
How fortunate we are that Ricky Gervais, whose After Life took the top spot, embraced the poll with such generosity and enthusiasm. What emerges from his conversation with Caroline Frost is how certain stories endure.
Gervais remains as sharp, self-aware and unexpectedly thoughtful as ever. And as he reflects, people responded to After Life because "everyone has been through something like it".
Behind the jokes sits something recognisably human: grief, embarrassment, companionship and the struggle to keep calm and carry on. Which, when you think about it, is very British indeed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Also in this week's Radio Times:
Johannes Radebe reflects on Strictly success and finding his feet on the West End stage.
Following the stage play written by James Graham, Joseph Fiennes now brings England football manager Gareth Southgate to life on screen.
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke pays tribute to the genius Miles Davis, who supercharged jazz.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service?
Add After Life to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The votes for RT's Best Modern Comedy are in and the After Life star is celebrating in style. Plus the top 10 revealed.
Show full content
There is something heartening about a nation arguing over comedy. Not politics, not interest rates, not whether the bins have been collected, but which funny show over the past 15 years has made us laugh, wince, recognise ourselves and perhaps feel a little less alone.
British comedy has always done more than provide punchlines. At its best it captures the rhythms of everyday life: the awkwardness, the humiliations, the tiny acts of kindness that somehow matter most.
Thank you to everyone who put together our poll to find Britain's favourite modern comedy (take a bow senior writer David Craig) and all those who voted. The passion with which readers cast their votes and defend their favourites is a reminder that these programmes become woven into people's lives.
They are watched on sofas, quoted in offices and school playgrounds and are revisited during difficult times and endlessly recommended to friends.
How fortunate we are that Ricky Gervais, whose After Life took the top spot, embraced the poll with such generosity and enthusiasm. What emerges from his conversation with Caroline Frost is how certain stories endure.
Gervais remains as sharp, self-aware and unexpectedly thoughtful as ever. And as he reflects, people responded to After Life because "everyone has been through something like it".
Behind the jokes sits something recognisably human: grief, embarrassment, companionship and the struggle to keep calm and carry on. Which, when you think about it, is very British indeed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Also in this week's Radio Times:
Johannes Radebe reflects on Strictly success and finding his feet on the West End stage.
Following the stage play written by James Graham, Joseph Fiennes now brings England football manager Gareth Southgate to life on screen.
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke pays tribute to the genius Miles Davis, who supercharged jazz.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service?
Add After Life to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond may have perished at the end of No Time to Die, but his influence is still being felt in subtle ways in the new video game 007 First Light.
Taking over in the iconic lead role, Irish actor Patrick Gibson is no stranger to Craig’s work on the big screen.
“Some of my earliest epic cinematic experiences were with Daniel Craig's Bond,” Gibson told Radio Times Gaming exclusively.
“When I started going to the movies, Craig was coming in, so it held a real personal place, which is a strange thing to then step into.”
In the build up to launch, we spoke to a number of the game’s developers, and the influence of Craig’s era came up a number of times. Here are three secret ways that the new game connects back to Craig.
The resurrection
Martin Emborg, narrative and cut-scene director on 007 First Light, had one particular Daniel Craig line in his mind during production of the game.
Emborg told us, “I think that where Craig left off, getting to do an origin story after that, is, of course, interesting and pretty cool. Craig has a line, I think it's Skyfall, where someone says, ‘Everybody needs a hobby. What's yours?’
“He's being asked what his hobby is, and he says, ‘Resurrection.’
“And I think that's so cool, and that's kind of been in the back of my head a little bit sometimes, though, obviously we're not associated with the films. We are doing our own thing.”
Nonetheless, with Bond on the record as saying that he enjoys some recreational resurrection, it is fun to think of First Light as the next reincarnation of the same talismanic character that Craig once embodied.
The combat
Thomas Marcham, senior combat designer on the game, told us at IO Interactive’s Brighton office that his team “went right the way back” and looked at all the films to hone a combat style for their playable Bond.
“We have a lot of object-throwing in the game, which is stuff we took from movies like Thunderball. Even really early on, you see this idea of Bond using the environment quite a lot. He's always doing something creative, so as we watch all of them, that seems to be a through-line through all of the movies.
“Less so in the books, because the combat is less described in the books. But in all the movies, you see this creativity in combat and this improvisation, where, often you're not really sure if he had a plan walking into the space, but once the fight starts, it seems like he has a plan, and stuff turns up”.
While all the movies' fights were taken into account, Daniel Craig's tenure was a particular influence on the game’s combat segments.
Marcham said: “We look to the Daniel Craig era a lot because the fight scenes are just incredible, right? They do a lot of really nice choreographed stuff in there. So we lift a lot of that, and then we add a lot of our own style to it as well, because we need to make a new Bond, right?
“He’s much younger and less experienced [in the game] than he's ever been before, and we need to show that in the fighting. So, while we do lift stuff from the Daniel Craig era, we also add a lot of stuff that's less military. So we add a lot of boxing and MMA inferences, stuff that you might have learned if you were just street fighting, for example.”
And is there a particular Daniel Craig fight scene that stuck in his mind? A moment that is fully indicative of his fighting style?
In Marcham’s words, “One of my favourite fight scenes is extremely brief. And it's in Skyfall, where he has a gun with one bullet. He wastes the one bullet, then somehow takes out five people.
“And I think that's the best kind of Bond style of fighting. It's something we tried to capture a lot in the game. It doesn't really matter if you've got a gun, it doesn't really matter if the odds are against you, so you have clever ways of turning it around. And that seems quintessentially Bond to us.”
Emborg also told us about another Craig-era connection, telling us, “We also worked very closely with the costume designer from No Time To Die, Suttirat Anne Larlarb, who worked on the game with us.
“The experience of working with her, and the kind of questions she asked about character in order to design their outfits, costumes, was just eye-opening, and some of the greatest conversations about character I've had.
“It also really shows how underestimated that sort of thing is in games, maybe, where costumes are very often... there are amazing concept artists for sure... but when you're talking about something like Bond, it’s like, ‘How does a suit drape?' Like, ‘What's the cut of a jacket?’
“It’s something that you need an eye and an understanding for. And working with someone like Suttirat on a very high level. She's worked on, obviously, a bunch of other movies, as well. It was a great joy and elevated the game for sure.”
Costumes in games aren't often spoken about, but Emborg insists, "It is storytelling, and so, his jacket... a great amount of energy and effort went into deciding that jacket. So, what does it say about him? We discussed a lot about him being like a young Bond, youth, but being a rebel. We looked at Rebel Without A Cause, you know, that red jacket.
“And then we talked a lot about, you know, there's a Navy heritage to it, as well, also in the material choice. So, you know, all those things come together, and while it's not like people are gonna like look up at the billboard and go like, 'Oh, that jacket tells me the entire thing', that's what builds the character at the end of the day.”
And did Larlarb share any behind the scenes stories from the No Time To Die film production? Emboar says, “Yeah. A little bit. There are some fun stories, for sure, that I'm sure I can't share.”
In true Bond fashion, those anecdotes must be classified. But it is interesting to know that this new game, despite rebooting Bond as a trainee agent with a new actor in the role, does have numerous ties back to the Daniel Craig era.
Will First Light be remembered as fondly as Craig’s years in the role? Only time will tell, but the developers are clearly confident. They’re already talking about sequels.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond may have perished at the end of No Time to Die, but his influence is still being felt in subtle ways in the new video game 007 First Light.
Taking over in the iconic lead role, Irish actor Patrick Gibson is no stranger to Craig’s work on the big screen.
“Some of my earliest epic cinematic experiences were with Daniel Craig's Bond,” Gibson told Radio Times Gaming exclusively.
“When I started going to the movies, Craig was coming in, so it held a real personal place, which is a strange thing to then step into.”
In the build up to launch, we spoke to a number of the game’s developers, and the influence of Craig’s era came up a number of times. Here are three secret ways that the new game connects back to Craig.
The resurrection
Martin Emborg, narrative and cut-scene director on 007 First Light, had one particular Daniel Craig line in his mind during production of the game.
Emborg told us, “I think that where Craig left off, getting to do an origin story after that, is, of course, interesting and pretty cool. Craig has a line, I think it's Skyfall, where someone says, ‘Everybody needs a hobby. What's yours?’
“He's being asked what his hobby is, and he says, ‘Resurrection.’
“And I think that's so cool, and that's kind of been in the back of my head a little bit sometimes, though, obviously we're not associated with the films. We are doing our own thing.”
Nonetheless, with Bond on the record as saying that he enjoys some recreational resurrection, it is fun to think of First Light as the next reincarnation of the same talismanic character that Craig once embodied.
The combat
Thomas Marcham, senior combat designer on the game, told us at IO Interactive’s Brighton office that his team “went right the way back” and looked at all the films to hone a combat style for their playable Bond.
“We have a lot of object-throwing in the game, which is stuff we took from movies like Thunderball. Even really early on, you see this idea of Bond using the environment quite a lot. He's always doing something creative, so as we watch all of them, that seems to be a through-line through all of the movies.
“Less so in the books, because the combat is less described in the books. But in all the movies, you see this creativity in combat and this improvisation, where, often you're not really sure if he had a plan walking into the space, but once the fight starts, it seems like he has a plan, and stuff turns up”.
While all the movies' fights were taken into account, Daniel Craig's tenure was a particular influence on the game’s combat segments.
Marcham said: “We look to the Daniel Craig era a lot because the fight scenes are just incredible, right? They do a lot of really nice choreographed stuff in there. So we lift a lot of that, and then we add a lot of our own style to it as well, because we need to make a new Bond, right?
“He’s much younger and less experienced [in the game] than he's ever been before, and we need to show that in the fighting. So, while we do lift stuff from the Daniel Craig era, we also add a lot of stuff that's less military. So we add a lot of boxing and MMA inferences, stuff that you might have learned if you were just street fighting, for example.”
And is there a particular Daniel Craig fight scene that stuck in his mind? A moment that is fully indicative of his fighting style?
In Marcham’s words, “One of my favourite fight scenes is extremely brief. And it's in Skyfall, where he has a gun with one bullet. He wastes the one bullet, then somehow takes out five people.
“And I think that's the best kind of Bond style of fighting. It's something we tried to capture a lot in the game. It doesn't really matter if you've got a gun, it doesn't really matter if the odds are against you, so you have clever ways of turning it around. And that seems quintessentially Bond to us.”
Emborg also told us about another Craig-era connection, telling us, “We also worked very closely with the costume designer from No Time To Die, Suttirat Anne Larlarb, who worked on the game with us.
“The experience of working with her, and the kind of questions she asked about character in order to design their outfits, costumes, was just eye-opening, and some of the greatest conversations about character I've had.
“It also really shows how underestimated that sort of thing is in games, maybe, where costumes are very often... there are amazing concept artists for sure... but when you're talking about something like Bond, it’s like, ‘How does a suit drape?' Like, ‘What's the cut of a jacket?’
“It’s something that you need an eye and an understanding for. And working with someone like Suttirat on a very high level. She's worked on, obviously, a bunch of other movies, as well. It was a great joy and elevated the game for sure.”
Costumes in games aren't often spoken about, but Emborg insists, "It is storytelling, and so, his jacket... a great amount of energy and effort went into deciding that jacket. So, what does it say about him? We discussed a lot about him being like a young Bond, youth, but being a rebel. We looked at Rebel Without A Cause, you know, that red jacket.
“And then we talked a lot about, you know, there's a Navy heritage to it, as well, also in the material choice. So, you know, all those things come together, and while it's not like people are gonna like look up at the billboard and go like, 'Oh, that jacket tells me the entire thing', that's what builds the character at the end of the day.”
And did Larlarb share any behind the scenes stories from the No Time To Die film production? Emboar says, “Yeah. A little bit. There are some fun stories, for sure, that I'm sure I can't share.”
In true Bond fashion, those anecdotes must be classified. But it is interesting to know that this new game, despite rebooting Bond as a trainee agent with a new actor in the role, does have numerous ties back to the Daniel Craig era.
Will First Light be remembered as fondly as Craig’s years in the role? Only time will tell, but the developers are clearly confident. They’re already talking about sequels.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond may have perished at the end of No Time to Die, but his influence is still being felt in subtle ways in the new video game 007 First Light.
Taking over in the iconic lead role, Irish actor Patrick Gibson is no stranger to Craig’s work on the big screen.
“Some of my earliest epic cinematic experiences were with Daniel Craig's Bond,” Gibson told Radio Times Gaming exclusively.
“When I started going to the movies, Craig was coming in, so it held a real personal place, which is a strange thing to then step into.”
In the build up to launch, we spoke to a number of the game’s developers, and the influence of Craig’s era came up a number of times. Here are three secret ways that the new game connects back to Craig.
The resurrection
Martin Emborg, narrative and cut-scene director on 007 First Light, had one particular Daniel Craig line in his mind during production of the game.
Emborg told us, “I think that where Craig left off, getting to do an origin story after that, is, of course, interesting and pretty cool. Craig has a line, I think it's Skyfall, where someone says, ‘Everybody needs a hobby. What's yours?’
“He's being asked what his hobby is, and he says, ‘Resurrection.’
“And I think that's so cool, and that's kind of been in the back of my head a little bit sometimes, though, obviously we're not associated with the films. We are doing our own thing.”
Nonetheless, with Bond on the record as saying that he enjoys some recreational resurrection, it is fun to think of First Light as the next reincarnation of the same talismanic character that Craig once embodied.
The combat
Thomas Marcham, senior combat designer on the game, told us at IO Interactive’s Brighton office that his team “went right the way back” and looked at all the films to hone a combat style for their playable Bond.
“We have a lot of object-throwing in the game, which is stuff we took from movies like Thunderball. Even really early on, you see this idea of Bond using the environment quite a lot. He's always doing something creative, so as we watch all of them, that seems to be a through-line through all of the movies.
“Less so in the books, because the combat is less described in the books. But in all the movies, you see this creativity in combat and this improvisation, where, often you're not really sure if he had a plan walking into the space, but once the fight starts, it seems like he has a plan, and stuff turns up”.
While all the movies' fights were taken into account, Daniel Craig's tenure was a particular influence on the game’s combat segments.
Marcham said: “We look to the Daniel Craig era a lot because the fight scenes are just incredible, right? They do a lot of really nice choreographed stuff in there. So we lift a lot of that, and then we add a lot of our own style to it as well, because we need to make a new Bond, right?
“He’s much younger and less experienced [in the game] than he's ever been before, and we need to show that in the fighting. So, while we do lift stuff from the Daniel Craig era, we also add a lot of stuff that's less military. So we add a lot of boxing and MMA inferences, stuff that you might have learned if you were just street fighting, for example.”
And is there a particular Daniel Craig fight scene that stuck in his mind? A moment that is fully indicative of his fighting style?
In Marcham’s words, “One of my favourite fight scenes is extremely brief. And it's in Skyfall, where he has a gun with one bullet. He wastes the one bullet, then somehow takes out five people.
“And I think that's the best kind of Bond style of fighting. It's something we tried to capture a lot in the game. It doesn't really matter if you've got a gun, it doesn't really matter if the odds are against you, so you have clever ways of turning it around. And that seems quintessentially Bond to us.”
Emborg also told us about another Craig-era connection, telling us, “We also worked very closely with the costume designer from No Time To Die, Suttirat Anne Larlarb, who worked on the game with us.
“The experience of working with her, and the kind of questions she asked about character in order to design their outfits, costumes, was just eye-opening, and some of the greatest conversations about character I've had.
“It also really shows how underestimated that sort of thing is in games, maybe, where costumes are very often... there are amazing concept artists for sure... but when you're talking about something like Bond, it’s like, ‘How does a suit drape?' Like, ‘What's the cut of a jacket?’
“It’s something that you need an eye and an understanding for. And working with someone like Suttirat on a very high level. She's worked on, obviously, a bunch of other movies, as well. It was a great joy and elevated the game for sure.”
Costumes in games aren't often spoken about, but Emborg insists, "It is storytelling, and so, his jacket... a great amount of energy and effort went into deciding that jacket. So, what does it say about him? We discussed a lot about him being like a young Bond, youth, but being a rebel. We looked at Rebel Without A Cause, you know, that red jacket.
“And then we talked a lot about, you know, there's a Navy heritage to it, as well, also in the material choice. So, you know, all those things come together, and while it's not like people are gonna like look up at the billboard and go like, 'Oh, that jacket tells me the entire thing', that's what builds the character at the end of the day.”
And did Larlarb share any behind the scenes stories from the No Time To Die film production? Emboar says, “Yeah. A little bit. There are some fun stories, for sure, that I'm sure I can't share.”
In true Bond fashion, those anecdotes must be classified. But it is interesting to know that this new game, despite rebooting Bond as a trainee agent with a new actor in the role, does have numerous ties back to the Daniel Craig era.
Will First Light be remembered as fondly as Craig’s years in the role? Only time will tell, but the developers are clearly confident. They’re already talking about sequels.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond may have perished at the end of No Time to Die, but his influence is still being felt in subtle ways in the new video game 007 First Light.
Taking over in the iconic lead role, Irish actor Patrick Gibson is no stranger to Craig’s work on the big screen.
“Some of my earliest epic cinematic experiences were with Daniel Craig's Bond,” Gibson told Radio Times Gaming exclusively.
“When I started going to the movies, Craig was coming in, so it held a real personal place, which is a strange thing to then step into.”
In the build up to launch, we spoke to a number of the game’s developers, and the influence of Craig’s era came up a number of times. Here are three secret ways that the new game connects back to Craig.
The resurrection
Martin Emborg, narrative and cut-scene director on 007 First Light, had one particular Daniel Craig line in his mind during production of the game.
Emborg told us, “I think that where Craig left off, getting to do an origin story after that, is, of course, interesting and pretty cool. Craig has a line, I think it's Skyfall, where someone says, ‘Everybody needs a hobby. What's yours?’
“He's being asked what his hobby is, and he says, ‘Resurrection.’
“And I think that's so cool, and that's kind of been in the back of my head a little bit sometimes, though, obviously we're not associated with the films. We are doing our own thing.”
Nonetheless, with Bond on the record as saying that he enjoys some recreational resurrection, it is fun to think of First Light as the next reincarnation of the same talismanic character that Craig once embodied.
The combat
Thomas Marcham, senior combat designer on the game, told us at IO Interactive’s Brighton office that his team “went right the way back” and looked at all the films to hone a combat style for their playable Bond.
“We have a lot of object-throwing in the game, which is stuff we took from movies like Thunderball. Even really early on, you see this idea of Bond using the environment quite a lot. He's always doing something creative, so as we watch all of them, that seems to be a through-line through all of the movies.
“Less so in the books, because the combat is less described in the books. But in all the movies, you see this creativity in combat and this improvisation, where, often you're not really sure if he had a plan walking into the space, but once the fight starts, it seems like he has a plan, and stuff turns up”.
While all the movies' fights were taken into account, Daniel Craig's tenure was a particular influence on the game’s combat segments.
Marcham said: “We look to the Daniel Craig era a lot because the fight scenes are just incredible, right? They do a lot of really nice choreographed stuff in there. So we lift a lot of that, and then we add a lot of our own style to it as well, because we need to make a new Bond, right?
“He’s much younger and less experienced [in the game] than he's ever been before, and we need to show that in the fighting. So, while we do lift stuff from the Daniel Craig era, we also add a lot of stuff that's less military. So we add a lot of boxing and MMA inferences, stuff that you might have learned if you were just street fighting, for example.”
And is there a particular Daniel Craig fight scene that stuck in his mind? A moment that is fully indicative of his fighting style?
In Marcham’s words, “One of my favourite fight scenes is extremely brief. And it's in Skyfall, where he has a gun with one bullet. He wastes the one bullet, then somehow takes out five people.
“And I think that's the best kind of Bond style of fighting. It's something we tried to capture a lot in the game. It doesn't really matter if you've got a gun, it doesn't really matter if the odds are against you, so you have clever ways of turning it around. And that seems quintessentially Bond to us.”
Emborg also told us about another Craig-era connection, telling us, “We also worked very closely with the costume designer from No Time To Die, Suttirat Anne Larlarb, who worked on the game with us.
“The experience of working with her, and the kind of questions she asked about character in order to design their outfits, costumes, was just eye-opening, and some of the greatest conversations about character I've had.
“It also really shows how underestimated that sort of thing is in games, maybe, where costumes are very often... there are amazing concept artists for sure... but when you're talking about something like Bond, it’s like, ‘How does a suit drape?' Like, ‘What's the cut of a jacket?’
“It’s something that you need an eye and an understanding for. And working with someone like Suttirat on a very high level. She's worked on, obviously, a bunch of other movies, as well. It was a great joy and elevated the game for sure.”
Costumes in games aren't often spoken about, but Emborg insists, "It is storytelling, and so, his jacket... a great amount of energy and effort went into deciding that jacket. So, what does it say about him? We discussed a lot about him being like a young Bond, youth, but being a rebel. We looked at Rebel Without A Cause, you know, that red jacket.
“And then we talked a lot about, you know, there's a Navy heritage to it, as well, also in the material choice. So, you know, all those things come together, and while it's not like people are gonna like look up at the billboard and go like, 'Oh, that jacket tells me the entire thing', that's what builds the character at the end of the day.”
And did Larlarb share any behind the scenes stories from the No Time To Die film production? Emboar says, “Yeah. A little bit. There are some fun stories, for sure, that I'm sure I can't share.”
In true Bond fashion, those anecdotes must be classified. But it is interesting to know that this new game, despite rebooting Bond as a trainee agent with a new actor in the role, does have numerous ties back to the Daniel Craig era.
Will First Light be remembered as fondly as Craig’s years in the role? Only time will tell, but the developers are clearly confident. They’re already talking about sequels.
Aaron Sorkin's riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird returns to the West End for a strictly limited season this summer. The seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence became a Broadway and West End sensation with star-studded seasons on both sides of the Atlantic and is currently thrilling audiences across the UK and Ireland in a sell-out national tour.
Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it. Acclaimed stage and screen actor Richard Coyle (Player Kings, Macbeth, Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore) returns to this iconic production as Atticus Finch, reprising the role he played to great critical acclaim in the 2022 West End production.
Set in 1934 Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by novelist Harper Lee's own childhood and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and was long at the top of the banned book lists.
One lucky reader will win two tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird plus overnight stay with afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. Perfectly positioned at the gateway to the West End, DoubleTree by Hilton London - West End offers the ideal base for guests attending performances at Wyndham's Theatre, with world-class productions just moments from your doorstep. Before the show, enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at The Writing Room with finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, or in the evening opt for our special pre-theatre menu, offering a delicious two or three-course meal with a complimentary drink.
Playing for 12 weeks only at the Wyndham's Theatre. For more information, and to book your tickets (from £30), visit mockingbirdplay.com
Terms & conditions:
One reader will win a pair of tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyndham's Theatre plus overnight stay for two in a twin or double room, including breakfast and afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal for two at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. The prize is valid for all performances until 11 September 2026, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays, subject to availability. No cash alternative. Travel not included. Any additional expenses incurred are the responsibility of the winner.
The Prize Provider is Jonathan Church Productions.
The promotion is open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands, aged 18 years or older, except the Promoter’s employees or contractors and anyone connected with the promotion or their direct family members, as well as employees of the Prize Provider.
The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on 12th June 2026.
Entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered.
By entering the promotion, the participants agree: to be bound by these terms and conditions; and that should they win the promotion, their name and likeness may be used by the Promoter for pre-arranged promotional purposes.
Entrants should enter by signing into their Radio Times account and selecting the answer to the question from the options given.
Entrants must supply to Immediate Media Company Limited their full name and email address. The Promoter will use entrants’ personal details in accordance with the Immediate Privacy Policy
Only one entry will be permitted per person, regardless of method of entry. Bulk entries made by third parties will not be permitted.
The winning entrant(s) will be the first correct entry drawn at random from all the correct entries after the closing date.
The Promoter’s decision as to the winner is final and no correspondence relating to the promotion will be entered into.
The Promoter may share the details of the winner(s) with the Prize Provider for the purposes of fulfilling/delivering the prize.
The winner(s) will be notified within 30 days of the close of the promotion by email.
If a winner cannot be contacted, or fails to respond within 14 days of such notification being sent, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to a runner up, or to re-offer the prize in any future promotion.
There is no cash alternative and the prize will not be transferable.
Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred.
The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with one of the same or greater value if circumstances beyond its control makes it necessary to do so.
The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend the promotion at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.
The Promoter does not accept any responsibility for lost, delayed or fraudulent entries.
The Promoter excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to the participant arising from his or her entry into the promotion or occurring to the winner(s) arising from his or her acceptance of a prize.
The surname and county of residence of the winner(s) will be available upon request by sending an SAE to Radio Times Magazine, Immediate Media, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT, within two (2) months of the closing date of the promotion. The Promoter will contact the winner(s) before releasing this information and provide the winner(s) the opportunity to object or limit the amount of information shared.
The promotion is subject to the laws of England.
Privacy Statement: Unless you have chosen to receive other information from the prize provider, your personal data supplied during the course of this promotion will be used by the Immediate Media for the purpose of running the prize draw, including contacting the winners and distributing the prize. The personal data of the winners will be kept for a period of 140 days from the Closing Date and then deleted.
Aaron Sorkin's riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird returns to the West End for a strictly limited season this summer. The seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence became a Broadway and West End sensation with star-studded seasons on both sides of the Atlantic and is currently thrilling audiences across the UK and Ireland in a sell-out national tour.
Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it. Acclaimed stage and screen actor Richard Coyle (Player Kings, Macbeth, Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore) returns to this iconic production as Atticus Finch, reprising the role he played to great critical acclaim in the 2022 West End production.
Set in 1934 Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by novelist Harper Lee's own childhood and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and was long at the top of the banned book lists.
One lucky reader will win two tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird plus overnight stay with afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. Perfectly positioned at the gateway to the West End, DoubleTree by Hilton London - West End offers the ideal base for guests attending performances at Wyndham's Theatre, with world-class productions just moments from your doorstep. Before the show, enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at The Writing Room with finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, or in the evening opt for our special pre-theatre menu, offering a delicious two or three-course meal with a complimentary drink.
Playing for 12 weeks only at the Wyndham's Theatre. For more information, and to book your tickets (from £30), visit mockingbirdplay.com
Terms & conditions:
One reader will win a pair of tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyndham's Theatre plus overnight stay for two in a twin or double room, including breakfast and afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal for two at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. The prize is valid for all performances until 11 September 2026, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays, subject to availability. No cash alternative. Travel not included. Any additional expenses incurred are the responsibility of the winner.
The Prize Provider is Jonathan Church Productions.
The promotion is open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands, aged 18 years or older, except the Promoter’s employees or contractors and anyone connected with the promotion or their direct family members, as well as employees of the Prize Provider.
The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on 12th June 2026.
Entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered.
By entering the promotion, the participants agree: to be bound by these terms and conditions; and that should they win the promotion, their name and likeness may be used by the Promoter for pre-arranged promotional purposes.
Entrants should enter by signing into their Radio Times account and selecting the answer to the question from the options given.
Entrants must supply to Immediate Media Company Limited their full name and email address. The Promoter will use entrants’ personal details in accordance with the Immediate Privacy Policy
Only one entry will be permitted per person, regardless of method of entry. Bulk entries made by third parties will not be permitted.
The winning entrant(s) will be the first correct entry drawn at random from all the correct entries after the closing date.
The Promoter’s decision as to the winner is final and no correspondence relating to the promotion will be entered into.
The Promoter may share the details of the winner(s) with the Prize Provider for the purposes of fulfilling/delivering the prize.
The winner(s) will be notified within 30 days of the close of the promotion by email.
If a winner cannot be contacted, or fails to respond within 14 days of such notification being sent, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to a runner up, or to re-offer the prize in any future promotion.
There is no cash alternative and the prize will not be transferable.
Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred.
The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with one of the same or greater value if circumstances beyond its control makes it necessary to do so.
The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend the promotion at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.
The Promoter does not accept any responsibility for lost, delayed or fraudulent entries.
The Promoter excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to the participant arising from his or her entry into the promotion or occurring to the winner(s) arising from his or her acceptance of a prize.
The surname and county of residence of the winner(s) will be available upon request by sending an SAE to Radio Times Magazine, Immediate Media, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT, within two (2) months of the closing date of the promotion. The Promoter will contact the winner(s) before releasing this information and provide the winner(s) the opportunity to object or limit the amount of information shared.
The promotion is subject to the laws of England.
Privacy Statement: Unless you have chosen to receive other information from the prize provider, your personal data supplied during the course of this promotion will be used by the Immediate Media for the purpose of running the prize draw, including contacting the winners and distributing the prize. The personal data of the winners will be kept for a period of 140 days from the Closing Date and then deleted.
Aaron Sorkin's riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird returns to the West End for a strictly limited season this summer. The seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence became a Broadway and West End sensation with star-studded seasons on both sides of the Atlantic and is currently thrilling audiences across the UK and Ireland in a sell-out national tour.
Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it. Acclaimed stage and screen actor Richard Coyle (Player Kings, Macbeth, Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore) returns to this iconic production as Atticus Finch, reprising the role he played to great critical acclaim in the 2022 West End production.
Set in 1934 Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by novelist Harper Lee's own childhood and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and was long at the top of the banned book lists.
One lucky reader will win two tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird plus overnight stay with afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. Perfectly positioned at the gateway to the West End, DoubleTree by Hilton London - West End offers the ideal base for guests attending performances at Wyndham's Theatre, with world-class productions just moments from your doorstep. Before the show, enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at The Writing Room with finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, or in the evening opt for our special pre-theatre menu, offering a delicious two or three-course meal with a complimentary drink.
Playing for 12 weeks only at the Wyndham's Theatre. For more information, and to book your tickets (from £30), visit mockingbirdplay.com
Terms & conditions:
One reader will win a pair of tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyndham's Theatre plus overnight stay for two in a twin or double room, including breakfast and afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal for two at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. The prize is valid for all performances until 11 September 2026, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays, subject to availability. No cash alternative. Travel not included. Any additional expenses incurred are the responsibility of the winner.
The Prize Provider is Jonathan Church Productions.
The promotion is open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands, aged 18 years or older, except the Promoter’s employees or contractors and anyone connected with the promotion or their direct family members, as well as employees of the Prize Provider.
The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on 12th June 2026.
Entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered.
By entering the promotion, the participants agree: to be bound by these terms and conditions; and that should they win the promotion, their name and likeness may be used by the Promoter for pre-arranged promotional purposes.
Entrants should enter by signing into their Radio Times account and selecting the answer to the question from the options given.
Entrants must supply to Immediate Media Company Limited their full name and email address. The Promoter will use entrants’ personal details in accordance with the Immediate Privacy Policy
Only one entry will be permitted per person, regardless of method of entry. Bulk entries made by third parties will not be permitted.
The winning entrant(s) will be the first correct entry drawn at random from all the correct entries after the closing date.
The Promoter’s decision as to the winner is final and no correspondence relating to the promotion will be entered into.
The Promoter may share the details of the winner(s) with the Prize Provider for the purposes of fulfilling/delivering the prize.
The winner(s) will be notified within 30 days of the close of the promotion by email.
If a winner cannot be contacted, or fails to respond within 14 days of such notification being sent, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to a runner up, or to re-offer the prize in any future promotion.
There is no cash alternative and the prize will not be transferable.
Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred.
The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with one of the same or greater value if circumstances beyond its control makes it necessary to do so.
The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend the promotion at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.
The Promoter does not accept any responsibility for lost, delayed or fraudulent entries.
The Promoter excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to the participant arising from his or her entry into the promotion or occurring to the winner(s) arising from his or her acceptance of a prize.
The surname and county of residence of the winner(s) will be available upon request by sending an SAE to Radio Times Magazine, Immediate Media, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT, within two (2) months of the closing date of the promotion. The Promoter will contact the winner(s) before releasing this information and provide the winner(s) the opportunity to object or limit the amount of information shared.
The promotion is subject to the laws of England.
Privacy Statement: Unless you have chosen to receive other information from the prize provider, your personal data supplied during the course of this promotion will be used by the Immediate Media for the purpose of running the prize draw, including contacting the winners and distributing the prize. The personal data of the winners will be kept for a period of 140 days from the Closing Date and then deleted.
Aaron Sorkin's riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird returns to the West End for a strictly limited season this summer. The seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence became a Broadway and West End sensation with star-studded seasons on both sides of the Atlantic and is currently thrilling audiences across the UK and Ireland in a sell-out national tour.
Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it. Acclaimed stage and screen actor Richard Coyle (Player Kings, Macbeth, Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore) returns to this iconic production as Atticus Finch, reprising the role he played to great critical acclaim in the 2022 West End production.
Set in 1934 Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by novelist Harper Lee's own childhood and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and was long at the top of the banned book lists.
One lucky reader will win two tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird plus overnight stay with afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. Perfectly positioned at the gateway to the West End, DoubleTree by Hilton London - West End offers the ideal base for guests attending performances at Wyndham's Theatre, with world-class productions just moments from your doorstep. Before the show, enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at The Writing Room with finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, or in the evening opt for our special pre-theatre menu, offering a delicious two or three-course meal with a complimentary drink.
Playing for 12 weeks only at the Wyndham's Theatre. For more information, and to book your tickets (from £30), visit mockingbirdplay.com
Terms & conditions:
One reader will win a pair of tickets to see To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyndham's Theatre plus overnight stay for two in a twin or double room, including breakfast and afternoon tea or pre-theatre meal for two at DoubleTree by Hilton London – West End. The prize is valid for all performances until 11 September 2026, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays, subject to availability. No cash alternative. Travel not included. Any additional expenses incurred are the responsibility of the winner.
The Prize Provider is Jonathan Church Productions.
The promotion is open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands, aged 18 years or older, except the Promoter’s employees or contractors and anyone connected with the promotion or their direct family members, as well as employees of the Prize Provider.
The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on 12th June 2026.
Entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered.
By entering the promotion, the participants agree: to be bound by these terms and conditions; and that should they win the promotion, their name and likeness may be used by the Promoter for pre-arranged promotional purposes.
Entrants should enter by signing into their Radio Times account and selecting the answer to the question from the options given.
Entrants must supply to Immediate Media Company Limited their full name and email address. The Promoter will use entrants’ personal details in accordance with the Immediate Privacy Policy
Only one entry will be permitted per person, regardless of method of entry. Bulk entries made by third parties will not be permitted.
The winning entrant(s) will be the first correct entry drawn at random from all the correct entries after the closing date.
The Promoter’s decision as to the winner is final and no correspondence relating to the promotion will be entered into.
The Promoter may share the details of the winner(s) with the Prize Provider for the purposes of fulfilling/delivering the prize.
The winner(s) will be notified within 30 days of the close of the promotion by email.
If a winner cannot be contacted, or fails to respond within 14 days of such notification being sent, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to a runner up, or to re-offer the prize in any future promotion.
There is no cash alternative and the prize will not be transferable.
Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred.
The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with one of the same or greater value if circumstances beyond its control makes it necessary to do so.
The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend the promotion at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.
The Promoter does not accept any responsibility for lost, delayed or fraudulent entries.
The Promoter excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to the participant arising from his or her entry into the promotion or occurring to the winner(s) arising from his or her acceptance of a prize.
The surname and county of residence of the winner(s) will be available upon request by sending an SAE to Radio Times Magazine, Immediate Media, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT, within two (2) months of the closing date of the promotion. The Promoter will contact the winner(s) before releasing this information and provide the winner(s) the opportunity to object or limit the amount of information shared.
The promotion is subject to the laws of England.
Privacy Statement: Unless you have chosen to receive other information from the prize provider, your personal data supplied during the course of this promotion will be used by the Immediate Media for the purpose of running the prize draw, including contacting the winners and distributing the prize. The personal data of the winners will be kept for a period of 140 days from the Closing Date and then deleted.
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special — and shares his own Top 10 Comedies
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.
The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.
Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"
North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."
The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.
Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.
North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.
And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas.
Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.
Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.
Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.
The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.
Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"
North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."
The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.
Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.
North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.
And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas.
Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.
Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.
Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.
The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.
Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"
North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."
The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.
Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.
North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.
And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas.
Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.
Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.
Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.
The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.
Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"
North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."
The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.
Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.
North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.
And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas.
Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.
Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.
Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.
The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.
Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"
North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."
The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.
Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.
North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.
And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas.
Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.
Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.
Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.
The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.
Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"
North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."
The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.
Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.
North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.
And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas.
Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.
Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.
KATSEYE doing their first UK tour? That's what I'd call Gnarly.
Show full content
From Girls Aloud to Spice Girls, Sugababes, Destiny's Child and more, it's clear that the world loves a girl group.
And judging by the huge success of new international girl group KATSEYE , this love is still going strong.
KATSEYE were formed in 2023 thanks to the reality TV series Dream Academy, where singers competed to become a part of pop's buzziest new girl group owned by Hybe and Geffen Records.
The successful six, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae, have skyrocketed to fame since, performing at the Grammys and starring in a now iconic ad for Gap.
Later this year, the group will be embarking on the WILDWORLD tour, which includes two UK dates. Here's how you can get tickets to see KATSEYE today.
There are a number of pre-sales going live earlier in the week. If you're eligible for any of these pre-sales, we'd recommend making use of them, as demand for general sale tickets will be extremely high.
Co-op pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
Priority from O2 pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
EYEKONS pre-sale (from 11am on Wednesday 20 May until 2pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
KATSEYE.WORLD pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester, London
Album pre-order pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
Yes! Hospitality tickets for KATSEYE's Manchester show are available to purchase at Seat Unique, with prices still to be confirmed.
While they come at a higher price point, hospitality packages are a great way of ensuring you get your hands on tickets for shows that are in ultra-high demand.
Plus, hospitality tickets come with a whole range of benefits depending on the package you choose. These can include things like private suites, premium seating and food and drink.
Will Manon be performing at the KATSEYE 2026 tour?
Much has been said about band member Manon's departure from the group earlier this year.
In February, it was revealed that Manon would be taking a hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing, according to statements released by her management team, as well as HYBE and Geffen Records.
While many fans have hoped to see her return to the stage soon, this doesn't look likely for the 2026 tour. She did not perform with the group at Coachella or Lollapalooza, and promotional imagery for the tour on Ticketmaster and Live Nation features only the other five KATSEYE members.
As this is KATSEYE's first-ever UK tour, tickets are set to be in very high demand.
Be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale in order to beat the Ticketmaster queue. You should also have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to avoid any potential delays at checkout.
Tickets are also available for the London O2 show at AXS, where demand may be slightly lower.
KATSEYE doing their first UK tour? That's what I'd call Gnarly.
Show full content
From Girls Aloud to Spice Girls, Sugababes, Destiny's Child and more, it's clear that the world loves a girl group.
And judging by the huge success of new international girl group KATSEYE , this love is still going strong.
KATSEYE were formed in 2023 thanks to the reality TV series Dream Academy, where singers competed to become a part of pop's buzziest new girl group owned by Hybe and Geffen Records.
The successful six, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae, have skyrocketed to fame since, performing at the Grammys and starring in a now iconic ad for Gap.
Later this year, the group will be embarking on the WILDWORLD tour, which includes two UK dates. Here's how you can get tickets to see KATSEYE today.
There are a number of pre-sales going live earlier in the week. If you're eligible for any of these pre-sales, we'd recommend making use of them, as demand for general sale tickets will be extremely high.
Co-op pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
Priority from O2 pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
EYEKONS pre-sale (from 11am on Wednesday 20 May until 2pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
KATSEYE.WORLD pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester, London
Album pre-order pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
Yes! Hospitality tickets for KATSEYE's Manchester show are available to purchase at Seat Unique, with prices still to be confirmed.
While they come at a higher price point, hospitality packages are a great way of ensuring you get your hands on tickets for shows that are in ultra-high demand.
Plus, hospitality tickets come with a whole range of benefits depending on the package you choose. These can include things like private suites, premium seating and food and drink.
Will Manon be performing at the KATSEYE 2026 tour?
Much has been said about band member Manon's departure from the group earlier this year.
In February, it was revealed that Manon would be taking a hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing, according to statements released by her management team, as well as HYBE and Geffen Records.
While many fans have hoped to see her return to the stage soon, this doesn't look likely for the 2026 tour. She did not perform with the group at Coachella or Lollapalooza, and promotional imagery for the tour on Ticketmaster and Live Nation features only the other five KATSEYE members.
As this is KATSEYE's first-ever UK tour, tickets are set to be in very high demand.
Be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale in order to beat the Ticketmaster queue. You should also have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to avoid any potential delays at checkout.
Tickets are also available for the London O2 show at AXS, where demand may be slightly lower.
KATSEYE doing their first UK tour? That's what I'd call Gnarly.
Show full content
From Girls Aloud to Spice Girls, Sugababes, Destiny's Child and more, it's clear that the world loves a girl group.
And judging by the huge success of new international girl group KATSEYE , this love is still going strong.
KATSEYE were formed in 2023 thanks to the reality TV series Dream Academy, where singers competed to become a part of pop's buzziest new girl group owned by Hybe and Geffen Records.
The successful six, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae, have skyrocketed to fame since, performing at the Grammys and starring in a now iconic ad for Gap.
Later this year, the group will be embarking on the WILDWORLD tour, which includes two UK dates. Here's how you can get tickets to see KATSEYE today.
There are a number of pre-sales going live earlier in the week. If you're eligible for any of these pre-sales, we'd recommend making use of them, as demand for general sale tickets will be extremely high.
Co-op pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
Priority from O2 pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
EYEKONS pre-sale (from 11am on Wednesday 20 May until 2pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
KATSEYE.WORLD pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester, London
Album pre-order pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
Yes! Hospitality tickets for KATSEYE's Manchester show are available to purchase at Seat Unique, with prices still to be confirmed.
While they come at a higher price point, hospitality packages are a great way of ensuring you get your hands on tickets for shows that are in ultra-high demand.
Plus, hospitality tickets come with a whole range of benefits depending on the package you choose. These can include things like private suites, premium seating and food and drink.
Will Manon be performing at the KATSEYE 2026 tour?
Much has been said about band member Manon's departure from the group earlier this year.
In February, it was revealed that Manon would be taking a hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing, according to statements released by her management team, as well as HYBE and Geffen Records.
While many fans have hoped to see her return to the stage soon, this doesn't look likely for the 2026 tour. She did not perform with the group at Coachella or Lollapalooza, and promotional imagery for the tour on Ticketmaster and Live Nation features only the other five KATSEYE members.
As this is KATSEYE's first-ever UK tour, tickets are set to be in very high demand.
Be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale in order to beat the Ticketmaster queue. You should also have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to avoid any potential delays at checkout.
Tickets are also available for the London O2 show at AXS, where demand may be slightly lower.
KATSEYE doing their first UK tour? That's what I'd call Gnarly.
Show full content
From Girls Aloud to Spice Girls, Sugababes, Destiny's Child and more, it's clear that the world loves a girl group.
And judging by the huge success of new international girl group KATSEYE , this love is still going strong.
KATSEYE were formed in 2023 thanks to the reality TV series Dream Academy, where singers competed to become a part of pop's buzziest new girl group owned by Hybe and Geffen Records.
The successful six, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae, have skyrocketed to fame since, performing at the Grammys and starring in a now iconic ad for Gap.
Later this year, the group will be embarking on the WILDWORLD tour, which includes two UK dates. Here's how you can get tickets to see KATSEYE today.
There are a number of pre-sales going live earlier in the week. If you're eligible for any of these pre-sales, we'd recommend making use of them, as demand for general sale tickets will be extremely high.
Co-op pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
Priority from O2 pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
EYEKONS pre-sale (from 11am on Wednesday 20 May until 2pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
KATSEYE.WORLD pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester, London
Album pre-order pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
Yes! Hospitality tickets for KATSEYE's Manchester show are available to purchase at Seat Unique, with prices still to be confirmed.
While they come at a higher price point, hospitality packages are a great way of ensuring you get your hands on tickets for shows that are in ultra-high demand.
Plus, hospitality tickets come with a whole range of benefits depending on the package you choose. These can include things like private suites, premium seating and food and drink.
Will Manon be performing at the KATSEYE 2026 tour?
Much has been said about band member Manon's departure from the group earlier this year.
In February, it was revealed that Manon would be taking a hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing, according to statements released by her management team, as well as HYBE and Geffen Records.
While many fans have hoped to see her return to the stage soon, this doesn't look likely for the 2026 tour. She did not perform with the group at Coachella or Lollapalooza, and promotional imagery for the tour on Ticketmaster and Live Nation features only the other five KATSEYE members.
As this is KATSEYE's first-ever UK tour, tickets are set to be in very high demand.
Be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale in order to beat the Ticketmaster queue. You should also have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to avoid any potential delays at checkout.
Tickets are also available for the London O2 show at AXS, where demand may be slightly lower.
KATSEYE doing their first UK tour? That's what I'd call Gnarly.
Show full content
From Girls Aloud to Spice Girls, Sugababes, Destiny's Child and more, it's clear that the world loves a girl group.
And judging by the huge success of new international girl group KATSEYE , this love is still going strong.
KATSEYE were formed in 2023 thanks to the reality TV series Dream Academy, where singers competed to become a part of pop's buzziest new girl group owned by Hybe and Geffen Records.
The successful six, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae, have skyrocketed to fame since, performing at the Grammys and starring in a now iconic ad for Gap.
Later this year, the group will be embarking on the WILDWORLD tour, which includes two UK dates. Here's how you can get tickets to see KATSEYE today.
There are a number of pre-sales going live earlier in the week. If you're eligible for any of these pre-sales, we'd recommend making use of them, as demand for general sale tickets will be extremely high.
Co-op pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
Priority from O2 pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
EYEKONS pre-sale (from 11am on Wednesday 20 May until 2pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
KATSEYE.WORLD pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester, London
Album pre-order pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
Yes! Hospitality tickets for KATSEYE's Manchester show are available to purchase at Seat Unique, with prices still to be confirmed.
While they come at a higher price point, hospitality packages are a great way of ensuring you get your hands on tickets for shows that are in ultra-high demand.
Plus, hospitality tickets come with a whole range of benefits depending on the package you choose. These can include things like private suites, premium seating and food and drink.
Will Manon be performing at the KATSEYE 2026 tour?
Much has been said about band member Manon's departure from the group earlier this year.
In February, it was revealed that Manon would be taking a hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing, according to statements released by her management team, as well as HYBE and Geffen Records.
While many fans have hoped to see her return to the stage soon, this doesn't look likely for the 2026 tour. She did not perform with the group at Coachella or Lollapalooza, and promotional imagery for the tour on Ticketmaster and Live Nation features only the other five KATSEYE members.
As this is KATSEYE's first-ever UK tour, tickets are set to be in very high demand.
Be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale in order to beat the Ticketmaster queue. You should also have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to avoid any potential delays at checkout.
Tickets are also available for the London O2 show at AXS, where demand may be slightly lower.
KATSEYE doing their first UK tour? That's what I'd call Gnarly.
Show full content
From Girls Aloud to Spice Girls, Sugababes, Destiny's Child and more, it's clear that the world loves a girl group.
And judging by the huge success of new international girl group KATSEYE , this love is still going strong.
KATSEYE were formed in 2023 thanks to the reality TV series Dream Academy, where singers competed to become a part of pop's buzziest new girl group owned by Hybe and Geffen Records.
The successful six, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae, have skyrocketed to fame since, performing at the Grammys and starring in a now iconic ad for Gap.
Later this year, the group will be embarking on the WILDWORLD tour, which includes two UK dates. Here's how you can get tickets to see KATSEYE today.
There are a number of pre-sales going live earlier in the week. If you're eligible for any of these pre-sales, we'd recommend making use of them, as demand for general sale tickets will be extremely high.
Co-op pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
Priority from O2 pre-sale (from 10am on Monday 18 May until 10am on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester
EYEKONS pre-sale (from 11am on Wednesday 20 May until 2pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
KATSEYE.WORLD pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): Manchester, London
Album pre-order pre-sale (from 3pm on Wednesday 20 May until 10pm on Wednesday 20 May): London, Manchester
Yes! Hospitality tickets for KATSEYE's Manchester show are available to purchase at Seat Unique, with prices still to be confirmed.
While they come at a higher price point, hospitality packages are a great way of ensuring you get your hands on tickets for shows that are in ultra-high demand.
Plus, hospitality tickets come with a whole range of benefits depending on the package you choose. These can include things like private suites, premium seating and food and drink.
Will Manon be performing at the KATSEYE 2026 tour?
Much has been said about band member Manon's departure from the group earlier this year.
In February, it was revealed that Manon would be taking a hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing, according to statements released by her management team, as well as HYBE and Geffen Records.
While many fans have hoped to see her return to the stage soon, this doesn't look likely for the 2026 tour. She did not perform with the group at Coachella or Lollapalooza, and promotional imagery for the tour on Ticketmaster and Live Nation features only the other five KATSEYE members.
As this is KATSEYE's first-ever UK tour, tickets are set to be in very high demand.
Be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale in order to beat the Ticketmaster queue. You should also have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to avoid any potential delays at checkout.
Tickets are also available for the London O2 show at AXS, where demand may be slightly lower.
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five Bafta Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy. “Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask. “Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way. When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f*** off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
The results are in from our poll to find your favourite modern comedy – and it’s clear that British TV is still in a league of its own
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Democracy has prevailed – and its results, as always, make for interesting reading. In February, when RT asked our readers to vote for their favourite modern British comedy, we set out to dispel the negativity that can characterise conversations on the current state of the genre. To this end, we focused on shows that started from 2010 onwards, which, controversially, barred treasured 21st-century series such as The Office, Gavin & Stacey and Peep Show from being included in the longlist.
Although the absence of these shows – among others – was undoubtedly felt by fans, our aim was to produce a result distinct from any other polls we’ve seen in the past. In the process, we sought to elevate the next generation of “all-time greats”. British comedy has been one of our proudest exports for decades, but we can only protect its premier status for future generations if we celebrate recent efforts as enthusiastically as the genre-defining classics.
Once more our thanks go to our industry panel – which included experts, from commissioners to writers, from actors to stand-up comics, of all ages and backgrounds – who whittled 15 years of British comedy from nearly 100 prospects to a longlist of 25 contenders. These 25 formed our readers’ poll, voted on earlier this year, with the results now revealed here.
Those results certainly prove that there are still plenty of laughs to be had – clearly, while the comedy genre faces the same challenges as the wider British television industry (if not more acutely), reports of its “death” have been greatly exaggerated. This is no clearer than in our top 10, which shows the impressive breadth of comedies that struck a chord with viewers in the past decade and a half.
Our cover star, unfiltered comic Ricky Gervais, remains the king of the UK comedy scene, with fans showing up to propel After Life to the top spot. Never a stranger to controversy, the prolific writer’s blend of sharp-tongued commentary and unflinching poignancy remains irresistible to many viewers. But as you go down the list, it’s clear our national taste extends much further.
Gervais’s former co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook takes second place, bringing a different flavour entirely. Detectorists found its way into our hearts with less provocative characters who could deliver big laughs all the same. This understated sitcom turns the spotlight on the beauty of the British countryside, its communities and the passions that can bring unexpected groups together.
And coming in at a close third, haunted-house sitcom Ghosts carries the torch for the larger-than-life characters, creative wordplay and fast-paced physical comedy pioneered by the likes of Fawlty Towers. Of all the shows in our top 10, this one probably brought the most families together, with the spooks of Button House delighting viewers of all ages.
Your votes determined the final result and we thank everyone who took part in helping to imagine the future of British comedy.
Looking ahead, from Small Prophets to Amandaland, and from Here We Go to Twenty Twenty Six, there’s every reason to believe we’ll have many more modern favourites to cheer for in 10 years’ time.
When it comes to individuals in contention, Ant & Dec are once again in competition for the TV Presenter award – will they be able to claim it back after Gary Lineker broke their 23-year streak in 2025?
The decision is in your hands: read on for the full details for how to vote in the 2026 National Television Awards below, and to find the full longlist.
National Television Awards 2026 longlist
The National Television Awards 2026 are coming! ... and it's time to VOTE NOW for the TV stars and shows you love.
The irrepressible Joel Dommett will be hosting Television's biggest night of the year at The O2 London in September in a spectacular celebration of TV talent – and it's down to YOU to choose the winners.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 29th May 2026.
The NTA shortlist will be revealed in August when the final round of voting begins. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on 8th September 2026 (see full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice at www.nationaltvawards.com)
You can be there! Join hundreds of stars for a night to remember when the results are revealed LIVE on 8 September 2026 at The O2 London by going to nationaltvawards.com for tickets.
Reality competition
Big Brother
Celebrity Race Across the World
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Dating Naked
Destination X
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
Hunted
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
Love Island
Love Island All Stars
Love Overboard
Race Across the World
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Apprentice
The Celebrity Traitors
The Neighbourhood
The Summit
The Traitors
New drama
A Woman of Substance
Alien: Earth
Betrayal
Believe Me
Bookish
Coldwater
Dept. Q
Down Cemetery Road
Frauds
Girl Taken
Gone
Heated Rivalry
House of Guinness
I Fought The Law
Imperfect Women
King & Conqueror
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Lynley
Mix Tape
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Pluribus
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards
Riot Women
Run Away
Secret Service
Steal
The Cage
The Girlfriend
The Guest
The Hack
The Lady
The Madison
The Other Bennet Sister
The Testaments
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Young Sherlock
Quiz show
Alan Carr’s Picture Slam
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Puzzling
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Millionaire Hot Seat
Only Connect
Pointless
PopMaster TV
Richard Osman’s House of Games
The 1% Club
The Celebrity Inner Circle
The Chase
The Finish Line
The Floor
The Hit List
The Weakest Link
University Challenge
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Authored documentary
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future
Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Our Girls: The Southport Families
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home
Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance
Returning drama
A Thousand Blows
After The Flood
All Creatures Great and Small
Bergerac
Beyond Paradise
Blue Lights
Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
Criminal Record
Death in Paradise
Death Valley
Fallout
Grace
Grantchester
Hijack
Karen Pirie
Paradise
Patience
Red Eye
Return to Paradise
Ridley
Rivals
Shetland
Silent Witness
Slow Horses
Stranger Things
The Capture
The Gold
The Gone
The Night Manager
Trigger Point
TV presenter
Adam Hills
AJ Odudu
Alan Carr
Alex Jones
Alexander Armstrong
Alison Hammond
Amanda Holden
Amol Rajan
Ant & Dec
Barney Walsh
Ben Fogle
Ben Shephard
Bradley Walsh
Carol Kirkwood
Cat Deeley
Claudia Winkleman
Clive Myrie
David Attenborough
Davina McCall
Dermot O'Leary
Emma Willis
Fiona Bruce
Freddie Flintoff
Gethin Jones
Graham Norton
Greg Davies
Hamza Yassin
Helen Skelton
Jack Whitehall
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Vine
Jimmy Carr
Joel Dommett
Jonathan Ross
Lee Mack
Lorraine Kelly
Martin Lewis
Marvin Humes
Maya Jama
Michael McIntyre
Nicky Campbell
Rob Brydon
Rob Rinder
Rochelle Humes
Roman Kemp
Romesh Ranganathan
RuPaul
Ruth Langsford
Rylan Clark
Sandi Toksvig
Siobhán McSweeney
Stacey Solomon
Stephen Mulhern
Susanna Reid
Tess Daly
Tom Allen
Vernon Kay
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Will Best
Reality docuseries
At Home with the Furys
Being Gordon Ramsay
Clarkson’s Farm
Fletchers’ Family Farm
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Raising Chelsea
Sam & Ade Go Birding
Stacey & Joe
The Dyers' Caravan Park
The Princess Diaries
Vinnie Jones in the Country
Welcome to Wrexham
Comedy
Amandaland
Black Ops
Can You Keep a Secret?
Changing Ends
Daddy Issues
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
Here We Go
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Last One Laughing
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Man Vs Baby
Mandy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Not Going Out
Only Child
Saturday Night Live UK
Scrubs
Shrinking
Small Prophets
The Power of Parker
The Young Offenders
Twenty Twenty Six
Wonder Man
Drama performance
Adrian Dunbar (Alex Ridley, Ridley)
Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black, Rivals)
Alfie Allen (Rick Hansen, Girl Taken)
Andrew Lincoln (John, Coldwater)
Anna Samson (Det Sgt Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, Return to Paradise)
Anthony Boyle (Arthur Guinness, House of Guinness)
Ashley Jensen (DI Ruth Calder, Shetland)
Babou Ceesay (Morrow, Alien: Earth)
Bella Maclean (Taggie O'Hara, Rivals)
Brenda Blethyn (Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance)
Chase Infiniti (Agnes, The Testaments)
Chloe Pirrie (Merritt Lingard, Dept. Q)
Cush Jumbo (DS June Lenker, Criminal Record)
Daniel Mays (John Worboys, Believe Me)
David Morrissey (Michael Polly, Gone)
David Tennant (Nick Davies, The Hack / Lord Tony Baddingham, Rivals)
Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson, Death in Paradise)
Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister)
Ella Maisy Purvis (Patience Evans, Patience)
Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean, Fallout)
Emilia Fox (Dr Nikki Alexander, Silent Witness)
Emma Thompson (Zoë Boehm, Down Cemetery Road)
Eric McCormack (Kevin Anderson, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue)
Erin Doherty (Mary Carr, A Thousand Blows)
Eve Myles (Fran Sharp, The Guest / Annie Cassidy, Gone)
Gabrielle Creevy (Ria Powell, The Guest)
Gary Oldman (Jackson Lamb, Slow Horses)
Gemma Arterton (Kate Henderson, Secret Service)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt, The War Between the Land and the Sea)
Gwyneth Keyworth (DS Janie Mallowan, Death Valley)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Sherlock Holmes, Young Sherlock)
Holliday Grainger (Rachel Carey, The Capture)
Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce, The Gold)
Hugh Laurie (Richard Roper, The Night Manager)
Idris Elba (Sam Nelson, Hijack)
James Nesbitt (Simon Greene, Run Away)
James Norton (Harold Godwinson, King & Conqueror / Sean Rafferty, House of Guinness)
Jing Lusi (Detective Hana Li, Red Eye)
Joanna Scanlan (Beth, Riot Women)
Jodie Whittaker (Sam, Frauds)
John Simm (Det Sup Roy Grace, Grace)
Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife)
When it comes to individuals in contention, Ant & Dec are once again in competition for the TV Presenter award – will they be able to claim it back after Gary Lineker broke their 23-year streak in 2025?
The decision is in your hands: read on for the full details for how to vote in the 2026 National Television Awards below, and to find the full longlist.
National Television Awards 2026 longlist
The National Television Awards 2026 are coming! ... and it's time to VOTE NOW for the TV stars and shows you love.
The irrepressible Joel Dommett will be hosting Television's biggest night of the year at The O2 London in September in a spectacular celebration of TV talent – and it's down to YOU to choose the winners.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 29th May 2026.
The NTA shortlist will be revealed in August when the final round of voting begins. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on 8th September 2026 (see full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice at www.nationaltvawards.com)
You can be there! Join hundreds of stars for a night to remember when the results are revealed LIVE on 8 September 2026 at The O2 London by going to nationaltvawards.com for tickets.
Reality competition
Big Brother
Celebrity Race Across the World
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Dating Naked
Destination X
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
Hunted
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
Love Island
Love Island All Stars
Love Overboard
Race Across the World
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Apprentice
The Celebrity Traitors
The Neighbourhood
The Summit
The Traitors
New drama
A Woman of Substance
Alien: Earth
Betrayal
Believe Me
Bookish
Coldwater
Dept. Q
Down Cemetery Road
Frauds
Girl Taken
Gone
Heated Rivalry
House of Guinness
I Fought The Law
Imperfect Women
King & Conqueror
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Lynley
Mix Tape
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Pluribus
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards
Riot Women
Run Away
Secret Service
Steal
The Cage
The Girlfriend
The Guest
The Hack
The Lady
The Madison
The Other Bennet Sister
The Testaments
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Young Sherlock
Quiz show
Alan Carr’s Picture Slam
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Puzzling
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Millionaire Hot Seat
Only Connect
Pointless
PopMaster TV
Richard Osman’s House of Games
The 1% Club
The Celebrity Inner Circle
The Chase
The Finish Line
The Floor
The Hit List
The Weakest Link
University Challenge
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Authored documentary
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future
Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Our Girls: The Southport Families
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home
Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance
Returning drama
A Thousand Blows
After The Flood
All Creatures Great and Small
Bergerac
Beyond Paradise
Blue Lights
Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
Criminal Record
Death in Paradise
Death Valley
Fallout
Grace
Grantchester
Hijack
Karen Pirie
Paradise
Patience
Red Eye
Return to Paradise
Ridley
Rivals
Shetland
Silent Witness
Slow Horses
Stranger Things
The Capture
The Gold
The Gone
The Night Manager
Trigger Point
TV presenter
Adam Hills
AJ Odudu
Alan Carr
Alex Jones
Alexander Armstrong
Alison Hammond
Amanda Holden
Amol Rajan
Ant & Dec
Barney Walsh
Ben Fogle
Ben Shephard
Bradley Walsh
Carol Kirkwood
Cat Deeley
Claudia Winkleman
Clive Myrie
David Attenborough
Davina McCall
Dermot O'Leary
Emma Willis
Fiona Bruce
Freddie Flintoff
Gethin Jones
Graham Norton
Greg Davies
Hamza Yassin
Helen Skelton
Jack Whitehall
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Vine
Jimmy Carr
Joel Dommett
Jonathan Ross
Lee Mack
Lorraine Kelly
Martin Lewis
Marvin Humes
Maya Jama
Michael McIntyre
Nicky Campbell
Rob Brydon
Rob Rinder
Rochelle Humes
Roman Kemp
Romesh Ranganathan
RuPaul
Ruth Langsford
Rylan Clark
Sandi Toksvig
Siobhán McSweeney
Stacey Solomon
Stephen Mulhern
Susanna Reid
Tess Daly
Tom Allen
Vernon Kay
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Will Best
Reality docuseries
At Home with the Furys
Being Gordon Ramsay
Clarkson’s Farm
Fletchers’ Family Farm
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Raising Chelsea
Sam & Ade Go Birding
Stacey & Joe
The Dyers' Caravan Park
The Princess Diaries
Vinnie Jones in the Country
Welcome to Wrexham
Comedy
Amandaland
Black Ops
Can You Keep a Secret?
Changing Ends
Daddy Issues
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
Here We Go
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Last One Laughing
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Man Vs Baby
Mandy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Not Going Out
Only Child
Saturday Night Live UK
Scrubs
Shrinking
Small Prophets
The Power of Parker
The Young Offenders
Twenty Twenty Six
Wonder Man
Drama performance
Adrian Dunbar (Alex Ridley, Ridley)
Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black, Rivals)
Alfie Allen (Rick Hansen, Girl Taken)
Andrew Lincoln (John, Coldwater)
Anna Samson (Det Sgt Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, Return to Paradise)
Anthony Boyle (Arthur Guinness, House of Guinness)
Ashley Jensen (DI Ruth Calder, Shetland)
Babou Ceesay (Morrow, Alien: Earth)
Bella Maclean (Taggie O'Hara, Rivals)
Brenda Blethyn (Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance)
Chase Infiniti (Agnes, The Testaments)
Chloe Pirrie (Merritt Lingard, Dept. Q)
Cush Jumbo (DS June Lenker, Criminal Record)
Daniel Mays (John Worboys, Believe Me)
David Morrissey (Michael Polly, Gone)
David Tennant (Nick Davies, The Hack / Lord Tony Baddingham, Rivals)
Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson, Death in Paradise)
Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister)
Ella Maisy Purvis (Patience Evans, Patience)
Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean, Fallout)
Emilia Fox (Dr Nikki Alexander, Silent Witness)
Emma Thompson (Zoë Boehm, Down Cemetery Road)
Eric McCormack (Kevin Anderson, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue)
Erin Doherty (Mary Carr, A Thousand Blows)
Eve Myles (Fran Sharp, The Guest / Annie Cassidy, Gone)
Gabrielle Creevy (Ria Powell, The Guest)
Gary Oldman (Jackson Lamb, Slow Horses)
Gemma Arterton (Kate Henderson, Secret Service)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt, The War Between the Land and the Sea)
Gwyneth Keyworth (DS Janie Mallowan, Death Valley)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Sherlock Holmes, Young Sherlock)
Holliday Grainger (Rachel Carey, The Capture)
Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce, The Gold)
Hugh Laurie (Richard Roper, The Night Manager)
Idris Elba (Sam Nelson, Hijack)
James Nesbitt (Simon Greene, Run Away)
James Norton (Harold Godwinson, King & Conqueror / Sean Rafferty, House of Guinness)
Jing Lusi (Detective Hana Li, Red Eye)
Joanna Scanlan (Beth, Riot Women)
Jodie Whittaker (Sam, Frauds)
John Simm (Det Sup Roy Grace, Grace)
Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife)
When it comes to individuals in contention, Ant & Dec are once again in competition for the TV Presenter award – will they be able to claim it back after Gary Lineker broke their 23-year streak in 2025?
The decision is in your hands: read on for the full details for how to vote in the 2026 National Television Awards below, and to find the full longlist.
National Television Awards 2026 longlist
The National Television Awards 2026 are coming! ... and it's time to VOTE NOW for the TV stars and shows you love.
The irrepressible Joel Dommett will be hosting Television's biggest night of the year at The O2 London in September in a spectacular celebration of TV talent – and it's down to YOU to choose the winners.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 29th May 2026.
The NTA shortlist will be revealed in August when the final round of voting begins. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on 8th September 2026 (see full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice at www.nationaltvawards.com)
You can be there! Join hundreds of stars for a night to remember when the results are revealed LIVE on 8 September 2026 at The O2 London by going to nationaltvawards.com for tickets.
Reality competition
Big Brother
Celebrity Race Across the World
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Dating Naked
Destination X
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
Hunted
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
Love Island
Love Island All Stars
Love Overboard
Race Across the World
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Apprentice
The Celebrity Traitors
The Neighbourhood
The Summit
The Traitors
New drama
A Woman of Substance
Alien: Earth
Betrayal
Believe Me
Bookish
Coldwater
Dept. Q
Down Cemetery Road
Frauds
Girl Taken
Gone
Heated Rivalry
House of Guinness
I Fought The Law
Imperfect Women
King & Conqueror
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Lynley
Mix Tape
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Pluribus
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards
Riot Women
Run Away
Secret Service
Steal
The Cage
The Girlfriend
The Guest
The Hack
The Lady
The Madison
The Other Bennet Sister
The Testaments
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Young Sherlock
Quiz show
Alan Carr’s Picture Slam
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Puzzling
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Millionaire Hot Seat
Only Connect
Pointless
PopMaster TV
Richard Osman’s House of Games
The 1% Club
The Celebrity Inner Circle
The Chase
The Finish Line
The Floor
The Hit List
The Weakest Link
University Challenge
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Authored documentary
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future
Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Our Girls: The Southport Families
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home
Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance
Returning drama
A Thousand Blows
After The Flood
All Creatures Great and Small
Bergerac
Beyond Paradise
Blue Lights
Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
Criminal Record
Death in Paradise
Death Valley
Fallout
Grace
Grantchester
Hijack
Karen Pirie
Paradise
Patience
Red Eye
Return to Paradise
Ridley
Rivals
Shetland
Silent Witness
Slow Horses
Stranger Things
The Capture
The Gold
The Gone
The Night Manager
Trigger Point
TV presenter
Adam Hills
AJ Odudu
Alan Carr
Alex Jones
Alexander Armstrong
Alison Hammond
Amanda Holden
Amol Rajan
Ant & Dec
Barney Walsh
Ben Fogle
Ben Shephard
Bradley Walsh
Carol Kirkwood
Cat Deeley
Claudia Winkleman
Clive Myrie
David Attenborough
Davina McCall
Dermot O'Leary
Emma Willis
Fiona Bruce
Freddie Flintoff
Gethin Jones
Graham Norton
Greg Davies
Hamza Yassin
Helen Skelton
Jack Whitehall
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Vine
Jimmy Carr
Joel Dommett
Jonathan Ross
Lee Mack
Lorraine Kelly
Martin Lewis
Marvin Humes
Maya Jama
Michael McIntyre
Nicky Campbell
Rob Brydon
Rob Rinder
Rochelle Humes
Roman Kemp
Romesh Ranganathan
RuPaul
Ruth Langsford
Rylan Clark
Sandi Toksvig
Siobhán McSweeney
Stacey Solomon
Stephen Mulhern
Susanna Reid
Tess Daly
Tom Allen
Vernon Kay
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Will Best
Reality docuseries
At Home with the Furys
Being Gordon Ramsay
Clarkson’s Farm
Fletchers’ Family Farm
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Raising Chelsea
Sam & Ade Go Birding
Stacey & Joe
The Dyers' Caravan Park
The Princess Diaries
Vinnie Jones in the Country
Welcome to Wrexham
Comedy
Amandaland
Black Ops
Can You Keep a Secret?
Changing Ends
Daddy Issues
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
Here We Go
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Last One Laughing
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Man Vs Baby
Mandy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Not Going Out
Only Child
Saturday Night Live UK
Scrubs
Shrinking
Small Prophets
The Power of Parker
The Young Offenders
Twenty Twenty Six
Wonder Man
Drama performance
Adrian Dunbar (Alex Ridley, Ridley)
Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black, Rivals)
Alfie Allen (Rick Hansen, Girl Taken)
Andrew Lincoln (John, Coldwater)
Anna Samson (Det Sgt Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, Return to Paradise)
Anthony Boyle (Arthur Guinness, House of Guinness)
Ashley Jensen (DI Ruth Calder, Shetland)
Babou Ceesay (Morrow, Alien: Earth)
Bella Maclean (Taggie O'Hara, Rivals)
Brenda Blethyn (Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance)
Chase Infiniti (Agnes, The Testaments)
Chloe Pirrie (Merritt Lingard, Dept. Q)
Cush Jumbo (DS June Lenker, Criminal Record)
Daniel Mays (John Worboys, Believe Me)
David Morrissey (Michael Polly, Gone)
David Tennant (Nick Davies, The Hack / Lord Tony Baddingham, Rivals)
Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson, Death in Paradise)
Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister)
Ella Maisy Purvis (Patience Evans, Patience)
Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean, Fallout)
Emilia Fox (Dr Nikki Alexander, Silent Witness)
Emma Thompson (Zoë Boehm, Down Cemetery Road)
Eric McCormack (Kevin Anderson, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue)
Erin Doherty (Mary Carr, A Thousand Blows)
Eve Myles (Fran Sharp, The Guest / Annie Cassidy, Gone)
Gabrielle Creevy (Ria Powell, The Guest)
Gary Oldman (Jackson Lamb, Slow Horses)
Gemma Arterton (Kate Henderson, Secret Service)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt, The War Between the Land and the Sea)
Gwyneth Keyworth (DS Janie Mallowan, Death Valley)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Sherlock Holmes, Young Sherlock)
Holliday Grainger (Rachel Carey, The Capture)
Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce, The Gold)
Hugh Laurie (Richard Roper, The Night Manager)
Idris Elba (Sam Nelson, Hijack)
James Nesbitt (Simon Greene, Run Away)
James Norton (Harold Godwinson, King & Conqueror / Sean Rafferty, House of Guinness)
Jing Lusi (Detective Hana Li, Red Eye)
Joanna Scanlan (Beth, Riot Women)
Jodie Whittaker (Sam, Frauds)
John Simm (Det Sup Roy Grace, Grace)
Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife)
When it comes to individuals in contention, Ant & Dec are once again in competition for the TV Presenter award – will they be able to claim it back after Gary Lineker broke their 23-year streak in 2025?
The decision is in your hands: read on for the full details for how to vote in the 2026 National Television Awards below, and to find the full longlist.
National Television Awards 2026 longlist
The National Television Awards 2026 are coming! ... and it's time to VOTE NOW for the TV stars and shows you love.
The irrepressible Joel Dommett will be hosting Television's biggest night of the year at The O2 London in September in a spectacular celebration of TV talent – and it's down to YOU to choose the winners.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 29th May 2026.
The NTA shortlist will be revealed in August when the final round of voting begins. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on 8th September 2026 (see full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice at www.nationaltvawards.com)
You can be there! Join hundreds of stars for a night to remember when the results are revealed LIVE on 8 September 2026 at The O2 London by going to nationaltvawards.com for tickets.
Reality competition
Big Brother
Celebrity Race Across the World
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Dating Naked
Destination X
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
Hunted
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
Love Island
Love Island All Stars
Love Overboard
Race Across the World
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Apprentice
The Celebrity Traitors
The Neighbourhood
The Summit
The Traitors
New drama
A Woman of Substance
Alien: Earth
Betrayal
Believe Me
Bookish
Coldwater
Dept. Q
Down Cemetery Road
Frauds
Girl Taken
Gone
Heated Rivalry
House of Guinness
I Fought The Law
Imperfect Women
King & Conqueror
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Lynley
Mix Tape
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Pluribus
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards
Riot Women
Run Away
Secret Service
Steal
The Cage
The Girlfriend
The Guest
The Hack
The Lady
The Madison
The Other Bennet Sister
The Testaments
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Young Sherlock
Quiz show
Alan Carr’s Picture Slam
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Puzzling
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Millionaire Hot Seat
Only Connect
Pointless
PopMaster TV
Richard Osman’s House of Games
The 1% Club
The Celebrity Inner Circle
The Chase
The Finish Line
The Floor
The Hit List
The Weakest Link
University Challenge
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Authored documentary
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future
Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Our Girls: The Southport Families
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home
Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance
Returning drama
A Thousand Blows
After The Flood
All Creatures Great and Small
Bergerac
Beyond Paradise
Blue Lights
Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
Criminal Record
Death in Paradise
Death Valley
Fallout
Grace
Grantchester
Hijack
Karen Pirie
Paradise
Patience
Red Eye
Return to Paradise
Ridley
Rivals
Shetland
Silent Witness
Slow Horses
Stranger Things
The Capture
The Gold
The Gone
The Night Manager
Trigger Point
TV presenter
Adam Hills
AJ Odudu
Alan Carr
Alex Jones
Alexander Armstrong
Alison Hammond
Amanda Holden
Amol Rajan
Ant & Dec
Barney Walsh
Ben Fogle
Ben Shephard
Bradley Walsh
Carol Kirkwood
Cat Deeley
Claudia Winkleman
Clive Myrie
David Attenborough
Davina McCall
Dermot O'Leary
Emma Willis
Fiona Bruce
Freddie Flintoff
Gethin Jones
Graham Norton
Greg Davies
Hamza Yassin
Helen Skelton
Jack Whitehall
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Vine
Jimmy Carr
Joel Dommett
Jonathan Ross
Lee Mack
Lorraine Kelly
Martin Lewis
Marvin Humes
Maya Jama
Michael McIntyre
Nicky Campbell
Rob Brydon
Rob Rinder
Rochelle Humes
Roman Kemp
Romesh Ranganathan
RuPaul
Ruth Langsford
Rylan Clark
Sandi Toksvig
Siobhán McSweeney
Stacey Solomon
Stephen Mulhern
Susanna Reid
Tess Daly
Tom Allen
Vernon Kay
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Will Best
Reality docuseries
At Home with the Furys
Being Gordon Ramsay
Clarkson’s Farm
Fletchers’ Family Farm
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Raising Chelsea
Sam & Ade Go Birding
Stacey & Joe
The Dyers' Caravan Park
The Princess Diaries
Vinnie Jones in the Country
Welcome to Wrexham
Comedy
Amandaland
Black Ops
Can You Keep a Secret?
Changing Ends
Daddy Issues
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
Here We Go
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Last One Laughing
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Man Vs Baby
Mandy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Not Going Out
Only Child
Saturday Night Live UK
Scrubs
Shrinking
Small Prophets
The Power of Parker
The Young Offenders
Twenty Twenty Six
Wonder Man
Drama performance
Adrian Dunbar (Alex Ridley, Ridley)
Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black, Rivals)
Alfie Allen (Rick Hansen, Girl Taken)
Andrew Lincoln (John, Coldwater)
Anna Samson (Det Sgt Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, Return to Paradise)
Anthony Boyle (Arthur Guinness, House of Guinness)
Ashley Jensen (DI Ruth Calder, Shetland)
Babou Ceesay (Morrow, Alien: Earth)
Bella Maclean (Taggie O'Hara, Rivals)
Brenda Blethyn (Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance)
Chase Infiniti (Agnes, The Testaments)
Chloe Pirrie (Merritt Lingard, Dept. Q)
Cush Jumbo (DS June Lenker, Criminal Record)
Daniel Mays (John Worboys, Believe Me)
David Morrissey (Michael Polly, Gone)
David Tennant (Nick Davies, The Hack / Lord Tony Baddingham, Rivals)
Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson, Death in Paradise)
Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister)
Ella Maisy Purvis (Patience Evans, Patience)
Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean, Fallout)
Emilia Fox (Dr Nikki Alexander, Silent Witness)
Emma Thompson (Zoë Boehm, Down Cemetery Road)
Eric McCormack (Kevin Anderson, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue)
Erin Doherty (Mary Carr, A Thousand Blows)
Eve Myles (Fran Sharp, The Guest / Annie Cassidy, Gone)
Gabrielle Creevy (Ria Powell, The Guest)
Gary Oldman (Jackson Lamb, Slow Horses)
Gemma Arterton (Kate Henderson, Secret Service)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt, The War Between the Land and the Sea)
Gwyneth Keyworth (DS Janie Mallowan, Death Valley)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Sherlock Holmes, Young Sherlock)
Holliday Grainger (Rachel Carey, The Capture)
Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce, The Gold)
Hugh Laurie (Richard Roper, The Night Manager)
Idris Elba (Sam Nelson, Hijack)
James Nesbitt (Simon Greene, Run Away)
James Norton (Harold Godwinson, King & Conqueror / Sean Rafferty, House of Guinness)
Jing Lusi (Detective Hana Li, Red Eye)
Joanna Scanlan (Beth, Riot Women)
Jodie Whittaker (Sam, Frauds)
John Simm (Det Sup Roy Grace, Grace)
Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife)
When it comes to individuals in contention, Ant & Dec are once again in competition for the TV Presenter award – will they be able to claim it back after Gary Lineker broke their 23-year streak in 2025?
The decision is in your hands: read on for the full details for how to vote in the 2026 National Television Awards below, and to find the full longlist.
National Television Awards 2026 longlist
The National Television Awards 2026 are coming! ... and it's time to VOTE NOW for the TV stars and shows you love.
The irrepressible Joel Dommett will be hosting Television's biggest night of the year at The O2 London in September in a spectacular celebration of TV talent – and it's down to YOU to choose the winners.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 29th May 2026.
The NTA shortlist will be revealed in August when the final round of voting begins. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on 8th September 2026 (see full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice at www.nationaltvawards.com)
You can be there! Join hundreds of stars for a night to remember when the results are revealed LIVE on 8 September 2026 at The O2 London by going to nationaltvawards.com for tickets.
Reality competition
Big Brother
Celebrity Race Across the World
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Dating Naked
Destination X
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
Hunted
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
Love Island
Love Island All Stars
Love Overboard
Race Across the World
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Apprentice
The Celebrity Traitors
The Neighbourhood
The Summit
The Traitors
New drama
A Woman of Substance
Alien: Earth
Betrayal
Believe Me
Bookish
Coldwater
Dept. Q
Down Cemetery Road
Frauds
Girl Taken
Gone
Heated Rivalry
House of Guinness
I Fought The Law
Imperfect Women
King & Conqueror
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Lynley
Mix Tape
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Pluribus
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards
Riot Women
Run Away
Secret Service
Steal
The Cage
The Girlfriend
The Guest
The Hack
The Lady
The Madison
The Other Bennet Sister
The Testaments
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Young Sherlock
Quiz show
Alan Carr’s Picture Slam
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Puzzling
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Millionaire Hot Seat
Only Connect
Pointless
PopMaster TV
Richard Osman’s House of Games
The 1% Club
The Celebrity Inner Circle
The Chase
The Finish Line
The Floor
The Hit List
The Weakest Link
University Challenge
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Authored documentary
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future
Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Our Girls: The Southport Families
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home
Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance
Returning drama
A Thousand Blows
After The Flood
All Creatures Great and Small
Bergerac
Beyond Paradise
Blue Lights
Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
Criminal Record
Death in Paradise
Death Valley
Fallout
Grace
Grantchester
Hijack
Karen Pirie
Paradise
Patience
Red Eye
Return to Paradise
Ridley
Rivals
Shetland
Silent Witness
Slow Horses
Stranger Things
The Capture
The Gold
The Gone
The Night Manager
Trigger Point
TV presenter
Adam Hills
AJ Odudu
Alan Carr
Alex Jones
Alexander Armstrong
Alison Hammond
Amanda Holden
Amol Rajan
Ant & Dec
Barney Walsh
Ben Fogle
Ben Shephard
Bradley Walsh
Carol Kirkwood
Cat Deeley
Claudia Winkleman
Clive Myrie
David Attenborough
Davina McCall
Dermot O'Leary
Emma Willis
Fiona Bruce
Freddie Flintoff
Gethin Jones
Graham Norton
Greg Davies
Hamza Yassin
Helen Skelton
Jack Whitehall
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Vine
Jimmy Carr
Joel Dommett
Jonathan Ross
Lee Mack
Lorraine Kelly
Martin Lewis
Marvin Humes
Maya Jama
Michael McIntyre
Nicky Campbell
Rob Brydon
Rob Rinder
Rochelle Humes
Roman Kemp
Romesh Ranganathan
RuPaul
Ruth Langsford
Rylan Clark
Sandi Toksvig
Siobhán McSweeney
Stacey Solomon
Stephen Mulhern
Susanna Reid
Tess Daly
Tom Allen
Vernon Kay
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Will Best
Reality docuseries
At Home with the Furys
Being Gordon Ramsay
Clarkson’s Farm
Fletchers’ Family Farm
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Raising Chelsea
Sam & Ade Go Birding
Stacey & Joe
The Dyers' Caravan Park
The Princess Diaries
Vinnie Jones in the Country
Welcome to Wrexham
Comedy
Amandaland
Black Ops
Can You Keep a Secret?
Changing Ends
Daddy Issues
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
Here We Go
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Last One Laughing
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Man Vs Baby
Mandy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Not Going Out
Only Child
Saturday Night Live UK
Scrubs
Shrinking
Small Prophets
The Power of Parker
The Young Offenders
Twenty Twenty Six
Wonder Man
Drama performance
Adrian Dunbar (Alex Ridley, Ridley)
Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black, Rivals)
Alfie Allen (Rick Hansen, Girl Taken)
Andrew Lincoln (John, Coldwater)
Anna Samson (Det Sgt Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, Return to Paradise)
Anthony Boyle (Arthur Guinness, House of Guinness)
Ashley Jensen (DI Ruth Calder, Shetland)
Babou Ceesay (Morrow, Alien: Earth)
Bella Maclean (Taggie O'Hara, Rivals)
Brenda Blethyn (Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance)
Chase Infiniti (Agnes, The Testaments)
Chloe Pirrie (Merritt Lingard, Dept. Q)
Cush Jumbo (DS June Lenker, Criminal Record)
Daniel Mays (John Worboys, Believe Me)
David Morrissey (Michael Polly, Gone)
David Tennant (Nick Davies, The Hack / Lord Tony Baddingham, Rivals)
Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson, Death in Paradise)
Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister)
Ella Maisy Purvis (Patience Evans, Patience)
Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean, Fallout)
Emilia Fox (Dr Nikki Alexander, Silent Witness)
Emma Thompson (Zoë Boehm, Down Cemetery Road)
Eric McCormack (Kevin Anderson, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue)
Erin Doherty (Mary Carr, A Thousand Blows)
Eve Myles (Fran Sharp, The Guest / Annie Cassidy, Gone)
Gabrielle Creevy (Ria Powell, The Guest)
Gary Oldman (Jackson Lamb, Slow Horses)
Gemma Arterton (Kate Henderson, Secret Service)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt, The War Between the Land and the Sea)
Gwyneth Keyworth (DS Janie Mallowan, Death Valley)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Sherlock Holmes, Young Sherlock)
Holliday Grainger (Rachel Carey, The Capture)
Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce, The Gold)
Hugh Laurie (Richard Roper, The Night Manager)
Idris Elba (Sam Nelson, Hijack)
James Nesbitt (Simon Greene, Run Away)
James Norton (Harold Godwinson, King & Conqueror / Sean Rafferty, House of Guinness)
Jing Lusi (Detective Hana Li, Red Eye)
Joanna Scanlan (Beth, Riot Women)
Jodie Whittaker (Sam, Frauds)
John Simm (Det Sup Roy Grace, Grace)
Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife)
When it comes to individuals in contention, Ant & Dec are once again in competition for the TV Presenter award – will they be able to claim it back after Gary Lineker broke their 23-year streak in 2025?
The decision is in your hands: read on for the full details for how to vote in the 2026 National Television Awards below, and to find the full longlist.
National Television Awards 2026 longlist
The National Television Awards 2026 are coming! ... and it's time to VOTE NOW for the TV stars and shows you love.
The irrepressible Joel Dommett will be hosting Television's biggest night of the year at The O2 London in September in a spectacular celebration of TV talent – and it's down to YOU to choose the winners.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 29th May 2026.
The NTA shortlist will be revealed in August when the final round of voting begins. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on 8th September 2026 (see full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice at www.nationaltvawards.com)
You can be there! Join hundreds of stars for a night to remember when the results are revealed LIVE on 8 September 2026 at The O2 London by going to nationaltvawards.com for tickets.
Reality competition
Big Brother
Celebrity Race Across the World
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Dating Naked
Destination X
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
Hunted
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
Love Island
Love Island All Stars
Love Overboard
Race Across the World
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Apprentice
The Celebrity Traitors
The Neighbourhood
The Summit
The Traitors
New drama
A Woman of Substance
Alien: Earth
Betrayal
Believe Me
Bookish
Coldwater
Dept. Q
Down Cemetery Road
Frauds
Girl Taken
Gone
Heated Rivalry
House of Guinness
I Fought The Law
Imperfect Women
King & Conqueror
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Lynley
Mix Tape
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Pluribus
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards
Riot Women
Run Away
Secret Service
Steal
The Cage
The Girlfriend
The Guest
The Hack
The Lady
The Madison
The Other Bennet Sister
The Testaments
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Young Sherlock
Quiz show
Alan Carr’s Picture Slam
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Puzzling
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Millionaire Hot Seat
Only Connect
Pointless
PopMaster TV
Richard Osman’s House of Games
The 1% Club
The Celebrity Inner Circle
The Chase
The Finish Line
The Floor
The Hit List
The Weakest Link
University Challenge
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Authored documentary
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future
Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Our Girls: The Southport Families
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home
Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance
Returning drama
A Thousand Blows
After The Flood
All Creatures Great and Small
Bergerac
Beyond Paradise
Blue Lights
Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
Criminal Record
Death in Paradise
Death Valley
Fallout
Grace
Grantchester
Hijack
Karen Pirie
Paradise
Patience
Red Eye
Return to Paradise
Ridley
Rivals
Shetland
Silent Witness
Slow Horses
Stranger Things
The Capture
The Gold
The Gone
The Night Manager
Trigger Point
TV presenter
Adam Hills
AJ Odudu
Alan Carr
Alex Jones
Alexander Armstrong
Alison Hammond
Amanda Holden
Amol Rajan
Ant & Dec
Barney Walsh
Ben Fogle
Ben Shephard
Bradley Walsh
Carol Kirkwood
Cat Deeley
Claudia Winkleman
Clive Myrie
David Attenborough
Davina McCall
Dermot O'Leary
Emma Willis
Fiona Bruce
Freddie Flintoff
Gethin Jones
Graham Norton
Greg Davies
Hamza Yassin
Helen Skelton
Jack Whitehall
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Vine
Jimmy Carr
Joel Dommett
Jonathan Ross
Lee Mack
Lorraine Kelly
Martin Lewis
Marvin Humes
Maya Jama
Michael McIntyre
Nicky Campbell
Rob Brydon
Rob Rinder
Rochelle Humes
Roman Kemp
Romesh Ranganathan
RuPaul
Ruth Langsford
Rylan Clark
Sandi Toksvig
Siobhán McSweeney
Stacey Solomon
Stephen Mulhern
Susanna Reid
Tess Daly
Tom Allen
Vernon Kay
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Will Best
Reality docuseries
At Home with the Furys
Being Gordon Ramsay
Clarkson’s Farm
Fletchers’ Family Farm
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids
Raising Chelsea
Sam & Ade Go Birding
Stacey & Joe
The Dyers' Caravan Park
The Princess Diaries
Vinnie Jones in the Country
Welcome to Wrexham
Comedy
Amandaland
Black Ops
Can You Keep a Secret?
Changing Ends
Daddy Issues
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
Here We Go
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Last One Laughing
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Man Vs Baby
Mandy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Not Going Out
Only Child
Saturday Night Live UK
Scrubs
Shrinking
Small Prophets
The Power of Parker
The Young Offenders
Twenty Twenty Six
Wonder Man
Drama performance
Adrian Dunbar (Alex Ridley, Ridley)
Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black, Rivals)
Alfie Allen (Rick Hansen, Girl Taken)
Andrew Lincoln (John, Coldwater)
Anna Samson (Det Sgt Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, Return to Paradise)
Anthony Boyle (Arthur Guinness, House of Guinness)
Ashley Jensen (DI Ruth Calder, Shetland)
Babou Ceesay (Morrow, Alien: Earth)
Bella Maclean (Taggie O'Hara, Rivals)
Brenda Blethyn (Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance)
Chase Infiniti (Agnes, The Testaments)
Chloe Pirrie (Merritt Lingard, Dept. Q)
Cush Jumbo (DS June Lenker, Criminal Record)
Daniel Mays (John Worboys, Believe Me)
David Morrissey (Michael Polly, Gone)
David Tennant (Nick Davies, The Hack / Lord Tony Baddingham, Rivals)
Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson, Death in Paradise)
Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister)
Ella Maisy Purvis (Patience Evans, Patience)
Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean, Fallout)
Emilia Fox (Dr Nikki Alexander, Silent Witness)
Emma Thompson (Zoë Boehm, Down Cemetery Road)
Eric McCormack (Kevin Anderson, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue)
Erin Doherty (Mary Carr, A Thousand Blows)
Eve Myles (Fran Sharp, The Guest / Annie Cassidy, Gone)
Gabrielle Creevy (Ria Powell, The Guest)
Gary Oldman (Jackson Lamb, Slow Horses)
Gemma Arterton (Kate Henderson, Secret Service)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt, The War Between the Land and the Sea)
Gwyneth Keyworth (DS Janie Mallowan, Death Valley)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Sherlock Holmes, Young Sherlock)
Holliday Grainger (Rachel Carey, The Capture)
Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce, The Gold)
Hugh Laurie (Richard Roper, The Night Manager)
Idris Elba (Sam Nelson, Hijack)
James Nesbitt (Simon Greene, Run Away)
James Norton (Harold Godwinson, King & Conqueror / Sean Rafferty, House of Guinness)
Jing Lusi (Detective Hana Li, Red Eye)
Joanna Scanlan (Beth, Riot Women)
Jodie Whittaker (Sam, Frauds)
John Simm (Det Sup Roy Grace, Grace)
Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife)
Just when Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) thought he'd seen the back of abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) in Coronation Street, she makes a sinister return next week.
Megan watches from afar as he contemplates jumping off the scaffolding surrounding the corner shop, and then secretly passes her phone number onto him.
Elsewhere, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is ambushed by a group of internet trolls, Alya Nazir's (Sair Khan) cousin Idris (Junade Khan) arrives in Weatherfield - and eyes up Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) vies for a new job.
Here's everything happening in Coronation Street between Monday, 25 and Friday, 29 May.
5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week1. Megan Walsh attempts to make contact with Will Driscoll
Will is left reeling in the café when Sam rounds on him, branding him evil and wishing him dead. He has no idea that Sam is suffering hallucinations, and that this response has been largely unwarranted.
A tearful Ben later confides in Eva that Megan has destroyed Will’s life. Crushed by everything he has heard, Will climbs the scaffolding in the shop yard and swigs vodka from the bottle.
Asha spots him and quickly texts Maggie for help, while Hope races to the Rovers. Maggie heads up onto the scaffolding and urges Will to take back control of his life.
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As the Driscolls watch anxiously from below, can Maggie attempts to persuade him down. Unnoticed by the family, Megan looks on from a distance.
Later, Hope admits to Will that she saw him with Megan and urges him to tell his dad the truth. As Will picks up his coat, a note falls from his pocket. Realising it contains Megan’s new mobile number, he's left with a difficult decision.
Hope then suggests to Will that they revise together, prompting Ruby to tell Fiz and Tyrone that her sister clearly fancies him. Fiz warns Hope not to get too involved as he's clearly troubled.
Will and Hope settle down to revise English, unaware that Eva is listening from the hallway. When Hope compares the chaos of Will’s love life to Romeo and Juliet, Will bursts out laughing and Eva is pleased to hear them getting along.
But when Fiz arrives unexpectedly, how will she react?
2. A series of flashbacks reveal more about Theo Silverton's murder
George and Christina attempt to make peace with Todd, but he gives them a frosty reception. Mary also tries to smooth things over, only for Todd to announce he is moving in with Sarah.
Sarah later leaves Kit - who has gone away to Glasgow - a voicemail, explaining that Todd is staying for a few days and urging him to hurry home because she misses him.
Danielle pays for Theo’s funeral flowers, leading Tracy to wonder if she is expecting a sizeable inheritance. George soon suggests that could point to a motive for murder.
Todd is later shaken by a phone call and tells Sarah he will not be attending Theo’s funeral. Danielle publicly accuses Todd of murdering Theo for his life insurance money, though Mary jumps to his defence and even jokes that perhaps she killed Theo herself, forcing Danielle to leave.
However, Ryan follows her outside and reveals that he spotted her on the night of the murder.
As tensions continue to rise, one witness lies to the police about their movements on the night Theo died. A series of flashbacks finally uncovers the truth, revealing exactly what they saw and did, and what exactly forced them to remain silent.
At the end of the week, Ryan shares his suspicions about Danielle with Lisa, who takes her in for questioning. Could Danielle now be the prime suspect?
3. Daniel Osbourne is attacked by vile internet trolls
Daniel confides in Ken that Bertie is being bullied because of the vile social media posts and vows to confront Truthteller. Back at the flat, Jodie reads Daniel’s furious online reply, but when Daniel catches her looking at his phone, will she admit the truth?
Daniel later tells Jodie he has reported the trolling to the police and they intend to investigate.
Unable to sleep, Daniel scrolls through the abusive posts online. Jodie points out that Truthteller has not posted for some time and suggests others have simply joined in, but as Daniel approaches No.1, he is ambushed by two lads.
They cover him in paint and film themselves hurling insults, while he lashes out and threatens to kill them.
Ken urges Daniel to take another holiday to clear his head, only for Daniel to admit he never actually went away to the Lake District and instead hid in his flat with Jodie as his only support. Shocked, Ken insists Bertie deserves better from his father.
Later, Daniel notices that Truthteller has deleted all the abusive posts and seemingly vanished. Relieved, he gathers Ken, Tracy, Alya and Jodie in the Bistro to celebrate.
Is the ordeal really over?
4. Betsy Swain and Dylan Wilson battle it out for a job
There could be some fresh devastation for Betsy on the horizon as she finds herself fighting against boyfriend Dylan for a job at Speed Daal.
Leanne gives the young couple a trial shift at the Pakistani street food restaurant, though explains that there is only one job available and they will each have to prove themselves.
5. Alya Nazir's cousin Idris makes his mark on Weatherfield
Brody heads off for a run while a young lad named Damo scrambles out of a car nearby.
During his own trial shift at Speed Daal, he's left humiliated when a group of rowdy businessmen spill curry all over his trainers. Mysterious newcomer Idris suddenly steps in and takes control of the situation by demanding compensation for the ruined trainers and throwing the men out.
Alya warmly embraces Idris, and Leanne recognises him as Kal’s cousin. While he receives a warm reception from some residents, Adam immediately takes a disliking.
Idris reveals he has bought a property agency in Manchester, and Brody quickly jumps in to ask for help. But away from prying eyes, Idris grabs Damo and leads him into the ginnel.
What is their game?
Later in the week, Daniel’s temper later erupts in Speed Daal when he spots Idris laughing at footage of him being targeted online.
Idris soon offers Brody his first job, explaining that he is renting a flat in the precinct after the previous tenant disappeared, leaving the place needing a complete clear out. However, when Alya, Adam and Idris celebrate Eid together, she suggests that her cousin should stay with them instead.
Leanne later stands up to a thug and sends him packing, leaving Idris impressed. He invites her for a drink in the Rovers and, as they grow closer, he leans in for a kiss.
Alya seems alarmed when Leanne admits their passion and warns her to stay well away from Idris. It seems like he's quite the womaniser, as he's soon spotted flirting with Tracy!
Just when Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) thought he'd seen the back of abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) in Coronation Street, she makes a sinister return next week.
Megan watches from afar as he contemplates jumping off the scaffolding surrounding the corner shop, and then secretly passes her phone number onto him.
Elsewhere, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is ambushed by a group of internet trolls, Alya Nazir's (Sair Khan) cousin Idris (Junade Khan) arrives in Weatherfield - and eyes up Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) vies for a new job.
Here's everything happening in Coronation Street between Monday, 25 and Friday, 29 May.
5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week1. Megan Walsh attempts to make contact with Will Driscoll
Will is left reeling in the café when Sam rounds on him, branding him evil and wishing him dead. He has no idea that Sam is suffering hallucinations, and that this response has been largely unwarranted.
A tearful Ben later confides in Eva that Megan has destroyed Will’s life. Crushed by everything he has heard, Will climbs the scaffolding in the shop yard and swigs vodka from the bottle.
Asha spots him and quickly texts Maggie for help, while Hope races to the Rovers. Maggie heads up onto the scaffolding and urges Will to take back control of his life.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
As the Driscolls watch anxiously from below, can Maggie attempts to persuade him down. Unnoticed by the family, Megan looks on from a distance.
Later, Hope admits to Will that she saw him with Megan and urges him to tell his dad the truth. As Will picks up his coat, a note falls from his pocket. Realising it contains Megan’s new mobile number, he's left with a difficult decision.
Hope then suggests to Will that they revise together, prompting Ruby to tell Fiz and Tyrone that her sister clearly fancies him. Fiz warns Hope not to get too involved as he's clearly troubled.
Will and Hope settle down to revise English, unaware that Eva is listening from the hallway. When Hope compares the chaos of Will’s love life to Romeo and Juliet, Will bursts out laughing and Eva is pleased to hear them getting along.
But when Fiz arrives unexpectedly, how will she react?
2. A series of flashbacks reveal more about Theo Silverton's murder
George and Christina attempt to make peace with Todd, but he gives them a frosty reception. Mary also tries to smooth things over, only for Todd to announce he is moving in with Sarah.
Sarah later leaves Kit - who has gone away to Glasgow - a voicemail, explaining that Todd is staying for a few days and urging him to hurry home because she misses him.
Danielle pays for Theo’s funeral flowers, leading Tracy to wonder if she is expecting a sizeable inheritance. George soon suggests that could point to a motive for murder.
Todd is later shaken by a phone call and tells Sarah he will not be attending Theo’s funeral. Danielle publicly accuses Todd of murdering Theo for his life insurance money, though Mary jumps to his defence and even jokes that perhaps she killed Theo herself, forcing Danielle to leave.
However, Ryan follows her outside and reveals that he spotted her on the night of the murder.
As tensions continue to rise, one witness lies to the police about their movements on the night Theo died. A series of flashbacks finally uncovers the truth, revealing exactly what they saw and did, and what exactly forced them to remain silent.
At the end of the week, Ryan shares his suspicions about Danielle with Lisa, who takes her in for questioning. Could Danielle now be the prime suspect?
3. Daniel Osbourne is attacked by vile internet trolls
Daniel confides in Ken that Bertie is being bullied because of the vile social media posts and vows to confront Truthteller. Back at the flat, Jodie reads Daniel’s furious online reply, but when Daniel catches her looking at his phone, will she admit the truth?
Daniel later tells Jodie he has reported the trolling to the police and they intend to investigate.
Unable to sleep, Daniel scrolls through the abusive posts online. Jodie points out that Truthteller has not posted for some time and suggests others have simply joined in, but as Daniel approaches No.1, he is ambushed by two lads.
They cover him in paint and film themselves hurling insults, while he lashes out and threatens to kill them.
Ken urges Daniel to take another holiday to clear his head, only for Daniel to admit he never actually went away to the Lake District and instead hid in his flat with Jodie as his only support. Shocked, Ken insists Bertie deserves better from his father.
Later, Daniel notices that Truthteller has deleted all the abusive posts and seemingly vanished. Relieved, he gathers Ken, Tracy, Alya and Jodie in the Bistro to celebrate.
Is the ordeal really over?
4. Betsy Swain and Dylan Wilson battle it out for a job
There could be some fresh devastation for Betsy on the horizon as she finds herself fighting against boyfriend Dylan for a job at Speed Daal.
Leanne gives the young couple a trial shift at the Pakistani street food restaurant, though explains that there is only one job available and they will each have to prove themselves.
5. Alya Nazir's cousin Idris makes his mark on Weatherfield
Brody heads off for a run while a young lad named Damo scrambles out of a car nearby.
During his own trial shift at Speed Daal, he's left humiliated when a group of rowdy businessmen spill curry all over his trainers. Mysterious newcomer Idris suddenly steps in and takes control of the situation by demanding compensation for the ruined trainers and throwing the men out.
Alya warmly embraces Idris, and Leanne recognises him as Kal’s cousin. While he receives a warm reception from some residents, Adam immediately takes a disliking.
Idris reveals he has bought a property agency in Manchester, and Brody quickly jumps in to ask for help. But away from prying eyes, Idris grabs Damo and leads him into the ginnel.
What is their game?
Later in the week, Daniel’s temper later erupts in Speed Daal when he spots Idris laughing at footage of him being targeted online.
Idris soon offers Brody his first job, explaining that he is renting a flat in the precinct after the previous tenant disappeared, leaving the place needing a complete clear out. However, when Alya, Adam and Idris celebrate Eid together, she suggests that her cousin should stay with them instead.
Leanne later stands up to a thug and sends him packing, leaving Idris impressed. He invites her for a drink in the Rovers and, as they grow closer, he leans in for a kiss.
Alya seems alarmed when Leanne admits their passion and warns her to stay well away from Idris. It seems like he's quite the womaniser, as he's soon spotted flirting with Tracy!
Just when Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) thought he'd seen the back of abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) in Coronation Street, she makes a sinister return next week.
Megan watches from afar as he contemplates jumping off the scaffolding surrounding the corner shop, and then secretly passes her phone number onto him.
Elsewhere, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is ambushed by a group of internet trolls, Alya Nazir's (Sair Khan) cousin Idris (Junade Khan) arrives in Weatherfield - and eyes up Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) vies for a new job.
Here's everything happening in Coronation Street between Monday, 25 and Friday, 29 May.
5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week1. Megan Walsh attempts to make contact with Will Driscoll
Will is left reeling in the café when Sam rounds on him, branding him evil and wishing him dead. He has no idea that Sam is suffering hallucinations, and that this response has been largely unwarranted.
A tearful Ben later confides in Eva that Megan has destroyed Will’s life. Crushed by everything he has heard, Will climbs the scaffolding in the shop yard and swigs vodka from the bottle.
Asha spots him and quickly texts Maggie for help, while Hope races to the Rovers. Maggie heads up onto the scaffolding and urges Will to take back control of his life.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
As the Driscolls watch anxiously from below, can Maggie attempts to persuade him down. Unnoticed by the family, Megan looks on from a distance.
Later, Hope admits to Will that she saw him with Megan and urges him to tell his dad the truth. As Will picks up his coat, a note falls from his pocket. Realising it contains Megan’s new mobile number, he's left with a difficult decision.
Hope then suggests to Will that they revise together, prompting Ruby to tell Fiz and Tyrone that her sister clearly fancies him. Fiz warns Hope not to get too involved as he's clearly troubled.
Will and Hope settle down to revise English, unaware that Eva is listening from the hallway. When Hope compares the chaos of Will’s love life to Romeo and Juliet, Will bursts out laughing and Eva is pleased to hear them getting along.
But when Fiz arrives unexpectedly, how will she react?
2. A series of flashbacks reveal more about Theo Silverton's murder
George and Christina attempt to make peace with Todd, but he gives them a frosty reception. Mary also tries to smooth things over, only for Todd to announce he is moving in with Sarah.
Sarah later leaves Kit - who has gone away to Glasgow - a voicemail, explaining that Todd is staying for a few days and urging him to hurry home because she misses him.
Danielle pays for Theo’s funeral flowers, leading Tracy to wonder if she is expecting a sizeable inheritance. George soon suggests that could point to a motive for murder.
Todd is later shaken by a phone call and tells Sarah he will not be attending Theo’s funeral. Danielle publicly accuses Todd of murdering Theo for his life insurance money, though Mary jumps to his defence and even jokes that perhaps she killed Theo herself, forcing Danielle to leave.
However, Ryan follows her outside and reveals that he spotted her on the night of the murder.
As tensions continue to rise, one witness lies to the police about their movements on the night Theo died. A series of flashbacks finally uncovers the truth, revealing exactly what they saw and did, and what exactly forced them to remain silent.
At the end of the week, Ryan shares his suspicions about Danielle with Lisa, who takes her in for questioning. Could Danielle now be the prime suspect?
3. Daniel Osbourne is attacked by vile internet trolls
Daniel confides in Ken that Bertie is being bullied because of the vile social media posts and vows to confront Truthteller. Back at the flat, Jodie reads Daniel’s furious online reply, but when Daniel catches her looking at his phone, will she admit the truth?
Daniel later tells Jodie he has reported the trolling to the police and they intend to investigate.
Unable to sleep, Daniel scrolls through the abusive posts online. Jodie points out that Truthteller has not posted for some time and suggests others have simply joined in, but as Daniel approaches No.1, he is ambushed by two lads.
They cover him in paint and film themselves hurling insults, while he lashes out and threatens to kill them.
Ken urges Daniel to take another holiday to clear his head, only for Daniel to admit he never actually went away to the Lake District and instead hid in his flat with Jodie as his only support. Shocked, Ken insists Bertie deserves better from his father.
Later, Daniel notices that Truthteller has deleted all the abusive posts and seemingly vanished. Relieved, he gathers Ken, Tracy, Alya and Jodie in the Bistro to celebrate.
Is the ordeal really over?
4. Betsy Swain and Dylan Wilson battle it out for a job
There could be some fresh devastation for Betsy on the horizon as she finds herself fighting against boyfriend Dylan for a job at Speed Daal.
Leanne gives the young couple a trial shift at the Pakistani street food restaurant, though explains that there is only one job available and they will each have to prove themselves.
5. Alya Nazir's cousin Idris makes his mark on Weatherfield
Brody heads off for a run while a young lad named Damo scrambles out of a car nearby.
During his own trial shift at Speed Daal, he's left humiliated when a group of rowdy businessmen spill curry all over his trainers. Mysterious newcomer Idris suddenly steps in and takes control of the situation by demanding compensation for the ruined trainers and throwing the men out.
Alya warmly embraces Idris, and Leanne recognises him as Kal’s cousin. While he receives a warm reception from some residents, Adam immediately takes a disliking.
Idris reveals he has bought a property agency in Manchester, and Brody quickly jumps in to ask for help. But away from prying eyes, Idris grabs Damo and leads him into the ginnel.
What is their game?
Later in the week, Daniel’s temper later erupts in Speed Daal when he spots Idris laughing at footage of him being targeted online.
Idris soon offers Brody his first job, explaining that he is renting a flat in the precinct after the previous tenant disappeared, leaving the place needing a complete clear out. However, when Alya, Adam and Idris celebrate Eid together, she suggests that her cousin should stay with them instead.
Leanne later stands up to a thug and sends him packing, leaving Idris impressed. He invites her for a drink in the Rovers and, as they grow closer, he leans in for a kiss.
Alya seems alarmed when Leanne admits their passion and warns her to stay well away from Idris. It seems like he's quite the womaniser, as he's soon spotted flirting with Tracy!
Just when Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) thought he'd seen the back of abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) in Coronation Street, she makes a sinister return next week.
Megan watches from afar as he contemplates jumping off the scaffolding surrounding the corner shop, and then secretly passes her phone number onto him.
Elsewhere, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is ambushed by a group of internet trolls, Alya Nazir's (Sair Khan) cousin Idris (Junade Khan) arrives in Weatherfield - and eyes up Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) vies for a new job.
Here's everything happening in Coronation Street between Monday, 25 and Friday, 29 May.
5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week1. Megan Walsh attempts to make contact with Will Driscoll
Will is left reeling in the café when Sam rounds on him, branding him evil and wishing him dead. He has no idea that Sam is suffering hallucinations, and that this response has been largely unwarranted.
A tearful Ben later confides in Eva that Megan has destroyed Will’s life. Crushed by everything he has heard, Will climbs the scaffolding in the shop yard and swigs vodka from the bottle.
Asha spots him and quickly texts Maggie for help, while Hope races to the Rovers. Maggie heads up onto the scaffolding and urges Will to take back control of his life.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
As the Driscolls watch anxiously from below, can Maggie attempts to persuade him down. Unnoticed by the family, Megan looks on from a distance.
Later, Hope admits to Will that she saw him with Megan and urges him to tell his dad the truth. As Will picks up his coat, a note falls from his pocket. Realising it contains Megan’s new mobile number, he's left with a difficult decision.
Hope then suggests to Will that they revise together, prompting Ruby to tell Fiz and Tyrone that her sister clearly fancies him. Fiz warns Hope not to get too involved as he's clearly troubled.
Will and Hope settle down to revise English, unaware that Eva is listening from the hallway. When Hope compares the chaos of Will’s love life to Romeo and Juliet, Will bursts out laughing and Eva is pleased to hear them getting along.
But when Fiz arrives unexpectedly, how will she react?
2. A series of flashbacks reveal more about Theo Silverton's murder
George and Christina attempt to make peace with Todd, but he gives them a frosty reception. Mary also tries to smooth things over, only for Todd to announce he is moving in with Sarah.
Sarah later leaves Kit - who has gone away to Glasgow - a voicemail, explaining that Todd is staying for a few days and urging him to hurry home because she misses him.
Danielle pays for Theo’s funeral flowers, leading Tracy to wonder if she is expecting a sizeable inheritance. George soon suggests that could point to a motive for murder.
Todd is later shaken by a phone call and tells Sarah he will not be attending Theo’s funeral. Danielle publicly accuses Todd of murdering Theo for his life insurance money, though Mary jumps to his defence and even jokes that perhaps she killed Theo herself, forcing Danielle to leave.
However, Ryan follows her outside and reveals that he spotted her on the night of the murder.
As tensions continue to rise, one witness lies to the police about their movements on the night Theo died. A series of flashbacks finally uncovers the truth, revealing exactly what they saw and did, and what exactly forced them to remain silent.
At the end of the week, Ryan shares his suspicions about Danielle with Lisa, who takes her in for questioning. Could Danielle now be the prime suspect?
3. Daniel Osbourne is attacked by vile internet trolls
Daniel confides in Ken that Bertie is being bullied because of the vile social media posts and vows to confront Truthteller. Back at the flat, Jodie reads Daniel’s furious online reply, but when Daniel catches her looking at his phone, will she admit the truth?
Daniel later tells Jodie he has reported the trolling to the police and they intend to investigate.
Unable to sleep, Daniel scrolls through the abusive posts online. Jodie points out that Truthteller has not posted for some time and suggests others have simply joined in, but as Daniel approaches No.1, he is ambushed by two lads.
They cover him in paint and film themselves hurling insults, while he lashes out and threatens to kill them.
Ken urges Daniel to take another holiday to clear his head, only for Daniel to admit he never actually went away to the Lake District and instead hid in his flat with Jodie as his only support. Shocked, Ken insists Bertie deserves better from his father.
Later, Daniel notices that Truthteller has deleted all the abusive posts and seemingly vanished. Relieved, he gathers Ken, Tracy, Alya and Jodie in the Bistro to celebrate.
Is the ordeal really over?
4. Betsy Swain and Dylan Wilson battle it out for a job
There could be some fresh devastation for Betsy on the horizon as she finds herself fighting against boyfriend Dylan for a job at Speed Daal.
Leanne gives the young couple a trial shift at the Pakistani street food restaurant, though explains that there is only one job available and they will each have to prove themselves.
5. Alya Nazir's cousin Idris makes his mark on Weatherfield
Brody heads off for a run while a young lad named Damo scrambles out of a car nearby.
During his own trial shift at Speed Daal, he's left humiliated when a group of rowdy businessmen spill curry all over his trainers. Mysterious newcomer Idris suddenly steps in and takes control of the situation by demanding compensation for the ruined trainers and throwing the men out.
Alya warmly embraces Idris, and Leanne recognises him as Kal’s cousin. While he receives a warm reception from some residents, Adam immediately takes a disliking.
Idris reveals he has bought a property agency in Manchester, and Brody quickly jumps in to ask for help. But away from prying eyes, Idris grabs Damo and leads him into the ginnel.
What is their game?
Later in the week, Daniel’s temper later erupts in Speed Daal when he spots Idris laughing at footage of him being targeted online.
Idris soon offers Brody his first job, explaining that he is renting a flat in the precinct after the previous tenant disappeared, leaving the place needing a complete clear out. However, when Alya, Adam and Idris celebrate Eid together, she suggests that her cousin should stay with them instead.
Leanne later stands up to a thug and sends him packing, leaving Idris impressed. He invites her for a drink in the Rovers and, as they grow closer, he leans in for a kiss.
Alya seems alarmed when Leanne admits their passion and warns her to stay well away from Idris. It seems like he's quite the womaniser, as he's soon spotted flirting with Tracy!
Just when Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) thought he'd seen the back of abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) in Coronation Street, she makes a sinister return next week.
Megan watches from afar as he contemplates jumping off the scaffolding surrounding the corner shop, and then secretly passes her phone number onto him.
Elsewhere, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is ambushed by a group of internet trolls, Alya Nazir's (Sair Khan) cousin Idris (Junade Khan) arrives in Weatherfield - and eyes up Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) vies for a new job.
Here's everything happening in Coronation Street between Monday, 25 and Friday, 29 May.
5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week1. Megan Walsh attempts to make contact with Will Driscoll
Will is left reeling in the café when Sam rounds on him, branding him evil and wishing him dead. He has no idea that Sam is suffering hallucinations, and that this response has been largely unwarranted.
A tearful Ben later confides in Eva that Megan has destroyed Will’s life. Crushed by everything he has heard, Will climbs the scaffolding in the shop yard and swigs vodka from the bottle.
Asha spots him and quickly texts Maggie for help, while Hope races to the Rovers. Maggie heads up onto the scaffolding and urges Will to take back control of his life.
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Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
As the Driscolls watch anxiously from below, can Maggie attempts to persuade him down. Unnoticed by the family, Megan looks on from a distance.
Later, Hope admits to Will that she saw him with Megan and urges him to tell his dad the truth. As Will picks up his coat, a note falls from his pocket. Realising it contains Megan’s new mobile number, he's left with a difficult decision.
Hope then suggests to Will that they revise together, prompting Ruby to tell Fiz and Tyrone that her sister clearly fancies him. Fiz warns Hope not to get too involved as he's clearly troubled.
Will and Hope settle down to revise English, unaware that Eva is listening from the hallway. When Hope compares the chaos of Will’s love life to Romeo and Juliet, Will bursts out laughing and Eva is pleased to hear them getting along.
But when Fiz arrives unexpectedly, how will she react?
2. A series of flashbacks reveal more about Theo Silverton's murder
George and Christina attempt to make peace with Todd, but he gives them a frosty reception. Mary also tries to smooth things over, only for Todd to announce he is moving in with Sarah.
Sarah later leaves Kit - who has gone away to Glasgow - a voicemail, explaining that Todd is staying for a few days and urging him to hurry home because she misses him.
Danielle pays for Theo’s funeral flowers, leading Tracy to wonder if she is expecting a sizeable inheritance. George soon suggests that could point to a motive for murder.
Todd is later shaken by a phone call and tells Sarah he will not be attending Theo’s funeral. Danielle publicly accuses Todd of murdering Theo for his life insurance money, though Mary jumps to his defence and even jokes that perhaps she killed Theo herself, forcing Danielle to leave.
However, Ryan follows her outside and reveals that he spotted her on the night of the murder.
As tensions continue to rise, one witness lies to the police about their movements on the night Theo died. A series of flashbacks finally uncovers the truth, revealing exactly what they saw and did, and what exactly forced them to remain silent.
At the end of the week, Ryan shares his suspicions about Danielle with Lisa, who takes her in for questioning. Could Danielle now be the prime suspect?
3. Daniel Osbourne is attacked by vile internet trolls
Daniel confides in Ken that Bertie is being bullied because of the vile social media posts and vows to confront Truthteller. Back at the flat, Jodie reads Daniel’s furious online reply, but when Daniel catches her looking at his phone, will she admit the truth?
Daniel later tells Jodie he has reported the trolling to the police and they intend to investigate.
Unable to sleep, Daniel scrolls through the abusive posts online. Jodie points out that Truthteller has not posted for some time and suggests others have simply joined in, but as Daniel approaches No.1, he is ambushed by two lads.
They cover him in paint and film themselves hurling insults, while he lashes out and threatens to kill them.
Ken urges Daniel to take another holiday to clear his head, only for Daniel to admit he never actually went away to the Lake District and instead hid in his flat with Jodie as his only support. Shocked, Ken insists Bertie deserves better from his father.
Later, Daniel notices that Truthteller has deleted all the abusive posts and seemingly vanished. Relieved, he gathers Ken, Tracy, Alya and Jodie in the Bistro to celebrate.
Is the ordeal really over?
4. Betsy Swain and Dylan Wilson battle it out for a job
There could be some fresh devastation for Betsy on the horizon as she finds herself fighting against boyfriend Dylan for a job at Speed Daal.
Leanne gives the young couple a trial shift at the Pakistani street food restaurant, though explains that there is only one job available and they will each have to prove themselves.
5. Alya Nazir's cousin Idris makes his mark on Weatherfield
Brody heads off for a run while a young lad named Damo scrambles out of a car nearby.
During his own trial shift at Speed Daal, he's left humiliated when a group of rowdy businessmen spill curry all over his trainers. Mysterious newcomer Idris suddenly steps in and takes control of the situation by demanding compensation for the ruined trainers and throwing the men out.
Alya warmly embraces Idris, and Leanne recognises him as Kal’s cousin. While he receives a warm reception from some residents, Adam immediately takes a disliking.
Idris reveals he has bought a property agency in Manchester, and Brody quickly jumps in to ask for help. But away from prying eyes, Idris grabs Damo and leads him into the ginnel.
What is their game?
Later in the week, Daniel’s temper later erupts in Speed Daal when he spots Idris laughing at footage of him being targeted online.
Idris soon offers Brody his first job, explaining that he is renting a flat in the precinct after the previous tenant disappeared, leaving the place needing a complete clear out. However, when Alya, Adam and Idris celebrate Eid together, she suggests that her cousin should stay with them instead.
Leanne later stands up to a thug and sends him packing, leaving Idris impressed. He invites her for a drink in the Rovers and, as they grow closer, he leans in for a kiss.
Alya seems alarmed when Leanne admits their passion and warns her to stay well away from Idris. It seems like he's quite the womaniser, as he's soon spotted flirting with Tracy!
Just when Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) thought he'd seen the back of abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) in Coronation Street, she makes a sinister return next week.
Megan watches from afar as he contemplates jumping off the scaffolding surrounding the corner shop, and then secretly passes her phone number onto him.
Elsewhere, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is ambushed by a group of internet trolls, Alya Nazir's (Sair Khan) cousin Idris (Junade Khan) arrives in Weatherfield - and eyes up Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) vies for a new job.
Here's everything happening in Coronation Street between Monday, 25 and Friday, 29 May.
5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week1. Megan Walsh attempts to make contact with Will Driscoll
Will is left reeling in the café when Sam rounds on him, branding him evil and wishing him dead. He has no idea that Sam is suffering hallucinations, and that this response has been largely unwarranted.
A tearful Ben later confides in Eva that Megan has destroyed Will’s life. Crushed by everything he has heard, Will climbs the scaffolding in the shop yard and swigs vodka from the bottle.
Asha spots him and quickly texts Maggie for help, while Hope races to the Rovers. Maggie heads up onto the scaffolding and urges Will to take back control of his life.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
As the Driscolls watch anxiously from below, can Maggie attempts to persuade him down. Unnoticed by the family, Megan looks on from a distance.
Later, Hope admits to Will that she saw him with Megan and urges him to tell his dad the truth. As Will picks up his coat, a note falls from his pocket. Realising it contains Megan’s new mobile number, he's left with a difficult decision.
Hope then suggests to Will that they revise together, prompting Ruby to tell Fiz and Tyrone that her sister clearly fancies him. Fiz warns Hope not to get too involved as he's clearly troubled.
Will and Hope settle down to revise English, unaware that Eva is listening from the hallway. When Hope compares the chaos of Will’s love life to Romeo and Juliet, Will bursts out laughing and Eva is pleased to hear them getting along.
But when Fiz arrives unexpectedly, how will she react?
2. A series of flashbacks reveal more about Theo Silverton's murder
George and Christina attempt to make peace with Todd, but he gives them a frosty reception. Mary also tries to smooth things over, only for Todd to announce he is moving in with Sarah.
Sarah later leaves Kit - who has gone away to Glasgow - a voicemail, explaining that Todd is staying for a few days and urging him to hurry home because she misses him.
Danielle pays for Theo’s funeral flowers, leading Tracy to wonder if she is expecting a sizeable inheritance. George soon suggests that could point to a motive for murder.
Todd is later shaken by a phone call and tells Sarah he will not be attending Theo’s funeral. Danielle publicly accuses Todd of murdering Theo for his life insurance money, though Mary jumps to his defence and even jokes that perhaps she killed Theo herself, forcing Danielle to leave.
However, Ryan follows her outside and reveals that he spotted her on the night of the murder.
As tensions continue to rise, one witness lies to the police about their movements on the night Theo died. A series of flashbacks finally uncovers the truth, revealing exactly what they saw and did, and what exactly forced them to remain silent.
At the end of the week, Ryan shares his suspicions about Danielle with Lisa, who takes her in for questioning. Could Danielle now be the prime suspect?
3. Daniel Osbourne is attacked by vile internet trolls
Daniel confides in Ken that Bertie is being bullied because of the vile social media posts and vows to confront Truthteller. Back at the flat, Jodie reads Daniel’s furious online reply, but when Daniel catches her looking at his phone, will she admit the truth?
Daniel later tells Jodie he has reported the trolling to the police and they intend to investigate.
Unable to sleep, Daniel scrolls through the abusive posts online. Jodie points out that Truthteller has not posted for some time and suggests others have simply joined in, but as Daniel approaches No.1, he is ambushed by two lads.
They cover him in paint and film themselves hurling insults, while he lashes out and threatens to kill them.
Ken urges Daniel to take another holiday to clear his head, only for Daniel to admit he never actually went away to the Lake District and instead hid in his flat with Jodie as his only support. Shocked, Ken insists Bertie deserves better from his father.
Later, Daniel notices that Truthteller has deleted all the abusive posts and seemingly vanished. Relieved, he gathers Ken, Tracy, Alya and Jodie in the Bistro to celebrate.
Is the ordeal really over?
4. Betsy Swain and Dylan Wilson battle it out for a job
There could be some fresh devastation for Betsy on the horizon as she finds herself fighting against boyfriend Dylan for a job at Speed Daal.
Leanne gives the young couple a trial shift at the Pakistani street food restaurant, though explains that there is only one job available and they will each have to prove themselves.
5. Alya Nazir's cousin Idris makes his mark on Weatherfield
Brody heads off for a run while a young lad named Damo scrambles out of a car nearby.
During his own trial shift at Speed Daal, he's left humiliated when a group of rowdy businessmen spill curry all over his trainers. Mysterious newcomer Idris suddenly steps in and takes control of the situation by demanding compensation for the ruined trainers and throwing the men out.
Alya warmly embraces Idris, and Leanne recognises him as Kal’s cousin. While he receives a warm reception from some residents, Adam immediately takes a disliking.
Idris reveals he has bought a property agency in Manchester, and Brody quickly jumps in to ask for help. But away from prying eyes, Idris grabs Damo and leads him into the ginnel.
What is their game?
Later in the week, Daniel’s temper later erupts in Speed Daal when he spots Idris laughing at footage of him being targeted online.
Idris soon offers Brody his first job, explaining that he is renting a flat in the precinct after the previous tenant disappeared, leaving the place needing a complete clear out. However, when Alya, Adam and Idris celebrate Eid together, she suggests that her cousin should stay with them instead.
Leanne later stands up to a thug and sends him packing, leaving Idris impressed. He invites her for a drink in the Rovers and, as they grow closer, he leans in for a kiss.
Alya seems alarmed when Leanne admits their passion and warns her to stay well away from Idris. It seems like he's quite the womaniser, as he's soon spotted flirting with Tracy!
The first of these is Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), who behaves recklessly after having his catheter removed and finds himself spending the night in a cell. Will he explain to wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) about what happened, or will his pride get the better of him?
Meanwhile, as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) search for the Emmerdale Farm arsonist, attentions turn to Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah).
Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) wants to find out more about her boyfriend, unaware that he's hiding the burden of his secret homelessness.
Elsewhere, Ross Barton (Michael Parr) could be about to enter into a messy love triangle...
Here's everything happening in Emmerdale between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May.
3 Emmerdale spoilers for next week1. Cain Dingle is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct
After having his catheter removed, Cain enjoys some celebratory drinks in The Woolpack. Caleb encourages him to slow down, but he ignores his wishes and orders a whisky chaser.
While walking back to Wishing Well, he's caught short and does his business on the roadside. The police catch him and whisk him off to the station for urinating in public and for drunk and disorderly conduct.
PC Swirling offers him some sweatpants to wear, which infuriates Cain, and he's in disbelief when the officers reveal that they're keeping him in a cell overnight.
Moira berates her husband's behaviour, especially when he struggles to provide an explanation for why he was arrested. He's ashamed, and clearly now terrified about being away from a toilet while in public.
2. Kammy Hadiq is arrested as Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle accuse him of being the farm arsonist
After more than a year of bringing much-needed comic relief to our screens, Kammy remains something of an enigma.
Belle has already welcomed him into the Dingle family fold, though when she tries to use Eid as an excuse to mention his own clan, he looks visibly uncomfortable. Carrying the scars of her own harrowing domestic abuse ordeal, Belle begins to fear she’s pushing too hard and steps away.
He rushes off when Aaron texts him about another fire at Emmerdale Farm, something which is making Robert increasingly anxious. Neither of them know who is responsible, and while they drown their sorrows in the pub, the arsonist returns to the scene of the crime and watches from afar.
The following day, Aaron can see how tired Kammy looks. Belle asks again if she can meet his family, though he sharply shuts down the idea and she's left feeling awkward.
Little does anybody realise, he's sleeping rough in a barn on the farmland. He's secretly homeless.
After Matty tips off Aaron and Robert about someone acting shifty in their field, they rush off to find Kammy holding a petrol can and a lighter. They assume that he's the arsonist, and Kammy admits that he was planning to torch Robert's car.
Aaron intervenes when he can see his partner becoming infuriated, but Kammy uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it.
Another blaze is ignited, and Aaron decides to report Kammy to the police.
Is he really responsible?
3. Gabby Thomas flirts with Ross Barton, unaware he has eyes for someone else...
Ross asks Gabby to meet him, and she's thrilled, under the belief that he's flirting with her. However, her mood sours when she learns that she's actually being set up as a new dance partner for Sam.
Despite that, Laurel spots Ross eyeing her up, and warns him against pursuing anything either her.
The community meet for a dance class, and Lydia believes that Sam is avoiding her. She demonstrates an impressive dance with Bob, unaware that he's watching on with Ross and is secretly jealous.
Laurel assumes that Ross is only there to ogle Gabby and confronts him. She has no idea that she is the woman he has eyes for, and not Gabby.
While fighting her confusing attraction towards him, Gabby opens up to Lewis about her feelings for his brother. She later makes an attempt to seduce him, stripping down a flimsy garment, though he rejects her advances and leaves.
The first of these is Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), who behaves recklessly after having his catheter removed and finds himself spending the night in a cell. Will he explain to wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) about what happened, or will his pride get the better of him?
Meanwhile, as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) search for the Emmerdale Farm arsonist, attentions turn to Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah).
Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) wants to find out more about her boyfriend, unaware that he's hiding the burden of his secret homelessness.
Elsewhere, Ross Barton (Michael Parr) could be about to enter into a messy love triangle...
Here's everything happening in Emmerdale between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May.
3 Emmerdale spoilers for next week1. Cain Dingle is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct
After having his catheter removed, Cain enjoys some celebratory drinks in The Woolpack. Caleb encourages him to slow down, but he ignores his wishes and orders a whisky chaser.
While walking back to Wishing Well, he's caught short and does his business on the roadside. The police catch him and whisk him off to the station for urinating in public and for drunk and disorderly conduct.
PC Swirling offers him some sweatpants to wear, which infuriates Cain, and he's in disbelief when the officers reveal that they're keeping him in a cell overnight.
Moira berates her husband's behaviour, especially when he struggles to provide an explanation for why he was arrested. He's ashamed, and clearly now terrified about being away from a toilet while in public.
2. Kammy Hadiq is arrested as Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle accuse him of being the farm arsonist
After more than a year of bringing much-needed comic relief to our screens, Kammy remains something of an enigma.
Belle has already welcomed him into the Dingle family fold, though when she tries to use Eid as an excuse to mention his own clan, he looks visibly uncomfortable. Carrying the scars of her own harrowing domestic abuse ordeal, Belle begins to fear she’s pushing too hard and steps away.
He rushes off when Aaron texts him about another fire at Emmerdale Farm, something which is making Robert increasingly anxious. Neither of them know who is responsible, and while they drown their sorrows in the pub, the arsonist returns to the scene of the crime and watches from afar.
The following day, Aaron can see how tired Kammy looks. Belle asks again if she can meet his family, though he sharply shuts down the idea and she's left feeling awkward.
Little does anybody realise, he's sleeping rough in a barn on the farmland. He's secretly homeless.
After Matty tips off Aaron and Robert about someone acting shifty in their field, they rush off to find Kammy holding a petrol can and a lighter. They assume that he's the arsonist, and Kammy admits that he was planning to torch Robert's car.
Aaron intervenes when he can see his partner becoming infuriated, but Kammy uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it.
Another blaze is ignited, and Aaron decides to report Kammy to the police.
Is he really responsible?
3. Gabby Thomas flirts with Ross Barton, unaware he has eyes for someone else...
Ross asks Gabby to meet him, and she's thrilled, under the belief that he's flirting with her. However, her mood sours when she learns that she's actually being set up as a new dance partner for Sam.
Despite that, Laurel spots Ross eyeing her up, and warns him against pursuing anything either her.
The community meet for a dance class, and Lydia believes that Sam is avoiding her. She demonstrates an impressive dance with Bob, unaware that he's watching on with Ross and is secretly jealous.
Laurel assumes that Ross is only there to ogle Gabby and confronts him. She has no idea that she is the woman he has eyes for, and not Gabby.
While fighting her confusing attraction towards him, Gabby opens up to Lewis about her feelings for his brother. She later makes an attempt to seduce him, stripping down a flimsy garment, though he rejects her advances and leaves.
The first of these is Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), who behaves recklessly after having his catheter removed and finds himself spending the night in a cell. Will he explain to wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) about what happened, or will his pride get the better of him?
Meanwhile, as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) search for the Emmerdale Farm arsonist, attentions turn to Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah).
Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) wants to find out more about her boyfriend, unaware that he's hiding the burden of his secret homelessness.
Elsewhere, Ross Barton (Michael Parr) could be about to enter into a messy love triangle...
Here's everything happening in Emmerdale between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May.
3 Emmerdale spoilers for next week1. Cain Dingle is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct
After having his catheter removed, Cain enjoys some celebratory drinks in The Woolpack. Caleb encourages him to slow down, but he ignores his wishes and orders a whisky chaser.
While walking back to Wishing Well, he's caught short and does his business on the roadside. The police catch him and whisk him off to the station for urinating in public and for drunk and disorderly conduct.
PC Swirling offers him some sweatpants to wear, which infuriates Cain, and he's in disbelief when the officers reveal that they're keeping him in a cell overnight.
Moira berates her husband's behaviour, especially when he struggles to provide an explanation for why he was arrested. He's ashamed, and clearly now terrified about being away from a toilet while in public.
2. Kammy Hadiq is arrested as Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle accuse him of being the farm arsonist
After more than a year of bringing much-needed comic relief to our screens, Kammy remains something of an enigma.
Belle has already welcomed him into the Dingle family fold, though when she tries to use Eid as an excuse to mention his own clan, he looks visibly uncomfortable. Carrying the scars of her own harrowing domestic abuse ordeal, Belle begins to fear she’s pushing too hard and steps away.
He rushes off when Aaron texts him about another fire at Emmerdale Farm, something which is making Robert increasingly anxious. Neither of them know who is responsible, and while they drown their sorrows in the pub, the arsonist returns to the scene of the crime and watches from afar.
The following day, Aaron can see how tired Kammy looks. Belle asks again if she can meet his family, though he sharply shuts down the idea and she's left feeling awkward.
Little does anybody realise, he's sleeping rough in a barn on the farmland. He's secretly homeless.
After Matty tips off Aaron and Robert about someone acting shifty in their field, they rush off to find Kammy holding a petrol can and a lighter. They assume that he's the arsonist, and Kammy admits that he was planning to torch Robert's car.
Aaron intervenes when he can see his partner becoming infuriated, but Kammy uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it.
Another blaze is ignited, and Aaron decides to report Kammy to the police.
Is he really responsible?
3. Gabby Thomas flirts with Ross Barton, unaware he has eyes for someone else...
Ross asks Gabby to meet him, and she's thrilled, under the belief that he's flirting with her. However, her mood sours when she learns that she's actually being set up as a new dance partner for Sam.
Despite that, Laurel spots Ross eyeing her up, and warns him against pursuing anything either her.
The community meet for a dance class, and Lydia believes that Sam is avoiding her. She demonstrates an impressive dance with Bob, unaware that he's watching on with Ross and is secretly jealous.
Laurel assumes that Ross is only there to ogle Gabby and confronts him. She has no idea that she is the woman he has eyes for, and not Gabby.
While fighting her confusing attraction towards him, Gabby opens up to Lewis about her feelings for his brother. She later makes an attempt to seduce him, stripping down a flimsy garment, though he rejects her advances and leaves.
The first of these is Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), who behaves recklessly after having his catheter removed and finds himself spending the night in a cell. Will he explain to wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) about what happened, or will his pride get the better of him?
Meanwhile, as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) search for the Emmerdale Farm arsonist, attentions turn to Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah).
Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) wants to find out more about her boyfriend, unaware that he's hiding the burden of his secret homelessness.
Elsewhere, Ross Barton (Michael Parr) could be about to enter into a messy love triangle...
Here's everything happening in Emmerdale between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May.
3 Emmerdale spoilers for next week1. Cain Dingle is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct
After having his catheter removed, Cain enjoys some celebratory drinks in The Woolpack. Caleb encourages him to slow down, but he ignores his wishes and orders a whisky chaser.
While walking back to Wishing Well, he's caught short and does his business on the roadside. The police catch him and whisk him off to the station for urinating in public and for drunk and disorderly conduct.
PC Swirling offers him some sweatpants to wear, which infuriates Cain, and he's in disbelief when the officers reveal that they're keeping him in a cell overnight.
Moira berates her husband's behaviour, especially when he struggles to provide an explanation for why he was arrested. He's ashamed, and clearly now terrified about being away from a toilet while in public.
2. Kammy Hadiq is arrested as Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle accuse him of being the farm arsonist
After more than a year of bringing much-needed comic relief to our screens, Kammy remains something of an enigma.
Belle has already welcomed him into the Dingle family fold, though when she tries to use Eid as an excuse to mention his own clan, he looks visibly uncomfortable. Carrying the scars of her own harrowing domestic abuse ordeal, Belle begins to fear she’s pushing too hard and steps away.
He rushes off when Aaron texts him about another fire at Emmerdale Farm, something which is making Robert increasingly anxious. Neither of them know who is responsible, and while they drown their sorrows in the pub, the arsonist returns to the scene of the crime and watches from afar.
The following day, Aaron can see how tired Kammy looks. Belle asks again if she can meet his family, though he sharply shuts down the idea and she's left feeling awkward.
Little does anybody realise, he's sleeping rough in a barn on the farmland. He's secretly homeless.
After Matty tips off Aaron and Robert about someone acting shifty in their field, they rush off to find Kammy holding a petrol can and a lighter. They assume that he's the arsonist, and Kammy admits that he was planning to torch Robert's car.
Aaron intervenes when he can see his partner becoming infuriated, but Kammy uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it.
Another blaze is ignited, and Aaron decides to report Kammy to the police.
Is he really responsible?
3. Gabby Thomas flirts with Ross Barton, unaware he has eyes for someone else...
Ross asks Gabby to meet him, and she's thrilled, under the belief that he's flirting with her. However, her mood sours when she learns that she's actually being set up as a new dance partner for Sam.
Despite that, Laurel spots Ross eyeing her up, and warns him against pursuing anything either her.
The community meet for a dance class, and Lydia believes that Sam is avoiding her. She demonstrates an impressive dance with Bob, unaware that he's watching on with Ross and is secretly jealous.
Laurel assumes that Ross is only there to ogle Gabby and confronts him. She has no idea that she is the woman he has eyes for, and not Gabby.
While fighting her confusing attraction towards him, Gabby opens up to Lewis about her feelings for his brother. She later makes an attempt to seduce him, stripping down a flimsy garment, though he rejects her advances and leaves.
The first of these is Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), who behaves recklessly after having his catheter removed and finds himself spending the night in a cell. Will he explain to wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) about what happened, or will his pride get the better of him?
Meanwhile, as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) search for the Emmerdale Farm arsonist, attentions turn to Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah).
Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) wants to find out more about her boyfriend, unaware that he's hiding the burden of his secret homelessness.
Elsewhere, Ross Barton (Michael Parr) could be about to enter into a messy love triangle...
Here's everything happening in Emmerdale between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May.
3 Emmerdale spoilers for next week1. Cain Dingle is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct
After having his catheter removed, Cain enjoys some celebratory drinks in The Woolpack. Caleb encourages him to slow down, but he ignores his wishes and orders a whisky chaser.
While walking back to Wishing Well, he's caught short and does his business on the roadside. The police catch him and whisk him off to the station for urinating in public and for drunk and disorderly conduct.
PC Swirling offers him some sweatpants to wear, which infuriates Cain, and he's in disbelief when the officers reveal that they're keeping him in a cell overnight.
Moira berates her husband's behaviour, especially when he struggles to provide an explanation for why he was arrested. He's ashamed, and clearly now terrified about being away from a toilet while in public.
2. Kammy Hadiq is arrested as Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle accuse him of being the farm arsonist
After more than a year of bringing much-needed comic relief to our screens, Kammy remains something of an enigma.
Belle has already welcomed him into the Dingle family fold, though when she tries to use Eid as an excuse to mention his own clan, he looks visibly uncomfortable. Carrying the scars of her own harrowing domestic abuse ordeal, Belle begins to fear she’s pushing too hard and steps away.
He rushes off when Aaron texts him about another fire at Emmerdale Farm, something which is making Robert increasingly anxious. Neither of them know who is responsible, and while they drown their sorrows in the pub, the arsonist returns to the scene of the crime and watches from afar.
The following day, Aaron can see how tired Kammy looks. Belle asks again if she can meet his family, though he sharply shuts down the idea and she's left feeling awkward.
Little does anybody realise, he's sleeping rough in a barn on the farmland. He's secretly homeless.
After Matty tips off Aaron and Robert about someone acting shifty in their field, they rush off to find Kammy holding a petrol can and a lighter. They assume that he's the arsonist, and Kammy admits that he was planning to torch Robert's car.
Aaron intervenes when he can see his partner becoming infuriated, but Kammy uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it.
Another blaze is ignited, and Aaron decides to report Kammy to the police.
Is he really responsible?
3. Gabby Thomas flirts with Ross Barton, unaware he has eyes for someone else...
Ross asks Gabby to meet him, and she's thrilled, under the belief that he's flirting with her. However, her mood sours when she learns that she's actually being set up as a new dance partner for Sam.
Despite that, Laurel spots Ross eyeing her up, and warns him against pursuing anything either her.
The community meet for a dance class, and Lydia believes that Sam is avoiding her. She demonstrates an impressive dance with Bob, unaware that he's watching on with Ross and is secretly jealous.
Laurel assumes that Ross is only there to ogle Gabby and confronts him. She has no idea that she is the woman he has eyes for, and not Gabby.
While fighting her confusing attraction towards him, Gabby opens up to Lewis about her feelings for his brother. She later makes an attempt to seduce him, stripping down a flimsy garment, though he rejects her advances and leaves.
Grant takes the blame, Will struggles with caring for Janet, and Ravi returns home.
Show full content
Cue the fireworks, because the drama in EastEnders is about to implode.
Walford’s tangled love triangle reaches boiling point when Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) bluntly asks bride-to-be Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) whether she slept with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) - the half-brother of her adoptive half-sister.
A real chip off the old block, Vicki appears to have inherited plenty from her notorious father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), especially when it comes to scandal and heartbreak.
Meanwhile, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) makes another attempt at saving his son Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), by taking responsibility for the numerous crimes committed against the Albert Square car lot, and vile racist Eddie Knight (Christopher Fairbank) makes a new enemy.
Elsewhere, Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) is worried when left alone caring for sister Janet (Grace), and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) arrives home after time spent in a mental health hospital.
Here's everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 25 and Thursday 28 May.
7 EastEnders spoilers for next week1. Vicki Fowler's infidelity could be exposed on her wedding day
Ahead of the wedding, Zack rushes out of The Vic after receiving a troubling phone call, and some news that leaves him devastated. Vicki has consigned their affair to the past, and focusses on a future with fiancé Ross instead - though is concerned that she may not be able to afford a honeymoon.
Wanting to please Ross, she considers selling her late father Den Watts's ring, something that Kathy is against.
On the eve of her nuptials, Zack presents her with a bracelet, hoping that she'll wear it to prove that he still matters to her. She refuses, which leaves Zack in a foul mood. Ross clocks his unease, and is stunned when he hints that Vicki may be cheating again.
Ross's silence is unsettling, and threatens to spoil Vicki's excitement on her big day. Zack questions Ross about whether he plans to go ahead with the ceremony, before turning to Vicki in a last attempt to gain her affections.
A storm begins to brew when a mix-up with the wedding car forces her to travel to Walford Park by tube, and Ross becomes convinced that she isn't going to turn up. With his suspicions at an all time high, he asks her outright at the alter whether Zack was the man she slept with.
How will she wriggle her way out of this one?
2. Police swarm Albert Square as Grant Mitchell takes responsibility for Mark Fowler's crimes
Max watches closely as Lauren takes delivery of a car, inspecting the keys that he found. He makes his way over to No. 55, hoping that they'll fit the lock, but is caught in the act by a suspicious Cindy.
Grant, Sam and Phil soon catch him on the doorstep and dismiss his claims, though Cindy reckons they have more than enough evidence to blame Mark for the vehicles being stolen, and they decide to go public with their thoughts at the car lot's relaunch.
To everyone's surprise, Grant takes responsibility, saying that Mark had nothing to do with it.
Cindy instantly sees through him, saying that he's merely protecting Mark, while Max threatens to call the police. The Mitchells are tipped off about the officers' arrivals, and Sam suggests to Grant that she join him in Portugal when he leaves.
Phil and Sam sit patiently in the car as Cindy and Max direct officers towards the Mitchell residence. Will Grant be arrested, or is Mark in serious trouble?
3. Eddie Knight faces off with Harry Mitchell
Tensions are at an all-time high at No. 1, and George is surprised when Gina seemingly accepts his invitation to a family meal. However, she explains that she only arrived because Nicola is struggling with Ivy, and needs him.
He rushes out, leaving Gina with Eddie, and she ignores his attempts at making a conversation. When he criticises her to Harry, he lashes out and defends his girlfriend.
4. Will Mitchell is concerned about caring for sister Janet
Oscar invites Will to attend a rave with him, but Billy explains that he has his hands full with Honey in hospital and would like him to take Janet to visit their mum on the ward.
He's upset to arrive home late and to miss Oscar, though Honey and Billy remind him that he doesn't have to cope with his caring responsibilities alone.
5. Ian Beale and Elaine Peacock clear the air
After warring for months during a hectic election campaign and a surprise kiss in the aftermath, Ian and Elaine are torn about where their relationship stands.
Throughout all of the bitterness, it's clear that they have a lot of affection for one another.
Next week, over a drink in The Vic, the pair agree to be friends.
Could it develop into more?
6. Ravi Gulati returns home after staying in a mental health unit
Ravi sends Priya a letter, but she misses it. She still has no idea where they stand after she had him admitted to a mental health unit, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of PTSD.
Later, she's shocked to find him back home and hoping that they can rebuild their relationship.
Will Priya be open to a reunion?
7. Denise Fox is diagnosed with blood cancer
Denise is summoned to the hospital for a bond marrow test, and she decides to face the consultation alone.
The results arrive fairly promptly, and she's shaken to learn that she has acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Speaking of the story when it was announced earlier this month, executive producer, Ben Wadey said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.
"As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”
Grant takes the blame, Will struggles with caring for Janet, and Ravi returns home.
Show full content
Cue the fireworks, because the drama in EastEnders is about to implode.
Walford’s tangled love triangle reaches boiling point when Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) bluntly asks bride-to-be Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) whether she slept with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) - the half-brother of her adoptive half-sister.
A real chip off the old block, Vicki appears to have inherited plenty from her notorious father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), especially when it comes to scandal and heartbreak.
Meanwhile, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) makes another attempt at saving his son Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), by taking responsibility for the numerous crimes committed against the Albert Square car lot, and vile racist Eddie Knight (Christopher Fairbank) makes a new enemy.
Elsewhere, Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) is worried when left alone caring for sister Janet (Grace), and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) arrives home after time spent in a mental health hospital.
Here's everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 25 and Thursday 28 May.
7 EastEnders spoilers for next week1. Vicki Fowler's infidelity could be exposed on her wedding day
Ahead of the wedding, Zack rushes out of The Vic after receiving a troubling phone call, and some news that leaves him devastated. Vicki has consigned their affair to the past, and focusses on a future with fiancé Ross instead - though is concerned that she may not be able to afford a honeymoon.
Wanting to please Ross, she considers selling her late father Den Watts's ring, something that Kathy is against.
On the eve of her nuptials, Zack presents her with a bracelet, hoping that she'll wear it to prove that he still matters to her. She refuses, which leaves Zack in a foul mood. Ross clocks his unease, and is stunned when he hints that Vicki may be cheating again.
Ross's silence is unsettling, and threatens to spoil Vicki's excitement on her big day. Zack questions Ross about whether he plans to go ahead with the ceremony, before turning to Vicki in a last attempt to gain her affections.
A storm begins to brew when a mix-up with the wedding car forces her to travel to Walford Park by tube, and Ross becomes convinced that she isn't going to turn up. With his suspicions at an all time high, he asks her outright at the alter whether Zack was the man she slept with.
How will she wriggle her way out of this one?
2. Police swarm Albert Square as Grant Mitchell takes responsibility for Mark Fowler's crimes
Max watches closely as Lauren takes delivery of a car, inspecting the keys that he found. He makes his way over to No. 55, hoping that they'll fit the lock, but is caught in the act by a suspicious Cindy.
Grant, Sam and Phil soon catch him on the doorstep and dismiss his claims, though Cindy reckons they have more than enough evidence to blame Mark for the vehicles being stolen, and they decide to go public with their thoughts at the car lot's relaunch.
To everyone's surprise, Grant takes responsibility, saying that Mark had nothing to do with it.
Cindy instantly sees through him, saying that he's merely protecting Mark, while Max threatens to call the police. The Mitchells are tipped off about the officers' arrivals, and Sam suggests to Grant that she join him in Portugal when he leaves.
Phil and Sam sit patiently in the car as Cindy and Max direct officers towards the Mitchell residence. Will Grant be arrested, or is Mark in serious trouble?
3. Eddie Knight faces off with Harry Mitchell
Tensions are at an all-time high at No. 1, and George is surprised when Gina seemingly accepts his invitation to a family meal. However, she explains that she only arrived because Nicola is struggling with Ivy, and needs him.
He rushes out, leaving Gina with Eddie, and she ignores his attempts at making a conversation. When he criticises her to Harry, he lashes out and defends his girlfriend.
4. Will Mitchell is concerned about caring for sister Janet
Oscar invites Will to attend a rave with him, but Billy explains that he has his hands full with Honey in hospital and would like him to take Janet to visit their mum on the ward.
He's upset to arrive home late and to miss Oscar, though Honey and Billy remind him that he doesn't have to cope with his caring responsibilities alone.
5. Ian Beale and Elaine Peacock clear the air
After warring for months during a hectic election campaign and a surprise kiss in the aftermath, Ian and Elaine are torn about where their relationship stands.
Throughout all of the bitterness, it's clear that they have a lot of affection for one another.
Next week, over a drink in The Vic, the pair agree to be friends.
Could it develop into more?
6. Ravi Gulati returns home after staying in a mental health unit
Ravi sends Priya a letter, but she misses it. She still has no idea where they stand after she had him admitted to a mental health unit, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of PTSD.
Later, she's shocked to find him back home and hoping that they can rebuild their relationship.
Will Priya be open to a reunion?
7. Denise Fox is diagnosed with blood cancer
Denise is summoned to the hospital for a bond marrow test, and she decides to face the consultation alone.
The results arrive fairly promptly, and she's shaken to learn that she has acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Speaking of the story when it was announced earlier this month, executive producer, Ben Wadey said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.
"As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”
Grant takes the blame, Will struggles with caring for Janet, and Ravi returns home.
Show full content
Cue the fireworks, because the drama in EastEnders is about to implode.
Walford’s tangled love triangle reaches boiling point when Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) bluntly asks bride-to-be Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) whether she slept with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) - the half-brother of her adoptive half-sister.
A real chip off the old block, Vicki appears to have inherited plenty from her notorious father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), especially when it comes to scandal and heartbreak.
Meanwhile, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) makes another attempt at saving his son Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), by taking responsibility for the numerous crimes committed against the Albert Square car lot, and vile racist Eddie Knight (Christopher Fairbank) makes a new enemy.
Elsewhere, Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) is worried when left alone caring for sister Janet (Grace), and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) arrives home after time spent in a mental health hospital.
Here's everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 25 and Thursday 28 May.
7 EastEnders spoilers for next week1. Vicki Fowler's infidelity could be exposed on her wedding day
Ahead of the wedding, Zack rushes out of The Vic after receiving a troubling phone call, and some news that leaves him devastated. Vicki has consigned their affair to the past, and focusses on a future with fiancé Ross instead - though is concerned that she may not be able to afford a honeymoon.
Wanting to please Ross, she considers selling her late father Den Watts's ring, something that Kathy is against.
On the eve of her nuptials, Zack presents her with a bracelet, hoping that she'll wear it to prove that he still matters to her. She refuses, which leaves Zack in a foul mood. Ross clocks his unease, and is stunned when he hints that Vicki may be cheating again.
Ross's silence is unsettling, and threatens to spoil Vicki's excitement on her big day. Zack questions Ross about whether he plans to go ahead with the ceremony, before turning to Vicki in a last attempt to gain her affections.
A storm begins to brew when a mix-up with the wedding car forces her to travel to Walford Park by tube, and Ross becomes convinced that she isn't going to turn up. With his suspicions at an all time high, he asks her outright at the alter whether Zack was the man she slept with.
How will she wriggle her way out of this one?
2. Police swarm Albert Square as Grant Mitchell takes responsibility for Mark Fowler's crimes
Max watches closely as Lauren takes delivery of a car, inspecting the keys that he found. He makes his way over to No. 55, hoping that they'll fit the lock, but is caught in the act by a suspicious Cindy.
Grant, Sam and Phil soon catch him on the doorstep and dismiss his claims, though Cindy reckons they have more than enough evidence to blame Mark for the vehicles being stolen, and they decide to go public with their thoughts at the car lot's relaunch.
To everyone's surprise, Grant takes responsibility, saying that Mark had nothing to do with it.
Cindy instantly sees through him, saying that he's merely protecting Mark, while Max threatens to call the police. The Mitchells are tipped off about the officers' arrivals, and Sam suggests to Grant that she join him in Portugal when he leaves.
Phil and Sam sit patiently in the car as Cindy and Max direct officers towards the Mitchell residence. Will Grant be arrested, or is Mark in serious trouble?
3. Eddie Knight faces off with Harry Mitchell
Tensions are at an all-time high at No. 1, and George is surprised when Gina seemingly accepts his invitation to a family meal. However, she explains that she only arrived because Nicola is struggling with Ivy, and needs him.
He rushes out, leaving Gina with Eddie, and she ignores his attempts at making a conversation. When he criticises her to Harry, he lashes out and defends his girlfriend.
4. Will Mitchell is concerned about caring for sister Janet
Oscar invites Will to attend a rave with him, but Billy explains that he has his hands full with Honey in hospital and would like him to take Janet to visit their mum on the ward.
He's upset to arrive home late and to miss Oscar, though Honey and Billy remind him that he doesn't have to cope with his caring responsibilities alone.
5. Ian Beale and Elaine Peacock clear the air
After warring for months during a hectic election campaign and a surprise kiss in the aftermath, Ian and Elaine are torn about where their relationship stands.
Throughout all of the bitterness, it's clear that they have a lot of affection for one another.
Next week, over a drink in The Vic, the pair agree to be friends.
Could it develop into more?
6. Ravi Gulati returns home after staying in a mental health unit
Ravi sends Priya a letter, but she misses it. She still has no idea where they stand after she had him admitted to a mental health unit, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of PTSD.
Later, she's shocked to find him back home and hoping that they can rebuild their relationship.
Will Priya be open to a reunion?
7. Denise Fox is diagnosed with blood cancer
Denise is summoned to the hospital for a bond marrow test, and she decides to face the consultation alone.
The results arrive fairly promptly, and she's shaken to learn that she has acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Speaking of the story when it was announced earlier this month, executive producer, Ben Wadey said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.
"As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”
Grant takes the blame, Will struggles with caring for Janet, and Ravi returns home.
Show full content
Cue the fireworks, because the drama in EastEnders is about to implode.
Walford’s tangled love triangle reaches boiling point when Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) bluntly asks bride-to-be Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) whether she slept with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) - the half-brother of her adoptive half-sister.
A real chip off the old block, Vicki appears to have inherited plenty from her notorious father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), especially when it comes to scandal and heartbreak.
Meanwhile, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) makes another attempt at saving his son Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), by taking responsibility for the numerous crimes committed against the Albert Square car lot, and vile racist Eddie Knight (Christopher Fairbank) makes a new enemy.
Elsewhere, Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) is worried when left alone caring for sister Janet (Grace), and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) arrives home after time spent in a mental health hospital.
Here's everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 25 and Thursday 28 May.
7 EastEnders spoilers for next week1. Vicki Fowler's infidelity could be exposed on her wedding day
Ahead of the wedding, Zack rushes out of The Vic after receiving a troubling phone call, and some news that leaves him devastated. Vicki has consigned their affair to the past, and focusses on a future with fiancé Ross instead - though is concerned that she may not be able to afford a honeymoon.
Wanting to please Ross, she considers selling her late father Den Watts's ring, something that Kathy is against.
On the eve of her nuptials, Zack presents her with a bracelet, hoping that she'll wear it to prove that he still matters to her. She refuses, which leaves Zack in a foul mood. Ross clocks his unease, and is stunned when he hints that Vicki may be cheating again.
Ross's silence is unsettling, and threatens to spoil Vicki's excitement on her big day. Zack questions Ross about whether he plans to go ahead with the ceremony, before turning to Vicki in a last attempt to gain her affections.
A storm begins to brew when a mix-up with the wedding car forces her to travel to Walford Park by tube, and Ross becomes convinced that she isn't going to turn up. With his suspicions at an all time high, he asks her outright at the alter whether Zack was the man she slept with.
How will she wriggle her way out of this one?
2. Police swarm Albert Square as Grant Mitchell takes responsibility for Mark Fowler's crimes
Max watches closely as Lauren takes delivery of a car, inspecting the keys that he found. He makes his way over to No. 55, hoping that they'll fit the lock, but is caught in the act by a suspicious Cindy.
Grant, Sam and Phil soon catch him on the doorstep and dismiss his claims, though Cindy reckons they have more than enough evidence to blame Mark for the vehicles being stolen, and they decide to go public with their thoughts at the car lot's relaunch.
To everyone's surprise, Grant takes responsibility, saying that Mark had nothing to do with it.
Cindy instantly sees through him, saying that he's merely protecting Mark, while Max threatens to call the police. The Mitchells are tipped off about the officers' arrivals, and Sam suggests to Grant that she join him in Portugal when he leaves.
Phil and Sam sit patiently in the car as Cindy and Max direct officers towards the Mitchell residence. Will Grant be arrested, or is Mark in serious trouble?
3. Eddie Knight faces off with Harry Mitchell
Tensions are at an all-time high at No. 1, and George is surprised when Gina seemingly accepts his invitation to a family meal. However, she explains that she only arrived because Nicola is struggling with Ivy, and needs him.
He rushes out, leaving Gina with Eddie, and she ignores his attempts at making a conversation. When he criticises her to Harry, he lashes out and defends his girlfriend.
4. Will Mitchell is concerned about caring for sister Janet
Oscar invites Will to attend a rave with him, but Billy explains that he has his hands full with Honey in hospital and would like him to take Janet to visit their mum on the ward.
He's upset to arrive home late and to miss Oscar, though Honey and Billy remind him that he doesn't have to cope with his caring responsibilities alone.
5. Ian Beale and Elaine Peacock clear the air
After warring for months during a hectic election campaign and a surprise kiss in the aftermath, Ian and Elaine are torn about where their relationship stands.
Throughout all of the bitterness, it's clear that they have a lot of affection for one another.
Next week, over a drink in The Vic, the pair agree to be friends.
Could it develop into more?
6. Ravi Gulati returns home after staying in a mental health unit
Ravi sends Priya a letter, but she misses it. She still has no idea where they stand after she had him admitted to a mental health unit, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of PTSD.
Later, she's shocked to find him back home and hoping that they can rebuild their relationship.
Will Priya be open to a reunion?
7. Denise Fox is diagnosed with blood cancer
Denise is summoned to the hospital for a bond marrow test, and she decides to face the consultation alone.
The results arrive fairly promptly, and she's shaken to learn that she has acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Speaking of the story when it was announced earlier this month, executive producer, Ben Wadey said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.
"As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”
Grant takes the blame, Will struggles with caring for Janet, and Ravi returns home.
Show full content
Cue the fireworks, because the drama in EastEnders is about to implode.
Walford’s tangled love triangle reaches boiling point when Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) bluntly asks bride-to-be Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) whether she slept with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) - the half-brother of her adoptive half-sister.
A real chip off the old block, Vicki appears to have inherited plenty from her notorious father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), especially when it comes to scandal and heartbreak.
Meanwhile, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) makes another attempt at saving his son Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), by taking responsibility for the numerous crimes committed against the Albert Square car lot, and vile racist Eddie Knight (Christopher Fairbank) makes a new enemy.
Elsewhere, Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) is worried when left alone caring for sister Janet (Grace), and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) arrives home after time spent in a mental health hospital.
Here's everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 25 and Thursday 28 May.
7 EastEnders spoilers for next week1. Vicki Fowler's infidelity could be exposed on her wedding day
Ahead of the wedding, Zack rushes out of The Vic after receiving a troubling phone call, and some news that leaves him devastated. Vicki has consigned their affair to the past, and focusses on a future with fiancé Ross instead - though is concerned that she may not be able to afford a honeymoon.
Wanting to please Ross, she considers selling her late father Den Watts's ring, something that Kathy is against.
On the eve of her nuptials, Zack presents her with a bracelet, hoping that she'll wear it to prove that he still matters to her. She refuses, which leaves Zack in a foul mood. Ross clocks his unease, and is stunned when he hints that Vicki may be cheating again.
Ross's silence is unsettling, and threatens to spoil Vicki's excitement on her big day. Zack questions Ross about whether he plans to go ahead with the ceremony, before turning to Vicki in a last attempt to gain her affections.
A storm begins to brew when a mix-up with the wedding car forces her to travel to Walford Park by tube, and Ross becomes convinced that she isn't going to turn up. With his suspicions at an all time high, he asks her outright at the alter whether Zack was the man she slept with.
How will she wriggle her way out of this one?
2. Police swarm Albert Square as Grant Mitchell takes responsibility for Mark Fowler's crimes
Max watches closely as Lauren takes delivery of a car, inspecting the keys that he found. He makes his way over to No. 55, hoping that they'll fit the lock, but is caught in the act by a suspicious Cindy.
Grant, Sam and Phil soon catch him on the doorstep and dismiss his claims, though Cindy reckons they have more than enough evidence to blame Mark for the vehicles being stolen, and they decide to go public with their thoughts at the car lot's relaunch.
To everyone's surprise, Grant takes responsibility, saying that Mark had nothing to do with it.
Cindy instantly sees through him, saying that he's merely protecting Mark, while Max threatens to call the police. The Mitchells are tipped off about the officers' arrivals, and Sam suggests to Grant that she join him in Portugal when he leaves.
Phil and Sam sit patiently in the car as Cindy and Max direct officers towards the Mitchell residence. Will Grant be arrested, or is Mark in serious trouble?
3. Eddie Knight faces off with Harry Mitchell
Tensions are at an all-time high at No. 1, and George is surprised when Gina seemingly accepts his invitation to a family meal. However, she explains that she only arrived because Nicola is struggling with Ivy, and needs him.
He rushes out, leaving Gina with Eddie, and she ignores his attempts at making a conversation. When he criticises her to Harry, he lashes out and defends his girlfriend.
4. Will Mitchell is concerned about caring for sister Janet
Oscar invites Will to attend a rave with him, but Billy explains that he has his hands full with Honey in hospital and would like him to take Janet to visit their mum on the ward.
He's upset to arrive home late and to miss Oscar, though Honey and Billy remind him that he doesn't have to cope with his caring responsibilities alone.
5. Ian Beale and Elaine Peacock clear the air
After warring for months during a hectic election campaign and a surprise kiss in the aftermath, Ian and Elaine are torn about where their relationship stands.
Throughout all of the bitterness, it's clear that they have a lot of affection for one another.
Next week, over a drink in The Vic, the pair agree to be friends.
Could it develop into more?
6. Ravi Gulati returns home after staying in a mental health unit
Ravi sends Priya a letter, but she misses it. She still has no idea where they stand after she had him admitted to a mental health unit, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of PTSD.
Later, she's shocked to find him back home and hoping that they can rebuild their relationship.
Will Priya be open to a reunion?
7. Denise Fox is diagnosed with blood cancer
Denise is summoned to the hospital for a bond marrow test, and she decides to face the consultation alone.
The results arrive fairly promptly, and she's shaken to learn that she has acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Speaking of the story when it was announced earlier this month, executive producer, Ben Wadey said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.
"As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”
The harrowing four-parter ends on a sobering note.
Show full content
This article contains full spoilers for the ending of Believe Me, as well as discussion of subjects including sexual assault and rape that some readers may find upsetting.
By the end of the third episode of ITV's Believe Me, Carrie (Miriam Petche) had decided to waive her anonymity in order to be a focal point for the John Worboys case in the hopes of encouraging more victims to come forward.
While we saw that Worboys was sentenced, worries remained for Sarah (Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (Aasiya Shah) who realised that after serving his minimum term of eight years, Worboys could be up for parole by the end of it. Meeting with solicitor Harriet Wistrich (Philippa Dunne), she tried to alleviate their worries, citing the fact that Worboys would need to admit to what he's done and had pleaded innocence since the start.
Laila uses the opportunity to inform the women that she was told by the police that the true number of Worboys's victims was up to 500, a harrowing and sobering thought. But nevertheless, with Harriet's help, the pair moved forward with their case against the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act.
But how did the final episode of Believe Me unfold? Read on to find out.
Believe Me ending explained: What happened to Sarah and Laila?
At the start of the final episode, Carrie is introduced to her colleague Cherry on her first day working in the Comms department for the Conservative Party. Later that morning, Cherry says that she recognises her as being a victim of the 'black cab rapist', a term that Carrie isn't entirely comfortable with. She said that she learnt a lot from that media experience, which should put her in good stead for her new job role.
As for Sarah and Laila, they meet with Harriet, who continues to gather evidence that the Metropolitan Police investigations into their allegations weren't effective at all. The facts are disappointing for Sarah and Laila but the evidence speaks for itself and Harriet says that QC Phillippa Kaufmann (Rachael Stirling) will be able to take on the case for them in court.
Later on, Laila tells Sarah that she's met someone through her family's arrangement and the prospect of telling him about her attack is too much to bear, with Laila still having not even told her family.
The women convene with Phillippa and they engage in a very heated meeting with the Metropolitan Police. A training programme is proposed for police officers, with the invitation extended to Sarah and Laila so that their experience can teach them. It's a metaphorical slap in the face for them and the pair of women are incensed to take their case further, with Harriet and Phillippa agreeing.
In November 2013, they take their case to court and are forced to relive their harrowing interview experiences while the officers in charge of their respective cases take the stand. Some time later, we see that Sarah is pregnant but isn't having an easy time of it in her relationship as she confides in her best friend Frankie (Laurie Kynaston).
We then see Sarah call Laila some months later and inform her that they've won their case against the police and that the judge ruled that if it wasn't for the failures of the investigation into Sarah's initial allegations, Laila would not have been raped by Worboys. It's an emotional moment for the pair as they celebrate their win and their compensation – but it turns out it's an even bigger day as it's actually the day of Laila's engagement.
The series then jumps quite a way forward to Laila living in a new home with her husband and a newborn baby in her arms. Again, we jump to 2018 as Sarah is enjoying a morning with her children but is shocked to see a news headline about Worboys's parole release flash up on her phone.
Neither her nor Laila were informed by anyone and they're, of course, distressed to learn that Worboys could be released back into public. With Phillippa and Harriet, they try to find out what the process was to reach the conclusion that Worboys is fit for release and conclude that they'll be going after a judicial review.
Carrie is now the Director of Communications at CCHQ and upon hearing of Worboys's release, joins Sarah, Laila, Harriet, and Phillippa to spearhead a huge publicity campaign to raise money, awareness and force a judicial review of the decision.
Harriet and Phillippa comb over the evidence at hand and find that Worboys has used a story about a relationship break-up as the basis of an explanation for his crimes, something they seek to tear apart. On the day of the court hearing, Laila bails and can't make it but Sarah goes along, facing her fears of riding in a black cab in order to get there in time. After an emotional hearing, the decision to free Worboys is overturned and we then see a happy Sarah enjoying time in her garden with her three children.
Things are a bit more sombre for Laila who is sat outside on her garden bench, clearly preoccupied with her thoughts. When her husband sits beside her and asks if she's okay, she takes that opportunity to finally tell him about her experience. We don't hear their conversation but instead, see him embrace Laila.
What happened to Worboys at the end of Believe Me?
In prison, Worboys maintains that everything mapped out in the numerous allegations was actually consensual and that he never drugged anyone. He's now changed his name to John Radford in a bid to shake off the "dirt" associated with his real name after the women came forward with their allegations.
He turns to a life of religion as he seeks solace in Christianity and now attends church. He meets with a forensic psychologist who is there to review his "progress" and Worboys says that he has now changed his stance on the case. He explains that he accepts full responsibility for his offences but when probed about why he's changed his mind, he cites his belief in God. He expresses feeling guilty about his offences and says that he's ready to start the sexual offenders treatment programme.
As Worboys is tidying up after a church meeting, he's informed by another inmate that talking about his newfound religion will only "get you so far" and he tells Worboys that he'll need to give them "a reason" as to why he committed the crimes he did.
When we then see Worboys meeting with the psychologist again, he's reeling off a story about an ex-girlfriend and how their break-up impacted him so much. He says they rekindled a year later but that he found her drunk and just took her home to her mother's, but was furious about it.
He then explains that it was that evening that he went out in his car "looking for someone", saying that was his first victim in 2006. He admits to drugging his victims, saying that he only put his penis inside one of his victims "for four seconds". It turns out that his inmate's advice works and the psychologist recommends that he be eligible for parole. But then the news is announced — in an unprecedented turn of events, Laila and Sarah come together to get Warboys's decision overturned with the help of Carrie.
Worboys returns to prison after his parole decision is quashed.
The harrowing four-parter ends on a sobering note.
Show full content
This article contains full spoilers for the ending of Believe Me, as well as discussion of subjects including sexual assault and rape that some readers may find upsetting.
By the end of the third episode of ITV's Believe Me, Carrie (Miriam Petche) had decided to waive her anonymity in order to be a focal point for the John Worboys case in the hopes of encouraging more victims to come forward.
While we saw that Worboys was sentenced, worries remained for Sarah (Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (Aasiya Shah) who realised that after serving his minimum term of eight years, Worboys could be up for parole by the end of it. Meeting with solicitor Harriet Wistrich (Philippa Dunne), she tried to alleviate their worries, citing the fact that Worboys would need to admit to what he's done and had pleaded innocence since the start.
Laila uses the opportunity to inform the women that she was told by the police that the true number of Worboys's victims was up to 500, a harrowing and sobering thought. But nevertheless, with Harriet's help, the pair moved forward with their case against the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act.
But how did the final episode of Believe Me unfold? Read on to find out.
Believe Me ending explained: What happened to Sarah and Laila?
At the start of the final episode, Carrie is introduced to her colleague Cherry on her first day working in the Comms department for the Conservative Party. Later that morning, Cherry says that she recognises her as being a victim of the 'black cab rapist', a term that Carrie isn't entirely comfortable with. She said that she learnt a lot from that media experience, which should put her in good stead for her new job role.
As for Sarah and Laila, they meet with Harriet, who continues to gather evidence that the Metropolitan Police investigations into their allegations weren't effective at all. The facts are disappointing for Sarah and Laila but the evidence speaks for itself and Harriet says that QC Phillippa Kaufmann (Rachael Stirling) will be able to take on the case for them in court.
Later on, Laila tells Sarah that she's met someone through her family's arrangement and the prospect of telling him about her attack is too much to bear, with Laila still having not even told her family.
The women convene with Phillippa and they engage in a very heated meeting with the Metropolitan Police. A training programme is proposed for police officers, with the invitation extended to Sarah and Laila so that their experience can teach them. It's a metaphorical slap in the face for them and the pair of women are incensed to take their case further, with Harriet and Phillippa agreeing.
In November 2013, they take their case to court and are forced to relive their harrowing interview experiences while the officers in charge of their respective cases take the stand. Some time later, we see that Sarah is pregnant but isn't having an easy time of it in her relationship as she confides in her best friend Frankie (Laurie Kynaston).
We then see Sarah call Laila some months later and inform her that they've won their case against the police and that the judge ruled that if it wasn't for the failures of the investigation into Sarah's initial allegations, Laila would not have been raped by Worboys. It's an emotional moment for the pair as they celebrate their win and their compensation – but it turns out it's an even bigger day as it's actually the day of Laila's engagement.
The series then jumps quite a way forward to Laila living in a new home with her husband and a newborn baby in her arms. Again, we jump to 2018 as Sarah is enjoying a morning with her children but is shocked to see a news headline about Worboys's parole release flash up on her phone.
Neither her nor Laila were informed by anyone and they're, of course, distressed to learn that Worboys could be released back into public. With Phillippa and Harriet, they try to find out what the process was to reach the conclusion that Worboys is fit for release and conclude that they'll be going after a judicial review.
Carrie is now the Director of Communications at CCHQ and upon hearing of Worboys's release, joins Sarah, Laila, Harriet, and Phillippa to spearhead a huge publicity campaign to raise money, awareness and force a judicial review of the decision.
Harriet and Phillippa comb over the evidence at hand and find that Worboys has used a story about a relationship break-up as the basis of an explanation for his crimes, something they seek to tear apart. On the day of the court hearing, Laila bails and can't make it but Sarah goes along, facing her fears of riding in a black cab in order to get there in time. After an emotional hearing, the decision to free Worboys is overturned and we then see a happy Sarah enjoying time in her garden with her three children.
Things are a bit more sombre for Laila who is sat outside on her garden bench, clearly preoccupied with her thoughts. When her husband sits beside her and asks if she's okay, she takes that opportunity to finally tell him about her experience. We don't hear their conversation but instead, see him embrace Laila.
What happened to Worboys at the end of Believe Me?
In prison, Worboys maintains that everything mapped out in the numerous allegations was actually consensual and that he never drugged anyone. He's now changed his name to John Radford in a bid to shake off the "dirt" associated with his real name after the women came forward with their allegations.
He turns to a life of religion as he seeks solace in Christianity and now attends church. He meets with a forensic psychologist who is there to review his "progress" and Worboys says that he has now changed his stance on the case. He explains that he accepts full responsibility for his offences but when probed about why he's changed his mind, he cites his belief in God. He expresses feeling guilty about his offences and says that he's ready to start the sexual offenders treatment programme.
As Worboys is tidying up after a church meeting, he's informed by another inmate that talking about his newfound religion will only "get you so far" and he tells Worboys that he'll need to give them "a reason" as to why he committed the crimes he did.
When we then see Worboys meeting with the psychologist again, he's reeling off a story about an ex-girlfriend and how their break-up impacted him so much. He says they rekindled a year later but that he found her drunk and just took her home to her mother's, but was furious about it.
He then explains that it was that evening that he went out in his car "looking for someone", saying that was his first victim in 2006. He admits to drugging his victims, saying that he only put his penis inside one of his victims "for four seconds". It turns out that his inmate's advice works and the psychologist recommends that he be eligible for parole. But then the news is announced — in an unprecedented turn of events, Laila and Sarah come together to get Warboys's decision overturned with the help of Carrie.
Worboys returns to prison after his parole decision is quashed.
The harrowing four-parter ends on a sobering note.
Show full content
This article contains full spoilers for the ending of Believe Me, as well as discussion of subjects including sexual assault and rape that some readers may find upsetting.
By the end of the third episode of ITV's Believe Me, Carrie (Miriam Petche) had decided to waive her anonymity in order to be a focal point for the John Worboys case in the hopes of encouraging more victims to come forward.
While we saw that Worboys was sentenced, worries remained for Sarah (Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (Aasiya Shah) who realised that after serving his minimum term of eight years, Worboys could be up for parole by the end of it. Meeting with solicitor Harriet Wistrich (Philippa Dunne), she tried to alleviate their worries, citing the fact that Worboys would need to admit to what he's done and had pleaded innocence since the start.
Laila uses the opportunity to inform the women that she was told by the police that the true number of Worboys's victims was up to 500, a harrowing and sobering thought. But nevertheless, with Harriet's help, the pair moved forward with their case against the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act.
But how did the final episode of Believe Me unfold? Read on to find out.
Believe Me ending explained: What happened to Sarah and Laila?
At the start of the final episode, Carrie is introduced to her colleague Cherry on her first day working in the Comms department for the Conservative Party. Later that morning, Cherry says that she recognises her as being a victim of the 'black cab rapist', a term that Carrie isn't entirely comfortable with. She said that she learnt a lot from that media experience, which should put her in good stead for her new job role.
As for Sarah and Laila, they meet with Harriet, who continues to gather evidence that the Metropolitan Police investigations into their allegations weren't effective at all. The facts are disappointing for Sarah and Laila but the evidence speaks for itself and Harriet says that QC Phillippa Kaufmann (Rachael Stirling) will be able to take on the case for them in court.
Later on, Laila tells Sarah that she's met someone through her family's arrangement and the prospect of telling him about her attack is too much to bear, with Laila still having not even told her family.
The women convene with Phillippa and they engage in a very heated meeting with the Metropolitan Police. A training programme is proposed for police officers, with the invitation extended to Sarah and Laila so that their experience can teach them. It's a metaphorical slap in the face for them and the pair of women are incensed to take their case further, with Harriet and Phillippa agreeing.
In November 2013, they take their case to court and are forced to relive their harrowing interview experiences while the officers in charge of their respective cases take the stand. Some time later, we see that Sarah is pregnant but isn't having an easy time of it in her relationship as she confides in her best friend Frankie (Laurie Kynaston).
We then see Sarah call Laila some months later and inform her that they've won their case against the police and that the judge ruled that if it wasn't for the failures of the investigation into Sarah's initial allegations, Laila would not have been raped by Worboys. It's an emotional moment for the pair as they celebrate their win and their compensation – but it turns out it's an even bigger day as it's actually the day of Laila's engagement.
The series then jumps quite a way forward to Laila living in a new home with her husband and a newborn baby in her arms. Again, we jump to 2018 as Sarah is enjoying a morning with her children but is shocked to see a news headline about Worboys's parole release flash up on her phone.
Neither her nor Laila were informed by anyone and they're, of course, distressed to learn that Worboys could be released back into public. With Phillippa and Harriet, they try to find out what the process was to reach the conclusion that Worboys is fit for release and conclude that they'll be going after a judicial review.
Carrie is now the Director of Communications at CCHQ and upon hearing of Worboys's release, joins Sarah, Laila, Harriet, and Phillippa to spearhead a huge publicity campaign to raise money, awareness and force a judicial review of the decision.
Harriet and Phillippa comb over the evidence at hand and find that Worboys has used a story about a relationship break-up as the basis of an explanation for his crimes, something they seek to tear apart. On the day of the court hearing, Laila bails and can't make it but Sarah goes along, facing her fears of riding in a black cab in order to get there in time. After an emotional hearing, the decision to free Worboys is overturned and we then see a happy Sarah enjoying time in her garden with her three children.
Things are a bit more sombre for Laila who is sat outside on her garden bench, clearly preoccupied with her thoughts. When her husband sits beside her and asks if she's okay, she takes that opportunity to finally tell him about her experience. We don't hear their conversation but instead, see him embrace Laila.
What happened to Worboys at the end of Believe Me?
In prison, Worboys maintains that everything mapped out in the numerous allegations was actually consensual and that he never drugged anyone. He's now changed his name to John Radford in a bid to shake off the "dirt" associated with his real name after the women came forward with their allegations.
He turns to a life of religion as he seeks solace in Christianity and now attends church. He meets with a forensic psychologist who is there to review his "progress" and Worboys says that he has now changed his stance on the case. He explains that he accepts full responsibility for his offences but when probed about why he's changed his mind, he cites his belief in God. He expresses feeling guilty about his offences and says that he's ready to start the sexual offenders treatment programme.
As Worboys is tidying up after a church meeting, he's informed by another inmate that talking about his newfound religion will only "get you so far" and he tells Worboys that he'll need to give them "a reason" as to why he committed the crimes he did.
When we then see Worboys meeting with the psychologist again, he's reeling off a story about an ex-girlfriend and how their break-up impacted him so much. He says they rekindled a year later but that he found her drunk and just took her home to her mother's, but was furious about it.
He then explains that it was that evening that he went out in his car "looking for someone", saying that was his first victim in 2006. He admits to drugging his victims, saying that he only put his penis inside one of his victims "for four seconds". It turns out that his inmate's advice works and the psychologist recommends that he be eligible for parole. But then the news is announced — in an unprecedented turn of events, Laila and Sarah come together to get Warboys's decision overturned with the help of Carrie.
Worboys returns to prison after his parole decision is quashed.
A newcomer is set to turn heads and ruffle feathers in Coronation Street next week.
Idris Nazir, played by actor Junade Khan, makes his arrival on Tuesday 26 May. The cousin of Alya's (Sair Khan) late father Kal, he immediately catches the attention of the Weatherfield locals by pulling up onto the cobbles in his flashy car.
Speaking of the new arrival, producer Kate Brooks told Radio Times and other media: "He is very, very charming, the charm oozes out of every pore of this guy. He’s a savvy kind of business guy, he's got a bit of a ruthless streak, he is prepared to get his hands slightly dirty, and he can charm the birds from the trees."
It soon transpires that Alya isn't the only resident that he knows, having met Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) at a Nazir family gathering over 10 years ago. It doesn't take long for sparks to fly...
“He’s a new love interest for Leanne. The attraction is instantaneous," Brooks continued.
"It kind of gives Leanne a new lease of life. She’s been harbouring a deep-rooted resentment towards Toyah and Nick, because that's the life she had. This guy comes along, he's got it all, he makes her laugh. He's funny, he's handsome, and he ruffles a lot of feathers, but he's not without an edge.
"He’s not soft, and he's certainly no pushover. He butts heads with some of our more alpha kind of characters quite early on."
Aside from romancing Leanne, he'll also impress teenager Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), and create a new rivalry with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard).
Long-term fans, or those who have been watching Classic Coronation Street on ITV3, may have seen Khan before.
"I joined Corrie for a very short stint [in 2008] as a love interest for Rosie Webster," the actor explained upon his casting.
"She’d been kidnapped by John Stape, and we met in a nightclub. My character was called Saj, though Helen Flanagan called me 'Sarge' which was funny! I remember being in the Rovers with Sally, Gail and Carla. Coming back now, I saw Alison King and said, 'I’ve seen you before!'"
On his new alter-ego's nature, he added: "He’s multi-layered and incredibly ambitious. As a child, he suffered a lot of hardship and neglect, so he’s had to overcome those obstacles entirely on his own.
"He’s a lone wolf - the black sheep of the family who has made a name for himself. He’s addicted to success and the finer things in life, but there’s a real vulnerability there, too.
"It’s the first time I’ve played a character where I can show that side, which is a great gift for an actor."
A newcomer is set to turn heads and ruffle feathers in Coronation Street next week.
Idris Nazir, played by actor Junade Khan, makes his arrival on Tuesday 26 May. The cousin of Alya's (Sair Khan) late father Kal, he immediately catches the attention of the Weatherfield locals by pulling up onto the cobbles in his flashy car.
Speaking of the new arrival, producer Kate Brooks told Radio Times and other media: "He is very, very charming, the charm oozes out of every pore of this guy. He’s a savvy kind of business guy, he's got a bit of a ruthless streak, he is prepared to get his hands slightly dirty, and he can charm the birds from the trees."
It soon transpires that Alya isn't the only resident that he knows, having met Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) at a Nazir family gathering over 10 years ago. It doesn't take long for sparks to fly...
“He’s a new love interest for Leanne. The attraction is instantaneous," Brooks continued.
"It kind of gives Leanne a new lease of life. She’s been harbouring a deep-rooted resentment towards Toyah and Nick, because that's the life she had. This guy comes along, he's got it all, he makes her laugh. He's funny, he's handsome, and he ruffles a lot of feathers, but he's not without an edge.
"He’s not soft, and he's certainly no pushover. He butts heads with some of our more alpha kind of characters quite early on."
Aside from romancing Leanne, he'll also impress teenager Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), and create a new rivalry with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard).
Long-term fans, or those who have been watching Classic Coronation Street on ITV3, may have seen Khan before.
"I joined Corrie for a very short stint [in 2008] as a love interest for Rosie Webster," the actor explained upon his casting.
"She’d been kidnapped by John Stape, and we met in a nightclub. My character was called Saj, though Helen Flanagan called me 'Sarge' which was funny! I remember being in the Rovers with Sally, Gail and Carla. Coming back now, I saw Alison King and said, 'I’ve seen you before!'"
On his new alter-ego's nature, he added: "He’s multi-layered and incredibly ambitious. As a child, he suffered a lot of hardship and neglect, so he’s had to overcome those obstacles entirely on his own.
"He’s a lone wolf - the black sheep of the family who has made a name for himself. He’s addicted to success and the finer things in life, but there’s a real vulnerability there, too.
"It’s the first time I’ve played a character where I can show that side, which is a great gift for an actor."
Sam Levinson’s teen drama abandoned high school for neo-Western hijinks in its third and possibly final season – but how is it going to end?
Show full content
Euphoria’s third (and possibly final) season is nearing its end.
Over the last six weeks, we’ve seen Sam Levinson’s mega-hit HBO drama trade teen angst and high school rivalries for the crushing demands of adulthood and neo-Western hijinks in the desert, and all signs point to the series pacing itself for a bloody crescendo.
This has been the case so far for its third outing, where Levinson now seems most interested in building a quasi-religious narrative about the sacrifice it takes to grow up and mature in a world that’s built to tear you down.
In the next two weeks, we’ll finally discover how Levinson chooses to end Euphoria – and there’s no end of theories online about how its central character may or may not (and, for some of them, probably will not) survive the end game.
So, here are our six best theories as to how Euphoria is going to end. Spoilers: It’s probably not going to be a happy ending.
Who will die in Euphoria season 3?
Here are our top six theories about who will die in Euphoria season 3, taking into account the ending of the most recent episode, Stand Still and See.
Theory 1: Rue Bennett
Euphoria’s most recent episode made one thing abundantly clear: this season is, at its heart, about finding a way for Rue Bennett to redeem herself. Just how this redemption will manifest itself, however, is a question still waiting to be answered.
Watching the most recent episode, Stand Still and See, and its (let’s be honest, a bit on the nose) religious undertones, maybe the final season of Euphoria has been about Zendaya’s Rue being bruised and broken, over and over again, but still getting back up to fight. To survive.
Euphoria went out of its way this week to portray Rue, sat in a church, silently hoping for redemption, when she receives a phone call from her estranged mother (played by Nika King with a superb amount of fragile grace), with whom she pleads for forgiveness.
If there was any character in Euphoria who would benefit from this redemption, it’s Rue. She’s pushed away almost every single positive personal relationship in her life in an effort to protect both them and herself.
This budding relationship with God and Rue’s search for forgiveness may be far too little, far too late, but it does also speak to the larger themes Levinson has always tried to weave into his work.
Then, there’s the burning bush of it all. Rue may have taken it as a sign of divine providence – that there is, after all, hope – but maybe it’s also meant to signal that God is about to pull something really Old Testament out of his hat.
In her death – whether that comes at the hands of Alamo, or Laurie or even, perhaps, the ghost of her addiction – what if Rue becomes the Christ-like figure who redeems every other person in Euphoria by way of her sacrifice? It would certainly play to Zendaya’s strengths for mining the emotional depths of Rue and bringing back diamonds. That Emmy would be automatically hers, and give Euphoria’s central character the complicated, uncomfortable ending she deserves.
However, as this compelling Reddit theory by user JealousHovercraft768 also suggests, killing Rue may be too obvious of a ploy. What if the ultimate twist was Rue surviving, and that voiceover we’ve been hearing the entire time was actually her giving evidence on the stand? It would certainly be a big swing for Levinson to take – something he’s proved, time and time again, he’s not afraid of doing.
Theory 2: Nate Jacobs (obviously)
Look what they’ve done to my boy. As things stand, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) seems like the most obvious candidate to meet a grisly end in the finale. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch, given that he's currently said goodbye to a fair few bodily appendages over the last few weeks.
The trajectory of Nate’s story is one of the most interesting aspects of Euphoria, given that it seems the furthest away from the storyline the series was trying to give him in its debut year. Then, it seemed fairly prescient to predict that Nate was struggling big-time with his sexuality, and that his illicit, secret relationship with Jules, mostly taking place anonymously through a gay hook-up app, would help him find the light.
But that is, uh, definitely not how Nate’s story is going to go. His debt to Naz is reaching almost comic levels of ‘a situation going from bad to worse.’ How many more limbs, exactly, can one man lose?
Unless some Hail Mary is coming in the next two episodes – a nice twist would be Nate divorcing Cassie and reconnecting with Jules, given their relationship is one of the most nuanced and intriguing that Euphoria, for some reason, has never fully explored – Nate’s card seems marked.
As Reddit user uwill1der points out, Nate’s death would be of significant importance to Cassie’s arc, since it would play into her ultimate fear: being alone.
Theory 3: Cassie Howard (or is it Jacobs?)
Speaking of Cassie... this would be less of a physical death and more the death of Cassie’s ego, of her ambition. Despite the show trying various ways to degrade her, over and over again, somehow, Sydney Sweeney keeps Cass just on the right side of delusion. From her burgeoning OnlyFans career, her flatlining marriage to Nate and her movie star ambitions, you can’t say she hasn’t been hustling to try and make her way to the top.
As fulfilling as her much-coveted role of ‘Job Applicant’ on LA Nights will surely be, a hallmark of Cassie’s character from season 2 onwards has been her willingness to hurt the people she claims to love to get what she wants.
Nate may well be the exception to this, but Cassie has burnt a lot of bridges in the last three seasons. Her dogged attempts to become famous, no matter the cost or the course, may not come to fruition in the way she thinks.
One of the hallmarks of Maddy’s character in Euphoria has been that she doesn’t forgive and she doesn’t forget. And why would her former best friend, who stole her boyfriend, be any exception? As Tonydorigo11 points out on Reddit, Maddy getting into business with Alamo and his girls could spell disaster for Cass if her Hollywood dreams end up in tatters and she still has Nate’s inherited debt to Naz to pay.
Theory 4: Alamo Brown and/or Laurie
The concept of a Big Bad in the world of Euphoria has never really been a thing. For its first two seasons, the characters were less battling against an antagonistic figure and more their own addictions, fears and anxieties.
Alamo and Laurie have placed Rue directly in the centre of their proxy war, and her flip-flopping between the two sides of the dangerous drug kingpins as a DEA mole strongly suggests that, sooner rather than later, the jig will be up and there will be hell to pay.
From a storytelling perspective, the neatest ending would be for Euphoria to take both Alamo and Laurie out – preferably at the same time and probably by law enforcement – and clear the way for Rue to, finally, be free.
But, then again, wouldn’t that almost be too neat? The point of both Alamo and Laurie’s presence in the story is that they’re physical manifestations of the mistakes Rue has made and the temptation she’s given in to, time and time again. If only she hadn’t taken that suitcase. If only she hadn’t stayed at Alamo’s apartment.
This week, Euphoria went out of its way to show viewers a compelling, dramatic backstory for new player Alamo (portrayed with vindictive glee by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and this effort to humanise him, to show us how he became the way he is, smells strongly of setting him up for an important presence in the last two episodes. But will it end with him taking Laurie out... or Laurie taking him out?
Theory 5: Maddy Perez
Just kidding. My girl is way too committed to serving to ever let this happen.
Theory 6: Actually, no one dies
Wouldn’t this be the biggest gag of all? So much of the controversy and conversation around Euphoria has always been about how the show so willingly puts its characters through the emotional and physical meat grinder or trauma, over and over again.
Season 3 has been no exception – as you’ve seen above, many of the show’s key characters, Rue and Nate especially, have been boxed into a corner for its final two episodes. In such extreme cases, actually, that death doesn’t just seem obvious, it reads like a foregone conclusion.
But if Euphoria season 3 is one big moral lesson in forgiveness and redemption, why shouldn’t it be the case that even its most desperate, depraved characters be given that grace too?
Euphoria season 3 is airing weekly onHBO Max, Sky Atlantic andNOW. Catch up on seasons 1-2 on HBO Max and NOW.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Sam Levinson’s teen drama abandoned high school for neo-Western hijinks in its third and possibly final season – but how is it going to end?
Show full content
Euphoria’s third (and possibly final) season is nearing its end.
Over the last six weeks, we’ve seen Sam Levinson’s mega-hit HBO drama trade teen angst and high school rivalries for the crushing demands of adulthood and neo-Western hijinks in the desert, and all signs point to the series pacing itself for a bloody crescendo.
This has been the case so far for its third outing, where Levinson now seems most interested in building a quasi-religious narrative about the sacrifice it takes to grow up and mature in a world that’s built to tear you down.
In the next two weeks, we’ll finally discover how Levinson chooses to end Euphoria – and there’s no end of theories online about how its central character may or may not (and, for some of them, probably will not) survive the end game.
So, here are our six best theories as to how Euphoria is going to end. Spoilers: It’s probably not going to be a happy ending.
Who will die in Euphoria season 3?
Here are our top six theories about who will die in Euphoria season 3, taking into account the ending of the most recent episode, Stand Still and See.
Theory 1: Rue Bennett
Euphoria’s most recent episode made one thing abundantly clear: this season is, at its heart, about finding a way for Rue Bennett to redeem herself. Just how this redemption will manifest itself, however, is a question still waiting to be answered.
Watching the most recent episode, Stand Still and See, and its (let’s be honest, a bit on the nose) religious undertones, maybe the final season of Euphoria has been about Zendaya’s Rue being bruised and broken, over and over again, but still getting back up to fight. To survive.
Euphoria went out of its way this week to portray Rue, sat in a church, silently hoping for redemption, when she receives a phone call from her estranged mother (played by Nika King with a superb amount of fragile grace), with whom she pleads for forgiveness.
If there was any character in Euphoria who would benefit from this redemption, it’s Rue. She’s pushed away almost every single positive personal relationship in her life in an effort to protect both them and herself.
This budding relationship with God and Rue’s search for forgiveness may be far too little, far too late, but it does also speak to the larger themes Levinson has always tried to weave into his work.
Then, there’s the burning bush of it all. Rue may have taken it as a sign of divine providence – that there is, after all, hope – but maybe it’s also meant to signal that God is about to pull something really Old Testament out of his hat.
In her death – whether that comes at the hands of Alamo, or Laurie or even, perhaps, the ghost of her addiction – what if Rue becomes the Christ-like figure who redeems every other person in Euphoria by way of her sacrifice? It would certainly play to Zendaya’s strengths for mining the emotional depths of Rue and bringing back diamonds. That Emmy would be automatically hers, and give Euphoria’s central character the complicated, uncomfortable ending she deserves.
However, as this compelling Reddit theory by user JealousHovercraft768 also suggests, killing Rue may be too obvious of a ploy. What if the ultimate twist was Rue surviving, and that voiceover we’ve been hearing the entire time was actually her giving evidence on the stand? It would certainly be a big swing for Levinson to take – something he’s proved, time and time again, he’s not afraid of doing.
Theory 2: Nate Jacobs (obviously)
Look what they’ve done to my boy. As things stand, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) seems like the most obvious candidate to meet a grisly end in the finale. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch, given that he's currently said goodbye to a fair few bodily appendages over the last few weeks.
The trajectory of Nate’s story is one of the most interesting aspects of Euphoria, given that it seems the furthest away from the storyline the series was trying to give him in its debut year. Then, it seemed fairly prescient to predict that Nate was struggling big-time with his sexuality, and that his illicit, secret relationship with Jules, mostly taking place anonymously through a gay hook-up app, would help him find the light.
But that is, uh, definitely not how Nate’s story is going to go. His debt to Naz is reaching almost comic levels of ‘a situation going from bad to worse.’ How many more limbs, exactly, can one man lose?
Unless some Hail Mary is coming in the next two episodes – a nice twist would be Nate divorcing Cassie and reconnecting with Jules, given their relationship is one of the most nuanced and intriguing that Euphoria, for some reason, has never fully explored – Nate’s card seems marked.
As Reddit user uwill1der points out, Nate’s death would be of significant importance to Cassie’s arc, since it would play into her ultimate fear: being alone.
Theory 3: Cassie Howard (or is it Jacobs?)
Speaking of Cassie... this would be less of a physical death and more the death of Cassie’s ego, of her ambition. Despite the show trying various ways to degrade her, over and over again, somehow, Sydney Sweeney keeps Cass just on the right side of delusion. From her burgeoning OnlyFans career, her flatlining marriage to Nate and her movie star ambitions, you can’t say she hasn’t been hustling to try and make her way to the top.
As fulfilling as her much-coveted role of ‘Job Applicant’ on LA Nights will surely be, a hallmark of Cassie’s character from season 2 onwards has been her willingness to hurt the people she claims to love to get what she wants.
Nate may well be the exception to this, but Cassie has burnt a lot of bridges in the last three seasons. Her dogged attempts to become famous, no matter the cost or the course, may not come to fruition in the way she thinks.
One of the hallmarks of Maddy’s character in Euphoria has been that she doesn’t forgive and she doesn’t forget. And why would her former best friend, who stole her boyfriend, be any exception? As Tonydorigo11 points out on Reddit, Maddy getting into business with Alamo and his girls could spell disaster for Cass if her Hollywood dreams end up in tatters and she still has Nate’s inherited debt to Naz to pay.
Theory 4: Alamo Brown and/or Laurie
The concept of a Big Bad in the world of Euphoria has never really been a thing. For its first two seasons, the characters were less battling against an antagonistic figure and more their own addictions, fears and anxieties.
Alamo and Laurie have placed Rue directly in the centre of their proxy war, and her flip-flopping between the two sides of the dangerous drug kingpins as a DEA mole strongly suggests that, sooner rather than later, the jig will be up and there will be hell to pay.
From a storytelling perspective, the neatest ending would be for Euphoria to take both Alamo and Laurie out – preferably at the same time and probably by law enforcement – and clear the way for Rue to, finally, be free.
But, then again, wouldn’t that almost be too neat? The point of both Alamo and Laurie’s presence in the story is that they’re physical manifestations of the mistakes Rue has made and the temptation she’s given in to, time and time again. If only she hadn’t taken that suitcase. If only she hadn’t stayed at Alamo’s apartment.
This week, Euphoria went out of its way to show viewers a compelling, dramatic backstory for new player Alamo (portrayed with vindictive glee by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and this effort to humanise him, to show us how he became the way he is, smells strongly of setting him up for an important presence in the last two episodes. But will it end with him taking Laurie out... or Laurie taking him out?
Theory 5: Maddy Perez
Just kidding. My girl is way too committed to serving to ever let this happen.
Theory 6: Actually, no one dies
Wouldn’t this be the biggest gag of all? So much of the controversy and conversation around Euphoria has always been about how the show so willingly puts its characters through the emotional and physical meat grinder or trauma, over and over again.
Season 3 has been no exception – as you’ve seen above, many of the show’s key characters, Rue and Nate especially, have been boxed into a corner for its final two episodes. In such extreme cases, actually, that death doesn’t just seem obvious, it reads like a foregone conclusion.
But if Euphoria season 3 is one big moral lesson in forgiveness and redemption, why shouldn’t it be the case that even its most desperate, depraved characters be given that grace too?
Euphoria season 3 is airing weekly onHBO Max, Sky Atlantic andNOW. Catch up on seasons 1-2 on HBO Max and NOW.
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Lanterns' official logline reads: "The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."
A teaser trailer released today revealed a first look at all three stars in action. The nearly two-minute long trailer begins with Hal Jordan placing a Green Lantern ring in front of John Stewart and declaring: "This ring. It's the greatest weapon in the universe."
The viewer is then fed shots of what Hal Jordan is able to do while in possession of the ring, including fighting, protection, teleportation and even counterfeiting money.
The trailer not only gives a glimpse at the stellar cast but also sets up the suspenseful storyline of the enduring tensions between Hal Jordan and John Stewart as he tries to possess a ring for himself.
The trailer concludes with John Stewart telling Laura Linney's currently unnamed character: "I was raised fearless and I'll do this better than he's ever done it before."
She simply replies: "Then go and get it, John Stewart," before the trailer ends with one last shot of, this time, John Stewart wearing a Green Lantern ring himself.
As well as Ozark Laura Linney is known for The Big C whilst Kyle Chandler is recognised for playing Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights and Aaron Pierre for playing Terry Richmond in Netflix's Rebel Ridge.
They will be joined in the cast by Kelly Macdonald, who made her acting debut in Trainspotting, alongside Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J Alphonse Nicholson and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
The Lanterns pilot was co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series, with Mundy also serving as showrunner.
Lanterns' official logline reads: "The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."
A teaser trailer released today revealed a first look at all three stars in action. The nearly two-minute long trailer begins with Hal Jordan placing a Green Lantern ring in front of John Stewart and declaring: "This ring. It's the greatest weapon in the universe."
The viewer is then fed shots of what Hal Jordan is able to do while in possession of the ring, including fighting, protection, teleportation and even counterfeiting money.
The trailer not only gives a glimpse at the stellar cast but also sets up the suspenseful storyline of the enduring tensions between Hal Jordan and John Stewart as he tries to possess a ring for himself.
The trailer concludes with John Stewart telling Laura Linney's currently unnamed character: "I was raised fearless and I'll do this better than he's ever done it before."
She simply replies: "Then go and get it, John Stewart," before the trailer ends with one last shot of, this time, John Stewart wearing a Green Lantern ring himself.
As well as Ozark Laura Linney is known for The Big C whilst Kyle Chandler is recognised for playing Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights and Aaron Pierre for playing Terry Richmond in Netflix's Rebel Ridge.
They will be joined in the cast by Kelly Macdonald, who made her acting debut in Trainspotting, alongside Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J Alphonse Nicholson and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
The Lanterns pilot was co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series, with Mundy also serving as showrunner.
With the final episode of FBI season 8 having now aired, it won't be long before fans of the police procedural are wondering if it'll be returning for anymore episodes.
Well, it would certainly be sad news if FBI was drawing to a close but thankfully, that's not a reality that the show's fans have to reckon with as it was renewed for season 9 last year as part of a multi-season renewal.
That renewal meant that fans could rest easy in the fact that FBI would be on our screens throughout 2026 and 2027. But now that season 8 is done and dusted in the US, many may be wondering just how long of a gap it'll be between seasons.
Wondering when FBI season 9 will land on our screens? Read on for everything we know so far.
FBI season 9 release date speculation
As of now, there's no confirmed release date for FBI season 9, but we do know that the series will return to US screens sometime in fall 2026.
It was previously said that the ninth season will premiere in the autumn months of 2026, with it set to conclude in spring 2027.
We're sure CBS will confirm the exact release date sometime soon, seeing as autumn really isn't that far away. As for UK fans, FBI airs on Sky Witness and NOW, with new season 8 episodes being released every week. So, we'll likely see a bit of a delay when it comes to a UK release, but watch this space.
At the time of its renewal, Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said: "The All-FBI Tuesday is a powerful force to be reckoned with on our primetime schedule.
"Dick Wolf and the talent in front of and behind the camera on all three series continue to deliver top-notch storytelling, riveting action and intrigue that has captivated a dedicated fanbase steadily across multiple seasons. We are excited to see what next season holds for all these heroic characters."
FBI season 9 cast speculation: Who might return?
Season 8 kicked off in a very dramatic fashion for Isobel, who had survived an explosion at the end of season 7, but suffered some serious injuries of her own. Some fans understandably feared the worst as she spent several days in a coma, but, thankfully, she ultimately survived.
While she was offered a promotion, she couldn't leave her team, so we can certainly expect Alana De La Garza back for season 9, as well as the rest of the main cast.
One of the more recent cast members that we won't be seeing is Dani Rhodes (Emily Alabi), who we met in season 7, but sadly died in Scola's arms during the season 8 premiere after being shot during a hostage situation.
Here's a list of the cast members we are expecting to see in season 9:
Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell
Zeeko Zaki as Omar Adom 'OA' Zidan
Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine
John Boyd as Stuart Scola
Alana De La Garza as Isobel Castille
Juliana Aidén Martinez as Eva Ramos
FBI season 9 trailer
There's no trailer for FBI season 9 just yet but you can re-acquaint yourself with season 8's action below.
With the final episode of FBI season 8 having now aired, it won't be long before fans of the police procedural are wondering if it'll be returning for anymore episodes.
Well, it would certainly be sad news if FBI was drawing to a close but thankfully, that's not a reality that the show's fans have to reckon with as it was renewed for season 9 last year as part of a multi-season renewal.
That renewal meant that fans could rest easy in the fact that FBI would be on our screens throughout 2026 and 2027. But now that season 8 is done and dusted in the US, many may be wondering just how long of a gap it'll be between seasons.
Wondering when FBI season 9 will land on our screens? Read on for everything we know so far.
FBI season 9 release date speculation
As of now, there's no confirmed release date for FBI season 9, but we do know that the series will return to US screens sometime in fall 2026.
It was previously said that the ninth season will premiere in the autumn months of 2026, with it set to conclude in spring 2027.
We're sure CBS will confirm the exact release date sometime soon, seeing as autumn really isn't that far away. As for UK fans, FBI airs on Sky Witness and NOW, with new season 8 episodes being released every week. So, we'll likely see a bit of a delay when it comes to a UK release, but watch this space.
At the time of its renewal, Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said: "The All-FBI Tuesday is a powerful force to be reckoned with on our primetime schedule.
"Dick Wolf and the talent in front of and behind the camera on all three series continue to deliver top-notch storytelling, riveting action and intrigue that has captivated a dedicated fanbase steadily across multiple seasons. We are excited to see what next season holds for all these heroic characters."
FBI season 9 cast speculation: Who might return?
Season 8 kicked off in a very dramatic fashion for Isobel, who had survived an explosion at the end of season 7, but suffered some serious injuries of her own. Some fans understandably feared the worst as she spent several days in a coma, but, thankfully, she ultimately survived.
While she was offered a promotion, she couldn't leave her team, so we can certainly expect Alana De La Garza back for season 9, as well as the rest of the main cast.
One of the more recent cast members that we won't be seeing is Dani Rhodes (Emily Alabi), who we met in season 7, but sadly died in Scola's arms during the season 8 premiere after being shot during a hostage situation.
Here's a list of the cast members we are expecting to see in season 9:
Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell
Zeeko Zaki as Omar Adom 'OA' Zidan
Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine
John Boyd as Stuart Scola
Alana De La Garza as Isobel Castille
Juliana Aidén Martinez as Eva Ramos
FBI season 9 trailer
There's no trailer for FBI season 9 just yet but you can re-acquaint yourself with season 8's action below.
The DJ rejected barracks and bricklaying to follow his dream – and kept his accent.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Jordan North discusses his journey into radio, explains his motivation for taking part in Soccer Aid and reveals why he didn't follow in his father's footsteps.
What’s the view from your sofa?
Most of the furniture in my house is pointed towards a television and I’ve got a telly in every room – in the living room, kitchen, in my bedroom and even in the spare room. But I’ve got books on shelves as well – and candles.
What do you watch on your many tellies?
I do love a good documentary, but then I easily fall back into comfort TV – Friends, Modern Family, The Office or The Royle Family, which I absolutely love. There’s nothing I like more than getting in from work, not having any plans and just having me tea, followed by a couple of squares of chocolate and an Aero yogurt, getting my comfies on and watching telly.
How does presenting the Capital breakfast show affect your TV viewing?
I get up at 4.20am every day – no earlier, no later – and I get ready for bed around 8.30pm to be in bed for nine, so I usually start watching TV about 7pm. I’ll watch one episode of a drama series and then a quick half-hour of Friends. I’ve had to make adjustments to my life, but I’ve always wanted to do a big national breakfast show, so I’m living the dream. I just can’t stay up binge-watching telly until midnight. I have to be really strict.
What happens when you’re not?
I can do the show on six hours’ sleep. Anything less and come 9am, I’m struggling to string a sentence together – and I’m on-air until 10am. You definitely can’t do it on a hangover. I learnt that the hard way. It’s a mistake you only make once. Maybe twice.
When did you first become attuned to radio?
My dad was in the Army so we moved around every couple of years. To get an idea of what wherever we were moving to was like, I’d tune in to the local radio, especially its breakfast shows. The presenters, the callers, the music they played, the quizzes they did: all would give a sense of a place. I’ve been obsessed ever since.
What makes yours a great voice for radio?
I genuinely don’t think I’ve got the best voice for it. It’s not a neutral, southern voice and it’s not everybody’s cup of tea – which I get. I know that if you flick around other radio stations, especially in the morning, there are many other voices that are a lot easier to listen to. When I first started in radio, I was told to put on a radio voice and I used to do it, but I always felt like a knob. So now, it’s my voice and my [northern] accent and it is distinctive, but it’s not nice and neutral like [Radio 1 Breakfast host] Greg James’s.
What was your plan B if radio didn’t work out?
Bricklaying. But when I was choosing my GCSEs, my English teacher told me that she was teaching a media studies course the following year and she thought I’d be really good at it. So I did it. It’s just as well because the bricklaying didn’t work out. I got sacked.
You never thought about joining the Army?
Oh God, no. My dad said he knew that, unlike my brothers, I was never going to join the Army when he picked me up from after-school drama.
You’re taking part in Soccer Aid this year – what does that mean to you?
It’s something that I’ve watched since I was a kid and I’ve been to see it at Old Trafford twice with my mates. So to be playing on the pitch with the likes of Wayne Rooney is a bit mad, and I’m very nervous about it and hope I’m not rubbish.
Any ambitions still unfulfilled?
I’d love to host the Brit Awards.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
The DJ rejected barracks and bricklaying to follow his dream – and kept his accent.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Jordan North discusses his journey into radio, explains his motivation for taking part in Soccer Aid and reveals why he didn't follow in his father's footsteps.
What’s the view from your sofa?
Most of the furniture in my house is pointed towards a television and I’ve got a telly in every room – in the living room, kitchen, in my bedroom and even in the spare room. But I’ve got books on shelves as well – and candles.
What do you watch on your many tellies?
I do love a good documentary, but then I easily fall back into comfort TV – Friends, Modern Family, The Office or The Royle Family, which I absolutely love. There’s nothing I like more than getting in from work, not having any plans and just having me tea, followed by a couple of squares of chocolate and an Aero yogurt, getting my comfies on and watching telly.
How does presenting the Capital breakfast show affect your TV viewing?
I get up at 4.20am every day – no earlier, no later – and I get ready for bed around 8.30pm to be in bed for nine, so I usually start watching TV about 7pm. I’ll watch one episode of a drama series and then a quick half-hour of Friends. I’ve had to make adjustments to my life, but I’ve always wanted to do a big national breakfast show, so I’m living the dream. I just can’t stay up binge-watching telly until midnight. I have to be really strict.
What happens when you’re not?
I can do the show on six hours’ sleep. Anything less and come 9am, I’m struggling to string a sentence together – and I’m on-air until 10am. You definitely can’t do it on a hangover. I learnt that the hard way. It’s a mistake you only make once. Maybe twice.
When did you first become attuned to radio?
My dad was in the Army so we moved around every couple of years. To get an idea of what wherever we were moving to was like, I’d tune in to the local radio, especially its breakfast shows. The presenters, the callers, the music they played, the quizzes they did: all would give a sense of a place. I’ve been obsessed ever since.
What makes yours a great voice for radio?
I genuinely don’t think I’ve got the best voice for it. It’s not a neutral, southern voice and it’s not everybody’s cup of tea – which I get. I know that if you flick around other radio stations, especially in the morning, there are many other voices that are a lot easier to listen to. When I first started in radio, I was told to put on a radio voice and I used to do it, but I always felt like a knob. So now, it’s my voice and my [northern] accent and it is distinctive, but it’s not nice and neutral like [Radio 1 Breakfast host] Greg James’s.
What was your plan B if radio didn’t work out?
Bricklaying. But when I was choosing my GCSEs, my English teacher told me that she was teaching a media studies course the following year and she thought I’d be really good at it. So I did it. It’s just as well because the bricklaying didn’t work out. I got sacked.
You never thought about joining the Army?
Oh God, no. My dad said he knew that, unlike my brothers, I was never going to join the Army when he picked me up from after-school drama.
You’re taking part in Soccer Aid this year – what does that mean to you?
It’s something that I’ve watched since I was a kid and I’ve been to see it at Old Trafford twice with my mates. So to be playing on the pitch with the likes of Wayne Rooney is a bit mad, and I’m very nervous about it and hope I’m not rubbish.
Any ambitions still unfulfilled?
I’d love to host the Brit Awards.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Sylvester McCoy talks to Radio Times about handing over the Tardis key to Paul McGann, the Harpo Marx wig, a stepping stone to New Who and the job that keeps on giving...
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A condensed version of this article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Let’s take a Tardis trip back to 27 May 1996. It’s a time when there has been no new Doctor Who for nearly seven years after the show’s cancellation. So fan excitement for a proposed revival is off the scale. Hopes are high among the cast and crew, too. As Sylvester McCoy remembers today: “We were very excited...”
McCoy had played the seventh embodiment of the Doctor for two years until 1989: “When it finished, people said that was the end of it, it’ll never come back, but I knew it would come back, partly because the fans would not let it go, they wouldn’t let it die.”
Indeed, McCoy was invited to reprise his role for the $5 million Doctor Who (The Movie), which saw his Time Lord land in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve 1999, only to be forced to regenerate into Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor. It was an extra-special moment for McCoy. “What was great was that Paul was a friend,” he says, “so it was nice to hand over the key of the Tardis to a friend.”
Did he pass on any tips about playing the time traveller? “Paul was worried about doing conventions for a while, but I think I talked him into doing that, to embrace it, which he now loves and he’s brilliant at.”
As for Paul’s performance, McCoy says, “It was terrific, I thought he was great. The interesting thing was that in the early scenes, he was more Christ-like – there was quite a religious thing going on there. But then science fiction is kind of religion, and as far as I’m concerned religion is medieval science fiction, so they kind of tie up together.
“Another thing I found interesting was that Doctor Who actually lands in America, he comes out of the Tardis and they shoot him! I thought there was a bit of satire in there somewhere.
"My favourite bit was when the motorbike rode into the Tardis. I didn’t know it was that big!"
So how did McCoy get the gig? "They got in touch with my agent and asked me if I would come along and do the regeneration scene with Paul. And I said yes. Because I didn’t ever do a regeneration scene with anyone..."
He is referring to his 80s spell in the Tardis, which ended with his Doctor and companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) walking off to the horizon, arm in arm, and began with a compromised changeover. For McCoy's debut in the 1987 story Time and the Rani, his predecessor, Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, declined to participate, so McCoy had to give the impression of Baker while on the floor of the Tardis, before he transformed.
"I had to be the previous actor myself, and they dressed me up in his costume. But he was a big fellow, the previous costume had lost me for about three days and they gave me a Harpo Marx wig. I looked ridiculous. But I always thought that I would come back and do a regeneration, no matter what. So I was delighted that I was coming back as Doctor Who, that I could do my regeneration scene and hand over to my friend Paul McGann."
Filming took place in Vancouver, Canada (“I was there for about two weeks – it was incredibly cold”), but McCoy wasn’t keen on his publicity photo, “because they stuck Paul on a box to make him look taller than me, then the angle of the image was slanted so they made him look even taller! But, he concedes, “I am the smallest Doctor... maybe Jodie [Whittaker, the Thirteenth Doctor] is smaller.”
The Anglo-American co-production, intended to be the pilot for a new series, co-starred Eric Roberts as the Master and Daphne Ashbrook as cardiologist Dr Grace Holloway, with whom a half-human Doctor shares a kiss (more of that in a moment). And at the time, producer Philip Segal told Radio Times, "I’m doing this because I am a fan and I want it back as much as everybody else. I’m not interested in tearing the fabric of the show apart."
In the end The Movie drew a sizeable 9.08 million to BBC One – but only 5.6 million in the States a fortnight before. This was deemed insufficient by the executives, so sadly the series had to be shelved. It was very much a case of what could have been, especially with McGann's performance coming in for considerable praise.
Does he have any ideas as to why it didn’t catch on? “Because I was in it." Really? "No, this is my theory. I don’t mean it in a negative way. Although Doctor Who was known in America at that time, it was only known via public broadcasting [PBS]. So a minority, a large minority, watched it but the majority didn’t know it. So [in The Movie] I think it was confusing that there was this Doctor, then suddenly there was another Doctor. In hindsight it was too complicated a thing for them to grab onto.
"The other reason was that it was up against Roseanne and it was a special episode. So that didn’t help." The hit US sitcom was watched that night by nearly 21 million.
“But it works very well. When they showed it in Britain, it was hugely successful because it’s part of our TV culture, we know the story, we know what’s meant. It’s a bit like pantomimes. They don’t export to other countries but we grew up with them.”
Compared with what had gone before under the name Doctor Who, however, The Movie did feel fast, modern and big-budget, with more emotion and romance. All the things it was when the show came back for good in 2005, and all the things it is today. McCoy agrees that it did prove to be a stepping stone, but as for the romance, “That was a bad bit, I disapprove of that.
"In classic Doctor Who, sex was kept out of it. Dear friends have told me that when they were young, they used to be able to watch television as a family and young kids would be watching it. As there was no romance in it, they were very comfortable with it. But bringing all that in kind of takes away the innocence of it, really. It was at its best when it was completely for the family… everyone got something out of it.”
I remind the actor of his very first work for television, the freewheeling, fondly remembered children's series Vision On, which McCoy joined in 1975. "Oh, that was a brilliant time. That was my first kind of concentrated television – three years in a TV series. And it was joyful because we were so free, we were allowed to improvise, invent, create.
"But it spoilt me in many ways for other things. When later on I was in Casualty or The Bill or something like that, I always felt constrained by that kind of acting because I'd had such freedom before."
But back to the "McGanniversary", as some are calling it. The Movie may have foundered in 1996, but it's clear that this one-off production paved the way for the modern incarnation of the show.
It also led to returns for both McCoy’s and McGann’s Doctors, in the TV series itself, audio dramas and of course at conventions. So not only was each of them the Doctor for a certain generation, but they remain so. How does that make McCoy feel?
“It makes me very proud and honoured. Who'd have thought? It’s the job that keeps on giving. And the love that you receive from people all over the world... I mean, I’ve travelled extensively, meeting Doctor Who fans from Latin America, India, you name it. The only continent I haven’t been to is the Antarctic."
As for the convention circuit, he says, "I love it. In the early days when I went to America when there were hardly any conventions over here, and when there was no wi-fi and all that kind of stuff, it was a meeting place for young people who were the only Doctor Who fans in the village, type of thing. And they were lonely and laughed at, but when they went to conventions they met their selves, the same kind of people.
"Once, I was walking down a big, carpeted alleyway with all these teenagers, some in costumes, sitting in circles, animated and discussing it and enjoying it. And I thought, 'I’m so proud to be part of that.' It brings such joy to people.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Sylvester's film memoir Who Is the Real McCoy will debut at the end of the year. Doctor Who (The Movie) is on iPlayer.
Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
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Sylvester McCoy talks to Radio Times about handing over the Tardis key to Paul McGann, the Harpo Marx wig, a stepping stone to New Who and the job that keeps on giving...
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A condensed version of this article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Let’s take a Tardis trip back to 27 May 1996. It’s a time when there has been no new Doctor Who for nearly seven years after the show’s cancellation. So fan excitement for a proposed revival is off the scale. Hopes are high among the cast and crew, too. As Sylvester McCoy remembers today: “We were very excited...”
McCoy had played the seventh embodiment of the Doctor for two years until 1989: “When it finished, people said that was the end of it, it’ll never come back, but I knew it would come back, partly because the fans would not let it go, they wouldn’t let it die.”
Indeed, McCoy was invited to reprise his role for the $5 million Doctor Who (The Movie), which saw his Time Lord land in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve 1999, only to be forced to regenerate into Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor. It was an extra-special moment for McCoy. “What was great was that Paul was a friend,” he says, “so it was nice to hand over the key of the Tardis to a friend.”
Did he pass on any tips about playing the time traveller? “Paul was worried about doing conventions for a while, but I think I talked him into doing that, to embrace it, which he now loves and he’s brilliant at.”
As for Paul’s performance, McCoy says, “It was terrific, I thought he was great. The interesting thing was that in the early scenes, he was more Christ-like – there was quite a religious thing going on there. But then science fiction is kind of religion, and as far as I’m concerned religion is medieval science fiction, so they kind of tie up together.
“Another thing I found interesting was that Doctor Who actually lands in America, he comes out of the Tardis and they shoot him! I thought there was a bit of satire in there somewhere.
"My favourite bit was when the motorbike rode into the Tardis. I didn’t know it was that big!"
So how did McCoy get the gig? "They got in touch with my agent and asked me if I would come along and do the regeneration scene with Paul. And I said yes. Because I didn’t ever do a regeneration scene with anyone..."
He is referring to his 80s spell in the Tardis, which ended with his Doctor and companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) walking off to the horizon, arm in arm, and began with a compromised changeover. For McCoy's debut in the 1987 story Time and the Rani, his predecessor, Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, declined to participate, so McCoy had to give the impression of Baker while on the floor of the Tardis, before he transformed.
"I had to be the previous actor myself, and they dressed me up in his costume. But he was a big fellow, the previous costume had lost me for about three days and they gave me a Harpo Marx wig. I looked ridiculous. But I always thought that I would come back and do a regeneration, no matter what. So I was delighted that I was coming back as Doctor Who, that I could do my regeneration scene and hand over to my friend Paul McGann."
Filming took place in Vancouver, Canada (“I was there for about two weeks – it was incredibly cold”), but McCoy wasn’t keen on his publicity photo, “because they stuck Paul on a box to make him look taller than me, then the angle of the image was slanted so they made him look even taller! But, he concedes, “I am the smallest Doctor... maybe Jodie [Whittaker, the Thirteenth Doctor] is smaller.”
The Anglo-American co-production, intended to be the pilot for a new series, co-starred Eric Roberts as the Master and Daphne Ashbrook as cardiologist Dr Grace Holloway, with whom a half-human Doctor shares a kiss (more of that in a moment). And at the time, producer Philip Segal told Radio Times, "I’m doing this because I am a fan and I want it back as much as everybody else. I’m not interested in tearing the fabric of the show apart."
In the end The Movie drew a sizeable 9.08 million to BBC One – but only 5.6 million in the States a fortnight before. This was deemed insufficient by the executives, so sadly the series had to be shelved. It was very much a case of what could have been, especially with McGann's performance coming in for considerable praise.
Does he have any ideas as to why it didn’t catch on? “Because I was in it." Really? "No, this is my theory. I don’t mean it in a negative way. Although Doctor Who was known in America at that time, it was only known via public broadcasting [PBS]. So a minority, a large minority, watched it but the majority didn’t know it. So [in The Movie] I think it was confusing that there was this Doctor, then suddenly there was another Doctor. In hindsight it was too complicated a thing for them to grab onto.
"The other reason was that it was up against Roseanne and it was a special episode. So that didn’t help." The hit US sitcom was watched that night by nearly 21 million.
“But it works very well. When they showed it in Britain, it was hugely successful because it’s part of our TV culture, we know the story, we know what’s meant. It’s a bit like pantomimes. They don’t export to other countries but we grew up with them.”
Compared with what had gone before under the name Doctor Who, however, The Movie did feel fast, modern and big-budget, with more emotion and romance. All the things it was when the show came back for good in 2005, and all the things it is today. McCoy agrees that it did prove to be a stepping stone, but as for the romance, “That was a bad bit, I disapprove of that.
"In classic Doctor Who, sex was kept out of it. Dear friends have told me that when they were young, they used to be able to watch television as a family and young kids would be watching it. As there was no romance in it, they were very comfortable with it. But bringing all that in kind of takes away the innocence of it, really. It was at its best when it was completely for the family… everyone got something out of it.”
I remind the actor of his very first work for television, the freewheeling, fondly remembered children's series Vision On, which McCoy joined in 1975. "Oh, that was a brilliant time. That was my first kind of concentrated television – three years in a TV series. And it was joyful because we were so free, we were allowed to improvise, invent, create.
"But it spoilt me in many ways for other things. When later on I was in Casualty or The Bill or something like that, I always felt constrained by that kind of acting because I'd had such freedom before."
But back to the "McGanniversary", as some are calling it. The Movie may have foundered in 1996, but it's clear that this one-off production paved the way for the modern incarnation of the show.
It also led to returns for both McCoy’s and McGann’s Doctors, in the TV series itself, audio dramas and of course at conventions. So not only was each of them the Doctor for a certain generation, but they remain so. How does that make McCoy feel?
“It makes me very proud and honoured. Who'd have thought? It’s the job that keeps on giving. And the love that you receive from people all over the world... I mean, I’ve travelled extensively, meeting Doctor Who fans from Latin America, India, you name it. The only continent I haven’t been to is the Antarctic."
As for the convention circuit, he says, "I love it. In the early days when I went to America when there were hardly any conventions over here, and when there was no wi-fi and all that kind of stuff, it was a meeting place for young people who were the only Doctor Who fans in the village, type of thing. And they were lonely and laughed at, but when they went to conventions they met their selves, the same kind of people.
"Once, I was walking down a big, carpeted alleyway with all these teenagers, some in costumes, sitting in circles, animated and discussing it and enjoying it. And I thought, 'I’m so proud to be part of that.' It brings such joy to people.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Sylvester's film memoir Who Is the Real McCoy will debut at the end of the year. Doctor Who (The Movie) is on iPlayer.
Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
Add shows to your watchlist on theRadio Times: What to Watch app– download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy.
“Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask.
“Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
“Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way.
“When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f**k off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
Why has After Life been voted the Best Modern Comedy in the RT poll? Ricky Gervais reveals what makes it so special.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
When Ricky Gervais appears on screen for our Zoom chat, it could be a scene straight out of Extras, his merciless comedy lampooning all that is self-important about Hollywood and its luminaries. Behind him, I count at least five BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globes and, on a low shelf, almost as an afterthought, an Emmy.
“Are those in case I had forgotten what you’ve done?” I ask.
“Well, it’s my office…” he starts, before breaking into a trademark Gervais howl of laughter. “I could have faced the camera in another direction, I know.”
If any homegrown entertainer deserves to have their trophies up front and centre, it’s Gervais. Since breaking into the public consciousness and changing the rhythm of British comedy for ever with his mockumentary series The Office in 2001, the Reading-born comedian, actor, writer and director has enjoyed a hit rate second to none.
As well as executive producing the US version of the show, he and co-creator Stephen Merchant followed up with Extras and Life’s Too Short, while Gervais also created Derek and, notoriously and gloriously, hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, making it quite clear on each occasion how little he thought of every superstar in the room.
Now he can add another one to the trophy list – coming top in the RT poll to find Britain’s best modern comedy, where our readers voted for their favourite show of the past 15 years. The winner is After Life, Gervais’s bittersweet tale of recent widower Tony and his journey back to, if not happiness, then contentment, after losing his wife to cancer. Sweetly, he says he’s “thrilled” to be pocketing this victory.
Considering the other titles in a pedigree list, why does he think this show, which finished four years ago, has landed so well? “Well, if I’m being totally honest, the answer is because it’s on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, with 300 million subscribers. That helped,” he grins. “But I also think it resonated because everyone has been through something like it, and people like seeing themselves on telly.”
As Tony Johnson, Gervais paints a convincing portrait of a man swimming in a pool of bottomless grief. Finding little joy in his job on a local newspaper, or at home, where he watches endless videos of his late wife, Tony ultimately aborts an attempt to take his own life in order to feed his dog Brandy, a scene-stealing German Shepherd.
“It wasn’t meant to be about grief,” Gervais says of his original inspiration for the show. “The idea came around 2017, when cancel culture meant people started being careful of what they said. I wanted to write a comedy about a bloke who doesn’t care any more. I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t you? If you were going to kill yourself and didn’t. Why were you going to? Because you thought you’d lost everything. And why didn’t you? Because the dog was hungry.’ It all started from there, and it got deeper.
“Then, after the first series, people came up to me,” he continues, “and I realised everyone was grieving – they all thought it was about them. You don’t get over it. Someone told me, grief is like a heavy backpack, it doesn’t get lighter, you just get better at carrying it. So it became a study of grief, and it resonated.
“I spoke to a friend who works with the Samaritans, and they said, ‘Please don’t ever make Tony go through with it,’ so, for the first time, I was conscious of the responsibility. I don’t feel responsible for a middle manager in an office in Slough, and I don’t feel responsible for portraying Hollywood in Extras, but this time, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this right. I’ve got to be bothered’.”
Although Gervais has often acted in other projects, including the Night at the Museum films and Muppets Most Wanted, it’s the body of work that he has created, written, directed and starred in that has had the most impact. How does he balance those tasks? Does he see himself in a role from the beginning?
“It all comes at once,” he explains. “My influences are mostly from real life, and I write about what I know, where I’ve been, how I’ve felt. I’m fascinated by humanity, and all those things that seem trivial: embarrassment, ego, jealousy. I don’t think most people sit down and ask, ‘What’s the point of life?’ They say, ‘Why is Jack such an idiot?’ Most of us are living in a safe sort of society, where your firstborn isn’t dying of dysentery and you’re not being shot at. The worst thing that happens is a waiter being rude to you.”
David Jason recently told RT that the secret to Only Fools and Horses was that it wasn’t a comedy, but a drama that happened to have characters doing funny things, and Gervais believes the same is true of After Life. “People ask me, ‘Is it a comedy or a drama?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s real life. What’s yours? A bit of both.’ You can’t have a group of people telling jokes all the time, it’s wearing. Realism is interesting enough. In my shows, no one gets a gun, no one sees an alien. You just want the people you love doing things in a funny way.
“When you write a film, it’s beginning, middle and end; sitcoms are just middle. The victories are tiny, like in The Office when David Brent told Chris Finch to f**k off. That was massive.”
Another theme running through Gervais’s work is the power of kindness; no person gets left behind. As Penelope Wilton’s sage friend Anne tells Tony in the latter, “It’s not all about you.” However, Gervais is a rare entertainer who can justifiably decide it is all about him, shelves bulging with trophies and all. Even in his Golden Globes-hosting schtick of telling his A-list audience, “if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about that award as much as you do… don’t get emotional, it’s embarrassing,” he’s still highly paid and centre stage. What are his own checks and balances?
Gervais comes from a family who worked or still work in the care sector. He’s had the same woman, TV producer turned novelist Janet Fallon (who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself), by his side since 1982, and donates millions to animal charities. He adds now: “Was it Oprah Winfrey who said, ‘If you don’t know who you are by the time you become famous, it will define you.’ I didn’t have any money until I was 40, so the work is done.”
Gervais can also claim to be one of our most successful exports Stateside. As well as the millions he has earned, he has a home in New York, buddies like Larry David, and a string of Netflix stand-up comedy specials, including a record-breaking turn at the Hollywood Bowl. But in his work, he remains palpably British. “People ask me, ‘Why are your characters so grotesque?’ We’re force-fed people like George Clooney as a doctor, but it’s a false expectation of life. We look like me and David Earl [After Life’s Brian]. There’s nothing funny about being cool and handsome.”
Runner-up in our best modern comedy poll is Detectorists, the creation of Gervais’s fellow Office alumnus, Mackenzie Crook, whom Gervais persuaded to direct as well as write. “I told Mackenzie, ‘Why are you telling someone else what you want? You’re there anyway.’” The gentle, bucolic comedy is very different from the coarser, more vulgar world of After Life, but Gervais sees a shared sensibility: “Nothing huge, nothing surreal, just minute, tiny things. It’s the silences, the pauses, the naturalism.”
No bum jokes or C-bombs in Detectorists, though. Why does Gervais reach for them? “Because those people do exist, so I just like to throw them all in.” Drama and comedy, rude and gentle, After Life is also intensely revealing. Through “Tony”, with his great love for his partner, his happiness with his dog, his great consolation in the tiniest nonsenses of all human life, it’s clearly an extremely personal work. Will Gervais ever create such an expansive, self-exploring piece again?
“I don’t know,” he admits. “You don’t know you’re changing when you’re changing, you have to look back. I worked in an office for years, so I wrote about it. I’d been in entertainment for a couple of years when I wrote Extras. Derek came out of my family working in care homes. But it’s never the sit- or the com. It’s the people, always the people. “If I had one central message in my comedy, it would be that we’re all idiots, so it’s all OK.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
The actor and Strictly star on dressing up, rising up and strutting his stuff on stage in the West End.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Johannes Radebe is a Strictly Come Dancing favourite and will return to the show later this year.
He made his musical theatre debut in a UK touring production of Kinky Boots in 2025. Now it’s his first time performing in the West End, reprising his role as drag queen Lola, who forms an unlikely friendship with Charlie (Matt Cardle) after he inherits his father’s struggling shoe factory and starts making footwear for drag queens.
Johannes, you’ve gone from being a dancer to a singer and actor – how did that happen?
It took me two years to say yes to the job, because of impostor syndrome. I despise celebrity casting and I understood there would be so many black, queer men on the sidelines, wanting this opportunity. And while I’ve always been on stage, I wasn’t very confident with my singing. My mum always told me I sound like a sheep. I went to singing lessons and my teacher said, “That’s called a vibrato, and a very fast, strong one that we can work with.”
When did you first wear heels?
I was a teeny, weeny boy when I put on my mum’s heels for the first time. Playing with other kids was hard, so that was my pastime. I would also throw on her turbans and necklaces. I remember the feeling, the freedom, I was afforded by her of: “OK, do your thing.” But she was like, “If your father sees you, don’t come running to me.”
What was it like growing up in Zamdela in South Africa?
As a young boy, many who loved me didn’t know how to handle my queerness. I remember my uncle saying, “As long as you don’t come here with hair and nails and make-up, we’re fine.” I said, “So your love comes with conditions. I don’t think that’s love at all.” It was also the thing that propelled me to get out of my township, because I thought, “I’m not gonna survive”. I had to deal with my internal homophobia. I’m glad I’m over that now.
Do you still encounter homophobia?
When I was doing rehearsals in Leicester [Kinky Boots played a limited run at Leicester Curve before the London Coliseum], I went to buy a jacket potato and the ladies that served me were gorgeous. They were big fans of Strictly, so you can imagine the energy that would erupt from them! Then this boy comes out of nowhere and shouts a racist, homophobic slur. I went, “Exactly, darling!” I know what it is to be bullied, but I’ve always been able to rise above that.
So how do you rise above it?
It comes from the love and support I’ve experienced since being in this country [Radebe became a British citizen in February]. It outweighs any hate I might encounter, because I’m now a stronger man so I can handle my business. As a young boy, I couldn’t, and I’m glad for those people that interceded.
You made Strictly Come Dancing history when you partnered with John Whaite in 2021. Did it feel like a big deal at the time?
Nicola [Adams] and Katya [Jones] did it first [in 2020], and respect to them. At the time the thought of seeing them on that dancefloor terrified me, because of my life experiences. I thought, “These women are brave.” When Strictly asked me, it bothered me that I had to think about it. Having my mum’s approval mattered. The first thing she said was, “What’s the problem? Does [John] not deserve the Johannes that everybody else deserves? Open heart, open mind.” That was all I needed to hear.
How did your family react?
I watched the final with my family in South Africa and I realised how invested they were. My niece said, “Look at the way they look at each other!” The whole room erupted and said, “Yeah, why didn’t you bring him home? You guys are in love!” And I was like “No, no,” but it was just the sheer joy of having a conversation about me being in a relationship with a man. My uncle said, “You guys deserved to win.” It changed the trajectory of my relationship with my entire family.
You were on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021 and won The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special in 2022. Are there any other shows you’d love to go on?
I was a choreographer on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World [in 2022], but I still need to sit on the judging panel. That’s icon status. I’m just going to keep on working so I can sit in that chair.
There’s also a film adaptation of your 2023 memoir JoJo: Finally Home in the works. Do you have any updates?
Why do films take forever? It is greenlit, but we welcome more producers. I read the first script a few months ago and it was absolutely heart-warming.
Is it exciting to tell your life story?
I didn’t realise what I was doing was inspirational. But now looking back, so many people need that encouragement, especially where I come from. There’s a lack of role models and a lack of representation. I want my movie to be for anyone that needs the message: get out of your township, there’s a world waiting for you.
The actor and Strictly star on dressing up, rising up and strutting his stuff on stage in the West End.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Johannes Radebe is a Strictly Come Dancing favourite and will return to the show later this year.
He made his musical theatre debut in a UK touring production of Kinky Boots in 2025. Now it’s his first time performing in the West End, reprising his role as drag queen Lola, who forms an unlikely friendship with Charlie (Matt Cardle) after he inherits his father’s struggling shoe factory and starts making footwear for drag queens.
Johannes, you’ve gone from being a dancer to a singer and actor – how did that happen?
It took me two years to say yes to the job, because of impostor syndrome. I despise celebrity casting and I understood there would be so many black, queer men on the sidelines, wanting this opportunity. And while I’ve always been on stage, I wasn’t very confident with my singing. My mum always told me I sound like a sheep. I went to singing lessons and my teacher said, “That’s called a vibrato, and a very fast, strong one that we can work with.”
When did you first wear heels?
I was a teeny, weeny boy when I put on my mum’s heels for the first time. Playing with other kids was hard, so that was my pastime. I would also throw on her turbans and necklaces. I remember the feeling, the freedom, I was afforded by her of: “OK, do your thing.” But she was like, “If your father sees you, don’t come running to me.”
What was it like growing up in Zamdela in South Africa?
As a young boy, many who loved me didn’t know how to handle my queerness. I remember my uncle saying, “As long as you don’t come here with hair and nails and make-up, we’re fine.” I said, “So your love comes with conditions. I don’t think that’s love at all.” It was also the thing that propelled me to get out of my township, because I thought, “I’m not gonna survive”. I had to deal with my internal homophobia. I’m glad I’m over that now.
Do you still encounter homophobia?
When I was doing rehearsals in Leicester [Kinky Boots played a limited run at Leicester Curve before the London Coliseum], I went to buy a jacket potato and the ladies that served me were gorgeous. They were big fans of Strictly, so you can imagine the energy that would erupt from them! Then this boy comes out of nowhere and shouts a racist, homophobic slur. I went, “Exactly, darling!” I know what it is to be bullied, but I’ve always been able to rise above that.
So how do you rise above it?
It comes from the love and support I’ve experienced since being in this country [Radebe became a British citizen in February]. It outweighs any hate I might encounter, because I’m now a stronger man so I can handle my business. As a young boy, I couldn’t, and I’m glad for those people that interceded.
You made Strictly Come Dancing history when you partnered with John Whaite in 2021. Did it feel like a big deal at the time?
Nicola [Adams] and Katya [Jones] did it first [in 2020], and respect to them. At the time the thought of seeing them on that dancefloor terrified me, because of my life experiences. I thought, “These women are brave.” When Strictly asked me, it bothered me that I had to think about it. Having my mum’s approval mattered. The first thing she said was, “What’s the problem? Does [John] not deserve the Johannes that everybody else deserves? Open heart, open mind.” That was all I needed to hear.
How did your family react?
I watched the final with my family in South Africa and I realised how invested they were. My niece said, “Look at the way they look at each other!” The whole room erupted and said, “Yeah, why didn’t you bring him home? You guys are in love!” And I was like “No, no,” but it was just the sheer joy of having a conversation about me being in a relationship with a man. My uncle said, “You guys deserved to win.” It changed the trajectory of my relationship with my entire family.
You were on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021 and won The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special in 2022. Are there any other shows you’d love to go on?
I was a choreographer on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World [in 2022], but I still need to sit on the judging panel. That’s icon status. I’m just going to keep on working so I can sit in that chair.
There’s also a film adaptation of your 2023 memoir JoJo: Finally Home in the works. Do you have any updates?
Why do films take forever? It is greenlit, but we welcome more producers. I read the first script a few months ago and it was absolutely heart-warming.
Is it exciting to tell your life story?
I didn’t realise what I was doing was inspirational. But now looking back, so many people need that encouragement, especially where I come from. There’s a lack of role models and a lack of representation. I want my movie to be for anyone that needs the message: get out of your township, there’s a world waiting for you.
From national identity to masculinity and racism, Dear England tackles it all, says Joseph Fiennes, as he reprises his role as Gareth Southgate in a new BBC adaptation.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
When Joseph Fiennes was cast as Shakespeare in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, he was a jobbing actor, five years out of drama school. To play the greatest Englishman who ever lived – a part that, according to producer Ed Zwick, “every actor in England” had auditioned for, from Paul McGann, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth to his own older brother, Ralph – Fiennes decided that research was key.
So, Fiennes took himself to John Sandoe’s in Chelsea, where books and shelves sit higgledy-piggledy and cheek-by-jowl, giving the place the look and feel of a storybook bookshop. “I was gathering together all these Shakespeare biographies and books I couldn’t afford when I saw – literally across the pile of books, by a bookshelf opposite – Tom Stoppard,” Fiennes recalls. “And I was like, ‘That’s a bit weird.’”
It was weird, or more accurately serendipitous, because Britain’s foremost living playwright had co-written the script of Shakespeare in Love. Fiennes plucked up the courage and introduced himself, explained his situation and asked if Stoppard could advise him on how to play the Bard. Stoppard, who Fiennes describes as a “charismatic, relaxing presence in possession of a fierce intellect and a knowing playfulness,” invited him to his house.
“So we went for a cup of tea at his place,” the actor recalls, “and, essentially, he said to ditch all the academic books. For every expert, there’s another expert who cancels that expert’s theory out. Throw it all away. So I asked, ‘How do I get to the truth?’ He said, ‘Joe. The best way to get to the truth is fantasy.’”
Fiennes has taken Stoppard’s advice to use his imagination to get to the truth of a character ever since – and never more so than when that character is a real person. Like Richard Ratcliffe, who Fiennes played last year in Prisoner 951, the story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, played by recent Bafta winner Narges Rashidi, which was written by Stephen Butchard and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.
“I’ve had more people of all ages and backgrounds email and message me about Prisoner 951 who found it affecting and more important than anything else I’ve done,” he says. “And working with Philippa was, hands down, the best experience I’ve had with a director.”
Stoppard’s advice was again invaluable when Fiennes came to play Gareth Southgate, first on stage in the play Dear England by James Graham and now in the TV adaptation starting this week on BBC One. It’s not that research isn’t important, Fiennes stresses, it’s the way it’s used – as an engine rather than as a brake. “James [Graham] has brought his element of truth – brilliantly researched, hours of talking to Gareth and to the FA and to other people – and then there’s this bit where you have to jump off with your imagination.
“We’re not pretending to do a documentary. This is a fictitious look behind the scenes at the FA and at Gareth’s work with the England team in an attempt to explore bigger ideas beyond football, like national identity, masculinity and racism. It’s the marriage between imagination and research that proves really fruitful.”
It’s certainly proved fruitful as far as Dear England is concerned. After the play’s success in theatres, it has struck a chord as a state-of-the-nation piece of art (if the nation is England, that is). Playing Southgate is, inevitably, harder than playing Shakespeare because we only have an idea of what the playwright was like. With Southgate, we have the living and breathing man to compare Fiennes’s character to. How did the actor perfect his performance?
“I would religiously play his audiobook, which is very insightful about his growing up, being a young man, his experience of playing and managing,” Fiennes says. “Hearing his voice, the intonations, the choices of grammar, understanding and absorbing all of that, and watching Sky Sports. That gives you the way he presents himself. Then, of course, I embraced James’s script.”
In doing all this, along with wearing a prosthetic nose and false teeth, Fiennes says, “Gareth just arrived, very immediately as a sort of entity or spirit I channelled. It wasn’t effortless but I didn’t feel I had to work too hard, probably because James is a good writer and I had kind of grown up with Gareth. It took a lot of energy to nuance it, but I felt Gareth at a very intrinsic level.”
Having enjoyed such success with Dear England on stage – he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance – Fiennes says he was “watchful” about the transfer to TV and that a recalibration of the character was necessary. “The play was broad and colourful and full of comedy, whereas the TV version looks through a more dramatic lens,” he says. “There are funny lines from the play that you are wedded to that just don’t work on TV.”
Meanwhile, other aspects of the story become more magnified – not least the idea that Gareth’s work managing his new England squad – changing the culture, introducing more sports psychology to the team, going on team-building exercises, encouraging journalling – was part of his own redemption for missing the penalty at the 1996 Euros that sent England out.
“Because film or TV becomes exciting with what’s not said, when you can get close-ups on the looks between characters, you can get to the dialogue beneath the dialogue, which you can’t get in theatre, and I loved focusing in on that.”
For Fiennes, Dear England is about “grappling with ghosts”. “We all have these critical junctures in our lives, which, if you don’t address them, they will perpetuate. Gareth is grappling with his ghosts and there’s a form of healing through helping others.”
I ask Fiennes to elaborate on critical junctures in his own life but he dodges the question – twice. “I wouldn’t want to bore you or anyone reading,” he says. So instead, and as happens so often when men would rather not be vulnerable, we talk about football. “I love watching it live, being in the stand, because I love the company. I come from a large family [Fiennes is one of six children], I work in companies in the theatre, I love the ‘us all piling in together,’” he enthuses. “There’s different cultural points of view but ultimately we’re all there to support and serve something other than ourselves.”
Is he competitive himself? “I’m competitive, not to necessarily lift the cup to say ‘I won’, but physically to get the dopamine rewards of the exertion. I love the skeletal stress,” he says. “We’ve got a Jack Russell and I’m like a Jack Russell. I’ll run after everything.”
And in running after everything, Fiennes, who was so good as the chilling, charming Commander Fred Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale, finds seeing life and work in terms of “failure” and “success” as unhelpful. “I paid my way through drama school while being a dresser at the National Theatre and for anyone that wants to go into the world of acting or film-making, go and pick up the pants and make the cups of tea and wait in the wings or behind the camera and see how it all works. Because there’s a multitude of people that are engaged in making the machine run.
“To this day, aged 56, if I go onto a film set or into a theatre, I understand that before I stepped into that room, there’s been six months of sweat, blood and tears to get that far. The success is the participation, the process, and what a privilege it is. Even if it is a failure in anyone’s eyes, the fact that you’re there, you’re exercising something, and you’ll learn from it. And actually, if something fails, as [Samuel] Beckett said, that’s great. Fail again. Keep failing. But there’s no failure if I’m working and breathing.”
With the England team back in action in the World Cup in June, it’s a lesson the players could do well to heed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
From national identity to masculinity and racism, Dear England tackles it all, says Joseph Fiennes, as he reprises his role as Gareth Southgate in a new BBC adaptation.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
When Joseph Fiennes was cast as Shakespeare in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, he was a jobbing actor, five years out of drama school. To play the greatest Englishman who ever lived – a part that, according to producer Ed Zwick, “every actor in England” had auditioned for, from Paul McGann, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth to his own older brother, Ralph – Fiennes decided that research was key.
So, Fiennes took himself to John Sandoe’s in Chelsea, where books and shelves sit higgledy-piggledy and cheek-by-jowl, giving the place the look and feel of a storybook bookshop. “I was gathering together all these Shakespeare biographies and books I couldn’t afford when I saw – literally across the pile of books, by a bookshelf opposite – Tom Stoppard,” Fiennes recalls. “And I was like, ‘That’s a bit weird.’”
It was weird, or more accurately serendipitous, because Britain’s foremost living playwright had co-written the script of Shakespeare in Love. Fiennes plucked up the courage and introduced himself, explained his situation and asked if Stoppard could advise him on how to play the Bard. Stoppard, who Fiennes describes as a “charismatic, relaxing presence in possession of a fierce intellect and a knowing playfulness,” invited him to his house.
“So we went for a cup of tea at his place,” the actor recalls, “and, essentially, he said to ditch all the academic books. For every expert, there’s another expert who cancels that expert’s theory out. Throw it all away. So I asked, ‘How do I get to the truth?’ He said, ‘Joe. The best way to get to the truth is fantasy.’”
Fiennes has taken Stoppard’s advice to use his imagination to get to the truth of a character ever since – and never more so than when that character is a real person. Like Richard Ratcliffe, who Fiennes played last year in Prisoner 951, the story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, played by recent Bafta winner Narges Rashidi, which was written by Stephen Butchard and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.
“I’ve had more people of all ages and backgrounds email and message me about Prisoner 951 who found it affecting and more important than anything else I’ve done,” he says. “And working with Philippa was, hands down, the best experience I’ve had with a director.”
Stoppard’s advice was again invaluable when Fiennes came to play Gareth Southgate, first on stage in the play Dear England by James Graham and now in the TV adaptation starting this week on BBC One. It’s not that research isn’t important, Fiennes stresses, it’s the way it’s used – as an engine rather than as a brake. “James [Graham] has brought his element of truth – brilliantly researched, hours of talking to Gareth and to the FA and to other people – and then there’s this bit where you have to jump off with your imagination.
“We’re not pretending to do a documentary. This is a fictitious look behind the scenes at the FA and at Gareth’s work with the England team in an attempt to explore bigger ideas beyond football, like national identity, masculinity and racism. It’s the marriage between imagination and research that proves really fruitful.”
It’s certainly proved fruitful as far as Dear England is concerned. After the play’s success in theatres, it has struck a chord as a state-of-the-nation piece of art (if the nation is England, that is). Playing Southgate is, inevitably, harder than playing Shakespeare because we only have an idea of what the playwright was like. With Southgate, we have the living and breathing man to compare Fiennes’s character to. How did the actor perfect his performance?
“I would religiously play his audiobook, which is very insightful about his growing up, being a young man, his experience of playing and managing,” Fiennes says. “Hearing his voice, the intonations, the choices of grammar, understanding and absorbing all of that, and watching Sky Sports. That gives you the way he presents himself. Then, of course, I embraced James’s script.”
In doing all this, along with wearing a prosthetic nose and false teeth, Fiennes says, “Gareth just arrived, very immediately as a sort of entity or spirit I channelled. It wasn’t effortless but I didn’t feel I had to work too hard, probably because James is a good writer and I had kind of grown up with Gareth. It took a lot of energy to nuance it, but I felt Gareth at a very intrinsic level.”
Having enjoyed such success with Dear England on stage – he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance – Fiennes says he was “watchful” about the transfer to TV and that a recalibration of the character was necessary. “The play was broad and colourful and full of comedy, whereas the TV version looks through a more dramatic lens,” he says. “There are funny lines from the play that you are wedded to that just don’t work on TV.”
Meanwhile, other aspects of the story become more magnified – not least the idea that Gareth’s work managing his new England squad – changing the culture, introducing more sports psychology to the team, going on team-building exercises, encouraging journalling – was part of his own redemption for missing the penalty at the 1996 Euros that sent England out.
“Because film or TV becomes exciting with what’s not said, when you can get close-ups on the looks between characters, you can get to the dialogue beneath the dialogue, which you can’t get in theatre, and I loved focusing in on that.”
For Fiennes, Dear England is about “grappling with ghosts”. “We all have these critical junctures in our lives, which, if you don’t address them, they will perpetuate. Gareth is grappling with his ghosts and there’s a form of healing through helping others.”
I ask Fiennes to elaborate on critical junctures in his own life but he dodges the question – twice. “I wouldn’t want to bore you or anyone reading,” he says. So instead, and as happens so often when men would rather not be vulnerable, we talk about football. “I love watching it live, being in the stand, because I love the company. I come from a large family [Fiennes is one of six children], I work in companies in the theatre, I love the ‘us all piling in together,’” he enthuses. “There’s different cultural points of view but ultimately we’re all there to support and serve something other than ourselves.”
Is he competitive himself? “I’m competitive, not to necessarily lift the cup to say ‘I won’, but physically to get the dopamine rewards of the exertion. I love the skeletal stress,” he says. “We’ve got a Jack Russell and I’m like a Jack Russell. I’ll run after everything.”
And in running after everything, Fiennes, who was so good as the chilling, charming Commander Fred Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale, finds seeing life and work in terms of “failure” and “success” as unhelpful. “I paid my way through drama school while being a dresser at the National Theatre and for anyone that wants to go into the world of acting or film-making, go and pick up the pants and make the cups of tea and wait in the wings or behind the camera and see how it all works. Because there’s a multitude of people that are engaged in making the machine run.
“To this day, aged 56, if I go onto a film set or into a theatre, I understand that before I stepped into that room, there’s been six months of sweat, blood and tears to get that far. The success is the participation, the process, and what a privilege it is. Even if it is a failure in anyone’s eyes, the fact that you’re there, you’re exercising something, and you’ll learn from it. And actually, if something fails, as [Samuel] Beckett said, that’s great. Fail again. Keep failing. But there’s no failure if I’m working and breathing.”
With the England team back in action in the World Cup in June, it’s a lesson the players could do well to heed.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
Miles Davis was born 100 years ago this week and his influence is still being heard, says Marcus Brigstocke.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
The centenary of Miles Davis’s birth on 26 May is an opportunity to celebrate one of the most influential musicians of all time, with blanket programming scheduled across not only Jazz FM, but Radio 3 and 4 as well as online station One Jazz. And when comedian Marcus Brigstocke presents a special edition of his Jazz Family Trees show on Jazz FM dedicated to the musician, its branches will spread over the entire landscape of music.
Dubbed the “Picasso of Jazz”, between the 1940s and his death in 1991 trumpeter, bandleader and composer Davis was at the forefront of innovations in bebop, “cool” jazz, hard bop and jazz-rock fusion, working with everyone from Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock to Scritti Politti and Prince.
“He changed the course of music at least three times,” says Brigstocke, who first encountered Davis through a love of hip-hop. “A friend gave me Doo-Bop, the record Miles made with [hip-hop producer] Easy Mo Bee when he was dying. I thought, ‘This is really cool.’ I knew that jazz had played a part in the sample base for so much hip-hop, but that album made me understand it better. It took a while, though. I liked to tell people that I loved jazz for about 10 years while, on my own, never actually choosing to listen to any jazz music.”
Nowadays, he says, jazz is the mainstay of what is played chez Brigstocke. “My poor family! Especially as I get older, I like things that you can immerse yourself in. Among the other things I do, I’m an international cheese judge. You can really immerse yourself in the world of cheese, and jazz is definitely like that, too. On the back of all of those 1950s and 60s albums, each one had an essay that was a love letter to the artist and really nerdy stuff on the track selection. That’s juicy for me.”
His ultimate Davis track is the version of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s show tune It Never Entered My Mind – “When that comes on, I can’t do anything else. It’s just absolutely breathtaking” – while his favourite album is the 1959 masterpiece, Kind of Blue. “I’m sure the Miles Davis connoisseurs would avoid choosing Kind of Blue, but there’s a reason why it has sold outside of the jazz genre, and why it continues to sell millions of copies. It’s just a piece of perfection. I’ve never once put it on and lost interest. There’s always something in it.”
Davis was not an easy man. He was physically abusive to women and a heavy drug user for parts of his life. He and many other jazz greats also endured an enormous amount of racial prejudice. “There was the night in 1959 when Miles was standing under his own name in lights outside the Birdland club in New York,” says Brigstocke. “He was between sets having a cigarette and was beaten unconscious by a racist cop. It’s a bleak story, sadly, but it does make some sense of where that rage came from, and also the dysfunction of so many of these players.”
As arguably the most influential jazz musician of them all, Davis’s legacy remains potent, both inside and outside of the genre. “Miles established something that jazz has hung on to, to this day,” says Brigstocke. “If you look at Ezra Collective, their whole thing is about mentoring younger, newer people, and Miles was absolutely instrumental in doing that. And he never stood still. I’m always interested in any artist who pushes themselves and says, ‘Look, it’s not up to me to give the audience what they come looking for every time.’ Bowie did it later, but I’m sure the understanding of that as an artistic practice comes from Miles Davis.”
Beyond music, according to Brigstocke, Davis’s influence also had an impact on fashion – “What an extraordinary looking, beautifully turned out man” – and at least one British comedian. “There’s a famous Miles quote that goes, and I’m paraphrasing: ‘There’s no such thing as a wrong note. It’s what you play next that counts.’
I use that in comedy. When I’m writing something, I think, no, there isn’t anything you can’t attempt. You’ve just got to keep working at it and see whether there’s something you do afterwards so that it makes sense. And that comes from Miles.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Miles Davis was born 100 years ago this week and his influence is still being heard, says Marcus Brigstocke.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
The centenary of Miles Davis’s birth on 26 May is an opportunity to celebrate one of the most influential musicians of all time, with blanket programming scheduled across not only Jazz FM, but Radio 3 and 4 as well as online station One Jazz. And when comedian Marcus Brigstocke presents a special edition of his Jazz Family Trees show on Jazz FM dedicated to the musician, its branches will spread over the entire landscape of music.
Dubbed the “Picasso of Jazz”, between the 1940s and his death in 1991 trumpeter, bandleader and composer Davis was at the forefront of innovations in bebop, “cool” jazz, hard bop and jazz-rock fusion, working with everyone from Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock to Scritti Politti and Prince.
“He changed the course of music at least three times,” says Brigstocke, who first encountered Davis through a love of hip-hop. “A friend gave me Doo-Bop, the record Miles made with [hip-hop producer] Easy Mo Bee when he was dying. I thought, ‘This is really cool.’ I knew that jazz had played a part in the sample base for so much hip-hop, but that album made me understand it better. It took a while, though. I liked to tell people that I loved jazz for about 10 years while, on my own, never actually choosing to listen to any jazz music.”
Nowadays, he says, jazz is the mainstay of what is played chez Brigstocke. “My poor family! Especially as I get older, I like things that you can immerse yourself in. Among the other things I do, I’m an international cheese judge. You can really immerse yourself in the world of cheese, and jazz is definitely like that, too. On the back of all of those 1950s and 60s albums, each one had an essay that was a love letter to the artist and really nerdy stuff on the track selection. That’s juicy for me.”
His ultimate Davis track is the version of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s show tune It Never Entered My Mind – “When that comes on, I can’t do anything else. It’s just absolutely breathtaking” – while his favourite album is the 1959 masterpiece, Kind of Blue. “I’m sure the Miles Davis connoisseurs would avoid choosing Kind of Blue, but there’s a reason why it has sold outside of the jazz genre, and why it continues to sell millions of copies. It’s just a piece of perfection. I’ve never once put it on and lost interest. There’s always something in it.”
Davis was not an easy man. He was physically abusive to women and a heavy drug user for parts of his life. He and many other jazz greats also endured an enormous amount of racial prejudice. “There was the night in 1959 when Miles was standing under his own name in lights outside the Birdland club in New York,” says Brigstocke. “He was between sets having a cigarette and was beaten unconscious by a racist cop. It’s a bleak story, sadly, but it does make some sense of where that rage came from, and also the dysfunction of so many of these players.”
As arguably the most influential jazz musician of them all, Davis’s legacy remains potent, both inside and outside of the genre. “Miles established something that jazz has hung on to, to this day,” says Brigstocke. “If you look at Ezra Collective, their whole thing is about mentoring younger, newer people, and Miles was absolutely instrumental in doing that. And he never stood still. I’m always interested in any artist who pushes themselves and says, ‘Look, it’s not up to me to give the audience what they come looking for every time.’ Bowie did it later, but I’m sure the understanding of that as an artistic practice comes from Miles Davis.”
Beyond music, according to Brigstocke, Davis’s influence also had an impact on fashion – “What an extraordinary looking, beautifully turned out man” – and at least one British comedian. “There’s a famous Miles quote that goes, and I’m paraphrasing: ‘There’s no such thing as a wrong note. It’s what you play next that counts.’
I use that in comedy. When I’m writing something, I think, no, there isn’t anything you can’t attempt. You’ve just got to keep working at it and see whether there’s something you do afterwards so that it makes sense. And that comes from Miles.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
The results are in from our poll to find your favourite modern comedy – and it’s clear that British TV is still in a league of its own.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Democracy has prevailed – and its results, as always, make for interesting reading. In February, when RT asked our readers to vote for their favourite modern British comedy, we set out to dispel the negativity that can characterise conversations on the current state of the genre.
To this end, we focused on shows that started from 2010 onwards, which, controversially, barred treasured 21st-century series such as The Office, Gavin & Stacey and Peep Show from being included in the longlist.
Although the absence of these shows – among others – was undoubtedly felt by fans, our aim was to produce a result distinct from any other polls we’ve seen in the past. In the process, we sought to elevate the next generation of “all-time greats”.
British comedy has been one of our proudest exports for decades, but we can only protect its premier status for future generations if we celebrate recent efforts as enthusiastically as the genre-defining classics.
Once more our thanks go to our industry panel – which included experts, from commissioners to writers, from actors to stand-up comics, of all ages and backgrounds – who whittled 15 years of British comedy from nearly 100 prospects to a longlist of 25 contenders. These 25 formed our readers’ poll, voted on earlier this year, with the results now revealed here.
Those results certainly prove that there are still plenty of laughs to be had – clearly, while the comedy genre faces the same challenges as the wider British television industry (if not more acutely), reports of its “death” have been greatly exaggerated. This is no clearer than in our top 10, which shows the impressive breadth of comedies that struck a chord with viewers in the past decade and a half.
Our cover star, unfiltered comic Ricky Gervais, remains the king of the UK comedy scene, with fans showing up to propel After Life to the top spot. Never a stranger to controversy, the prolific writer’s blend of sharp-tongued commentary and unflinching poignancy remains irresistible to many viewers. But as you go up the list, it’s clear our national taste extends much further.
Gervais’s former co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook takes second place, bringing a different flavour entirely. Detectorists found its way into our hearts with less provocative characters who could deliver big laughs all the same. This understated sitcom turns the spotlight on the beauty of the British countryside, its communities and the passions that can bring unexpected groups together.
And coming in at a close third, haunted-house sitcom Ghosts carries the torch for the larger-than-life characters, creative wordplay and fast-paced physical comedy pioneered by the likes of Fawlty Towers. Of all the shows in our top 10, this one probably brought the most families together, with the spooks of Button House delighting viewers of all ages.
Your votes determined the final result and we thank everyone who took part in helping to imagine the future of British comedy. Looking ahead, from Small Prophets to Amandaland, and from Here We Go to Twenty Twenty Six, there’s every reason to believe we’ll have many more modern favourites to cheer for in 10 years’ time.
10. This Country (2.9%)
Kerry and Kurtan (played by siblings Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper) make for a priceless comic double act in this authentic depiction of rural life for young people. Available on iPlayer
9. W1A (4.0%)
Workplace sitcom set inside the walls of the BBC, where head of values Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) is given a series of unenviable assignments. Available on iPlayer
8. Motherland (5.1%)
Exasperated mum Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin) attempts to keep up with fellow middle-class parents in suburban west London. Available on iPlayer
7. Inside No. 9 (5.4%)
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s ever-changing anthology maintains a darkly comedic undercurrent that has made it a favourite with fans. Available on iPlayer
6. Friday Night Dinner (7.7%)
Jackie and Martin Goodman (Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter) host a weekly Shabbat dinner for their two sons (Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal) that invariably descends into chaos. Available on Channel 4 streaming
5. Derry Girls (8.4%)
A group of Northern Irish schoolgirls (and one schoolboy) navigate ordinary teenage crises against an extraordinary backdrop: the final years of the Troubles. Available on Channel 4 streaming
4. Peter Kay’s Car Share (8.9%)
Supermarket employees John (Peter Kay) and Kayleigh (Sian Gibson) share a commute filled with music, laughter and simmering romance. Available on iPlayer
3. Ghosts (12.0%)
After a near-death experience, Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) begins to see the ghosts that haunt the stately home she inherited and shares with her husband (Kiell Smith-Bynoe). Available on iPlayer
2 Detectorists (12.6%)
Underdogs Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones) seek out lost treasures in English fields. Available on iPlayer
1 After Life (16.8%)
After losing his wife to cancer, grieving widower and journalist Tony Johnson (Gervais) struggles to find meaning in his life, while reporting on the quirky community of Tambury for the local paper. Available on Netflix
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
The results are in from our poll to find your favourite modern comedy – and it’s clear that British TV is still in a league of its own.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Democracy has prevailed – and its results, as always, make for interesting reading. In February, when RT asked our readers to vote for their favourite modern British comedy, we set out to dispel the negativity that can characterise conversations on the current state of the genre.
To this end, we focused on shows that started from 2010 onwards, which, controversially, barred treasured 21st-century series such as The Office, Gavin & Stacey and Peep Show from being included in the longlist.
Although the absence of these shows – among others – was undoubtedly felt by fans, our aim was to produce a result distinct from any other polls we’ve seen in the past. In the process, we sought to elevate the next generation of “all-time greats”.
British comedy has been one of our proudest exports for decades, but we can only protect its premier status for future generations if we celebrate recent efforts as enthusiastically as the genre-defining classics.
Once more our thanks go to our industry panel – which included experts, from commissioners to writers, from actors to stand-up comics, of all ages and backgrounds – who whittled 15 years of British comedy from nearly 100 prospects to a longlist of 25 contenders. These 25 formed our readers’ poll, voted on earlier this year, with the results now revealed here.
Those results certainly prove that there are still plenty of laughs to be had – clearly, while the comedy genre faces the same challenges as the wider British television industry (if not more acutely), reports of its “death” have been greatly exaggerated. This is no clearer than in our top 10, which shows the impressive breadth of comedies that struck a chord with viewers in the past decade and a half.
Our cover star, unfiltered comic Ricky Gervais, remains the king of the UK comedy scene, with fans showing up to propel After Life to the top spot. Never a stranger to controversy, the prolific writer’s blend of sharp-tongued commentary and unflinching poignancy remains irresistible to many viewers. But as you go up the list, it’s clear our national taste extends much further.
Gervais’s former co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook takes second place, bringing a different flavour entirely. Detectorists found its way into our hearts with less provocative characters who could deliver big laughs all the same. This understated sitcom turns the spotlight on the beauty of the British countryside, its communities and the passions that can bring unexpected groups together.
And coming in at a close third, haunted-house sitcom Ghosts carries the torch for the larger-than-life characters, creative wordplay and fast-paced physical comedy pioneered by the likes of Fawlty Towers. Of all the shows in our top 10, this one probably brought the most families together, with the spooks of Button House delighting viewers of all ages.
Your votes determined the final result and we thank everyone who took part in helping to imagine the future of British comedy. Looking ahead, from Small Prophets to Amandaland, and from Here We Go to Twenty Twenty Six, there’s every reason to believe we’ll have many more modern favourites to cheer for in 10 years’ time.
10. This Country (2.9%)
Kerry and Kurtan (played by siblings Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper) make for a priceless comic double act in this authentic depiction of rural life for young people. Available on iPlayer
9. W1A (4.0%)
Workplace sitcom set inside the walls of the BBC, where head of values Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) is given a series of unenviable assignments. Available on iPlayer
8. Motherland (5.1%)
Exasperated mum Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin) attempts to keep up with fellow middle-class parents in suburban west London. Available on iPlayer
7. Inside No. 9 (5.4%)
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s ever-changing anthology maintains a darkly comedic undercurrent that has made it a favourite with fans. Available on iPlayer
6. Friday Night Dinner (7.7%)
Jackie and Martin Goodman (Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter) host a weekly Shabbat dinner for their two sons (Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal) that invariably descends into chaos. Available on Channel 4 streaming
5. Derry Girls (8.4%)
A group of Northern Irish schoolgirls (and one schoolboy) navigate ordinary teenage crises against an extraordinary backdrop: the final years of the Troubles. Available on Channel 4 streaming
4. Peter Kay’s Car Share (8.9%)
Supermarket employees John (Peter Kay) and Kayleigh (Sian Gibson) share a commute filled with music, laughter and simmering romance. Available on iPlayer
3. Ghosts (12.0%)
After a near-death experience, Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) begins to see the ghosts that haunt the stately home she inherited and shares with her husband (Kiell Smith-Bynoe). Available on iPlayer
2 Detectorists (12.6%)
Underdogs Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones) seek out lost treasures in English fields. Available on iPlayer
1 After Life (16.8%)
After losing his wife to cancer, grieving widower and journalist Tony Johnson (Gervais) struggles to find meaning in his life, while reporting on the quirky community of Tambury for the local paper. Available on Netflix
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
In its 2026/2027 annual plan statement published before the end Davie's term, it said that whilst it believes the BBC is "needed more than ever" it was in need of "radical reform" due to mounting financial pressure.
Now, on his first day on the job, Matt Brittin has echoed the same message as his predecessor saying "tough choices are unavoidable as we make savings".
In an email sent to staff, Brittin said: "The BBC has proved throughout its history how quickly it can reinvent itself to serve the needs of audiences - from restructuring for World War II to repurposing during Covid to spinning up services in conflict zones. We need, collectively, to call on that sense of urgency now.
"That means moving with velocity and clarity. Excellence at the BBC has always been founded on great, creative storytelling and brilliant, independent journalism. Today it also means making sure we get the right stories in the right formats on the right platforms."
Continuing, the email explained: "We must be where audiences are, and experiment more bravely: test ideas, learn quickly and back what works. Audiences will value the fact we are listening, innovating and working hard to serve them better.
"I know change will not be easy. Tough choices are unavoidable as we make savings. We should ask ourselves, honestly: if we were inventing the BBC today, what would we do? Then respond with clarity, pace and purpose."
Brittin stressed the importance if being "where audiences are" which aligns with the strategy revealed in the 2026/2027 annual plan statement of putting a focus on commissioning digital-first content for its official YouTube page.
In its 2026/2027 annual plan statement published before the end Davie's term, it said that whilst it believes the BBC is "needed more than ever" it was in need of "radical reform" due to mounting financial pressure.
Now, on his first day on the job, Matt Brittin has echoed the same message as his predecessor saying "tough choices are unavoidable as we make savings".
In an email sent to staff, Brittin said: "The BBC has proved throughout its history how quickly it can reinvent itself to serve the needs of audiences - from restructuring for World War II to repurposing during Covid to spinning up services in conflict zones. We need, collectively, to call on that sense of urgency now.
"That means moving with velocity and clarity. Excellence at the BBC has always been founded on great, creative storytelling and brilliant, independent journalism. Today it also means making sure we get the right stories in the right formats on the right platforms."
Continuing, the email explained: "We must be where audiences are, and experiment more bravely: test ideas, learn quickly and back what works. Audiences will value the fact we are listening, innovating and working hard to serve them better.
"I know change will not be easy. Tough choices are unavoidable as we make savings. We should ask ourselves, honestly: if we were inventing the BBC today, what would we do? Then respond with clarity, pace and purpose."
Brittin stressed the importance if being "where audiences are" which aligns with the strategy revealed in the 2026/2027 annual plan statement of putting a focus on commissioning digital-first content for its official YouTube page.
Dalgliesh will return, but not in familiar surroundings.
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British crime drama Dalgliesh will be coming back to solve more crimes in the near future, it’s been announced, but fans will have to brace themselves for a big change.
Starring Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster) as Commander Adam Dalgliesh, the series is based on the best-selling detective novels of the same name by the late PD James.
Dalgliesh season 3 aired throughout December 2024, and fans will no doubt be delighted to hear that their favourite poet-slash-detective will be returning for new adventures, although they’ll have to wait until 2027 to see them.
Producers Acorn TV and New Pictures announced today that, yes, Carvel’s Dalgliesh will return, but when he does, his adventures won’t be broadcast on UK network 5 anymore.
Instead, season 4 of Dalgliesh will premiere on streaming service Acorn TV in the UK, US and Canada. Radio Times has reached out for comment on 5’s involvement in Dalgliesh.
Speaking on the renewal, Elaine Pyke, co-founder and creative director, new pictures and executive producer of Dalgliesh said: "It’s a real pleasure returning to the world of Dalgliesh, brought to life by the brilliant Helen Edmundson and Bertie Carvel."
Don Klees, senior vice president of programming for Acorn TV added: "Dalgleish delivers exactly the type of suspenseful, character-driven drama out audience craves and we’re thrilled for it to return to our lineup of the very best in crime drama murder mystery."
One reason for the big wait in-between seasons, of course, is just how in demand star Carvel is.
Late last year, it was announced that the Olivier and Tony award-winning actor would be reprising his role as cheating husband Simon Foster in BBC One’s Doctor Foster for a third season.
Carvel will be reuniting with his on-screen ex-wife Gemma Foster (Suranne Jones) and teenage son Tom (Tom Taylor), with the new season picking up almost ten years after the conclusion of the second season, which saw Tom make the decision to run away from his family, given the toxic relationship between his mother and father.
Dalgliesh will return, but not in familiar surroundings.
Show full content
British crime drama Dalgliesh will be coming back to solve more crimes in the near future, it’s been announced, but fans will have to brace themselves for a big change.
Starring Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster) as Commander Adam Dalgliesh, the series is based on the best-selling detective novels of the same name by the late PD James.
Dalgliesh season 3 aired throughout December 2024, and fans will no doubt be delighted to hear that their favourite poet-slash-detective will be returning for new adventures, although they’ll have to wait until 2027 to see them.
Producers Acorn TV and New Pictures announced today that, yes, Carvel’s Dalgliesh will return, but when he does, his adventures won’t be broadcast on UK network 5 anymore.
Instead, season 4 of Dalgliesh will premiere on streaming service Acorn TV in the UK, US and Canada. Radio Times has reached out for comment on 5’s involvement in Dalgliesh.
Speaking on the renewal, Elaine Pyke, co-founder and creative director, new pictures and executive producer of Dalgliesh said: "It’s a real pleasure returning to the world of Dalgliesh, brought to life by the brilliant Helen Edmundson and Bertie Carvel."
Don Klees, senior vice president of programming for Acorn TV added: "Dalgleish delivers exactly the type of suspenseful, character-driven drama out audience craves and we’re thrilled for it to return to our lineup of the very best in crime drama murder mystery."
One reason for the big wait in-between seasons, of course, is just how in demand star Carvel is.
Late last year, it was announced that the Olivier and Tony award-winning actor would be reprising his role as cheating husband Simon Foster in BBC One’s Doctor Foster for a third season.
Carvel will be reuniting with his on-screen ex-wife Gemma Foster (Suranne Jones) and teenage son Tom (Tom Taylor), with the new season picking up almost ten years after the conclusion of the second season, which saw Tom make the decision to run away from his family, given the toxic relationship between his mother and father.
Great Britain's Jan Choinski and Jack Pinnington Jones are seeded in the men's qualifying draw, while Arthur Fery, Billy Harris and Harriet Dart are among the others hoping to earn their place in the main draw.
Qualifying serves as the perfect appetiser for the French Open – and UK viewers can watch coverage throughout the week.
Radio Times brings you all the details on how to watch the French Open 2026 qualifying on TV and online.
When is French Open 2026 qualifying?
French Open 2026 qualifying began on Monday 18 May 2026 and runs until Friday 22 May,
The main draw at Roland-Garros starts on Sunday 24 May and runs until the men's final on Sunday 7 June.
How to watch French Open 2026 qualifying on TV and live stream
UK viewers will be able to stream French Open 2026 qualifying live on TNT Sports via HBO Max.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
Viewers can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the French Open 2026 on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
Great Britain's Jan Choinski and Jack Pinnington Jones are seeded in the men's qualifying draw, while Arthur Fery, Billy Harris and Harriet Dart are among the others hoping to earn their place in the main draw.
Qualifying serves as the perfect appetiser for the French Open – and UK viewers can watch coverage throughout the week.
Radio Times brings you all the details on how to watch the French Open 2026 qualifying on TV and online.
When is French Open 2026 qualifying?
French Open 2026 qualifying began on Monday 18 May 2026 and runs until Friday 22 May,
The main draw at Roland-Garros starts on Sunday 24 May and runs until the men's final on Sunday 7 June.
How to watch French Open 2026 qualifying on TV and live stream
UK viewers will be able to stream French Open 2026 qualifying live on TNT Sports via HBO Max.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
Viewers can also access TNT Sports via HBO Max and stream directly to your smart TV.
You can watch the French Open 2026 on TNT Sports via a HBO Max sport pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the HBO Max app.
HBO Max is the new streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: hbomax.com
*Warning: This article contains full spoilers for The Cage.*
Across five episodes, viewers are quietly willing for casino workers Leanne (Sheridan Smith) and Matty (Michael Socha) to get their stroke of luck and be able to provide for their families. While they're both robbing from their place of work and should arguably not be the ones we're rooting for, it's hard not to as we see the reasons that each of them needs cash quickly.
When they both discover they're robbing from the casino that they work at, it could go badly but instead, a friendship is soon forged as they unite on their common goal. The only problem is their (kind of) boss Gary (Barry Sloane), who is in a whirlwind of trouble himself. He's getting increasingly close to Leanne and is also breathing down Matty's neck – what could go wrong?
The stakes continue to be ever high in the final episode as the walls start closing in around them, especially after a police raid on the casino. Thankfully, Leanne comes to Matty's rescue but as they drive away together, what unfolds in that final episode? Read on for a full breakdown of the ending of BBC's The Cage.
The Cage ending explained: Do Leanne and Matty get away with it?
When the casino gets raided, thankfully Leanne rescues Matty in her car and they drive off into the distance together. It turns out that Leanne took the money (£30,000, to be exact) and has it stashed in her car in a holdall.
Meanwhile, Gary tries to make a run for it but gets caught by Detective Sergeant Fen Ning (Sophie Mensah). He pleads with her, saying that he'll give her someone that's bigger than him in the operation. She reveals that he actually said something similar previously and didn't keep his promise so arrests him.
Realising they should probably lay low until the dust has settled, Leanne and Matty decide to go on a weekend away of sorts. Matty goes home to retrieve some clothes but is still faced with the prospect of moving the drugs that he has in his possession. He listens to his voicemails and Paul (Louis Emerick) tells him that all he has to do is hand over the bag of drugs to an address in the Lake District and it should be simple.
When they get to Leanne's, Matty is surprised that Leanne is bringing her son and also wants to bring her nan and daughter. They collect them and all seems well until they hit a snag and Leanne realises she's got a flat tyre. Stranded on a country road, they wait it out and it's there that Matty and Leanne say in a rather sweet moment that they're each others best friends.
It eventually gets dark and they're all sleeping, still waiting for roadside recovery when a police car eventually comes by to check on them, with the officer confused as to why they don't just use a spare tyre. Leanne and Matty are obviously rattled by the officer's presence for their own reasons but when he asks her to open the boot of her car, she does so – not realising what Matty has stashed in there.
Thomas (Anton Bibby) beats them to it and manages to hide the bag of cash but when the officer starts moving things around in order to get the spare tyre, he comes across Matty's rucksack filled with what looks like wrapped Christmas presents. Matty tries coming up with a half-hearted explanation but with the officer realising Leanne has a Liverpool accent (and has thus been outed as being one of the people he's been informed is on the run), it becomes clear what's happening.
Instantly, Matty tries to run away but gets caught and tries shouting to Leanne that he couldn't just leave the stash at his mother's.
In the station, everyone is getting questioned about their involvement and it's there that Gary's mum Nancy (Geraldine James) agrees to be a witness, in a bid to help her son.
We then get a flash-forward to six months later and Matty's now in prison. His cellmate has an illegal mobile phone and allows Matty to try to call her but he gets no answer, the same as usual, it appears. We then see Leanne and her family get together for the wake of her nan, who sadly passed away. Nancy is in attendance, offering her condolences and tells Leanne that she's been thinking of her.
Outside, Leanne is surprised to see Gary, even though they're technically not supposed to be talking to one another. Gary informs her that he's not on bail and actually has no charges against him as the extra cash couldn't be tied back to any illegal activity. Gary wants to check if there's still something between him and Leanne but Leanne says that his aggression in the casino is too much and she doesn't want to be with him. Gary gives her a card of his which has his new address in Tenerife and leaves.
In preparation for the trial, we see that both Leanne and Matty are pleading not guilty. When they're both faced with each other in the dock, Matty tries talking to Leanne but she doesn't want to, clearly feeling betrayed.
The evidence is stacked against them but they're both intent on pleading their innocence, even though their legal counsel is advising them against it. In court, Matty starts to see the impact of what's happened on Leanne's family and her, clearly feeling the weight of the case and what he's done.
What happens to Matty?
Looking to his own daughter Emily (Freya Jones), Matty then tells the court that it was all him and Leanne wasn't involved. He changes his plea to guilty and says that Leanne didn't know anything about the drugs or the money. The judge then orders Leanne to leave the dock and later, Matty's mother's letter is read out to the court. Although it's something Matty doesn't want read out, it provides context about his character and the fact that his older brother drowned when he was just nine years old.
His mother says that Matty has never been able to move on from what was supposed to be a practical joke but tragically, went very wrong. He was told to pretend to be drowning so that his older brother would rescue him. But his brother sadly drowned and Matty's continued to blame himself for his death, not being able to move on from that time.
We then don't get the final verdict but flash-forward again to Matty in prison, being hugged by Emily, who's come to see him. This time is different though as she brings Leanne, who informs him that she's got a place for her and the kids.
Leanne promises Matty that she'll pay him back one day for everything he's done for them but he says that she doesn't need to. Emily then says that she thinks he's a hero for what he's done and that she'll write him regularly. Matty's on a high as he makes his way back to his cell and asks his cellmate for an hour on his phone so that he can listen to the new album from The Cure, which Emily recommended.
It turns out that Emily recorded the album for him via voicemail and he sticks his headphones in, smiling. We then see that actually, Leanne and her kids are now living with Nancy as together, they make their way to the casino. We also see Fen reunite with her family and Gary, sitting alone in his apartment in Tenerife, clearly missing home.
The Cage continues airing tonight at 9pm on BBC One, and is available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer.
Add The Cage to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
*Warning: This article contains full spoilers for The Cage.*
Across five episodes, viewers are quietly willing for casino workers Leanne (Sheridan Smith) and Matty (Michael Socha) to get their stroke of luck and be able to provide for their families. While they're both robbing from their place of work and should arguably not be the ones we're rooting for, it's hard not to as we see the reasons that each of them needs cash quickly.
When they both discover they're robbing from the casino that they work at, it could go badly but instead, a friendship is soon forged as they unite on their common goal. The only problem is their (kind of) boss Gary (Barry Sloane), who is in a whirlwind of trouble himself. He's getting increasingly close to Leanne and is also breathing down Matty's neck – what could go wrong?
The stakes continue to be ever high in the final episode as the walls start closing in around them, especially after a police raid on the casino. Thankfully, Leanne comes to Matty's rescue but as they drive away together, what unfolds in that final episode? Read on for a full breakdown of the ending of BBC's The Cage.
The Cage ending explained: Do Leanne and Matty get away with it?
When the casino gets raided, thankfully Leanne rescues Matty in her car and they drive off into the distance together. It turns out that Leanne took the money (£30,000, to be exact) and has it stashed in her car in a holdall.
Meanwhile, Gary tries to make a run for it but gets caught by Detective Sergeant Fen Ning (Sophie Mensah). He pleads with her, saying that he'll give her someone that's bigger than him in the operation. She reveals that he actually said something similar previously and didn't keep his promise so arrests him.
Realising they should probably lay low until the dust has settled, Leanne and Matty decide to go on a weekend away of sorts. Matty goes home to retrieve some clothes but is still faced with the prospect of moving the drugs that he has in his possession. He listens to his voicemails and Paul (Louis Emerick) tells him that all he has to do is hand over the bag of drugs to an address in the Lake District and it should be simple.
When they get to Leanne's, Matty is surprised that Leanne is bringing her son and also wants to bring her nan and daughter. They collect them and all seems well until they hit a snag and Leanne realises she's got a flat tyre. Stranded on a country road, they wait it out and it's there that Matty and Leanne say in a rather sweet moment that they're each others best friends.
It eventually gets dark and they're all sleeping, still waiting for roadside recovery when a police car eventually comes by to check on them, with the officer confused as to why they don't just use a spare tyre. Leanne and Matty are obviously rattled by the officer's presence for their own reasons but when he asks her to open the boot of her car, she does so – not realising what Matty has stashed in there.
Thomas (Anton Bibby) beats them to it and manages to hide the bag of cash but when the officer starts moving things around in order to get the spare tyre, he comes across Matty's rucksack filled with what looks like wrapped Christmas presents. Matty tries coming up with a half-hearted explanation but with the officer realising Leanne has a Liverpool accent (and has thus been outed as being one of the people he's been informed is on the run), it becomes clear what's happening.
Instantly, Matty tries to run away but gets caught and tries shouting to Leanne that he couldn't just leave the stash at his mother's.
In the station, everyone is getting questioned about their involvement and it's there that Gary's mum Nancy (Geraldine James) agrees to be a witness, in a bid to help her son.
We then get a flash-forward to six months later and Matty's now in prison. His cellmate has an illegal mobile phone and allows Matty to try to call her but he gets no answer, the same as usual, it appears. We then see Leanne and her family get together for the wake of her nan, who sadly passed away. Nancy is in attendance, offering her condolences and tells Leanne that she's been thinking of her.
Outside, Leanne is surprised to see Gary, even though they're technically not supposed to be talking to one another. Gary informs her that he's not on bail and actually has no charges against him as the extra cash couldn't be tied back to any illegal activity. Gary wants to check if there's still something between him and Leanne but Leanne says that his aggression in the casino is too much and she doesn't want to be with him. Gary gives her a card of his which has his new address in Tenerife and leaves.
In preparation for the trial, we see that both Leanne and Matty are pleading not guilty. When they're both faced with each other in the dock, Matty tries talking to Leanne but she doesn't want to, clearly feeling betrayed.
The evidence is stacked against them but they're both intent on pleading their innocence, even though their legal counsel is advising them against it. In court, Matty starts to see the impact of what's happened on Leanne's family and her, clearly feeling the weight of the case and what he's done.
What happens to Matty?
Looking to his own daughter Emily (Freya Jones), Matty then tells the court that it was all him and Leanne wasn't involved. He changes his plea to guilty and says that Leanne didn't know anything about the drugs or the money. The judge then orders Leanne to leave the dock and later, Matty's mother's letter is read out to the court. Although it's something Matty doesn't want read out, it provides context about his character and the fact that his older brother drowned when he was just nine years old.
His mother says that Matty has never been able to move on from what was supposed to be a practical joke but tragically, went very wrong. He was told to pretend to be drowning so that his older brother would rescue him. But his brother sadly drowned and Matty's continued to blame himself for his death, not being able to move on from that time.
We then don't get the final verdict but flash-forward again to Matty in prison, being hugged by Emily, who's come to see him. This time is different though as she brings Leanne, who informs him that she's got a place for her and the kids.
Leanne promises Matty that she'll pay him back one day for everything he's done for them but he says that she doesn't need to. Emily then says that she thinks he's a hero for what he's done and that she'll write him regularly. Matty's on a high as he makes his way back to his cell and asks his cellmate for an hour on his phone so that he can listen to the new album from The Cure, which Emily recommended.
It turns out that Emily recorded the album for him via voicemail and he sticks his headphones in, smiling. We then see that actually, Leanne and her kids are now living with Nancy as together, they make their way to the casino. We also see Fen reunite with her family and Gary, sitting alone in his apartment in Tenerife, clearly missing home.
The Cage continues airing tonight at 9pm on BBC One, and is available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer.
Add The Cage to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
The upcoming film is expected to be even longer than The Brutalist.
Show full content
Huge Hollywood names including the stars of Lord of the Rings and X-Men are taking on a new graphic epic film from The Brutalist director.
Brady Corbet, who helmed the epic period drama starring Adrien Brody, will be joined by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender and Selena Gomez for the cast of his latest project.
Blanchett revealed her involvement in the upcoming film at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, letting slip during a masterclass that she is "about to work with Brady Corbet on a film".
The untitled project had already been confirmed by the Oscar-nominated director himself at the Storyhouse Screenwriting Festival in Dublin last month, where he revealed it had a mammoth 200-page script.
For context, 2024's The Brutalist had a run time of three and a half hours and the script was 165 pages long, so one can only imagine how lengthy this new film will be – but epic is certainly the right word.
Gomez's involvement in the film had already previously been reported, but now Blanchett and Fassbender have joined what appears to be an ever-growing, star-studded cast.
The new "genre-defying" film will be set in the '70s, Corbet revealed, and will be shot using very rare eight-perf 65mm cameras.
He said: "The film spans from the 19th century into the present day – it’s just predominantly focused on the ’70s. The film is really, really genre-defying."
Currently nothing else is known about the plot other than it will be an "X-rated" feature produced by Andrew Morrison for his Kaplan Morrison production banner.
The upcoming epic will be Corbet’s fourth feature film, having directed 2015’s The Childhood of a Leader and 2018’s Vox Lux before working on The Brutalist.
Cate Blanchett has a career spanning 36 years under her belt, during which she has worked with big directorial names, including Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro, David Fincher and Wes Anderson. Aside from Lord of the Rings, she is recognised from Carol, Ocean's 8, Tár and most recently Father Mother Sister Brother.
Michael Fassbender is best known for playing mutant supervillain Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) in the rebooted X-Men film series, while Selena Gomez began her career on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place.
The upcoming film is expected to be even longer than The Brutalist.
Show full content
Huge Hollywood names including the stars of Lord of the Rings and X-Men are taking on a new graphic epic film from The Brutalist director.
Brady Corbet, who helmed the epic period drama starring Adrien Brody, will be joined by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender and Selena Gomez for the cast of his latest project.
Blanchett revealed her involvement in the upcoming film at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, letting slip during a masterclass that she is "about to work with Brady Corbet on a film".
The untitled project had already been confirmed by the Oscar-nominated director himself at the Storyhouse Screenwriting Festival in Dublin last month, where he revealed it had a mammoth 200-page script.
For context, 2024's The Brutalist had a run time of three and a half hours and the script was 165 pages long, so one can only imagine how lengthy this new film will be – but epic is certainly the right word.
Gomez's involvement in the film had already previously been reported, but now Blanchett and Fassbender have joined what appears to be an ever-growing, star-studded cast.
The new "genre-defying" film will be set in the '70s, Corbet revealed, and will be shot using very rare eight-perf 65mm cameras.
He said: "The film spans from the 19th century into the present day – it’s just predominantly focused on the ’70s. The film is really, really genre-defying."
Currently nothing else is known about the plot other than it will be an "X-rated" feature produced by Andrew Morrison for his Kaplan Morrison production banner.
The upcoming epic will be Corbet’s fourth feature film, having directed 2015’s The Childhood of a Leader and 2018’s Vox Lux before working on The Brutalist.
Cate Blanchett has a career spanning 36 years under her belt, during which she has worked with big directorial names, including Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro, David Fincher and Wes Anderson. Aside from Lord of the Rings, she is recognised from Carol, Ocean's 8, Tár and most recently Father Mother Sister Brother.
Michael Fassbender is best known for playing mutant supervillain Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) in the rebooted X-Men film series, while Selena Gomez began her career on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place.
Ever since The Mandalorian's debut back in 2019, Grogu, then only known as Baby Yoda, has gone on to be one of the biggest stars in a galaxy far, far away.
It's no mean feat, given the franchise's history of iconic characters, be they humanoid like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, or more visibly otherworldly like Chewbacca and R2-D2.
Now, Grogu is headlining his own movie alongside the aforementioned Mandalorian, Din Djarin. The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released in cinemas on 22 May, with the duo going on a new adventure to rescue Rotta the Hutt.
Like Yoda himself in his debut film, The Empire Strikes Back, Grogu is brought to life through puppetry, and there's a whole lot which goes into bringing him to life behind the scenes.
To give us the low-down on just how this is brought about, we spoke with key puppeteer Mike Manzel. Read on for a full breakdown on how Grogu is brought to the screen, from general movements to his eyes, to even one big swimming scene in the new movie.
Baby steps
Becoming a puppeteer has been a journey. I studied art and digital communications; I interned at an animation studio; and then after that I did a lot of commercial work. But what I always wanted to do was puppets and special effects. That had been my dream ever since seeing my first film at the cinema – Star Wars! I have worked on many films, from Kill Bill to Jurassic World, but puppeteering Grogu for The Mandalorian was a full circle moment!
Grogu is a mixture of rod puppetry and remote-controlled animatronics, operated by a team of five primary puppeteers. I handle the arms and always have a rod on the body to control his movements. (This means working up close and being painted out in post-production). Dawn Dininger works the legs. Jason Matthews remotely operates the eyes, which are crucial for all kinds of facial expressions. Victor Broadley does the ears and the mouth – he gives him his little smile! And then Trevor Hensley controls head movements.
When all the operators are working together in combination it’s like a jazz band. This means a lot of rehearsal. We’ll often get the script and break it down. It might say, ‘in this scene Grogu is having something thrown at him’. So we’ll set up the room and we’ll act it out and shoot it with our cameras before getting feedback from [director] Jon Favreau. But also, like jazz, it means improvisation. On set Jon will usually talk to the puppet and say, ‘all right, Grogu, in this scene you are sad’ and we’ll do our part to react to that and make him sad!
Learning the basics
Grogu is expressive! The eyes tell a lot. If he’s using the force, the eyes squint, the brow goes down – he’s getting focused. If he’s sad, the ears go down. Capturing that requires us all to play off each other and to sink into whatever emotion he’s feeling. There are certain expressions he struggles with. There’s only so much space inside the puppet to work with! But we’ve always been able to get around that and express something like exasperation in other ways. For the most part he’s able to nail it!
Grogu’s signature waddle has evolved. On the first season he spent a lot of time in his pram or being carried. We didn’t have rods on his feet at that point. So I was just hovering a little bit above him and carrying him along to make him do a little trot. It was only on The Book of Boba Fett when we started adding the rods to his feet and doing little pitter-patter steps here and there.
There are limits to the movements we can achieve with puppetry and animatronics. Grogu cannot clap! Conan O’Brien made a joke about that at the Oscars and we were like, ‘don’t point that out!’ There are things we’re always trying to improve but there's a lot of shots that are too complicated to achieve with just the puppet. That’s when Industrial Light & Magic’s CGI team steps in. But hopefully you can’t tell the difference because ILM always try to match it work to the puppet rather than a CG character.
New challenges for the 'daddy's boy'
The Mandalorian and Grogu presented a lot of challenges for the puppeteering team. One of the biggest involved scenes in which Grogu swims. There’s a lot of mechanics in the puppet and electronics and water do not mix well! We use two hero puppets for filming, as well as a few stunt versions, but we also had to develop a water-tight version. Dawn and I were in the water most of the day, splashing around and trying not to go under!
Pedro Pascal loves Grogu! He's definitely a daddy’s boy. Although in this film Grogu becomes more of a partner. On set, the actors focus on the puppet rather than us. And even though we puppeteer, we’re reacting off the actor. So if they say something to the puppet, we all react to that. It's just easier for them to think of Grogu as one character as opposed to five puppeteers!
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on Friday 22 May 2026.
Ever since The Mandalorian's debut back in 2019, Grogu, then only known as Baby Yoda, has gone on to be one of the biggest stars in a galaxy far, far away.
It's no mean feat, given the franchise's history of iconic characters, be they humanoid like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, or more visibly otherworldly like Chewbacca and R2-D2.
Now, Grogu is headlining his own movie alongside the aforementioned Mandalorian, Din Djarin. The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released in cinemas on 22 May, with the duo going on a new adventure to rescue Rotta the Hutt.
Like Yoda himself in his debut film, The Empire Strikes Back, Grogu is brought to life through puppetry, and there's a whole lot which goes into bringing him to life behind the scenes.
To give us the low-down on just how this is brought about, we spoke with key puppeteer Mike Manzel. Read on for a full breakdown on how Grogu is brought to the screen, from general movements to his eyes, to even one big swimming scene in the new movie.
Baby steps
Becoming a puppeteer has been a journey. I studied art and digital communications; I interned at an animation studio; and then after that I did a lot of commercial work. But what I always wanted to do was puppets and special effects. That had been my dream ever since seeing my first film at the cinema – Star Wars! I have worked on many films, from Kill Bill to Jurassic World, but puppeteering Grogu for The Mandalorian was a full circle moment!
Grogu is a mixture of rod puppetry and remote-controlled animatronics, operated by a team of five primary puppeteers. I handle the arms and always have a rod on the body to control his movements. (This means working up close and being painted out in post-production). Dawn Dininger works the legs. Jason Matthews remotely operates the eyes, which are crucial for all kinds of facial expressions. Victor Broadley does the ears and the mouth – he gives him his little smile! And then Trevor Hensley controls head movements.
When all the operators are working together in combination it’s like a jazz band. This means a lot of rehearsal. We’ll often get the script and break it down. It might say, ‘in this scene Grogu is having something thrown at him’. So we’ll set up the room and we’ll act it out and shoot it with our cameras before getting feedback from [director] Jon Favreau. But also, like jazz, it means improvisation. On set Jon will usually talk to the puppet and say, ‘all right, Grogu, in this scene you are sad’ and we’ll do our part to react to that and make him sad!
Learning the basics
Grogu is expressive! The eyes tell a lot. If he’s using the force, the eyes squint, the brow goes down – he’s getting focused. If he’s sad, the ears go down. Capturing that requires us all to play off each other and to sink into whatever emotion he’s feeling. There are certain expressions he struggles with. There’s only so much space inside the puppet to work with! But we’ve always been able to get around that and express something like exasperation in other ways. For the most part he’s able to nail it!
Grogu’s signature waddle has evolved. On the first season he spent a lot of time in his pram or being carried. We didn’t have rods on his feet at that point. So I was just hovering a little bit above him and carrying him along to make him do a little trot. It was only on The Book of Boba Fett when we started adding the rods to his feet and doing little pitter-patter steps here and there.
There are limits to the movements we can achieve with puppetry and animatronics. Grogu cannot clap! Conan O’Brien made a joke about that at the Oscars and we were like, ‘don’t point that out!’ There are things we’re always trying to improve but there's a lot of shots that are too complicated to achieve with just the puppet. That’s when Industrial Light & Magic’s CGI team steps in. But hopefully you can’t tell the difference because ILM always try to match it work to the puppet rather than a CG character.
New challenges for the 'daddy's boy'
The Mandalorian and Grogu presented a lot of challenges for the puppeteering team. One of the biggest involved scenes in which Grogu swims. There’s a lot of mechanics in the puppet and electronics and water do not mix well! We use two hero puppets for filming, as well as a few stunt versions, but we also had to develop a water-tight version. Dawn and I were in the water most of the day, splashing around and trying not to go under!
Pedro Pascal loves Grogu! He's definitely a daddy’s boy. Although in this film Grogu becomes more of a partner. On set, the actors focus on the puppet rather than us. And even though we puppeteer, we’re reacting off the actor. So if they say something to the puppet, we all react to that. It's just easier for them to think of Grogu as one character as opposed to five puppeteers!
The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on Friday 22 May 2026.
The director and actor had a "different idea of how the character should look".
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The Lovely Bones director Peter Jackson has spoken about his decision to fire Ryan Gosling from the film despite the actor already having gained 60 pounds for the role.
The Lovely Bones was released in 2009 and starred Saoirse Ronan in the lead alongside Mark Wahlberg playing her father and Stanley Tucci as the villain.
Originally, Gosling had been cast as Jack Salmon, the role audiences know Mark Wahlberg for playing, but was dropped from the film after gaining a considerable amount of weight without Jackson's approval.
Now, Jackson has spoken about the decision to fire Gosling. At the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, he said: "I won’t talk about any particular examples of actors because it’s a personal, private thing and it’s not their fault.
"Anytime we recast an actor, it’s actually our fault because we didn’t get the casting right and we cast the wrong person for a role.
"It’s not because they did anything wrong. So, I’m not going to talk about individuals, but you just got to realise that what you were imagining isn’t really quite happening, which means that we got it wrong and so we take full responsibility."
Jackson continued: "Ryan is a fantastic actor, as we know. Films are a chemistry both on camera and behind the camera. They’re chemistry in terms of what the actor conveys to the audience of the film.
"It’s just a complicated sort of amalgam of communication of how somebody gels into a group of people, into a story, into a character. It’s complicated and usually you try very hard when you’re planning the film, casting it, trying to get that gel kind of right, but occasionally we make our own mistakes."
Gosling had already discussed the events back in 2010, saying he and Jackson had a "different idea of how the character should look".
Though Gosling never began filming The Lovely Bones, some "prep work" for the film had already been done – including bonding with lead Saoirse Ronan.
In 2024, the Irish actress also reflected on the recasting saying that she was "sad" to see Ryan go but that "the reasons why they [Jackson and Gosling] parted were totally valid".
The director and actor had a "different idea of how the character should look".
Show full content
The Lovely Bones director Peter Jackson has spoken about his decision to fire Ryan Gosling from the film despite the actor already having gained 60 pounds for the role.
The Lovely Bones was released in 2009 and starred Saoirse Ronan in the lead alongside Mark Wahlberg playing her father and Stanley Tucci as the villain.
Originally, Gosling had been cast as Jack Salmon, the role audiences know Mark Wahlberg for playing, but was dropped from the film after gaining a considerable amount of weight without Jackson's approval.
Now, Jackson has spoken about the decision to fire Gosling. At the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, he said: "I won’t talk about any particular examples of actors because it’s a personal, private thing and it’s not their fault.
"Anytime we recast an actor, it’s actually our fault because we didn’t get the casting right and we cast the wrong person for a role.
"It’s not because they did anything wrong. So, I’m not going to talk about individuals, but you just got to realise that what you were imagining isn’t really quite happening, which means that we got it wrong and so we take full responsibility."
Jackson continued: "Ryan is a fantastic actor, as we know. Films are a chemistry both on camera and behind the camera. They’re chemistry in terms of what the actor conveys to the audience of the film.
"It’s just a complicated sort of amalgam of communication of how somebody gels into a group of people, into a story, into a character. It’s complicated and usually you try very hard when you’re planning the film, casting it, trying to get that gel kind of right, but occasionally we make our own mistakes."
Gosling had already discussed the events back in 2010, saying he and Jackson had a "different idea of how the character should look".
Though Gosling never began filming The Lovely Bones, some "prep work" for the film had already been done – including bonding with lead Saoirse Ronan.
In 2024, the Irish actress also reflected on the recasting saying that she was "sad" to see Ryan go but that "the reasons why they [Jackson and Gosling] parted were totally valid".
The first-look at Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek in an emotional new queer drama that’s about to debut at the Cannes Film Festival has been unveiled.
Malek, who won the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the 2018 biopic, stars in The Man I Love alongside Tom Sturridge (The Sandman), Rebecca Hall (The Prestige), Luther Ford (The Crown) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear).
Directed by filmmaker Ira Sachs, from a screenplay Sachs co-wrote with Mauricio Zacharias, The Man I Love follows actor Jimmy George in 1980s New York as he prepares to take on what could be his final role.
As unveiled by Deadline, the first look for the film sees Malek’s George showing off his acting chops to an assembled party of friends, where he imitates famous Western icon John Wayne.
A synopsis for the film reveals that the film captures George "[living in an] extraordinary moment between great illness and death when, still, all beauty and love is possible".
The film, Sachs’s third in three years, is due to premiere at Cannes this Wednesday (20 May), where it’s nominated for both the Palme d’Or and Queer Palm.
Filmed in New York over 28 days last year, Sachs has said that preparation for the film actually took 15 years in total, with the story itself inspired by French director Maurice Pialat’s 1991 biopic Van Gogh, set in the final few months of the painter’s life, where his death was imminent.
"In that period [of his life], he lived and chose to live with such commitment to the creation of art,” Sachs said of the influence in his director’s note to the film. "That was the kind of film Mauricio and I decided to write: one in which death is present, but in actuality, nobody actively dies; they actively live."
The Man I Love is Malek’s first big film of 2026, following his starring role in last year’s post-World War II drama Nuremberg, and flashy appearances in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and as mysterious villain Safin in 2021’s No Time to Die, the final film to star Daniel Craig as James Bond.
Co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach is preparing for the launch of Avengers: Doomsday this December, in which he’ll appear as The Thing alongside his Fantastic Four co-stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn.
Fans of his comedy-drama The Bear also got a surprise new episode recently; ahead of the acclaimed series' fifth season starting 25 June, a special prequel episode starring Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal.
The first-look at Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek in an emotional new queer drama that’s about to debut at the Cannes Film Festival has been unveiled.
Malek, who won the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the 2018 biopic, stars in The Man I Love alongside Tom Sturridge (The Sandman), Rebecca Hall (The Prestige), Luther Ford (The Crown) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear).
Directed by filmmaker Ira Sachs, from a screenplay Sachs co-wrote with Mauricio Zacharias, The Man I Love follows actor Jimmy George in 1980s New York as he prepares to take on what could be his final role.
As unveiled by Deadline, the first look for the film sees Malek’s George showing off his acting chops to an assembled party of friends, where he imitates famous Western icon John Wayne.
A synopsis for the film reveals that the film captures George "[living in an] extraordinary moment between great illness and death when, still, all beauty and love is possible".
The film, Sachs’s third in three years, is due to premiere at Cannes this Wednesday (20 May), where it’s nominated for both the Palme d’Or and Queer Palm.
Filmed in New York over 28 days last year, Sachs has said that preparation for the film actually took 15 years in total, with the story itself inspired by French director Maurice Pialat’s 1991 biopic Van Gogh, set in the final few months of the painter’s life, where his death was imminent.
"In that period [of his life], he lived and chose to live with such commitment to the creation of art,” Sachs said of the influence in his director’s note to the film. "That was the kind of film Mauricio and I decided to write: one in which death is present, but in actuality, nobody actively dies; they actively live."
The Man I Love is Malek’s first big film of 2026, following his starring role in last year’s post-World War II drama Nuremberg, and flashy appearances in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and as mysterious villain Safin in 2021’s No Time to Die, the final film to star Daniel Craig as James Bond.
Co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach is preparing for the launch of Avengers: Doomsday this December, in which he’ll appear as The Thing alongside his Fantastic Four co-stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn.
Fans of his comedy-drama The Bear also got a surprise new episode recently; ahead of the acclaimed series' fifth season starting 25 June, a special prequel episode starring Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal.
It's not like we've been waiting 15 years or anything!
Show full content
After monumental delays director Guy Ritchie has finally given fans an update on the highly anticipated third Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey Jr.
The first film was released in 2009 with its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, dropping only two years later in 2011 with Robert Downey Jr taking on the titular role and Jude Law bringing as Dr Watson.
A third instalment was then announced in 2018 but since then no progress has been made.
But now director Guy Ritchie, who helmed the first two films, has updated fans about the possibility of an upcoming film, promising that "the appetite is there".
"I adore Downey, and I adored making those two movies," Ritchie said. "Look, I think it's just honestly a question of just aligning our schedules.
"I know the appetite for it's there, but the appetite for it from our side is there, too. So, we'd love to make that happen. I just don't know how it's going to happen. It's amazing that it hasn't happened."
While the update is promising, production starting for the film unfortunately still seems a long way off.
Production even got as far as being given a rough release window of December 2021 but for unknown the reasons, the film never came to fruition.
In 2008, Robert Downey Jr took on the role of Tony Stark / Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has since been a part of a mammoth 11 films as the character which could explain why he hasn't been able to return to Sherlock Holmes just yet.
Sherlock Holmes has received many successful TV and film adaptations over the years, with MCU favourite Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the role in BBC's Sherlock from 2010 to 2017.
In more recent years, Superman actor Henry Cavill has portrayed the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character in Netflix's Enola Holmes and in its 2022 sequel.
Guy Ritchie has also continued to bring the character to life in the 2026 Prime Video series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Holmes.
It's not like we've been waiting 15 years or anything!
Show full content
After monumental delays director Guy Ritchie has finally given fans an update on the highly anticipated third Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey Jr.
The first film was released in 2009 with its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, dropping only two years later in 2011 with Robert Downey Jr taking on the titular role and Jude Law bringing as Dr Watson.
A third instalment was then announced in 2018 but since then no progress has been made.
But now director Guy Ritchie, who helmed the first two films, has updated fans about the possibility of an upcoming film, promising that "the appetite is there".
"I adore Downey, and I adored making those two movies," Ritchie said. "Look, I think it's just honestly a question of just aligning our schedules.
"I know the appetite for it's there, but the appetite for it from our side is there, too. So, we'd love to make that happen. I just don't know how it's going to happen. It's amazing that it hasn't happened."
While the update is promising, production starting for the film unfortunately still seems a long way off.
Production even got as far as being given a rough release window of December 2021 but for unknown the reasons, the film never came to fruition.
In 2008, Robert Downey Jr took on the role of Tony Stark / Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has since been a part of a mammoth 11 films as the character which could explain why he hasn't been able to return to Sherlock Holmes just yet.
Sherlock Holmes has received many successful TV and film adaptations over the years, with MCU favourite Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the role in BBC's Sherlock from 2010 to 2017.
In more recent years, Superman actor Henry Cavill has portrayed the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character in Netflix's Enola Holmes and in its 2022 sequel.
Guy Ritchie has also continued to bring the character to life in the 2026 Prime Video series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Holmes.
Don't miss the chance to see your team win under the lights at Wembley Stadium.
Show full content
The League Two Play-off Final is nearly upon us. Very soon, one lucky fanbase will have the chance to see their team win gold, glory, plus progression into the third tier of English football – but who will it be?
Last year, AFC Wimbledon took the win from Walsall after a nail-biting final. The London-based team then jumped up to League One alongside the other table toppers: Doncaster, Port Vale and Bradford City.
This year, it’s Bromley, Milton Keynes Dons and Cambridge United who have won the day, coming top three after intense matches in the 2025/6 League Two season. But after 25 May, one more team will be joining them.
The final two teams in the running are Notts County and Salford City.
Want to be there to cheer your team on? Here’s how you can get your hands on tickets.
Who is playing in the League Two Play-off Final 2026?
The League Two Play-off Final contenders have now been confirmed: Notts County vs Salford City.
How many get promoted from League Two?
Unlike the tiers above, it’s the top three teams in League Two that automatically make it into League One, while fourth to seventh place must battle it out for that last spot in the play-offs.
So far this year, Bromley, Milton Keynes Dons and Cambridge United are already confirmed to have made it to League One, while Salford City and Notts County are battling it out for the coveted final spot.
When is the League Two Play-off Final 2026?
The League Two season will culminate at the end of May as part of one of the best weekends in the football calendar: with the League One play-offs and the final day of the Premier League also taking place. Here’s the date:
The showdown between the final two teams will take place at the ‘home of football’, Wembley Stadium.
If you’re new to the venue, you’ll need to get there via one of three stations: Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central.
Wembley Park is available on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, Wembley Stadium Station is accessible via Chiltern Railways (just one stop from London Marylebone), and Wembley Central is available on the Bakerloo and Overground lines, as well as Southern and West Midlands rail.
How to get tickets to the League Two Play-off Final 2026
As with the other play-off finals, most tickets will come from the two competing clubs and it’s up to them to decide how spaces are distributed.
If you have a season ticket, or are considered a ‘loyal fan’, then you’re likely to be higher up the pecking order than if you’re new to the team.
However, tickets tend to go quickly, so you may have to consider other methods such as hospitality or re-sale sites. In this scenario we’d recommend looking at P1 Travel.
How much do League Two Play-off Final tickets cost?
Last year’s standard prices ranged from around £27 to around £65 depending on where you sat, so we’d expect this year’s to be similar.
However as we’ve said, if you opt for re-sale or hospitality tickets you’re going to be paying a lot more, right now prices start at €399 per person at P1Travel, while at Seat Unique, the cheapest ticket is £499.
While hospitality tickets do come at a higher price point, they're a great way of getting your hands on tickets that are high in demand. Plus, you get all sorts of included benefits, such as premium seating and food and drink.
Don't miss the chance to see your team win under the lights at Wembley Stadium.
Show full content
The League Two Play-off Final is nearly upon us. Very soon, one lucky fanbase will have the chance to see their team win gold, glory, plus progression into the third tier of English football – but who will it be?
Last year, AFC Wimbledon took the win from Walsall after a nail-biting final. The London-based team then jumped up to League One alongside the other table toppers: Doncaster, Port Vale and Bradford City.
This year, it’s Bromley, Milton Keynes Dons and Cambridge United who have won the day, coming top three after intense matches in the 2025/6 League Two season. But after 25 May, one more team will be joining them.
The final two teams in the running are Notts County and Salford City.
Want to be there to cheer your team on? Here’s how you can get your hands on tickets.
Who is playing in the League Two Play-off Final 2026?
The League Two Play-off Final contenders have now been confirmed: Notts County vs Salford City.
How many get promoted from League Two?
Unlike the tiers above, it’s the top three teams in League Two that automatically make it into League One, while fourth to seventh place must battle it out for that last spot in the play-offs.
So far this year, Bromley, Milton Keynes Dons and Cambridge United are already confirmed to have made it to League One, while Salford City and Notts County are battling it out for the coveted final spot.
When is the League Two Play-off Final 2026?
The League Two season will culminate at the end of May as part of one of the best weekends in the football calendar: with the League One play-offs and the final day of the Premier League also taking place. Here’s the date:
The showdown between the final two teams will take place at the ‘home of football’, Wembley Stadium.
If you’re new to the venue, you’ll need to get there via one of three stations: Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central.
Wembley Park is available on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, Wembley Stadium Station is accessible via Chiltern Railways (just one stop from London Marylebone), and Wembley Central is available on the Bakerloo and Overground lines, as well as Southern and West Midlands rail.
How to get tickets to the League Two Play-off Final 2026
As with the other play-off finals, most tickets will come from the two competing clubs and it’s up to them to decide how spaces are distributed.
If you have a season ticket, or are considered a ‘loyal fan’, then you’re likely to be higher up the pecking order than if you’re new to the team.
However, tickets tend to go quickly, so you may have to consider other methods such as hospitality or re-sale sites. In this scenario we’d recommend looking at P1 Travel.
How much do League Two Play-off Final tickets cost?
Last year’s standard prices ranged from around £27 to around £65 depending on where you sat, so we’d expect this year’s to be similar.
However as we’ve said, if you opt for re-sale or hospitality tickets you’re going to be paying a lot more, right now prices start at €399 per person at P1Travel, while at Seat Unique, the cheapest ticket is £499.
While hospitality tickets do come at a higher price point, they're a great way of getting your hands on tickets that are high in demand. Plus, you get all sorts of included benefits, such as premium seating and food and drink.
After five long years, the French series is finally back!
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After a five-year hiatus, first-look imagery has dropped for the upcoming Call My Agent! film as the release date is confirmed – and it's coming this summer!
The French series, which ran from 2015 to 2020 and starred Camille Cottin, Thibault de Montalembert and Grégory Montel, among others, followed a group of talent agents working at the ASK agency.
It delved into their relationships with their clients, who were made up of actors playing themselves, with a host of French stars appearing across the episodes.
To the dismay of fans Call My Agent! concluded after only four series but with a standalone film announced in 2021. Now after a long five year wait, Call My Agent! The Movie will drop on Netflix on Thursday 10 September 2026.
The official synopsis for the film reads: "Five years after the agency closed its doors, Andréa is finally ready to direct her first feature film. When her lead actor quits and she falls out with her producer, she joins forces with Noémie – now a successful reality TV producer– believing she can easily manipulate her.
"But as she faces a complete recasting, on-set disasters, and a legal battle threatening the custody of her daughter, everything begins to unravel. One by one, the former ASK colleagues converge on this high-tension film set.
"Each arrives with their own role, their ego, and a fair share of old grudges—little do they know what this reunion truly has in store for them."
The hilarious cast known from the series will be returning for the film including Camille Cottin, Laure Calamy, Thibault de Montalembert, Grégory Montel, Nicolas Maury, Fanny Sidney, Liliane Rovère, Laetitia Casta, Vincent Macaigne, Ophélia Kolb, Anne Marivin and Laurent Lafitte.
If you haven't seen the series but the plot sounds familiar, that may be because the series was given a British remake called Ten Percent in 2022, which starred Jack Davenport, Lydia Leonard, Maggie Steed and Prasanna Puwanarajah.
That show only ran for one season on Prime Video and received mixed reviews from critics, with some stating that it too closely followed the beloved French original.
Written by Fanny Herrero and Lison Daniel and directed by Emilie Noblet, the Call My Agent! film promises to be just as funny as the TV show.
It has been produced by Mediawan – Mon Voisin Productions and Mother Production with the participation of France Télévisions.
After five long years, the French series is finally back!
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After a five-year hiatus, first-look imagery has dropped for the upcoming Call My Agent! film as the release date is confirmed – and it's coming this summer!
The French series, which ran from 2015 to 2020 and starred Camille Cottin, Thibault de Montalembert and Grégory Montel, among others, followed a group of talent agents working at the ASK agency.
It delved into their relationships with their clients, who were made up of actors playing themselves, with a host of French stars appearing across the episodes.
To the dismay of fans Call My Agent! concluded after only four series but with a standalone film announced in 2021. Now after a long five year wait, Call My Agent! The Movie will drop on Netflix on Thursday 10 September 2026.
The official synopsis for the film reads: "Five years after the agency closed its doors, Andréa is finally ready to direct her first feature film. When her lead actor quits and she falls out with her producer, she joins forces with Noémie – now a successful reality TV producer– believing she can easily manipulate her.
"But as she faces a complete recasting, on-set disasters, and a legal battle threatening the custody of her daughter, everything begins to unravel. One by one, the former ASK colleagues converge on this high-tension film set.
"Each arrives with their own role, their ego, and a fair share of old grudges—little do they know what this reunion truly has in store for them."
The hilarious cast known from the series will be returning for the film including Camille Cottin, Laure Calamy, Thibault de Montalembert, Grégory Montel, Nicolas Maury, Fanny Sidney, Liliane Rovère, Laetitia Casta, Vincent Macaigne, Ophélia Kolb, Anne Marivin and Laurent Lafitte.
If you haven't seen the series but the plot sounds familiar, that may be because the series was given a British remake called Ten Percent in 2022, which starred Jack Davenport, Lydia Leonard, Maggie Steed and Prasanna Puwanarajah.
That show only ran for one season on Prime Video and received mixed reviews from critics, with some stating that it too closely followed the beloved French original.
Written by Fanny Herrero and Lison Daniel and directed by Emilie Noblet, the Call My Agent! film promises to be just as funny as the TV show.
It has been produced by Mediawan – Mon Voisin Productions and Mother Production with the participation of France Télévisions.
Some dodgy CGI can't stop Hope from being an absolute blast.
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Hope, the madcap new movie from South Korean director Na Hong-jin, is probably not the first sort of film you’d imagine when thinking of the prestige of the Cannes Film Festival. Premiering – however improbably – as part of the Competition line-up at this year’s edition, this creature feature is a flawed but utterly breathless piece of action cinema that’s just bonkers enough to make up for its various shortcomings.
Na's previous film was the creeping, occult-themed horror epic The Wailing – released to rave reviews a decade ago – but if you were looking to that effort for clues as to what to expect from his new one, you might want to think again. This is a very different sort of genre picture.
We begin on a country road, where we find a cow that has been horrifically butchered by some unseen but clearly deadly predator. Police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) has been sent to investigate and as he questions a band of slightly hostile locals, a suggestion is put forward that perhaps a tiger was responsible for the nasty incident, although that doesn’t quite seem to add up with the marks on the deceased animal.
In any case, it doesn’t take long for Bum-seok to rule out this possibility. Whatever this creature is, it is evidently still on the rampage, and the extent of the destruction – which includes cars being sent flying and a growing number of unfortunate people being mauled to death – makes it clear that it’s a fair bit bigger than a mere tiger.
And so begins an electrifying chase as Bum-seok – a man who you sense would be out of his depth even with a threat a few degrees more routine than this – haplessly attempts to track down and shoot at the beast. In doing so, he encounters various locals going about things their own way and not always treating him with much in the way of respect.
This opening section takes up the best part of an hour, and though there are no shortage of highlights later down the line, it's perhaps here where the film’s at its peak. Na’s expert staging of the hunt ensures the epic sequence is laced with near constant tension, while Hwang’s portrayal of the police chief’s bemused terror as the situation lurches increasingly out of hand provides precisely the right amount of comic relief without undercutting the suspense.
It’s just beginning to appear that this might be one of those creature features where the big bad isn’t revealed until the very final act, when that theory is proven untrue in quite spectacular fashion. It’s at this point where the film’s first, and by some distance most major, flaw emerges. The CGI on display is undeniably iffy, and at times there’s the unmistakable feel of a video game in the way the creature moves.
Quite how far you let this affect the fun is likely to vary wildly from viewer to viewer, but it’s hard to escape the fact that the film’s wow factor could have been amped up a further few notches with markedly improved visual effects and more original creature design. It’s a testament to quite how thrilling the surrounding action is that for many audience members, this aspect will hardly dim the experience at all.
As we move into the second and third acts, there’s intermittently the sense that the film – which runs 2 hours and 40 minutes – is a little overlong, and some of its detours prove more effective than others. But the momentum is never paused for long enough for the well sustained tension to truly let up, and we’re also treated to some humorous asides, including a peculiarly detailed witness statement from an injured man.
The cast for the film – who all fully commit – is mainly Korean, with the main roles alongside the aforementioned Hwang going to Zo In-sung and Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon. But there are also key parts for a few major Hollywood stars, notably including married couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. It’s safe to say that both are completely unrecognisable here from anything we’ve seen them in before.
Hope is most certainly a film that will divide viewers, and it’s not especially difficult to find faults – including with some of its baffling hints at a deeper mythology. But as a crazy action spectacle – best enjoyed with an engaged audience – the sheer enjoyable thrill of it all is impossible to deny.
Some dodgy CGI can't stop Hope from being an absolute blast.
Show full content
Hope, the madcap new movie from South Korean director Na Hong-jin, is probably not the first sort of film you’d imagine when thinking of the prestige of the Cannes Film Festival. Premiering – however improbably – as part of the Competition line-up at this year’s edition, this creature feature is a flawed but utterly breathless piece of action cinema that’s just bonkers enough to make up for its various shortcomings.
Na's previous film was the creeping, occult-themed horror epic The Wailing – released to rave reviews a decade ago – but if you were looking to that effort for clues as to what to expect from his new one, you might want to think again. This is a very different sort of genre picture.
We begin on a country road, where we find a cow that has been horrifically butchered by some unseen but clearly deadly predator. Police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) has been sent to investigate and as he questions a band of slightly hostile locals, a suggestion is put forward that perhaps a tiger was responsible for the nasty incident, although that doesn’t quite seem to add up with the marks on the deceased animal.
In any case, it doesn’t take long for Bum-seok to rule out this possibility. Whatever this creature is, it is evidently still on the rampage, and the extent of the destruction – which includes cars being sent flying and a growing number of unfortunate people being mauled to death – makes it clear that it’s a fair bit bigger than a mere tiger.
And so begins an electrifying chase as Bum-seok – a man who you sense would be out of his depth even with a threat a few degrees more routine than this – haplessly attempts to track down and shoot at the beast. In doing so, he encounters various locals going about things their own way and not always treating him with much in the way of respect.
This opening section takes up the best part of an hour, and though there are no shortage of highlights later down the line, it's perhaps here where the film’s at its peak. Na’s expert staging of the hunt ensures the epic sequence is laced with near constant tension, while Hwang’s portrayal of the police chief’s bemused terror as the situation lurches increasingly out of hand provides precisely the right amount of comic relief without undercutting the suspense.
It’s just beginning to appear that this might be one of those creature features where the big bad isn’t revealed until the very final act, when that theory is proven untrue in quite spectacular fashion. It’s at this point where the film’s first, and by some distance most major, flaw emerges. The CGI on display is undeniably iffy, and at times there’s the unmistakable feel of a video game in the way the creature moves.
Quite how far you let this affect the fun is likely to vary wildly from viewer to viewer, but it’s hard to escape the fact that the film’s wow factor could have been amped up a further few notches with markedly improved visual effects and more original creature design. It’s a testament to quite how thrilling the surrounding action is that for many audience members, this aspect will hardly dim the experience at all.
As we move into the second and third acts, there’s intermittently the sense that the film – which runs 2 hours and 40 minutes – is a little overlong, and some of its detours prove more effective than others. But the momentum is never paused for long enough for the well sustained tension to truly let up, and we’re also treated to some humorous asides, including a peculiarly detailed witness statement from an injured man.
The cast for the film – who all fully commit – is mainly Korean, with the main roles alongside the aforementioned Hwang going to Zo In-sung and Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon. But there are also key parts for a few major Hollywood stars, notably including married couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. It’s safe to say that both are completely unrecognisable here from anything we’ve seen them in before.
Hope is most certainly a film that will divide viewers, and it’s not especially difficult to find faults – including with some of its baffling hints at a deeper mythology. But as a crazy action spectacle – best enjoyed with an engaged audience – the sheer enjoyable thrill of it all is impossible to deny.
This year, we can only expect more action and drama in the Championship Play-off Final.
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Coventry City and Ipswich Town have scored their place in the Premier League next season, but who will join them? That's all to fight for in this year's Championship Play-off Final.
After 46 rounds, 24 clubs have gone toe-to-toe for the chance of stepping out onto the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium this May and winning the "richest prize in football".
Last year's final was a tense affair, with Sunderland pulling 2-1 ahead of Sheffield United after a last-minute extra-time goal.
This year, we can only expect more action and drama, and we now know it's between Hull and Southampton after a tense final round.
This year's Championship Play-off Final is set for Saturday 23 May 2026 – the week after FA Cup Final weekend and just before the League One and League Two Play-offs.
Where is the Championship Play-off Final in 2026?
As usual, the Championship Play-off Final will take place under the historic arch of Wembley Stadium.
If it's your first time travelling there, you can get there via three stations: Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central.
Wembley Park is available on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, Wembley Stadium Station is accessible via Chiltern Railways (just one stop from London Marylebone), and Wembley Central is available on the Bakerloo and Overground lines, as well as Southern and West Midlands rail, so you’re spoilt for choice of routes.
Who is playing in the Championship Play-off Final 2026?
We now know the Play-off Final will come down to Southampton vs Hull.
What is the prize money for the Championship Play-off Final?
Dubbed the "richest prize in football" clubs often earn around £170 million in revenue after winning Championship Play-off Final, although this of course can be affected by club spending and transfer fees.
How to get tickets to the Championship Play-off Final 2026
Tickets to the play-off finals are mainly sold through the websites of the competing clubs. Be aware that priority access will likely be given to season ticket holders or 'loyal fans' who have attended multiple fixtures.
If you miss out on this, we’d suggest looking first at hospitality tickets like P1 Travel or Seat Unique. These packages are always more expensive than regular tickets, however they guarantee you a prime spot in the stands and you get extra perks such as food and drink access.
How much do Championship Play-off Final tickets cost?
Last year’s base prices started at around £18 for concessions and £36 for adults.
Then, if it’s hospitality you’re after, Club Wembley and P1 Travel provide packages that cost anywhere from £800, however these come with additional food and drink, parking, and sometimes the option to meet previous club legends.
This year, we can only expect more action and drama in the Championship Play-off Final.
Show full content
Coventry City and Ipswich Town have scored their place in the Premier League next season, but who will join them? That's all to fight for in this year's Championship Play-off Final.
After 46 rounds, 24 clubs have gone toe-to-toe for the chance of stepping out onto the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium this May and winning the "richest prize in football".
Last year's final was a tense affair, with Sunderland pulling 2-1 ahead of Sheffield United after a last-minute extra-time goal.
This year, we can only expect more action and drama, and we now know it's between Hull and Southampton after a tense final round.
This year's Championship Play-off Final is set for Saturday 23 May 2026 – the week after FA Cup Final weekend and just before the League One and League Two Play-offs.
Where is the Championship Play-off Final in 2026?
As usual, the Championship Play-off Final will take place under the historic arch of Wembley Stadium.
If it's your first time travelling there, you can get there via three stations: Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central.
Wembley Park is available on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, Wembley Stadium Station is accessible via Chiltern Railways (just one stop from London Marylebone), and Wembley Central is available on the Bakerloo and Overground lines, as well as Southern and West Midlands rail, so you’re spoilt for choice of routes.
Who is playing in the Championship Play-off Final 2026?
We now know the Play-off Final will come down to Southampton vs Hull.
What is the prize money for the Championship Play-off Final?
Dubbed the "richest prize in football" clubs often earn around £170 million in revenue after winning Championship Play-off Final, although this of course can be affected by club spending and transfer fees.
How to get tickets to the Championship Play-off Final 2026
Tickets to the play-off finals are mainly sold through the websites of the competing clubs. Be aware that priority access will likely be given to season ticket holders or 'loyal fans' who have attended multiple fixtures.
If you miss out on this, we’d suggest looking first at hospitality tickets like P1 Travel or Seat Unique. These packages are always more expensive than regular tickets, however they guarantee you a prime spot in the stands and you get extra perks such as food and drink access.
How much do Championship Play-off Final tickets cost?
Last year’s base prices started at around £18 for concessions and £36 for adults.
Then, if it’s hospitality you’re after, Club Wembley and P1 Travel provide packages that cost anywhere from £800, however these come with additional food and drink, parking, and sometimes the option to meet previous club legends.
The League One Play-offs are a huge moment in the EFL calendar.
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Lincoln City and Cardiff City have earned a spot in the Championship next season, so with just a few matches left it's time to start looking at the League One Play-off Final.
With the league table now sorted, we now know the play-off final will come down to Bolton vs Stockport.
Last year Charlton won the play-off final 1–0 against London rivals Leyton Orient, so it's time to see who will join them.
Here's everything you need to know for how to get tickets.
The League One play-off Final will kick off on Sunday 24 May, the day after the Championship Play-off Final.
Where is the League One Play-off Final 2026?
All professional football finals, from the Premier League to League Two, are played at the neutral ground of WembleyStadium. As the home of English football, this gives fans a truly special – and sometimes once in a lifetime – experience.
To get there, you can take your pick of three tube stations: Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central.
Who is in the League One Play-off Final 2026?
We now know the League One Play-off Final will come down to Bolton vs Stockport.
How to get League One Play-off Final tickets
As with the Championship Play-Off Final and League Two Final, tickets will mainly be sold by their respective clubs.
It’s up to the clubs to decide how tickets are sold and distributed, although it’s pretty likely that priority access will likely be given to season ticket holders or 'loyal fans' who have proof that they attended multiple fixtures.
Alternatively, you can book a hospitality space through Seat Unique. Be aware that these seats are going to be more expensive, but they’ll come with exclusive food and drink access, a great view of the action, and sometimes the chance to meet a few legends of the sport.
How much do League One Play-off Final tickets cost?
Tickets sold through the clubs cost anywhere between £20 and £80, so grab one quick if you want to guarantee a good price.
As we’ve already said, hospitality tickets are a bigger expense, starting at £499. However, this may change closer to the final, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
The League One Play-offs are a huge moment in the EFL calendar.
Show full content
Lincoln City and Cardiff City have earned a spot in the Championship next season, so with just a few matches left it's time to start looking at the League One Play-off Final.
With the league table now sorted, we now know the play-off final will come down to Bolton vs Stockport.
Last year Charlton won the play-off final 1–0 against London rivals Leyton Orient, so it's time to see who will join them.
Here's everything you need to know for how to get tickets.
The League One play-off Final will kick off on Sunday 24 May, the day after the Championship Play-off Final.
Where is the League One Play-off Final 2026?
All professional football finals, from the Premier League to League Two, are played at the neutral ground of WembleyStadium. As the home of English football, this gives fans a truly special – and sometimes once in a lifetime – experience.
To get there, you can take your pick of three tube stations: Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central.
Who is in the League One Play-off Final 2026?
We now know the League One Play-off Final will come down to Bolton vs Stockport.
How to get League One Play-off Final tickets
As with the Championship Play-Off Final and League Two Final, tickets will mainly be sold by their respective clubs.
It’s up to the clubs to decide how tickets are sold and distributed, although it’s pretty likely that priority access will likely be given to season ticket holders or 'loyal fans' who have proof that they attended multiple fixtures.
Alternatively, you can book a hospitality space through Seat Unique. Be aware that these seats are going to be more expensive, but they’ll come with exclusive food and drink access, a great view of the action, and sometimes the chance to meet a few legends of the sport.
How much do League One Play-off Final tickets cost?
Tickets sold through the clubs cost anywhere between £20 and £80, so grab one quick if you want to guarantee a good price.
As we’ve already said, hospitality tickets are a bigger expense, starting at £499. However, this may change closer to the final, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
Got a budding hope you'll be at this year's Chelsea Flower Show? Here's what you need to know.
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The Chelsea Flower Show is the uncontested highlight of the horticultural season and it's officially underway.
Every year, more than 160,000 people pour in to the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital and file past exhibits which showcase the very latest trends in floristry and gardening.
Having been held since 1913 the festival is considered a must-see for both gardening enthusiasts and casual London tourists – as long as they can get a ticket that is.
Below, we've outlined exactly how to get tickets to this year's Chelsea Flower Show, as well as how much a space costs, so let's dig in.
How to get tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show 2026
Right now, you can still buy general sale tickets through the official Chelsea Flower Show page on AXS.
Otherwise, you can find hospitality tickets at official partner Seat Unique. These tickets are far more expensive than the normal entry but they do have plenty of availability and they get you extra perks. This includes access to several lounges and restaurants around the venue as well as afternoon teas and exclusive foraging and planting experiences.
Got a budding hope you'll be at this year's Chelsea Flower Show? Here's what you need to know.
Show full content
The Chelsea Flower Show is the uncontested highlight of the horticultural season and it's officially underway.
Every year, more than 160,000 people pour in to the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital and file past exhibits which showcase the very latest trends in floristry and gardening.
Having been held since 1913 the festival is considered a must-see for both gardening enthusiasts and casual London tourists – as long as they can get a ticket that is.
Below, we've outlined exactly how to get tickets to this year's Chelsea Flower Show, as well as how much a space costs, so let's dig in.
How to get tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show 2026
Right now, you can still buy general sale tickets through the official Chelsea Flower Show page on AXS.
Otherwise, you can find hospitality tickets at official partner Seat Unique. These tickets are far more expensive than the normal entry but they do have plenty of availability and they get you extra perks. This includes access to several lounges and restaurants around the venue as well as afternoon teas and exclusive foraging and planting experiences.
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is fast approaching, with an act for every kind of music lover.
Across three stages and plenty of acts to choose from, there is a wide selection to keep fans occupied over the three-day event from artists performing new music to the biggest chart-toppers.
This weekend (Friday 22 May to Sunday 24 May), the music extravaganza will take place in Herrington Country Park in Sunderland, with the annual event pulling out all the stops once more.
Gates will open Friday at 2pm, and 11am on Saturday on Sunday – and each day will end at approximately 10pm.
Trying to work out which acts might clash? Here's where you can find your favourites across BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.
BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend 2026 scheduleFriday 22 May 2026
It's quite the jam-packed day kicking off the weekend, with a headline performance from Fatboy Slim to conclude the excitement of the day.
Main Stage
3pm - 4:10pm: Boo
4:10pm - 5:25pm: Charlie Hedges
5:25pm - 5:55pm: Clementine Douglas
6:15pm - 7:15pm: Sonny Fodera
7:15pm - 8pm: MK
8pm - 8:45pm - FISHER
8:55pm - 9:55pm - Fatboy Slim
New Music Stage
2:40pm - 3:20pm: Sarah Story
3:20pm - 4pm: Ahadadream B2B Arthi
4pm - 4:35pm: Arielle Free
4:40pm - 5:20pm - Horsegirl
5:20pm - 6pm: L.P Rhythm
6:05pm - 6:45pm: NOTION
6:55pm - 7:35pm: Danny Howard
7:35pm - 8:20pm - Ewan McVicar
8:20pm - 9:20pm - Marlon Hoffstadt
Introducing Stage
2:20pm - 3:20pm: Max Jones
3:20pm - 4pm: Jude Lawless
4pm - 4:40pm: Mia Lily
4:40pm - 5:20pm: Niamh
5:20pm - 6pm: Ellie Scougall
6pm - 6:45pm: Sorley
6:45pm - 7:30pm: Anish Kumar
7:30pm - 8:15pm: Jaguar
Saturday 23 May 2026
There is quite the variety of acts performing on Saturday. Pop fans can enjoy the likes of Ellie Goulding and Louis Tomlinson, while we're headed stateside with Zara Larsson as she closes out the night.
4:45pm - 5:20pm: Nat O'Leary & Vicky Hawksworth Radio 1 Anthems set
5:30pm - 6:15pm: Nothing But Thieves
6:15pm - 7pm: Charlie Hedges Dance Anthems DJ set
7pm - 7:50pm: Lola Young
7:50pm - 8:40pm - Jeremiah Asiamah
8:45pm - 9:50pm - Zara Larsson
New Music Stage
12:30pm - 1pm: Erin Le Count
1:30pm - 2pm: Florence Road
2:30pm - 3:05pm: Wasia Project
3:35pm - 4:15pm: MUNA
4:45pm - 5:30pm: Rachel Chinouriri
6pm - 7pm: Mitski
7pm - 7:45pm: Sarah Story
7:45pm - 8:45pm: James Blake
Introducing Stage
11:30am - 12pm: Emma Harbs
12:30pm - 1pm: Swindled
1:30pm - 2pm: Heidi Curtis
2:30pm - 3pm: Tom A Smith
3:30pm - 4pm: Aaron Rowe
4:30pm - 5pm: BombayMami
5:30pm - 6pm: LeoStay Trill
6:30pm - 7pm: Bella Barbe
Sunday 24 May 2026
Fresh off her her UK tour, Grammy win and BAFTA wins to name just a few, Olivia Dean headlines Sunday show, with Niall Horan, Kehlani and CMAT performing throughout the day.
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is fast approaching, with an act for every kind of music lover.
Across three stages and plenty of acts to choose from, there is a wide selection to keep fans occupied over the three-day event from artists performing new music to the biggest chart-toppers.
This weekend (Friday 22 May to Sunday 24 May), the music extravaganza will take place in Herrington Country Park in Sunderland, with the annual event pulling out all the stops once more.
Gates will open Friday at 2pm, and 11am on Saturday on Sunday – and each day will end at approximately 10pm.
Trying to work out which acts might clash? Here's where you can find your favourites across BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.
BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend 2026 scheduleFriday 22 May 2026
It's quite the jam-packed day kicking off the weekend, with a headline performance from Fatboy Slim to conclude the excitement of the day.
Main Stage
3pm - 4:10pm: Boo
4:10pm - 5:25pm: Charlie Hedges
5:25pm - 5:55pm: Clementine Douglas
6:15pm - 7:15pm: Sonny Fodera
7:15pm - 8pm: MK
8pm - 8:45pm - FISHER
8:55pm - 9:55pm - Fatboy Slim
New Music Stage
2:40pm - 3:20pm: Sarah Story
3:20pm - 4pm: Ahadadream B2B Arthi
4pm - 4:35pm: Arielle Free
4:40pm - 5:20pm - Horsegirl
5:20pm - 6pm: L.P Rhythm
6:05pm - 6:45pm: NOTION
6:55pm - 7:35pm: Danny Howard
7:35pm - 8:20pm - Ewan McVicar
8:20pm - 9:20pm - Marlon Hoffstadt
Introducing Stage
2:20pm - 3:20pm: Max Jones
3:20pm - 4pm: Jude Lawless
4pm - 4:40pm: Mia Lily
4:40pm - 5:20pm: Niamh
5:20pm - 6pm: Ellie Scougall
6pm - 6:45pm: Sorley
6:45pm - 7:30pm: Anish Kumar
7:30pm - 8:15pm: Jaguar
Saturday 23 May 2026
There is quite the variety of acts performing on Saturday. Pop fans can enjoy the likes of Ellie Goulding and Louis Tomlinson, while we're headed stateside with Zara Larsson as she closes out the night.
4:45pm - 5:20pm: Nat O'Leary & Vicky Hawksworth Radio 1 Anthems set
5:30pm - 6:15pm: Nothing But Thieves
6:15pm - 7pm: Charlie Hedges Dance Anthems DJ set
7pm - 7:50pm: Lola Young
7:50pm - 8:40pm - Jeremiah Asiamah
8:45pm - 9:50pm - Zara Larsson
New Music Stage
12:30pm - 1pm: Erin Le Count
1:30pm - 2pm: Florence Road
2:30pm - 3:05pm: Wasia Project
3:35pm - 4:15pm: MUNA
4:45pm - 5:30pm: Rachel Chinouriri
6pm - 7pm: Mitski
7pm - 7:45pm: Sarah Story
7:45pm - 8:45pm: James Blake
Introducing Stage
11:30am - 12pm: Emma Harbs
12:30pm - 1pm: Swindled
1:30pm - 2pm: Heidi Curtis
2:30pm - 3pm: Tom A Smith
3:30pm - 4pm: Aaron Rowe
4:30pm - 5pm: BombayMami
5:30pm - 6pm: LeoStay Trill
6:30pm - 7pm: Bella Barbe
Sunday 24 May 2026
Fresh off her her UK tour, Grammy win and BAFTA wins to name just a few, Olivia Dean headlines Sunday show, with Niall Horan, Kehlani and CMAT performing throughout the day.
There isn’t much to lift the spirits in this feature length spin-off starring John Krasinski as the iconic CIA agent.
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Tom Clancy’s everyman action hero Jack Ryan – as played by John Krasinski – is back for a feature-length outing, three years on from the fourth season of the Prime Video series that rebooted the character.
He may be a long way from Alec Baldwin, who played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990), or Harrison Ford, who starred as the character in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). But Krasinski’s easy-going charm means the show’s return fared a lot better than either Ben Affleck (in 2002’s The Sum of All Fears) or Chris Pine (2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) playing Ryan.
Sadly, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War – what a mouthful of a title that is – emerges as a bland action vehicle shorn of wit or vitality. This comes as a huge surprise given that Krasinski and Noah Oppenheim (who penned Kathryn Bigelow’s brilliant nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite) cooked up the story. In the past, Krasinski has more than proved his mettle as a screenwriter (and director) of the gripping horror A Quiet Place and its sequel, which makes the failure of this globe-trotting espionage tale all the more puzzling.
Bouncing between New York, Dubai and London, the story begins as onetime CIA analyst Ryan is out for a jog through the streets of Manhattan when he’s accosted by his former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce) and colleague Mike November (Michael Kelly). This being Hollywood CIA, Greer doesn’t just give him a call on the blower; he has to have suited-and-booted operatives in blacked-out SUVs appear, forcing him to duck and dive through a restaurant kitchen.
Now relaxing in a civilian job, the spy game is behind Ryan. "I don’t know if I was cut out for all this grey area stuff," he says, but soon enough, he’s dragged back in. There’s a rogue Black Ops unit at work, one that came to the fore after 9/11, led by the highly aggrieved, vengeance-seeking agent Liam Crown (Max Beesley), who seems to have the skinny on everyone he’s targeting.
Before long, Krasinski is in London, paired up with the highly capable MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller), as betrayal becomes the order of the day.
"Nobody inside or out can be trusted," says Marlowe, as bombs are lit and bodies and personnel are lost. To be fair, Miller is the film’s real high point. The British actress hasn’t done a great deal of action work in her career, but she seems right at home, whether she’s brandishing guns, speeding off on motorbikes in leathers or speaking Arabic.
Arguably, in other hands, the script could’ve fared better, but director Andrew Bernstein seems hamstrung here. A veteran television director, on shows like Ozark, Fear The Walking Dead and It: Welcome To Derry, Bernstein is familiar with the Ryanverse, having helmed three episodes of the series.
But this never really feels like anything more than a TV movie. Whether it’s swooping shots over Dubai’s cityscape or a shoot-out in the streets of London, in the shadow of the Gherkin, it all feels like tourist’s-eye visuals.
Admittedly, there’s something amusing about watching a firefight outside a Sports Direct or near a double-decker bus that’s heading to Hackney Wick. But for the most part, the combat scenes feel like Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, the series of action-adventure stealth video games. Aside from a quick blast of Belinda Carlisle’s 1980s banger Heaven Is A Place On Earth on the soundtrack, and a visit to RAF Abingdon in Oxfordshire, there really isn’t much to lift the spirits here.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is released on Prime Video Wednesday on 20 May 2026.
There isn’t much to lift the spirits in this feature length spin-off starring John Krasinski as the iconic CIA agent.
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Tom Clancy’s everyman action hero Jack Ryan – as played by John Krasinski – is back for a feature-length outing, three years on from the fourth season of the Prime Video series that rebooted the character.
He may be a long way from Alec Baldwin, who played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990), or Harrison Ford, who starred as the character in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). But Krasinski’s easy-going charm means the show’s return fared a lot better than either Ben Affleck (in 2002’s The Sum of All Fears) or Chris Pine (2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) playing Ryan.
Sadly, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War – what a mouthful of a title that is – emerges as a bland action vehicle shorn of wit or vitality. This comes as a huge surprise given that Krasinski and Noah Oppenheim (who penned Kathryn Bigelow’s brilliant nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite) cooked up the story. In the past, Krasinski has more than proved his mettle as a screenwriter (and director) of the gripping horror A Quiet Place and its sequel, which makes the failure of this globe-trotting espionage tale all the more puzzling.
Bouncing between New York, Dubai and London, the story begins as onetime CIA analyst Ryan is out for a jog through the streets of Manhattan when he’s accosted by his former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce) and colleague Mike November (Michael Kelly). This being Hollywood CIA, Greer doesn’t just give him a call on the blower; he has to have suited-and-booted operatives in blacked-out SUVs appear, forcing him to duck and dive through a restaurant kitchen.
Now relaxing in a civilian job, the spy game is behind Ryan. "I don’t know if I was cut out for all this grey area stuff," he says, but soon enough, he’s dragged back in. There’s a rogue Black Ops unit at work, one that came to the fore after 9/11, led by the highly aggrieved, vengeance-seeking agent Liam Crown (Max Beesley), who seems to have the skinny on everyone he’s targeting.
Before long, Krasinski is in London, paired up with the highly capable MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller), as betrayal becomes the order of the day.
"Nobody inside or out can be trusted," says Marlowe, as bombs are lit and bodies and personnel are lost. To be fair, Miller is the film’s real high point. The British actress hasn’t done a great deal of action work in her career, but she seems right at home, whether she’s brandishing guns, speeding off on motorbikes in leathers or speaking Arabic.
Arguably, in other hands, the script could’ve fared better, but director Andrew Bernstein seems hamstrung here. A veteran television director, on shows like Ozark, Fear The Walking Dead and It: Welcome To Derry, Bernstein is familiar with the Ryanverse, having helmed three episodes of the series.
But this never really feels like anything more than a TV movie. Whether it’s swooping shots over Dubai’s cityscape or a shoot-out in the streets of London, in the shadow of the Gherkin, it all feels like tourist’s-eye visuals.
Admittedly, there’s something amusing about watching a firefight outside a Sports Direct or near a double-decker bus that’s heading to Hackney Wick. But for the most part, the combat scenes feel like Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, the series of action-adventure stealth video games. Aside from a quick blast of Belinda Carlisle’s 1980s banger Heaven Is A Place On Earth on the soundtrack, and a visit to RAF Abingdon in Oxfordshire, there really isn’t much to lift the spirits here.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is released on Prime Video Wednesday on 20 May 2026.
While some superfans have seen the Harry Potter films time and time again, there are still some details even the most eagle-eyed viewers will have missed.
That's down to the level of detail from unsung heroes behind-the-scenes, like Art Director Gary Tomkins, who worked on all eight movies.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times to mark the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (and the new Summer Feature at the Warner Bros Studio Tour), Tomkins revealed that there are some intricate sets that he worked on that were never actually seen on screen, including Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur Weasley's seaside home.
"Shell Cottage, we built on the seashore in Pembrokeshire," Tomkins recalled.
"It was a full-sized house. We built some of the interior and the exterior, with a garden. The walls themselves were built with shells, and we had a sculptor model up all the shells so it would be made like a stone building, but instead of stone, it was shells.
"All the shells had little, tiny barnacles on, a fantastic level of detail - all hand painted. The slates on the roof weren't slate, they were actually shells. We worked out how they would fit together. It was a huge level of detail. The garden was planted up, we had fences. We had part of the interior, we had curtains at the window - all of that.
"And then, when you see the final film, all you see is Shell Cottage in the background of the death of Dobby, and the actors in foreground. In the background, out of focus is Shell Cottage!"
However, Tomkins added: "You can barely see the cottage, let alone [the small details]. But, we did it, we knew it was there. We were always indulged, and we could afford to build beautiful sets, and it gave the director an opportunity to shoot in and around it.
"But the key shot that everyone remembers is everyone looking at Dobby, and not my beautiful house in the background!"
While Shell Cottage might not have had its shining moment on screen, one part of Tomkins' work that certainly did was Hogwarts Castle.
"Stuart [Craig, Production Designer] did a very sort of basic sketch - well, very elaborate sketch but a basic plan - from which myself and the other members of the team drew up, like an architect would draw up a house, we drew up the castle," he explained of the process.
"We were integrating the elements of the real world places that we shot on location, in Gloucester, Durham, and it pretty much came together as we had planned.
"In subsequent films, of course, because new things came in in the script that we weren't aware of when we built the first film, we had to change the design of the castle. So as you move through the films, the castle constantly changes its design.
"It's one of the only film projects I've been on over my entire career where continuity doesn't really matter, because you can say, 'Well, it's magic!'"
For Tomkins, the Studio Tour is a chance for both the behind-the-scenes details to be appreciated by the fans.
"I love the Studio Tour, because it is that perfect opportunity to show the public all of the detail that goes into the sets and props and costumes and everything else," he pointed out.
"Very often that's lost on the screen, but you can come here and you can get up really close to everything, and see the level of detail. It's an incredible level of detail that was put into everything.
"I'm just thrilled, and continue to be thrilled every time I come to the tour to see people enjoying that."
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
While some superfans have seen the Harry Potter films time and time again, there are still some details even the most eagle-eyed viewers will have missed.
That's down to the level of detail from unsung heroes behind-the-scenes, like Art Director Gary Tomkins, who worked on all eight movies.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times to mark the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (and the new Summer Feature at the Warner Bros Studio Tour), Tomkins revealed that there are some intricate sets that he worked on that were never actually seen on screen, including Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur Weasley's seaside home.
"Shell Cottage, we built on the seashore in Pembrokeshire," Tomkins recalled.
"It was a full-sized house. We built some of the interior and the exterior, with a garden. The walls themselves were built with shells, and we had a sculptor model up all the shells so it would be made like a stone building, but instead of stone, it was shells.
"All the shells had little, tiny barnacles on, a fantastic level of detail - all hand painted. The slates on the roof weren't slate, they were actually shells. We worked out how they would fit together. It was a huge level of detail. The garden was planted up, we had fences. We had part of the interior, we had curtains at the window - all of that.
"And then, when you see the final film, all you see is Shell Cottage in the background of the death of Dobby, and the actors in foreground. In the background, out of focus is Shell Cottage!"
However, Tomkins added: "You can barely see the cottage, let alone [the small details]. But, we did it, we knew it was there. We were always indulged, and we could afford to build beautiful sets, and it gave the director an opportunity to shoot in and around it.
"But the key shot that everyone remembers is everyone looking at Dobby, and not my beautiful house in the background!"
While Shell Cottage might not have had its shining moment on screen, one part of Tomkins' work that certainly did was Hogwarts Castle.
"Stuart [Craig, Production Designer] did a very sort of basic sketch - well, very elaborate sketch but a basic plan - from which myself and the other members of the team drew up, like an architect would draw up a house, we drew up the castle," he explained of the process.
"We were integrating the elements of the real world places that we shot on location, in Gloucester, Durham, and it pretty much came together as we had planned.
"In subsequent films, of course, because new things came in in the script that we weren't aware of when we built the first film, we had to change the design of the castle. So as you move through the films, the castle constantly changes its design.
"It's one of the only film projects I've been on over my entire career where continuity doesn't really matter, because you can say, 'Well, it's magic!'"
For Tomkins, the Studio Tour is a chance for both the behind-the-scenes details to be appreciated by the fans.
"I love the Studio Tour, because it is that perfect opportunity to show the public all of the detail that goes into the sets and props and costumes and everything else," he pointed out.
"Very often that's lost on the screen, but you can come here and you can get up really close to everything, and see the level of detail. It's an incredible level of detail that was put into everything.
"I'm just thrilled, and continue to be thrilled every time I come to the tour to see people enjoying that."
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Just days after it was confirmed that auditions have now begun to find the next James Bond, Variety has reported on one candidate who is said to be part of the process.
The publication reports that Tom Francis, the actor best known for his stage work including Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, is one of the performers who has auditioned to play the iconic spy in the franchise's next film.
The publication states that Francis is "one of many performers jockeying for the part in a casting process that is ongoing and being overseen by Nina Gold".
Radio Times has approached Amazon MGM Studios and reps for Francis for comment.
Francis, who is 26 years old, may be best known for starring opposite Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard, but he also appeared in other stage productions including What's New Pussycat? at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End.
On screen, he has been seen in four episodes of the final season of Netflix series You, and in the streamer's 2025 film Jay Kelly. He will also soon be seen starring in theatrical film The Mosquito Bowl, alongside Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård.
It is not currently known who else has taken part in the audition process as of yet.
It seems that one actor who was previously rumoured to be a frontrunner, Cosmo Jarvis, will reportedly not be involved, with a spokesperson for the actor telling Variety: "Cosmo is not in the mix for the role of James Bond and is not auditioning for it."
News that the casting process is underway was confirmed in a statement from Amazon MGM Studios, with the company saying: "The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Just days after it was confirmed that auditions have now begun to find the next James Bond, Variety has reported on one candidate who is said to be part of the process.
The publication reports that Tom Francis, the actor best known for his stage work including Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, is one of the performers who has auditioned to play the iconic spy in the franchise's next film.
The publication states that Francis is "one of many performers jockeying for the part in a casting process that is ongoing and being overseen by Nina Gold".
Radio Times has approached Amazon MGM Studios and reps for Francis for comment.
Francis, who is 26 years old, may be best known for starring opposite Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard, but he also appeared in other stage productions including What's New Pussycat? at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End.
On screen, he has been seen in four episodes of the final season of Netflix series You, and in the streamer's 2025 film Jay Kelly. He will also soon be seen starring in theatrical film The Mosquito Bowl, alongside Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård.
It is not currently known who else has taken part in the audition process as of yet.
It seems that one actor who was previously rumoured to be a frontrunner, Cosmo Jarvis, will reportedly not be involved, with a spokesperson for the actor telling Variety: "Cosmo is not in the mix for the role of James Bond and is not auditioning for it."
News that the casting process is underway was confirmed in a statement from Amazon MGM Studios, with the company saying: "The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
James Gray has returned to familiar ground for this 1986-set period thriller about two brothers who get in over their head.
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James Gray has previously found fertile cinematic ground in tales of both Jewish family life in 20th century New York and the violent activities of the Russian mob, and those two elements combine to mixed success in this latest effort from the acclaimed American writer/director.
Paper Tiger – Gray's sixth film to premiere In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival – comes equipped with an A-list cast comprised of Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, and takes us to 1986 New York as we explore a close-knit family's descent towards crisis after they acquire some dodgy new business partners.
Chiefly, it is a tale of two brothers. Teller plays Irwin, a mild-mannered and somewhat nervous family man, who is married to Johansson's Hester and is just about the last person you'd expect to voluntarily sign up for any sort of danger.
On the other hand, Driver – in his most charismatic and magnetic performance in years – is Gary, the livelier and more brash of the two siblings who is idolised by Irwin's sons and well connected around New York (owing at least in part to a past in the NYPD.)
The film kicks into gear when Gary lets Irwin in on a business opportunity he reckons could see them both hit the big time. The scheme involves consulting for a Russian firm who are undertaking a clean-up operation of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, and though initially hesitant about the proposition, Irwin is quickly won over by his brother's smooth-talking manner and the promise of a quick buck. Before long they're heading to the canal to meet with a gang of contacts who don't exactly scream trustworthy.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that this may not go according to plan or, for that matter, that the resulting fallout will drive a wedge between the two brothers. Of course, that's precisely what happens, and – thanks to a shockingly naive blunder on Irwin's part – his whole family wind up getting caught firmly in the crosshairs too.
Gray has shown many times before that he's a muscular director with an expert grip on texture, so it's no surprise that for the most part Paper Tiger looks and feels great, with a hyper-specific sense of time and place. He also stages some impressive set pieces, especially a genuinely creepy home invasion sequence that proves just how sinister the threat posed by Irwin's new business partners is, and a late action scene that evokes the "tiger" of the title.
But for all that the film gets right, there's also a feeling that it's held back by a few narrative and tonal shortcomings. At some points its presentation of the American dream gone wrong is underbaked and perhaps even a little clichéd, while at others it lurches towards overblown melodrama, with Johansson guilty of some pretty hammy outbursts. In other words, Gray seems to be aiming for both operatic and intimate at once, and the film ends up not quite soaring in either of those modes.
It doesn't help that Johansson is underserved by a far weaker storyline than her male co-stars, and a plot point concerning her health feels rather clumsily tacked on, even as it ends up playing a key part in the wider narrative. The film is at its best when it fully dials up the tension, and more moments like the aforementioned break-in – and especially its impact on the whole family – might have been more effective in making us truly fear for their plight.
Still, Teller and Driver really are terrific – the latter especially great when we discover both the extent of his force and the limits of his bravado. And so even with those aforementioned flaws, there's plenty here to savour, and more than enough for Gray's relatively small but extremely devoted band of die-hards to celebrate.
James Gray has returned to familiar ground for this 1986-set period thriller about two brothers who get in over their head.
Show full content
James Gray has previously found fertile cinematic ground in tales of both Jewish family life in 20th century New York and the violent activities of the Russian mob, and those two elements combine to mixed success in this latest effort from the acclaimed American writer/director.
Paper Tiger – Gray's sixth film to premiere In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival – comes equipped with an A-list cast comprised of Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, and takes us to 1986 New York as we explore a close-knit family's descent towards crisis after they acquire some dodgy new business partners.
Chiefly, it is a tale of two brothers. Teller plays Irwin, a mild-mannered and somewhat nervous family man, who is married to Johansson's Hester and is just about the last person you'd expect to voluntarily sign up for any sort of danger.
On the other hand, Driver – in his most charismatic and magnetic performance in years – is Gary, the livelier and more brash of the two siblings who is idolised by Irwin's sons and well connected around New York (owing at least in part to a past in the NYPD.)
The film kicks into gear when Gary lets Irwin in on a business opportunity he reckons could see them both hit the big time. The scheme involves consulting for a Russian firm who are undertaking a clean-up operation of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, and though initially hesitant about the proposition, Irwin is quickly won over by his brother's smooth-talking manner and the promise of a quick buck. Before long they're heading to the canal to meet with a gang of contacts who don't exactly scream trustworthy.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that this may not go according to plan or, for that matter, that the resulting fallout will drive a wedge between the two brothers. Of course, that's precisely what happens, and – thanks to a shockingly naive blunder on Irwin's part – his whole family wind up getting caught firmly in the crosshairs too.
Gray has shown many times before that he's a muscular director with an expert grip on texture, so it's no surprise that for the most part Paper Tiger looks and feels great, with a hyper-specific sense of time and place. He also stages some impressive set pieces, especially a genuinely creepy home invasion sequence that proves just how sinister the threat posed by Irwin's new business partners is, and a late action scene that evokes the "tiger" of the title.
But for all that the film gets right, there's also a feeling that it's held back by a few narrative and tonal shortcomings. At some points its presentation of the American dream gone wrong is underbaked and perhaps even a little clichéd, while at others it lurches towards overblown melodrama, with Johansson guilty of some pretty hammy outbursts. In other words, Gray seems to be aiming for both operatic and intimate at once, and the film ends up not quite soaring in either of those modes.
It doesn't help that Johansson is underserved by a far weaker storyline than her male co-stars, and a plot point concerning her health feels rather clumsily tacked on, even as it ends up playing a key part in the wider narrative. The film is at its best when it fully dials up the tension, and more moments like the aforementioned break-in – and especially its impact on the whole family – might have been more effective in making us truly fear for their plight.
Still, Teller and Driver really are terrific – the latter especially great when we discover both the extent of his force and the limits of his bravado. And so even with those aforementioned flaws, there's plenty here to savour, and more than enough for Gray's relatively small but extremely devoted band of die-hards to celebrate.
No-one wants to scroll endlessly, so we've picked the best movies on Prime Video for you.
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If you need inspiration for your next movie night, Prime Video has plenty to dive into. Based on Stephen King’s novel, dystopian thriller The Long Walk follows teenage boys forced into a televised endurance march where slowing down means death. Starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, The Long Walk explores survival, friendship and the brutal cost of hope under an authoritarian regime.
2014's Inherent Vice stars Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin and Owen Wilson, following stoner eye Doc Sportello investigating his ex-girlfriend’s disappearance, uncovering a tangled web of crime and conspiracy, as well as fading 1970s counterculture.
Inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photobook of the same name, The Bikeriders tells the story of the Vandals MC, a motorcycle gang in 1960s Chicago that morphs from a refuge for outsiders to a sinister gang. Tom Hardy plays Johnny, the leader of the gang, and Austin Butler as Benny, a member of the club who finds himself torn between his loyalty to the gang and his partner Kathy (Jodie Comer).
How about Quentin Tarantino’s 1969-set Hollywood reverie Once upon a Time...in Hollywood, which follows fading actor Rick Dalton and devoted stuntman Cliff Booth (Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt), as their lives brush Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), against the looming Manson murders and changing industry?
Meanwhile, what could be a more enjoyable way to spend the evening than with classic romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary, about the protagonist's struggles against increasing weight, alcohol and cigarette addiction, and the anxieties of being a 30-something singleton? Helen Fielding’s novel is brought most satisfyingly to the screen by director Sharon Maguire, writers Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis, and particularly Renée Zellweger as Bridget.
For a more sobering watch, documentary film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin, tracing her life, work and involvement in AIDS activism and the art world, alongside her leadership of the group PAIN in campaigning against the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis.
The streamer has developed a great habit of picking up some of the best cinema releases of recent years for its library – and one film that fits squarely into the category is Small Things like These, an emotionally devastating drama set in 1980s Ireland starring Cillian Murphy.
Those wanting horror fare can turns to movies including Longlegs and Heretic, while those looking for classics can enjoy the likes of From Dusk till Dawn and The Long Good Friday.
If you're looking for the best movies to watch right now, then look no further. Every movie on the list below has been hand-picked by Radio Times's team of experts, so you will know exactly which films you should dive into when you next log on to the streamer.
Our Prime Video pages (including best Amazon series) are updated regularly, so keep this page bookmarked as we'll have fresh recommendations you absolutely don't want to miss.
No-one wants to scroll endlessly, so we've picked the best movies on Prime Video for you.
Show full content
If you need inspiration for your next movie night, Prime Video has plenty to dive into. Based on Stephen King’s novel, dystopian thriller The Long Walk follows teenage boys forced into a televised endurance march where slowing down means death. Starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, The Long Walk explores survival, friendship and the brutal cost of hope under an authoritarian regime.
2014's Inherent Vice stars Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin and Owen Wilson, following stoner eye Doc Sportello investigating his ex-girlfriend’s disappearance, uncovering a tangled web of crime and conspiracy, as well as fading 1970s counterculture.
Inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photobook of the same name, The Bikeriders tells the story of the Vandals MC, a motorcycle gang in 1960s Chicago that morphs from a refuge for outsiders to a sinister gang. Tom Hardy plays Johnny, the leader of the gang, and Austin Butler as Benny, a member of the club who finds himself torn between his loyalty to the gang and his partner Kathy (Jodie Comer).
How about Quentin Tarantino’s 1969-set Hollywood reverie Once upon a Time...in Hollywood, which follows fading actor Rick Dalton and devoted stuntman Cliff Booth (Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt), as their lives brush Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), against the looming Manson murders and changing industry?
Meanwhile, what could be a more enjoyable way to spend the evening than with classic romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary, about the protagonist's struggles against increasing weight, alcohol and cigarette addiction, and the anxieties of being a 30-something singleton? Helen Fielding’s novel is brought most satisfyingly to the screen by director Sharon Maguire, writers Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis, and particularly Renée Zellweger as Bridget.
For a more sobering watch, documentary film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin, tracing her life, work and involvement in AIDS activism and the art world, alongside her leadership of the group PAIN in campaigning against the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis.
The streamer has developed a great habit of picking up some of the best cinema releases of recent years for its library – and one film that fits squarely into the category is Small Things like These, an emotionally devastating drama set in 1980s Ireland starring Cillian Murphy.
Those wanting horror fare can turns to movies including Longlegs and Heretic, while those looking for classics can enjoy the likes of From Dusk till Dawn and The Long Good Friday.
If you're looking for the best movies to watch right now, then look no further. Every movie on the list below has been hand-picked by Radio Times's team of experts, so you will know exactly which films you should dive into when you next log on to the streamer.
Our Prime Video pages (including best Amazon series) are updated regularly, so keep this page bookmarked as we'll have fresh recommendations you absolutely don't want to miss.
Some of the best movies on Netflix right now include Steve, A Quiet Place: Day One, The Fall Guy, Marriage Story and Train Dreams. Updated weekly.
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There's not long to wait until this year's summer blockbusters start to arrive, but if you're already craving some spectacular movies then Netflix has you covered.
Love Lies Bleeding is a neon‑noir thriller set in 1980s New Mexico, following a gym manager and an ambitious bodybuilder whose intense romance drags them into violence. Featuring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian, it blends desire, crime and family secrets with pulpy, surreal energy.
Wes Anderson's period comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel is a multi-storied tale-within-a-tale revolving around a hotel in a fictional Mittel-European state across multiple time frames, but it’s terrifically funny if you can get into its groove. We follow concierge Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) amid art theft, murder accusations and inheritance disputes in fading Europe.
In the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davies, when Oscar Isaac’s eponymous struggling troubadour gets locked out of his apartment after chasing an escaped cat, his subsequent wandering becomes a metaphor for his stalled career. But music offers hope. Replete with the Coens’ trademark grotesques, this blues riff to lost opportunity is warmed through with the love of a good tune.
Set in the 1990s, I Saw the TV Glow sees two isolated teenagers bond over a strange late‑night TV series. As one disappears, the other grows obsessed, struggling with grief, identity and reality as the show’s mythology bleeds disturbingly into everyday life.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the iconic doll facing an unexpected existential crisis that propels her from Barbieland into the real world. Bursting with colour, comedy and sharp cultural commentary, it’s funny and thought‑provoking, with stand-out performances and songs. The film also features Ryan Gosling as Ken and is narrated by Helen Mirren.
Meanwhile, set against the backdrop of the 1969 moon landing, Apollo 10½: a Space Age Childhood blends memory and fantasy to follow a boy growing up in suburban Houston, who imagines being recruited for a secret NASA mission. The film is written and directed by Richard Linklater and features Milo Coy, with voice performances by Jack Black, Zachary Levi and Glen Powell.
Read on for our latest picks of the best movies on the streaming service right now – from recent releases like Anniversary and Train Dreams to classics such as The Dark Knight Rises and sex, lies and videotape – or head over to our guides to the best series on Netflix and best comedies on Netflix.
Alternatively, check out our helpful list of Netflix secret codes, which can help you unlock hidden movies and TV shows.
Some of the best movies on Netflix right now include Steve, A Quiet Place: Day One, The Fall Guy, Marriage Story and Train Dreams. Updated weekly.
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There's not long to wait until this year's summer blockbusters start to arrive, but if you're already craving some spectacular movies then Netflix has you covered.
Love Lies Bleeding is a neon‑noir thriller set in 1980s New Mexico, following a gym manager and an ambitious bodybuilder whose intense romance drags them into violence. Featuring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian, it blends desire, crime and family secrets with pulpy, surreal energy.
Wes Anderson's period comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel is a multi-storied tale-within-a-tale revolving around a hotel in a fictional Mittel-European state across multiple time frames, but it’s terrifically funny if you can get into its groove. We follow concierge Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) amid art theft, murder accusations and inheritance disputes in fading Europe.
In the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davies, when Oscar Isaac’s eponymous struggling troubadour gets locked out of his apartment after chasing an escaped cat, his subsequent wandering becomes a metaphor for his stalled career. But music offers hope. Replete with the Coens’ trademark grotesques, this blues riff to lost opportunity is warmed through with the love of a good tune.
Set in the 1990s, I Saw the TV Glow sees two isolated teenagers bond over a strange late‑night TV series. As one disappears, the other grows obsessed, struggling with grief, identity and reality as the show’s mythology bleeds disturbingly into everyday life.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the iconic doll facing an unexpected existential crisis that propels her from Barbieland into the real world. Bursting with colour, comedy and sharp cultural commentary, it’s funny and thought‑provoking, with stand-out performances and songs. The film also features Ryan Gosling as Ken and is narrated by Helen Mirren.
Meanwhile, set against the backdrop of the 1969 moon landing, Apollo 10½: a Space Age Childhood blends memory and fantasy to follow a boy growing up in suburban Houston, who imagines being recruited for a secret NASA mission. The film is written and directed by Richard Linklater and features Milo Coy, with voice performances by Jack Black, Zachary Levi and Glen Powell.
Read on for our latest picks of the best movies on the streaming service right now – from recent releases like Anniversary and Train Dreams to classics such as The Dark Knight Rises and sex, lies and videotape – or head over to our guides to the best series on Netflix and best comedies on Netflix.
Alternatively, check out our helpful list of Netflix secret codes, which can help you unlock hidden movies and TV shows.
Kenneth Branagh is back on the stage in The Tempest this summer.
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For actors who want to stray into the world of theatre, there surely is some sort of checklist out there featuring the items: Shakespeare, the RSC, working with a legend.
Well for Bridgerton star Ruby Stokes – the former Francesca before Hannah Dodd assumed the role – she's ticking off all three at once.
The actress is currently making her RSC in debut in the Stratford-Upon-Avon run of The Tempest, playing a young Miranda alongside icon of the genre Kenneth Branagh.
"It's mental," she said, in an exclusive chat with Radio Times, "working at the RSC, when I was younger it's all I had hoped and dreamed of. I did panic a bit before we started, because I do understand Shakespeare, but my own sort of little devil in the back of my head got in the front of my head for a hot second, and I had to, you know, shove it back in place".
Reflecting on working with Branagh, who is perhaps best known (Harry Potter aside) for his prolific work in Shakespearean films and productions, she said: "I'm in total admiration of Ken and the way he works.
"He puts in so much pre-work so that when he comes to the room, it's so light and easy and truthful. Ken's Prospero is a man I know. It's a man we all know, it's incredibly grounded and rooted in truth.
"And he's an unbelievably generous actor, that he is constantly giving and offering in the scene. I've asked him, like, so many questions and he's sat down with me, and informed me, and heard my questions, and developed with me."
In the show, Branagh and Stokes play father and daughter, and are the inhabitants of a remote island where a ship's crew wash up.
The role of Miranda is more often seen as a girl full of "compassion, innocence, and wonder," but Stokes said she found herself biting back at that: "She's innocent, but being innocent doesn't make her subservient or less astute.
"She totally acts on instinct and from the heart and she has no preconceived notion to hide her feelings, she's self-assured and front-footed and speaks her mind.
"I'm very drawn to feisty women. So I love her because she hasn't been brought up in this way that women of the time were expected to behave."
This production of The Tempest is running until 20 June in Stratford-upon-Avon directed by Richard Eyre. You can find tickets at the official RSC website.
Kenneth Branagh is back on the stage in The Tempest this summer.
Show full content
For actors who want to stray into the world of theatre, there surely is some sort of checklist out there featuring the items: Shakespeare, the RSC, working with a legend.
Well for Bridgerton star Ruby Stokes – the former Francesca before Hannah Dodd assumed the role – she's ticking off all three at once.
The actress is currently making her RSC in debut in the Stratford-Upon-Avon run of The Tempest, playing a young Miranda alongside icon of the genre Kenneth Branagh.
"It's mental," she said, in an exclusive chat with Radio Times, "working at the RSC, when I was younger it's all I had hoped and dreamed of. I did panic a bit before we started, because I do understand Shakespeare, but my own sort of little devil in the back of my head got in the front of my head for a hot second, and I had to, you know, shove it back in place".
Reflecting on working with Branagh, who is perhaps best known (Harry Potter aside) for his prolific work in Shakespearean films and productions, she said: "I'm in total admiration of Ken and the way he works.
"He puts in so much pre-work so that when he comes to the room, it's so light and easy and truthful. Ken's Prospero is a man I know. It's a man we all know, it's incredibly grounded and rooted in truth.
"And he's an unbelievably generous actor, that he is constantly giving and offering in the scene. I've asked him, like, so many questions and he's sat down with me, and informed me, and heard my questions, and developed with me."
In the show, Branagh and Stokes play father and daughter, and are the inhabitants of a remote island where a ship's crew wash up.
The role of Miranda is more often seen as a girl full of "compassion, innocence, and wonder," but Stokes said she found herself biting back at that: "She's innocent, but being innocent doesn't make her subservient or less astute.
"She totally acts on instinct and from the heart and she has no preconceived notion to hide her feelings, she's self-assured and front-footed and speaks her mind.
"I'm very drawn to feisty women. So I love her because she hasn't been brought up in this way that women of the time were expected to behave."
This production of The Tempest is running until 20 June in Stratford-upon-Avon directed by Richard Eyre. You can find tickets at the official RSC website.
Your weekly round-up of all the films currently showing in UK cinemas.
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It sometimes feels as though horror remains one of the genres providing the most inventive output in recent times, and that point is proven again by this week's release, Obsession.
The acclaimed low-budget film from director Curry Barker follows a young man who wishes for his crush to love him more than anyone - with devastating, disturbing consequences.
Of course, if scares aren't your thing, there are plenty of other options in cinemas this week, including new releases such as Steven Soderbergh's The Christophers, starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, Ben Wheatley's Normal, starring Bob Odenkirk, and Hungarian historical drama film Orphan.
You can find our verdicts for all of these new releases below, while you can also discover our lowdown on the other major movies released in UK cinemas in recent weeks, including hit sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 and divisive biopic Michael.
Read on for your weekly round-up of all the films currently showing in UK cinemas.
What films are released in UK cinemas this week? 15 - 21 MayObsession
Have we learned nothing from The Monkey's Paw? Apparently not, according to this clever, low budget, but genuinely frightening film from director Curry Barker (no relation to horror auteur Clive Barker). Bear (Michael Johnston) makes his heart's desire known when he wishes on a "One Wish Willow" charm: he wants his crush to love him more than anyone.
Nikki (Inde Navarrette) is instantly in thrall, but unsurprisingly, it doesn't go well. Talking about themes of consent in an intelligent and contemporary way, Obsession doesn't have a particularly surprising plot, but the way it's shot is innovative.
Utilising his meagre resources to the max, Barker pulls off at least one impressive and gory jump scare that is sure to shock audiences. Sincere, fresh and darkly funny (Bear's call to the "One Wish Willow" helpline is hilarious), this is an impressive film from Barker that begs the question, "What could he accomplish if he had a proper budget?" Be careful what you wish for. - Rosie Fletcher
Normal
Something isn't right in Normal, Minnesota. When interim sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) stumbles upon the town's terrible secret, he finds that everyone is prepared to defend it - or die trying.
Though best described as Hot Fuzz meets Fargo, this action comedy lacks the smarts and regional zest of both films. Odenkirk reunites with screenwriter Derek Kolstad following their 2021 hit Nobody, which minted the former sketch comic and Better Call Saul star as a late-career action hero.
But neither Odenkirk nor British director Ben Wheatley can enliven a plot that feels frankly tired, with its occasional bursts of grisly action. There's some minor entertainment value here, but between the film's dangling narrative threads, inconsistent characters, failed punchlines and clumsy editing, it sprawls all over the place. A baffling misfire from all involved. - Sean McGeady
The Christophers
The verbal tussles between two very different artists fuel this keenly entertaining comedy drama from prolific director Steven Soderbergh. Michaela Coel plays Lori, a struggling art restorer offered work by the resentful grown-up children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) of renowned painter Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), who might not have long to live.
The siblings' idea is that Lori will pose as Julian's assistant and gain access to his unfinished and fabled series of "Christophers" portraits. Lori will then secretly complete the paintings for auction after Julian dies - but can he be duped? As revelations and rug-pulls follow, Soderbergh's leads bring the smart, talky action to life.
Lori is faintly under-written but Coel's wary, watchful intelligence is nevertheless compelling, while McKellen's wry, wily turn as a man of many secrets is a slippery delight - and surprisingly poignant.
As this odd pairing bicker and banter, subtly layered ideas percolate between the lines. Touching lightly on themes of art, legacy, lost loves and generational divisions, The Christophers is a brush-stroked pleasure from a master director at work and play. - Kevin Harley
Orphan
A young Jewish boy in 1957 Budapest longs for his late father in this austere, though awkward, drama. Set after the failed anti-Soviet uprising, Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) has endured a rough start to life; after his father was deported in 1944, never to be seen again, his childhood was spent in orphanages.
Now back with his mother (Andrea Waskovics), this troubled, mischievous boy grows increasingly resentful when a local butcher (Grégory Gadebois) takes the place of his father. "He's just like death," whines the boy.
Hungarian director László Nemes (Son of Saul) crafts an indelible portrait of 1950s Hungary, still reeling from Nazi terrors, antisemitism bubbling away. Newcomer Barabas is a magnetic presence as Andor, a child permanently angry at the world.
Yet, despite some lavish set-pieces, including a funfair-set finale reminiscent of The Third Man, the disparate elements never coalesce. More oblique than explicit, with this tale of postwar trauma Nemes paints a thematic canvas that never quite comes into sharp focus. A ravishing work, nonetheless. - James Mottram
Best of the rest still showing in UK cinemasMortal Kombat II
The fate of the world hangs in the balance in this humdrum sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Inspired by the video-game series in which opponents fight each other with trademark moves and special powers, the story continues as Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), ruthless leader of the Outworld, looks to conquer Earthrealm.
Stopping him is an intrepid bunch of fighters including Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Cole Young (Lewis Tan), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Jax (Mehcad Brooks), all returning from the original movie. This group is joined by fan favourite character Johnny Cage (Karl Urban, excellent), a washed-up action star who must learn to channel his "fake" movie fighting skills into something more deadly.
Also bringing the one-liners is returnee Kano (Josh Lawson), but even this unctuous Aussie is not enough to aid director Simon McQuoid into evolving this sequel beyond an intergalactic smackdown, as characters weaponise everything from hand fans to hats. It all remains a largely tedious mix of solemn sci-fi, flippant pop culture nods and gory cartoonish violence. – James Mottram
This 'baa-rmy' whodunnit, based on Leonie Swann's novel Three Bags Full, turns the 'cosy crime' trend fully woolly as it pairs Babe-style talking animals with the backstabbers of Knives Out. The film finds a flock of murder mystery-loving sheep (voiced by the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston) investigating the poisoning of their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman), frustrated with the incompetence of the local police officer (a hilarious Nicholas Braun).
Emma Thompson steals the show as a no-nonsense lawyer, with Molly Gordon, Nicholas Galitzine and Hong Chau among the suspects. The simple story and sunny outlook are unlikely to satisfy die-hard mystery fans, but this works as a neat introduction for younger viewers to the conventions of the genre, with the scary stuff omitted.
Directed by Kyle Balda (Minions) and scripted by Craig Mazin (TV's Chernobyl and The Last of Us), the film overcomes an uncertain start and settles nicely into its quirky groove, buoyed by game performances. It’s plenty of fun for the whole flock, and the more it leans into its wackiness the more it succeeds. – Emma Simmonds
Talent versus birthright is the question posed by this lavishly realised, decade-straddling epic from Japan. It follows the orphaned son of a yakuza as he works his way up the rankings as one of the onnagata – the men who play women in Japan’s highly ritualised kabuki theatre. What emerges is an almost biblical tale of friendship and rivalry between gifted outsider Kikuo (Ryô Yoshizawa) and Shunsuke (Ryûsei Yokohama), the cosseted son of the kabuki master (Ken Watanabe) who first recognises Kikuo’s ability and takes him on.
As the action shifts from the 1960s to the 2010s, Sang-il Lee’s film presents its dramatic plot turns in stylised fashion, taking its cue from kabuki and cooling down what might otherwise be overcooked melodrama. It may be too restrained for some, but there are spectacular visuals and gorgeous costumes to feast the eyes on. It’s also a useful introduction to the glorious realm of kabuki, in which maidens are always expiring on stage, but look how stylishly they go! – Steve Morrissey
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary provides the backdrop for this detail-packed and fast-paced documentary portrait of the British heavy metal veterans. The story begins in the mid-1970s, when street sweeper turned bassist Steve Harris refused punk’s allure to form Maiden. After two albums with singer Paul Di’Anno, the band's success accelerated upon his replacement with live-wire singer Bruce Dickinson.
Glory followed throughout the 1980s, and while exhaustion led to Dickinson’s departure in 1993, a reunion in 1999 gave Maiden an impressively stadium-filling second life. Mixing tributes from stars (including Chuck D and Javier Bardem) with deluges of archive footage, director Malcolm Venville hurtles through the group’s highs, lows and USPs.
Band mascot Eddie, Dickinson’s dramatic lyrics and the satanic panic era are explored, with drummer Nicko McBrain’s retirement in 2024 adding a touching note. There isn’t much room for critical or contextual analysis in what is, essentially, an unabashed celebration. But, as fans admit to weeping to live performances of all-in-this-together anthem Blood Brothers, Burning Ambition shows how steadfastly these rock stalwarts have earned that affection. – Kevin Harley
Anna Hathaway’s Andy Sachs returns to the elite fashion magazine she left two decades ago in this sharp-witted, if slightly indulgent, sequel to The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Made redundant from the paper that employed her as an investigative reporter, Andy finds herself back at Runway, still overseen by Meryl Streep’s scary editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.
With the magazine failing, Andy is desperate to sprinkle some journalistic integrity onto a title now driven by clicks – but can she rise to the challenge? Directed again by David Frankel, the film's main plus point is the reunion of its cast, with welcome returns for Stanley Tucci’s debonair stylist Nigel and the catty Emily (Emily Blunt), Andy’s tormentor in the original and now an exec at Dior. Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) is also a worthy addition as Miranda’s latest assistant.
Not everything sings, with a subplot about Andy's love life adding little, and there are a few too many self-satisfied cameos. However, the production looks divine as it pings from New York to Milan, and the script boasts some real zingers. A thoroughly enjoyable retread of a modern popcorn favourite, this is just like catching up with old fashion friends. – James Mottram
Hokum
This deliciously ominous tale of a tetchy, emotionally stilted writer staying at a remote hotel with a cursed past certainly has echoes of The Shining. However, director Damian McCarthy plays around with that premise with his slow-burning folk horror, which sees Adam Scott's American novelist Ohm Bauman checking in at the rural Irish inn where his late parents spent their honeymoon, ostensibly to scatter their ashes.
After meeting banjaxed vagrant Jerry (a scene-stealing David Wilmot) in the woods, Bauman finds his curiosity piqued by the legend of a witch, and is only drawn in further following news of a disappearance at Halloween. Could the answers lie in the padlocked, haunted honeymoon suite?
What unfurls is a marvellous melange of murder mystery, supernatural eeriness and confined-space terror, nimbly marshalled by a director comfortably at home with all things horror. The claustrophobic tension is maintained throughout, with plenty of left-field plot turns and jump scares thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, Scott shines as a not especially likeable character, whose hellish descent into the unknown nevertheless remains utterly compelling. – Jeremy Aspinall
Wild Foxes
An award-winner at Cannes, director Valery Carnoy’s beguiling feature debut charts the coming-of-age growing pains of a teenage prodigy at a prestigious sports academy in rural France. Camille (played by Samuel Kircher) is riding high as the school’s top boxer, his ring craft promising a glittering future. That is, until a near-fatal accident upends his world.
Although his physical injuries are not career-ending, the psychological scars soon cause Camille to doubt his abilities and to question the brutality of the sport, much to the frustration of best friend Matteo (Faycal Anaflous) and their brash, unsympathetic teammates.
Kircher gives a beautifully gauged performance, whether displaying dynamic fight skills (deftly shot by Arnaud Guez) or vulnerability – such as when he befriends Yas (Anna Heckel), a fellow student happy to ditch taekwondo in favour of practising her trumpet in the woods. But Carnoy teases wonderfully naturalistic turns from the whole cast, many of them first-timers, in an exploration of friendship and masculinity that really hits home. – Jeremy Aspinall
Anne Hathaway is spellbinding as a pop-star fusion of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift in this surreal drama from David Lowery (The Green Knight). It follows the events that occur after Hathaway's titular musician reunites with her estranged ex-friend, fashion designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), following an emotional crisis — Mother Mary is desperate for a dress to wear for what may very well be her final performance. Their reopening of old wounds is explored in a dialogue-heavy character piece that aims to reveal exactly what lies inside of “MM".
Working in his usual heightened style, Lowery constructs a dense amalgamation of ideas that dissects the psyche of the professional performer. While this succeeds in its first hour, the second falls into an overly avant-garde, allegorical clutter that never quite lands despite some glorious musical sequences, a great wardrobe and an atmospheric soundtrack. Hathaway and Coel are magnificent in a film that so relies on their chemistry, with most of the 112 minutes playing out in a countryside barn-turned-studio. Unfortunately, their performances far outpace Lowery's uneven screenplay and highlight the shortcomings in an admirable examination of love and loathing that simply needed some finer tuning. – Chezelle Bingham
Michael
Superstar Michael Jackson’s rise to global fame is played out in an underwhelming biopic which charts personal and professional hurdles but brings the curtain down before reaching the scandals and controversies of the singer’s later years. The King of Pop is played by Jaafar Jackson, the real-life son of Michael’s older brother Jermaine.
He’s in constant conflict with a volatile father (Colman Domingo) but is determined to control his own career while spreading the message of peace, love and understanding through music. Not an especially strong actor, Jaafar is tasked with portraying his late uncle as a good-hearted but often misunderstood soul, in a mawkish screenplay that frames its subject as a saint-like figure who can do no wrong.
Domingo does what he can in a villainous role that’s largely written in clichés, but the remainder of the supporting characters, be they family members or music industry figures, are woefully under-represented. Well-staged musical numbers, replicating videos and TV appearances, are the film’s only saving grace. – Terry Staunton
A Cornish fisherman discovers that all is not as it seems in this distinctive, playful and haunting work. It opens as the titular ship, previously thought lost at sea, reappears at the docks of a small fishing village.
Crewing it up is Nick (George MacKay) and party boy Liam (Callum Turner), under the command of a flinty sea dog (Francis Magee). But after one voyage, their return brings them back not to the present, but to 1993 – where they’re mistaken for the crew that vanished.
Writer/director Mark Jenkin, who also edits the film and composes the score, has made his mark with eerie folk stories set in Cornwall, his previous features being Bait (2019) and Enys Men (2022).
This feels like a fusion of those two, a ghost-ship sea shanty married to a time-travel tale. It’s a head-scratcher that doesn’t easily yield its secrets, but it reeks of atmosphere. And its political punch – even just the shot of a local Post Office replaced by a food bank three decades on – lands with real power. – James Mottram
Exit 8
Based on a 2023 video game, and set almost entirely in the Japanese subway system, Genki Kawamura’s disquieting mystery turns the liminal space of the underground into something truly nightmarish. Having stepped off a packed commuter train, the protagonist – known only as the Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) – takes a call from his ex-girlfriend, who tells him she is pregnant and waiting for him at the hospital.
Does he want to keep the baby? As he tries to decide, he finds himself walking the same never-ending loop of passageway looking for clues to the elusive exit 8. By including hidden details for the viewer to spot, this sometimes feels like an actual game, but with added emotional depth.
Kawamura makes the most of the location’s strip-lit strangeness, throwing in some memorable jump scares along the way. But what really lingers is a deep existential dread at the idea our hero could be trapped in this prosaic purgatory forever. It may be faint praise, but this ranks alongside the very best video game adaptations ever made. – Matt Glasby
Despite some gruesome prosthetics and buckets of gore, Lee Cronin’s reimagining of The Mummy is a bit all over the place. After eight years missing, the daughter of journalist Charlie (Jack Reynor) and his wife Larissa (Laia Costa) unexpectedly returns home mute, traumatised and wrapped in bandages.
When she begins to exhibit increasingly disturbing, seemingly supernatural behaviour, Charlie enlists help to uncover exactly what happened to her – with sinister results. Fresh off the back of reinventing another beloved horror franchise with Evil Dead Rise, Cronin nobly aims for a blend of The Exorcist and Bring Her Back, though is unable to reach the heights of either.
While the film has flashes of terror, the heavy-handed, relentless jump scares leave you eye-rolling rather than eye-covering. Tonally, it is uneven, too, often attempting to mix humour with horror, but settling on neither, and the problem is further complicated by some shaky performances.
It’s frustrating, because with a strong concept and some decent imagery, there is potential here. In the end, though, the film delivers nothing that hasn’t been done before, and done better. – Chezelle Bingham
Glenrothan
Brian Cox has earned a reputation as one of the most formidable actors of his generation, so you might expect his first film as director to contain a certain degree of dramatic heft. But Glenrothan – in which Cox stars alongside fellow Scot Alan Cumming – is a decidedly uncinematic affair; a stylistically bland drama that trades almost entirely in treacly sentimentality.
Cumming plays Donal, a jazz bar proprietor in Chicago who hasn’t returned to his Scottish homeland or seen brother Sandy (Cox) in decades. When disaster strikes at his bar, he is convinced by his daughter (Alexandra Shipp) to finally make the voyage home; a trip which swiftly reopens old wounds.
Cox has described the film as a "love letter" to Scotland, but nothing about the depiction of his homeland is textured or specific enough to feel like meaningful homage. Nor does the family feud, which is communicated through cloying flashbacks and stagey confrontation scenes, ring true.
Combined with an overegged score and unconvincing dialogue, it adds up to a plodding drama where virtually every choice is the most basic one. – Patrick Cremona
Josh O’Connor delivers another brilliantly understated performance in this lovely, lowkey drama from writer-director Max Walker-Silverman (A Love Song). He stars as Dusty, a cowboy whose livelihood is threatened after wildfires ravage his ranch and he is left to take up residence at a temporary trailer camp with other victims of the blaze.
At the same time, he attempts to bond with his adoring young daughter Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre), whose mother (Meaghan Fahy) he is now separated from. Walker-Silverman never reaches for melodrama, favouring a restrained and naturalistic approach that allows the characters and their relationships to feel impressively authentic and heartfelt – with the dynamic between Dusty and Callie Rose especially well judged.
Meanwhile Alfonso Herrera Salcedo’s gorgeous cinematography and an Americana-tinged guitar score from Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington give the piece a finely tuned Western sensibility. A quiet film that manages to retain a sense of hope and redemption at its heart while largely keeping platitudes at bay, it offers more compelling evidence that O’Connor is among the finest actors of his generation. – Patrick Cremona
You, Me and Tuscany
Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid) and Regé-Jean Page (Netflix's Bridgerton) headline this sweet-but-silly Italian-set romcom. Bailey is Anna, a would-be chef who impulsively travels to Tuscany, cheekily bedding down in the empty villa belonging to the family of Lorenzo (Marco Calvani), an Italian expat she met back home.
When his folks catch her, they mistakenly believe Anna and their prodigal son are engaged – a mix-up further complicated when she develops feelings for Lorenzo’s cousin Michael (Page). With lush locations, blissful Mediterranean weather and gorgeous-looking food – not to mention Page with his shirt off in one sprinkler scene – director Kay Coiro (Marry Me) tantalises the senses, if not the grey matter, with a story that even references its own spiritual predecessor, the Diane Lane-starring Under the Tuscan Sun (2003).
The Italian stereotypes loom large, and there’s a saucy postcard humour to the script, but Bailey’s graceful presence and Page’s spiky lover carry the story through. A sun-kissed charmer, best seen with a Spritz in hand. – James Mottram
Paranormal podcast presenter Evy (Nina Kiri) gets the shivers when her co-host shares an anonymous email of spooky audio files in this low-budget frightener that's woefully short on suspense. Piecing together the recordings of a couple singing nursery rhymes in their sleep, she and her colleague (an unseen Adam DiMarco) debate whether the files contain murderous messages when played backwards.
This offers Evy a brief respite from dealing with issues closer to home, including an invalid mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and ongoing struggles with alcoholism. As plots go, it’s frustratingly thin, not helped by pedestrian camera work that rarely ventures from the almost expression-free face of its lead actor.
Whereas box-office hits The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield helped establish the "found footage" chiller as a valid subgenre, the "found audio" variation struggles to make much of an impression. Writer/director Ian Tuason’s lack of pace or incident suggests the story might have been more robust as a half-hour short, rather than stretched out to feature length. – Terry Staunton
At what point is a red flag impossible to ignore? That’s the principal question posed in this combustible film from writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) that takes the idea of pre-wedding jitters to wild extremes. Starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a Boston couple about to tie the knot, the story hinges on an early twist that comes when the pair ask each other about the worst thing they've ever done – and Emma drops a most unexpected bombshell.
This leads to Charlie reconsidering all he knows about his fiancée, but the revelation also swerves the plot into tricky territory with subject matter that demands more sensitivity than Borgli's characteristic mischief-making allows. It's an audacious blend and subversion of both the romcom and marital drama templates, and both stars prove saving graces.
Zendaya skilfully fashions a compelling enigma while Pattinson is genuinely charming as a beleaguered English fop whose life grows increasingly absurd. But by the end, this is far from satisfying; it's a film frustratingly engineered for discourse, not depth. – Max Copeman
A white French national is arrested for fatally wounding a young local at an Algiers beach in this seductive, expertly realised take on Albert Camus’s 1942 existential classic. "I killed an Arab" notes Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) as he arrives in jail, before the film rewinds to events before the act. Meursault’s mother’s funeral, at which he shows little emotion, is followed by his meet-cute with the radiant Marie (Rebecca Marder).
But it’s his encounter with the slimy Sintés (Pierre Lottin) that leads him down a darker path. Adapted by director François Ozon, the script makes subtle adjustments to Camus’s work without ever demystifying its more enigmatic elements. Naming the victim, for example, gives more definition than Camus ever managed.
Shot in exquisite black and white, the sweltering feel, especially in the courtroom scenes, lends this a hothouse atmosphere that plays well on screen. Likewise, Voisin (star of Ozon’s 2020 film Summer of ’85) is wonderfully steely, his motivations tantalisingly out of reach. It adds up to a resonant study of historical French-Algerian tensions. – James Mottram
Nintendo’s video-game icons Mario and Luigi return for this follow-up to 2022’s CG-animated The Super Mario Bros Movie.
In the colourful Mushroom Kingdom, sibling plumbers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) meet Yoshi (Donald Glover), a green dinosaur-like figure with a rapacious appetite. Together, they must rescue Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) – sister to the kingdom’s ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) – who has been abducted by their enemy’s son, Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie).
Returning co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic keep the energy levels high, with scenes that feel like you’re playing Mario Kart or any one of the myriad platform-style Mario games. There are plenty of Easter eggs, too, including Glen Powell voicing Fox McCloud, the protagonist from Nintendo’s Star Fox series.
Sadly, the humdrum story underwhelms, lacking in fresh elements, and Safdie aside, the vocal performances are as subdued as the script. Younger viewers, though, will delight in the trippy chaos. – James Mottram
The Magic Faraway Tree
Enid Blyton’s titular novels are adapted into this fantastical family film by director Ben Gregor. Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy play a pair of down-on-their-luck parents who, when their debts pile up, move with their three children to a ramshackle home in the countryside.
The youngest child (Billie Gadsdon) comes across a magical tree that is home to a collection of eccentric but mostly affable oddballs. With their help, she is transported to an eclectic array of lands, and eventually persuades her more cynical siblings to join her on this adventure of discovery.
Having previously co-scripted the screenplays for Paddington 2 and Wonka, Simon Farnaby has proven he has a deft hand for updating beloved children’s classics for modern audiences. This doesn’t have quite the same wit or spark, and occasionally strays from pleasantly endearing to mildly irritating.
However, there’s more than enough whimsical appeal to charm younger audiences, and a parade of famous faces from the British comedy scene provide an abundance of amusing moments. One scene featuring Lenny Henry, Michael Palin and Simon Russell Beale as a three-headed "Know-All" is a comedic highlight. – Patrick Cremona
Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling’s mild-mannered science teacher heads to the far end of the galaxy in search of a solution to a dying sun that threatens life on Earth in this joyful and engaging sci-fi. The reluctant amateur astronaut negotiates tricky hurdles as his craft journeys through space, eventually teaming up with an alien whose own planet is facing a similar plight – a stone-like creature whom he names Rocky.
Drew Goddard’s screenplay is adapted from a novel by Andy Weir, the same pairing that brought us 2015’s The Martian, and there are obvious parallels to be drawn between Gosling and Matt Damon in the earlier film. However, Project Hail Mary morphs into a buddy movie of sorts with the introduction of Rocky, taking the narrative more towards the family friendly sense of wonderment of Steven Spielberg’s extraterrestrial tales.
Gosling’s boyish charm and charisma hold everything together, never allowing the jeopardy of his character’s predicament to overwhelm a heartwarming yarn with a rich seam of humour. – Terry Staunton
Pixar blends body-swap chaos with a story about empowering environmentalism in this film directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong. Teenage activist Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) is determined to save a forest glade from being bulldozed by Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm). After uncovering the clandestine experiments of her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), Mabel transfers her consciousness into the body of a lifelike robotic beaver.
She befriends a real beaver, King George (Bobby Moynihan), who calls on the assistance of other animal rulers – including Meryl Streep’s formidable Insect Queen – to protect the glade, before things go horribly wrong. Pixar’s take on beavers is as cute as you’d imagine, and the ferociously principled Mabel makes a fascinating hero.
The sparkling script from Jesse Andrews (Luca, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) boasts a meaty, moderately complicated story that engages without becoming too confusing. It’s not quite up there with the studio’s finest but this is still witty and wonderfully entertaining, with a positive message about coexistence and not judging our fellow humans too harshly. – Emma Simmonds
Your weekly round-up of all the films currently showing in UK cinemas.
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It sometimes feels as though horror remains one of the genres providing the most inventive output in recent times, and that point is proven again by this week's release, Obsession.
The acclaimed low-budget film from director Curry Barker follows a young man who wishes for his crush to love him more than anyone - with devastating, disturbing consequences.
Of course, if scares aren't your thing, there are plenty of other options in cinemas this week, including new releases such as Steven Soderbergh's The Christophers, starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, Ben Wheatley's Normal, starring Bob Odenkirk, and Hungarian historical drama film Orphan.
You can find our verdicts for all of these new releases below, while you can also discover our lowdown on the other major movies released in UK cinemas in recent weeks, including hit sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 and divisive biopic Michael.
Read on for your weekly round-up of all the films currently showing in UK cinemas.
What films are released in UK cinemas this week? 15 - 21 MayObsession
Have we learned nothing from The Monkey's Paw? Apparently not, according to this clever, low budget, but genuinely frightening film from director Curry Barker (no relation to horror auteur Clive Barker). Bear (Michael Johnston) makes his heart's desire known when he wishes on a "One Wish Willow" charm: he wants his crush to love him more than anyone.
Nikki (Inde Navarrette) is instantly in thrall, but unsurprisingly, it doesn't go well. Talking about themes of consent in an intelligent and contemporary way, Obsession doesn't have a particularly surprising plot, but the way it's shot is innovative.
Utilising his meagre resources to the max, Barker pulls off at least one impressive and gory jump scare that is sure to shock audiences. Sincere, fresh and darkly funny (Bear's call to the "One Wish Willow" helpline is hilarious), this is an impressive film from Barker that begs the question, "What could he accomplish if he had a proper budget?" Be careful what you wish for. - Rosie Fletcher
Normal
Something isn't right in Normal, Minnesota. When interim sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) stumbles upon the town's terrible secret, he finds that everyone is prepared to defend it - or die trying.
Though best described as Hot Fuzz meets Fargo, this action comedy lacks the smarts and regional zest of both films. Odenkirk reunites with screenwriter Derek Kolstad following their 2021 hit Nobody, which minted the former sketch comic and Better Call Saul star as a late-career action hero.
But neither Odenkirk nor British director Ben Wheatley can enliven a plot that feels frankly tired, with its occasional bursts of grisly action. There's some minor entertainment value here, but between the film's dangling narrative threads, inconsistent characters, failed punchlines and clumsy editing, it sprawls all over the place. A baffling misfire from all involved. - Sean McGeady
The Christophers
The verbal tussles between two very different artists fuel this keenly entertaining comedy drama from prolific director Steven Soderbergh. Michaela Coel plays Lori, a struggling art restorer offered work by the resentful grown-up children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) of renowned painter Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), who might not have long to live.
The siblings' idea is that Lori will pose as Julian's assistant and gain access to his unfinished and fabled series of "Christophers" portraits. Lori will then secretly complete the paintings for auction after Julian dies - but can he be duped? As revelations and rug-pulls follow, Soderbergh's leads bring the smart, talky action to life.
Lori is faintly under-written but Coel's wary, watchful intelligence is nevertheless compelling, while McKellen's wry, wily turn as a man of many secrets is a slippery delight - and surprisingly poignant.
As this odd pairing bicker and banter, subtly layered ideas percolate between the lines. Touching lightly on themes of art, legacy, lost loves and generational divisions, The Christophers is a brush-stroked pleasure from a master director at work and play. - Kevin Harley
Orphan
A young Jewish boy in 1957 Budapest longs for his late father in this austere, though awkward, drama. Set after the failed anti-Soviet uprising, Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) has endured a rough start to life; after his father was deported in 1944, never to be seen again, his childhood was spent in orphanages.
Now back with his mother (Andrea Waskovics), this troubled, mischievous boy grows increasingly resentful when a local butcher (Grégory Gadebois) takes the place of his father. "He's just like death," whines the boy.
Hungarian director László Nemes (Son of Saul) crafts an indelible portrait of 1950s Hungary, still reeling from Nazi terrors, antisemitism bubbling away. Newcomer Barabas is a magnetic presence as Andor, a child permanently angry at the world.
Yet, despite some lavish set-pieces, including a funfair-set finale reminiscent of The Third Man, the disparate elements never coalesce. More oblique than explicit, with this tale of postwar trauma Nemes paints a thematic canvas that never quite comes into sharp focus. A ravishing work, nonetheless. - James Mottram
Best of the rest still showing in UK cinemasMortal Kombat II
The fate of the world hangs in the balance in this humdrum sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Inspired by the video-game series in which opponents fight each other with trademark moves and special powers, the story continues as Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), ruthless leader of the Outworld, looks to conquer Earthrealm.
Stopping him is an intrepid bunch of fighters including Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Cole Young (Lewis Tan), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Jax (Mehcad Brooks), all returning from the original movie. This group is joined by fan favourite character Johnny Cage (Karl Urban, excellent), a washed-up action star who must learn to channel his "fake" movie fighting skills into something more deadly.
Also bringing the one-liners is returnee Kano (Josh Lawson), but even this unctuous Aussie is not enough to aid director Simon McQuoid into evolving this sequel beyond an intergalactic smackdown, as characters weaponise everything from hand fans to hats. It all remains a largely tedious mix of solemn sci-fi, flippant pop culture nods and gory cartoonish violence. – James Mottram
This 'baa-rmy' whodunnit, based on Leonie Swann's novel Three Bags Full, turns the 'cosy crime' trend fully woolly as it pairs Babe-style talking animals with the backstabbers of Knives Out. The film finds a flock of murder mystery-loving sheep (voiced by the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston) investigating the poisoning of their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman), frustrated with the incompetence of the local police officer (a hilarious Nicholas Braun).
Emma Thompson steals the show as a no-nonsense lawyer, with Molly Gordon, Nicholas Galitzine and Hong Chau among the suspects. The simple story and sunny outlook are unlikely to satisfy die-hard mystery fans, but this works as a neat introduction for younger viewers to the conventions of the genre, with the scary stuff omitted.
Directed by Kyle Balda (Minions) and scripted by Craig Mazin (TV's Chernobyl and The Last of Us), the film overcomes an uncertain start and settles nicely into its quirky groove, buoyed by game performances. It’s plenty of fun for the whole flock, and the more it leans into its wackiness the more it succeeds. – Emma Simmonds
Talent versus birthright is the question posed by this lavishly realised, decade-straddling epic from Japan. It follows the orphaned son of a yakuza as he works his way up the rankings as one of the onnagata – the men who play women in Japan’s highly ritualised kabuki theatre. What emerges is an almost biblical tale of friendship and rivalry between gifted outsider Kikuo (Ryô Yoshizawa) and Shunsuke (Ryûsei Yokohama), the cosseted son of the kabuki master (Ken Watanabe) who first recognises Kikuo’s ability and takes him on.
As the action shifts from the 1960s to the 2010s, Sang-il Lee’s film presents its dramatic plot turns in stylised fashion, taking its cue from kabuki and cooling down what might otherwise be overcooked melodrama. It may be too restrained for some, but there are spectacular visuals and gorgeous costumes to feast the eyes on. It’s also a useful introduction to the glorious realm of kabuki, in which maidens are always expiring on stage, but look how stylishly they go! – Steve Morrissey
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary provides the backdrop for this detail-packed and fast-paced documentary portrait of the British heavy metal veterans. The story begins in the mid-1970s, when street sweeper turned bassist Steve Harris refused punk’s allure to form Maiden. After two albums with singer Paul Di’Anno, the band's success accelerated upon his replacement with live-wire singer Bruce Dickinson.
Glory followed throughout the 1980s, and while exhaustion led to Dickinson’s departure in 1993, a reunion in 1999 gave Maiden an impressively stadium-filling second life. Mixing tributes from stars (including Chuck D and Javier Bardem) with deluges of archive footage, director Malcolm Venville hurtles through the group’s highs, lows and USPs.
Band mascot Eddie, Dickinson’s dramatic lyrics and the satanic panic era are explored, with drummer Nicko McBrain’s retirement in 2024 adding a touching note. There isn’t much room for critical or contextual analysis in what is, essentially, an unabashed celebration. But, as fans admit to weeping to live performances of all-in-this-together anthem Blood Brothers, Burning Ambition shows how steadfastly these rock stalwarts have earned that affection. – Kevin Harley
Anna Hathaway’s Andy Sachs returns to the elite fashion magazine she left two decades ago in this sharp-witted, if slightly indulgent, sequel to The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Made redundant from the paper that employed her as an investigative reporter, Andy finds herself back at Runway, still overseen by Meryl Streep’s scary editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.
With the magazine failing, Andy is desperate to sprinkle some journalistic integrity onto a title now driven by clicks – but can she rise to the challenge? Directed again by David Frankel, the film's main plus point is the reunion of its cast, with welcome returns for Stanley Tucci’s debonair stylist Nigel and the catty Emily (Emily Blunt), Andy’s tormentor in the original and now an exec at Dior. Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) is also a worthy addition as Miranda’s latest assistant.
Not everything sings, with a subplot about Andy's love life adding little, and there are a few too many self-satisfied cameos. However, the production looks divine as it pings from New York to Milan, and the script boasts some real zingers. A thoroughly enjoyable retread of a modern popcorn favourite, this is just like catching up with old fashion friends. – James Mottram
Hokum
This deliciously ominous tale of a tetchy, emotionally stilted writer staying at a remote hotel with a cursed past certainly has echoes of The Shining. However, director Damian McCarthy plays around with that premise with his slow-burning folk horror, which sees Adam Scott's American novelist Ohm Bauman checking in at the rural Irish inn where his late parents spent their honeymoon, ostensibly to scatter their ashes.
After meeting banjaxed vagrant Jerry (a scene-stealing David Wilmot) in the woods, Bauman finds his curiosity piqued by the legend of a witch, and is only drawn in further following news of a disappearance at Halloween. Could the answers lie in the padlocked, haunted honeymoon suite?
What unfurls is a marvellous melange of murder mystery, supernatural eeriness and confined-space terror, nimbly marshalled by a director comfortably at home with all things horror. The claustrophobic tension is maintained throughout, with plenty of left-field plot turns and jump scares thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, Scott shines as a not especially likeable character, whose hellish descent into the unknown nevertheless remains utterly compelling. – Jeremy Aspinall
Wild Foxes
An award-winner at Cannes, director Valery Carnoy’s beguiling feature debut charts the coming-of-age growing pains of a teenage prodigy at a prestigious sports academy in rural France. Camille (played by Samuel Kircher) is riding high as the school’s top boxer, his ring craft promising a glittering future. That is, until a near-fatal accident upends his world.
Although his physical injuries are not career-ending, the psychological scars soon cause Camille to doubt his abilities and to question the brutality of the sport, much to the frustration of best friend Matteo (Faycal Anaflous) and their brash, unsympathetic teammates.
Kircher gives a beautifully gauged performance, whether displaying dynamic fight skills (deftly shot by Arnaud Guez) or vulnerability – such as when he befriends Yas (Anna Heckel), a fellow student happy to ditch taekwondo in favour of practising her trumpet in the woods. But Carnoy teases wonderfully naturalistic turns from the whole cast, many of them first-timers, in an exploration of friendship and masculinity that really hits home. – Jeremy Aspinall
Anne Hathaway is spellbinding as a pop-star fusion of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift in this surreal drama from David Lowery (The Green Knight). It follows the events that occur after Hathaway's titular musician reunites with her estranged ex-friend, fashion designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), following an emotional crisis — Mother Mary is desperate for a dress to wear for what may very well be her final performance. Their reopening of old wounds is explored in a dialogue-heavy character piece that aims to reveal exactly what lies inside of “MM".
Working in his usual heightened style, Lowery constructs a dense amalgamation of ideas that dissects the psyche of the professional performer. While this succeeds in its first hour, the second falls into an overly avant-garde, allegorical clutter that never quite lands despite some glorious musical sequences, a great wardrobe and an atmospheric soundtrack. Hathaway and Coel are magnificent in a film that so relies on their chemistry, with most of the 112 minutes playing out in a countryside barn-turned-studio. Unfortunately, their performances far outpace Lowery's uneven screenplay and highlight the shortcomings in an admirable examination of love and loathing that simply needed some finer tuning. – Chezelle Bingham
Michael
Superstar Michael Jackson’s rise to global fame is played out in an underwhelming biopic which charts personal and professional hurdles but brings the curtain down before reaching the scandals and controversies of the singer’s later years. The King of Pop is played by Jaafar Jackson, the real-life son of Michael’s older brother Jermaine.
He’s in constant conflict with a volatile father (Colman Domingo) but is determined to control his own career while spreading the message of peace, love and understanding through music. Not an especially strong actor, Jaafar is tasked with portraying his late uncle as a good-hearted but often misunderstood soul, in a mawkish screenplay that frames its subject as a saint-like figure who can do no wrong.
Domingo does what he can in a villainous role that’s largely written in clichés, but the remainder of the supporting characters, be they family members or music industry figures, are woefully under-represented. Well-staged musical numbers, replicating videos and TV appearances, are the film’s only saving grace. – Terry Staunton
A Cornish fisherman discovers that all is not as it seems in this distinctive, playful and haunting work. It opens as the titular ship, previously thought lost at sea, reappears at the docks of a small fishing village.
Crewing it up is Nick (George MacKay) and party boy Liam (Callum Turner), under the command of a flinty sea dog (Francis Magee). But after one voyage, their return brings them back not to the present, but to 1993 – where they’re mistaken for the crew that vanished.
Writer/director Mark Jenkin, who also edits the film and composes the score, has made his mark with eerie folk stories set in Cornwall, his previous features being Bait (2019) and Enys Men (2022).
This feels like a fusion of those two, a ghost-ship sea shanty married to a time-travel tale. It’s a head-scratcher that doesn’t easily yield its secrets, but it reeks of atmosphere. And its political punch – even just the shot of a local Post Office replaced by a food bank three decades on – lands with real power. – James Mottram
Exit 8
Based on a 2023 video game, and set almost entirely in the Japanese subway system, Genki Kawamura’s disquieting mystery turns the liminal space of the underground into something truly nightmarish. Having stepped off a packed commuter train, the protagonist – known only as the Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) – takes a call from his ex-girlfriend, who tells him she is pregnant and waiting for him at the hospital.
Does he want to keep the baby? As he tries to decide, he finds himself walking the same never-ending loop of passageway looking for clues to the elusive exit 8. By including hidden details for the viewer to spot, this sometimes feels like an actual game, but with added emotional depth.
Kawamura makes the most of the location’s strip-lit strangeness, throwing in some memorable jump scares along the way. But what really lingers is a deep existential dread at the idea our hero could be trapped in this prosaic purgatory forever. It may be faint praise, but this ranks alongside the very best video game adaptations ever made. – Matt Glasby
Despite some gruesome prosthetics and buckets of gore, Lee Cronin’s reimagining of The Mummy is a bit all over the place. After eight years missing, the daughter of journalist Charlie (Jack Reynor) and his wife Larissa (Laia Costa) unexpectedly returns home mute, traumatised and wrapped in bandages.
When she begins to exhibit increasingly disturbing, seemingly supernatural behaviour, Charlie enlists help to uncover exactly what happened to her – with sinister results. Fresh off the back of reinventing another beloved horror franchise with Evil Dead Rise, Cronin nobly aims for a blend of The Exorcist and Bring Her Back, though is unable to reach the heights of either.
While the film has flashes of terror, the heavy-handed, relentless jump scares leave you eye-rolling rather than eye-covering. Tonally, it is uneven, too, often attempting to mix humour with horror, but settling on neither, and the problem is further complicated by some shaky performances.
It’s frustrating, because with a strong concept and some decent imagery, there is potential here. In the end, though, the film delivers nothing that hasn’t been done before, and done better. – Chezelle Bingham
Glenrothan
Brian Cox has earned a reputation as one of the most formidable actors of his generation, so you might expect his first film as director to contain a certain degree of dramatic heft. But Glenrothan – in which Cox stars alongside fellow Scot Alan Cumming – is a decidedly uncinematic affair; a stylistically bland drama that trades almost entirely in treacly sentimentality.
Cumming plays Donal, a jazz bar proprietor in Chicago who hasn’t returned to his Scottish homeland or seen brother Sandy (Cox) in decades. When disaster strikes at his bar, he is convinced by his daughter (Alexandra Shipp) to finally make the voyage home; a trip which swiftly reopens old wounds.
Cox has described the film as a "love letter" to Scotland, but nothing about the depiction of his homeland is textured or specific enough to feel like meaningful homage. Nor does the family feud, which is communicated through cloying flashbacks and stagey confrontation scenes, ring true.
Combined with an overegged score and unconvincing dialogue, it adds up to a plodding drama where virtually every choice is the most basic one. – Patrick Cremona
Josh O’Connor delivers another brilliantly understated performance in this lovely, lowkey drama from writer-director Max Walker-Silverman (A Love Song). He stars as Dusty, a cowboy whose livelihood is threatened after wildfires ravage his ranch and he is left to take up residence at a temporary trailer camp with other victims of the blaze.
At the same time, he attempts to bond with his adoring young daughter Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre), whose mother (Meaghan Fahy) he is now separated from. Walker-Silverman never reaches for melodrama, favouring a restrained and naturalistic approach that allows the characters and their relationships to feel impressively authentic and heartfelt – with the dynamic between Dusty and Callie Rose especially well judged.
Meanwhile Alfonso Herrera Salcedo’s gorgeous cinematography and an Americana-tinged guitar score from Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington give the piece a finely tuned Western sensibility. A quiet film that manages to retain a sense of hope and redemption at its heart while largely keeping platitudes at bay, it offers more compelling evidence that O’Connor is among the finest actors of his generation. – Patrick Cremona
You, Me and Tuscany
Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid) and Regé-Jean Page (Netflix's Bridgerton) headline this sweet-but-silly Italian-set romcom. Bailey is Anna, a would-be chef who impulsively travels to Tuscany, cheekily bedding down in the empty villa belonging to the family of Lorenzo (Marco Calvani), an Italian expat she met back home.
When his folks catch her, they mistakenly believe Anna and their prodigal son are engaged – a mix-up further complicated when she develops feelings for Lorenzo’s cousin Michael (Page). With lush locations, blissful Mediterranean weather and gorgeous-looking food – not to mention Page with his shirt off in one sprinkler scene – director Kay Coiro (Marry Me) tantalises the senses, if not the grey matter, with a story that even references its own spiritual predecessor, the Diane Lane-starring Under the Tuscan Sun (2003).
The Italian stereotypes loom large, and there’s a saucy postcard humour to the script, but Bailey’s graceful presence and Page’s spiky lover carry the story through. A sun-kissed charmer, best seen with a Spritz in hand. – James Mottram
Paranormal podcast presenter Evy (Nina Kiri) gets the shivers when her co-host shares an anonymous email of spooky audio files in this low-budget frightener that's woefully short on suspense. Piecing together the recordings of a couple singing nursery rhymes in their sleep, she and her colleague (an unseen Adam DiMarco) debate whether the files contain murderous messages when played backwards.
This offers Evy a brief respite from dealing with issues closer to home, including an invalid mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and ongoing struggles with alcoholism. As plots go, it’s frustratingly thin, not helped by pedestrian camera work that rarely ventures from the almost expression-free face of its lead actor.
Whereas box-office hits The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield helped establish the "found footage" chiller as a valid subgenre, the "found audio" variation struggles to make much of an impression. Writer/director Ian Tuason’s lack of pace or incident suggests the story might have been more robust as a half-hour short, rather than stretched out to feature length. – Terry Staunton
At what point is a red flag impossible to ignore? That’s the principal question posed in this combustible film from writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) that takes the idea of pre-wedding jitters to wild extremes. Starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a Boston couple about to tie the knot, the story hinges on an early twist that comes when the pair ask each other about the worst thing they've ever done – and Emma drops a most unexpected bombshell.
This leads to Charlie reconsidering all he knows about his fiancée, but the revelation also swerves the plot into tricky territory with subject matter that demands more sensitivity than Borgli's characteristic mischief-making allows. It's an audacious blend and subversion of both the romcom and marital drama templates, and both stars prove saving graces.
Zendaya skilfully fashions a compelling enigma while Pattinson is genuinely charming as a beleaguered English fop whose life grows increasingly absurd. But by the end, this is far from satisfying; it's a film frustratingly engineered for discourse, not depth. – Max Copeman
A white French national is arrested for fatally wounding a young local at an Algiers beach in this seductive, expertly realised take on Albert Camus’s 1942 existential classic. "I killed an Arab" notes Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) as he arrives in jail, before the film rewinds to events before the act. Meursault’s mother’s funeral, at which he shows little emotion, is followed by his meet-cute with the radiant Marie (Rebecca Marder).
But it’s his encounter with the slimy Sintés (Pierre Lottin) that leads him down a darker path. Adapted by director François Ozon, the script makes subtle adjustments to Camus’s work without ever demystifying its more enigmatic elements. Naming the victim, for example, gives more definition than Camus ever managed.
Shot in exquisite black and white, the sweltering feel, especially in the courtroom scenes, lends this a hothouse atmosphere that plays well on screen. Likewise, Voisin (star of Ozon’s 2020 film Summer of ’85) is wonderfully steely, his motivations tantalisingly out of reach. It adds up to a resonant study of historical French-Algerian tensions. – James Mottram
Nintendo’s video-game icons Mario and Luigi return for this follow-up to 2022’s CG-animated The Super Mario Bros Movie.
In the colourful Mushroom Kingdom, sibling plumbers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) meet Yoshi (Donald Glover), a green dinosaur-like figure with a rapacious appetite. Together, they must rescue Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) – sister to the kingdom’s ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) – who has been abducted by their enemy’s son, Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie).
Returning co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic keep the energy levels high, with scenes that feel like you’re playing Mario Kart or any one of the myriad platform-style Mario games. There are plenty of Easter eggs, too, including Glen Powell voicing Fox McCloud, the protagonist from Nintendo’s Star Fox series.
Sadly, the humdrum story underwhelms, lacking in fresh elements, and Safdie aside, the vocal performances are as subdued as the script. Younger viewers, though, will delight in the trippy chaos. – James Mottram
The Magic Faraway Tree
Enid Blyton’s titular novels are adapted into this fantastical family film by director Ben Gregor. Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy play a pair of down-on-their-luck parents who, when their debts pile up, move with their three children to a ramshackle home in the countryside.
The youngest child (Billie Gadsdon) comes across a magical tree that is home to a collection of eccentric but mostly affable oddballs. With their help, she is transported to an eclectic array of lands, and eventually persuades her more cynical siblings to join her on this adventure of discovery.
Having previously co-scripted the screenplays for Paddington 2 and Wonka, Simon Farnaby has proven he has a deft hand for updating beloved children’s classics for modern audiences. This doesn’t have quite the same wit or spark, and occasionally strays from pleasantly endearing to mildly irritating.
However, there’s more than enough whimsical appeal to charm younger audiences, and a parade of famous faces from the British comedy scene provide an abundance of amusing moments. One scene featuring Lenny Henry, Michael Palin and Simon Russell Beale as a three-headed "Know-All" is a comedic highlight. – Patrick Cremona
Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling’s mild-mannered science teacher heads to the far end of the galaxy in search of a solution to a dying sun that threatens life on Earth in this joyful and engaging sci-fi. The reluctant amateur astronaut negotiates tricky hurdles as his craft journeys through space, eventually teaming up with an alien whose own planet is facing a similar plight – a stone-like creature whom he names Rocky.
Drew Goddard’s screenplay is adapted from a novel by Andy Weir, the same pairing that brought us 2015’s The Martian, and there are obvious parallels to be drawn between Gosling and Matt Damon in the earlier film. However, Project Hail Mary morphs into a buddy movie of sorts with the introduction of Rocky, taking the narrative more towards the family friendly sense of wonderment of Steven Spielberg’s extraterrestrial tales.
Gosling’s boyish charm and charisma hold everything together, never allowing the jeopardy of his character’s predicament to overwhelm a heartwarming yarn with a rich seam of humour. – Terry Staunton
Pixar blends body-swap chaos with a story about empowering environmentalism in this film directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong. Teenage activist Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) is determined to save a forest glade from being bulldozed by Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm). After uncovering the clandestine experiments of her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), Mabel transfers her consciousness into the body of a lifelike robotic beaver.
She befriends a real beaver, King George (Bobby Moynihan), who calls on the assistance of other animal rulers – including Meryl Streep’s formidable Insect Queen – to protect the glade, before things go horribly wrong. Pixar’s take on beavers is as cute as you’d imagine, and the ferociously principled Mabel makes a fascinating hero.
The sparkling script from Jesse Andrews (Luca, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) boasts a meaty, moderately complicated story that engages without becoming too confusing. It’s not quite up there with the studio’s finest but this is still witty and wonderfully entertaining, with a positive message about coexistence and not judging our fellow humans too harshly. – Emma Simmonds
Your essential guide to the new and returning cast of the latest adventure in the Star Wars universe.
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The Mandalorian and Grogu are back and this time their coming to the big screen alongside a few friends (and enemies).
After three seasons on Disney+, Mando and his adoptive son are getting the theatrical treatment in a film that promises to welcome new and existing fans alike.
The plot has largely been kept under wraps, however we do know that Mando and Grogu are working with the New Republic to hunt down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy. This journey brings the duo into conflict with the Hutts (of Jabba the Hutt fame), who are one of several parties vying for more power in this uncertain post-Empire time period.
The film is directed by the shows creator Jon Favreau, who previously directed Iron Man, The Lion King and Chef, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is set in the years following Return of the Jedi, where the recently established New Republic is trying to take down various Imperial hold-outs across the galaxy to prevent the Empire from returning.
With a longer runtime and expanded (IMAX) scope, both Mando and Grogu are set to be joined by a whole slew of new and returning characters, including some fan-favourites from the various animated series.
Read on for a full guide to the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to release on 22 May.
The Mandalorian & Grogu cast list
You can find a full list of announced stars below – scroll down further for more information on the actors and the characters they are playing.
Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin/The Mandalorian
Grogu (and several puppeteers) as himself
Sigourney Weaver as Ward
Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt
Jonny Coyne as Janu
Steve Blum as Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Martin Scorsese as an Ardennian fry cook
Pedro Pascal plays Din Djarin/The Mandalorian
Who is The Mandalorian? Orphaned during the Clone Wars, Din Djarin (or The Mandalorian), was raised as a foundling by the Mandalorians before the purge by the Empire that destroyed his home world.
Like another famous Mandalorian, Boba Fett, Din worked as a bounty hunter, taking out various targets across the galaxy before stepping up to care for his adoptive son and foundling Grogu. The adorable lone wolf and cub now work as hired guns for the New Republic, helping to take out rogue imperial warlords.
What else has Pedro Pascal been in? After a memorable turn in Game of Thrones, Pascal went on to star in The Last of Us on HBO and most recently joined the MCU in as Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Grogu (and several puppeteers) plays himself
Who is Grogu? The cutest little guy in the whole galaxy, Grogu is a former Jedi in training and a member of the same species as Jedi Master Yoda. He survived the Jedi purge known as Order 66 after being rescued by legendary Jedi Master Kelleran Beq before being adopted as a Mandalorian foundling by Mando.
What else has Grogu been in? Grogu is best known for his star-making turn in The Mandalorian where he was brought to life thanks to a mixture of animatronics, puppetry and CGI to create one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.
Sigourney Weaver as Ward
Who is Ward? Not much is known about Ward beyond the fact that she is a high ranking colonel leading the Adelphi Rangers for the New Republic. Having fought as a pilot during the war against the Empire, this former rebel will stop at nothing to prevent another war.
What else has Sigourney Weaver been in? The prolific and legendary actress has starred in a whole host of classic movies, including Alien and Ghostbusters, as well as recent hits like James Cameron's Avatar trilogy and Paul Schrader's Master Gardener.
Jeremy Allen White plays Rotta the Hutt
Who is Rotta the Hutt? Rotta the Hutt is the son of infamous crime lord Jabba. Previously appearing in the theatrically released Clone Wars movie, where a baby Rotta was rescued by Anakin and Ahsoka, we'll be seeing a very different version of Rotta in the upcoming film.
First off, unlike many other Hutts, Rotta is highly trained and dangerous having honed his skills in gladiatorial fights. Whether he is a friend or foe to Mando remains to be seen.
What else has Jeremy Allen White been in? White started off life in the US reboot of Shameless before garnering acclaim for his performance as beleaguered chef Carmy in The Bear. Most recently, he played Bruce Springsteen in the biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere and is set to star in The Social Reckoning later this year.
Jonny Coyne as Janu
Who is Janu? Little is known about Janu beyond the fact that he is a key figure in the Imperial Remnant and a potential close ally of Grand Admiral Thrawn. It's entirely likely that Janu isn't even the characters real name as Favreau has teased that Coyne may well be playing a well known character from Star Wars history.
What else has Jonny Coyne been in? A prolific character actor, Coyne can be seen in the third season of The Mandalorian, the Stephen King adaptation 11.22.63 and Once Upon A Time.
Steve Blum as Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Who is Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios? Zeb is well-known and equally well-loved by Star Wars fans as a member of the crew of the Ghost in Star Wars: Rebels. A leading figure in the nascent Rebellion, Zeb has a tragic backstory as his species, the Lasan, were almost entirely wiped out by the Empire. An excellent warrior often acting as the muscle for the crew of the Ghost, Zeb has a particularly heart-warming character arc in Rebels, making his return even more exciting.
What else has Steve Blum been in? A renowned voice actor, Blum starred as Zeb in Star Wars: Rebels as well as voicing characters in Cowboy Bebop, The Legend of Kora and video games including Mortal Kombat.
Martin Scorsese as an Ardennian fry cook
Who is the Ardennian fry cook? We know very little about the proprietor of this particular food stall beyond the fact that he's the same species as Rio from Solo: A Star Wars Story, who was voiced by Jon Favreau.
What else has Martin Scorsese been in? The legendary director recently had a small but memorable role in The Studio on Apple TV. He's most well known for directing classics like The Departed, Goodfellas, Killers of the Flower Moon and many, many, many more.
Your essential guide to the new and returning cast of the latest adventure in the Star Wars universe.
Show full content
The Mandalorian and Grogu are back and this time their coming to the big screen alongside a few friends (and enemies).
After three seasons on Disney+, Mando and his adoptive son are getting the theatrical treatment in a film that promises to welcome new and existing fans alike.
The plot has largely been kept under wraps, however we do know that Mando and Grogu are working with the New Republic to hunt down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy. This journey brings the duo into conflict with the Hutts (of Jabba the Hutt fame), who are one of several parties vying for more power in this uncertain post-Empire time period.
The film is directed by the shows creator Jon Favreau, who previously directed Iron Man, The Lion King and Chef, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is set in the years following Return of the Jedi, where the recently established New Republic is trying to take down various Imperial hold-outs across the galaxy to prevent the Empire from returning.
With a longer runtime and expanded (IMAX) scope, both Mando and Grogu are set to be joined by a whole slew of new and returning characters, including some fan-favourites from the various animated series.
Read on for a full guide to the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to release on 22 May.
The Mandalorian & Grogu cast list
You can find a full list of announced stars below – scroll down further for more information on the actors and the characters they are playing.
Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin/The Mandalorian
Grogu (and several puppeteers) as himself
Sigourney Weaver as Ward
Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt
Jonny Coyne as Janu
Steve Blum as Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Martin Scorsese as an Ardennian fry cook
Pedro Pascal plays Din Djarin/The Mandalorian
Who is The Mandalorian? Orphaned during the Clone Wars, Din Djarin (or The Mandalorian), was raised as a foundling by the Mandalorians before the purge by the Empire that destroyed his home world.
Like another famous Mandalorian, Boba Fett, Din worked as a bounty hunter, taking out various targets across the galaxy before stepping up to care for his adoptive son and foundling Grogu. The adorable lone wolf and cub now work as hired guns for the New Republic, helping to take out rogue imperial warlords.
What else has Pedro Pascal been in? After a memorable turn in Game of Thrones, Pascal went on to star in The Last of Us on HBO and most recently joined the MCU in as Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Grogu (and several puppeteers) plays himself
Who is Grogu? The cutest little guy in the whole galaxy, Grogu is a former Jedi in training and a member of the same species as Jedi Master Yoda. He survived the Jedi purge known as Order 66 after being rescued by legendary Jedi Master Kelleran Beq before being adopted as a Mandalorian foundling by Mando.
What else has Grogu been in? Grogu is best known for his star-making turn in The Mandalorian where he was brought to life thanks to a mixture of animatronics, puppetry and CGI to create one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.
Sigourney Weaver as Ward
Who is Ward? Not much is known about Ward beyond the fact that she is a high ranking colonel leading the Adelphi Rangers for the New Republic. Having fought as a pilot during the war against the Empire, this former rebel will stop at nothing to prevent another war.
What else has Sigourney Weaver been in? The prolific and legendary actress has starred in a whole host of classic movies, including Alien and Ghostbusters, as well as recent hits like James Cameron's Avatar trilogy and Paul Schrader's Master Gardener.
Jeremy Allen White plays Rotta the Hutt
Who is Rotta the Hutt? Rotta the Hutt is the son of infamous crime lord Jabba. Previously appearing in the theatrically released Clone Wars movie, where a baby Rotta was rescued by Anakin and Ahsoka, we'll be seeing a very different version of Rotta in the upcoming film.
First off, unlike many other Hutts, Rotta is highly trained and dangerous having honed his skills in gladiatorial fights. Whether he is a friend or foe to Mando remains to be seen.
What else has Jeremy Allen White been in? White started off life in the US reboot of Shameless before garnering acclaim for his performance as beleaguered chef Carmy in The Bear. Most recently, he played Bruce Springsteen in the biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere and is set to star in The Social Reckoning later this year.
Jonny Coyne as Janu
Who is Janu? Little is known about Janu beyond the fact that he is a key figure in the Imperial Remnant and a potential close ally of Grand Admiral Thrawn. It's entirely likely that Janu isn't even the characters real name as Favreau has teased that Coyne may well be playing a well known character from Star Wars history.
What else has Jonny Coyne been in? A prolific character actor, Coyne can be seen in the third season of The Mandalorian, the Stephen King adaptation 11.22.63 and Once Upon A Time.
Steve Blum as Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Who is Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios? Zeb is well-known and equally well-loved by Star Wars fans as a member of the crew of the Ghost in Star Wars: Rebels. A leading figure in the nascent Rebellion, Zeb has a tragic backstory as his species, the Lasan, were almost entirely wiped out by the Empire. An excellent warrior often acting as the muscle for the crew of the Ghost, Zeb has a particularly heart-warming character arc in Rebels, making his return even more exciting.
What else has Steve Blum been in? A renowned voice actor, Blum starred as Zeb in Star Wars: Rebels as well as voicing characters in Cowboy Bebop, The Legend of Kora and video games including Mortal Kombat.
Martin Scorsese as an Ardennian fry cook
Who is the Ardennian fry cook? We know very little about the proprietor of this particular food stall beyond the fact that he's the same species as Rio from Solo: A Star Wars Story, who was voiced by Jon Favreau.
What else has Martin Scorsese been in? The legendary director recently had a small but memorable role in The Studio on Apple TV. He's most well known for directing classics like The Departed, Goodfellas, Killers of the Flower Moon and many, many, many more.
Whatever your taste, there's a movie on for everyone.
Show full content
There may be plenty of movies available on streaming platforms and being released weekly in cinemas, but nothing quite beats the feeling of finding a hidden gem while flicking through the TV.
With such a raft of options – old and new – to pick from this weekend, it can often feel like a bit of an insurmountable task to find one that really tickles your fancy. But that's where we come in to do the hard work for you, picking out some of the most stellar options available to tune into.
This weeks selection includes everything from two caped crusader adventures, The Dark Knight Rises and The Batman, to Marilyn Monroe classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
There's something for everyone and if you're wondering where to find some of the best films on the terrestrial channels this week, we've got you sorted.
Read on for an expertly compiled list of the best flicks airing across the next seven days.
Friday 15 May
It Came from Outer Space - 3pm, Film4
Classic science-fiction drama based on a story by Ray Bradbury, starring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush. Amateur astronomer John Putnam discovers a strange craft that has crash-landed in the desert. When he reports it to the local sheriff he faces ridicule, until the townspeople start to disappear. Read our full review
Two Mules for Sister Sara - 4:40pm, 5 Action
Western starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine. The Mexican Desert: when Hogan, lean, dusty and unshaven, saves a woman from a fate worse than death, he gets more than he bargained for. She turns out to be Sister Sara, a nun on a mission from God, and not Hogan's usual kind of woman. Read our full review
Action fantasy concluding Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. There has been no sign of Batman in Gotham City since the defeat of the Joker eight years earlier. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, but he is forced to abandon his seclusion and don cape and cowl once more when merciless terrorist Bane threatens the city with annihilation. Read our full review
Triangle of Sadness - 11pm, BBC Two
Satirical comedy drama starring Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickinson. Following a major argument, up-and-coming influencer couple Yaya and Carl join a luxury cruise holiday on a superyacht. Their unstable relationship is further challenged when a nautical disaster leaves the couple, along with a handful of fellow passengers, stranded on a remote beach. Read our full review
Saturday 16 May
10 Things I Hate About You - 1:05pm, Channel 4
Romantic comedy, based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Bianca Stratford is banned by her parents from going on a date until her older sister Katarina has a boyfriend, but unfortunately big sister has an excessively aggressive personality and only manages to send most boys running for cover. However, when a new guy arrives in town, Bianca's suitor Joey hits on a plan that could be the answer to their problem. Read our full review
The Teachers' Lounge - 9pm, BBC Four
Drama starring Leonie Benesch. When a high school is struck by a series of thefts, idealistic new maths and PE teacher Carla Nowak decides to take matters into her own hands. She sets a trap to identify the culprit, but soon finds herself facing a backlash from parents, colleagues and students. Read our full review
The Batman - 9:15pm, ITV1
Mystery thriller starring Robert Pattinson. When members of Gotham City's political elite are picked off by a serial killer, masked vigilante Batman - aka troubled young billionaire Bruce Wayne - investigates. In following the killer's carefully planted string of riddles, Batman is drawn into a murky conspiracy involving the city's criminal underworld, and finds himself targeted. Read our full review
Their Finest - 10pm, BBC Two
Wartime comedy drama based on Lissa Evans's novel Their Finest Hour and a Half, starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin. Catrin Cole travels from Wales into the thick of the London Blitz to work as a typist on propaganda films made by the Ministry of Information. And with the productions desperately needing a female perspective, Catrin seems the perfect person for the job. Read our full review
The Last Duel - 11:20pm, Channel 4
Historical drama starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. In the late 14th century, French knights Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris prepare for a duel to the death over the honour of Carrouges's wife, Marguerite, who has accused Le Gris of sexual assault. Le Gris has strenuously denied the charge. Who is telling the truth? Read our full review
Sunday 17 May
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 2:30pm, BBC Two
Musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Despite already being engaged to a millionaire, showgirl Lorelei Lee continues to flirt with wealthy men when she sails to Paris with her best friend Dorothy. Read our full review
A Room With a View - 5pm, Film4
Period drama based on the novel by EM Forster, starring Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Denholm Elliott, Julian Sands and Daniel Day-Lewis. A young Englishwoman's first grand tour of Europe turns into an unexpectedly complicated journey of discovery. Arriving in Florence with her cousin as her chaperone, they take up their rooms at the Pensione Bertolini and begin to meet the other guests. Read our full review
God's Creatures - 10:40pm, BBC Three
Drama starring Emily Watson and Paul Mescal. Brian O'Hara returns to his remote Irish home town after an extended absence. His mother, Aileen, is determined to keep him around, but when Brian is accused of sexual assault, she faces a difficult decision. Read our full review
Drama starring Lamar Johnson and Aaron Pierre. Over several years, two Ontario siblings struggle with life as the sons of Jamaican immigrants in a low-income area. During their childhood, the shy and sensitive Michael is protected and championed by older brother Francis, but as they join different friendship groups the pair gradually drift apart. Read our full review
Monday 18 May
In a Lonely Place - 8am, Talking Pictures TV
Classic film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. Given a chance to save his career, a talented but down-at-heel Hollywood scriptwriter baulks at the cheap novel he's been asked to adapt. Deliberating in a bar, he meets a girl who offers to help him, but her involvement only leads to trouble. Read our full review
Crazy Rich Asians - 11:10pm, BBC One
Romantic comedy starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh. New Yorker Rachel Chu travels to Singapore with her partner, Nick, for a friend's wedding, and discovers that Nick's family is hugely wealthy. They also expect him to remain in Singapore to inherit their hotel business - a plan that, as Nick's imperious mother Eleanor makes quite clear, does not involve Rachel. Read our full review
Destroyer - 11:45pm, BBC Two
Crime drama starring Nicole Kidman and Toby Kebbell. Seventeen years after taking part in an undercover operation that went tragically wrong, troubled LAPD detective Erin Bell attends a murder scene that indicates her old adversary is back in town. Deciding to track him down, Bell must face her demons in a case that threatens to derail her already fragile existence. Read our full review
Three Thousand Years of Longing - 11:20pm, Film4
Romantic fantasy starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. While staying in Istanbul, British academic Alithea Binnie unleashes a mystical djinn from an antique bottle. After Alithea refuses his offer of three wishes, the djinn proceeds to relate three fantastical tales from his long, storied existence. Read our full review
Tuesday 19 May
Theirs is the Glory - 1:50pm, Talking Pictures TV
Re-enactment of the battle of Arnhem during the Second World War, examining its place in a major Allied offensive to drive German forces from occupied Holland and the circumstances that led to the failure of the operation. The film focuses on the paratroopers of the British 1st Airborne Division, featuring veterans of the conflict playing themselves. Read our full review
Mystery thriller based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou. When the victim of a ritualised killing is discovered at the Louvre, French cryptographer Sophie Neveu and Harvard professor Robert Langdon are called in to try to identify strange symbols cut into the body. They become embroiled in a deadly conspiracy that has shattering ramifications for Christianity. Read our full review
The Krays - 11:45pm, BBC One
Crime drama portraying the life of the infamous twins who became powerful underworld figures in 1960s London, starring Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp and Billie Whitelaw. Born in London's East End, Ronnie and Reggie Kray are brought up by their resilient mother Violet and her sisters, to whom they become staunchly devoted. Involved in bullying at school, the twins grow increasingly violent following their national service and spells in prison. Read our full review
Wednesday 20 May
Tomorrow Never Dies - 7:40pm, ITV4
Spy adventure starring Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce and Michelle Yeoh. Intending to reap the profits of increased ratings for his global multimedia empire, Elliot Carver attempts to ignite a conflict between Britain and China by sinking a British frigate and shooting down a Chinese fighter plane. The British Secret Service sends James Bond to verify suspicions that Carver is behind the incident. Read our full review
Saving Private Ryan - 10:40pm, BBC One
Second World War drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore and Edward Burns, and featuring Matt Damon. As the horror of the Normandy landings takes its toll, three brothers lie dead. Captain Miller is sent on a special mission in occupied France to bring home the fourth brother, Private Ryan - no matter what the cost. Read our full review
The Lobster - 12:45am, Film4
In a dystopian near-future, the law dictates that single people are taken to a hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or be transformed into animals and sent off to live in the woods. Sci-fi comedy drama, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Ben Whishaw. Read our full review
Disaster movie from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. When climatologist Jack Hall tries to warn Washington that the planet is facing an imminent, catastrophic climate shift, government officials fail to take him seriously. But, when the Earth abruptly plunges into a new ice age, it soon becomes clear that the human race is facing extinction. Read our full review
How to Marry a Millionaire - 10:45pm, BBC Four
Romantic comedy starring Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. Three beautiful young women who are determined to find wealthy husbands rent a luxurious Manhattan apartment together to impress affluent bachelors. Read our full review
Glory - 11:40pm, Film4
Historical war drama starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. In 1862, a young Union colonel is given command of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which is to become one of the first units of black soldiers to go into combat. But as the raw recruits embark on a rigorous training programme, they have to contend with racism from their own side. Read our full review
Friday 22 May
Legends of the Fall - 6:25pm, Film4
Epic drama starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. Three brothers, Alfred, Samuel and Tristan, are raised by their ex-cavalry father on a remote ranch near the Montana Rockies. Their lifestyle is irreversibly changed when Samuel brings home his beautiful fiancée, Susannah, and the brothers decide to join the army to fight in the First World War. Read our full review
Apocalypse Now - 9pm, Film4
Epic war drama starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall. In Vietnam, war-weary Captain Willard is drawn into a nightmarish world when he is ordered to assassinate a rebel American officer, Colonel Kurtz, who has established his own private army deep in the Cambodian jungle. Read our full review
In Time - 9pm, Legend
Sci-fi thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake. In a future world, people are genetically engineered to stop ageing at 25, with only one more year to live - unless they're wealthy enough to buy more time. When factory worker Will Salas is gifted more years by a man he saves from a robbery, it gives him the means to fight the system. Read our full review
Alien Nation - 11:20pm, Legend
Science-fiction thriller starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. In Los Angeles, three years after thousands of aliens known as "newcomers" are integrated into Californian society, the uneasy co-existence between the people from space and humans is tested when a detective joins forces with a "newcomer" cop to track down a murderous gang. Read our full review
Whatever your taste, there's a movie on for everyone.
Show full content
There may be plenty of movies available on streaming platforms and being released weekly in cinemas, but nothing quite beats the feeling of finding a hidden gem while flicking through the TV.
With such a raft of options – old and new – to pick from this weekend, it can often feel like a bit of an insurmountable task to find one that really tickles your fancy. But that's where we come in to do the hard work for you, picking out some of the most stellar options available to tune into.
This weeks selection includes everything from two caped crusader adventures, The Dark Knight Rises and The Batman, to Marilyn Monroe classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
There's something for everyone and if you're wondering where to find some of the best films on the terrestrial channels this week, we've got you sorted.
Read on for an expertly compiled list of the best flicks airing across the next seven days.
Friday 15 May
It Came from Outer Space - 3pm, Film4
Classic science-fiction drama based on a story by Ray Bradbury, starring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush. Amateur astronomer John Putnam discovers a strange craft that has crash-landed in the desert. When he reports it to the local sheriff he faces ridicule, until the townspeople start to disappear. Read our full review
Two Mules for Sister Sara - 4:40pm, 5 Action
Western starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine. The Mexican Desert: when Hogan, lean, dusty and unshaven, saves a woman from a fate worse than death, he gets more than he bargained for. She turns out to be Sister Sara, a nun on a mission from God, and not Hogan's usual kind of woman. Read our full review
Action fantasy concluding Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. There has been no sign of Batman in Gotham City since the defeat of the Joker eight years earlier. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, but he is forced to abandon his seclusion and don cape and cowl once more when merciless terrorist Bane threatens the city with annihilation. Read our full review
Triangle of Sadness - 11pm, BBC Two
Satirical comedy drama starring Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickinson. Following a major argument, up-and-coming influencer couple Yaya and Carl join a luxury cruise holiday on a superyacht. Their unstable relationship is further challenged when a nautical disaster leaves the couple, along with a handful of fellow passengers, stranded on a remote beach. Read our full review
Saturday 16 May
10 Things I Hate About You - 1:05pm, Channel 4
Romantic comedy, based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Bianca Stratford is banned by her parents from going on a date until her older sister Katarina has a boyfriend, but unfortunately big sister has an excessively aggressive personality and only manages to send most boys running for cover. However, when a new guy arrives in town, Bianca's suitor Joey hits on a plan that could be the answer to their problem. Read our full review
The Teachers' Lounge - 9pm, BBC Four
Drama starring Leonie Benesch. When a high school is struck by a series of thefts, idealistic new maths and PE teacher Carla Nowak decides to take matters into her own hands. She sets a trap to identify the culprit, but soon finds herself facing a backlash from parents, colleagues and students. Read our full review
The Batman - 9:15pm, ITV1
Mystery thriller starring Robert Pattinson. When members of Gotham City's political elite are picked off by a serial killer, masked vigilante Batman - aka troubled young billionaire Bruce Wayne - investigates. In following the killer's carefully planted string of riddles, Batman is drawn into a murky conspiracy involving the city's criminal underworld, and finds himself targeted. Read our full review
Their Finest - 10pm, BBC Two
Wartime comedy drama based on Lissa Evans's novel Their Finest Hour and a Half, starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin. Catrin Cole travels from Wales into the thick of the London Blitz to work as a typist on propaganda films made by the Ministry of Information. And with the productions desperately needing a female perspective, Catrin seems the perfect person for the job. Read our full review
The Last Duel - 11:20pm, Channel 4
Historical drama starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. In the late 14th century, French knights Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris prepare for a duel to the death over the honour of Carrouges's wife, Marguerite, who has accused Le Gris of sexual assault. Le Gris has strenuously denied the charge. Who is telling the truth? Read our full review
Sunday 17 May
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 2:30pm, BBC Two
Musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Despite already being engaged to a millionaire, showgirl Lorelei Lee continues to flirt with wealthy men when she sails to Paris with her best friend Dorothy. Read our full review
A Room With a View - 5pm, Film4
Period drama based on the novel by EM Forster, starring Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Denholm Elliott, Julian Sands and Daniel Day-Lewis. A young Englishwoman's first grand tour of Europe turns into an unexpectedly complicated journey of discovery. Arriving in Florence with her cousin as her chaperone, they take up their rooms at the Pensione Bertolini and begin to meet the other guests. Read our full review
God's Creatures - 10:40pm, BBC Three
Drama starring Emily Watson and Paul Mescal. Brian O'Hara returns to his remote Irish home town after an extended absence. His mother, Aileen, is determined to keep him around, but when Brian is accused of sexual assault, she faces a difficult decision. Read our full review
Drama starring Lamar Johnson and Aaron Pierre. Over several years, two Ontario siblings struggle with life as the sons of Jamaican immigrants in a low-income area. During their childhood, the shy and sensitive Michael is protected and championed by older brother Francis, but as they join different friendship groups the pair gradually drift apart. Read our full review
Monday 18 May
In a Lonely Place - 8am, Talking Pictures TV
Classic film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. Given a chance to save his career, a talented but down-at-heel Hollywood scriptwriter baulks at the cheap novel he's been asked to adapt. Deliberating in a bar, he meets a girl who offers to help him, but her involvement only leads to trouble. Read our full review
Crazy Rich Asians - 11:10pm, BBC One
Romantic comedy starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh. New Yorker Rachel Chu travels to Singapore with her partner, Nick, for a friend's wedding, and discovers that Nick's family is hugely wealthy. They also expect him to remain in Singapore to inherit their hotel business - a plan that, as Nick's imperious mother Eleanor makes quite clear, does not involve Rachel. Read our full review
Destroyer - 11:45pm, BBC Two
Crime drama starring Nicole Kidman and Toby Kebbell. Seventeen years after taking part in an undercover operation that went tragically wrong, troubled LAPD detective Erin Bell attends a murder scene that indicates her old adversary is back in town. Deciding to track him down, Bell must face her demons in a case that threatens to derail her already fragile existence. Read our full review
Three Thousand Years of Longing - 11:20pm, Film4
Romantic fantasy starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. While staying in Istanbul, British academic Alithea Binnie unleashes a mystical djinn from an antique bottle. After Alithea refuses his offer of three wishes, the djinn proceeds to relate three fantastical tales from his long, storied existence. Read our full review
Tuesday 19 May
Theirs is the Glory - 1:50pm, Talking Pictures TV
Re-enactment of the battle of Arnhem during the Second World War, examining its place in a major Allied offensive to drive German forces from occupied Holland and the circumstances that led to the failure of the operation. The film focuses on the paratroopers of the British 1st Airborne Division, featuring veterans of the conflict playing themselves. Read our full review
Mystery thriller based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou. When the victim of a ritualised killing is discovered at the Louvre, French cryptographer Sophie Neveu and Harvard professor Robert Langdon are called in to try to identify strange symbols cut into the body. They become embroiled in a deadly conspiracy that has shattering ramifications for Christianity. Read our full review
The Krays - 11:45pm, BBC One
Crime drama portraying the life of the infamous twins who became powerful underworld figures in 1960s London, starring Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp and Billie Whitelaw. Born in London's East End, Ronnie and Reggie Kray are brought up by their resilient mother Violet and her sisters, to whom they become staunchly devoted. Involved in bullying at school, the twins grow increasingly violent following their national service and spells in prison. Read our full review
Wednesday 20 May
Tomorrow Never Dies - 7:40pm, ITV4
Spy adventure starring Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce and Michelle Yeoh. Intending to reap the profits of increased ratings for his global multimedia empire, Elliot Carver attempts to ignite a conflict between Britain and China by sinking a British frigate and shooting down a Chinese fighter plane. The British Secret Service sends James Bond to verify suspicions that Carver is behind the incident. Read our full review
Saving Private Ryan - 10:40pm, BBC One
Second World War drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore and Edward Burns, and featuring Matt Damon. As the horror of the Normandy landings takes its toll, three brothers lie dead. Captain Miller is sent on a special mission in occupied France to bring home the fourth brother, Private Ryan - no matter what the cost. Read our full review
The Lobster - 12:45am, Film4
In a dystopian near-future, the law dictates that single people are taken to a hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or be transformed into animals and sent off to live in the woods. Sci-fi comedy drama, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Ben Whishaw. Read our full review
Disaster movie from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. When climatologist Jack Hall tries to warn Washington that the planet is facing an imminent, catastrophic climate shift, government officials fail to take him seriously. But, when the Earth abruptly plunges into a new ice age, it soon becomes clear that the human race is facing extinction. Read our full review
How to Marry a Millionaire - 10:45pm, BBC Four
Romantic comedy starring Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. Three beautiful young women who are determined to find wealthy husbands rent a luxurious Manhattan apartment together to impress affluent bachelors. Read our full review
Glory - 11:40pm, Film4
Historical war drama starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. In 1862, a young Union colonel is given command of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which is to become one of the first units of black soldiers to go into combat. But as the raw recruits embark on a rigorous training programme, they have to contend with racism from their own side. Read our full review
Friday 22 May
Legends of the Fall - 6:25pm, Film4
Epic drama starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. Three brothers, Alfred, Samuel and Tristan, are raised by their ex-cavalry father on a remote ranch near the Montana Rockies. Their lifestyle is irreversibly changed when Samuel brings home his beautiful fiancée, Susannah, and the brothers decide to join the army to fight in the First World War. Read our full review
Apocalypse Now - 9pm, Film4
Epic war drama starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall. In Vietnam, war-weary Captain Willard is drawn into a nightmarish world when he is ordered to assassinate a rebel American officer, Colonel Kurtz, who has established his own private army deep in the Cambodian jungle. Read our full review
In Time - 9pm, Legend
Sci-fi thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake. In a future world, people are genetically engineered to stop ageing at 25, with only one more year to live - unless they're wealthy enough to buy more time. When factory worker Will Salas is gifted more years by a man he saves from a robbery, it gives him the means to fight the system. Read our full review
Alien Nation - 11:20pm, Legend
Science-fiction thriller starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. In Los Angeles, three years after thousands of aliens known as "newcomers" are integrated into Californian society, the uneasy co-existence between the people from space and humans is tested when a detective joins forces with a "newcomer" cop to track down a murderous gang. Read our full review
In Curry Barker's directorial debut, Obsession, which boasts a mostly unknown cast, the entitled Barron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) gets a bit more than he bargained for after selfishly wishing for his childhood best friend and long-time crush Nikki (a fantastic Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him using a One Wish Willow – a small, seemingly harmless object purchased from a small, mystic shop that reveals itself to be anything but.
Soon, Nikki's desire for Bear becomes obsessive and violent: reciting disturbing stories, stabbing herself with a bottle and threatening to end her own life if Bear doesn't reciprocate her love.
If you're wondering just how those final moments played out for Bear and Nikki, read on to have Obsession's ending explained.
Obsession ending explained
By the time Obsession reaches its climatic point, the spellbound Nikki has become completely and entirely devoted to Bear – who is rapidly beginning to regret his selfish decision and has become consumed by guilt. After work one evening, Bear calls the phone number on the back of the One Wish Willow packaging, where a voice on the other line reveals that his wish is permanent – and can only be reversed if the person who made the original wish dies.
Obviously shaken by that news, Bear drives home and finds Nikki standing in front of the door. She has been waiting for him for his entire shift, covered in her own vomit and urine. As he cleans her up, Bear mentions that he will be shortly heading to a gathering at his friend Ian's (Cooper Tomlinson) that evening. After quickly becoming enraged that she is not invited, Bear reluctantly invites Nikki along.
At Ian's, Nikki's unusual demeanour (as well as a harrowing story she recites from her Notes page) disturbs many of the party guests, including Sarah (Megan Lawless), a close friend of Bear's. Bear takes her home and puts her to bed, but as she sleeps, the 'real' Nikki's voice begs Bear for death.
Later that night, Sarah texts Bear and asks him to meet her. In her car, Sarah reveals that Nikki and Ian were sleeping together for some time before she miraculously fell in love with Bear, and suggests that she actually has something of a crush on Bear herself.
Then, in a moment that may very well be the biggest jump scare of the year so far, Nikki bursts through the car window and beats Sarah to death with a brick placed on the steering wheel.
Horrified, Bear attempts to purchase a second One Wish Willow to reverse his wish but quickly finds that he is unable to do so – you only get One Wish, after all. He drives to Ian's house and desperately attempts to explain the situation to him, begging him to wish for Bear's wish to be cancelled. Not believing him, however, Ian instead wishes for a billion dollars – and instantly, the money appears, raining on both of them from above.
Bear returns home and once again finds Nikki waiting for him. This time, though, she's got a gun.
Nikki begins to threaten Bear, accusing him of not loving her, when Ian appears in the doorway, excited to celebrate his newfound riches. Without a word, Nikki shoots Ian in the head. Bear grabs the gun and runs into the bathroom. He contemplates shooting himself but is unable, so swallows a bottle of pills from the bathroom cupboard instead.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Nikki finds a brand new One Wish Willow and, as Bear struggles in the bathroom, wishes for him to love her back.
Immediately, Bear walks outside and straight into Nikki's arms. They embrace, and Bear begins foaming at the mouth – overdosing on the pills he has taken. As Bear dies, Nikki picks up the gun, preparing to kill herself to be with him, but the moment Bear takes his final breath, the spell breaks and Nikki returns to her normal self.
Coming back to her senses, Nikki looks around at the destruction Bear has caused, and with two dead bodies in the room with her, screams.
Could Obsession get a sequel?
What with Nikki surviving the film, there does seem to be a possibility that a second Obsession film might be on the cards – though of course nothing has been confirmed yet.
In an interview with Variety, director Barker said that there is scope for a second Obsession film, though was quick to add that he doesn't see any of the original characters returning. He explained: "I don’t think you’ll ever see a movie with these characters again, but it would be cool to expand this world with different characters."
In Curry Barker's directorial debut, Obsession, which boasts a mostly unknown cast, the entitled Barron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) gets a bit more than he bargained for after selfishly wishing for his childhood best friend and long-time crush Nikki (a fantastic Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him using a One Wish Willow – a small, seemingly harmless object purchased from a small, mystic shop that reveals itself to be anything but.
Soon, Nikki's desire for Bear becomes obsessive and violent: reciting disturbing stories, stabbing herself with a bottle and threatening to end her own life if Bear doesn't reciprocate her love.
If you're wondering just how those final moments played out for Bear and Nikki, read on to have Obsession's ending explained.
Obsession ending explained
By the time Obsession reaches its climatic point, the spellbound Nikki has become completely and entirely devoted to Bear – who is rapidly beginning to regret his selfish decision and has become consumed by guilt. After work one evening, Bear calls the phone number on the back of the One Wish Willow packaging, where a voice on the other line reveals that his wish is permanent – and can only be reversed if the person who made the original wish dies.
Obviously shaken by that news, Bear drives home and finds Nikki standing in front of the door. She has been waiting for him for his entire shift, covered in her own vomit and urine. As he cleans her up, Bear mentions that he will be shortly heading to a gathering at his friend Ian's (Cooper Tomlinson) that evening. After quickly becoming enraged that she is not invited, Bear reluctantly invites Nikki along.
At Ian's, Nikki's unusual demeanour (as well as a harrowing story she recites from her Notes page) disturbs many of the party guests, including Sarah (Megan Lawless), a close friend of Bear's. Bear takes her home and puts her to bed, but as she sleeps, the 'real' Nikki's voice begs Bear for death.
Later that night, Sarah texts Bear and asks him to meet her. In her car, Sarah reveals that Nikki and Ian were sleeping together for some time before she miraculously fell in love with Bear, and suggests that she actually has something of a crush on Bear herself.
Then, in a moment that may very well be the biggest jump scare of the year so far, Nikki bursts through the car window and beats Sarah to death with a brick placed on the steering wheel.
Horrified, Bear attempts to purchase a second One Wish Willow to reverse his wish but quickly finds that he is unable to do so – you only get One Wish, after all. He drives to Ian's house and desperately attempts to explain the situation to him, begging him to wish for Bear's wish to be cancelled. Not believing him, however, Ian instead wishes for a billion dollars – and instantly, the money appears, raining on both of them from above.
Bear returns home and once again finds Nikki waiting for him. This time, though, she's got a gun.
Nikki begins to threaten Bear, accusing him of not loving her, when Ian appears in the doorway, excited to celebrate his newfound riches. Without a word, Nikki shoots Ian in the head. Bear grabs the gun and runs into the bathroom. He contemplates shooting himself but is unable, so swallows a bottle of pills from the bathroom cupboard instead.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Nikki finds a brand new One Wish Willow and, as Bear struggles in the bathroom, wishes for him to love her back.
Immediately, Bear walks outside and straight into Nikki's arms. They embrace, and Bear begins foaming at the mouth – overdosing on the pills he has taken. As Bear dies, Nikki picks up the gun, preparing to kill herself to be with him, but the moment Bear takes his final breath, the spell breaks and Nikki returns to her normal self.
Coming back to her senses, Nikki looks around at the destruction Bear has caused, and with two dead bodies in the room with her, screams.
Could Obsession get a sequel?
What with Nikki surviving the film, there does seem to be a possibility that a second Obsession film might be on the cards – though of course nothing has been confirmed yet.
In an interview with Variety, director Barker said that there is scope for a second Obsession film, though was quick to add that he doesn't see any of the original characters returning. He explained: "I don’t think you’ll ever see a movie with these characters again, but it would be cool to expand this world with different characters."
The search for the next 007 is officially underway.
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Even as developments have got underway in recent months on the next James Bond film, with the producers (Amy Pascal and David Heyman), director (Denis Villeneuve) and screenwriter (Steven Knight) being confirmed, fans have still been wanting an answer to that all important question - just who will play Bond?
Daniel Craig stepped down from the role after his last film, 2021's No Time to Die. Now, finally, it has been confirmed that the casting process is officially underway.
Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement: "The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Meanwhile, Variety has reported that this process of auditions has been going on for "the past few weeks", with casting director Nina Gold reportedly behind the search.
While Gold did not respond to a request for comment from the publication, it said that "a source with knowledge of the production confirmed her involvement".
This will be the first big screen Bond actor not to be cast by Debbie McWilliams, who was behind the casting of Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig.
Last month, Amazon MGM Studios head of film Courtenay Valenti said of the new Bond film, during a presentation at CinemaCon: "When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class filmmaking team, including the brilliant director Denis Villeneuve, extraordinary producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, executive producer Tanya Lapointe, and screenwriter Steven Knight, you’re setting the stage for something that's truly worthy of the Bond legacy."
The search for the next 007 is officially underway.
Show full content
Even as developments have got underway in recent months on the next James Bond film, with the producers (Amy Pascal and David Heyman), director (Denis Villeneuve) and screenwriter (Steven Knight) being confirmed, fans have still been wanting an answer to that all important question - just who will play Bond?
Daniel Craig stepped down from the role after his last film, 2021's No Time to Die. Now, finally, it has been confirmed that the casting process is officially underway.
Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement: "The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Meanwhile, Variety has reported that this process of auditions has been going on for "the past few weeks", with casting director Nina Gold reportedly behind the search.
While Gold did not respond to a request for comment from the publication, it said that "a source with knowledge of the production confirmed her involvement".
This will be the first big screen Bond actor not to be cast by Debbie McWilliams, who was behind the casting of Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig.
Last month, Amazon MGM Studios head of film Courtenay Valenti said of the new Bond film, during a presentation at CinemaCon: "When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class filmmaking team, including the brilliant director Denis Villeneuve, extraordinary producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, executive producer Tanya Lapointe, and screenwriter Steven Knight, you’re setting the stage for something that's truly worthy of the Bond legacy."
The latest film from Polish writer/director Pawel Pawilkowski follows revered writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika on a trip across Post-War Germany.
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Eight years have passed since Pawel Pawlikowski's magnificent Cold War earned him a best director nomination at the Oscars, and the Polish director has finally returned with his next effort. Fatherland – which has just premiered In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival – is another finely-tuned, typically accomplished piece of work from the internationally acclaimed auteur.
The subject this time around is Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler), the revered, Nobel prize-winning German writer who fled his homeland on the eve of the war and – in 1949 – made a well publicised return to receive the Goethe prize. The film finds him travelling across Germany with his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller), as he controversially makes plans to attend celebrations in both Frankfurt in West Germany and Weimar in the East – with both sides of the newly split country desperate to claim him as their own.
Over the course of their journey, we regularly find the pair driving past bombed out buildings and destroyed infrastructure, and the film makes the case that – barely four years on from Nazi rule – it is not just physically but emotionally and morally that the country and its citizens continue to lie in ruin.
Pawlikowski is operating in similar aesthetic territory to his aforementioned previous effort (and its 2013 predecessor Ida). Lukasz Żal's sumptuous black and white photography once again artfully transports us to a Europe still reckoning with the horrors of World War II, while the use of music – from lounge singers to Soviet choirs – is also key, both in terms of establishing the film's atmosphere and communicating the gulf between the divided nation.
Narratively, it's a very slight film – barely reaching 80 minutes – but it's also a cerebral and thematically rich one. Early on, at a press conference, Mann is asked where he considers to be his home, and he responds that although in a literal sense the answer is California, the question of where he belongs is a far more demanding matter.
It is that question which the film is intent on probing, and although Mann uses his acceptance speeches to call attention to the progressive German values espoused in the work of Goethe, it is clear from the cross-country trip that such a Germany no longer exists and perhaps never can again, a fact that Erika seems all too aware of. Their true home is a thing of the past.
One of the most striking scenes is the very first – a short vignette that finds Mann's son Klaus (August Diehl) nihilistically musing about his mindset on a phone call with Erika, with whom he has always been close. "I don't believe in anything any more" he tells her, adding that he "can't remember the last time I felt anything". It's the only time we see Klaus during the film, but his shadow – and his words – loom large over the whole piece, especially after a major revelation later in the runtime.
Another highlight comes at the Frankfurt party to celebrate Mann's award, where he and Erika find themselves brushing shoulders with members of German polite society who not so long ago had been content to sell their souls to fascism. "Imagine what they were up to four years ago," Erika voices at one point. She also has a run-in with her ex-husband Gustaf Gründgens, an actor now making unconvincing excuses for his close relationship with Hermann Göring.
Hüller – who, in 2026 alone, already has a Berlinale acting prize and a role in one of the year's most popular blockbusters to her name – is unsurprisingly stupendous. Her Erika moves from moments of steely resolve to those of deep vulnerability, and she displays the pain of navigating her broken fatherland and complicated family dynamic with great subtlety and intelligence.
If there's a downside, it's that although Fatherland barely hits a false note during its brief run-time, perhaps there is a sense at times that it's a little too economical; this is a hugely effective sketch which could perhaps have benefitted from being built out a little further. Still, it can't be denied that Pawlikowski skilfully crafts a bleakly atmospheric tale that leaves the audience with plenty to chew on.
The latest film from Polish writer/director Pawel Pawilkowski follows revered writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika on a trip across Post-War Germany.
Show full content
Eight years have passed since Pawel Pawlikowski's magnificent Cold War earned him a best director nomination at the Oscars, and the Polish director has finally returned with his next effort. Fatherland – which has just premiered In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival – is another finely-tuned, typically accomplished piece of work from the internationally acclaimed auteur.
The subject this time around is Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler), the revered, Nobel prize-winning German writer who fled his homeland on the eve of the war and – in 1949 – made a well publicised return to receive the Goethe prize. The film finds him travelling across Germany with his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller), as he controversially makes plans to attend celebrations in both Frankfurt in West Germany and Weimar in the East – with both sides of the newly split country desperate to claim him as their own.
Over the course of their journey, we regularly find the pair driving past bombed out buildings and destroyed infrastructure, and the film makes the case that – barely four years on from Nazi rule – it is not just physically but emotionally and morally that the country and its citizens continue to lie in ruin.
Pawlikowski is operating in similar aesthetic territory to his aforementioned previous effort (and its 2013 predecessor Ida). Lukasz Żal's sumptuous black and white photography once again artfully transports us to a Europe still reckoning with the horrors of World War II, while the use of music – from lounge singers to Soviet choirs – is also key, both in terms of establishing the film's atmosphere and communicating the gulf between the divided nation.
Narratively, it's a very slight film – barely reaching 80 minutes – but it's also a cerebral and thematically rich one. Early on, at a press conference, Mann is asked where he considers to be his home, and he responds that although in a literal sense the answer is California, the question of where he belongs is a far more demanding matter.
It is that question which the film is intent on probing, and although Mann uses his acceptance speeches to call attention to the progressive German values espoused in the work of Goethe, it is clear from the cross-country trip that such a Germany no longer exists and perhaps never can again, a fact that Erika seems all too aware of. Their true home is a thing of the past.
One of the most striking scenes is the very first – a short vignette that finds Mann's son Klaus (August Diehl) nihilistically musing about his mindset on a phone call with Erika, with whom he has always been close. "I don't believe in anything any more" he tells her, adding that he "can't remember the last time I felt anything". It's the only time we see Klaus during the film, but his shadow – and his words – loom large over the whole piece, especially after a major revelation later in the runtime.
Another highlight comes at the Frankfurt party to celebrate Mann's award, where he and Erika find themselves brushing shoulders with members of German polite society who not so long ago had been content to sell their souls to fascism. "Imagine what they were up to four years ago," Erika voices at one point. She also has a run-in with her ex-husband Gustaf Gründgens, an actor now making unconvincing excuses for his close relationship with Hermann Göring.
Hüller – who, in 2026 alone, already has a Berlinale acting prize and a role in one of the year's most popular blockbusters to her name – is unsurprisingly stupendous. Her Erika moves from moments of steely resolve to those of deep vulnerability, and she displays the pain of navigating her broken fatherland and complicated family dynamic with great subtlety and intelligence.
If there's a downside, it's that although Fatherland barely hits a false note during its brief run-time, perhaps there is a sense at times that it's a little too economical; this is a hugely effective sketch which could perhaps have benefitted from being built out a little further. Still, it can't be denied that Pawlikowski skilfully crafts a bleakly atmospheric tale that leaves the audience with plenty to chew on.
As we continue to wait for more news on Denis Villeneuve's upcoming Bond 26, we asked fans to pick their favourites. Here's their final ranking.
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While 007 fans around the world continue to wait with bated breath for concrete news about James Bond's 26th cinematic outing, we to dipped into our archives to revisit the previous Bond films – all 25 of them.
We asked fans to vote for their favourite in the franchise, and with more than 1,000 votes cast, we can now present the full rankings to reveal the most popular film in the long-running series, according to its own fans.
Of course, debating the greatest entries in such a well-loved franchise is never going to lead to a state of perfect agreement, and it's likely some fans may find themselves a little at odds with the rankings below (you can check out our own ranking for a slightly different order).
But whether you agree or disagree, this list certainly makes for an interesting look at which films have stood the test of time best, according to the fans themselves.
Scroll down to find the full ranked list – along with our own official Radio Times reviews of each film from our archives.
25. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Perhaps a surprising film to finish at the very bottom of the list, this third Bond outing for Pierce Brosnan was generally considered a step down from his first two 007 adventures.
RT Review:
In a welcome return to the gritty glamour of such early outings as From Russia with Love, this 19th James Bond film effortlessly juggles a topical plot about the global domination of oil pipelines with all the expected superspy elements. Plaudits should go to director Michael Apted for the stirring, not shaky, blend of casino, ski slopes and submarine components contained within a topical plot about the power struggle for global domination of pipelines from oil-rich Azerbaijan.
In his third outing as 007, Pierce Brosnan is as comfortable in the dramatic sequences as in the action scenes, which include a spectacular boat chase along the River Thames. Sophie Marceau is excellent as the woman Bond is sent to protect, while Robert Carlyle is well cast as a Russian villain. Though everything comes gift-wrapped in production glitz, there are many touching moments to temper the adrenaline-pumping thrills. – Alan Jones
24. Die Another Day (2002)
Another Brosnan film comes in second from bottom, and perhaps it's no real surprise to see this one so low. The 20th film in the franchise overall is generally regarded as something of a misfire – with the reception to its more ludicrous antics eventually leading to the grittier rebrand with Daniel Craig.
RT Review:
The relentless pacing and director Lee Tamahori’s fluid style help enliven this 20th James Bond adventure, which marked Pierce Brosnan's last outing as the secret agent. From North Korea and London to Cuba and a dazzling Icelandic snow palace, the locations are inspired, even if the plotline and gadgets are more preposterous than ever (invisible car, anyone?).
Brosnan is on fine form as a betrayed and vengeful 007, combining the secret agent’s charm and throwaway wit with true toughness and a streak of venom. Such character-broadening traits ensure that the format never feels stale, while the introduction of Halle Berry as an equal, if underdeveloped, female sidekick is a coup.
However, their escapades are let down by some poor-looking CGI, while Madonna's grating theme song and cameo as a fencing instructor are simply dire. – Sloan Freer
23. A View to a Kill (1985)
Most Bond aficionados would tell you that a fair few of the later Roger Moore efforts rank among the weaker entries in the series. And despite solid turns from Christopher Walken and Grace Jones, Moore's very last appearance – as he was approaching 60 – is often seen as his lowest ebb.
RT Review:
Roger Moore stars as 007 for the seventh and final time in this below-average Bond movie. His smoothness is now a bit of a cliché, but there's still some action and excitement to be had.
Christopher Walken and his accomplice, girlfriend Grace Jones, are pretty scary as the baddies, but you don't get the impression that they're particularly evil.
Patrick Macnee, of TV's The Avengers fame, fares a lot better as Bond's right-hand man, and Tanya Roberts does what Bond girls do pretty well. But the plot doesn't really convince, perhaps because we've seen it or something similar so many times before. – Adrian Turner
22. Octopussy (1983)
Another poorly-regarded Moore outing, the slightly ridiculous Octopussy does have some fans due to the sheer bonkers-ness of it all – but clearly not enough to lift it into the top 20.
RT Review:
Loosely adapted from the Ian Fleming stories Octopussy and The Property of a Lady, this 13th James Bond movie is possibly the most frivolous in the series. The plot meanders all over the place, as Roger Moore’s 007 follows glamorous smuggler Maud Adams and renegade Soviet general Steven Berkoff across India and Central Europe.
All the usual gadgets are on view (including a crocodile-shaped submersible), but director John Glen (who would helm all five Bond movies made in the 1980s) never quite seems in control of either the breathless action or the overly glib dialogue. – David Parkinson
21. Quantum of Solace (2008)
After coming out of the gates swinging with one of the very best Bond films in Casino Royale, hopes had initially been high for Daniel Craig's second film as the secret agent. But – in part due to the effects of Hollywood writer's strikes – the end result was a little muddled, failing to come close to the heights of its predecessor.
RT Review:
Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond had a famously troubled production, which may explain why it fails to deliver on the promise of its predecessor, Casino Royale. Picking up events directly after that film's climax, it sees Bond looking for answers after the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd.
The trail leads to Quantum, a mysterious organisation that has infiltrated the world's corridors of power and is moving to instigate a regime change in Bolivia. Marc Forster's take on 007 was hit by a writer's strike during its making, and the script suffers as a result, with the paranoid storyline as nonsensical as the Ian Fleming-inspired title.
But viewed solely as an action spectacle, there's still plenty of excitement, not least a close-up, shaky-cam fight in an anonymous hotel (très Bourne) and an artfully staged gun battle at the opera. Craig may be ill-served by the material on this occasion, but his committed performance as the spy hero remains eminently watchable. – Jamie Healy
20. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery returned for one final Bond outing in this 1971 release, after George Lazenby's only 007 flick On Her Majesty's Secret Service was greeted with a mixed reception. But luring back the old favourite turned out to be something of a poor call: this film isn't a patch on Connery's finest work as the character.
RT Review:
After You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery said "Never again" to reprising the role of agent 007, but after George Lazenby's sole effort in OHMSS he was lured back for a fee of over $1 million, which he donated to the Scottish International Education Trust.
This is one of the weakest Bonds, with its plot about diamond smuggling developing rather tiresomely into a chase with Moon buggies and Connery simply going through the motions.
The Las Vegas sequences have some dash, however, and Bruce Glover and Putter Smith make an intriguing double act of the gay hitmen, Wint and Kidd, but the best idea was never used: screenwriter Richard Maibaum's proposal to cast Gert Frobe as Goldfinger's twin brother! – Adrian Turner
18=. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
This was Roger Moore's second time playing Bond – three years after his debut in Live and Let Die. Christopher Lee is terrific as iconic villain Francisco Scaramanga, but this is an otherwise middling entry – and better things were to come for Moore in his next adventure.
RT Review:
Roger Moore’s second outing as James Bond is actually an improvement on Ian Fleming’s novel. Christopher Lee makes a fine villain, sporting a golden gun, a third nipple and a tiny henchman called Nick Nack, wittily played by Hervé Villechaize.
Britt Ekland is funny, too, sending herself up as Bond's clueless assistant and surviving the most sexist scene in the entire 007 series: "Forgive me darling, your turn will come," Moore assures her after he's dallied with Maud Adams.
The use of the old Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth is clever, but there are major faults as well – notably the repeat of the pre-credit scene for the climax (borrowing from Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai) and the return of redneck sheriff Clifton James from Live and Let Die. Thailand's Phang-Nga Bay was a stunning choice of location, though it was soon to become a tourist trap. – Adrian Turner
18=. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Joint with the above is another Roger Moore effort – albeit one from a little later in his tenure – this was a more grounded affair than its immediate predecessor Moonraker. The result is a solid enough effort, but not one that especially stands out amongst the overall Bond canon.
RT Review:
This 12th entry in the 007 series provides no real surprises, with the exception perhaps of Roger Moore, who gets the chance to show a little more grit than usual. The plot revolves around the hunt for a device from a sunken spy ship, with French star (and Chanel model) Carole Bouquet providing class as the girl who may hold the key to the puzzle.
If Julian Glover is rather subdued as the number one villain, there's a colourful turn from Fiddler on the Roof star Topol as a rogue with shifting loyalties, and the eagle-eyed will spot Charles Dance as a killer. Bond veteran John Glen ensures that the set pieces are spectacular enough and thankfully plays down the gadgetry. – John Ferguson
17. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Following on from his excellent debut GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan once again proved his credentials as a fine 007 in this second effort – even if the film around him isn't quite as good as his first. Still, there's lots of great entertainment value here.
RT Review:
For the first hour or so, this 18th James Bond movie is up there with the best of them: it has terrific pace, Pierce Brosnan’s 007 has romantic and rough-house appeal, Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese agent is more than a match for him in the action stakes, and the story has grip and even plausibility.
Sadly, the second half doesn’t quite sustain the momentum, while Jonathan Pryce’s media mogul (whose motto is "There’s no news like bad news") proves to be an unthreatening villain. Flaws aside, this was at the time the best Bond movie since the heyday of Connery. – Adrian Turner
16. Spectre (2015)
After delivering one of the very best Bond films with Skyfall, it seemed Sam Mendes could do no wrong – but although his second film in the director's chair contains a few great scenes, some of the narrative decisions weren't particularly popular with Bond fans. Not up there with the best of the Daniel Craig era.
RT Review:
The box office-busting Skyfall gave director Sam Mendes a licence to take the James Bond franchise in any direction he wanted. And with Spectre he draws upon 007's ultimate foe to pull together Daniel Craig's three previous missions into one ambitious story arc. The name Spectre will be familiar as belonging to the shadowy antagonist of the original films, and the interesting conceit here is that Bond discovers he has a personal connection to the organisation's leader, Franz Oberhauser, played with smirking relish by Christoph Waltz.
While 007 slips MI6's leash to create his usual insurance-be-damned havoc away from home, a more thoughtful spy game emerges in London, with M (an enjoyably starchy Ralph Fiennes) coming under fire from Andrew Scott's obnoxious reforming bureaucrat. Once again, Mendes succeeds in delivering a prestige picture on a huge scale: its quality writ large in an epic pre-credits sequence set in Mexico City, a supercar chase through Rome and a train journey through the Sahara.
But the film over-congratulates itself with a surfeit of in-jokes and knowing references – and this game of Bond Bingo soon becomes a distraction. Whereas Skyfall owed much of its success to its downbeat mood and the vulnerability of its hero, Spectre forgoes that for a more bulletproof depiction of Bond and outlandish sense of escapism. However elegantly those recycled thrills are dressed up, the spy clichés sometimes veer dangerously close to Austin Powers-style parody. – Jamie Healy
15. Moonraker (1979)
It's safe to say this is a divisive one – Moonraker is certainly a far cry from the more gritty, serious Bond films we've been treated to in recent years. Still, despite no shortage of naysayers, there are enough fans of the silly sci-fi shenanigans to earn this a pretty decent spot in this ranking.
RT Review:
The 11th James Bond movie jettisons Ian Fleming’s novel and sends 007 into space. Weighed down by clunky special effects and nonexistent plotting, this movie seems to be merely an attempt to update the concept in the wake of Star Wars.
Roger Moore is at his least convincing as Bond, Michael Lonsdale makes a lacklustre master criminal and Richard Kiel, the towering henchman Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me, is reduced to comic relief.
Venice and Rio make for attractive stopovers, but too much of the budget is wasted on overblown spectacle, without enough attention being given to the basics. – Adrian Turner
14. Thunderball (1965)
With the first three films – Dr No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger – the Bond franchise got off to an incredible start. This fourth effort is still pretty good, but rather a step down in terms of quality when compared to those first three. Still, it was another major box office hit!
RT Review:
The Bond series went well and truly comic strip with this gadget-filled extravaganza that too often cuts plotline corners to squeeze in all the hi-tech hardware. Playing 007 for the fourth time, Sean Connery is still getting a kick out of the role, but he's less the suave spy and more the man of action than in previous outings.
Adolfo Celi makes a worthy opponent, playing a Spectre bigwig, but Claudine Auger is one of the least memorable Bond girls. Director Terence Young never quite solves the pacing problems posed by filming underwater, but John Stears's Oscar-winning special effects more than compensate. – David Parkinson
13. You Only Live Twice (1967)
We're getting into some of the really classic ones now – and this Roald Dahl-penned outing contains some of the most iconic images in all of Bond, from Donald Pleasence as Blofeld to arguably the finest villain's lair in the franchise's history.
RT Review:
This is one of the best of the Sean Connery Bond films, despite the actor’s desire to quit the franchise. Having faked his own death, agent 007 is sent to Japan where he goes native and marries a local girl, all the while trying to prevent World War Three following the disappearance of US and Russian spacecraft.
The film has one of the all-time great screen villains in Donald Pleasence’s cat-stroking Blofeld, and director Lewis Gilbert keeps the pace up, while the script (co-written by Roald Dahl) is suitably arch. But this is really production designer Ken Adam’s triumph: the secret volcanic base, where the film’s explosive climax unfolds, remains definitive and much parodied. – Andrew Collins
12. No Time to Die (2021)
This final adventure for Daniel Craig was a long time coming, although that gap will pale in comparison when we finally get the 26th entry in the franchise. In truth, it's something of a mixed bag – with a relatively unmemorable villain in Rami Malek's Safin – but there's enough good stuff here, including the explosive final act, to make it a fitting send-off for Craig.
RT Review:
Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as 007 ticks every hoped-for Bond-shaped box in a smart, absorbing thriller with some surprising twists. Disillusioned by earlier events, the now reclusive agent is lured out of retirement to thwart the spread of germ-based, DNA-specific weaponry, first developed by British intelligence, and now in the hands of Rami Malek’s sinister supervillain Lyutsifer Safin – a mission that forces him to confront uncomfortable truths close to home.
It’s arguably Craig’s most human portrayal in the franchise, a flawed and weary Bond dogged by regrets yet primed for the inevitable heroics, with assistance from paramour Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and Ana de Armas as a scene-stealing CIA agent.
Malek isn’t entirely convincing as the soft-spoken overlord intent on genocide (and is considerably less chilling than Christoph Waltz’s reprisal of Ernst Blofeld in a Hannibal Lecter-style cameo), but the wonderfully white-knuckle stunts and action sequences don’t disappoint. – James Mottram
Timothy Dalton's two films haven't always ranked among the most popular Bond entries, but their reputations have only continued to improve with age, and it's no surprise to see his first effort come close to cracking the top 10.
RT Review:
After the creaky pantomime of the late Roger Moore era, Timothy Dalton’s take on 007 is a breath of fresh air. Though lean and flint-eyed, his serious approach never takes the secret agent beyond our sympathy. For a story that segues from Soviet defection and arms dealing to the struggles of the Mujahidin, this is an endearingly human Bond.
He sweats, he bleeds and, unusually for the sleep-around spy, he falls in love – with Czech cellist Kara (Maryam D’Abo). It’s a freewheeling, romantic adventure with a sweetly staged prologue, nods to the gadget brigade and a hair-raising aerial scrap – one of the best of the series.
In common with many of the superspy's outings, the villains themselves are colourless but there’s a killer henchman – in this case the sleek, wordless Necros (Andreas Wisniewski). The hero’s warmongery is iffy and the finale a little lame; otherwise this is a savagely underrated escapade. – Mark Braxton
9=. Licence to Kill (1989)
Into the top 10, and Dalton's second outing – which was also to be his last – comes in joint ninth position. At the time, it wasn't considered a huge success, and led to a long gap before the franchise was rebooted with Pierce Brosnan six years later, but it holds up very well indeed.
RT Review:
Timothy Dalton was not everybody’s choice to replace urbane Roger Moore when he retired his Walther PPK after A View to a Kill in 1985, a verdict confirmed by the limp response to The Living Daylights, his first mission as James Bond. But his second outing is an altogether tougher, grittier affair and is well suited to Dalton’s brooding incarnation of Ian Fleming’s superspy.
Indeed, John Glen’s fifth (and final) Bond film as director has more in common with the more visceral, bloody violence of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard than the wry silliness of the Moore era. You know you’re in virgin territory when Bond resigns the day job to go and get the brutal drugs lord (Robert Davi), who’s just fed his best mate to a shark on his wedding day.
This time it’s personal and Davi’s stone-faced Sanchez and his snarling knife-wielding henchman (played by a young Benicio Del Toro) prove formidable and unflinchingly nasty adversaries. But it’s not all business and no play for Bond, as he also gets up close and intimate with a sassy CIA agent (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez’s sultry girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto).
It’s a watchable adventure boosted by impressive action sequences and a fiery climax with a bone-crunching punch-up. Pity Dalton didn’t have another crack at proving his secret-agent credentials. – Jeremy Aspinall
9=. Dr No (1962)
The film that started it all – introducing Ian Fleming's spy to the big screen for the first time and doing so with incredible style. It's generally accepted that this first outing was one-upped by the two immediate follow-ups, but that's more down to the mastery of those two than any particular lack of quality on the part of Dr No.
RT Review:
The James Bond series started in great style with this cleverly conceived dose of sheer escapism that, unlike later episodes, remained true to the essence of Ian Fleming's super-spy novels. Director Terence Young set the 007 standard with terrific action sequences, highly exotic atmosphere and witty humour.
There was also the sex, of course, and bikini-clad Ursula Andress couldn't have asked for a better star-making entrance. Looking back, it's easy to see why this caused so much excitement as it was entirely different from anything else. Sean Connery is just perfect as the dashing, debonair and ruthless secret agent with a licence to kill. – Alan Jones
The first film of Roger Moore's tenure, this effort – which boasts one of the most iconic theme tunes of all from Paul McCartney & Wings – is still regarded as one of the best of the Moore Bonds. It certainly proved once and for all that there was life in the franchise without Connery.
RT Review:
This eighth film in the James Bond series marked Roger Moore's first tour of duty as 007. The secret agent is up against the dark powers of voodoo in the sinister shape of Yaphet Kotto, while Jane Seymour’s tarot-reading Solitaire is Bond’s love interest.
Boasting as many cliff-hanging moments as a Saturday-matinée serial, this tale of a plot to flood the US with drugs allows Bond's adversaries – among them sharks, snakes and crocodiles – to be as mechanical as Moore himself.
There are some splendid action sequences, notably a speedboat leap that set a new world record, as well as the usual array of gadgetry and gizmos. – Tom Hutchinson
7. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
It's no surprise to see this effort ranking top of the Moore films – it's almost unanimously agreed upon that this was the high mark of the actor's seven-film stretch. One of the most purely entertaining in the franchise, it's a great mixture of what made the Connery films work while also playing into the strengths of Moore's lighter portrayal.
RT Review:
Nobody does it better than Roger Moore in this big-budget James Bond adventure. In a plot reminiscent of You Only Live Twice, 007 is dispatched to learn the whereabouts of some missing nuclear submarines. Along the way, he tangles with the metal-toothed Jaws (Richard Kiel) and an alluring Russian agent (Barbara Bach).
It’s far-fetched mayhem, of course, but with a welcome accent on character rather than just spectacle – although the pre-credits ski-jump stunt is one of the franchise’s best. Carly Simon’s theme song has stood the test of time, too. – Alan Jones
6. GoldenEye (1995)
Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film is also his best – and it only just missed out on a place in the top five here. Brosnan instantly appeared a great fit for the role, and though his later outings divided opinion, it's generally agreed upon that he made a fine 007.
RT Review:
When M says to James Bond, "I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War," who can disagree? But, on his first mission as 007, Pierce Brosnan quickly established himself as the best Bond since Sean Connery, making a fetish out of the old-fashioned values of loyalty and patriotism.
The film also marked Judi Dench’s debut as the first female M, while Famke Janssen makes an eye-watering impression as a baddie who crushes her victims between her thighs. A stunning chase between car and tank through the streets of St Petersburg is among the action highlights, and the success of the film led to Martin Campbell returning to the director's chair to help launch Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale a decade later. – Adrian Turner
5. From Russia with Love (1963)
RT Review:
This was Sean Connery's own favourite of his six films in the role, and few would deny that it's a pretty good pick. Although Goldfinger narrowly beats it as the highest ranked here, in truth these films are both as close to perfection as the franchise got – films that introduced elements that continue to define the franchise all these years later.
Ian Fleming received a useful boost to his sales when President Kennedy listed From Russia with Love as one of his ten favourite books. It is also one of the most popular Bond movies and a terrific thriller in its own right, owing much to Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed's The Third Man in its marvellous atmosphere of foreign intrigue.
Superbly shot on location in a pre-touristy Istanbul, and closely following Fleming's original story, the film has Sean Connery's spy duped into smuggling a top-secret communist decoding machine, along with alluring Russian clerk Daniela Bianchi, from Turkey to the West via the Orient-Express.
Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as villain Rosa Klebb, and Robert Shaw is an impressive hitman who commits a terrible faux pas in front of 007 by ordering red wine with fish. – Adrian Turner
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Perhaps the Bond film whose reputation has most improved over time, it's a mark of just how well-regarded George Lazenby's sole film as 007 has become that it cracks the top 5 here. It's interesting now to consider what might have been had Lazenby been allowed a couple more films to explore this take on the character, but as it stands he can boast of a perfect record in the role.
RT Review:
If any James Bond yarn is a cult film, it’s this one, so divided have fans and critics been since its release back in 1969 when producers turned to little-known Australian actor George Lazenby to take over from Sean Connery as Britain’s finest secret agent. Critics at the time were a tad underwhelmed, with the inexperienced Lazenby taking much of the blame, but he acquits himself well and certainly looks the part.
Irrespective of his shortcomings – and who wouldn’t have them compared to Connery – the sixth outing for 007 is a magnificently memorable adventure that sees Bond out to stop the dispersal of a killer virus by a bevy of beauties brainwashed by Telly Savalas's villainous Blofeld. The script throws up superb action sequences, nerve-frazzling suspense and breathtaking locations, and takes 007 to places he’s never been before emotionally.
Add the perfect heroine in Diana Rigg (fresh from playing Mrs Peel in TV’s The Avengers) as a wilful mobster’s daughter who’s every bit the suave spy’s equal in spirit, bravery and fighting chops; one of John Barry’s most evocative scores; and the incomparable Louis Armstrong singing We’ve Got All the Time in the World, and you have an adventure that’s right up there with the best of the franchise. – Jeremy Aspinall
A film that has often been put at the very top of the pile – and which has more memorable moments than just about any other in the series – Goldfinger has been narrowly pipped here by two of the more recent movies. Still, it's more than deserving of its place in the top 3 – and can perhaps feel a little hard done by not to be even higher.
RT Review:
The third big-screen outing for Ian Fleming's suave superspy ranks among the slickest of all James Bond movies. Endlessly entertaining and effortlessly performed, it's packed with classic moments. There's Shirley Eaton's legendary gold body paint; 007's close encounter with a laser; the duel with bowler-hatted henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata); and the midair showdown between Sean Connery's Bond and Gert Frobe's brilliantly bizarre villain who's obsessed by gold.
And let's not forget some hilariously OTT gadget designs from art director Ken Adam; the best name for any Bond girl in Pussy Galore (enthusiastically played by ex-Avenger Honor Blackman); and that Shirley Bassey theme song.
But what makes these individual facets so memorable is the way in which they're unshowily integrated into the gripping storyline by director Guy Hamilton, who even managed to revive Connery's flagging interest in 007 to coax his best performance of the entire series. – David Parkinson
It's difficult to imagine now that news of Craig's casting was initially greeted with skepticism – and even pure disdain – from some quarters, but he firmly squashed those doubts with this magnificent effort. Adopting a grittier style more in keeping with the action films of the day, this was about as successful a relaunch as possible. We can only hope that Bond 26 proves just as good an entry point into a new era.
RT Review:
Daniel Craig effortlessly made the role of James Bond his own with this 21st movie in the series. GoldenEye director Martin Campbell injects some Bourne-style grit into the proceedings, upping the violence content (the opening sequence, shot in grainy black and white, is particularly brutal). He also strips Bond of much of the slightly camp humour.
The plot is essentially an origins story, as a rough-around-the-edges Bond gains his two zeros (the two authorised kills he needs for his infamous licence) before tackling villain Le Chiffre (a splendidly thin-lipped Mads Mikkelsen) in a game of high-stakes poker.
Craig’s humanised, more flawed interpretation of the role balances Campbell’s physical direction and co-writer Paul Haggis’s sparing wit, while Eva Green provides an alluring love interest. Apart from a chaotic and overlong last act, this proved to be a triumphant new beginning for the franchise. – Adam Smith
1. Skyfall (2012)
And here's our winner! A lot was riding on the success of this entry – which marked the 50th anniversary of Bond on the silver screen – and as its position at the top of the pole proves, Sam Mendes and co were more than up to the challenge. Continuing the work that Casino Royale had begun by digging more deeply into Bond's psyche, it provided all the usual spectacle with a huge portion of emotion. A classic of the franchise.
RT Review:
Director Sam Mendes brings all the classic Bond elements together to make this 23rd film in the series one of the very best. The ever-impressive Daniel Craig begins his third 007 outing all washed-up, having been left for dead after a mission backfires. When national security is compromised, it's a bestubbled, battered and booze-soaked Bond that reports back for duty, casting serious doubts on his fitness for the job.
Likewise, the future of M (an outstanding Judi Dench) is called into question by a parliamentary committee eager to see her made accountable for her department's failings. Although Mendes is still best known for the Oscar-winning American Beauty, any doubts that he can deliver on the thrills front are quickly put to rest by a breathless pre-credits sequence through Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.
But perhaps the biggest stunt he pulls off is creating a convincing human drama – centred on the complex relationship between M and Bond {--} to ground the all-important action. Mendes is also helped by an intelligent, witty script (no cheap double entendres here) delivered by a fine cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Albert Finney. But it’s Javier Bardem as Silva, the campy, (almost too) Hannibal Lecter-like villain with a pathological need to settle old scores, who gets all the best lines.
The sheer class of the production is felt in Roger Deakins’s polished cinematography, Adele’s emotionally charged theme song and a beautifully judged appearance by that ultimate Bond accessory, the original Aston Martin DB5. Released 50 years after the first Bond film Dr No this production not only pays tribute to the series in style but paves the way for its form in the future. – Jamie Healy
As we continue to wait for more news on Denis Villeneuve's upcoming Bond 26, we asked fans to pick their favourites. Here's their final ranking.
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While 007 fans around the world continue to wait with bated breath for concrete news about James Bond's 26th cinematic outing, we to dipped into our archives to revisit the previous Bond films – all 25 of them.
We asked fans to vote for their favourite in the franchise, and with more than 1,000 votes cast, we can now present the full rankings to reveal the most popular film in the long-running series, according to its own fans.
Of course, debating the greatest entries in such a well-loved franchise is never going to lead to a state of perfect agreement, and it's likely some fans may find themselves a little at odds with the rankings below (you can check out our own ranking for a slightly different order).
But whether you agree or disagree, this list certainly makes for an interesting look at which films have stood the test of time best, according to the fans themselves.
Scroll down to find the full ranked list – along with our own official Radio Times reviews of each film from our archives.
25. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Perhaps a surprising film to finish at the very bottom of the list, this third Bond outing for Pierce Brosnan was generally considered a step down from his first two 007 adventures.
RT Review:
In a welcome return to the gritty glamour of such early outings as From Russia with Love, this 19th James Bond film effortlessly juggles a topical plot about the global domination of oil pipelines with all the expected superspy elements. Plaudits should go to director Michael Apted for the stirring, not shaky, blend of casino, ski slopes and submarine components contained within a topical plot about the power struggle for global domination of pipelines from oil-rich Azerbaijan.
In his third outing as 007, Pierce Brosnan is as comfortable in the dramatic sequences as in the action scenes, which include a spectacular boat chase along the River Thames. Sophie Marceau is excellent as the woman Bond is sent to protect, while Robert Carlyle is well cast as a Russian villain. Though everything comes gift-wrapped in production glitz, there are many touching moments to temper the adrenaline-pumping thrills. – Alan Jones
24. Die Another Day (2002)
Another Brosnan film comes in second from bottom, and perhaps it's no real surprise to see this one so low. The 20th film in the franchise overall is generally regarded as something of a misfire – with the reception to its more ludicrous antics eventually leading to the grittier rebrand with Daniel Craig.
RT Review:
The relentless pacing and director Lee Tamahori’s fluid style help enliven this 20th James Bond adventure, which marked Pierce Brosnan's last outing as the secret agent. From North Korea and London to Cuba and a dazzling Icelandic snow palace, the locations are inspired, even if the plotline and gadgets are more preposterous than ever (invisible car, anyone?).
Brosnan is on fine form as a betrayed and vengeful 007, combining the secret agent’s charm and throwaway wit with true toughness and a streak of venom. Such character-broadening traits ensure that the format never feels stale, while the introduction of Halle Berry as an equal, if underdeveloped, female sidekick is a coup.
However, their escapades are let down by some poor-looking CGI, while Madonna's grating theme song and cameo as a fencing instructor are simply dire. – Sloan Freer
23. A View to a Kill (1985)
Most Bond aficionados would tell you that a fair few of the later Roger Moore efforts rank among the weaker entries in the series. And despite solid turns from Christopher Walken and Grace Jones, Moore's very last appearance – as he was approaching 60 – is often seen as his lowest ebb.
RT Review:
Roger Moore stars as 007 for the seventh and final time in this below-average Bond movie. His smoothness is now a bit of a cliché, but there's still some action and excitement to be had.
Christopher Walken and his accomplice, girlfriend Grace Jones, are pretty scary as the baddies, but you don't get the impression that they're particularly evil.
Patrick Macnee, of TV's The Avengers fame, fares a lot better as Bond's right-hand man, and Tanya Roberts does what Bond girls do pretty well. But the plot doesn't really convince, perhaps because we've seen it or something similar so many times before. – Adrian Turner
22. Octopussy (1983)
Another poorly-regarded Moore outing, the slightly ridiculous Octopussy does have some fans due to the sheer bonkers-ness of it all – but clearly not enough to lift it into the top 20.
RT Review:
Loosely adapted from the Ian Fleming stories Octopussy and The Property of a Lady, this 13th James Bond movie is possibly the most frivolous in the series. The plot meanders all over the place, as Roger Moore’s 007 follows glamorous smuggler Maud Adams and renegade Soviet general Steven Berkoff across India and Central Europe.
All the usual gadgets are on view (including a crocodile-shaped submersible), but director John Glen (who would helm all five Bond movies made in the 1980s) never quite seems in control of either the breathless action or the overly glib dialogue. – David Parkinson
21. Quantum of Solace (2008)
After coming out of the gates swinging with one of the very best Bond films in Casino Royale, hopes had initially been high for Daniel Craig's second film as the secret agent. But – in part due to the effects of Hollywood writer's strikes – the end result was a little muddled, failing to come close to the heights of its predecessor.
RT Review:
Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond had a famously troubled production, which may explain why it fails to deliver on the promise of its predecessor, Casino Royale. Picking up events directly after that film's climax, it sees Bond looking for answers after the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd.
The trail leads to Quantum, a mysterious organisation that has infiltrated the world's corridors of power and is moving to instigate a regime change in Bolivia. Marc Forster's take on 007 was hit by a writer's strike during its making, and the script suffers as a result, with the paranoid storyline as nonsensical as the Ian Fleming-inspired title.
But viewed solely as an action spectacle, there's still plenty of excitement, not least a close-up, shaky-cam fight in an anonymous hotel (très Bourne) and an artfully staged gun battle at the opera. Craig may be ill-served by the material on this occasion, but his committed performance as the spy hero remains eminently watchable. – Jamie Healy
20. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery returned for one final Bond outing in this 1971 release, after George Lazenby's only 007 flick On Her Majesty's Secret Service was greeted with a mixed reception. But luring back the old favourite turned out to be something of a poor call: this film isn't a patch on Connery's finest work as the character.
RT Review:
After You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery said "Never again" to reprising the role of agent 007, but after George Lazenby's sole effort in OHMSS he was lured back for a fee of over $1 million, which he donated to the Scottish International Education Trust.
This is one of the weakest Bonds, with its plot about diamond smuggling developing rather tiresomely into a chase with Moon buggies and Connery simply going through the motions.
The Las Vegas sequences have some dash, however, and Bruce Glover and Putter Smith make an intriguing double act of the gay hitmen, Wint and Kidd, but the best idea was never used: screenwriter Richard Maibaum's proposal to cast Gert Frobe as Goldfinger's twin brother! – Adrian Turner
18=. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
This was Roger Moore's second time playing Bond – three years after his debut in Live and Let Die. Christopher Lee is terrific as iconic villain Francisco Scaramanga, but this is an otherwise middling entry – and better things were to come for Moore in his next adventure.
RT Review:
Roger Moore’s second outing as James Bond is actually an improvement on Ian Fleming’s novel. Christopher Lee makes a fine villain, sporting a golden gun, a third nipple and a tiny henchman called Nick Nack, wittily played by Hervé Villechaize.
Britt Ekland is funny, too, sending herself up as Bond's clueless assistant and surviving the most sexist scene in the entire 007 series: "Forgive me darling, your turn will come," Moore assures her after he's dallied with Maud Adams.
The use of the old Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth is clever, but there are major faults as well – notably the repeat of the pre-credit scene for the climax (borrowing from Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai) and the return of redneck sheriff Clifton James from Live and Let Die. Thailand's Phang-Nga Bay was a stunning choice of location, though it was soon to become a tourist trap. – Adrian Turner
18=. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Joint with the above is another Roger Moore effort – albeit one from a little later in his tenure – this was a more grounded affair than its immediate predecessor Moonraker. The result is a solid enough effort, but not one that especially stands out amongst the overall Bond canon.
RT Review:
This 12th entry in the 007 series provides no real surprises, with the exception perhaps of Roger Moore, who gets the chance to show a little more grit than usual. The plot revolves around the hunt for a device from a sunken spy ship, with French star (and Chanel model) Carole Bouquet providing class as the girl who may hold the key to the puzzle.
If Julian Glover is rather subdued as the number one villain, there's a colourful turn from Fiddler on the Roof star Topol as a rogue with shifting loyalties, and the eagle-eyed will spot Charles Dance as a killer. Bond veteran John Glen ensures that the set pieces are spectacular enough and thankfully plays down the gadgetry. – John Ferguson
17. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Following on from his excellent debut GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan once again proved his credentials as a fine 007 in this second effort – even if the film around him isn't quite as good as his first. Still, there's lots of great entertainment value here.
RT Review:
For the first hour or so, this 18th James Bond movie is up there with the best of them: it has terrific pace, Pierce Brosnan’s 007 has romantic and rough-house appeal, Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese agent is more than a match for him in the action stakes, and the story has grip and even plausibility.
Sadly, the second half doesn’t quite sustain the momentum, while Jonathan Pryce’s media mogul (whose motto is "There’s no news like bad news") proves to be an unthreatening villain. Flaws aside, this was at the time the best Bond movie since the heyday of Connery. – Adrian Turner
16. Spectre (2015)
After delivering one of the very best Bond films with Skyfall, it seemed Sam Mendes could do no wrong – but although his second film in the director's chair contains a few great scenes, some of the narrative decisions weren't particularly popular with Bond fans. Not up there with the best of the Daniel Craig era.
RT Review:
The box office-busting Skyfall gave director Sam Mendes a licence to take the James Bond franchise in any direction he wanted. And with Spectre he draws upon 007's ultimate foe to pull together Daniel Craig's three previous missions into one ambitious story arc. The name Spectre will be familiar as belonging to the shadowy antagonist of the original films, and the interesting conceit here is that Bond discovers he has a personal connection to the organisation's leader, Franz Oberhauser, played with smirking relish by Christoph Waltz.
While 007 slips MI6's leash to create his usual insurance-be-damned havoc away from home, a more thoughtful spy game emerges in London, with M (an enjoyably starchy Ralph Fiennes) coming under fire from Andrew Scott's obnoxious reforming bureaucrat. Once again, Mendes succeeds in delivering a prestige picture on a huge scale: its quality writ large in an epic pre-credits sequence set in Mexico City, a supercar chase through Rome and a train journey through the Sahara.
But the film over-congratulates itself with a surfeit of in-jokes and knowing references – and this game of Bond Bingo soon becomes a distraction. Whereas Skyfall owed much of its success to its downbeat mood and the vulnerability of its hero, Spectre forgoes that for a more bulletproof depiction of Bond and outlandish sense of escapism. However elegantly those recycled thrills are dressed up, the spy clichés sometimes veer dangerously close to Austin Powers-style parody. – Jamie Healy
15. Moonraker (1979)
It's safe to say this is a divisive one – Moonraker is certainly a far cry from the more gritty, serious Bond films we've been treated to in recent years. Still, despite no shortage of naysayers, there are enough fans of the silly sci-fi shenanigans to earn this a pretty decent spot in this ranking.
RT Review:
The 11th James Bond movie jettisons Ian Fleming’s novel and sends 007 into space. Weighed down by clunky special effects and nonexistent plotting, this movie seems to be merely an attempt to update the concept in the wake of Star Wars.
Roger Moore is at his least convincing as Bond, Michael Lonsdale makes a lacklustre master criminal and Richard Kiel, the towering henchman Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me, is reduced to comic relief.
Venice and Rio make for attractive stopovers, but too much of the budget is wasted on overblown spectacle, without enough attention being given to the basics. – Adrian Turner
14. Thunderball (1965)
With the first three films – Dr No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger – the Bond franchise got off to an incredible start. This fourth effort is still pretty good, but rather a step down in terms of quality when compared to those first three. Still, it was another major box office hit!
RT Review:
The Bond series went well and truly comic strip with this gadget-filled extravaganza that too often cuts plotline corners to squeeze in all the hi-tech hardware. Playing 007 for the fourth time, Sean Connery is still getting a kick out of the role, but he's less the suave spy and more the man of action than in previous outings.
Adolfo Celi makes a worthy opponent, playing a Spectre bigwig, but Claudine Auger is one of the least memorable Bond girls. Director Terence Young never quite solves the pacing problems posed by filming underwater, but John Stears's Oscar-winning special effects more than compensate. – David Parkinson
13. You Only Live Twice (1967)
We're getting into some of the really classic ones now – and this Roald Dahl-penned outing contains some of the most iconic images in all of Bond, from Donald Pleasence as Blofeld to arguably the finest villain's lair in the franchise's history.
RT Review:
This is one of the best of the Sean Connery Bond films, despite the actor’s desire to quit the franchise. Having faked his own death, agent 007 is sent to Japan where he goes native and marries a local girl, all the while trying to prevent World War Three following the disappearance of US and Russian spacecraft.
The film has one of the all-time great screen villains in Donald Pleasence’s cat-stroking Blofeld, and director Lewis Gilbert keeps the pace up, while the script (co-written by Roald Dahl) is suitably arch. But this is really production designer Ken Adam’s triumph: the secret volcanic base, where the film’s explosive climax unfolds, remains definitive and much parodied. – Andrew Collins
12. No Time to Die (2021)
This final adventure for Daniel Craig was a long time coming, although that gap will pale in comparison when we finally get the 26th entry in the franchise. In truth, it's something of a mixed bag – with a relatively unmemorable villain in Rami Malek's Safin – but there's enough good stuff here, including the explosive final act, to make it a fitting send-off for Craig.
RT Review:
Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as 007 ticks every hoped-for Bond-shaped box in a smart, absorbing thriller with some surprising twists. Disillusioned by earlier events, the now reclusive agent is lured out of retirement to thwart the spread of germ-based, DNA-specific weaponry, first developed by British intelligence, and now in the hands of Rami Malek’s sinister supervillain Lyutsifer Safin – a mission that forces him to confront uncomfortable truths close to home.
It’s arguably Craig’s most human portrayal in the franchise, a flawed and weary Bond dogged by regrets yet primed for the inevitable heroics, with assistance from paramour Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and Ana de Armas as a scene-stealing CIA agent.
Malek isn’t entirely convincing as the soft-spoken overlord intent on genocide (and is considerably less chilling than Christoph Waltz’s reprisal of Ernst Blofeld in a Hannibal Lecter-style cameo), but the wonderfully white-knuckle stunts and action sequences don’t disappoint. – James Mottram
Timothy Dalton's two films haven't always ranked among the most popular Bond entries, but their reputations have only continued to improve with age, and it's no surprise to see his first effort come close to cracking the top 10.
RT Review:
After the creaky pantomime of the late Roger Moore era, Timothy Dalton’s take on 007 is a breath of fresh air. Though lean and flint-eyed, his serious approach never takes the secret agent beyond our sympathy. For a story that segues from Soviet defection and arms dealing to the struggles of the Mujahidin, this is an endearingly human Bond.
He sweats, he bleeds and, unusually for the sleep-around spy, he falls in love – with Czech cellist Kara (Maryam D’Abo). It’s a freewheeling, romantic adventure with a sweetly staged prologue, nods to the gadget brigade and a hair-raising aerial scrap – one of the best of the series.
In common with many of the superspy's outings, the villains themselves are colourless but there’s a killer henchman – in this case the sleek, wordless Necros (Andreas Wisniewski). The hero’s warmongery is iffy and the finale a little lame; otherwise this is a savagely underrated escapade. – Mark Braxton
9=. Licence to Kill (1989)
Into the top 10, and Dalton's second outing – which was also to be his last – comes in joint ninth position. At the time, it wasn't considered a huge success, and led to a long gap before the franchise was rebooted with Pierce Brosnan six years later, but it holds up very well indeed.
RT Review:
Timothy Dalton was not everybody’s choice to replace urbane Roger Moore when he retired his Walther PPK after A View to a Kill in 1985, a verdict confirmed by the limp response to The Living Daylights, his first mission as James Bond. But his second outing is an altogether tougher, grittier affair and is well suited to Dalton’s brooding incarnation of Ian Fleming’s superspy.
Indeed, John Glen’s fifth (and final) Bond film as director has more in common with the more visceral, bloody violence of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard than the wry silliness of the Moore era. You know you’re in virgin territory when Bond resigns the day job to go and get the brutal drugs lord (Robert Davi), who’s just fed his best mate to a shark on his wedding day.
This time it’s personal and Davi’s stone-faced Sanchez and his snarling knife-wielding henchman (played by a young Benicio Del Toro) prove formidable and unflinchingly nasty adversaries. But it’s not all business and no play for Bond, as he also gets up close and intimate with a sassy CIA agent (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez’s sultry girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto).
It’s a watchable adventure boosted by impressive action sequences and a fiery climax with a bone-crunching punch-up. Pity Dalton didn’t have another crack at proving his secret-agent credentials. – Jeremy Aspinall
9=. Dr No (1962)
The film that started it all – introducing Ian Fleming's spy to the big screen for the first time and doing so with incredible style. It's generally accepted that this first outing was one-upped by the two immediate follow-ups, but that's more down to the mastery of those two than any particular lack of quality on the part of Dr No.
RT Review:
The James Bond series started in great style with this cleverly conceived dose of sheer escapism that, unlike later episodes, remained true to the essence of Ian Fleming's super-spy novels. Director Terence Young set the 007 standard with terrific action sequences, highly exotic atmosphere and witty humour.
There was also the sex, of course, and bikini-clad Ursula Andress couldn't have asked for a better star-making entrance. Looking back, it's easy to see why this caused so much excitement as it was entirely different from anything else. Sean Connery is just perfect as the dashing, debonair and ruthless secret agent with a licence to kill. – Alan Jones
The first film of Roger Moore's tenure, this effort – which boasts one of the most iconic theme tunes of all from Paul McCartney & Wings – is still regarded as one of the best of the Moore Bonds. It certainly proved once and for all that there was life in the franchise without Connery.
RT Review:
This eighth film in the James Bond series marked Roger Moore's first tour of duty as 007. The secret agent is up against the dark powers of voodoo in the sinister shape of Yaphet Kotto, while Jane Seymour’s tarot-reading Solitaire is Bond’s love interest.
Boasting as many cliff-hanging moments as a Saturday-matinée serial, this tale of a plot to flood the US with drugs allows Bond's adversaries – among them sharks, snakes and crocodiles – to be as mechanical as Moore himself.
There are some splendid action sequences, notably a speedboat leap that set a new world record, as well as the usual array of gadgetry and gizmos. – Tom Hutchinson
7. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
It's no surprise to see this effort ranking top of the Moore films – it's almost unanimously agreed upon that this was the high mark of the actor's seven-film stretch. One of the most purely entertaining in the franchise, it's a great mixture of what made the Connery films work while also playing into the strengths of Moore's lighter portrayal.
RT Review:
Nobody does it better than Roger Moore in this big-budget James Bond adventure. In a plot reminiscent of You Only Live Twice, 007 is dispatched to learn the whereabouts of some missing nuclear submarines. Along the way, he tangles with the metal-toothed Jaws (Richard Kiel) and an alluring Russian agent (Barbara Bach).
It’s far-fetched mayhem, of course, but with a welcome accent on character rather than just spectacle – although the pre-credits ski-jump stunt is one of the franchise’s best. Carly Simon’s theme song has stood the test of time, too. – Alan Jones
6. GoldenEye (1995)
Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film is also his best – and it only just missed out on a place in the top five here. Brosnan instantly appeared a great fit for the role, and though his later outings divided opinion, it's generally agreed upon that he made a fine 007.
RT Review:
When M says to James Bond, "I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War," who can disagree? But, on his first mission as 007, Pierce Brosnan quickly established himself as the best Bond since Sean Connery, making a fetish out of the old-fashioned values of loyalty and patriotism.
The film also marked Judi Dench’s debut as the first female M, while Famke Janssen makes an eye-watering impression as a baddie who crushes her victims between her thighs. A stunning chase between car and tank through the streets of St Petersburg is among the action highlights, and the success of the film led to Martin Campbell returning to the director's chair to help launch Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale a decade later. – Adrian Turner
5. From Russia with Love (1963)
RT Review:
This was Sean Connery's own favourite of his six films in the role, and few would deny that it's a pretty good pick. Although Goldfinger narrowly beats it as the highest ranked here, in truth these films are both as close to perfection as the franchise got – films that introduced elements that continue to define the franchise all these years later.
Ian Fleming received a useful boost to his sales when President Kennedy listed From Russia with Love as one of his ten favourite books. It is also one of the most popular Bond movies and a terrific thriller in its own right, owing much to Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed's The Third Man in its marvellous atmosphere of foreign intrigue.
Superbly shot on location in a pre-touristy Istanbul, and closely following Fleming's original story, the film has Sean Connery's spy duped into smuggling a top-secret communist decoding machine, along with alluring Russian clerk Daniela Bianchi, from Turkey to the West via the Orient-Express.
Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as villain Rosa Klebb, and Robert Shaw is an impressive hitman who commits a terrible faux pas in front of 007 by ordering red wine with fish. – Adrian Turner
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Perhaps the Bond film whose reputation has most improved over time, it's a mark of just how well-regarded George Lazenby's sole film as 007 has become that it cracks the top 5 here. It's interesting now to consider what might have been had Lazenby been allowed a couple more films to explore this take on the character, but as it stands he can boast of a perfect record in the role.
RT Review:
If any James Bond yarn is a cult film, it’s this one, so divided have fans and critics been since its release back in 1969 when producers turned to little-known Australian actor George Lazenby to take over from Sean Connery as Britain’s finest secret agent. Critics at the time were a tad underwhelmed, with the inexperienced Lazenby taking much of the blame, but he acquits himself well and certainly looks the part.
Irrespective of his shortcomings – and who wouldn’t have them compared to Connery – the sixth outing for 007 is a magnificently memorable adventure that sees Bond out to stop the dispersal of a killer virus by a bevy of beauties brainwashed by Telly Savalas's villainous Blofeld. The script throws up superb action sequences, nerve-frazzling suspense and breathtaking locations, and takes 007 to places he’s never been before emotionally.
Add the perfect heroine in Diana Rigg (fresh from playing Mrs Peel in TV’s The Avengers) as a wilful mobster’s daughter who’s every bit the suave spy’s equal in spirit, bravery and fighting chops; one of John Barry’s most evocative scores; and the incomparable Louis Armstrong singing We’ve Got All the Time in the World, and you have an adventure that’s right up there with the best of the franchise. – Jeremy Aspinall
A film that has often been put at the very top of the pile – and which has more memorable moments than just about any other in the series – Goldfinger has been narrowly pipped here by two of the more recent movies. Still, it's more than deserving of its place in the top 3 – and can perhaps feel a little hard done by not to be even higher.
RT Review:
The third big-screen outing for Ian Fleming's suave superspy ranks among the slickest of all James Bond movies. Endlessly entertaining and effortlessly performed, it's packed with classic moments. There's Shirley Eaton's legendary gold body paint; 007's close encounter with a laser; the duel with bowler-hatted henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata); and the midair showdown between Sean Connery's Bond and Gert Frobe's brilliantly bizarre villain who's obsessed by gold.
And let's not forget some hilariously OTT gadget designs from art director Ken Adam; the best name for any Bond girl in Pussy Galore (enthusiastically played by ex-Avenger Honor Blackman); and that Shirley Bassey theme song.
But what makes these individual facets so memorable is the way in which they're unshowily integrated into the gripping storyline by director Guy Hamilton, who even managed to revive Connery's flagging interest in 007 to coax his best performance of the entire series. – David Parkinson
It's difficult to imagine now that news of Craig's casting was initially greeted with skepticism – and even pure disdain – from some quarters, but he firmly squashed those doubts with this magnificent effort. Adopting a grittier style more in keeping with the action films of the day, this was about as successful a relaunch as possible. We can only hope that Bond 26 proves just as good an entry point into a new era.
RT Review:
Daniel Craig effortlessly made the role of James Bond his own with this 21st movie in the series. GoldenEye director Martin Campbell injects some Bourne-style grit into the proceedings, upping the violence content (the opening sequence, shot in grainy black and white, is particularly brutal). He also strips Bond of much of the slightly camp humour.
The plot is essentially an origins story, as a rough-around-the-edges Bond gains his two zeros (the two authorised kills he needs for his infamous licence) before tackling villain Le Chiffre (a splendidly thin-lipped Mads Mikkelsen) in a game of high-stakes poker.
Craig’s humanised, more flawed interpretation of the role balances Campbell’s physical direction and co-writer Paul Haggis’s sparing wit, while Eva Green provides an alluring love interest. Apart from a chaotic and overlong last act, this proved to be a triumphant new beginning for the franchise. – Adam Smith
1. Skyfall (2012)
And here's our winner! A lot was riding on the success of this entry – which marked the 50th anniversary of Bond on the silver screen – and as its position at the top of the pole proves, Sam Mendes and co were more than up to the challenge. Continuing the work that Casino Royale had begun by digging more deeply into Bond's psyche, it provided all the usual spectacle with a huge portion of emotion. A classic of the franchise.
RT Review:
Director Sam Mendes brings all the classic Bond elements together to make this 23rd film in the series one of the very best. The ever-impressive Daniel Craig begins his third 007 outing all washed-up, having been left for dead after a mission backfires. When national security is compromised, it's a bestubbled, battered and booze-soaked Bond that reports back for duty, casting serious doubts on his fitness for the job.
Likewise, the future of M (an outstanding Judi Dench) is called into question by a parliamentary committee eager to see her made accountable for her department's failings. Although Mendes is still best known for the Oscar-winning American Beauty, any doubts that he can deliver on the thrills front are quickly put to rest by a breathless pre-credits sequence through Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.
But perhaps the biggest stunt he pulls off is creating a convincing human drama – centred on the complex relationship between M and Bond {--} to ground the all-important action. Mendes is also helped by an intelligent, witty script (no cheap double entendres here) delivered by a fine cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Albert Finney. But it’s Javier Bardem as Silva, the campy, (almost too) Hannibal Lecter-like villain with a pathological need to settle old scores, who gets all the best lines.
The sheer class of the production is felt in Roger Deakins’s polished cinematography, Adele’s emotionally charged theme song and a beautifully judged appearance by that ultimate Bond accessory, the original Aston Martin DB5. Released 50 years after the first Bond film Dr No this production not only pays tribute to the series in style but paves the way for its form in the future. – Jamie Healy
The winner of an exclusive Radio Times poll has just been announced.
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If you ask five different James Bond fans what their favourite 007 film is, it's very possible (even probable) you could wind up getting five different answers – such are the strong opinions that continue to be held about the well-loved franchise.
But what if you asked over 1,000 Bond fans their favourite? Well, that's precisely what we did in an exclusive Radio Times poll, and we can now reveal the results.
While for many fans of the franchise, the glory days of the Sean Connery era have still never been surpassed, in the end it was one of the most recent films that came out top of our poll.
Skyfall – the 23rd film in the franchise and third starring Daniel Craig – was voted as the winner, quite fitting for a film that was intended to honour 50 years of the secret agent on the silver screen when it was released back in 2012.
Interestingly, it was another Craig outing – his debut Casino Royale – that finished second, while Connery classics Goldfinger and From Russia with Love came in third and fifth place respectively.
In fourth place was the sole George Lazenby offering, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a film whose reputation has grown more than any other in the franchise over the years – and which we previously named our favourite of the lot.
Speaking about Skyfall's victory, long-term 007 scriptwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – who wrote the screenplay alongside John Logan – said they were "thrilled" by the outcome.
"It’s fantastic to see Skyfall voted the number one James Bond film," they said in an exclusive statement to Radio Times, with the pair adding: "Perhaps it was the way the film delved into Bond’s background that really touched people, making it arguably the most personal 007 story."
They continued: "Sam Mendes brought a distinct vision to the film that was low on international travel and more a celebration of Britain.
"Javier Bardem was one of the very best villains, a great foil to Daniel Craig’s fallible but tenacious Bond, and Judi Dench effectively became the Bond girl as they drove up to Scotland. It also didn’t hurt that it had such a great song from Adele.
"We’re sure everyone will be thrilled the film continues to be held in such high regard. We are."
The winner of an exclusive Radio Times poll has just been announced.
Show full content
If you ask five different James Bond fans what their favourite 007 film is, it's very possible (even probable) you could wind up getting five different answers – such are the strong opinions that continue to be held about the well-loved franchise.
But what if you asked over 1,000 Bond fans their favourite? Well, that's precisely what we did in an exclusive Radio Times poll, and we can now reveal the results.
While for many fans of the franchise, the glory days of the Sean Connery era have still never been surpassed, in the end it was one of the most recent films that came out top of our poll.
Skyfall – the 23rd film in the franchise and third starring Daniel Craig – was voted as the winner, quite fitting for a film that was intended to honour 50 years of the secret agent on the silver screen when it was released back in 2012.
Interestingly, it was another Craig outing – his debut Casino Royale – that finished second, while Connery classics Goldfinger and From Russia with Love came in third and fifth place respectively.
In fourth place was the sole George Lazenby offering, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a film whose reputation has grown more than any other in the franchise over the years – and which we previously named our favourite of the lot.
Speaking about Skyfall's victory, long-term 007 scriptwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – who wrote the screenplay alongside John Logan – said they were "thrilled" by the outcome.
"It’s fantastic to see Skyfall voted the number one James Bond film," they said in an exclusive statement to Radio Times, with the pair adding: "Perhaps it was the way the film delved into Bond’s background that really touched people, making it arguably the most personal 007 story."
They continued: "Sam Mendes brought a distinct vision to the film that was low on international travel and more a celebration of Britain.
"Javier Bardem was one of the very best villains, a great foil to Daniel Craig’s fallible but tenacious Bond, and Judi Dench effectively became the Bond girl as they drove up to Scotland. It also didn’t hurt that it had such a great song from Adele.
"We’re sure everyone will be thrilled the film continues to be held in such high regard. We are."
Put a bounce back into your step by getting tickets to this year's French Open.
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The French Open is nearly here and did you know there's a last-minute way to get tickets?
Set on the iconic Roland Garros courts, this tournament marks 130 years of the French Open, and kick starts the summer tennis season which ultimately ends in Wimbledon.
Although the British grass court season is beloved, the high-stakes and tension of its European counterpart is unmatched – plus it's a perfect excuse to get out of the country in early summer.
Every year, tickets for the event are scarce; therefore, the organisers have introduced a ballot system which has sadly already closed.
However, there is still hope. Whether it's through hospitality or second sales, there are still plenty of ways to grab yourself a seat at this year's tournament, so let's serve up everything you need to know.
The French Open is always second out of the four Grand Slam tennis events in the year, coming after the Australian Open and before Wimbledon. Here's the date for this year's event:
18 May – 7 June 2026
The first week is always a practice period, with round one officially kicking off on Sunday 24 May.
The Finals for the Ladies Singles, Ladies Doubles, Men's Singles and Men's Doubles will all be played on Saturday 6 June.
When did French Open tickets go on sale?
Last year the French Open introduced a new ballot system for tickets, similar to Wimbledon. Entry to the 2026 ballot closed on 17 December 2025.
As with other ticket lotteries, entering the ballot did not guarantee you tickets to the Open. Instead, those whose names were drawn will by notified via e-mail before the end of February 2026.
How to get French Open tickets if you missed the public ballot
If you missed out on the French Open ballot, the other option is hospitality.
You can find official hospitality packages at P1 Travel, which get you guaranteed match tickets and access to Le Pavillon – a VIP lounge which includes souvenirs, complimentary drinks, small bites, and a full gastronomic dinner.
Hospitality tickets obviously cost a lot more than general admission, but if you're desperate to see the tournament or you're looking for a touch of luxury, this is a great option.
The price of hospitality tickets depend on the days you attend and the matches you see – however, as a rule the packages start much higher than general admission costs.
Last year, the lowest price we saw was £479 for the first few days, but it then went all the way up to £2,598 for the men's final, or £3,932 for a two-day package of the men's and women's finals.
Put a bounce back into your step by getting tickets to this year's French Open.
Show full content
The French Open is nearly here and did you know there's a last-minute way to get tickets?
Set on the iconic Roland Garros courts, this tournament marks 130 years of the French Open, and kick starts the summer tennis season which ultimately ends in Wimbledon.
Although the British grass court season is beloved, the high-stakes and tension of its European counterpart is unmatched – plus it's a perfect excuse to get out of the country in early summer.
Every year, tickets for the event are scarce; therefore, the organisers have introduced a ballot system which has sadly already closed.
However, there is still hope. Whether it's through hospitality or second sales, there are still plenty of ways to grab yourself a seat at this year's tournament, so let's serve up everything you need to know.
The French Open is always second out of the four Grand Slam tennis events in the year, coming after the Australian Open and before Wimbledon. Here's the date for this year's event:
18 May – 7 June 2026
The first week is always a practice period, with round one officially kicking off on Sunday 24 May.
The Finals for the Ladies Singles, Ladies Doubles, Men's Singles and Men's Doubles will all be played on Saturday 6 June.
When did French Open tickets go on sale?
Last year the French Open introduced a new ballot system for tickets, similar to Wimbledon. Entry to the 2026 ballot closed on 17 December 2025.
As with other ticket lotteries, entering the ballot did not guarantee you tickets to the Open. Instead, those whose names were drawn will by notified via e-mail before the end of February 2026.
How to get French Open tickets if you missed the public ballot
If you missed out on the French Open ballot, the other option is hospitality.
You can find official hospitality packages at P1 Travel, which get you guaranteed match tickets and access to Le Pavillon – a VIP lounge which includes souvenirs, complimentary drinks, small bites, and a full gastronomic dinner.
Hospitality tickets obviously cost a lot more than general admission, but if you're desperate to see the tournament or you're looking for a touch of luxury, this is a great option.
The price of hospitality tickets depend on the days you attend and the matches you see – however, as a rule the packages start much higher than general admission costs.
Last year, the lowest price we saw was £479 for the first few days, but it then went all the way up to £2,598 for the men's final, or £3,932 for a two-day package of the men's and women's finals.
Here's what you need to know about the new Pink Floyd coin.
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We all know Royal Mail are the champions of memorabilia, especially when it comes to musical icons.
Now, the British coin company has released a special Pink Floyd coin to add to Music Legends line-up, joining the likes of The Beatles, Freddie Mercury and the Spice Girls.
The coin commemorates the band's legacy and the iconic design of The Dark Side of the Moon, originally designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis and drawn by George Hardie.
A selection of coins will feature the rainbow prism effect, bringing the iconic design to life in full colour.
Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin, The Royal Mint said, "Pink Floyd are one of those truly rare bands whose music and imagery have transcended generations and the moment you see this coin, you know exactly who it celebrates. The iconic prism is instantly recognisable to fans around the world, and Henry Gray has done a remarkable job of bringing it to life with the craft and detail this band deserves. Their influence on music, art and culture is immeasurable, and we're incredibly proud that The Royal Mint can play its part in preserving that legacy forever."
As usual, the coin comes in both colour and monotone and on a range of coin sizes and proofs.
The new Royal Mint coin went on sale from 9am on Thursday 14 May.
There is currently a lot of hype around the coin with queues to get onto the Royal Mint website. However, right now the queue has gone down and there's plenty of availability yet.
Here's what you need to know about the new Pink Floyd coin.
Show full content
We all know Royal Mail are the champions of memorabilia, especially when it comes to musical icons.
Now, the British coin company has released a special Pink Floyd coin to add to Music Legends line-up, joining the likes of The Beatles, Freddie Mercury and the Spice Girls.
The coin commemorates the band's legacy and the iconic design of The Dark Side of the Moon, originally designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis and drawn by George Hardie.
A selection of coins will feature the rainbow prism effect, bringing the iconic design to life in full colour.
Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin, The Royal Mint said, "Pink Floyd are one of those truly rare bands whose music and imagery have transcended generations and the moment you see this coin, you know exactly who it celebrates. The iconic prism is instantly recognisable to fans around the world, and Henry Gray has done a remarkable job of bringing it to life with the craft and detail this band deserves. Their influence on music, art and culture is immeasurable, and we're incredibly proud that The Royal Mint can play its part in preserving that legacy forever."
As usual, the coin comes in both colour and monotone and on a range of coin sizes and proofs.
The new Royal Mint coin went on sale from 9am on Thursday 14 May.
There is currently a lot of hype around the coin with queues to get onto the Royal Mint website. However, right now the queue has gone down and there's plenty of availability yet.
Want to be there in Budapest this May? Here's how you can get tickets for the Champions League Final.
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Arsenal have officially won their slot in the Champions League Final 2026 - their second appearance ever.
Arteta's team earned their place after a slim 1-0 victory against Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals.
The English side will be playing sitting champions Paris Saint-Germain who took the trophy after a legendary 5-0 defeat of Inter Milan last year. Their margin of victory was the largest in any of the main European men's club competitions, with their goal tally only surpassed in one European Cup final by Real Madrid's in 1960.
This year, the final is set for the end of May at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. Here's everything you need to know about tickets.
Who is playing in the Champions League final 2026?
Right now, we're still waiting on the results of the semi-finals between PSG and Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid and Arsenal.
What is the date of the Champions League final 2026?
The Champions League final 2025 will take place on Saturday 30 May, with kick-off at 6pm CET (5pm BST).
Where will the Champions League final be played in 2026?
The Final will take place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. The stadium previously hosted the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, several matches of UEFA Euro 2020, and the 2023 UEFA Europa League final.
If you're looking for flights or hotels, we'd recommend package sites like Expedia or Booking.com.
How to get tickets to the Champions League final 2026
You can buy tickets to the Champions League final at the official UEFA website. You'll need to create an account to get tickets, and be aware the lower-cost spaces will run low fast.
If you want to add a bit of extra luxury, we'd suggest going for hospitality packages at official sites like Seat Unique, P1 Travel and Events Hospitality. These are likely to go on sale after the second semi-final, although you can still buy semi-final tickets right now.
How much does it cost to go to the Champions League final?
Tickets for the Champions League Final cost between €70 and €960. However, as expected, tickets are a lot more expensive as we head nearer towards the final.
Meanwhile, hospitality packages are likely to cost upwards of £800.
Want to be there in Budapest this May? Here's how you can get tickets for the Champions League Final.
Show full content
Arsenal have officially won their slot in the Champions League Final 2026 - their second appearance ever.
Arteta's team earned their place after a slim 1-0 victory against Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals.
The English side will be playing sitting champions Paris Saint-Germain who took the trophy after a legendary 5-0 defeat of Inter Milan last year. Their margin of victory was the largest in any of the main European men's club competitions, with their goal tally only surpassed in one European Cup final by Real Madrid's in 1960.
This year, the final is set for the end of May at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. Here's everything you need to know about tickets.
Who is playing in the Champions League final 2026?
Right now, we're still waiting on the results of the semi-finals between PSG and Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid and Arsenal.
What is the date of the Champions League final 2026?
The Champions League final 2025 will take place on Saturday 30 May, with kick-off at 6pm CET (5pm BST).
Where will the Champions League final be played in 2026?
The Final will take place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. The stadium previously hosted the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, several matches of UEFA Euro 2020, and the 2023 UEFA Europa League final.
If you're looking for flights or hotels, we'd recommend package sites like Expedia or Booking.com.
How to get tickets to the Champions League final 2026
You can buy tickets to the Champions League final at the official UEFA website. You'll need to create an account to get tickets, and be aware the lower-cost spaces will run low fast.
If you want to add a bit of extra luxury, we'd suggest going for hospitality packages at official sites like Seat Unique, P1 Travel and Events Hospitality. These are likely to go on sale after the second semi-final, although you can still buy semi-final tickets right now.
How much does it cost to go to the Champions League final?
Tickets for the Champions League Final cost between €70 and €960. However, as expected, tickets are a lot more expensive as we head nearer towards the final.
Meanwhile, hospitality packages are likely to cost upwards of £800.
AEW: Dynamite and AEW: Collision are returning to Scotland later this year.
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Following its Scottish debut last year, AEW Dynamite & Collision is returning to Glasgow.
This year, we're expecting to see fan favourite stars take to the ring, as rivalries begin to reach breaking point.
For those unfamiliar, AEW: Dynamite and AEW Collision are essentially the same as WWE's Raw and Smackdown. Dynamite, or Wednesday Night Dynamite, is AEW's flagship programme which began in 2019. Meanwhile Collision followed up in June 2023.
Both shows feature AEW's trademark ferocious, and high-quality wrestling, so you don't want to miss out on their newest live performance.
AEW: Dynamite and AEW: Collision are returning to Scotland later this year.
Show full content
Following its Scottish debut last year, AEW Dynamite & Collision is returning to Glasgow.
This year, we're expecting to see fan favourite stars take to the ring, as rivalries begin to reach breaking point.
For those unfamiliar, AEW: Dynamite and AEW Collision are essentially the same as WWE's Raw and Smackdown. Dynamite, or Wednesday Night Dynamite, is AEW's flagship programme which began in 2019. Meanwhile Collision followed up in June 2023.
Both shows feature AEW's trademark ferocious, and high-quality wrestling, so you don't want to miss out on their newest live performance.
Well, it's a marvellous night for scoring Van Morrison tickets.
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Update: There is still good ticket availability across all five Van Morrison dates.
It's a big week for folk music fans, as the legendary Van Morrison has announced a five-night residency in London.
The Belfast-born singer-songwriter will be performing at British Airways ARC, one of London's newest major venues located in Kensington Olympia. This will be the first residency at the new venue.
Van Morrison last played in the UK capital during BST Hyde Park festival in summer 2025, with his last headline show at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024.
We've put together the ultimate guide to getting your hands on Van Morrison tickets— good luck!
Well, it's a marvellous night for scoring Van Morrison tickets.
Show full content
Update: There is still good ticket availability across all five Van Morrison dates.
It's a big week for folk music fans, as the legendary Van Morrison has announced a five-night residency in London.
The Belfast-born singer-songwriter will be performing at British Airways ARC, one of London's newest major venues located in Kensington Olympia. This will be the first residency at the new venue.
Van Morrison last played in the UK capital during BST Hyde Park festival in summer 2025, with his last headline show at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024.
We've put together the ultimate guide to getting your hands on Van Morrison tickets— good luck!
There's less than two months to go until it hits screens!
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The Evil Dead franchise has now been around for a whopping 45 years. In that time it has garnered a massive cult following which only grows larger with each new film.
Sam Raimi was just 21-years-old when he wrote and directed all three films in the original trilogy, between 1981 and 1992.In the years since, there have been two further films – Fede Álvarez's 2013 reboot and Lee Cronin's 2023 effort Evil Dead Rise, meaning the latest film, Evil Dead Burn, is the third standalone entry into the franchise.
Whilst he hasn't written or directed the film, Raimi has produced it, as he did for the previous two, however, when speaking to Radio Times earlier this year, he revealed that he's largely taking a backseat in the creative process for this upcoming instalment.
"I’m there to give notes on the script and notes on the cut, notes on the casting, notes on the sound. But I’m not really making the movie, I’m more like a friend of the film trying to help it out."
Evil Dead Burn isn't the only franchise film getting ready for cinemas either, with the production of Evil Dead Wrath already underway from filmmaker Francis Galluppi for a 2028 release. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we've got to survive Burn first.
Here's everything you need to know about Evil Dead Burn, including when it will be released in cinemas and its cast.
Evil Dead Burn release date
Warner Bros Pictures has confirmed that Evil Dead Burn will be released on Friday 10 July 2026, meaning that at the time of writing there is just under two months to go - time to get excited!
The film was originally scheduled for 22 July but after successful preview screenings it was moved forward by 12 days.
Evil Dead Burn plot
Evil Dean Burn is a standalone entry in the franchise, meaning the plot does not follow on from any of the film's that came before it and so has an entirely new plot and characters.
The official synopsis for the movie reads: "After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. As one by one they are transformed into Deadites - turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell - she comes to discover that the vows she took in life… live on even in death."
The screenplay comes from French director Sébastien Vaniček, known for 2023's Infested, with Evil Dead Burn only his second ever feature length film.
Evil Dead Burn cast
Evil Dead Burn has a line-up of recognisable faces, foreign actors and rising stars. It stars Souheila Yacoub as the film's pink-haired protagonist with the Swiss actress most recognisable as Shishakli in Dune: Part Two.
Yacoub's career has mostly focused on dramas and thrillers but last year she appeared in The Carpenter's Son, a supernatural horror, alongside Nicolas Cage and FKA Twigs.
Like his co-star, Hunter Doohan also has an established connection to horror and gothic material before Evil Dead Burn, and is best known for his role as Tyler Galpin in Netflix's Wednesday.
The Evil Dead Burn cast is as follows:
Souheila Yacoub as Alice
Hunter Doohan as Jospeh
Tandi Wright as Susan
Erroll Shand as Edgar Price
Luciane Buchanan
Is there a trailer for Evil Dead Burn?
Yes - there's a few! A teaser was released three weeks ago whilst the official trailer was dropped last week and is just about to hit 11 million views. You can watch it yourself below:
There's less than two months to go until it hits screens!
Show full content
The Evil Dead franchise has now been around for a whopping 45 years. In that time it has garnered a massive cult following which only grows larger with each new film.
Sam Raimi was just 21-years-old when he wrote and directed all three films in the original trilogy, between 1981 and 1992.In the years since, there have been two further films – Fede Álvarez's 2013 reboot and Lee Cronin's 2023 effort Evil Dead Rise, meaning the latest film, Evil Dead Burn, is the third standalone entry into the franchise.
Whilst he hasn't written or directed the film, Raimi has produced it, as he did for the previous two, however, when speaking to Radio Times earlier this year, he revealed that he's largely taking a backseat in the creative process for this upcoming instalment.
"I’m there to give notes on the script and notes on the cut, notes on the casting, notes on the sound. But I’m not really making the movie, I’m more like a friend of the film trying to help it out."
Evil Dead Burn isn't the only franchise film getting ready for cinemas either, with the production of Evil Dead Wrath already underway from filmmaker Francis Galluppi for a 2028 release. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we've got to survive Burn first.
Here's everything you need to know about Evil Dead Burn, including when it will be released in cinemas and its cast.
Evil Dead Burn release date
Warner Bros Pictures has confirmed that Evil Dead Burn will be released on Friday 10 July 2026, meaning that at the time of writing there is just under two months to go - time to get excited!
The film was originally scheduled for 22 July but after successful preview screenings it was moved forward by 12 days.
Evil Dead Burn plot
Evil Dean Burn is a standalone entry in the franchise, meaning the plot does not follow on from any of the film's that came before it and so has an entirely new plot and characters.
The official synopsis for the movie reads: "After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. As one by one they are transformed into Deadites - turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell - she comes to discover that the vows she took in life… live on even in death."
The screenplay comes from French director Sébastien Vaniček, known for 2023's Infested, with Evil Dead Burn only his second ever feature length film.
Evil Dead Burn cast
Evil Dead Burn has a line-up of recognisable faces, foreign actors and rising stars. It stars Souheila Yacoub as the film's pink-haired protagonist with the Swiss actress most recognisable as Shishakli in Dune: Part Two.
Yacoub's career has mostly focused on dramas and thrillers but last year she appeared in The Carpenter's Son, a supernatural horror, alongside Nicolas Cage and FKA Twigs.
Like his co-star, Hunter Doohan also has an established connection to horror and gothic material before Evil Dead Burn, and is best known for his role as Tyler Galpin in Netflix's Wednesday.
The Evil Dead Burn cast is as follows:
Souheila Yacoub as Alice
Hunter Doohan as Jospeh
Tandi Wright as Susan
Erroll Shand as Edgar Price
Luciane Buchanan
Is there a trailer for Evil Dead Burn?
Yes - there's a few! A teaser was released three weeks ago whilst the official trailer was dropped last week and is just about to hit 11 million views. You can watch it yourself below:
Owen Warner is too busy making a name for himself on the stage.
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With another I'm A Celebrity all-stars done and dusted you might be wondering who's next for a jungle return.
Well, very much not among them is former Hollyoaks star Owen Warner, who became a fan favourite in 2022 after coming runner-up to Lioness Jill Scott.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times about the possibility of his return he said: "I feel like for me, that experience was so raw and so beautiful and so I've not even watched the series back yet because it's just, it's in here and it was so perfect.
"I expected to be one of the first out, so to then come second with Jill Scott, who is the most beautiful soul I've ever met. I don't think I'd ever want to change that."
In any case, Warner is currently taking brand new strides in his career, making his West End and on-stage debut in Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution.
"It is such an honour," he said, "To work with pieces that have stood the test of time and is still so relevant to today. When we sat down and dissected the script, there's so many themes that are so relevant.
"And also I feel like as an actor, doing theatre is the ultimate test of the craft."
The soap star is leading the cast as Leonard Vole, a young man accused of murdering a widow in cold blood to get a hold of her fortune. His fate is teased out throughout the courtroom of the show and the on-stage audience get to decide his verdict of innocent or guilty.
On the subject of his character he said: "You've got to find yourself in every character, and I do relate to Leonard. He's a cheeky chappy and he's got a positive outlook on life and sometimes I'll be in a situation and people around me will be asking 'are worried about that?' And I'm like, 'nah, it'll be all right it'll figure itself out' – that's how he gets in trouble!"
Despite being under the glare of the courtroom for the entire show, and it being his first time in front of a live audience, Warner is surprisingly cool about it. "I don't get nervous, I just get excited. In the jungle, Hollyoaks, all these incredible things I'm fortunate to have done, I've never been nervous. And before I go on stage I just can't wait.
"You're seeing all the faces looking back at you, you're feeling their reaction and you're seeing how your lines are landing. So, there's nothing quite like it."
Since stepping onto stage, Warner has been clear he never wants it to stop: "It is a new world now and there is so much to be learned. It's a whole different side of acting that I've never really explored, but I'm so excited to get into it."
Witness for the Prosecution is a regular sell-out with shows running every Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets start from £16 and if you need convincing to go, read our five-star review.
When and where can I see Witness for the Prosecution?
Witness for the Prosecution is currently booking tickets until October 2026 with shows on every Tuesday to Sunday (matinee performances on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays).
The show is being held at London’s County Hall on the Southbank. To get there, simply head to Westminster (on the Circle, District and Jubilee line) or Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Waterloo & City and Jubilee line).
Or, if you’re coming from outside of London, you can get Southeastern and South Western rail directly to Waterloo and Waterloo East.
Owen Warner is too busy making a name for himself on the stage.
Show full content
With another I'm A Celebrity all-stars done and dusted you might be wondering who's next for a jungle return.
Well, very much not among them is former Hollyoaks star Owen Warner, who became a fan favourite in 2022 after coming runner-up to Lioness Jill Scott.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times about the possibility of his return he said: "I feel like for me, that experience was so raw and so beautiful and so I've not even watched the series back yet because it's just, it's in here and it was so perfect.
"I expected to be one of the first out, so to then come second with Jill Scott, who is the most beautiful soul I've ever met. I don't think I'd ever want to change that."
In any case, Warner is currently taking brand new strides in his career, making his West End and on-stage debut in Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution.
"It is such an honour," he said, "To work with pieces that have stood the test of time and is still so relevant to today. When we sat down and dissected the script, there's so many themes that are so relevant.
"And also I feel like as an actor, doing theatre is the ultimate test of the craft."
The soap star is leading the cast as Leonard Vole, a young man accused of murdering a widow in cold blood to get a hold of her fortune. His fate is teased out throughout the courtroom of the show and the on-stage audience get to decide his verdict of innocent or guilty.
On the subject of his character he said: "You've got to find yourself in every character, and I do relate to Leonard. He's a cheeky chappy and he's got a positive outlook on life and sometimes I'll be in a situation and people around me will be asking 'are worried about that?' And I'm like, 'nah, it'll be all right it'll figure itself out' – that's how he gets in trouble!"
Despite being under the glare of the courtroom for the entire show, and it being his first time in front of a live audience, Warner is surprisingly cool about it. "I don't get nervous, I just get excited. In the jungle, Hollyoaks, all these incredible things I'm fortunate to have done, I've never been nervous. And before I go on stage I just can't wait.
"You're seeing all the faces looking back at you, you're feeling their reaction and you're seeing how your lines are landing. So, there's nothing quite like it."
Since stepping onto stage, Warner has been clear he never wants it to stop: "It is a new world now and there is so much to be learned. It's a whole different side of acting that I've never really explored, but I'm so excited to get into it."
Witness for the Prosecution is a regular sell-out with shows running every Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets start from £16 and if you need convincing to go, read our five-star review.
When and where can I see Witness for the Prosecution?
Witness for the Prosecution is currently booking tickets until October 2026 with shows on every Tuesday to Sunday (matinee performances on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays).
The show is being held at London’s County Hall on the Southbank. To get there, simply head to Westminster (on the Circle, District and Jubilee line) or Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Waterloo & City and Jubilee line).
Or, if you’re coming from outside of London, you can get Southeastern and South Western rail directly to Waterloo and Waterloo East.
The upcoming epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and was shot entirely using 70mm IMAX film cameras.
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Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has defended his upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey amid an increasingly toxic backlash on social media.
Following the release of the film's trailers, much has been made of the apparent historical inaccuracies in both the dialogue (Tom Holland's character Telemachus saying that his 'dad' will return, which was particularly heavily criticised) and the armour worn by some of the characters (chiefly Benny Safdie's Agamemnon), with some noting that it more closely resembles the Batsuit worn in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
In response to the latter point, Nolan said in a Time magazine profile: "There are Mycenaean daggers that are blackened bronze. The theory is they probably could have blackened bronze in those days. You take bronze, you add more gold and silver to it and then use sulfur...
"With Agamemnon, Ellen [Mirojnick], our costume designer, is trying to communicate how elevated he is relative to everyone else. You do that through materials that would be very expensive."
Nolan compared his approach to The Odyssey with what he employed in making Interstellar.
"For Interstellar, you're looking at, 'What is the best speculation of the future?' When you're looking at the ancient past, it's actually the same thing," Nolan said. "'What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?'
"Hopefully they'll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don't want people to think that you took it on frivolously."
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and pretty much everyone else in Hollywood and is one of the year's most anticipated blockbusters.
However, it's not just the film's historical accuracy that has faced backlash online.
Following the reveal that Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o will be playing the dual roles of Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra in the upcoming epic, the discourse around the film has turned increasingly toxic.
The world's richest man Elon Musk and some conservative commentators have criticised the casting of acclaimed actress Nyong'o in the role of Helen of Troy as well as the casting of Elliot Page in the upcoming film. Page is speculated to play the spirit of the Greek hero Achilles.
Musk claimed on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Nolan "wants the awards" when replying to a post that referenced the Oscars rules around diversity in prospective nominees, though, as Variety notes, those rules have little to do with casting.
It should also be noted that the characters depicted are mythological and are not inherently historical figures.
In regards to casting music star Travis Scott as a bard in the film, Nolan also told Time: "I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap."
Despite the discourse, the film looks poised to be a significant box office hit. Universal made the unprecedented decision to release pre-sale times for multiple 70mm IMAX screenings of the film a year before release – with screenings selling out within 12 hours of going on sale.
The upcoming epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and was shot entirely using 70mm IMAX film cameras.
Show full content
Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has defended his upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey amid an increasingly toxic backlash on social media.
Following the release of the film's trailers, much has been made of the apparent historical inaccuracies in both the dialogue (Tom Holland's character Telemachus saying that his 'dad' will return, which was particularly heavily criticised) and the armour worn by some of the characters (chiefly Benny Safdie's Agamemnon), with some noting that it more closely resembles the Batsuit worn in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
In response to the latter point, Nolan said in a Time magazine profile: "There are Mycenaean daggers that are blackened bronze. The theory is they probably could have blackened bronze in those days. You take bronze, you add more gold and silver to it and then use sulfur...
"With Agamemnon, Ellen [Mirojnick], our costume designer, is trying to communicate how elevated he is relative to everyone else. You do that through materials that would be very expensive."
Nolan compared his approach to The Odyssey with what he employed in making Interstellar.
"For Interstellar, you're looking at, 'What is the best speculation of the future?' When you're looking at the ancient past, it's actually the same thing," Nolan said. "'What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?'
"Hopefully they'll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don't want people to think that you took it on frivolously."
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and pretty much everyone else in Hollywood and is one of the year's most anticipated blockbusters.
However, it's not just the film's historical accuracy that has faced backlash online.
Following the reveal that Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o will be playing the dual roles of Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra in the upcoming epic, the discourse around the film has turned increasingly toxic.
The world's richest man Elon Musk and some conservative commentators have criticised the casting of acclaimed actress Nyong'o in the role of Helen of Troy as well as the casting of Elliot Page in the upcoming film. Page is speculated to play the spirit of the Greek hero Achilles.
Musk claimed on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Nolan "wants the awards" when replying to a post that referenced the Oscars rules around diversity in prospective nominees, though, as Variety notes, those rules have little to do with casting.
It should also be noted that the characters depicted are mythological and are not inherently historical figures.
In regards to casting music star Travis Scott as a bard in the film, Nolan also told Time: "I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap."
Despite the discourse, the film looks poised to be a significant box office hit. Universal made the unprecedented decision to release pre-sale times for multiple 70mm IMAX screenings of the film a year before release – with screenings selling out within 12 hours of going on sale.
Sandler is reuniting with Netflix for the long-awaited sequel to one of his biggest box office hits.
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Adam Sandler is getting the band back together (again) for Grown Ups 3.
Fresh off of the success of Happy Gilmore 2, Sandler is once again teaming up with Netflix to release another sequel to one of his best loved and most successful film series.
The first two Grown Ups films tell the story of Sandler and his group of school friends who reunite in their middle age to try and recapture their youth following the death of a former mentor.
The third film is rumoured to be reuniting the cast of both previous entries including Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Selma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph, though Netflix hasn't confirmed any casting as of yet.
We do know that Grown Ups 3 will see Sandler once again team up with director Kyle Newacheck, who previously directed both Murder Mystery 2 and Happy Gilmore 2 for Netflix.
The plot of the threequel is under wraps but if previous Sandler sequels are a sign of what to expect there will surely be a revolving door of random celebrity cameos alongside the gang's zany antics.
Despite some rough reviews from critics, both Grown Ups films were a success at the box office grossing a combined $500+ million.
The film will mark the most recent collaboration between Sandler and Netflix, a partnership that has yielded some big hits for both the actor and the streamer including last years Happy Gilmore sequel, which garnered 46.7 million views in three days when it released in July.
Netflix hasn't released any details about the plot or release date for the film but we do know we can expect maximum silliness whenever it is released.
Sandler is reuniting with Netflix for the long-awaited sequel to one of his biggest box office hits.
Show full content
Adam Sandler is getting the band back together (again) for Grown Ups 3.
Fresh off of the success of Happy Gilmore 2, Sandler is once again teaming up with Netflix to release another sequel to one of his best loved and most successful film series.
The first two Grown Ups films tell the story of Sandler and his group of school friends who reunite in their middle age to try and recapture their youth following the death of a former mentor.
The third film is rumoured to be reuniting the cast of both previous entries including Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Selma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph, though Netflix hasn't confirmed any casting as of yet.
We do know that Grown Ups 3 will see Sandler once again team up with director Kyle Newacheck, who previously directed both Murder Mystery 2 and Happy Gilmore 2 for Netflix.
The plot of the threequel is under wraps but if previous Sandler sequels are a sign of what to expect there will surely be a revolving door of random celebrity cameos alongside the gang's zany antics.
Despite some rough reviews from critics, both Grown Ups films were a success at the box office grossing a combined $500+ million.
The film will mark the most recent collaboration between Sandler and Netflix, a partnership that has yielded some big hits for both the actor and the streamer including last years Happy Gilmore sequel, which garnered 46.7 million views in three days when it released in July.
Netflix hasn't released any details about the plot or release date for the film but we do know we can expect maximum silliness whenever it is released.
ITV docuseries Force of Nature, which is narrated by actor Andrew Lincoln, will premiere as part of the line-up.
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The BFI has confirmed that new ITV natural history series Force of Nature will have its European premiere as part of its London Climate Action Week line-up this year.
The week-long programme is packed with screenings and events across BFI IMAX and BFI Southbank, which will highlight fresh perspectives on the climate crisis and explore our evolving relationship with nature.
Docuseries Force of Nature, which is narrated by The Walking Dead actor Andrew Lincoln, will premiere at BFI IMAX on 22 June, ahead of its arrival on ITV1 and ITX later this year.
Through character-led storytelling, the docuseries focuses on nature’s resilience and survival in the face of hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires, showcasing both the ferocity of Earth’s forces and the ingenuity of animal survival.
Appearing at the BFI IMAX for a Q&A following this special preview will be ITV controller of factual Jo Clinton-Davis, Plimsoll Productions executive producer Mark Brownlow, and series producer Seb Illis.
The line-up will also include a 3D screening of Jurassic Park (1993) on 28 June at BFI IMAX, which will be introduced by The Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett, and a screening of Jaws (1975) on 31 May, which will be introduced by ZSL (Zoological Society London) marine scientists Dr David Curnick and Joanna Barke.
There will also be a screening of Brazilian Cinema Novo film Iracema: Uma Transa Amazônica (1975) on 25 June, as well as a showing of Brazilian Indian animated family adventure Noah’s Ark on 28 June.
Disney’s sci-fi animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) will also be shown at BFI IMAX on 27 June as part of the week-long line-up. The event will include a discussion with climate justice advocate Samia Dumbuya and film critic Kambole Campbell.
Elsewhere, movie fans can also look forward to Film Society 38 at BFI Southbank on 7 June – the Film’s Society’s tribute to women filmmakers – which will be introduced by BFI National Archive curator Bryony Dixon and feature a programme of films produced or directed by women.
This programme will include a screening of Mary Field’s Secrets of Nature (1930), a documentary film series which captures the world of fungi through micro-cinematography and time-lapse photography.
Throughout June, to mark the recent centenary of his birth, the BFI is also set to celebrate the cinema of Ritwik Kumar Ghatak through screenings of A River Called Titas (1973) – his adaptation of Adwaita Mallabarman’s novel about a fishing community whose lives depend on a dying river – on 13 and 27 June.
ITV docuseries Force of Nature, which is narrated by actor Andrew Lincoln, will premiere as part of the line-up.
Show full content
The BFI has confirmed that new ITV natural history series Force of Nature will have its European premiere as part of its London Climate Action Week line-up this year.
The week-long programme is packed with screenings and events across BFI IMAX and BFI Southbank, which will highlight fresh perspectives on the climate crisis and explore our evolving relationship with nature.
Docuseries Force of Nature, which is narrated by The Walking Dead actor Andrew Lincoln, will premiere at BFI IMAX on 22 June, ahead of its arrival on ITV1 and ITX later this year.
Through character-led storytelling, the docuseries focuses on nature’s resilience and survival in the face of hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires, showcasing both the ferocity of Earth’s forces and the ingenuity of animal survival.
Appearing at the BFI IMAX for a Q&A following this special preview will be ITV controller of factual Jo Clinton-Davis, Plimsoll Productions executive producer Mark Brownlow, and series producer Seb Illis.
The line-up will also include a 3D screening of Jurassic Park (1993) on 28 June at BFI IMAX, which will be introduced by The Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett, and a screening of Jaws (1975) on 31 May, which will be introduced by ZSL (Zoological Society London) marine scientists Dr David Curnick and Joanna Barke.
There will also be a screening of Brazilian Cinema Novo film Iracema: Uma Transa Amazônica (1975) on 25 June, as well as a showing of Brazilian Indian animated family adventure Noah’s Ark on 28 June.
Disney’s sci-fi animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) will also be shown at BFI IMAX on 27 June as part of the week-long line-up. The event will include a discussion with climate justice advocate Samia Dumbuya and film critic Kambole Campbell.
Elsewhere, movie fans can also look forward to Film Society 38 at BFI Southbank on 7 June – the Film’s Society’s tribute to women filmmakers – which will be introduced by BFI National Archive curator Bryony Dixon and feature a programme of films produced or directed by women.
This programme will include a screening of Mary Field’s Secrets of Nature (1930), a documentary film series which captures the world of fungi through micro-cinematography and time-lapse photography.
Throughout June, to mark the recent centenary of his birth, the BFI is also set to celebrate the cinema of Ritwik Kumar Ghatak through screenings of A River Called Titas (1973) – his adaptation of Adwaita Mallabarman’s novel about a fishing community whose lives depend on a dying river – on 13 and 27 June.
Fans have been absolutely restless to get their hands on the sixth instalment in the Scary Movie franchise.
Since the franchise began in 2000 it has garnered a true cult following, fans that are absolutely obsessed with the films and were ecstatic to hear the news that they would finally be getting a sixth one after a 13 year hiatus.
Scary Movie 5 came out in 2013 but, in a move that is still questioned to this day, the writers and producers decided to move away from the original cast and characters, much to the disappointment of fans.
But now Scary Movie 6 will be reuniting both original cast members and Scary Movie alumni alike for a new film that feels 26 years in the making.
So, when can fans expect to see it? And what films will Scary Movie 6 parody? Read on for everything you need to know.
Scary Movie 6 release date
Scary Movie 6 is set to be released in UK cinemas on Friday 5 June 2026.
It was originally scheduled for 12 June but was brought forward, seemingly to avoid competition with Universal’s Disclosure Day from director Steven Spielberg.
"We are currently in the edit for Scary Movie," actor Marlon Wayans, who plays Shorty Meeks, said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
"The bad news is, we’re no longer going to be releasing on June 12. The good news is, due to the overwhelming response and the worldwide excitement, we are releasing a week earlier.
"That’s right: June 5th is the new date for Scary Movie! We’re starting off the summer with a bang and a laugh fest. So I’m really excited about coming early."
Which films will Scary Movie 6 parody?
Based on reports and hints from the trailer there is a long list of movies, thrillers and viral moments that Scary Movie 6 will parody. After all, it has been 13 long years of horror since the last film, so it has a backlog of content to get through.
Scary Movie 6 will parody M3GAN, with the trailer featuring a mashup of Ghostface dressed as the AI doll. The Sunken Place from Get Out will be reimagined with Shorty, whilst Chris Elliott will reportedly play a parody of Nicolas Cage's villain from Longlegs.
Also included in the parody line up is Smile, Terrifier 3, The Substance, Weapons and A Quiet Place, amongst others. Sinners has also been chosen thanks to its Oscars success.
Scary Movie 6 cast
It was announced last year that both Anna Faris and Regina Hall would be returning to the franchise, reprising their roles as Cindy and Brenda after 20 years as both characters were not featured in Scary Movie 5.
The Wayan brothers are also making a comeback for the new instalment. As well as picking back up their on-screen roles for the first time in 23 years, they have also written the screenplay.
The sixth film will also reunite more of the original cast and Scary Movie alumni including, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro and Jon Abrahams, as well as Cheri Oteri and Chris Elliott.
Here is the cast of Scary Movie 6:
Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell
Regina Hall as Brenda Meeks
Marlon Wayans as Shorty Meeks
Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins
Dave Sheridan as Doofy Gilmore
Jon Abrahams as Bobby Prinze
Lochlyn Munro as Greg Phillippe
Cheri Oteri as Gail Hailstorm
Chris Elliott as Hanson
Is there a trailer for Scary Movie 6?
Yes! The most recent trailer is available to watch below:
Fans have been absolutely restless to get their hands on the sixth instalment in the Scary Movie franchise.
Since the franchise began in 2000 it has garnered a true cult following, fans that are absolutely obsessed with the films and were ecstatic to hear the news that they would finally be getting a sixth one after a 13 year hiatus.
Scary Movie 5 came out in 2013 but, in a move that is still questioned to this day, the writers and producers decided to move away from the original cast and characters, much to the disappointment of fans.
But now Scary Movie 6 will be reuniting both original cast members and Scary Movie alumni alike for a new film that feels 26 years in the making.
So, when can fans expect to see it? And what films will Scary Movie 6 parody? Read on for everything you need to know.
Scary Movie 6 release date
Scary Movie 6 is set to be released in UK cinemas on Friday 5 June 2026.
It was originally scheduled for 12 June but was brought forward, seemingly to avoid competition with Universal’s Disclosure Day from director Steven Spielberg.
"We are currently in the edit for Scary Movie," actor Marlon Wayans, who plays Shorty Meeks, said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
"The bad news is, we’re no longer going to be releasing on June 12. The good news is, due to the overwhelming response and the worldwide excitement, we are releasing a week earlier.
"That’s right: June 5th is the new date for Scary Movie! We’re starting off the summer with a bang and a laugh fest. So I’m really excited about coming early."
Which films will Scary Movie 6 parody?
Based on reports and hints from the trailer there is a long list of movies, thrillers and viral moments that Scary Movie 6 will parody. After all, it has been 13 long years of horror since the last film, so it has a backlog of content to get through.
Scary Movie 6 will parody M3GAN, with the trailer featuring a mashup of Ghostface dressed as the AI doll. The Sunken Place from Get Out will be reimagined with Shorty, whilst Chris Elliott will reportedly play a parody of Nicolas Cage's villain from Longlegs.
Also included in the parody line up is Smile, Terrifier 3, The Substance, Weapons and A Quiet Place, amongst others. Sinners has also been chosen thanks to its Oscars success.
Scary Movie 6 cast
It was announced last year that both Anna Faris and Regina Hall would be returning to the franchise, reprising their roles as Cindy and Brenda after 20 years as both characters were not featured in Scary Movie 5.
The Wayan brothers are also making a comeback for the new instalment. As well as picking back up their on-screen roles for the first time in 23 years, they have also written the screenplay.
The sixth film will also reunite more of the original cast and Scary Movie alumni including, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro and Jon Abrahams, as well as Cheri Oteri and Chris Elliott.
Here is the cast of Scary Movie 6:
Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell
Regina Hall as Brenda Meeks
Marlon Wayans as Shorty Meeks
Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins
Dave Sheridan as Doofy Gilmore
Jon Abrahams as Bobby Prinze
Lochlyn Munro as Greg Phillippe
Cheri Oteri as Gail Hailstorm
Chris Elliott as Hanson
Is there a trailer for Scary Movie 6?
Yes! The most recent trailer is available to watch below:
We've got all the essential info to help you score tickets for the FA Cup final this weekend.
Show full content
As a competition known for its huge twists and giant-killing moments, the 2026 FA Cup is definitely on top form.
This weekend, Chelsea and Man City are going head to head in what will be the London team's first FA Cup Final since 2022 and the northern side's fourth final in a row.
Chelsea earned their spot after a 1-0 win over Leeds while Man City secured a 2-1 victory over Southampton.
Last year was unbelievably memorable as Crystal Palace took home the trophy, earning their first piece of major silverware for decades.
Tickets are now available for the FA Cup final. If it's your goal to get them, we're here to help you score.
Sponsored by Seat UniqueElevate your FA Cup experience with Seat Unique
There’s nothing quite like the roaring crowd at a footie match to get the blood pumping. But did you know that Seat Unique can help you take things to the next level – even during the FA Cup?
From premium seating to private boxes and food and drink, the hospitality packages available at Seat Unique are guaranteed to make your FA Cup experience unforgettable.
Hospitality tickets are also typically in less demand than general access tickets, which makes them a great option if you’re finding it difficult to snag tickets to popular matches.
Buy FA Cup hospitality tickets at Seat Unique
The FA Cup final is hosted every year at the 'Home of Football', Wembley Stadium.
To get to there, you can take your pick of three train stations, all within a 20-minute walk of the stadium. Wembley Park is available on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, Wembley Stadium Station is accessible via Chiltern Railways (just one stop from London Marylebone), and Wembley Central is available on the Bakerloo and Overground lines, as well as Southern and West Midlands rail.
National Express is also running coaches to the event from over 50 locations across the UK, and you can head to the National Express website to book your space.
Getting tickets to the FA Cup final is always a tricky affair as the majority of seats will go to Chelsea and Man City fans or season ticket holders.
So for those of you who really don't want to miss the action, we recommend taking a look at hospitality tickets from official partners Seat Unique and P1 Travel.
While these come at a higher price point, there's far less demand for them which means you're more likely to be able to get your hands on a spot. Plus, they include plenty of perks such as premium seating and food and drink.
Despite how soon the match is, tickets are still available at both Seat Unique and P1 Travel.
While ticket prices will vary depending on which teams qualify for the FA Cup final, you're like to be paying in the hundreds for a general access tickets. Tickets for last year's final ranged from £50-£285.
If you’re looking at hospitality or re-sale prices, you’re going to be paying a lot more, so just be aware of your budget before tickets come out. For example, at the time of writing (14 May), tickets at Seat Unique will set you back from £605 for the final, while P1 Travel tickets have been reduced to £455.
We've got all the essential info to help you score tickets for the FA Cup final this weekend.
Show full content
As a competition known for its huge twists and giant-killing moments, the 2026 FA Cup is definitely on top form.
This weekend, Chelsea and Man City are going head to head in what will be the London team's first FA Cup Final since 2022 and the northern side's fourth final in a row.
Chelsea earned their spot after a 1-0 win over Leeds while Man City secured a 2-1 victory over Southampton.
Last year was unbelievably memorable as Crystal Palace took home the trophy, earning their first piece of major silverware for decades.
Tickets are now available for the FA Cup final. If it's your goal to get them, we're here to help you score.
Sponsored by Seat UniqueElevate your FA Cup experience with Seat Unique
There’s nothing quite like the roaring crowd at a footie match to get the blood pumping. But did you know that Seat Unique can help you take things to the next level – even during the FA Cup?
From premium seating to private boxes and food and drink, the hospitality packages available at Seat Unique are guaranteed to make your FA Cup experience unforgettable.
Hospitality tickets are also typically in less demand than general access tickets, which makes them a great option if you’re finding it difficult to snag tickets to popular matches.
Buy FA Cup hospitality tickets at Seat Unique
The FA Cup final is hosted every year at the 'Home of Football', Wembley Stadium.
To get to there, you can take your pick of three train stations, all within a 20-minute walk of the stadium. Wembley Park is available on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, Wembley Stadium Station is accessible via Chiltern Railways (just one stop from London Marylebone), and Wembley Central is available on the Bakerloo and Overground lines, as well as Southern and West Midlands rail.
National Express is also running coaches to the event from over 50 locations across the UK, and you can head to the National Express website to book your space.
Getting tickets to the FA Cup final is always a tricky affair as the majority of seats will go to Chelsea and Man City fans or season ticket holders.
So for those of you who really don't want to miss the action, we recommend taking a look at hospitality tickets from official partners Seat Unique and P1 Travel.
While these come at a higher price point, there's far less demand for them which means you're more likely to be able to get your hands on a spot. Plus, they include plenty of perks such as premium seating and food and drink.
Despite how soon the match is, tickets are still available at both Seat Unique and P1 Travel.
While ticket prices will vary depending on which teams qualify for the FA Cup final, you're like to be paying in the hundreds for a general access tickets. Tickets for last year's final ranged from £50-£285.
If you’re looking at hospitality or re-sale prices, you’re going to be paying a lot more, so just be aware of your budget before tickets come out. For example, at the time of writing (14 May), tickets at Seat Unique will set you back from £605 for the final, while P1 Travel tickets have been reduced to £455.
A whole host of big stars over the years have had a huge influence that goes beyond their impact on the silver screen.
Show full content
From Jimmy Stewart to Tom Hanks, from Marilyn Monroe to Julia Roberts, movie stars have changed our lives since the early days. Looming larger than life on the big screen, so often do their unforgettable performances bring happiness and touch us deeply.
Yet some go further still, whether it's using their fame as a platform for advocacy and breaking through racial or social barriers, or shifting the film industry itself and evolving the way we think about acting.
Here, then, is our list of 30 movie stars who changed the world.
30 movie stars who changed the world1. Olivia de Havilland
Key films: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939)
“Hollywood owes Olivia a great deal,” remarked her sister and fellow actress Joan Fontaine. For it was de Havilland’s legal battles in court, fighting in 1943 with studio Warner Bros, that produced a landmark result in favour of the performer. The De Haviland Law, as it became known, forbade employers from enforcing a contract for longer than seven years, a decision that gave new-found freedom to artists and severely reduced the power of the studios.
2. Charlie Chaplin
Key films: City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936)
Hollywood’s most iconic silent movie star, thanks to his “Little Tramp” persona, Chaplin was a game-changer behind the scenes too. Seeking independence from the traditional studio system, he co-founded United Artists, alongside Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith. Established in 1919, this studio was designed to offer Chaplin and others creative control over their material. “The inmates are taking over the asylum,” remarked one executive, but this was a pioneering move.
3. Shirley Temple
Key films: Bright Eyes (1934), Heidi (1937)
A child star in 1930s Hollywood, Temple almost single-handedly rescued studio 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy. It was her experiences, alongside fellow actors like Jackie Coogan, that contributed to the passing of the California Child Actor’s Bill in 1939, ensuring 15 per cent of a child’s earnings were set aside in a trust. Later moving into politics, representing the US at the United Nations General Assembly, she continued to advocate for better and safer working conditions for child actors.
4. Bruce Lee
Key films: Fist of Fury (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973)
With a career that spans both Hong Kong and Hollywood, Lee became the first global Chinese superstar. A teacher before he was an actor, the San Francisco-born Lee developed ‘Jeet Kune Do’, a martial arts style heavily influenced by Buddhist and Taoist philosophies, which went overground when he began scoring roles in films like Enter the Dragon. Popularising Kung-Fu, Lee helped Asian actors gain a foothold in Hollywood. That he died aged 32 only increased the myth around him.
Key films: Mission: Impossible (1996), Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The last great Hollywood movie star, Cruise’s films have grossed $13.3 billion worldwide. But none was more important than his biggest hit, Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to his 1986 aerial blockbuster Top Gun, its $1.5 billion haul reignited the global box office that had been rocked by theatre closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” Steven Spielberg later said, echoing sentiments felt industry-wide. Cruise was cinema’s saviour in its hour of need.
6. Jane Fonda
Key films: Klute (1971), Coming Home (1978)
Part of the Fonda acting dynasty, she was a two-time Academy Award winner and kickstarted the fitness craze with her best-selling VHS Jane Fonda’s Workout. But it’s her activism that gets here included here. Nicknamed ‘Hanoi Jane’, after she was photographed with a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun, she spoke out against the Vietnam War – a lone voice that caused opposition in America. Promoting civil rights, environmental causes and women’s issues, she also protested the Iraq War.
7. Sidney Poitier
Key films: The Defiant Ones (1958), In the Heat of the Night (1967)
The first Black man to win a best actor Oscar, for 1963’s Lilies of the Field, Poitier’s dignified and defiant characters mirrored his own life, as he emerged as one of the most important social justice activists of his generation. As hard-hitting as the slap he delivers to a white racist in Norman Jewison’s thriller In the Heat of the Night, Poitier broke down racial barriers, fighting against on-screen stereotypes and battling for Black civil rights off it.
8. Marilyn Monroe
Key films: Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953), Some Like It Hot (1959)
A brilliant comedienne, and a shrewd businesswoman, Monroe smartly navigated Hollywood in ways few actresses had done, until her tragic death in 1962, aged 36. Among her many influences, her bombshell image helped precipitate the sexual revolution in mainstream media, as her curvaceous figure came to represent a joyous embracing of the body. Becoming a symbol of beauty and desire, she shaped fashion, art (think of Andy Warhol’s famed pop art Marilyn print) and modern-day feminism.
9. Robert Redford
Key films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973)
The Hollywood golden boy of his generation, Robert Redford went on to become a fine filmmaker, winning a best director Oscar for his 1980 debut Ordinary People. But it was his work establishing the Sundance Film Festival shortly after that remains his high point. Championing independent cinema, launching the careers of the Coens, Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino and more, Redford’s Sundance – named after his famed character in George Roy Hill’s western – became the focal point for America’s thriving indie scene in the '90s.
10. Ashley Judd
Key films: Heat (1995), Kiss the Girls (1997)
Ashley Judd will always be remembered as the first actor to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. Judd was a key on-the-record source in Ronan Farrow’s New Yorker investigation that ultimately precipitated Weinstein’s downfall. Her revelations opened the floodgates as more victims of abuse came forward, leading to the formation of the MeToo movement – one of the most powerful calls for social change in the 21st century.
Key films: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Few actors can claim they pioneered an acting style. Yet Britain’s Andy Serkis took motion capture and performance capture to the next level. Rigged with sensors to record his every move and facial expression, his turn as wizened creature Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy turned the world on to this groundbreaking technology. Refining these skills in films like King Kong and Planet of the Apes, Serkis also co-founded The Imaginarium, a production company specialising in performance capture technology.
12. Elizabeth Taylor
Key films: National Velvet (1944), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
When Elizabeth Taylor was offered the lead in the 1963 epic Cleopatra, she orchestrated a deal that changed the way actors were paid. Fresh off her first Oscar win for BUtterfield 8, she negotiated with Fox Studios a landmark payout for the role – $1 million and 10 per cent of the film’s gross profit. The first actor ever to make $1 million for a picture, she ultimately earned a lot more – close to $7 million – when compensation for delays in the shoot was taken into account.
13. Marlon Brando
Key films: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Godfather (1972)
The godfather of the Method, Brando ushered in a new approach to performance that prioritised naturalism in a quest for emotional truth, far removed from the more mannered and performative acting style that came before him. Taking the Method from an established theatre technique and into movie acting, Brando influenced a generation of actors (De Niro, Pacino et al) as he pursued an approach that dug into personal memories and sensations to bring a character alive.
14. Rock Hudson
Key films: All That Heaven Allows (1955), Seconds (1966)
A leading man in Hollywood’s Golden Age, Hudson’s eclectic and impressive career saw him jump from Douglas Sirk and Doris Day to Dynasty. But there was another reason to remember him. In 1984, Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. A year later, he became one of the first celebrities to disclose his illness, shortly before his death, aged 59. It was a monumental moment, helping many to understand the seriousness of AIDS, then much misunderstood.
15. Reese Witherspoon
Key films: Legally Blonde (2001), Walk the Line (2005)
Actors set up production companies all the time, but few have been as successful as Reese Witherspoon. In 2016, the Legally Blonde star founded Hello Sunshine with the aim of focusing on female-driven stories. Hit after hit followed, with shows like Big Little Lies and The Morning Show. By 2021, Witherspoon sold a majority stake to Candle Media, with the company then valued at $900 million. Last year, she placed #82 on Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women list.
16. Audrey Hepburn
Key films: Roman Holiday (1953), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
An influence on fashion and femininity, the elfin Hepburn’s gold-standard career saw her win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award (yep, she’s an EGOT). But she was also a groundbreaking humanitarian. She became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1989, using her celebrity to spotlight crises in South America, Asia and Africa. Far more than a figurehead, she revolutionised how public faces could support such causes, taking on field missions in countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Ecuador.
17. Ian McKellen
Key films: Gods and Monsters (1998), X-Men (2000)
From a fruitful collaboration with the RSC to Hollywood glory, notably as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, Sir Ian McKellen has continued to push boundaries on stage and screen. Yet it’s his work as a gay rights activist that, perhaps, should be considered his greatest achievement. In the late '80s, he co-founded LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall to fight against Section 28, a controversial ruling that banned the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools and other public realms.
18. Irrfan Khan
Key films: Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Jurassic World (2015)
One of India’s most acclaimed and intelligent stars, Irrfan Khan’s 30-year career saw him elevated to global icon. “An enormously valuable bridge between South Asian and Hollywood cinema,” as The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw put it, he went from credible work in movies like The Lunchbox to major stardom when he featured in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire and $1 billion hit Jurassic World. His premature death in 2020, aged 53, is one of modern cinema’s greatest tragedies.
19. Robin Williams
Key films: Aladdin (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997)
Before Robin Williams signed on to play the Genie in Disney’s animated Aladdin, voice work for ’toons was done by specialists in the field, rather than famous actors. Williams changed all that. Improvising nearly 16 hours’ worth of material, Williams brought the same manic energy that he invested in his stand-up and films like Good Morning Vietnam. Meaning that the animators had to work to his outpourings, rather than the other way around, it set new standards in the industry.
Key films: My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007)
No actor symbolises commitment to a role more than Daniel Day-Lewis. Doggedly remaining in character as cerebral palsy sufferer Christy Brown for My Left Foot, it set the tone for a career of utter immersion in his roles, which no contemporary comes close to matching. With My Left Foot winning the Irishman the first of a record three Best Actor Oscars (There Will Be Blood and Lincoln would follow), he has rarely made a misstep across a peerless body of work.
21. Buster Keaton
Key films: Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926)
Artist Salvador Dalí called the works of seminal silent film actor-director Keaton “pure poetry”. More than that, “the great stone face” – as he was known thanks to his stoic, deadpan expression – transformed the medium. His wonderful physical comedy, performing all his own often formidable stunts, took silent cinema to new heights, creating a visual film language still in play today.
22. Leonardo DiCaprio
Key films: Titanic (1997), The Revenant (2015)
A teen heartthrob who became one of the biggest movie stars in modern Hollywood, DiCaprio became an early adopter of environmental causes, long before it was fashionable to go green. Establishing the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, a body that currently supports over 35 conservation projects around the globe, he has sought to bring attention to climate change, and the fragile state of our forests and oceans. Eco-documentaries The 11th Hour and Before The Flood, which he produced, further reinforce his crusading credentials.
23. Ronald Reagan
Key films: Kings Row (1942), The Killers (1964)
With 53 pictures to his name, Reagan’s screen presence may have been overshadowed by bigger stars of the era. But it was his second act, as a Republican political force, that made him one of the most influential actors of all time. After a spell as governor of California, Reagan rose to become the 40th President of the United States between 1981 and 1989. Ushering in Reaganomics, as America jostled with the Soviets in the Cold War, you might say he even paved the way for Donald Trump.
24. Katharine Hepburn
Key films: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), On Golden Pond (1981)
In 1999, the American Film Institute named Katharine Hepburn the greatest female star of classic Hollywood. It was probably the least they could do. In a six-decade career, Hepburn remains the record holder in her field – with four Academy Awards for her performances. Moreover, she came to reshape the way women were portrayed on screen. Refusing to play “hatchet murderesses or alcoholic mothers”, she carved out a niche playing intelligent, assertive, independent females in films like The African Queen. Hollywood’s not been the same since.
25. Dorothy Dandridge
Key films: Carmen Jones (1954), Porgy and Bess (1959)
Few Black actresses broke racial barriers like Dandridge. The first Black woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her title role in 1954’s Carmen Jones, the first to feature on the cover of Life magazine, and the first to open at the Empire Room at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, she opened doors for many to come. Later joining the National Urban League and the NAACP, Dandridge became a crucial voice in fighting prejudice in the entertainment industry.
From stand-up and Saturday Night Live to leading man in films like Beverly Hills Cop – the highest-grossing movie of 1984 – Eddie Murphy shifted perceptions globally. Here, finally, was proof that a Black actor could open a movie to blockbuster numbers. Breaking down racial barriers that had blocked those who came before him, Murphy continued to use his power to promote fellow Black artists, with 1988’s comedy-romance Coming to America featuring an almost entirely African-American cast.
27. Fred Astaire
Key films: Top Hat (135), Swing Time (1936)
After establishing himself on Broadway, Astaire’s screen test at RKO didn’t go well. “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can dance a little,” a report was rumoured to have stated. But after pairing with dancer Ginger Rogers, making nine films together at RKO, Astaire revolutionised the way dance was portrayed in movies. Insisting on filming dance routines with a stationary, full-frame camera, showing dancers from head to toe, he also made sure these choreographed wonders were integral to the plot, rather than spectacle for its own sake.
As director Edgar Wright once said: “No matter how many people try and rip off Jackie Chan movies, there’s something they can’t rip off which is Jackie Chan himself,” Now 72, Chan is unique. The legendary actor, martial artist and stuntman popularised a fusion of action and comedy – not just in his native Hong Kong but worldwide. Laying the path for Asian stars to work in Hollywood, Chan’s death-defying dexterity has influenced everything from Kill Bill to John Wick.
29. Toshiro Mifune
Key films: Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954)
One of the most significant actors ever to emerge from Asia, Toshiro Mifune is one of the first international Japanese superstars. Breaking stereotypes, he redefined the Samurai archetype for director Akira Kurosawa in key films like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, in turn inspiring the likes of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood for their Spaghetti western trilogy. Meanwhile, his work in Hidden Fortress was also instrumental as George Lucas built his screenplay for his Star Wars space opera.
30. Lucille Ball
Key films: The Long, Long Trailer (1954), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)
A beloved staple of stage and screen, Ball and her her partner Desi Arnaz co-founded Desilu Productions, a pioneering television studio behind her show I Love Lucy and the likes of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. After buying Arnaz out in 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major studio, which she sold five years later to Gulf+Western before it merged into Paramount. In 2020, Time magazine named her one of the most influential women of the 20th century for her achievements.
A whole host of big stars over the years have had a huge influence that goes beyond their impact on the silver screen.
Show full content
From Jimmy Stewart to Tom Hanks, from Marilyn Monroe to Julia Roberts, movie stars have changed our lives since the early days. Looming larger than life on the big screen, so often do their unforgettable performances bring happiness and touch us deeply.
Yet some go further still, whether it's using their fame as a platform for advocacy and breaking through racial or social barriers, or shifting the film industry itself and evolving the way we think about acting.
Here, then, is our list of 30 movie stars who changed the world.
30 movie stars who changed the world1. Olivia de Havilland
Key films: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939)
“Hollywood owes Olivia a great deal,” remarked her sister and fellow actress Joan Fontaine. For it was de Havilland’s legal battles in court, fighting in 1943 with studio Warner Bros, that produced a landmark result in favour of the performer. The De Haviland Law, as it became known, forbade employers from enforcing a contract for longer than seven years, a decision that gave new-found freedom to artists and severely reduced the power of the studios.
2. Charlie Chaplin
Key films: City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936)
Hollywood’s most iconic silent movie star, thanks to his “Little Tramp” persona, Chaplin was a game-changer behind the scenes too. Seeking independence from the traditional studio system, he co-founded United Artists, alongside Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith. Established in 1919, this studio was designed to offer Chaplin and others creative control over their material. “The inmates are taking over the asylum,” remarked one executive, but this was a pioneering move.
3. Shirley Temple
Key films: Bright Eyes (1934), Heidi (1937)
A child star in 1930s Hollywood, Temple almost single-handedly rescued studio 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy. It was her experiences, alongside fellow actors like Jackie Coogan, that contributed to the passing of the California Child Actor’s Bill in 1939, ensuring 15 per cent of a child’s earnings were set aside in a trust. Later moving into politics, representing the US at the United Nations General Assembly, she continued to advocate for better and safer working conditions for child actors.
4. Bruce Lee
Key films: Fist of Fury (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973)
With a career that spans both Hong Kong and Hollywood, Lee became the first global Chinese superstar. A teacher before he was an actor, the San Francisco-born Lee developed ‘Jeet Kune Do’, a martial arts style heavily influenced by Buddhist and Taoist philosophies, which went overground when he began scoring roles in films like Enter the Dragon. Popularising Kung-Fu, Lee helped Asian actors gain a foothold in Hollywood. That he died aged 32 only increased the myth around him.
Key films: Mission: Impossible (1996), Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The last great Hollywood movie star, Cruise’s films have grossed $13.3 billion worldwide. But none was more important than his biggest hit, Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to his 1986 aerial blockbuster Top Gun, its $1.5 billion haul reignited the global box office that had been rocked by theatre closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” Steven Spielberg later said, echoing sentiments felt industry-wide. Cruise was cinema’s saviour in its hour of need.
6. Jane Fonda
Key films: Klute (1971), Coming Home (1978)
Part of the Fonda acting dynasty, she was a two-time Academy Award winner and kickstarted the fitness craze with her best-selling VHS Jane Fonda’s Workout. But it’s her activism that gets here included here. Nicknamed ‘Hanoi Jane’, after she was photographed with a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun, she spoke out against the Vietnam War – a lone voice that caused opposition in America. Promoting civil rights, environmental causes and women’s issues, she also protested the Iraq War.
7. Sidney Poitier
Key films: The Defiant Ones (1958), In the Heat of the Night (1967)
The first Black man to win a best actor Oscar, for 1963’s Lilies of the Field, Poitier’s dignified and defiant characters mirrored his own life, as he emerged as one of the most important social justice activists of his generation. As hard-hitting as the slap he delivers to a white racist in Norman Jewison’s thriller In the Heat of the Night, Poitier broke down racial barriers, fighting against on-screen stereotypes and battling for Black civil rights off it.
8. Marilyn Monroe
Key films: Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953), Some Like It Hot (1959)
A brilliant comedienne, and a shrewd businesswoman, Monroe smartly navigated Hollywood in ways few actresses had done, until her tragic death in 1962, aged 36. Among her many influences, her bombshell image helped precipitate the sexual revolution in mainstream media, as her curvaceous figure came to represent a joyous embracing of the body. Becoming a symbol of beauty and desire, she shaped fashion, art (think of Andy Warhol’s famed pop art Marilyn print) and modern-day feminism.
9. Robert Redford
Key films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973)
The Hollywood golden boy of his generation, Robert Redford went on to become a fine filmmaker, winning a best director Oscar for his 1980 debut Ordinary People. But it was his work establishing the Sundance Film Festival shortly after that remains his high point. Championing independent cinema, launching the careers of the Coens, Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino and more, Redford’s Sundance – named after his famed character in George Roy Hill’s western – became the focal point for America’s thriving indie scene in the '90s.
10. Ashley Judd
Key films: Heat (1995), Kiss the Girls (1997)
Ashley Judd will always be remembered as the first actor to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. Judd was a key on-the-record source in Ronan Farrow’s New Yorker investigation that ultimately precipitated Weinstein’s downfall. Her revelations opened the floodgates as more victims of abuse came forward, leading to the formation of the MeToo movement – one of the most powerful calls for social change in the 21st century.
Key films: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Few actors can claim they pioneered an acting style. Yet Britain’s Andy Serkis took motion capture and performance capture to the next level. Rigged with sensors to record his every move and facial expression, his turn as wizened creature Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy turned the world on to this groundbreaking technology. Refining these skills in films like King Kong and Planet of the Apes, Serkis also co-founded The Imaginarium, a production company specialising in performance capture technology.
12. Elizabeth Taylor
Key films: National Velvet (1944), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
When Elizabeth Taylor was offered the lead in the 1963 epic Cleopatra, she orchestrated a deal that changed the way actors were paid. Fresh off her first Oscar win for BUtterfield 8, she negotiated with Fox Studios a landmark payout for the role – $1 million and 10 per cent of the film’s gross profit. The first actor ever to make $1 million for a picture, she ultimately earned a lot more – close to $7 million – when compensation for delays in the shoot was taken into account.
13. Marlon Brando
Key films: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Godfather (1972)
The godfather of the Method, Brando ushered in a new approach to performance that prioritised naturalism in a quest for emotional truth, far removed from the more mannered and performative acting style that came before him. Taking the Method from an established theatre technique and into movie acting, Brando influenced a generation of actors (De Niro, Pacino et al) as he pursued an approach that dug into personal memories and sensations to bring a character alive.
14. Rock Hudson
Key films: All That Heaven Allows (1955), Seconds (1966)
A leading man in Hollywood’s Golden Age, Hudson’s eclectic and impressive career saw him jump from Douglas Sirk and Doris Day to Dynasty. But there was another reason to remember him. In 1984, Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. A year later, he became one of the first celebrities to disclose his illness, shortly before his death, aged 59. It was a monumental moment, helping many to understand the seriousness of AIDS, then much misunderstood.
15. Reese Witherspoon
Key films: Legally Blonde (2001), Walk the Line (2005)
Actors set up production companies all the time, but few have been as successful as Reese Witherspoon. In 2016, the Legally Blonde star founded Hello Sunshine with the aim of focusing on female-driven stories. Hit after hit followed, with shows like Big Little Lies and The Morning Show. By 2021, Witherspoon sold a majority stake to Candle Media, with the company then valued at $900 million. Last year, she placed #82 on Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women list.
16. Audrey Hepburn
Key films: Roman Holiday (1953), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
An influence on fashion and femininity, the elfin Hepburn’s gold-standard career saw her win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award (yep, she’s an EGOT). But she was also a groundbreaking humanitarian. She became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1989, using her celebrity to spotlight crises in South America, Asia and Africa. Far more than a figurehead, she revolutionised how public faces could support such causes, taking on field missions in countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Ecuador.
17. Ian McKellen
Key films: Gods and Monsters (1998), X-Men (2000)
From a fruitful collaboration with the RSC to Hollywood glory, notably as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, Sir Ian McKellen has continued to push boundaries on stage and screen. Yet it’s his work as a gay rights activist that, perhaps, should be considered his greatest achievement. In the late '80s, he co-founded LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall to fight against Section 28, a controversial ruling that banned the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools and other public realms.
18. Irrfan Khan
Key films: Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Jurassic World (2015)
One of India’s most acclaimed and intelligent stars, Irrfan Khan’s 30-year career saw him elevated to global icon. “An enormously valuable bridge between South Asian and Hollywood cinema,” as The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw put it, he went from credible work in movies like The Lunchbox to major stardom when he featured in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire and $1 billion hit Jurassic World. His premature death in 2020, aged 53, is one of modern cinema’s greatest tragedies.
19. Robin Williams
Key films: Aladdin (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997)
Before Robin Williams signed on to play the Genie in Disney’s animated Aladdin, voice work for ’toons was done by specialists in the field, rather than famous actors. Williams changed all that. Improvising nearly 16 hours’ worth of material, Williams brought the same manic energy that he invested in his stand-up and films like Good Morning Vietnam. Meaning that the animators had to work to his outpourings, rather than the other way around, it set new standards in the industry.
Key films: My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007)
No actor symbolises commitment to a role more than Daniel Day-Lewis. Doggedly remaining in character as cerebral palsy sufferer Christy Brown for My Left Foot, it set the tone for a career of utter immersion in his roles, which no contemporary comes close to matching. With My Left Foot winning the Irishman the first of a record three Best Actor Oscars (There Will Be Blood and Lincoln would follow), he has rarely made a misstep across a peerless body of work.
21. Buster Keaton
Key films: Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926)
Artist Salvador Dalí called the works of seminal silent film actor-director Keaton “pure poetry”. More than that, “the great stone face” – as he was known thanks to his stoic, deadpan expression – transformed the medium. His wonderful physical comedy, performing all his own often formidable stunts, took silent cinema to new heights, creating a visual film language still in play today.
22. Leonardo DiCaprio
Key films: Titanic (1997), The Revenant (2015)
A teen heartthrob who became one of the biggest movie stars in modern Hollywood, DiCaprio became an early adopter of environmental causes, long before it was fashionable to go green. Establishing the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, a body that currently supports over 35 conservation projects around the globe, he has sought to bring attention to climate change, and the fragile state of our forests and oceans. Eco-documentaries The 11th Hour and Before The Flood, which he produced, further reinforce his crusading credentials.
23. Ronald Reagan
Key films: Kings Row (1942), The Killers (1964)
With 53 pictures to his name, Reagan’s screen presence may have been overshadowed by bigger stars of the era. But it was his second act, as a Republican political force, that made him one of the most influential actors of all time. After a spell as governor of California, Reagan rose to become the 40th President of the United States between 1981 and 1989. Ushering in Reaganomics, as America jostled with the Soviets in the Cold War, you might say he even paved the way for Donald Trump.
24. Katharine Hepburn
Key films: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), On Golden Pond (1981)
In 1999, the American Film Institute named Katharine Hepburn the greatest female star of classic Hollywood. It was probably the least they could do. In a six-decade career, Hepburn remains the record holder in her field – with four Academy Awards for her performances. Moreover, she came to reshape the way women were portrayed on screen. Refusing to play “hatchet murderesses or alcoholic mothers”, she carved out a niche playing intelligent, assertive, independent females in films like The African Queen. Hollywood’s not been the same since.
25. Dorothy Dandridge
Key films: Carmen Jones (1954), Porgy and Bess (1959)
Few Black actresses broke racial barriers like Dandridge. The first Black woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her title role in 1954’s Carmen Jones, the first to feature on the cover of Life magazine, and the first to open at the Empire Room at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, she opened doors for many to come. Later joining the National Urban League and the NAACP, Dandridge became a crucial voice in fighting prejudice in the entertainment industry.
From stand-up and Saturday Night Live to leading man in films like Beverly Hills Cop – the highest-grossing movie of 1984 – Eddie Murphy shifted perceptions globally. Here, finally, was proof that a Black actor could open a movie to blockbuster numbers. Breaking down racial barriers that had blocked those who came before him, Murphy continued to use his power to promote fellow Black artists, with 1988’s comedy-romance Coming to America featuring an almost entirely African-American cast.
27. Fred Astaire
Key films: Top Hat (135), Swing Time (1936)
After establishing himself on Broadway, Astaire’s screen test at RKO didn’t go well. “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can dance a little,” a report was rumoured to have stated. But after pairing with dancer Ginger Rogers, making nine films together at RKO, Astaire revolutionised the way dance was portrayed in movies. Insisting on filming dance routines with a stationary, full-frame camera, showing dancers from head to toe, he also made sure these choreographed wonders were integral to the plot, rather than spectacle for its own sake.
As director Edgar Wright once said: “No matter how many people try and rip off Jackie Chan movies, there’s something they can’t rip off which is Jackie Chan himself,” Now 72, Chan is unique. The legendary actor, martial artist and stuntman popularised a fusion of action and comedy – not just in his native Hong Kong but worldwide. Laying the path for Asian stars to work in Hollywood, Chan’s death-defying dexterity has influenced everything from Kill Bill to John Wick.
29. Toshiro Mifune
Key films: Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954)
One of the most significant actors ever to emerge from Asia, Toshiro Mifune is one of the first international Japanese superstars. Breaking stereotypes, he redefined the Samurai archetype for director Akira Kurosawa in key films like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, in turn inspiring the likes of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood for their Spaghetti western trilogy. Meanwhile, his work in Hidden Fortress was also instrumental as George Lucas built his screenplay for his Star Wars space opera.
30. Lucille Ball
Key films: The Long, Long Trailer (1954), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)
A beloved staple of stage and screen, Ball and her her partner Desi Arnaz co-founded Desilu Productions, a pioneering television studio behind her show I Love Lucy and the likes of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. After buying Arnaz out in 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major studio, which she sold five years later to Gulf+Western before it merged into Paramount. In 2020, Time magazine named her one of the most influential women of the 20th century for her achievements.
The Eurovision runner-up is bringing his show-stopping vocals to the London Palladium next summer.
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We all know, Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved musical Jesus Christ Superstar is returning to London this summer with Eurovision star Sam Ryder at the helm. The musical revival was first announced in late 2025 and tickets have been selling at lightning speed so, to keep up, the producers have extended the show's run into January 2027.
The show will now move to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 16 October to 9 January, following an initial June to September run at the London Palladium.
Producer Michael Harrison said: “The response to Jesus Christ Superstar has been nothing short of phenomenal, with demand for tickets at the London Palladium already breaking all time box office records. In light of this I am delighted to confirm that the production will follow its limited Palladium engagement with a further 12-week season at London’s other great iconic theatre, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, ensuring many more people have the opportunity to experience the extraordinary Sam Ryder in this legendary musical. I am also extremely proud that this is the first time a Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical will have played at the Lane”.
This ticket boom comes off the back of Ryder's acclaimed performance of Gethsemane at the Big Night of Musicals, which is now being released as a single on Saturday 16 May.
Most of the casting for the new run will remain the same with Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene although we don't yet know who will be playing Judas or Herod. The Palladium stint is seeing five actors share the role: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Armitage, Boy George, Layton Williams and Julian Clary, so perhaps a new set will take on this next run.
This latest adaptation comes from the award-winning Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production from 2017, with over 30 cast members involved and direction from Tim Sheader and choreography by Olivier Award-winner Drew McOnie.
Following the original announcement Ryder said: “So excited to be part of one of the biggest institutions in musical theatre the world’s ever known at The London Palladium in the West End! I'm honoured to take on this responsibility as I follow in the footsteps of rock vocal titans like Ian Gillan and John Farnham. I can't wait to immerse myself in the word of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2026.”
The original London production of Jesus Christ Superstar ran for over eight years, making it the longest-running musical in West End history at that time. Made by Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice the story is a retelling of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion from Judas' perspective, featuring the well-known score that includes Heaven on their Minds, I Don't Know How to Love Him and Superstar.
Tickets for the new run are going on sale today, here's what you need to know.
Who is Sam Ryder playing in Jesus Christ Superstar?
Sam Ryder is set to play the big man himself, Jesus in this new production. Anyone who remembers the singer's iconic Eurovision entry Space Man will know how capable he is of hitting the high notes.
Also joining the fully announced cast is Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene, Tyrone Huntley as Judas and the role of Herod will be split five ways between Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Armitage, Boy George, Layton Williams and Julian Clary.
When is Jesus Christ Superstar coming to the West End?
The show will run at the London Palladium from 20 June to 5 September 2026.
Before transferring to Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 16 October to 9 January2027.
How to get tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar at the West End
Tickets for the new run of Jesus Christ Superstar are going on sale today (Thursday 14 May).
Meanwhile, tickets for the Palladium are selling fast and the cheaper seats are quickly disappearing, so we'd recommend checking a range of ticketing sites as some have more allocated seats than others. Right now we'd suggest looking at SeatPlan or LWTheatres.
The Eurovision runner-up is bringing his show-stopping vocals to the London Palladium next summer.
Show full content
We all know, Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved musical Jesus Christ Superstar is returning to London this summer with Eurovision star Sam Ryder at the helm. The musical revival was first announced in late 2025 and tickets have been selling at lightning speed so, to keep up, the producers have extended the show's run into January 2027.
The show will now move to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 16 October to 9 January, following an initial June to September run at the London Palladium.
Producer Michael Harrison said: “The response to Jesus Christ Superstar has been nothing short of phenomenal, with demand for tickets at the London Palladium already breaking all time box office records. In light of this I am delighted to confirm that the production will follow its limited Palladium engagement with a further 12-week season at London’s other great iconic theatre, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, ensuring many more people have the opportunity to experience the extraordinary Sam Ryder in this legendary musical. I am also extremely proud that this is the first time a Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical will have played at the Lane”.
This ticket boom comes off the back of Ryder's acclaimed performance of Gethsemane at the Big Night of Musicals, which is now being released as a single on Saturday 16 May.
Most of the casting for the new run will remain the same with Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene although we don't yet know who will be playing Judas or Herod. The Palladium stint is seeing five actors share the role: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Armitage, Boy George, Layton Williams and Julian Clary, so perhaps a new set will take on this next run.
This latest adaptation comes from the award-winning Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production from 2017, with over 30 cast members involved and direction from Tim Sheader and choreography by Olivier Award-winner Drew McOnie.
Following the original announcement Ryder said: “So excited to be part of one of the biggest institutions in musical theatre the world’s ever known at The London Palladium in the West End! I'm honoured to take on this responsibility as I follow in the footsteps of rock vocal titans like Ian Gillan and John Farnham. I can't wait to immerse myself in the word of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2026.”
The original London production of Jesus Christ Superstar ran for over eight years, making it the longest-running musical in West End history at that time. Made by Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice the story is a retelling of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion from Judas' perspective, featuring the well-known score that includes Heaven on their Minds, I Don't Know How to Love Him and Superstar.
Tickets for the new run are going on sale today, here's what you need to know.
Who is Sam Ryder playing in Jesus Christ Superstar?
Sam Ryder is set to play the big man himself, Jesus in this new production. Anyone who remembers the singer's iconic Eurovision entry Space Man will know how capable he is of hitting the high notes.
Also joining the fully announced cast is Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene, Tyrone Huntley as Judas and the role of Herod will be split five ways between Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Armitage, Boy George, Layton Williams and Julian Clary.
When is Jesus Christ Superstar coming to the West End?
The show will run at the London Palladium from 20 June to 5 September 2026.
Before transferring to Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 16 October to 9 January2027.
How to get tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar at the West End
Tickets for the new run of Jesus Christ Superstar are going on sale today (Thursday 14 May).
Meanwhile, tickets for the Palladium are selling fast and the cheaper seats are quickly disappearing, so we'd recommend checking a range of ticketing sites as some have more allocated seats than others. Right now we'd suggest looking at SeatPlan or LWTheatres.
Keira Knightley stars in a new psychological surveillance thriller.
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Keira Knightley is returning to the stage this autumn to star in a major new adaptation of Oscar-winning drama The Lives of Others.
The Black Doves actress is leading the production alongside Bridgerton's Luke Thompson and Game of Thrones' Stephen Dillane at London's Adelphi Theatre this October.
Set in 80's East Germany, the show is a psychological thriller that centres on the secret surveillance of East Berlin residents by Gerd Wiesler, an agent of the secret police the Stasi.
The synopsis reads: "Listening changes everything. 1984. East Germany. A writer and an actor are placed under state surveillance. From the attic above their apartment, their Stasi man listens for evidence of subversion. But to observe a life is to risk changing your own."
The story was originally brought to life in Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s German language film, released in 2006. It won numerous awards including the Oscar for Best International Film and the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language.
Now, it's being brought to the West End with the help of director Robert Icke and producer Sonia Friedman, who said: "I’ve been obsessed with The Lives of Others ever since I first saw it - Florian von Donnersmarck’s exquisite, haunting, and completely masterful film, and there is no one better than Robert Icke to bring this to life onstage. He has this rare ability to combine huge ideas with real emotional truth, and I know he and the company will find a way to realise it that feels both unexpected and completely thrilling.
“Set in East Berlin in 1984 - a world where nothing is private, every word carries consequence, and the state holds power not just over lives, but over thought, speech and imagination itself, this world premiere is a reminder of how fragile those freedoms are, and of the cost and courage required to hold on to them.
“What I love most about it is that it’s both epic and intimate - incredibly beautiful, sad, and deeply moving - and at its heart, it’s an unlikely story about kindness. A story about connection and compassion in the most unexpected places.
“To have a company led by Keira Knightley, Luke Thompson and Stephen Dillane at the Adelphi Theatre this autumn makes it all the more special. And in an extraordinary coup, we’re incredibly excited that Max Richter will be composing new music for the production. Max is one of the great composers of our time, and his work has a depth and emotional truth that has the potential to break our hearts.
Keira Knightley stars in a new psychological surveillance thriller.
Show full content
Keira Knightley is returning to the stage this autumn to star in a major new adaptation of Oscar-winning drama The Lives of Others.
The Black Doves actress is leading the production alongside Bridgerton's Luke Thompson and Game of Thrones' Stephen Dillane at London's Adelphi Theatre this October.
Set in 80's East Germany, the show is a psychological thriller that centres on the secret surveillance of East Berlin residents by Gerd Wiesler, an agent of the secret police the Stasi.
The synopsis reads: "Listening changes everything. 1984. East Germany. A writer and an actor are placed under state surveillance. From the attic above their apartment, their Stasi man listens for evidence of subversion. But to observe a life is to risk changing your own."
The story was originally brought to life in Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s German language film, released in 2006. It won numerous awards including the Oscar for Best International Film and the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language.
Now, it's being brought to the West End with the help of director Robert Icke and producer Sonia Friedman, who said: "I’ve been obsessed with The Lives of Others ever since I first saw it - Florian von Donnersmarck’s exquisite, haunting, and completely masterful film, and there is no one better than Robert Icke to bring this to life onstage. He has this rare ability to combine huge ideas with real emotional truth, and I know he and the company will find a way to realise it that feels both unexpected and completely thrilling.
“Set in East Berlin in 1984 - a world where nothing is private, every word carries consequence, and the state holds power not just over lives, but over thought, speech and imagination itself, this world premiere is a reminder of how fragile those freedoms are, and of the cost and courage required to hold on to them.
“What I love most about it is that it’s both epic and intimate - incredibly beautiful, sad, and deeply moving - and at its heart, it’s an unlikely story about kindness. A story about connection and compassion in the most unexpected places.
“To have a company led by Keira Knightley, Luke Thompson and Stephen Dillane at the Adelphi Theatre this autumn makes it all the more special. And in an extraordinary coup, we’re incredibly excited that Max Richter will be composing new music for the production. Max is one of the great composers of our time, and his work has a depth and emotional truth that has the potential to break our hearts.
Trainspotting the Musical is coming, and it's going to shake up everything.
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Danny Boyle’s classic movie Trainspotting is getting new life this summer 30 years after its original release.
The film that reshaped British cinema in the 90s is heading for the West End and on a UK tour for a "seismic and expectation-defying" new musical.
The brand-new show has been written by Trainspotting novel writer Irvine Welsh with Caroline Jay Ranger on board to direct.
The casting has also been announced with Scottish actor Robbie Scott to play Ewan McGregor’s role of Renton,
In the press release Welsh said: "This musical has a bigger, loudly beating human heart than either the book or the film. The various stage adaptations of Trainspotting have become acclaimed and moving theatrical experiences and the soundtrack to the movie is obviously iconic.
"So it made sense to put the music and words together to create an explosive, provocative and entertaining show.
"People need to think about the world we're living in, and we offer that inspection, but they also really need to sing their hearts out and laugh their heads off - it's what being human is all about - and they'll be well served with this too."
We’ve also been teased with the news that “original confrontational and celebratory songs” written by Stephen McGuinness and Irvine Welsh will be joined by some of the films best loved tracks – so expect a bit of Underworld and Iggy Pop.
Trainspotting is considered a phenomenon for its unflinching, non-glorified portrayal of heroin addiction in 1990s Edinburgh. It follows McGregor's character and his friends Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd).
At the time of its release it was an instant critical and commercial smash, becoming the biggest grossing UK film of the year taking over $76 million worldwide. Now, it sits in the hall of fame as one of the greatest British films of all time.
Trainspotting the Musical now promises to keep the banner flying: "Radical, invigorating and life-affirming, this provocative, unforgettable experience will have even the most sceptical leave on a consciousness-altering high.
"Trainspotting is not just a show. It’s a moment. It’s a manifesto. It’s who we are."
The show will hit London's Royal Theatre Haymarket from 15 July and before heading on a UK tour, here's how to get tickets.
When and where can I see Trainspotting the Musical?
Trainspotting will come to London's Theatre Royal Haymarket with previews starting from 15 July. Opening night will be on 22 July.
The show has confirmed it will run from Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm, and has a running Time of two hours, including 20 minute interval.
The following tour will then take place:
19 — 24 Oct 2026 — Edinburgh, Edinburgh Playhouse
26 — 31 Oct 2026 — Sheffield, Sheffield City Hall
2 — 7 Nov 2026 — Manchester, Palace Theatre
9 — 14 Nov 2026 — York, Grand Opera House
16 — 21 Nov 2026 — Hull, New Theatre
25 — 28 Nov 2026 — Ipswich, Regent Theatre
30 Nov — 5 Dec 2026 — Birmingham, Alexandra
7 — 12 Dec 2026 — Leeds, Grand Theatre
14 — 19 Dec 2026 — Blackpool, Opera House
5 — 9 Jan 2027 — Stoke, Regent Theatre
11 — 16 Jan 2027 — Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre
18 — 23 Jan 2027 — Nottingham, Theatre Royal
25 — 30 Jan 2027 — Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre
1 — 6 Feb 2027 — Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
8 — 13 Feb 2027 — Bradford, Bradford Live
15 — 20 Feb 2027 — Oxford, New Theatre
22 — 27 Feb 2027 — Sunderland, Empire
1 — 6 Mar 2027 — Dunfermline, Alhambra Theatre
9 — 13 Mar 2027 — Brighton, Dome
15 — 20 Mar 2027 — Glasgow, Theatre Royal
How to get Trainspotting Musical tickets
Trainspotting Musical tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and LOVETheatre, starting from just £15.
Trainspotting the Musical is coming, and it's going to shake up everything.
Show full content
Danny Boyle’s classic movie Trainspotting is getting new life this summer 30 years after its original release.
The film that reshaped British cinema in the 90s is heading for the West End and on a UK tour for a "seismic and expectation-defying" new musical.
The brand-new show has been written by Trainspotting novel writer Irvine Welsh with Caroline Jay Ranger on board to direct.
The casting has also been announced with Scottish actor Robbie Scott to play Ewan McGregor’s role of Renton,
In the press release Welsh said: "This musical has a bigger, loudly beating human heart than either the book or the film. The various stage adaptations of Trainspotting have become acclaimed and moving theatrical experiences and the soundtrack to the movie is obviously iconic.
"So it made sense to put the music and words together to create an explosive, provocative and entertaining show.
"People need to think about the world we're living in, and we offer that inspection, but they also really need to sing their hearts out and laugh their heads off - it's what being human is all about - and they'll be well served with this too."
We’ve also been teased with the news that “original confrontational and celebratory songs” written by Stephen McGuinness and Irvine Welsh will be joined by some of the films best loved tracks – so expect a bit of Underworld and Iggy Pop.
Trainspotting is considered a phenomenon for its unflinching, non-glorified portrayal of heroin addiction in 1990s Edinburgh. It follows McGregor's character and his friends Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd).
At the time of its release it was an instant critical and commercial smash, becoming the biggest grossing UK film of the year taking over $76 million worldwide. Now, it sits in the hall of fame as one of the greatest British films of all time.
Trainspotting the Musical now promises to keep the banner flying: "Radical, invigorating and life-affirming, this provocative, unforgettable experience will have even the most sceptical leave on a consciousness-altering high.
"Trainspotting is not just a show. It’s a moment. It’s a manifesto. It’s who we are."
The show will hit London's Royal Theatre Haymarket from 15 July and before heading on a UK tour, here's how to get tickets.
When and where can I see Trainspotting the Musical?
Trainspotting will come to London's Theatre Royal Haymarket with previews starting from 15 July. Opening night will be on 22 July.
The show has confirmed it will run from Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm, and has a running Time of two hours, including 20 minute interval.
The following tour will then take place:
19 — 24 Oct 2026 — Edinburgh, Edinburgh Playhouse
26 — 31 Oct 2026 — Sheffield, Sheffield City Hall
2 — 7 Nov 2026 — Manchester, Palace Theatre
9 — 14 Nov 2026 — York, Grand Opera House
16 — 21 Nov 2026 — Hull, New Theatre
25 — 28 Nov 2026 — Ipswich, Regent Theatre
30 Nov — 5 Dec 2026 — Birmingham, Alexandra
7 — 12 Dec 2026 — Leeds, Grand Theatre
14 — 19 Dec 2026 — Blackpool, Opera House
5 — 9 Jan 2027 — Stoke, Regent Theatre
11 — 16 Jan 2027 — Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre
18 — 23 Jan 2027 — Nottingham, Theatre Royal
25 — 30 Jan 2027 — Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre
1 — 6 Feb 2027 — Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
8 — 13 Feb 2027 — Bradford, Bradford Live
15 — 20 Feb 2027 — Oxford, New Theatre
22 — 27 Feb 2027 — Sunderland, Empire
1 — 6 Mar 2027 — Dunfermline, Alhambra Theatre
9 — 13 Mar 2027 — Brighton, Dome
15 — 20 Mar 2027 — Glasgow, Theatre Royal
How to get Trainspotting Musical tickets
Trainspotting Musical tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and LOVETheatre, starting from just £15.
From ABBA to Squid Game, these are the best immersive experiences you'll want to try.
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Not quite theatre, not quite art and not quite museums, immersive experiences are a world unto themselves – literally!
This multi-sensory phenomenon has taken off massively in the last few years, with dozens of interactive exhibits, games and performances springing up around the UK, especially in London.
Nowadays you can visit a warehouse that looks perfectly normal on the outside, but inside has the world of your favourite TV show, game, or period of history. Seriously, everything from Minecraft to Squid Game to the story of the Cleopatra is now available in immersive fashion.
But are these experiences actually worth it? And, more importantly, are they worth the money? According to the 2024 Immersive Audience Report 73% of audiences prioritise value for money when picking an immersive experience, so that's what we're doing.
Below, we've put together a list of the best immersive experiences now on in London that we believe are genuinely worth your time and cash. Whether you're going out with friends, children, a date, or by yourself, you can find an experience to suit you.
Best immersive experiences for the familyCleopatra: The Immersive Experience
Venue: Immerse LDN, Excel London Waterfront
Step into the extraordinary world of Egypt’s Last Great Queen. Discover the story of her reign, power, love, lifestyle and legacy as it comes to life with cutting-edge immersive storytelling and real artefacts.
Wander through a world of twists, turns and optical illusions – just don't get lost! The Paradox Museum is packed with wondrous interactive rooms like the Infinity Well, Zero Gravity Room, Paradox Sofa and Paradox Tunnel.
The experience is a groundbreaking interactive quest. Players will explore seven Minecraft-themed rooms and team up to rescue a village from a zombie horde, armed only with their wits and a handheld device called the Orb of Interaction.
The aim is to craft a life-saving potion to help save the villagers from the zombies, and the rescue mission will take place across players' favourite locations in the game.
This surreal and colourful exhibition explores the world of bubbles through interactive rooms: from the LED Room and Cloud Room to Bubble Ocean and Bubble Bath environments, there's endless fun to be had.
The premise of the experience is simple: Help Paddington and the Brown Family prepare for the Marmalade Day Festival. Throughout the adventure, you'll take part in games, challenges, and plenty of tasting opportunities as you help the beloved characters set up for this annual celebration.
One of our RadioTimes.com writers recently visited Shrek's Adventure with her friends and she had a ball! She particularly loved the 4D flying car, how fun the professional photos turned out, and the fact that Shrek tried to follow her and her friends to the pub afterwards...
This family-friendly immersive experience features characters, rides and interactive games all from the Shrek universe. Shrek's Adventure is basically DreamWorks’ answer to Disneyland, except it's located on London's South Bank.
We've all got fond memories of rainy afternoons spent playing Monopoly (and trying to restrain yourself from flipping the board), but what if you could take things one step further? Monopoly Lifesized gives you the chance to enter the game in a life-sized 4D board, where you can take part in challenges and games to make millions.
Best immersive experiences for groupsThe Traitors Live
Venue: 60 Short's Gardens, Covent Garden
We completed the Traitors Live Experience and gave it five stars for it's accuracy to the TV series. As in the show, you'll compete in mini games that involve searching for clues, remembering images, answering riddles and more. Throughout the challenges you're trying to earn "money" which will go towards your group's final score on the leader board at the end – however you can also use that time to win shields.
After challenges you sit at the round table and, in an exact copy of the series, discuss who you think is a Traitor in your midst. One by one, you'll name the player you wish to banish, who must reveal their status as Traitor or Faithful.
This is your chance to sit in on the trial of the century. At the Jury Experience, you'll listen to the story of disgraced a ex-driver who stands trial for stealing global superstar Lana Tonneti’s $20m necklace. But is Lana telling the truth? Throughout the show, analyze witness testimonies, examine the evidence, answer complex questions, and try to uncover what really happened.
Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience
Venue: 56 Leadenhall Street
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience combines live actors, virtual reality, and more to plunge participants into HG Wells's iconic alien invasion story. Set in Victorian England, this adventure takes visitors through 24 interactive environments, from escaping Martian invaders to surviving the chaos of a crumbling London, promising an unforgettable journey.
Listen up, thrill seekers: it's time to step right over to The London Dungeon. Perfect for anyone who isn't afraid of things that go bump in the night, this immersive experience takes you through some of London's darkest tales like Sweeney Todd and the plague doctors.
This Sherlock-themed escape room allows you to enter the mind of notorious villain Moriarty and solve some perilous puzzles based on the BBC show.
After stopping AI and digital nodes from sabotaging British intelligence, you'll have the chance to relax with a cocktail in a Sherlock-themed bar, which boasts even more puzzles for you to get your teeth stuck into.
Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Bar theatrical experience for two
Venue: 127 Hackney Rd
Inspired by America’s most infamous prison, Alcatraz, this adults-only immersive experience will see you smuggle alcohol into a prison-themed cocktail bar for you to whip up your own drinks concoctions. Get ready for a night of thrills and your favourite flavours— just be sure to avoid the far-reaching eye of the Warden!
Whether you're a fan of the hit TV game show, or you're just up for a new challenge, then the Crystal Maze Live Experience could be the one for you. The experience is packed full of '90s nostalgia, and also gives you the chance to take on individual and group challenges across four different areas. The aim is to collect as many crystals as you can with your team. The more crystals you collect, the more time you'll have in the legendary Crystal Dome.
If you're dreaming of a sunny getaway this year, booking tickets for Mamma Mia! The Party could be the next best thing. Transport yourself to the Greek island of Skopelos and transform into the dancing queen we know you are with this immersive experience. Expect a freshly-made four-course Greek meal, plenty of drinks, performances of the hit songs from Mamma Mia, and even an ABBA disco after the party.
Best immersive experiences for date nightRace Across the World Experience
Venue: Begins at Liverpool Street
This experience takes its inspiration, obviously, from the supremely popular reality show Race Across the World, which sees teams of two compete against each other to reach a far-off destination using any method apart from air travel.
Participants will be challenged to work together as a team, navigating their way through the iconic streets of the UK capital. You'll be competing against rival teams as you manage your team budget, and in-game cash can be exchanged to unlock alternative routes and clues, while "work" task can be exchanged for in-game cash. How your team races is up to you.
Do you want to dance and jive having the time of your life? If so, then ABBA Voyage is the immersive experience for you. This live concert is performed entirely by CGI versions of the four ABBA members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The singers have recorded their voices and body movements to be transformed into 3D avatars (or ABBAtars, if you will), and you'll hear hits like Mamma Mia! and Waterloo live.
Are you ready to be transported to another world? Discover the new world of Avora with this cocktail experience, where you'll get to interact with Avorians. In the incredible setting of this new world, you'll don an Avora jumpsuit to try three specially designed cocktails. There'll be plenty of opportunities to take photos to make sure this is an experience you never forget.
Frameless is an immersive art exhibition which takes you on a journey between four themed galleries: Beyond Reality, Colour in Motion, The World Around Us and The Art of Abstraction, and you'll experience art work from world-renowned artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Max Ernst, and Salvador Dalí. There's the opportunity to get involved in the artwork, too, as you can move pieces of art along the floor in one gallery.
The MOCO Museum's full description is that of a 'Modern, Contemporary and Digital Art Experience,' but this barely scratches the surface of what's inside. After captivating over 6 million visitors in Amsterdam and Barcelona, the museum has moved to London with a collection of over 100 ground-breaking art exhibitions. Using digital dreamscapes and cutting-edge immersive tech, every room allows you to envelop yourself in the art, with works from everyone from Andy Warhol to Robbie Williams.
Best immersive experiences for foodiesFaulty Towers The Dining Experience
Venue: 56-60 Guilford St, Russell Square
Fans of the BBC TV show Fawlty Towers are going to love this new immersive experience, which is perfect for foodies. Get transported back to the 1970s at the President Hotel in West London, where you'll enjoy a three-course lunch or dinner surrounded by actors improvising some of the most iconic and comic scenes from Fawlty Towers.
Now this experience will really give you something to talk about. Le Petit Chef may be just six centimetres tall, but he's renowned for his exceptional French cuisine. Watch him prepare your food through an impressive display projected onto your table, before digging into your real life food brought to your table.
Guests can choose between a Le Grand Chef, Le Petit Chef Classic, a Kids and a Vegetarian menu featuring delicious dishes such as lobster risotto, vanilla crème brulee and Hereford beef fillet. Bon appetit!
The Murdér Express: An Immersive Dining Experience
Venue: 63 Pedley Street, Spitalfields
All aboard! While the name The Murdér Express may not seem like the most appealing name, you're bound to be in for a great time. Don't worry, it's only called that because it's heading for the fictional town of Murdér in France... or is it? With a hearty feast, platform bar access and a lovely journey, there's no need to worry... right?
From ABBA to Squid Game, these are the best immersive experiences you'll want to try.
Show full content
Not quite theatre, not quite art and not quite museums, immersive experiences are a world unto themselves – literally!
This multi-sensory phenomenon has taken off massively in the last few years, with dozens of interactive exhibits, games and performances springing up around the UK, especially in London.
Nowadays you can visit a warehouse that looks perfectly normal on the outside, but inside has the world of your favourite TV show, game, or period of history. Seriously, everything from Minecraft to Squid Game to the story of the Cleopatra is now available in immersive fashion.
But are these experiences actually worth it? And, more importantly, are they worth the money? According to the 2024 Immersive Audience Report 73% of audiences prioritise value for money when picking an immersive experience, so that's what we're doing.
Below, we've put together a list of the best immersive experiences now on in London that we believe are genuinely worth your time and cash. Whether you're going out with friends, children, a date, or by yourself, you can find an experience to suit you.
Best immersive experiences for the familyCleopatra: The Immersive Experience
Venue: Immerse LDN, Excel London Waterfront
Step into the extraordinary world of Egypt’s Last Great Queen. Discover the story of her reign, power, love, lifestyle and legacy as it comes to life with cutting-edge immersive storytelling and real artefacts.
Wander through a world of twists, turns and optical illusions – just don't get lost! The Paradox Museum is packed with wondrous interactive rooms like the Infinity Well, Zero Gravity Room, Paradox Sofa and Paradox Tunnel.
The experience is a groundbreaking interactive quest. Players will explore seven Minecraft-themed rooms and team up to rescue a village from a zombie horde, armed only with their wits and a handheld device called the Orb of Interaction.
The aim is to craft a life-saving potion to help save the villagers from the zombies, and the rescue mission will take place across players' favourite locations in the game.
This surreal and colourful exhibition explores the world of bubbles through interactive rooms: from the LED Room and Cloud Room to Bubble Ocean and Bubble Bath environments, there's endless fun to be had.
The premise of the experience is simple: Help Paddington and the Brown Family prepare for the Marmalade Day Festival. Throughout the adventure, you'll take part in games, challenges, and plenty of tasting opportunities as you help the beloved characters set up for this annual celebration.
One of our RadioTimes.com writers recently visited Shrek's Adventure with her friends and she had a ball! She particularly loved the 4D flying car, how fun the professional photos turned out, and the fact that Shrek tried to follow her and her friends to the pub afterwards...
This family-friendly immersive experience features characters, rides and interactive games all from the Shrek universe. Shrek's Adventure is basically DreamWorks’ answer to Disneyland, except it's located on London's South Bank.
We've all got fond memories of rainy afternoons spent playing Monopoly (and trying to restrain yourself from flipping the board), but what if you could take things one step further? Monopoly Lifesized gives you the chance to enter the game in a life-sized 4D board, where you can take part in challenges and games to make millions.
Best immersive experiences for groupsThe Traitors Live
Venue: 60 Short's Gardens, Covent Garden
We completed the Traitors Live Experience and gave it five stars for it's accuracy to the TV series. As in the show, you'll compete in mini games that involve searching for clues, remembering images, answering riddles and more. Throughout the challenges you're trying to earn "money" which will go towards your group's final score on the leader board at the end – however you can also use that time to win shields.
After challenges you sit at the round table and, in an exact copy of the series, discuss who you think is a Traitor in your midst. One by one, you'll name the player you wish to banish, who must reveal their status as Traitor or Faithful.
This is your chance to sit in on the trial of the century. At the Jury Experience, you'll listen to the story of disgraced a ex-driver who stands trial for stealing global superstar Lana Tonneti’s $20m necklace. But is Lana telling the truth? Throughout the show, analyze witness testimonies, examine the evidence, answer complex questions, and try to uncover what really happened.
Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience
Venue: 56 Leadenhall Street
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience combines live actors, virtual reality, and more to plunge participants into HG Wells's iconic alien invasion story. Set in Victorian England, this adventure takes visitors through 24 interactive environments, from escaping Martian invaders to surviving the chaos of a crumbling London, promising an unforgettable journey.
Listen up, thrill seekers: it's time to step right over to The London Dungeon. Perfect for anyone who isn't afraid of things that go bump in the night, this immersive experience takes you through some of London's darkest tales like Sweeney Todd and the plague doctors.
This Sherlock-themed escape room allows you to enter the mind of notorious villain Moriarty and solve some perilous puzzles based on the BBC show.
After stopping AI and digital nodes from sabotaging British intelligence, you'll have the chance to relax with a cocktail in a Sherlock-themed bar, which boasts even more puzzles for you to get your teeth stuck into.
Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Bar theatrical experience for two
Venue: 127 Hackney Rd
Inspired by America’s most infamous prison, Alcatraz, this adults-only immersive experience will see you smuggle alcohol into a prison-themed cocktail bar for you to whip up your own drinks concoctions. Get ready for a night of thrills and your favourite flavours— just be sure to avoid the far-reaching eye of the Warden!
Whether you're a fan of the hit TV game show, or you're just up for a new challenge, then the Crystal Maze Live Experience could be the one for you. The experience is packed full of '90s nostalgia, and also gives you the chance to take on individual and group challenges across four different areas. The aim is to collect as many crystals as you can with your team. The more crystals you collect, the more time you'll have in the legendary Crystal Dome.
If you're dreaming of a sunny getaway this year, booking tickets for Mamma Mia! The Party could be the next best thing. Transport yourself to the Greek island of Skopelos and transform into the dancing queen we know you are with this immersive experience. Expect a freshly-made four-course Greek meal, plenty of drinks, performances of the hit songs from Mamma Mia, and even an ABBA disco after the party.
Best immersive experiences for date nightRace Across the World Experience
Venue: Begins at Liverpool Street
This experience takes its inspiration, obviously, from the supremely popular reality show Race Across the World, which sees teams of two compete against each other to reach a far-off destination using any method apart from air travel.
Participants will be challenged to work together as a team, navigating their way through the iconic streets of the UK capital. You'll be competing against rival teams as you manage your team budget, and in-game cash can be exchanged to unlock alternative routes and clues, while "work" task can be exchanged for in-game cash. How your team races is up to you.
Do you want to dance and jive having the time of your life? If so, then ABBA Voyage is the immersive experience for you. This live concert is performed entirely by CGI versions of the four ABBA members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The singers have recorded their voices and body movements to be transformed into 3D avatars (or ABBAtars, if you will), and you'll hear hits like Mamma Mia! and Waterloo live.
Are you ready to be transported to another world? Discover the new world of Avora with this cocktail experience, where you'll get to interact with Avorians. In the incredible setting of this new world, you'll don an Avora jumpsuit to try three specially designed cocktails. There'll be plenty of opportunities to take photos to make sure this is an experience you never forget.
Frameless is an immersive art exhibition which takes you on a journey between four themed galleries: Beyond Reality, Colour in Motion, The World Around Us and The Art of Abstraction, and you'll experience art work from world-renowned artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Max Ernst, and Salvador Dalí. There's the opportunity to get involved in the artwork, too, as you can move pieces of art along the floor in one gallery.
The MOCO Museum's full description is that of a 'Modern, Contemporary and Digital Art Experience,' but this barely scratches the surface of what's inside. After captivating over 6 million visitors in Amsterdam and Barcelona, the museum has moved to London with a collection of over 100 ground-breaking art exhibitions. Using digital dreamscapes and cutting-edge immersive tech, every room allows you to envelop yourself in the art, with works from everyone from Andy Warhol to Robbie Williams.
Best immersive experiences for foodiesFaulty Towers The Dining Experience
Venue: 56-60 Guilford St, Russell Square
Fans of the BBC TV show Fawlty Towers are going to love this new immersive experience, which is perfect for foodies. Get transported back to the 1970s at the President Hotel in West London, where you'll enjoy a three-course lunch or dinner surrounded by actors improvising some of the most iconic and comic scenes from Fawlty Towers.
Now this experience will really give you something to talk about. Le Petit Chef may be just six centimetres tall, but he's renowned for his exceptional French cuisine. Watch him prepare your food through an impressive display projected onto your table, before digging into your real life food brought to your table.
Guests can choose between a Le Grand Chef, Le Petit Chef Classic, a Kids and a Vegetarian menu featuring delicious dishes such as lobster risotto, vanilla crème brulee and Hereford beef fillet. Bon appetit!
The Murdér Express: An Immersive Dining Experience
Venue: 63 Pedley Street, Spitalfields
All aboard! While the name The Murdér Express may not seem like the most appealing name, you're bound to be in for a great time. Don't worry, it's only called that because it's heading for the fictional town of Murdér in France... or is it? With a hearty feast, platform bar access and a lovely journey, there's no need to worry... right?
Have you ever watched Gladiators and though 'I could do that'? Well, now's your chance to test that theory.
Show full content
Contender, ready? Let's put your Gladiator skills to the test.
The iconic TV show is jumping out of the screen and into real life this summer with The Gladiators Experience in Birmingham.
Here, GladFans can try out challenges from the show, including the Hang Tough course, The Wall, Eliminator and Duel. You can also visit The Vault for a behind-the-scenes look and a huge Superstore where you can purchase exclusive merchandise.
But you may be wondering, how good can it actually be? Especially when tickets to play start from £39. Luckily for you we tried it our ourselves. Below you'll find everything you need to know about The Gladiators Experience, including how it works and if it's worth it.
The Gladiators Experience is a live interactive version of the BBC show Gladiators where you experience the real challenges for yourself. Inside a massive hall at the Birmingham NEC there are a five show-accurate events to try alongside a warm-up area, a gift shop and an archive with exhibits and costumes from franchise's history.
Upon arrival you'll receive safety equipment from the Kit Room, which includes shin pads, elbow pads and a head guard. You'll also be given an RFID wristband which lets you scan into each event – once you're scanned in for the first time your 75-minute appointment will begin.
There are then five events to try, with an adult version and a junior version of each. The Hang Tough course (where you'll need to swing across a series of rings), The Wall (a climbing challenge), Unleash (where you and three others race to reach the flag first), the Duel (where you and an opponent fight to knock each other off a podium). The prize moment, however, is the Eliminator a head-to-head race, or solo time challenge, where contenders battle through nine obstacles before tackling the iconic Travelator and bursting through the final swing doors.
Where is the Gladiators Experience?
You can jump into The Gladiators Experience at the NEC in Birmingham, the exhibition centre is also home to events like Tutankhamun the Immersive Experience or the Titanic Exhibition.
The venue is conveniently located a five minute walk from Birmingham International Railway Station and you can also park there for an additional fee. As it's near the airport there are also a number of hotels to choose from at Booking.com.
How long is the Gladiators Experience on for?
The experience is currently set to run until Monday 31st August 2026. There are 12 slots to pick from throughout each day from 10am to 3:30pm and once you're inside you have 75-minutes to enjoy the different games.
How much do the Gladiators Experience tickets cost?
Spectators tickets cost £17.50 and £22.50 for juniors and adults respectively and Contenders tickets cost £39.50 and £44.50.
I was surprised by just how enjoyable and interactive the Gladiators Experience was. Upon entry, I was taken aback by how impressive and accurate the event was with bright lights, music and on-brand red foam everywhere, and I was equally pleased once the games started.
Each event is suitably challenging but obviously not to the extremes of the real show, The Wall is doable but easy to slip of (or that's what I'm telling myself) and the Duel is higher off the ground than you'd think which adds to a nice bit of jeopardy (although safe of course). The Eliminator is particularly exciting with a full travellator, climbing elements and balance beams to really put you to the test. Plus, it's great that every challenge has a children's version so kids can really get stuck in.
There's also a warm-up room, photo-taking opportunities and the archive is very interesting for die-hard fans. I'd say the best way to do this would be with children or big friend group, as you can race, run around and enjoy together.
How to get Gladiators Experience tickets
Tickets for the Gladiators Experience itself can be found on the official website or through Ticketmaster.
There are four kinds of tickets available: Spectator Tickets for access to The Vault, viewing areas, the food court, merchandise superstore and children’s soft play area. Adult Contender and Junior Contender Tickets for full access to the event itself. Family Contender Tickets which allow mixed groups of adults and juniors to enjoy the Junior Arena together, and VIP Tickets which include a Contender Ticket, early access with reduced-capacity play, an official Contender uniform, a participation medal and a digital photo pack.
Have you ever watched Gladiators and though 'I could do that'? Well, now's your chance to test that theory.
Show full content
Contender, ready? Let's put your Gladiator skills to the test.
The iconic TV show is jumping out of the screen and into real life this summer with The Gladiators Experience in Birmingham.
Here, GladFans can try out challenges from the show, including the Hang Tough course, The Wall, Eliminator and Duel. You can also visit The Vault for a behind-the-scenes look and a huge Superstore where you can purchase exclusive merchandise.
But you may be wondering, how good can it actually be? Especially when tickets to play start from £39. Luckily for you we tried it our ourselves. Below you'll find everything you need to know about The Gladiators Experience, including how it works and if it's worth it.
The Gladiators Experience is a live interactive version of the BBC show Gladiators where you experience the real challenges for yourself. Inside a massive hall at the Birmingham NEC there are a five show-accurate events to try alongside a warm-up area, a gift shop and an archive with exhibits and costumes from franchise's history.
Upon arrival you'll receive safety equipment from the Kit Room, which includes shin pads, elbow pads and a head guard. You'll also be given an RFID wristband which lets you scan into each event – once you're scanned in for the first time your 75-minute appointment will begin.
There are then five events to try, with an adult version and a junior version of each. The Hang Tough course (where you'll need to swing across a series of rings), The Wall (a climbing challenge), Unleash (where you and three others race to reach the flag first), the Duel (where you and an opponent fight to knock each other off a podium). The prize moment, however, is the Eliminator a head-to-head race, or solo time challenge, where contenders battle through nine obstacles before tackling the iconic Travelator and bursting through the final swing doors.
Where is the Gladiators Experience?
You can jump into The Gladiators Experience at the NEC in Birmingham, the exhibition centre is also home to events like Tutankhamun the Immersive Experience or the Titanic Exhibition.
The venue is conveniently located a five minute walk from Birmingham International Railway Station and you can also park there for an additional fee. As it's near the airport there are also a number of hotels to choose from at Booking.com.
How long is the Gladiators Experience on for?
The experience is currently set to run until Monday 31st August 2026. There are 12 slots to pick from throughout each day from 10am to 3:30pm and once you're inside you have 75-minutes to enjoy the different games.
How much do the Gladiators Experience tickets cost?
Spectators tickets cost £17.50 and £22.50 for juniors and adults respectively and Contenders tickets cost £39.50 and £44.50.
I was surprised by just how enjoyable and interactive the Gladiators Experience was. Upon entry, I was taken aback by how impressive and accurate the event was with bright lights, music and on-brand red foam everywhere, and I was equally pleased once the games started.
Each event is suitably challenging but obviously not to the extremes of the real show, The Wall is doable but easy to slip of (or that's what I'm telling myself) and the Duel is higher off the ground than you'd think which adds to a nice bit of jeopardy (although safe of course). The Eliminator is particularly exciting with a full travellator, climbing elements and balance beams to really put you to the test. Plus, it's great that every challenge has a children's version so kids can really get stuck in.
There's also a warm-up room, photo-taking opportunities and the archive is very interesting for die-hard fans. I'd say the best way to do this would be with children or big friend group, as you can race, run around and enjoy together.
How to get Gladiators Experience tickets
Tickets for the Gladiators Experience itself can be found on the official website or through Ticketmaster.
There are four kinds of tickets available: Spectator Tickets for access to The Vault, viewing areas, the food court, merchandise superstore and children’s soft play area. Adult Contender and Junior Contender Tickets for full access to the event itself. Family Contender Tickets which allow mixed groups of adults and juniors to enjoy the Junior Arena together, and VIP Tickets which include a Contender Ticket, early access with reduced-capacity play, an official Contender uniform, a participation medal and a digital photo pack.
A brand-new Beatles fan experience is coming to life in 2027 at one of the band's most infamous London locations.
3 Savile Row, the setting for The Beatles’ final public performance, is opening its doors for the first-ever 'official fan destination'.
The Mayfair building is a key part of Beatles history having been the recording studio for Let It Be, one of the earliest headquarters for the group's company Apple Corps Ltd’s, and where they held their iconic rooftop concert on 30 January 1969.
Now, the venue is being turned into a unique exhibition: The Beatles at 3 Savile Row. This experience will feature seven floors of never-seen-before material from Apple Corps’ extensive archives, rotating exhibitions, a fan store, and the recreation of the original studio where Let it Be was recorded.
Fans will also be able to go onto the iconic rooftop where their final concert was held.
Following the announcement Paul McCartney said: “It was such a trip to get back to 3 Savile Row recently and have a look around. There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I’m excited for people to see it when it’s ready."
While Ringo Starr said: “Wow, it’s like coming home.”
Apple Corps’s CEO Tom Greene said the company was coming back to it's "spiritual home," commenting: "We’re thrilled to bring Apple Corps back to its spiritual home and give The Beatles fans something truly special. Every single day, fans are taking pictures of the outside of 3 Savile Row – but next year they can go in and explore."
Details about the event are still under wraps including its opening date and how to buy tickets. What we do know is you can now register for ticketing info at the official website.
This news joins the announcement of not one, but two Beatles on-screen adaptations are coming in the next few years.
On the big screen we have four films on the way from Sam Mendes, with each one centred on a different member of the band, meanwhile the TV drama series Hamburg Days, about the band's formative years, has just begun filming.
The six-part series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and has been inspired by German artist Klaus Voormann's autobiography.
The synopsis for the series reads: "Hamburg Days is set in the 1960s, in the smoke-filled clubs of Hamburg's St Pauli red-light district, where an inexperienced young rock ‘n’ roll band from Liverpool collide with two young artists, Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr."
A brand-new Beatles fan experience is coming to life in 2027 at one of the band's most infamous London locations.
3 Savile Row, the setting for The Beatles’ final public performance, is opening its doors for the first-ever 'official fan destination'.
The Mayfair building is a key part of Beatles history having been the recording studio for Let It Be, one of the earliest headquarters for the group's company Apple Corps Ltd’s, and where they held their iconic rooftop concert on 30 January 1969.
Now, the venue is being turned into a unique exhibition: The Beatles at 3 Savile Row. This experience will feature seven floors of never-seen-before material from Apple Corps’ extensive archives, rotating exhibitions, a fan store, and the recreation of the original studio where Let it Be was recorded.
Fans will also be able to go onto the iconic rooftop where their final concert was held.
Following the announcement Paul McCartney said: “It was such a trip to get back to 3 Savile Row recently and have a look around. There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I’m excited for people to see it when it’s ready."
While Ringo Starr said: “Wow, it’s like coming home.”
Apple Corps’s CEO Tom Greene said the company was coming back to it's "spiritual home," commenting: "We’re thrilled to bring Apple Corps back to its spiritual home and give The Beatles fans something truly special. Every single day, fans are taking pictures of the outside of 3 Savile Row – but next year they can go in and explore."
Details about the event are still under wraps including its opening date and how to buy tickets. What we do know is you can now register for ticketing info at the official website.
This news joins the announcement of not one, but two Beatles on-screen adaptations are coming in the next few years.
On the big screen we have four films on the way from Sam Mendes, with each one centred on a different member of the band, meanwhile the TV drama series Hamburg Days, about the band's formative years, has just begun filming.
The six-part series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and has been inspired by German artist Klaus Voormann's autobiography.
The synopsis for the series reads: "Hamburg Days is set in the 1960s, in the smoke-filled clubs of Hamburg's St Pauli red-light district, where an inexperienced young rock ‘n’ roll band from Liverpool collide with two young artists, Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr."
LOVEtheatre week is here, and that means offers on all shows, all week.
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Love theatre? Well, there’s no better feeling than paying less across all shows.
Luckily, LOVEtheatre are offering just that during this year's LOVEtheatre week, with offers applicable to up to 60 participating shows across the site.
Whether you're a fan of OG theatre classics, such as Oliver! or desperate to see the latest hot West End show, like Titanique, LOVEtheatre have got you covered.
From huge reductions of up to 57% to no booking fees for on-demand West End shows, here's how you can save on theatre tickets to up to 60 shows during the 2026 LOVEtheatre week.
LOVEtheatre week is here, and that means offers on all shows, all week.
Show full content
Love theatre? Well, there’s no better feeling than paying less across all shows.
Luckily, LOVEtheatre are offering just that during this year's LOVEtheatre week, with offers applicable to up to 60 participating shows across the site.
Whether you're a fan of OG theatre classics, such as Oliver! or desperate to see the latest hot West End show, like Titanique, LOVEtheatre have got you covered.
From huge reductions of up to 57% to no booking fees for on-demand West End shows, here's how you can save on theatre tickets to up to 60 shows during the 2026 LOVEtheatre week.
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the risk of fuel shortages are already causing some disruption to flights, leaving many holidaymakers unsure whether their summer plans are safe.
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If you’ve already booked a trip, you may be wondering what happens if your flight is cancelled, or whether your travel insurance will cover any losses. It’s important to understand exactly what protection you have so you’re prepared for every eventuality.
Olle Pettersson, personal finance expert at finance information site Finansplassen, said "Most people spend more time comparing flight prices than understanding what protects them if something goes wrong. Ten minutes with your policy document before you book could save you thousands, and right now, with the situation in the Middle East still unpredictable and disruption continuing to ripple through global aviation, that ten minutes has never been more worth it."
Here's what you need to know.
Will I get my money back if my flight is cancelled due to fuel shortages?
If your flight is cancelled, the airline you booked with is responsible for offering you either a replacement flight, or a full refund. This applies regardless of the reason for the cancellation, including fuel shortages.
However, any compensation beyond a refund is unlikely if the disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances, such as the current conflict.
Most travel insurance policies will exclude any losses arising from war as this is considered outside their control, so it’s unlikely that any disruption to your holiday caused by the conflict will be covered.
However, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said: “Travel insurance policies can vary significantly, and insurers may take different approaches to claims depending on the cause of your flight cancellation and the specific policy wording. We’d always recommend you check your policy documents carefully and speak to your insurer to understand what cover may be available in your individual circumstances.”
Can I cancel my holiday and book something closer to home instead?
If you’re worried about your summer holiday plans changing last-minute and would rather just cancel them now so you can book something nearer to home, check with your airline, accommodation provider or tour operator first to see if they might allow you to rebook or get a refund.
The ABI spokesman said: “If you paid for any part of your trip by credit card, it may also be worth checking whether you have any additional protections that could help you recover some costs.
“Travel insurance generally doesn’t cover cancellations because you’ve decided against travelling. Your insurer will be able to explain what your individual policy does and doesn’t cover, so it’s also a good idea to get in touch with them directly and before cancelling any parts of your trip.”
What if my summer holiday is to the Middle East or a neighbouring country?
Make sure you check latest government foreign travel advice on any countries you are travelling to before you leave for the airport, as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently advises against ‘all but essential travel’ to a number of countries in the region. Including some transit routes.
A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: “Even where some flights are operating to/from the Middle East, this does not necessarily mean that holidays will go ahead as planned, given the 'All but essential' travel restrictions that are in place.
“Travel insurance could be invalidated if customers choose to travel to or transit through countries that have an 'All but essential' travel restriction, and travellers should check their individual insurance policies carefully before travelling.”
With disruption still possible, checking your policy and understanding your rights before you travel could help you avoid unexpected costs if your plans change.
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the risk of fuel shortages are already causing some disruption to flights, leaving many holidaymakers unsure whether their summer plans are safe.
Show full content
If you’ve already booked a trip, you may be wondering what happens if your flight is cancelled, or whether your travel insurance will cover any losses. It’s important to understand exactly what protection you have so you’re prepared for every eventuality.
Olle Pettersson, personal finance expert at finance information site Finansplassen, said "Most people spend more time comparing flight prices than understanding what protects them if something goes wrong. Ten minutes with your policy document before you book could save you thousands, and right now, with the situation in the Middle East still unpredictable and disruption continuing to ripple through global aviation, that ten minutes has never been more worth it."
Here's what you need to know.
Will I get my money back if my flight is cancelled due to fuel shortages?
If your flight is cancelled, the airline you booked with is responsible for offering you either a replacement flight, or a full refund. This applies regardless of the reason for the cancellation, including fuel shortages.
However, any compensation beyond a refund is unlikely if the disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances, such as the current conflict.
Most travel insurance policies will exclude any losses arising from war as this is considered outside their control, so it’s unlikely that any disruption to your holiday caused by the conflict will be covered.
However, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said: “Travel insurance policies can vary significantly, and insurers may take different approaches to claims depending on the cause of your flight cancellation and the specific policy wording. We’d always recommend you check your policy documents carefully and speak to your insurer to understand what cover may be available in your individual circumstances.”
Can I cancel my holiday and book something closer to home instead?
If you’re worried about your summer holiday plans changing last-minute and would rather just cancel them now so you can book something nearer to home, check with your airline, accommodation provider or tour operator first to see if they might allow you to rebook or get a refund.
The ABI spokesman said: “If you paid for any part of your trip by credit card, it may also be worth checking whether you have any additional protections that could help you recover some costs.
“Travel insurance generally doesn’t cover cancellations because you’ve decided against travelling. Your insurer will be able to explain what your individual policy does and doesn’t cover, so it’s also a good idea to get in touch with them directly and before cancelling any parts of your trip.”
What if my summer holiday is to the Middle East or a neighbouring country?
Make sure you check latest government foreign travel advice on any countries you are travelling to before you leave for the airport, as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently advises against ‘all but essential travel’ to a number of countries in the region. Including some transit routes.
A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: “Even where some flights are operating to/from the Middle East, this does not necessarily mean that holidays will go ahead as planned, given the 'All but essential' travel restrictions that are in place.
“Travel insurance could be invalidated if customers choose to travel to or transit through countries that have an 'All but essential' travel restriction, and travellers should check their individual insurance policies carefully before travelling.”
With disruption still possible, checking your policy and understanding your rights before you travel could help you avoid unexpected costs if your plans change.
We're here to help you be in with the best chance of getting your hands on Olivia Rodrigo tickets.
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Olivia Rodrigo is returning to the UK in 2027, this time bringing her brand-new The Unraveled Tour to London audiences.
The tour, which will begin in the United States in September 2026, will follow the release of her new album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.
Despite announcing five additional dates, demand is still set to be ultra-high, especially considering that Rodrigo has announced exciting support acts including Devon Again, Wolf Alice, The Last Dinner Party, Die Spitz and Grace Ives, who will be joining on selected dates.
We've put together the ultimate guide to help you get your hands on tickets today.
If Olivia's last UK tour was anything to go by, this 2026 slew of London shows is going to be in extremely high demand.
If you're eligible for pre-sale tickets, we'd definitely recommend taking advantage of that, as general sale tickets will be very hard to come by.
For general sale tickets, be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale, and be sure to have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to be in with the best chance of beating the Ticketmaster queue.
We're here to help you be in with the best chance of getting your hands on Olivia Rodrigo tickets.
Show full content
Olivia Rodrigo is returning to the UK in 2027, this time bringing her brand-new The Unraveled Tour to London audiences.
The tour, which will begin in the United States in September 2026, will follow the release of her new album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.
Despite announcing five additional dates, demand is still set to be ultra-high, especially considering that Rodrigo has announced exciting support acts including Devon Again, Wolf Alice, The Last Dinner Party, Die Spitz and Grace Ives, who will be joining on selected dates.
We've put together the ultimate guide to help you get your hands on tickets today.
If Olivia's last UK tour was anything to go by, this 2026 slew of London shows is going to be in extremely high demand.
If you're eligible for pre-sale tickets, we'd definitely recommend taking advantage of that, as general sale tickets will be very hard to come by.
For general sale tickets, be sure to get online at least 30 minutes before tickets go on sale, and be sure to have your Ticketmaster login details to hand to be in with the best chance of beating the Ticketmaster queue.
audioPodcastsContains TrailerHarry Potter (franchise)HBO MaxNews
The new podcast series will revisit all eight films.
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As fans gear up for the Harry Potter TV launch this Christmas, HBO Max has announced a new podcast series set to take listeners on a journey through the eight beloved films.
Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast, which has been produced by HBO Max in partnership with Pod People, will debut on 19 May with a two-episode launch focused on the first film. Two episodes will drop weekly from then on.
HBO Max has said the podcast is launching in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which starred Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione).
The podcast also comes ahead of HBO's Harry Potter TV series based on JK Rowling’s books, which will feature a brand new cast including Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
Hosted by film critic and broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon, who’ll be joined by a rotating roster of co-hosts for each film, Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast will “offer a thoughtful rewatch experience that balances high‑level film recaps with in-depth discussion of the moments that matter most by revisiting key sequences and themes and diving deeper into standout scenes, performances and creative choices".
The official synopsis continues: “Each episode explores the whimsy, heart and cinematic craft behind the films, while reflecting on why Harry Potter continues to resonate so powerfully with audiences around the world, and appeals to fans and newcomers alike.”
A regular Magic Makers segment will also see Dhillon joined by special behind-the-scenes guests, who’ll be offering their own unique insights into what it took to bring the wizarding world to life on screen.
Fans will be able to stream the video version of the podcast exclusively on HBO Max in the US, while the audio-only version will be available across all major digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X, in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast will debut on 19 May.
audioPodcastsContains TrailerHarry Potter (franchise)HBO MaxNews
The new podcast series will revisit all eight films.
Show full content
As fans gear up for the Harry Potter TV launch this Christmas, HBO Max has announced a new podcast series set to take listeners on a journey through the eight beloved films.
Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast, which has been produced by HBO Max in partnership with Pod People, will debut on 19 May with a two-episode launch focused on the first film. Two episodes will drop weekly from then on.
HBO Max has said the podcast is launching in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which starred Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione).
The podcast also comes ahead of HBO's Harry Potter TV series based on JK Rowling’s books, which will feature a brand new cast including Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
Hosted by film critic and broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon, who’ll be joined by a rotating roster of co-hosts for each film, Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast will “offer a thoughtful rewatch experience that balances high‑level film recaps with in-depth discussion of the moments that matter most by revisiting key sequences and themes and diving deeper into standout scenes, performances and creative choices".
The official synopsis continues: “Each episode explores the whimsy, heart and cinematic craft behind the films, while reflecting on why Harry Potter continues to resonate so powerfully with audiences around the world, and appeals to fans and newcomers alike.”
A regular Magic Makers segment will also see Dhillon joined by special behind-the-scenes guests, who’ll be offering their own unique insights into what it took to bring the wizarding world to life on screen.
Fans will be able to stream the video version of the podcast exclusively on HBO Max in the US, while the audio-only version will be available across all major digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X, in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast will debut on 19 May.
Going to the cinema isn’t the cheap date it used to be, so here are the best ways to get cheap cinema tickets this month.
Show full content
While going to the cinema used to be a cheap date, the prices nowadays aren't quite what they used to be.
However, there’s something about sitting in a theatre and watching the latest film, with the snacks you’ve smuggled in, that everyone finds enjoyable. Although we love the ease of streaming services, there's nothing quite like heading for a magical night out at the cinema.
So, with all of this in mind, we’re determined to find ways of making the cinema cheap again.
From monthly passes and two-for-one discounts to savings through the likes of Vodafone and Three, these are the best ways to get cheap cinema tickets.
Before booking to go to the cinema, it's important to check if you can get discounted tickets because, more often than not, you'll be able to knock a few quid off your bill.
If you have a phone or broadband contract, chances are they will offer a rewards scheme to get discounted tickets for concerts, theme parks, the cinema, and more. Vodafone, Three UK, O2, and Virgin Media are amongst the providers who offer cheap cinema tickets.
It's important to shop around; buying from the cinema's website or on the door won't be the best way to bag cheap tickets. Sites like Fever and Tastecard are brilliant for discounted cinema tickets, and if you're looking to turn a cinema trip into something a bit more special, Buyagift, Virgin Experience Days and Red Letter Days have plenty of great experiences.
Unfortunately, unlike with things such as train tickets, buying cinema tickets in advance won't lower the price. Plus, most cinemas release tickets only a week in advance anyway. But do not fear our cinema-loving readers, we've got plenty of ways to help you claim cheap cinema tickets.
This varies depending on where you claimed the offer from, but 2-for-1 cinema days are usually weekdays.
With Meerkat Movies, you can grab 2-for-1 ODEON cinema tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday for a whole year when you buy a qualifying product from Comparethemarket.com.
What day is the cheapest to go to the cinema?
Typically, weekdays are the cheapest to go to the cinema as places, such as Meerkat Movies, offer the 2-for-1 cinema ticket promotion during the week.
The cheapest day to visit may also depend on the cinema, as certain cinemas offer discounts on selected days. For example, Odeon offers cheaper tickets on Saver Mondays.
However, we have some brilliant deals below, from Tesco Clubcard, Fever, Vodafone, and more, that get you discounted cinema tickets on weekends.
Best cheap cinema tickets and deals for May 2026See unlimited films for £16.99 a month
What's the deal: What if we told you that you could see an unlimited amount of films every month for just £16.99? Well, we have a deal that lets you do exactly that, with the ODEON myLIMITLESS card.
Why we chose it: A ticket to an ODEON can cost around £10-£15 per visit. However, if you have the myLIMITLESS card, you can see as many movies as you like for the same cost.
What’s the deal: Participating cinemas in London are offering discounted tickets via Fever. See the latest films from just £4.30 at Vue, and from £6.99 at ODEON. Plus, there’s the option to join waiting lists for soon-to-be-released movies.
Why we chose it: As we've just mentioned, if we wanted to see the latest films at the ODEON in Acton, a ticket would cost from £9. However, if we bought a ticket for a Vue cinema at Fever, a seat would cost us from £4.30.
What's the deal: Amazon Prime members can get two Odeon cinema tickets for £10 on Monday through to Thursday, or two Odeon Luxe cinema tickets for £15.
Why we chose it: Amazon has said that research shows a dinner out (49%) and a night at the cinema (36%) are the UK and Ireland's favourite winter date nights, so the retailer has endeavoured to put great dates back on the agenda with this fantastic offer. In total, the deal offers a saving of more than 45% on an Odeon cinema ticket.
What’s the deal: If you fancy making a day or an evening out of your cinema trip, Buyagift has just the experience packages for you. Some of our favourites include cinema tickets with dinner and tickets to Bristol Film Festival with wine tasting.
Why we chose it: Despite some of the vouchers not saving you a huge amount of money, there are some real gems on the Buyagift website. Plus, the experiences can be claimed at various locations across the UK.
What’s the deal: Like with Buyagift, Virgin Experience Days offers cinema experiences which make watching a movie a whole lot more special. Plus, the site offers bundles on Cineworld tickets, which include snacks and drinks, saving you a couple of pennies.
Why we chose it: If you're buying someone a cinema experience, perhaps for a birthday or an anniversary, a gift card from Virgin Experience Days is a thoughtful idea.
What’s the deal: First of all, what is Tastecard? Tastecard is a one-stop shop for discount codes for your favourite restaurants, cinemas and shops. Tastecard has partnered with high street and independent cinemas to bring you up to 25% off cinema tickets.
Why we chose it: The money you save on cinema tickets can be spent on snacks instead. Smart idea? We certainly think so. Plus, your Tastecard membership not only includes offers on cinema tickets, but also deals like saving 50% off food at thousands of UK restaurants like Zizzi and Prezzo.
What’s the deal: Many cinemas offer memberships where you can pay a monthly fee and see as many films as your heart desires, for example, myLIMITLESS from ODEON offers unlimited films, savings on food and drink, and exclusive screenings from £16.99 a month. Similarly, experience as many movies as you like with Cineworld Unlimited from £10.99 a month.
Why we chose it: A lot of the time, you’d only have to visit the cinema twice a month to get your money’s worth. Plus, you get 10% off food and drink, and if you haven't already guessed, a discounted snack is a priority for the RadioTimes.com team.
What’s the deal: Another great deal you can bag by simply having a phone contract, and this time, it’s from Three UK. Three+ members can get Cineworld cinema tickets for just £3 to watch some of the best films out at the moment.
Why we chose it: There's no better time to escape from the cold and watch a great movie. Plus, the RadioTimes.com team likes to recommend deals that don't require any extra heavy lifting from you, for example, if you're a Three customer already, this offer bags you something a little bit extra.
Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com Going Out newsletter
What's the deal: As well as bringing you the latest ticketing announcements, the RadioTimes.comGoing Out newsletter also delivers on the biggest deals.
Why we chose it: If there's a saving we think is worth shouting about, you can be sure the Going Out team will cover it on our newsletter. The Going Out newsletter will land in your inbox every Thursday at 5:30pm.
What’s the deal: What’s better than discounted cinema tickets? O2 phone and Virgin Media broadband customers will love this deal: Priority offers two Vue cinema tickets for just £9, allowing you to enjoy all the latest releases at a heavily discounted price. Plus, you can secure 20% off cinema snacks, too.
Why we chose it: With tickets for Vue cinemas normally costing £9.90, this deal will save you £10.80.
Two free Vue cinema tickets for Sky Cinema customers
What's the deal: Sky Cinema customers can claim two free Vue cinema tickets each month, and they're valid to use at any Vue cinema in the UK and Ireland from Sunday through to Thursday.
Why we chose it: If you're already a Sky Cinema customer, we're going to take a guess and say you love movies, so why not watch films from the comfort of your own home and at the cinema, too?
Going to the cinema isn’t the cheap date it used to be, so here are the best ways to get cheap cinema tickets this month.
Show full content
While going to the cinema used to be a cheap date, the prices nowadays aren't quite what they used to be.
However, there’s something about sitting in a theatre and watching the latest film, with the snacks you’ve smuggled in, that everyone finds enjoyable. Although we love the ease of streaming services, there's nothing quite like heading for a magical night out at the cinema.
So, with all of this in mind, we’re determined to find ways of making the cinema cheap again.
From monthly passes and two-for-one discounts to savings through the likes of Vodafone and Three, these are the best ways to get cheap cinema tickets.
Before booking to go to the cinema, it's important to check if you can get discounted tickets because, more often than not, you'll be able to knock a few quid off your bill.
If you have a phone or broadband contract, chances are they will offer a rewards scheme to get discounted tickets for concerts, theme parks, the cinema, and more. Vodafone, Three UK, O2, and Virgin Media are amongst the providers who offer cheap cinema tickets.
It's important to shop around; buying from the cinema's website or on the door won't be the best way to bag cheap tickets. Sites like Fever and Tastecard are brilliant for discounted cinema tickets, and if you're looking to turn a cinema trip into something a bit more special, Buyagift, Virgin Experience Days and Red Letter Days have plenty of great experiences.
Unfortunately, unlike with things such as train tickets, buying cinema tickets in advance won't lower the price. Plus, most cinemas release tickets only a week in advance anyway. But do not fear our cinema-loving readers, we've got plenty of ways to help you claim cheap cinema tickets.
This varies depending on where you claimed the offer from, but 2-for-1 cinema days are usually weekdays.
With Meerkat Movies, you can grab 2-for-1 ODEON cinema tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday for a whole year when you buy a qualifying product from Comparethemarket.com.
What day is the cheapest to go to the cinema?
Typically, weekdays are the cheapest to go to the cinema as places, such as Meerkat Movies, offer the 2-for-1 cinema ticket promotion during the week.
The cheapest day to visit may also depend on the cinema, as certain cinemas offer discounts on selected days. For example, Odeon offers cheaper tickets on Saver Mondays.
However, we have some brilliant deals below, from Tesco Clubcard, Fever, Vodafone, and more, that get you discounted cinema tickets on weekends.
Best cheap cinema tickets and deals for May 2026See unlimited films for £16.99 a month
What's the deal: What if we told you that you could see an unlimited amount of films every month for just £16.99? Well, we have a deal that lets you do exactly that, with the ODEON myLIMITLESS card.
Why we chose it: A ticket to an ODEON can cost around £10-£15 per visit. However, if you have the myLIMITLESS card, you can see as many movies as you like for the same cost.
What’s the deal: Participating cinemas in London are offering discounted tickets via Fever. See the latest films from just £4.30 at Vue, and from £6.99 at ODEON. Plus, there’s the option to join waiting lists for soon-to-be-released movies.
Why we chose it: As we've just mentioned, if we wanted to see the latest films at the ODEON in Acton, a ticket would cost from £9. However, if we bought a ticket for a Vue cinema at Fever, a seat would cost us from £4.30.
What's the deal: Amazon Prime members can get two Odeon cinema tickets for £10 on Monday through to Thursday, or two Odeon Luxe cinema tickets for £15.
Why we chose it: Amazon has said that research shows a dinner out (49%) and a night at the cinema (36%) are the UK and Ireland's favourite winter date nights, so the retailer has endeavoured to put great dates back on the agenda with this fantastic offer. In total, the deal offers a saving of more than 45% on an Odeon cinema ticket.
What’s the deal: If you fancy making a day or an evening out of your cinema trip, Buyagift has just the experience packages for you. Some of our favourites include cinema tickets with dinner and tickets to Bristol Film Festival with wine tasting.
Why we chose it: Despite some of the vouchers not saving you a huge amount of money, there are some real gems on the Buyagift website. Plus, the experiences can be claimed at various locations across the UK.
What’s the deal: Like with Buyagift, Virgin Experience Days offers cinema experiences which make watching a movie a whole lot more special. Plus, the site offers bundles on Cineworld tickets, which include snacks and drinks, saving you a couple of pennies.
Why we chose it: If you're buying someone a cinema experience, perhaps for a birthday or an anniversary, a gift card from Virgin Experience Days is a thoughtful idea.
What’s the deal: First of all, what is Tastecard? Tastecard is a one-stop shop for discount codes for your favourite restaurants, cinemas and shops. Tastecard has partnered with high street and independent cinemas to bring you up to 25% off cinema tickets.
Why we chose it: The money you save on cinema tickets can be spent on snacks instead. Smart idea? We certainly think so. Plus, your Tastecard membership not only includes offers on cinema tickets, but also deals like saving 50% off food at thousands of UK restaurants like Zizzi and Prezzo.
What’s the deal: Many cinemas offer memberships where you can pay a monthly fee and see as many films as your heart desires, for example, myLIMITLESS from ODEON offers unlimited films, savings on food and drink, and exclusive screenings from £16.99 a month. Similarly, experience as many movies as you like with Cineworld Unlimited from £10.99 a month.
Why we chose it: A lot of the time, you’d only have to visit the cinema twice a month to get your money’s worth. Plus, you get 10% off food and drink, and if you haven't already guessed, a discounted snack is a priority for the RadioTimes.com team.
What’s the deal: Another great deal you can bag by simply having a phone contract, and this time, it’s from Three UK. Three+ members can get Cineworld cinema tickets for just £3 to watch some of the best films out at the moment.
Why we chose it: There's no better time to escape from the cold and watch a great movie. Plus, the RadioTimes.com team likes to recommend deals that don't require any extra heavy lifting from you, for example, if you're a Three customer already, this offer bags you something a little bit extra.
Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com Going Out newsletter
What's the deal: As well as bringing you the latest ticketing announcements, the RadioTimes.comGoing Out newsletter also delivers on the biggest deals.
Why we chose it: If there's a saving we think is worth shouting about, you can be sure the Going Out team will cover it on our newsletter. The Going Out newsletter will land in your inbox every Thursday at 5:30pm.
What’s the deal: What’s better than discounted cinema tickets? O2 phone and Virgin Media broadband customers will love this deal: Priority offers two Vue cinema tickets for just £9, allowing you to enjoy all the latest releases at a heavily discounted price. Plus, you can secure 20% off cinema snacks, too.
Why we chose it: With tickets for Vue cinemas normally costing £9.90, this deal will save you £10.80.
Two free Vue cinema tickets for Sky Cinema customers
What's the deal: Sky Cinema customers can claim two free Vue cinema tickets each month, and they're valid to use at any Vue cinema in the UK and Ireland from Sunday through to Thursday.
Why we chose it: If you're already a Sky Cinema customer, we're going to take a guess and say you love movies, so why not watch films from the comfort of your own home and at the cinema, too?
Got your sights set on a trip to London this year? You can't miss a visit to the London Eye.
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Pulling in over three million visitors per year, the London Eye (or Millennium Wheel) offers spectacular views of the capital, with clear days offering a view of up to 40km away.
The wheel was first designed in 1993 as a way of marking the millennium and, like the Eiffel Tower, was intended to be temporary. But in 2002, Lambeth Council granted the Eye a permanent license, allowing this glorious structure to stand on London's Southbank for years to come.
What's more, the Eye now plays a key role in the UK's annual New Year's Eve fireworks display, and of course it's seen thousands of proposals within its 32 pods.
But, if we had to pick one draw back, it would be the cost. Like most London attractions, the London Eye isn't cheap, so below we've pulled together a full list of the best ways to save on entry tickets.
Whether it's through buying multi-attraction combos, or getting your booking in well in advance, we've outlined all the ways to save money.
What is the cheapest way to buy London Eye tickets?
The cheapest way to get London Eye entry is by booking off-peak tickets, online and in advance. If you buy a ticket for an off-peak time (weekdays during work hours), prices start at £29.
Otherwise, the cheapest method is to buy in a bundle with other London attractions like the Thames River Cruise bundle, or get full access to London tourist attractions with the London Pass. These multi-attraction deals have a higher starting price – e.g. £54 for the Go City Explorer Pass – but will ultimately end up saving you money if you're planning to visit more than one location.
Can you buy London Eye tickets on the day?
You can, but it's recommended you book in advance. If you turn up on the day, tickets start at £42 and you'll have to endure very long queues.
Is it cheaper to book London Eye tickets in advance?
Yes. It's much cheaper to book London Eye tickets in advance. Considering on the day tickets start at £39, and advance tickets start at £29, you're saving £10 on entry.
Best London Eye ticket deals, discounts and two for one offers in 2026Book off-peak advance tickets from £29
London Eye standard entry tickets start at £29, as long as you book online and in advance. You'll find the cheapest prices for off-peak times (weekdays), but even with peak times the cost only rises to £33.
You can find standard tickets on the official lastminute.com London Eye website, or via official partners like Viator and Headout, where entry tickets are slightly cheaper depending on times.
If you're looking to buy last-minute tickets to the London Eye, the best price we've found is through Expedia. Right now, you can book on the day tickets from £32.
If you're keen to avoid the queues, London Eye Fast-track tickets start from £44 – £54 if you turn up on the day – or you can get Flexi Fast-track from £49 which allow you to turn up at any time. Again, this is only if you book online, and peak times will have slightly higher prices.
See 100+ London tourist attractions with the London Pass
If you're in London for a sightseeing trip, or you're just playing tourist for the day, why not invest in the London Pass? This multi-attraction ticket gets you entry and tours to over 100 London tourist spots, including St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Shakespeare's Globe.
A one-day London pass currently costs just £54 per person, but you can make this back by heading to just two attractions. However, the best value option is the three-day pass, which costs £189.
Get 60 days' sightseeing with the London Explorer Pass
If you don't want to commit to the full London Pass, the London Explorer Pass costs £54 and comes with credits for two to seven attractions.
You can choose where to redeem your credits from a list of London’s most popular spots such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and more, and the pass will be valid for 60 days from your first use.
Speaking about London passes, you can also explore the UK capital with the Go City Pass, which allows you to save up to 50% on attractions. Bear in mind that only the All-Inclusive Pass Plus includes the London Eye.
There are a few different options when it comes to Go City passes:
Explorer Pass: Choose how many attractions you want to visit within 30 days from £54.
All-Inclusive Pass: Choose the duration of your pass and any of the attractions from £79.
All-Inclusive Pass Plus: Get access to Go City attractions for as long as you want, plus three extras: The View from the Shard, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds from £109.
Save 10% on London Eye and Thames River Cruise tickets
If you have your eye on a specific set of attractions, you can get packages like the London Eye and Thames River Cruise combo for 10% off, taking the price down to £45.16.
Merlin also offers multi-attraction tickets to a wide-range of tourist hotspots. For the London Eye this includes the London SEA LIFE aquarium, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon and Shrek's Adventure.
Merlin are also currently offering a 5 Attraction Pass, which offers entry to - you guessed it- five attractions across London. This means that each attraction will only set you back under £12, which is 70% less than if you bought them separately.
Book London Eye Champagne Experience ticket from £59.02
Why not make that London Eye trip extra special by washing it down with a glass of bubbly? At Viator, we've found London Eye tickets that come with a crisp glass of champagne for just £59.02.
What could be a more quintessentially British experience than enjoying a spot of afternoon tea from one of London's most iconic landmarks?
Guests will enjoy a double rotation in one of the London Eye pods (roughly one hour) while sampling some classic afternoon tea staples— we're talking cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, premium teas and, of course, scones with clotted cream.
Got your sights set on a trip to London this year? You can't miss a visit to the London Eye.
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Pulling in over three million visitors per year, the London Eye (or Millennium Wheel) offers spectacular views of the capital, with clear days offering a view of up to 40km away.
The wheel was first designed in 1993 as a way of marking the millennium and, like the Eiffel Tower, was intended to be temporary. But in 2002, Lambeth Council granted the Eye a permanent license, allowing this glorious structure to stand on London's Southbank for years to come.
What's more, the Eye now plays a key role in the UK's annual New Year's Eve fireworks display, and of course it's seen thousands of proposals within its 32 pods.
But, if we had to pick one draw back, it would be the cost. Like most London attractions, the London Eye isn't cheap, so below we've pulled together a full list of the best ways to save on entry tickets.
Whether it's through buying multi-attraction combos, or getting your booking in well in advance, we've outlined all the ways to save money.
What is the cheapest way to buy London Eye tickets?
The cheapest way to get London Eye entry is by booking off-peak tickets, online and in advance. If you buy a ticket for an off-peak time (weekdays during work hours), prices start at £29.
Otherwise, the cheapest method is to buy in a bundle with other London attractions like the Thames River Cruise bundle, or get full access to London tourist attractions with the London Pass. These multi-attraction deals have a higher starting price – e.g. £54 for the Go City Explorer Pass – but will ultimately end up saving you money if you're planning to visit more than one location.
Can you buy London Eye tickets on the day?
You can, but it's recommended you book in advance. If you turn up on the day, tickets start at £42 and you'll have to endure very long queues.
Is it cheaper to book London Eye tickets in advance?
Yes. It's much cheaper to book London Eye tickets in advance. Considering on the day tickets start at £39, and advance tickets start at £29, you're saving £10 on entry.
Best London Eye ticket deals, discounts and two for one offers in 2026Book off-peak advance tickets from £29
London Eye standard entry tickets start at £29, as long as you book online and in advance. You'll find the cheapest prices for off-peak times (weekdays), but even with peak times the cost only rises to £33.
You can find standard tickets on the official lastminute.com London Eye website, or via official partners like Viator and Headout, where entry tickets are slightly cheaper depending on times.
If you're looking to buy last-minute tickets to the London Eye, the best price we've found is through Expedia. Right now, you can book on the day tickets from £32.
If you're keen to avoid the queues, London Eye Fast-track tickets start from £44 – £54 if you turn up on the day – or you can get Flexi Fast-track from £49 which allow you to turn up at any time. Again, this is only if you book online, and peak times will have slightly higher prices.
See 100+ London tourist attractions with the London Pass
If you're in London for a sightseeing trip, or you're just playing tourist for the day, why not invest in the London Pass? This multi-attraction ticket gets you entry and tours to over 100 London tourist spots, including St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Shakespeare's Globe.
A one-day London pass currently costs just £54 per person, but you can make this back by heading to just two attractions. However, the best value option is the three-day pass, which costs £189.
Get 60 days' sightseeing with the London Explorer Pass
If you don't want to commit to the full London Pass, the London Explorer Pass costs £54 and comes with credits for two to seven attractions.
You can choose where to redeem your credits from a list of London’s most popular spots such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and more, and the pass will be valid for 60 days from your first use.
Speaking about London passes, you can also explore the UK capital with the Go City Pass, which allows you to save up to 50% on attractions. Bear in mind that only the All-Inclusive Pass Plus includes the London Eye.
There are a few different options when it comes to Go City passes:
Explorer Pass: Choose how many attractions you want to visit within 30 days from £54.
All-Inclusive Pass: Choose the duration of your pass and any of the attractions from £79.
All-Inclusive Pass Plus: Get access to Go City attractions for as long as you want, plus three extras: The View from the Shard, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds from £109.
Save 10% on London Eye and Thames River Cruise tickets
If you have your eye on a specific set of attractions, you can get packages like the London Eye and Thames River Cruise combo for 10% off, taking the price down to £45.16.
Merlin also offers multi-attraction tickets to a wide-range of tourist hotspots. For the London Eye this includes the London SEA LIFE aquarium, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon and Shrek's Adventure.
Merlin are also currently offering a 5 Attraction Pass, which offers entry to - you guessed it- five attractions across London. This means that each attraction will only set you back under £12, which is 70% less than if you bought them separately.
Book London Eye Champagne Experience ticket from £59.02
Why not make that London Eye trip extra special by washing it down with a glass of bubbly? At Viator, we've found London Eye tickets that come with a crisp glass of champagne for just £59.02.
What could be a more quintessentially British experience than enjoying a spot of afternoon tea from one of London's most iconic landmarks?
Guests will enjoy a double rotation in one of the London Eye pods (roughly one hour) while sampling some classic afternoon tea staples— we're talking cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, premium teas and, of course, scones with clotted cream.
Want to grab a sweet saving on this delicious Birmingham attraction? Here's how.
Show full content
Cadbury World is a daim-good option to keep yourself and your family entertained during the weekends and the school holidays.
The Birmingham-based attraction is hugely popular among adults and children alike ushering in over 600,000 visitors every year.
Throughout the visit, guests are invited to take a deep dive into the history of chocolate making and learn what it takes to be the UK's leading chocolate brand.
You'll travel through the Aztec jungles to see how chocolate was first discovered, journey into the Victorian era to see about how Cadbury came to be, and take a trip down memory lane with all of Cadbury's past adverts.
There are of course plenty of taste tests along the way and you'll have a chance to try rides like the 4D Chocolate Adventure and the brand-new Cadbury Chocolate Quest. All ending up with a visit to the Cadbury Shop.
But while that all sounds tempting and delicious, you brain might also be ringing with the word 'expensive'. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of all the ways you can save money on a ticket to Cadbury World.
The cost of Cadbury World tickets depends on which day you book. On a week-day, tickets start at £19 for off-peak times, but then go up to £25 or £27. For weekends, entry costs between £22 and £28 depending on the time slot.
Tickets must be booked in advance, however if you're not sure on timings, you can always book an Anytime Day Entry ticket for £33. You can also book a ticket on the day, which will set you back £28.
Best Cadbury World ticket offers and discounts for 2026Save up to 32% on Cadbury World tickets
If you pick the right time-slot for Cadbury World entry, you could be saving up to 32% on the price of your ticket. For example, while an Anytime Day ticket costs £28, an off-peak mid-week booking costs £19.
For a limited time Cadbury World has brought back its Adult and Toddler voucher for just £19. These tickets are available from Monday to Friday and are perfect if you have a child who's aged 0-5.
Normally tickets for children aged 2-15 cost at least £18, and an adult ticket costs at least £22.50, so with this you're essentially paying the price of one child ticket.
Student tickets to Cadbury World cost just £12, which saves you anywhere between £7 and £16 on entry. As long as you have a valid student ID you can book any mid-week time slot and make a huge saving.
For a limited time only, the following postcodes will be eligible to a 50% discount on entry to Cadbury World:
B (Birmingham)
CV (Coventry)
WS (Walsall)
WV (Wolverhampton)
DY (Dudley)
Enter your postcode at the beginning of the purchasing process and you'll be shown available tickets. Bear in mind that your postcode must match your billing address.
Get afternoon tea and entry to Cadbury World for £29.95
Enjoy a delicious afternoon tea (heavily chocolate-themed, of course), plus entry to Cadbury World and access to the Cadbury World Shop and African Adventure Play Area for just £29.95.
Or, if you want to take things up a notch, you can choose the Character Afternoon Tea option and dine with iconic Cadbury characters like Freddo and the Cadbury bunny, all for just £10 more (less for children aged between 5 and 15).
Get 30% off with Birmingham multi-attraction tickets
If you're based in the midlands, or planning a longer visit, why not take advantage of the Multi-Attraction Pass? You can either get tickets to Cadbury World and one other attraction for 25% off, or Cadbury World and two other attractions for 30% off.
These attractions could be: National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham or Warwick Castle.
Get over 200 days' entry with the Merlin Annual Pass
The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Cadbury World, Chessington and Alton Towers. With prices usually starting at £139 but currently on sale for £99, you can get the Discovery Pass, which gives you over 200 days entry to any of the attractions available.
Or, you can upgrade to the Gold, or Platinum passes, which give you 300, 340 and 364 days respectively, and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.
Cheapest prices guaranteed with an experience voucher
Not sure what day to book? Well, if you buy a Cadbury World gift experience at Virgin Experience Days, you have the flexibility of choosing your dates later on.
Plus, you can buy the tickets in bundles which start at the cheapest entry price.
Enjoy a summer stay in Birmingham with prosecco and Cadbury World entry
If you want to take your Cadburys World experience to the next level, then why not check out this hotel deal at Virgin Experience Days? Spend a night at the AC Hotel by Marriott in a room overlooking the canals along with a bottle of prosecco to enjoy.
The next day you'll enjoy a tasty breakfast before heading out to explore the city and, of course, visit Cadbury World.
Cadbury World is on the south side of Birmingham just off the M5 and M42. If you are driving then parking is free of charge, however, you may have to pay for passing through the Birmingham Clean Air Zone.
Otherwise, the nearest train station is Bourneville, just a 15 minute walk away from the site. This station is served by the Cross-City Line from Birmingham New Street station, which in turn you can get to from Central Birmingham, London and Coventry.
Want to grab a sweet saving on this delicious Birmingham attraction? Here's how.
Show full content
Cadbury World is a daim-good option to keep yourself and your family entertained during the weekends and the school holidays.
The Birmingham-based attraction is hugely popular among adults and children alike ushering in over 600,000 visitors every year.
Throughout the visit, guests are invited to take a deep dive into the history of chocolate making and learn what it takes to be the UK's leading chocolate brand.
You'll travel through the Aztec jungles to see how chocolate was first discovered, journey into the Victorian era to see about how Cadbury came to be, and take a trip down memory lane with all of Cadbury's past adverts.
There are of course plenty of taste tests along the way and you'll have a chance to try rides like the 4D Chocolate Adventure and the brand-new Cadbury Chocolate Quest. All ending up with a visit to the Cadbury Shop.
But while that all sounds tempting and delicious, you brain might also be ringing with the word 'expensive'. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of all the ways you can save money on a ticket to Cadbury World.
The cost of Cadbury World tickets depends on which day you book. On a week-day, tickets start at £19 for off-peak times, but then go up to £25 or £27. For weekends, entry costs between £22 and £28 depending on the time slot.
Tickets must be booked in advance, however if you're not sure on timings, you can always book an Anytime Day Entry ticket for £33. You can also book a ticket on the day, which will set you back £28.
Best Cadbury World ticket offers and discounts for 2026Save up to 32% on Cadbury World tickets
If you pick the right time-slot for Cadbury World entry, you could be saving up to 32% on the price of your ticket. For example, while an Anytime Day ticket costs £28, an off-peak mid-week booking costs £19.
For a limited time Cadbury World has brought back its Adult and Toddler voucher for just £19. These tickets are available from Monday to Friday and are perfect if you have a child who's aged 0-5.
Normally tickets for children aged 2-15 cost at least £18, and an adult ticket costs at least £22.50, so with this you're essentially paying the price of one child ticket.
Student tickets to Cadbury World cost just £12, which saves you anywhere between £7 and £16 on entry. As long as you have a valid student ID you can book any mid-week time slot and make a huge saving.
For a limited time only, the following postcodes will be eligible to a 50% discount on entry to Cadbury World:
B (Birmingham)
CV (Coventry)
WS (Walsall)
WV (Wolverhampton)
DY (Dudley)
Enter your postcode at the beginning of the purchasing process and you'll be shown available tickets. Bear in mind that your postcode must match your billing address.
Get afternoon tea and entry to Cadbury World for £29.95
Enjoy a delicious afternoon tea (heavily chocolate-themed, of course), plus entry to Cadbury World and access to the Cadbury World Shop and African Adventure Play Area for just £29.95.
Or, if you want to take things up a notch, you can choose the Character Afternoon Tea option and dine with iconic Cadbury characters like Freddo and the Cadbury bunny, all for just £10 more (less for children aged between 5 and 15).
Get 30% off with Birmingham multi-attraction tickets
If you're based in the midlands, or planning a longer visit, why not take advantage of the Multi-Attraction Pass? You can either get tickets to Cadbury World and one other attraction for 25% off, or Cadbury World and two other attractions for 30% off.
These attractions could be: National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham or Warwick Castle.
Get over 200 days' entry with the Merlin Annual Pass
The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Cadbury World, Chessington and Alton Towers. With prices usually starting at £139 but currently on sale for £99, you can get the Discovery Pass, which gives you over 200 days entry to any of the attractions available.
Or, you can upgrade to the Gold, or Platinum passes, which give you 300, 340 and 364 days respectively, and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.
Cheapest prices guaranteed with an experience voucher
Not sure what day to book? Well, if you buy a Cadbury World gift experience at Virgin Experience Days, you have the flexibility of choosing your dates later on.
Plus, you can buy the tickets in bundles which start at the cheapest entry price.
Enjoy a summer stay in Birmingham with prosecco and Cadbury World entry
If you want to take your Cadburys World experience to the next level, then why not check out this hotel deal at Virgin Experience Days? Spend a night at the AC Hotel by Marriott in a room overlooking the canals along with a bottle of prosecco to enjoy.
The next day you'll enjoy a tasty breakfast before heading out to explore the city and, of course, visit Cadbury World.
Cadbury World is on the south side of Birmingham just off the M5 and M42. If you are driving then parking is free of charge, however, you may have to pay for passing through the Birmingham Clean Air Zone.
Otherwise, the nearest train station is Bourneville, just a 15 minute walk away from the site. This station is served by the Cross-City Line from Birmingham New Street station, which in turn you can get to from Central Birmingham, London and Coventry.
There's over 1,100 years of history at Warwick Castle, and we're here to help you experience it all for less.
Show full content
Did you know there's a slice of medieval history right in the middle of the Warwickshire countryside? Warwick Castle is a genuine medieval castle developed from a wooden fort that was first built by William the Conqueror in 1068, right after the famous Battle of Hastings.
Warwick Castle is widely known as one of the best preserved medieval castles in England, and this beautiful building has beautiful views to match. With panoramic views of the Warwickshire countryside, River Avon and the town of Warwick, as well as views of the castle grounds, it's no surprise that plenty of couples have chosen Warwick Castle as their wedding venue.
There's plenty to do across the castle grounds, suitable for people of all ages. From interactive areas with actors on-site to shows, tours and places to eat, the site is packed full of both history and entertainment.
With the Easter holidays underway, it's time to start considering how to keep the kids entertained, and Warwick Castle is an excellent option with live shows and meet-and-greets, not to mention the exciting Birds of Prey display. Throughout the year, you'll find plenty of other seasonal events, from a comedy festival to a medieval feast, as well as plenty of surprises on every day of the year.
However, all of these events and entertainment come at a cost. Thankfully we're here to show you how you can enjoy all that Warwick Castle has to offer for less.
What's the deal: Warwick Castle annual passes begin at £44 per person, which grants Access to the castle grounds, attractions and live shows, as well as discounts and exclusive access to news and special offers.
Why we chose it: If you're a local to the area or a history buff who would consider coming to visit several times a year, this is worth investing in as it won't take that many trips to make your money back.
What's the deal: The castle offers a package ticket for parents and toddlers starting at £20. This is available for kids under five and includes full access to the castle and grounds. You can also get the family of four package for £86.
Why we choseit: This is an ideal set of savings for families who want to take their kids out on an educational daytrip.
What's the deal: If you're signed up to Student Beans, you can get a one-day entry ticket to Warwick Castle from £16, which is a reduction of almost 30%.
Why we chose it: Listen to the words of advice from the wise RadioTimes.com Going Out team. While you're a student, you should absolutely make the most off all the discounts you can get.
Experience a day trip from London to Warwick Castle by rail
What's the deal: Head to Warwick Castle from London via rail for just £75, a price which includes the rail journey there and back, as well as entrance to the castle.
Why we chose it: If you want to head to Warwick Castle from the UK's capital but are feeling a little lost without a car, then this is for you.
Save on Warwick Castle and more UK attractions with the Merlin pass
What's the deal: The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers. The Essential Pass (300 days entry) costs £139. Meanwhile, the Gold, or Platinum passes give you 340 and 364 days respectively, and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.
Why we chose it: Whether you're a huge fan of theme parks or you often travel around the UK and are looking for new things to experience, the Merlin Pass is a great option.
When you add up the cost of visiting the parks a few time over the course of the year, you'll really see the value for money, especially as the Merlin Pass is currently on sale.
What's the deal: If you're making a group booking for 10 or more people, the price per person start from just £18, a reduction of £4 per head.
Why we chose it: You know the saying; the more the merrier! And it's also the more the cheaper at Warwick Castle. Note that this offer is pre-book only and cannot be used at the gate.
Discounted Warwick Castle tickets with Tesco Clubcard
What's the deal: Scanning your Clubcard when you shop at Tesco generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers, where you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets: so £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers, for example.
Why we chose it: Saving on Warwick Castle tickets while simply doing your weekly shop has got to be one of the lowest-effort ways to help out your wallet.
Head on a short break to Warwick Castle from £40 per person
What's the deal: You can purchase a short break to Warwick Castle from £40 per person, a price which includes an overnight stay in the castle grounds, day tickets and evening entertainment.
Why we chose it: At Warwick Castle, you can enjoy an enchanting mini-break with lively evening entertainment. Choose between the Woodland Lodges, Medieval Glamping Tents, stunning Tower Suites, and the newly-opened Warwick Castle Hotel.
Experience Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cotswolds and Warwick Castle on a day trip from London
What's the deal: Enjoy a grand day out, uncovering hidden gems in the Cotswolds and visiting iconic English sites from just £76.50.
Why we chose it: With this trip, you'll get three tours of beautiful English sites (the Cotswolds, Straford-Upon-Avon and Oxford), as well as entry to Warwick Castle and Shakespeare's birthplace, depending on the option you select.
What's the deal: When you book your Warwick Castle ticket online, you can book a ticket to a second attraction for just £40.
Why we chose it: This deal allows you to choose between National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham or Cadbury World. The second attraction must be visited within 90 days of your visit to Warwick Castle, and you can reschedule for free up to 24 hours before your visit.
There's over 1,100 years of history at Warwick Castle, and we're here to help you experience it all for less.
Show full content
Did you know there's a slice of medieval history right in the middle of the Warwickshire countryside? Warwick Castle is a genuine medieval castle developed from a wooden fort that was first built by William the Conqueror in 1068, right after the famous Battle of Hastings.
Warwick Castle is widely known as one of the best preserved medieval castles in England, and this beautiful building has beautiful views to match. With panoramic views of the Warwickshire countryside, River Avon and the town of Warwick, as well as views of the castle grounds, it's no surprise that plenty of couples have chosen Warwick Castle as their wedding venue.
There's plenty to do across the castle grounds, suitable for people of all ages. From interactive areas with actors on-site to shows, tours and places to eat, the site is packed full of both history and entertainment.
With the Easter holidays underway, it's time to start considering how to keep the kids entertained, and Warwick Castle is an excellent option with live shows and meet-and-greets, not to mention the exciting Birds of Prey display. Throughout the year, you'll find plenty of other seasonal events, from a comedy festival to a medieval feast, as well as plenty of surprises on every day of the year.
However, all of these events and entertainment come at a cost. Thankfully we're here to show you how you can enjoy all that Warwick Castle has to offer for less.
What's the deal: Warwick Castle annual passes begin at £44 per person, which grants Access to the castle grounds, attractions and live shows, as well as discounts and exclusive access to news and special offers.
Why we chose it: If you're a local to the area or a history buff who would consider coming to visit several times a year, this is worth investing in as it won't take that many trips to make your money back.
What's the deal: The castle offers a package ticket for parents and toddlers starting at £20. This is available for kids under five and includes full access to the castle and grounds. You can also get the family of four package for £86.
Why we choseit: This is an ideal set of savings for families who want to take their kids out on an educational daytrip.
What's the deal: If you're signed up to Student Beans, you can get a one-day entry ticket to Warwick Castle from £16, which is a reduction of almost 30%.
Why we chose it: Listen to the words of advice from the wise RadioTimes.com Going Out team. While you're a student, you should absolutely make the most off all the discounts you can get.
Experience a day trip from London to Warwick Castle by rail
What's the deal: Head to Warwick Castle from London via rail for just £75, a price which includes the rail journey there and back, as well as entrance to the castle.
Why we chose it: If you want to head to Warwick Castle from the UK's capital but are feeling a little lost without a car, then this is for you.
Save on Warwick Castle and more UK attractions with the Merlin pass
What's the deal: The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers. The Essential Pass (300 days entry) costs £139. Meanwhile, the Gold, or Platinum passes give you 340 and 364 days respectively, and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.
Why we chose it: Whether you're a huge fan of theme parks or you often travel around the UK and are looking for new things to experience, the Merlin Pass is a great option.
When you add up the cost of visiting the parks a few time over the course of the year, you'll really see the value for money, especially as the Merlin Pass is currently on sale.
What's the deal: If you're making a group booking for 10 or more people, the price per person start from just £18, a reduction of £4 per head.
Why we chose it: You know the saying; the more the merrier! And it's also the more the cheaper at Warwick Castle. Note that this offer is pre-book only and cannot be used at the gate.
Discounted Warwick Castle tickets with Tesco Clubcard
What's the deal: Scanning your Clubcard when you shop at Tesco generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers, where you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets: so £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers, for example.
Why we chose it: Saving on Warwick Castle tickets while simply doing your weekly shop has got to be one of the lowest-effort ways to help out your wallet.
Head on a short break to Warwick Castle from £40 per person
What's the deal: You can purchase a short break to Warwick Castle from £40 per person, a price which includes an overnight stay in the castle grounds, day tickets and evening entertainment.
Why we chose it: At Warwick Castle, you can enjoy an enchanting mini-break with lively evening entertainment. Choose between the Woodland Lodges, Medieval Glamping Tents, stunning Tower Suites, and the newly-opened Warwick Castle Hotel.
Experience Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cotswolds and Warwick Castle on a day trip from London
What's the deal: Enjoy a grand day out, uncovering hidden gems in the Cotswolds and visiting iconic English sites from just £76.50.
Why we chose it: With this trip, you'll get three tours of beautiful English sites (the Cotswolds, Straford-Upon-Avon and Oxford), as well as entry to Warwick Castle and Shakespeare's birthplace, depending on the option you select.
What's the deal: When you book your Warwick Castle ticket online, you can book a ticket to a second attraction for just £40.
Why we chose it: This deal allows you to choose between National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham or Cadbury World. The second attraction must be visited within 90 days of your visit to Warwick Castle, and you can reschedule for free up to 24 hours before your visit.
Some of the biggest names in the music scene are set to tour the UK this year— here's how you can get tickets, even to sold-out tours.
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From the much-anticipated Oasis reunion tour to THAT viral moment at the Coldplay concert, 2025 was truly one for the live music history books.
However, with an already stacked line-up, 2026 is shaping up to give it a run for its money, with live music proving to be more popular than ever.
According to Live Music Industry Venues and Entertainment (LIVE), one concert took place on average every 137 seconds across the UK in 2024, while new data from Statista has revealed that spending on concerts has reached pre-pandemic levels, hitting the £5 billion mark.
Whether you're a pop, classic rock or alternative fan, we've compiled the ultimate list of the best artists coming to UK venues in 2026.
While lots of artists tend to focus on larger UK cities, our list includes artists who are touring venues all across the UK. Plus, we'll be keeping this list regularly updated as more tours are announced throughout the year.
Gorillaz — the sonic project spearheaded by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn — are heading on tour in 2026 in support of of their brand new album, The Mountain.
Musicians NE-YO and Akon are teaming up this spring for the ultimate night of club anthems, sing-a-longs and noughties throwbacks.
The two artists have announced their new Nights Like This world tour, co-headlined and featuring classics like NE-YO's So Sick and Closer and Akon's Smack That and Lonely.
It's the Greatest Day of our lives, as Take That have announced the return of their iconic The Circus Tour.
This tour first took place in 2009 and was, at the time, the fastest-selling tour in UK history. The live shows included fire breathers, acrobats, stilt walkers and a huge mechanical elephant, making it one of the standout tours of the 21st century.
The grand return of Harry Styles has been much anticipated, and now it's finally here. The pop star released his first single since 2022, Aperture, and also announced a 2026 tour.
You can catch him across a 12-night residency in London's Wembley Stadium, and hospitality tickets are still available at Seat Unique, starting from £159.
Known for their huge rock anthems such as All My Life, The Pretender, Best Of You and My Hero, Foo Fighters will be bringing all these hits and more to the UK in 2026.
The band will only be playing two UK dates, both at Anfield in Liverpool.
Rock legends Def Leppard are touring the UK for their huge arena shows, visiting venues in Sheffield, Belfast and more. The Pour Some Sugar on Me singers will be joined by American rock band Extreme, and the band have promised "surprises and classics" for their upcoming tour.
Yes, that's right; Mr Worldwide is gracing us with his presence once more. His UK shows last year were a smash hit, so grab your bald cap and get ready to join in the fun once more.
Iconic emo rockers My Chemical Romance are returning to London as part of their Long Live The Black Parade! tour in 2026, as well as heading to Liverpool and Glasgow.
You'll have several chances next summer to catch Michael Bublé live across the UK, as the beloved crooner will be performing at a number of key British festivals.
The Colombian reggaeton star blew crowds away with her high-energy performance as the first Latina to ever headline Coachella. Now you can catch her one-off UK show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
There are still plenty of tickets left for Karol G's VIAJANDO POR EL MUNDO TROPITOUR at Ticketmaster.
The time has come again – BTS are heading back to the UK.
As all seasoned fans know, getting your hands on BTS tickets is a full-blown mission, especially in 2026, as they're only playing two shows in London. However, Seat Unique still have hospitality tickets left.
After a long nine years away from the UK, System of a Down have confirmed a UK tour. What was originally supposed to be a one-off gig at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium quickly turned into two gigs at the stadium due to demand. The heavy metal band will be joined by Queens Of The Stone Age and Acid Bath.
Bruno Mars is back— not that he ever really went anywhere. While he hasn't been focusing on his solo music over the past few years, the singer-songwriter has been collaborating with Anderson Paak in their soul/funk duo Silk Sonic, as well as releasing the hit track APT with Rosé from BLACKPINK.
Country singer Luke Combs 2026 tour sold out instantly, as did the extra dates he announced. Luckily, there are still hospitality tickets left at Seat Unique.
Due to phenomenal demand, The Weeknd has extended his After Hours Til Dawn Tour (which was originally two nights at London's Wembley Stadium) to five Wembley Stadium shows, plus two nights at Dublin's Croke Park.
Ariana Grande is heading on her first tour in seven years next summer and the Going Out team, for one, are thrilled! When tickets were released last week, the demand was so high that five extra dates were added to the tour — doubling its original number.
The former One Direction member has announced the release of his fourth studio album Dinner Party, which is set to come out later this year, followed by a UK and Ireland tour running from September 2026.
Rapper J Cole has announced a major world tour in 2026, with eight dates planned in UK arenas.
The Fall-Off Tour will be the artist's first solo headline tour in five years, following 2021’s The Off-Season Tour, and his first full global run since 2017.
This pop princess has announced four UK shows in 2027, all of which are taking place at The O2 in London.
While tickets sold out almost immediately, you still have a slight chance of getting a re-sale ticket— if you manage to get onto the site at the exact right time.
Which artists still have tickets for 2026 UK tour dates?
Despite the recently skyrocketing demand for tickets, there are plenty of general access tickets remaining for artists touring the UK in 2026. All remaining tickets have been included alongside the artists in the list above.
It's no secret that the ticketing industry has changed greatly in the past few years, as demand for live shows has soared post-pandemic.
This means that nowadays it's often extremely difficult to get your hands on concert tickets for large venues like the O2, Wembley Stadium or the Eventim Apollo, especially if the artist is a household name.
As it becomes increasingly difficult to get tickets for tours and concerts, there is a major way to get around this: purchasing hospitality tickets.
Due to their increased price, hospitality tickets aren't an option for everyone. However, if you have the disposable income, you're more likely to get your hands on hospitality tickets rather than general access as there is lower demand.
Out of the artists listed above, those who have hospitality tickets still available are listed with ticketing sites like Seat Unique and Ticketmaster, where tickets are still available.
Who else is rumoured to tour the UK in 2026?
While nothing has been confirmed just yet, there are plenty of rumours circulating about who will be next to announce their UK tour dates.
2026 will see the 50th anniversary of Irish rockers U2. The band have been known to celebrate anniversaries in the past with tours and performances, so we wouldn't be surprised if announcement comes our way soon.
Fred Again recently released an album, with USB arriving on 12th December 2025, which makes us think that a USB tour could be on the horizon...
Be sure to check back so we can keep you up-to-date with all the last UK tour rumours.
Some of the biggest names in the music scene are set to tour the UK this year— here's how you can get tickets, even to sold-out tours.
Show full content
From the much-anticipated Oasis reunion tour to THAT viral moment at the Coldplay concert, 2025 was truly one for the live music history books.
However, with an already stacked line-up, 2026 is shaping up to give it a run for its money, with live music proving to be more popular than ever.
According to Live Music Industry Venues and Entertainment (LIVE), one concert took place on average every 137 seconds across the UK in 2024, while new data from Statista has revealed that spending on concerts has reached pre-pandemic levels, hitting the £5 billion mark.
Whether you're a pop, classic rock or alternative fan, we've compiled the ultimate list of the best artists coming to UK venues in 2026.
While lots of artists tend to focus on larger UK cities, our list includes artists who are touring venues all across the UK. Plus, we'll be keeping this list regularly updated as more tours are announced throughout the year.
Gorillaz — the sonic project spearheaded by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn — are heading on tour in 2026 in support of of their brand new album, The Mountain.
Musicians NE-YO and Akon are teaming up this spring for the ultimate night of club anthems, sing-a-longs and noughties throwbacks.
The two artists have announced their new Nights Like This world tour, co-headlined and featuring classics like NE-YO's So Sick and Closer and Akon's Smack That and Lonely.
It's the Greatest Day of our lives, as Take That have announced the return of their iconic The Circus Tour.
This tour first took place in 2009 and was, at the time, the fastest-selling tour in UK history. The live shows included fire breathers, acrobats, stilt walkers and a huge mechanical elephant, making it one of the standout tours of the 21st century.
The grand return of Harry Styles has been much anticipated, and now it's finally here. The pop star released his first single since 2022, Aperture, and also announced a 2026 tour.
You can catch him across a 12-night residency in London's Wembley Stadium, and hospitality tickets are still available at Seat Unique, starting from £159.
Known for their huge rock anthems such as All My Life, The Pretender, Best Of You and My Hero, Foo Fighters will be bringing all these hits and more to the UK in 2026.
The band will only be playing two UK dates, both at Anfield in Liverpool.
Rock legends Def Leppard are touring the UK for their huge arena shows, visiting venues in Sheffield, Belfast and more. The Pour Some Sugar on Me singers will be joined by American rock band Extreme, and the band have promised "surprises and classics" for their upcoming tour.
Yes, that's right; Mr Worldwide is gracing us with his presence once more. His UK shows last year were a smash hit, so grab your bald cap and get ready to join in the fun once more.
Iconic emo rockers My Chemical Romance are returning to London as part of their Long Live The Black Parade! tour in 2026, as well as heading to Liverpool and Glasgow.
You'll have several chances next summer to catch Michael Bublé live across the UK, as the beloved crooner will be performing at a number of key British festivals.
The Colombian reggaeton star blew crowds away with her high-energy performance as the first Latina to ever headline Coachella. Now you can catch her one-off UK show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
There are still plenty of tickets left for Karol G's VIAJANDO POR EL MUNDO TROPITOUR at Ticketmaster.
The time has come again – BTS are heading back to the UK.
As all seasoned fans know, getting your hands on BTS tickets is a full-blown mission, especially in 2026, as they're only playing two shows in London. However, Seat Unique still have hospitality tickets left.
After a long nine years away from the UK, System of a Down have confirmed a UK tour. What was originally supposed to be a one-off gig at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium quickly turned into two gigs at the stadium due to demand. The heavy metal band will be joined by Queens Of The Stone Age and Acid Bath.
Bruno Mars is back— not that he ever really went anywhere. While he hasn't been focusing on his solo music over the past few years, the singer-songwriter has been collaborating with Anderson Paak in their soul/funk duo Silk Sonic, as well as releasing the hit track APT with Rosé from BLACKPINK.
Country singer Luke Combs 2026 tour sold out instantly, as did the extra dates he announced. Luckily, there are still hospitality tickets left at Seat Unique.
Due to phenomenal demand, The Weeknd has extended his After Hours Til Dawn Tour (which was originally two nights at London's Wembley Stadium) to five Wembley Stadium shows, plus two nights at Dublin's Croke Park.
Ariana Grande is heading on her first tour in seven years next summer and the Going Out team, for one, are thrilled! When tickets were released last week, the demand was so high that five extra dates were added to the tour — doubling its original number.
The former One Direction member has announced the release of his fourth studio album Dinner Party, which is set to come out later this year, followed by a UK and Ireland tour running from September 2026.
Rapper J Cole has announced a major world tour in 2026, with eight dates planned in UK arenas.
The Fall-Off Tour will be the artist's first solo headline tour in five years, following 2021’s The Off-Season Tour, and his first full global run since 2017.
This pop princess has announced four UK shows in 2027, all of which are taking place at The O2 in London.
While tickets sold out almost immediately, you still have a slight chance of getting a re-sale ticket— if you manage to get onto the site at the exact right time.
Which artists still have tickets for 2026 UK tour dates?
Despite the recently skyrocketing demand for tickets, there are plenty of general access tickets remaining for artists touring the UK in 2026. All remaining tickets have been included alongside the artists in the list above.
It's no secret that the ticketing industry has changed greatly in the past few years, as demand for live shows has soared post-pandemic.
This means that nowadays it's often extremely difficult to get your hands on concert tickets for large venues like the O2, Wembley Stadium or the Eventim Apollo, especially if the artist is a household name.
As it becomes increasingly difficult to get tickets for tours and concerts, there is a major way to get around this: purchasing hospitality tickets.
Due to their increased price, hospitality tickets aren't an option for everyone. However, if you have the disposable income, you're more likely to get your hands on hospitality tickets rather than general access as there is lower demand.
Out of the artists listed above, those who have hospitality tickets still available are listed with ticketing sites like Seat Unique and Ticketmaster, where tickets are still available.
Who else is rumoured to tour the UK in 2026?
While nothing has been confirmed just yet, there are plenty of rumours circulating about who will be next to announce their UK tour dates.
2026 will see the 50th anniversary of Irish rockers U2. The band have been known to celebrate anniversaries in the past with tours and performances, so we wouldn't be surprised if announcement comes our way soon.
Fred Again recently released an album, with USB arriving on 12th December 2025, which makes us think that a USB tour could be on the horizon...
Be sure to check back so we can keep you up-to-date with all the last UK tour rumours.
If you’re looking for something exciting to do with your kids, look no further than Alton Towers.
Show full content
There's no doubt that Alton Towers is a great day out for the whole family. The excitement of running around with friends and enjoying gravity-defying rides is second to none – even queuing to get on the rides is fun.
The amusement park boasts over 40 rides plus 10 themed-areas with something to entertain everyone, from thrill-seeking teenagers to tiny tots. There’s The Smiler with 14 loops, Oblivion with its tell-tale vertical drop, and the Toxicator, an addition to the Forbidden Valley group of rides.
On the less spooky side of things, Alton Towers also has a colourful Cbeebies Land for little tots, a SEALIFE Centre, and a waterpark which has water canons, slides, coasters and flumes which are sure to be loved by all, as well as garden space to enjoy a picnic.
Feeling inspired to take a trip? Here’s how you can get cheap Alton Towers tickets.
We’ve put together this guide to help you buy Alton Towers tickets for as cheaply as possible, and we also have some tips and tricks for keeping the cost down when buying tickets in general. Let’s take a look.
Plan ahead. For Alton Towers and other theme parks like Thorpe Park, buying tickets online is a lot cheaper than turning up on the day. So, if you’re able to plan a day out in advance, we recommend doing so.
Select a ticket type. Have a think about what you’d like out of the day. At Alton Towers, you can choose between a theme park day pass, a water park day pass, and a crazy golf game. When you buy in advance online, the theme park pass will set you back £34, whereas the water park pass is slightly cheaper from £18, and the crazy golf pass is even cheaper still from £5.
Read the offers below. Not to toot our own horn, but we have found some pretty great deals that will help you get cheap Alton Towers tickets.
Best Alton Towers deals: cheapest ticket and hotel offersSave £36 on Alton Towers tickets
We know how difficult it can be to get your kids organised — even getting them ready for school on time is no mean feat! However, if you are able to plan your Alton Towers trip in advance, we strongly recommend doing so as it will save you some pennies.
Buying an Alton Towers theme park day pass on the door (or the large theme park gate) will set you back £68, whereas purchasing them online will save you half the price at £32 each.
Enjoy 12 months of fun with the Annual Pass for £64
The Alton Towers Annual Pass gives you access to Alton Towers for 12 month for just £64. This means you only need to visit the park twice to make your money back.
If water activities are more you and your family's bag, why not swap the theme park for the water park? It's jam-packed with water rides and slides for all ages.
Entry into the water park will cost £25 on the day, and you can get in from only £18 if you book online in advance. That’s a decent saving of £7.
Play a nine-hole game of extraordinary golf for £5
What's the deal: Enjoy a nine-hole game of crazy golf at Alton Towers for just £5.
Why we chose it: This isn't just crazy golf, it's extraordinary! The most extraordinary thing about it is the ultra-low price of just a fiver for a full game.
What's the deal: This offer is an online exclusive during off-peak periods, and it'll see you secure an adult and toddler (under five-years-old) ticket for just £29. So you and your little one can have a fantastic day meeting Bluey, celebrating CBeebies Land's 10-year anniversary, and more this summer.
Why we chose it: With this deal, toddlers essentially go free, as an adult ticket booked in advance will set you back from £29.
Discounted Alton Towers tickets with Tesco Clubcard
Like with Thorpe Park, you can get discounted tickets to Alton towers with Tesco Clubcard. It works like this: scanning your Clubcard generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers. In this particular offer, you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets. For example, £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers.
Get over 300 days' entry with the Merlin Annual Pass
The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. With prices usually starting at £139, you can get the Essential Pass, which gives you over 300 days entry to any of the attractions available. Or, you can upgrade to the Silver or Gold passes, which give you more days and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.
National Rail is offering 1/3 off Alton Towers tickets when you travel by train.
If you're planning on travelling to Alton Towers via train, this deal is a no brainer. Plus, accessing the tickets couldn't be easier: simply choose an attraction, download and print the voucher or buy your tickets online, travel by train, and remember to present the voucher.
Students can snag £21 tickets to Alton Towers – that's a saving of £14 on the online one day pass price. All you have to do is verify your student status with Student Beans and you're good to go.
One of the biggest perks of being a student (aside from immersing yourself in the world of learning and going to cheap freshers events) is student discount. Getting a cheap Alton Towers ticket is a great way to de-stress after exams, so make the most of it while you can.
Speaking of National Rail, are you wondering what's the best way to travel to Alton Towers Resort? Well, let us enlighten you. As we mentioned earlier, the RadioTimes.com team would always prefer to catch public transport to places rather than drive as it avoids traffic jams and you can unwind on the journey, perhaps you could read a book (did you know we have a best Kindle deals guide?), listen to an audiobook (be sure to check out the best Audible deals for this month), or try to prevent the kids from picking on each other.
But is the cost of public transport cheaper than petrol? Well, with our how to get cheap train tickets article, we break down the best ways to travel for less, for example, buy a Railcard to save over 30% of the overall price or book tickets in advance. To save money on Alton Towers tickets, we recommend buying in advance anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone and purchase train tickets at the same time?
The nearest train station to Alton Towers Resort is Uttoxeter station, which is just a 30-minute bus journey from the theme park.
If you'd prefer to drive to Alton Towers, it's worth knowing where you'd park your car.
There is a car park at Alton Towers, and it's roughly a 15-minute walk to the main theme park entrance. Parking will set you back £10 for an all-day ticket, and there are a few ways you can purchase a ticket: on the Alton Towers website, through the Alton Towers Resort app, at the main theme park entrance, or at the Resort Box Office. Your ticket will be scanned when exiting the car park.
If you live in the surrounding areas to Alton Towers, such as Stoke-On-Trent, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham, and Sheffield, we believe you'll have time to travel to and from Alton Towers, and experience it within a day.
If you live further afield, or perhaps you and your family would like to really make the most of the 40-plus rides and 10 themed areas, then we recommend booking an overnight stay.
If you’re looking for something exciting to do with your kids, look no further than Alton Towers.
Show full content
There's no doubt that Alton Towers is a great day out for the whole family. The excitement of running around with friends and enjoying gravity-defying rides is second to none – even queuing to get on the rides is fun.
The amusement park boasts over 40 rides plus 10 themed-areas with something to entertain everyone, from thrill-seeking teenagers to tiny tots. There’s The Smiler with 14 loops, Oblivion with its tell-tale vertical drop, and the Toxicator, an addition to the Forbidden Valley group of rides.
On the less spooky side of things, Alton Towers also has a colourful Cbeebies Land for little tots, a SEALIFE Centre, and a waterpark which has water canons, slides, coasters and flumes which are sure to be loved by all, as well as garden space to enjoy a picnic.
Feeling inspired to take a trip? Here’s how you can get cheap Alton Towers tickets.
We’ve put together this guide to help you buy Alton Towers tickets for as cheaply as possible, and we also have some tips and tricks for keeping the cost down when buying tickets in general. Let’s take a look.
Plan ahead. For Alton Towers and other theme parks like Thorpe Park, buying tickets online is a lot cheaper than turning up on the day. So, if you’re able to plan a day out in advance, we recommend doing so.
Select a ticket type. Have a think about what you’d like out of the day. At Alton Towers, you can choose between a theme park day pass, a water park day pass, and a crazy golf game. When you buy in advance online, the theme park pass will set you back £34, whereas the water park pass is slightly cheaper from £18, and the crazy golf pass is even cheaper still from £5.
Read the offers below. Not to toot our own horn, but we have found some pretty great deals that will help you get cheap Alton Towers tickets.
Best Alton Towers deals: cheapest ticket and hotel offersSave £36 on Alton Towers tickets
We know how difficult it can be to get your kids organised — even getting them ready for school on time is no mean feat! However, if you are able to plan your Alton Towers trip in advance, we strongly recommend doing so as it will save you some pennies.
Buying an Alton Towers theme park day pass on the door (or the large theme park gate) will set you back £68, whereas purchasing them online will save you half the price at £32 each.
Enjoy 12 months of fun with the Annual Pass for £64
The Alton Towers Annual Pass gives you access to Alton Towers for 12 month for just £64. This means you only need to visit the park twice to make your money back.
If water activities are more you and your family's bag, why not swap the theme park for the water park? It's jam-packed with water rides and slides for all ages.
Entry into the water park will cost £25 on the day, and you can get in from only £18 if you book online in advance. That’s a decent saving of £7.
Play a nine-hole game of extraordinary golf for £5
What's the deal: Enjoy a nine-hole game of crazy golf at Alton Towers for just £5.
Why we chose it: This isn't just crazy golf, it's extraordinary! The most extraordinary thing about it is the ultra-low price of just a fiver for a full game.
What's the deal: This offer is an online exclusive during off-peak periods, and it'll see you secure an adult and toddler (under five-years-old) ticket for just £29. So you and your little one can have a fantastic day meeting Bluey, celebrating CBeebies Land's 10-year anniversary, and more this summer.
Why we chose it: With this deal, toddlers essentially go free, as an adult ticket booked in advance will set you back from £29.
Discounted Alton Towers tickets with Tesco Clubcard
Like with Thorpe Park, you can get discounted tickets to Alton towers with Tesco Clubcard. It works like this: scanning your Clubcard generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers. In this particular offer, you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets. For example, £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers.
Get over 300 days' entry with the Merlin Annual Pass
The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. With prices usually starting at £139, you can get the Essential Pass, which gives you over 300 days entry to any of the attractions available. Or, you can upgrade to the Silver or Gold passes, which give you more days and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.
National Rail is offering 1/3 off Alton Towers tickets when you travel by train.
If you're planning on travelling to Alton Towers via train, this deal is a no brainer. Plus, accessing the tickets couldn't be easier: simply choose an attraction, download and print the voucher or buy your tickets online, travel by train, and remember to present the voucher.
Students can snag £21 tickets to Alton Towers – that's a saving of £14 on the online one day pass price. All you have to do is verify your student status with Student Beans and you're good to go.
One of the biggest perks of being a student (aside from immersing yourself in the world of learning and going to cheap freshers events) is student discount. Getting a cheap Alton Towers ticket is a great way to de-stress after exams, so make the most of it while you can.
Speaking of National Rail, are you wondering what's the best way to travel to Alton Towers Resort? Well, let us enlighten you. As we mentioned earlier, the RadioTimes.com team would always prefer to catch public transport to places rather than drive as it avoids traffic jams and you can unwind on the journey, perhaps you could read a book (did you know we have a best Kindle deals guide?), listen to an audiobook (be sure to check out the best Audible deals for this month), or try to prevent the kids from picking on each other.
But is the cost of public transport cheaper than petrol? Well, with our how to get cheap train tickets article, we break down the best ways to travel for less, for example, buy a Railcard to save over 30% of the overall price or book tickets in advance. To save money on Alton Towers tickets, we recommend buying in advance anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone and purchase train tickets at the same time?
The nearest train station to Alton Towers Resort is Uttoxeter station, which is just a 30-minute bus journey from the theme park.
If you'd prefer to drive to Alton Towers, it's worth knowing where you'd park your car.
There is a car park at Alton Towers, and it's roughly a 15-minute walk to the main theme park entrance. Parking will set you back £10 for an all-day ticket, and there are a few ways you can purchase a ticket: on the Alton Towers website, through the Alton Towers Resort app, at the main theme park entrance, or at the Resort Box Office. Your ticket will be scanned when exiting the car park.
If you live in the surrounding areas to Alton Towers, such as Stoke-On-Trent, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham, and Sheffield, we believe you'll have time to travel to and from Alton Towers, and experience it within a day.
If you live further afield, or perhaps you and your family would like to really make the most of the 40-plus rides and 10 themed areas, then we recommend booking an overnight stay.
With rides galore, kids’ attractions, and 4D experiences, you're guaranteed to have an epic day at Thorpe Park - and we know just how to get the experience on the cheap.
Show full content
As summer grows ever closer, it’s time to start planning family weekends and getting creative with activities to keep the kids entertained.
So, why not take a look at Thorpe Park? The theme park is located in the middle of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, about an hour's drive from London.
It boasts over 30 scream-tastic rides, including some of the UK's most well-known like Stealth, Colossus, Nemesis Inferno and the Swarm.
There are plenty of attractions for youngsters, too, like the Flying Fish junior coaster, Storm Surge, Tidal Wave, Angry Birds 4D Experience and tons more. And remember: under threes go free at Thorpe Park, too, as do carers.
It's no secret that theme parks can be an expensive hobby, so let's find out how you can secure cheap tickets to Thorpe Park; or, you can also check out our Thorpe Park review.
Nowadays with the cost of living, you want family days out to be as cheap as possible without compromising on the fun. Theme parks don't have to be a costly day out, as there are simple switches you can do to bring the cost down, like making packed lunches and taking advantage of rail companies' discounts.
One thing that you can't avoid paying for, though, is a park ticket. Here's how to get them for less.
Book in advance. Theme parks, such as Thorpe Park and Alton Towers, sell tickets for significantly cheaper online in comparison to if you bought tickets on the day. Booking tickets in advance also avoids potentially missing out, too.
Shop around. If you're looking to make the most out of a theme park, have a gander if there are any package deals or short breaks.
For inspiration on how to entertain little ones, take a look at the best UK family days out.
Best Thorpe Park discounts and offers for 2026Get 50% off Thorpe Park tickets
This is one for the early birds, the super organisers, the bargain hunters: save 50 per cent on Thorpe Park tickets when you book them in advance.
A day ticket to Thorpe Park will usually set you back £66, but if you book online, it’s £33; that’s a whopping £33 off or 50 per cent discount. For just under 30 quid, you can experience over 30 attractions, and get access to events if they’re on your chosen day.
The Thorpe Park Annual Pass gives you access to Thorpe Park for an entire year for just £64. That means you only have to visit three times to make back your money.
Discounted Thorpe Park tickets with Tesco Clubcard
Who doesn’t have a Tesco Clubcard these days? Downloading it to save 50p on a Tesco meal deal is worth it in itself, in our humble opinion, but there’s also many more great savings to be made, too.
Scanning your Clubcard generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers where you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets: so £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers, for example.
You can use these vouchers on attractions across the UK, including Thorpe Park.
Get discounted overnight stays for Merlin and Thorpe Park Annual Passholders
There are plenty of benefits to being a Merlin or Thorpe Park Annual Passholder, even beyond saving on entry! Merlin and Thorpe Park Annual passholders can get up to 20% off stays in the Thorpe Park Shark Cabins, available all year round.
This package includes fun extras such as first or last hour fastrack on your second day (excluding Hyperia), a buffet breakfast and live entertainment, games and quizzes.
If you have older children, it can be tricky to find something to do that everyone in the family will enjoy. Well, the good news is that anyone with a valid student ID can get a huge saving on tickets for Thorpe Park. Whereas day tickets would normally set you back £66, students can now get them for £21. That's a saving of over half price.
Get up to £40 off on the Merlin Annual Pass for students
With Student Beans you can save £20 off a Essential Pass which would normally set you back £139. You can also get £30 off a Gold Pass which brings the price down to £210, or if you want to get all the benefits of a Platinum Pass you can save £40 which brings the price down to £259 annually.
Read the Going Out newsletter for the latest deals
We regularly cover deals on days out and entertainment in our Going Out newsletter. This weekly email will give you everything you need for weekend plans, from the big events to local trips. So subscribe today!
How to get to Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is situated in Thorpe, Surrey, just outside of London. It’s easy to get to by train, and Trainline and National Rail have some great deals on to help you and your family get to your destination as cheaply as possible. Let’s check them out.
Staines is the nearest train station to Thorpe Park, and there’s a shuttle bus (number 950) which runs every 15-20 minutes. The shuttle bus starts running nice and early at 9am, and stops running from Thorpe Park an hour after the park’s closing time.
Perfect for the school holidays, National Rail has launched National Rail’s Days Out Guide, which sees you get up to two for one entry at top attractions around the UK, including Thorpe Park.
Trainline is great for cheap tickets, as is TrainPal, which offers frequent voucher codes and deals as well as taking off booking fees. Plus, it's always worth trying to get a Railcard, which will see you save up to one third of the fare price.
If you're travelling to Thorpe Park by car, you'll be pleased to know that there is in-resort parking. A car parking ticket will set you back £12 if you purchase online before. So why not save that extra quid and put it towards some car snacks instead?
With rides galore, kids’ attractions, and 4D experiences, you're guaranteed to have an epic day at Thorpe Park - and we know just how to get the experience on the cheap.
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As summer grows ever closer, it’s time to start planning family weekends and getting creative with activities to keep the kids entertained.
So, why not take a look at Thorpe Park? The theme park is located in the middle of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, about an hour's drive from London.
It boasts over 30 scream-tastic rides, including some of the UK's most well-known like Stealth, Colossus, Nemesis Inferno and the Swarm.
There are plenty of attractions for youngsters, too, like the Flying Fish junior coaster, Storm Surge, Tidal Wave, Angry Birds 4D Experience and tons more. And remember: under threes go free at Thorpe Park, too, as do carers.
It's no secret that theme parks can be an expensive hobby, so let's find out how you can secure cheap tickets to Thorpe Park; or, you can also check out our Thorpe Park review.
Nowadays with the cost of living, you want family days out to be as cheap as possible without compromising on the fun. Theme parks don't have to be a costly day out, as there are simple switches you can do to bring the cost down, like making packed lunches and taking advantage of rail companies' discounts.
One thing that you can't avoid paying for, though, is a park ticket. Here's how to get them for less.
Book in advance. Theme parks, such as Thorpe Park and Alton Towers, sell tickets for significantly cheaper online in comparison to if you bought tickets on the day. Booking tickets in advance also avoids potentially missing out, too.
Shop around. If you're looking to make the most out of a theme park, have a gander if there are any package deals or short breaks.
For inspiration on how to entertain little ones, take a look at the best UK family days out.
Best Thorpe Park discounts and offers for 2026Get 50% off Thorpe Park tickets
This is one for the early birds, the super organisers, the bargain hunters: save 50 per cent on Thorpe Park tickets when you book them in advance.
A day ticket to Thorpe Park will usually set you back £66, but if you book online, it’s £33; that’s a whopping £33 off or 50 per cent discount. For just under 30 quid, you can experience over 30 attractions, and get access to events if they’re on your chosen day.
The Thorpe Park Annual Pass gives you access to Thorpe Park for an entire year for just £64. That means you only have to visit three times to make back your money.
Discounted Thorpe Park tickets with Tesco Clubcard
Who doesn’t have a Tesco Clubcard these days? Downloading it to save 50p on a Tesco meal deal is worth it in itself, in our humble opinion, but there’s also many more great savings to be made, too.
Scanning your Clubcard generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers where you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets: so £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers, for example.
You can use these vouchers on attractions across the UK, including Thorpe Park.
Get discounted overnight stays for Merlin and Thorpe Park Annual Passholders
There are plenty of benefits to being a Merlin or Thorpe Park Annual Passholder, even beyond saving on entry! Merlin and Thorpe Park Annual passholders can get up to 20% off stays in the Thorpe Park Shark Cabins, available all year round.
This package includes fun extras such as first or last hour fastrack on your second day (excluding Hyperia), a buffet breakfast and live entertainment, games and quizzes.
If you have older children, it can be tricky to find something to do that everyone in the family will enjoy. Well, the good news is that anyone with a valid student ID can get a huge saving on tickets for Thorpe Park. Whereas day tickets would normally set you back £66, students can now get them for £21. That's a saving of over half price.
Get up to £40 off on the Merlin Annual Pass for students
With Student Beans you can save £20 off a Essential Pass which would normally set you back £139. You can also get £30 off a Gold Pass which brings the price down to £210, or if you want to get all the benefits of a Platinum Pass you can save £40 which brings the price down to £259 annually.
Read the Going Out newsletter for the latest deals
We regularly cover deals on days out and entertainment in our Going Out newsletter. This weekly email will give you everything you need for weekend plans, from the big events to local trips. So subscribe today!
How to get to Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is situated in Thorpe, Surrey, just outside of London. It’s easy to get to by train, and Trainline and National Rail have some great deals on to help you and your family get to your destination as cheaply as possible. Let’s check them out.
Staines is the nearest train station to Thorpe Park, and there’s a shuttle bus (number 950) which runs every 15-20 minutes. The shuttle bus starts running nice and early at 9am, and stops running from Thorpe Park an hour after the park’s closing time.
Perfect for the school holidays, National Rail has launched National Rail’s Days Out Guide, which sees you get up to two for one entry at top attractions around the UK, including Thorpe Park.
Trainline is great for cheap tickets, as is TrainPal, which offers frequent voucher codes and deals as well as taking off booking fees. Plus, it's always worth trying to get a Railcard, which will see you save up to one third of the fare price.
If you're travelling to Thorpe Park by car, you'll be pleased to know that there is in-resort parking. A car parking ticket will set you back £12 if you purchase online before. So why not save that extra quid and put it towards some car snacks instead?
Jan Etherington writes for Radio Times as the beloved BBC Radio 4 series returns.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
On 1 December 2017, I could hear my heart beating as I walked into the recording studio, clutching the script of the pilot episode of my radio show, Conversations from a Long Marriage. I had written it for them – but I was meeting Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam for the first time. Joanna’s first words to me were, “You’ve been listening at my window, Jan.” A huge compliment. I couldn’t stop smiling during the recording.
I began comedy writing with my husband, Gavin Petrie, in 1987, when we submitted a script to the Radio Times Sounds Funny competition and won. Our writing partnership lasted 30 years, until one day, I told Gavin I wanted us to write about a long-married couple, still passionately in love with wine, music, life and each other. I could tell his enthusiasm and creative energy were fading – early signs that he had Alzheimer’s. “Write it on your own,” he said, generously. “It’ll be great.”
Gavin died last November, while I was in the middle of writing series seven of CFALM (yes, we have become an acronym). I was helpless with grief for many weeks, until a discreet note from producer Claire Jones reminded me we had a recording date in January.
I went back to my desk. Writing is great therapy and I hear Joanna and Roger’s voices in my head. I feel now that series seven may be the strongest ever. Roger described it as, “Lots of sex, lots of laughs and some tears. It’s really gripping.”
I used to claim I created CFALM because I was tired of the doddery portrayals of older women, but when Emma Freud sent me a message, offering consolation that “you’ve lost your magnificent Gavin/Roger...” I realised what everyone else seems to know – that Conversations from a Long Marriage is, and always has been, a love letter to Gavin.
On 27 January 2026, almost a decade on, I walked into the same studio to record series seven, just hoping I could hold it together. Joanna and Roger had sent wonderful cards and messages, but being swept up in the hugs and warmth of the CFALM Massive comfort blanket brought many tears – not all of them mine.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Conversations from a Long Marriage returns to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds on Monday 4 May at 2:15pm. Past episodes are available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
Jan Etherington writes for Radio Times as the beloved BBC Radio 4 series returns.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
On 1 December 2017, I could hear my heart beating as I walked into the recording studio, clutching the script of the pilot episode of my radio show, Conversations from a Long Marriage. I had written it for them – but I was meeting Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam for the first time. Joanna’s first words to me were, “You’ve been listening at my window, Jan.” A huge compliment. I couldn’t stop smiling during the recording.
I began comedy writing with my husband, Gavin Petrie, in 1987, when we submitted a script to the Radio Times Sounds Funny competition and won. Our writing partnership lasted 30 years, until one day, I told Gavin I wanted us to write about a long-married couple, still passionately in love with wine, music, life and each other. I could tell his enthusiasm and creative energy were fading – early signs that he had Alzheimer’s. “Write it on your own,” he said, generously. “It’ll be great.”
Gavin died last November, while I was in the middle of writing series seven of CFALM (yes, we have become an acronym). I was helpless with grief for many weeks, until a discreet note from producer Claire Jones reminded me we had a recording date in January.
I went back to my desk. Writing is great therapy and I hear Joanna and Roger’s voices in my head. I feel now that series seven may be the strongest ever. Roger described it as, “Lots of sex, lots of laughs and some tears. It’s really gripping.”
I used to claim I created CFALM because I was tired of the doddery portrayals of older women, but when Emma Freud sent me a message, offering consolation that “you’ve lost your magnificent Gavin/Roger...” I realised what everyone else seems to know – that Conversations from a Long Marriage is, and always has been, a love letter to Gavin.
On 27 January 2026, almost a decade on, I walked into the same studio to record series seven, just hoping I could hold it together. Joanna and Roger had sent wonderful cards and messages, but being swept up in the hugs and warmth of the CFALM Massive comfort blanket brought many tears – not all of them mine.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Conversations from a Long Marriage returns to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds on Monday 4 May at 2:15pm. Past episodes are available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
Ever wondered about your heritage and thought about taking an ancestral DNA test? Be careful what you wish for, says Jenny Kleeman.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
When Jenny Kleeman took a DNA test, she waited for the results with trepidation. “It was really nerve-racking,” she recalls, which is understandable when you consider that the award-winning journalist took it for her Radio 4 podcast The Gift and that she already knew how they can unearth shocking secrets: babies switched at birth; IVF fraud; and even people born of incest.
While the title The Gift ostensibly refers to people gifting at-home DNA tests from the likes of 23andMe and Ancestry to friends and relatives, it’s also a gift for Kleeman in the ever more incredible stories each series brings – the third starts this week with one so jaw-droppingly rare, it will make headline news (I’m sworn to secrecy over its details).
Kleeman is astonished at the reaction to the series. “I thought it’d be a cautionary tale… but it’s amazed me the number of people who’ve chosen to do DNA tests because they’ve listened to The Gift. I feel incredibly grateful that anything I’ve made could be a part of these extraordinary human stories.”
What’s equally astonishing is that no one in the series ever regrets taking a DNA test, no matter how dark the revelations, and Kleeman speaks regularly with many of them. “I take it very seriously that they’ve trusted me with their story, and I will be there for them as long as they want me. These stories are so personal and sometimes it can feel a bit like a therapy session. But I’m always very clear that I’m a journalist and this is going out on the radio.”
It’s that journalist who sees the bigger picture beyond the human interest stories, the social history of babies for sale in 1950s Canada, the Wild West of early, unregulated IVF clinics and the increase in the use of donor sperm. But the knottiest story is how we seem quite happy to share the most intimate personal data online. When asked whether the rise of at-home DNA testing could lead to a dark, dystopian future, Kleeman is blunt, “I think we’re already in that dystopian future.”
She knows well the possible dangers as, after taking her test in 2023, 23andMe was later hacked and the personal data of Ashkenazi Jews (Kleeman’s heritage) sold on the dark web. Yet it’s not necessarily hacking that has her most concerned but who legitimately owns this data. When 23andMe went bankrupt in March 2025, it was bought by a medical research institute that now owns the DNA of millions.
Kleeman says she has no idea who could own her genetic code in 50 years’ time and what they’d use it for. “We shouldn’t kid ourselves that any protections we have in place now are going to protect us for ever. We need to adjust our expectations of privacy. We also need to be realistic about the fact we’ve made the decision to digitise the most private things, our medical histories and genetic code, because of the answers that the digital world can give us. There are unintended consequences and we need to be wise to them.”
There’s one other aspect of the tests we need to be wise to. “You’ve got to take them with a pinch of salt when it comes to ethnicity. They can’t tell you who you are, culturally or ethnically, but can tell you who your parents are.” This has provided Kleeman with a fair amount of amusement. “I like nothing more than going on white supremacist forums. It’s very funny – ‘Guys, I’ve just got my results back Jewish, but that’s OK, isn’t it?’ ”
Confused racists may amuse her, but Kleeman knows they’re a clear sign of a worrying trend. “We have a US president who will talk about good genes,” she says, “and we’re living in quite dark times where the clarity apparently provided by these tests can be quite seductive, which is why I’m keen to debunk that side of them.”
Another side of the at-home tests that really needs debunking is what they can tell you about your propensity for certain diseases. Kleeman explains, “NHS doctors say there have been huge problems caused by these tests, of people coming in and saying, ‘You need to give me a mastectomy, you need to give me whatever,’ when they don’t.”
Whether any of these concerns will deter people from taking at-home DNA tests or giving them as gifts to their nearest and dearest is unlikely however, because while she describes the idea of a DNA test as “Marmite” – not for everyone – Kleeman notes, “We find ourselves eternally fascinating”. She, however, is not. There were no surprises lurking in her results, she says relieved, “I was very happy to be boring.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Ever wondered about your heritage and thought about taking an ancestral DNA test? Be careful what you wish for, says Jenny Kleeman.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
When Jenny Kleeman took a DNA test, she waited for the results with trepidation. “It was really nerve-racking,” she recalls, which is understandable when you consider that the award-winning journalist took it for her Radio 4 podcast The Gift and that she already knew how they can unearth shocking secrets: babies switched at birth; IVF fraud; and even people born of incest.
While the title The Gift ostensibly refers to people gifting at-home DNA tests from the likes of 23andMe and Ancestry to friends and relatives, it’s also a gift for Kleeman in the ever more incredible stories each series brings – the third starts this week with one so jaw-droppingly rare, it will make headline news (I’m sworn to secrecy over its details).
Kleeman is astonished at the reaction to the series. “I thought it’d be a cautionary tale… but it’s amazed me the number of people who’ve chosen to do DNA tests because they’ve listened to The Gift. I feel incredibly grateful that anything I’ve made could be a part of these extraordinary human stories.”
What’s equally astonishing is that no one in the series ever regrets taking a DNA test, no matter how dark the revelations, and Kleeman speaks regularly with many of them. “I take it very seriously that they’ve trusted me with their story, and I will be there for them as long as they want me. These stories are so personal and sometimes it can feel a bit like a therapy session. But I’m always very clear that I’m a journalist and this is going out on the radio.”
It’s that journalist who sees the bigger picture beyond the human interest stories, the social history of babies for sale in 1950s Canada, the Wild West of early, unregulated IVF clinics and the increase in the use of donor sperm. But the knottiest story is how we seem quite happy to share the most intimate personal data online. When asked whether the rise of at-home DNA testing could lead to a dark, dystopian future, Kleeman is blunt, “I think we’re already in that dystopian future.”
She knows well the possible dangers as, after taking her test in 2023, 23andMe was later hacked and the personal data of Ashkenazi Jews (Kleeman’s heritage) sold on the dark web. Yet it’s not necessarily hacking that has her most concerned but who legitimately owns this data. When 23andMe went bankrupt in March 2025, it was bought by a medical research institute that now owns the DNA of millions.
Kleeman says she has no idea who could own her genetic code in 50 years’ time and what they’d use it for. “We shouldn’t kid ourselves that any protections we have in place now are going to protect us for ever. We need to adjust our expectations of privacy. We also need to be realistic about the fact we’ve made the decision to digitise the most private things, our medical histories and genetic code, because of the answers that the digital world can give us. There are unintended consequences and we need to be wise to them.”
There’s one other aspect of the tests we need to be wise to. “You’ve got to take them with a pinch of salt when it comes to ethnicity. They can’t tell you who you are, culturally or ethnically, but can tell you who your parents are.” This has provided Kleeman with a fair amount of amusement. “I like nothing more than going on white supremacist forums. It’s very funny – ‘Guys, I’ve just got my results back Jewish, but that’s OK, isn’t it?’ ”
Confused racists may amuse her, but Kleeman knows they’re a clear sign of a worrying trend. “We have a US president who will talk about good genes,” she says, “and we’re living in quite dark times where the clarity apparently provided by these tests can be quite seductive, which is why I’m keen to debunk that side of them.”
Another side of the at-home tests that really needs debunking is what they can tell you about your propensity for certain diseases. Kleeman explains, “NHS doctors say there have been huge problems caused by these tests, of people coming in and saying, ‘You need to give me a mastectomy, you need to give me whatever,’ when they don’t.”
Whether any of these concerns will deter people from taking at-home DNA tests or giving them as gifts to their nearest and dearest is unlikely however, because while she describes the idea of a DNA test as “Marmite” – not for everyone – Kleeman notes, “We find ourselves eternally fascinating”. She, however, is not. There were no surprises lurking in her results, she says relieved, “I was very happy to be boring.”
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Busier than ever on the eve of her 80th birthday, Joanna Lumley talks about sex, death, marriage – and holes in her trousers.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Dame Joanna Lumley is talking make-up. We’re discussing her birthday in early May, when she will be turning 80 (I know, look at her, ridiculous!), and the words just pop out from me: “Well, if you’ve had work done, it’s bloody good!” The radiant apparition peers into the camera and says: “No, look closely... I’ve got a sort of regular face, if you know what I mean, and my make-up is like drawing on a face.
“I put it on to see you,” she adds, “because if I didn’t you’d think, a) I hadn’t tried, and b), ‘Gosh, she looks a bit washed out!’”
It was as a model in the 1960s that La Lumley learnt how to create different looks. “It was less frantically expensive then,” she explains, “and less in your face, less always saying, ‘You’ll die if you don’t have these peptides’ and how, in 20 seconds, your whole face could look like a child!”
In that era, she says, models had to carry all their own make-up – and even wigs – so that in a flash they could change from “pert office girl to hostess entertainer at home to a young mother… it was a very imaginative, almost theatrical way of looking at things. But I’m really not obsessed with appearance. I think what you should do is try and look nice and then forget about it.”
Our interview is wide-ranging, swooping from surface matters to the meaning of life, from what grosses her out (sex scenes, vomiting) to the importance of reading, tolerance and kindness, smoking (she still does), immigration, dying and the law around it.
The strongest feeling is one of a person who is thoroughly engaged in the now, loving her work, her husband of four decades, Stephen Barlow – conductor, composer, and her co-host on their 2024 Joanna Lumley and the Maestro podcasts – the joys of friendship, travelling (for documentaries and pleasure entwined), art.
There is something luminous about her through and through, but also down to earth and, yes, as so many friends have asked, funny. You can definitely see why the role of outrageous reprobate Patsy, created for her in Absolutely Fabulous, so appealed to her.
One of the first sentimental ideas to be dispatched, spit spot, is the absurdity of any kind of celebration on turning 80. On the day itself, she will be filming in Ireland as Grandmama (a wondrously gothic Glam Gran, with a complex towering concoction of a wig), mother of Morticia Addams and grandmother to Wednesday, in Tim Burton’s Netflix drama of the same name.
“People say the big 5-0, the big 6-0, the big 4-0 and they see it as, well, it’s an awful thing to say, but…” Lumley thinks better of speaking out. “I think birthdays are completely lovely, but they always fell at school in term time when I was a boarder. I got birthday cards but it was never sort of my day. So I’ve never thought, ‘Oh, I must have a birthday party where people think of ME.’”
What’s much more thrilling to her is that “it’s completely normal for people like me to be 80 and still working, apparently fit and not having lost too many of my marbles. When I was very young, people over 60 were pretty much past it and 70 was – woaaahoooo.” She makes a hand gesture to imply totally off the planet.
She has cornered the market in tricky mothers and grandmothers: see Amandaland, which is also back this week; and she’s off to Argentina shortly for another one of her travel documentaries. But we are here to talk about one of her other on-going projects, the long-running Radio 4 two-hander, Conversations from a Long Marriage by Jan Etherington (series seven begins this week).
Inspired by Etherington’s own long marriage to fellow writer, Gavin Petrie, who died last November [see right], Conversations was first broadcast in 2018 and written with Lumley in mind. When Etherington asked her who she’d like to play her husband, the actor had no hesitation in plumping for Roger Allam: “Every person I meet wants to marry Roger but they can’t, because he’s already married [to fellow actor, Rebecca Saire].”
It’s a clever conceit, charting the ups and downs of a couple who love each other very much but have some serious challenges (heart attack, knee op being the least of it) and even long periods of separation. In series five, ‘Joanna’ discovered that ‘Roger’, unbeknownst to him, had fathered a son (in Chicago, at a time when he thought their marriage was over), now in his 40s, with children, and wanting to connect with his father.
This was a particularly painful bombshell since, as regular listeners will know, ‘Joanna’ had a miscarriage during their first separation as a young couple, in the Summer of Love, and was unable to conceive thereafter.
What is artful about the writing is that you feel you know all the different friends in their group – the old friend who has dementia, the pal who puts up with her husband’s affair and love-child, the Pilates chum for her, the cycling buddy for him – without ever hearing their voices. It is relatable for those of us who still like dancing and rock’n’roll and refuse to countenance the idea of having one foot in the… But, surely, what is exaggerated is, well, how can one put it, the sheer amount of S-E-X the 70-somethings engage in?
“Oh yes,” Lumley says, with a big grin. “She’s ready to jump his bones in the morning, in the evening, when he comes back from washing the car, whenever…” It tends to be her instigating the action, doesn’t it? He quite often demurs saying he’s reading a good book!
“I think she’s much keener on sex than he is. He’s a quite willing partner, to be fair, but it isn’t usually his idea. She seems to have a much higher libido… but how do you measure it? Certainly, she’s always up for it!”
I wouldn’t be so indelicate to ask you if it reflects your appetite… “As my parents would say, it’s not really the sort of thing you talk about! But, really, it doesn’t reflect anybody! I think that’s just the most gorgeous caprice of Jan’s, that somehow, several times a day, almost every day, you jump the bones of your husband. I don’t think that happens even when you’re young and hot and crazily, madly in love.”
None of them are friends socially, although she and Allam exchange the odd text and she went to see him in one of his plays, along with Etherington and the show’s producer: “We adore him so much that we went along as his fan-girl groupies.” She talks of his beautiful voice and how he sung in Les Misérables [he played Javert in the London premiere at the Barbican]. I had no idea he was a singer, I say. “Bloody hell, he can sing the pants off you!”
Lumley is talking in her study, lined with paintings and many books. On the far wall, it looks like ballerinas in tutus à la Degas. “I love you, Ginny, but I haven’t got a Degas – it’s called Precious Cow, by a naive artist, with two lovely people – not really ballerinas. But cows, ballerinas, all the same to me.”
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She was a journalist, herself, for a short while, with a column in The Times, and also wrote opinion pieces, book reviews and travel pieces. At the Daily Express and Today (the short-lived Eddy Shah enterprise) she did big interviews and remembers one with the late Martin Amis: “He was a funny boy.”
Remembering his books and those of his father Kingsley sets her off. “I’ll tell you what I hate now, Ginny, the way people are treating reading as a sort of niche activity. I can’t bear the way we’ve managed to pull books out of our lives.
I could not live without books. We’ve got them in every room [PG Wodehouse in the loo], on every chair, so that wherever you are, there’s a book.”
For those who have turned their back on books, Lumley says, “You are missing at LIFE!”
For our interview, she is dressed in elegant shades of cream, while her long blonde hair has a black base at the tips, a necessary part of her elaborate wig process for Wednesday. She always makes an effort to dress up, when required, but “when I go to Sainsbury’s, I get out of bed, comb my hair and don’t put any make-up on.”
At home she wears the same old thing every day. Not a track suit, Joanna, surely? “No, but clothes that you couldn’t even give away to a charity shop they’re so sad. Old trousers, shirts and jerseys – not necessarily with holes in them, although some of them do. And I’m happy going out in the garden, where it doesn’t really matter.”
She has various medical conditions; one is prosopagnosia – not being able to recognise people’s faces – “so I quite often greet complete strangers as if they’re my dearest friends,” she explains. She also suffers from emetophobia, which is unfortunate because of what she sees as a growth in scenes on television showing people being violently sick: “I think they should give people sick warnings!”
As for sex scenes, “I just think, ‘Poor old actors, there they go again, having to hammer away at each other, and look good while doing it’ and it’s pathetic. But lots of people adore it. I just don’t like it. I love the heart, the falling in love, the brush of the hand, the glance across the room, those are the things that you remember.”
Lumley has been outspoken in her views on how immigrants are talked about and treated. “A lot of people say they don’t think actors should be given the platform to say what they think. But if you feel strongly about something and you feel that it’s setting up a bad feeling among people, hurting them, dispossessing people who you ought to love and greet, then it’s good for you to stand up and say what you think.
“We’re all just creatures. We don’t own anything, we don’t own the land, we’re just people on the earth. And most of the people who are coming here are getting away from something that’s completely horrible at home. Nobody wants to leave their homeland. But if they can’t bear to live there, can’t get work, are persecuted, if there’s a drought, a famine, if there’s a war, then we have got to understand that. So, I think we should be kinder, just be kinder.”
Her attitude to our final bow sounds remarkably considered. “I think about dying every day because I think about living every day and I can’t see them as separate. It seems to me completely normal to be born, to live and to die. It doesn’t seem like an insult or a loss or tragedy, it’s just what happens. I don’t think we should see it as this colossal enemy.
“I’ve thought it would be nice to see it as a friend who’s waiting around and you never know when the friend is going to come through the door, so you mustn’t be cross or sad about it. You hope it won’t be now, because you have lots to do and things you still want to see, but maybe you get to the time when you feel bloody awful and alone and hurting all the time and then you might think, ‘I’d like to go now.’”
She hasn’t spoken out about the assisted dying bill, “but you can tell by the way that I’m speaking that I think it would be a nice thing for all the people whose opinions I respect, like Esther Rantzen, who’s a friend. And I’d love to have it in the arsenal, should the time come that I just go, ‘This is too bloody awful’. It would be so nice not to have my family sent to prison for helping me go.”
Lumley is cheerful about growing older. “I’ve always wanted to be older. I can’t really work out why, but I have always longed for it. And now I shall be 80 – incidentally I thought I was 80 last year, so I’d forgotten it – but I shall clearly make 90, and I can’t wait!”
And so say all of us.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Busier than ever on the eve of her 80th birthday, Joanna Lumley talks about sex, death, marriage – and holes in her trousers.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Dame Joanna Lumley is talking make-up. We’re discussing her birthday in early May, when she will be turning 80 (I know, look at her, ridiculous!), and the words just pop out from me: “Well, if you’ve had work done, it’s bloody good!” The radiant apparition peers into the camera and says: “No, look closely... I’ve got a sort of regular face, if you know what I mean, and my make-up is like drawing on a face.
“I put it on to see you,” she adds, “because if I didn’t you’d think, a) I hadn’t tried, and b), ‘Gosh, she looks a bit washed out!’”
It was as a model in the 1960s that La Lumley learnt how to create different looks. “It was less frantically expensive then,” she explains, “and less in your face, less always saying, ‘You’ll die if you don’t have these peptides’ and how, in 20 seconds, your whole face could look like a child!”
In that era, she says, models had to carry all their own make-up – and even wigs – so that in a flash they could change from “pert office girl to hostess entertainer at home to a young mother… it was a very imaginative, almost theatrical way of looking at things. But I’m really not obsessed with appearance. I think what you should do is try and look nice and then forget about it.”
Our interview is wide-ranging, swooping from surface matters to the meaning of life, from what grosses her out (sex scenes, vomiting) to the importance of reading, tolerance and kindness, smoking (she still does), immigration, dying and the law around it.
The strongest feeling is one of a person who is thoroughly engaged in the now, loving her work, her husband of four decades, Stephen Barlow – conductor, composer, and her co-host on their 2024 Joanna Lumley and the Maestro podcasts – the joys of friendship, travelling (for documentaries and pleasure entwined), art.
There is something luminous about her through and through, but also down to earth and, yes, as so many friends have asked, funny. You can definitely see why the role of outrageous reprobate Patsy, created for her in Absolutely Fabulous, so appealed to her.
One of the first sentimental ideas to be dispatched, spit spot, is the absurdity of any kind of celebration on turning 80. On the day itself, she will be filming in Ireland as Grandmama (a wondrously gothic Glam Gran, with a complex towering concoction of a wig), mother of Morticia Addams and grandmother to Wednesday, in Tim Burton’s Netflix drama of the same name.
“People say the big 5-0, the big 6-0, the big 4-0 and they see it as, well, it’s an awful thing to say, but…” Lumley thinks better of speaking out. “I think birthdays are completely lovely, but they always fell at school in term time when I was a boarder. I got birthday cards but it was never sort of my day. So I’ve never thought, ‘Oh, I must have a birthday party where people think of ME.’”
What’s much more thrilling to her is that “it’s completely normal for people like me to be 80 and still working, apparently fit and not having lost too many of my marbles. When I was very young, people over 60 were pretty much past it and 70 was – woaaahoooo.” She makes a hand gesture to imply totally off the planet.
She has cornered the market in tricky mothers and grandmothers: see Amandaland, which is also back this week; and she’s off to Argentina shortly for another one of her travel documentaries. But we are here to talk about one of her other on-going projects, the long-running Radio 4 two-hander, Conversations from a Long Marriage by Jan Etherington (series seven begins this week).
Inspired by Etherington’s own long marriage to fellow writer, Gavin Petrie, who died last November [see right], Conversations was first broadcast in 2018 and written with Lumley in mind. When Etherington asked her who she’d like to play her husband, the actor had no hesitation in plumping for Roger Allam: “Every person I meet wants to marry Roger but they can’t, because he’s already married [to fellow actor, Rebecca Saire].”
It’s a clever conceit, charting the ups and downs of a couple who love each other very much but have some serious challenges (heart attack, knee op being the least of it) and even long periods of separation. In series five, ‘Joanna’ discovered that ‘Roger’, unbeknownst to him, had fathered a son (in Chicago, at a time when he thought their marriage was over), now in his 40s, with children, and wanting to connect with his father.
This was a particularly painful bombshell since, as regular listeners will know, ‘Joanna’ had a miscarriage during their first separation as a young couple, in the Summer of Love, and was unable to conceive thereafter.
What is artful about the writing is that you feel you know all the different friends in their group – the old friend who has dementia, the pal who puts up with her husband’s affair and love-child, the Pilates chum for her, the cycling buddy for him – without ever hearing their voices. It is relatable for those of us who still like dancing and rock’n’roll and refuse to countenance the idea of having one foot in the… But, surely, what is exaggerated is, well, how can one put it, the sheer amount of S-E-X the 70-somethings engage in?
“Oh yes,” Lumley says, with a big grin. “She’s ready to jump his bones in the morning, in the evening, when he comes back from washing the car, whenever…” It tends to be her instigating the action, doesn’t it? He quite often demurs saying he’s reading a good book!
“I think she’s much keener on sex than he is. He’s a quite willing partner, to be fair, but it isn’t usually his idea. She seems to have a much higher libido… but how do you measure it? Certainly, she’s always up for it!”
I wouldn’t be so indelicate to ask you if it reflects your appetite… “As my parents would say, it’s not really the sort of thing you talk about! But, really, it doesn’t reflect anybody! I think that’s just the most gorgeous caprice of Jan’s, that somehow, several times a day, almost every day, you jump the bones of your husband. I don’t think that happens even when you’re young and hot and crazily, madly in love.”
None of them are friends socially, although she and Allam exchange the odd text and she went to see him in one of his plays, along with Etherington and the show’s producer: “We adore him so much that we went along as his fan-girl groupies.” She talks of his beautiful voice and how he sung in Les Misérables [he played Javert in the London premiere at the Barbican]. I had no idea he was a singer, I say. “Bloody hell, he can sing the pants off you!”
Lumley is talking in her study, lined with paintings and many books. On the far wall, it looks like ballerinas in tutus à la Degas. “I love you, Ginny, but I haven’t got a Degas – it’s called Precious Cow, by a naive artist, with two lovely people – not really ballerinas. But cows, ballerinas, all the same to me.”
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She was a journalist, herself, for a short while, with a column in The Times, and also wrote opinion pieces, book reviews and travel pieces. At the Daily Express and Today (the short-lived Eddy Shah enterprise) she did big interviews and remembers one with the late Martin Amis: “He was a funny boy.”
Remembering his books and those of his father Kingsley sets her off. “I’ll tell you what I hate now, Ginny, the way people are treating reading as a sort of niche activity. I can’t bear the way we’ve managed to pull books out of our lives.
I could not live without books. We’ve got them in every room [PG Wodehouse in the loo], on every chair, so that wherever you are, there’s a book.”
For those who have turned their back on books, Lumley says, “You are missing at LIFE!”
For our interview, she is dressed in elegant shades of cream, while her long blonde hair has a black base at the tips, a necessary part of her elaborate wig process for Wednesday. She always makes an effort to dress up, when required, but “when I go to Sainsbury’s, I get out of bed, comb my hair and don’t put any make-up on.”
At home she wears the same old thing every day. Not a track suit, Joanna, surely? “No, but clothes that you couldn’t even give away to a charity shop they’re so sad. Old trousers, shirts and jerseys – not necessarily with holes in them, although some of them do. And I’m happy going out in the garden, where it doesn’t really matter.”
She has various medical conditions; one is prosopagnosia – not being able to recognise people’s faces – “so I quite often greet complete strangers as if they’re my dearest friends,” she explains. She also suffers from emetophobia, which is unfortunate because of what she sees as a growth in scenes on television showing people being violently sick: “I think they should give people sick warnings!”
As for sex scenes, “I just think, ‘Poor old actors, there they go again, having to hammer away at each other, and look good while doing it’ and it’s pathetic. But lots of people adore it. I just don’t like it. I love the heart, the falling in love, the brush of the hand, the glance across the room, those are the things that you remember.”
Lumley has been outspoken in her views on how immigrants are talked about and treated. “A lot of people say they don’t think actors should be given the platform to say what they think. But if you feel strongly about something and you feel that it’s setting up a bad feeling among people, hurting them, dispossessing people who you ought to love and greet, then it’s good for you to stand up and say what you think.
“We’re all just creatures. We don’t own anything, we don’t own the land, we’re just people on the earth. And most of the people who are coming here are getting away from something that’s completely horrible at home. Nobody wants to leave their homeland. But if they can’t bear to live there, can’t get work, are persecuted, if there’s a drought, a famine, if there’s a war, then we have got to understand that. So, I think we should be kinder, just be kinder.”
Her attitude to our final bow sounds remarkably considered. “I think about dying every day because I think about living every day and I can’t see them as separate. It seems to me completely normal to be born, to live and to die. It doesn’t seem like an insult or a loss or tragedy, it’s just what happens. I don’t think we should see it as this colossal enemy.
“I’ve thought it would be nice to see it as a friend who’s waiting around and you never know when the friend is going to come through the door, so you mustn’t be cross or sad about it. You hope it won’t be now, because you have lots to do and things you still want to see, but maybe you get to the time when you feel bloody awful and alone and hurting all the time and then you might think, ‘I’d like to go now.’”
She hasn’t spoken out about the assisted dying bill, “but you can tell by the way that I’m speaking that I think it would be a nice thing for all the people whose opinions I respect, like Esther Rantzen, who’s a friend. And I’d love to have it in the arsenal, should the time come that I just go, ‘This is too bloody awful’. It would be so nice not to have my family sent to prison for helping me go.”
Lumley is cheerful about growing older. “I’ve always wanted to be older. I can’t really work out why, but I have always longed for it. And now I shall be 80 – incidentally I thought I was 80 last year, so I’d forgotten it – but I shall clearly make 90, and I can’t wait!”
And so say all of us.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
"I think we should be kinder, just be kinder" the star told Radio Times.
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In an interview with Radio Times magazine, Amandaland star Joanna Lumley has reiterated her views on how immigrants are talked about and treated, calling for people to be "kinder".
Speaking with Ginny Dougary for the issue out on Tuesday 28 April, Lumley said: "A lot of people say they don’t think actors should be given the platform to say what they think.
"But if you feel strongly about something and you feel that it’s setting up a bad feeling among people, hurting them, dispossessing people who you ought to love and greet, then it’s good for you to stand up and say what you think.
"We’re all just creatures. We don’t own anything, we don’t own the land, we’re just people on the earth. And most of the people who are coming here are getting away from something that’s completely horrible at home.
"Nobody wants to leave their homeland. But if they can’t bear to live there, can’t get work, are persecuted, if there’s a drought, a famine, if there’s a war, then we have got to understand that. So, I think we should be kinder, just be kinder."
Lumley has long been known for her activism, including as a supporter of Survival International and as a patron of organisations including Born Free Foundation, Population Matters and Tree Aid.
Lumley will next be seen on screen in the second season of Amandaland, the spin-off to BBC comedy Motherland in which she stars alongside Lucy Punch.
Season 2 will see Punch's Amanda continuing to develop her online lifestyle brand 'Senuous', including by giving a talk at a 'careers week' event held by her son's school.
"I think we should be kinder, just be kinder" the star told Radio Times.
Show full content
In an interview with Radio Times magazine, Amandaland star Joanna Lumley has reiterated her views on how immigrants are talked about and treated, calling for people to be "kinder".
Speaking with Ginny Dougary for the issue out on Tuesday 28 April, Lumley said: "A lot of people say they don’t think actors should be given the platform to say what they think.
"But if you feel strongly about something and you feel that it’s setting up a bad feeling among people, hurting them, dispossessing people who you ought to love and greet, then it’s good for you to stand up and say what you think.
"We’re all just creatures. We don’t own anything, we don’t own the land, we’re just people on the earth. And most of the people who are coming here are getting away from something that’s completely horrible at home.
"Nobody wants to leave their homeland. But if they can’t bear to live there, can’t get work, are persecuted, if there’s a drought, a famine, if there’s a war, then we have got to understand that. So, I think we should be kinder, just be kinder."
Lumley has long been known for her activism, including as a supporter of Survival International and as a patron of organisations including Born Free Foundation, Population Matters and Tree Aid.
Lumley will next be seen on screen in the second season of Amandaland, the spin-off to BBC comedy Motherland in which she stars alongside Lucy Punch.
Season 2 will see Punch's Amanda continuing to develop her online lifestyle brand 'Senuous', including by giving a talk at a 'careers week' event held by her son's school.
Sara Cox will replace Scott Mills as the host of BBC Radio 2's breakfast show, the BBC has confirmed.
Cox said she was "ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed" to be taking over the station's breakfast show, admitting it felt like "a bit of a full circle" moment for her.
In a statement, she said: "I've had the most glorious seven years of my career on teatime so thank you to my brilliant teatime listeners who hopefully will join me at breakfast for excellent music and all my usual nonsense plus some superstar guests. I honestly can't wait to wake the nation up with the biggest most fun breakfast show ever."
Cox currently presents Radio 2's teatime show, a role she has held since 2019. Details on who will take over the teatime slot will be confirmed at a later date.
Radio 2 chief Helen Thomas said: "Sara is adored by her millions of listeners at teatime, and having regularly deputised in the slot, I already know she'll build a brilliant rapport with the breakfast audience and get the nation going each morning with her trademark warmth and humour."
Gary Davies has been hosting the breakfast show since Mills was fired by the BBC last month. The news of Mills's firing came following allegations over his 'personal conduct'.
Following the news, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16, relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The investigation began in 2016 and was later closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
Mills responded to the reports in a statement shared with Radio Times earlier this month (1 April). The statement reads: "The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me.
"An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
Sara Cox will replace Scott Mills as the host of BBC Radio 2's breakfast show, the BBC has confirmed.
Cox said she was "ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed" to be taking over the station's breakfast show, admitting it felt like "a bit of a full circle" moment for her.
In a statement, she said: "I've had the most glorious seven years of my career on teatime so thank you to my brilliant teatime listeners who hopefully will join me at breakfast for excellent music and all my usual nonsense plus some superstar guests. I honestly can't wait to wake the nation up with the biggest most fun breakfast show ever."
Cox currently presents Radio 2's teatime show, a role she has held since 2019. Details on who will take over the teatime slot will be confirmed at a later date.
Radio 2 chief Helen Thomas said: "Sara is adored by her millions of listeners at teatime, and having regularly deputised in the slot, I already know she'll build a brilliant rapport with the breakfast audience and get the nation going each morning with her trademark warmth and humour."
Gary Davies has been hosting the breakfast show since Mills was fired by the BBC last month. The news of Mills's firing came following allegations over his 'personal conduct'.
Following the news, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16, relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The investigation began in 2016 and was later closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
Mills responded to the reports in a statement shared with Radio Times earlier this month (1 April). The statement reads: "The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me.
"An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
He was the oldest member of The Osmonds family band.
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Alan Osmond has died at the age of 76, his family has confirmed.
The lead singer and oldest member of The Osmonds family band passed away with his wife and their eight sons at his bedside in his home city of Orem, near Salt Lake City, according to local media in Utah.
He had been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) since his diagnosis in 1987.
Osmond began his career in 1958 as a member of a barbershop quartet with his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay.
The group originally started performing to raise money for hearing aids for their brothers, Virl and Tom Osmond, who weren't part of the band.
Their younger siblings Donny and Jimmy later joined the group and they became known as The Osmonds.
In 1962, the family became regular performers on the variety programme, The Andy Williams Show, which cemented the group as a household name.
The band also made many guest appearances acting and performing on US Western series The Travel Of Jaimie McPheeters.
In the 1970s, the group skyrocketed to global fame and became teen heartthrobs with hits such as One Bad Apple, Crazy Horses and Love Me For A Reason.
Osmond was one of the band's key songwriters and composers and helped write some of their biggest songs.
Donny later left the band to go solo, reaching new levels of fame, and went on to form a double act with their sister Marie, who also had a career as a solo artist.
The group remained together right up until their 50th anniversary in 2007, when Alan and Wayne - who died last year at the age of 73 - retired due to health issues.
In 2024, Osmond published his memoir, One Way Ticket, which follows his journey to global fame as the leader of the band, while also detailing his battle with MS.
Reflecting on his diagnosis, he shared: "I was on stage and couldn’t raise my right hand. I trusted my Heavenly Father. You have to have opposition in life - this was my test."
Osmond is survived by his wife Suzanne, their eights sons, 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as his siblings Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy, and Marie.
He was the oldest member of The Osmonds family band.
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Alan Osmond has died at the age of 76, his family has confirmed.
The lead singer and oldest member of The Osmonds family band passed away with his wife and their eight sons at his bedside in his home city of Orem, near Salt Lake City, according to local media in Utah.
He had been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) since his diagnosis in 1987.
Osmond began his career in 1958 as a member of a barbershop quartet with his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay.
The group originally started performing to raise money for hearing aids for their brothers, Virl and Tom Osmond, who weren't part of the band.
Their younger siblings Donny and Jimmy later joined the group and they became known as The Osmonds.
In 1962, the family became regular performers on the variety programme, The Andy Williams Show, which cemented the group as a household name.
The band also made many guest appearances acting and performing on US Western series The Travel Of Jaimie McPheeters.
In the 1970s, the group skyrocketed to global fame and became teen heartthrobs with hits such as One Bad Apple, Crazy Horses and Love Me For A Reason.
Osmond was one of the band's key songwriters and composers and helped write some of their biggest songs.
Donny later left the band to go solo, reaching new levels of fame, and went on to form a double act with their sister Marie, who also had a career as a solo artist.
The group remained together right up until their 50th anniversary in 2007, when Alan and Wayne - who died last year at the age of 73 - retired due to health issues.
In 2024, Osmond published his memoir, One Way Ticket, which follows his journey to global fame as the leader of the band, while also detailing his battle with MS.
Reflecting on his diagnosis, he shared: "I was on stage and couldn’t raise my right hand. I trusted my Heavenly Father. You have to have opposition in life - this was my test."
Osmond is survived by his wife Suzanne, their eights sons, 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as his siblings Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy, and Marie.
Despite world events, we should still salute American culture, writes BBC Proms director Sam Jackson.
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Preparing for the world’s biggest classical music festival is a complex but hugely enjoyable jigsaw puzzle. Every year, we look to marry the best of British with the finest international talent, and to explore how the BBC Proms can tell stories about music and culture – both contemporary and historical. It also takes time.
Two years ago, we decided to reflect the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence at this year’s BBC Proms. Of course, that was before the election of Donald Trump and what we didn’t know then was the way in which world events – particularly those relating to the USA – would take an, at times, unprecedented course.
I believe strongly that the potency and power of classical music, and the stories of those who compose it, should be shared with a broad audience. What’s more, we must not allow our current geopolitical climate to stifle culture, or to dissuade us from championing music of both the past and the present. Great art can’t be cancelled.
We could so easily have decided to retreat from our plans to reflect US culture; indeed, when BBC Radio 3 undertook an American Roadtrip in January, broadcasting from cities such as Boston, Los Angeles and New York, some listeners understandably questioned why we were doing so: this was around the time that President Trump was discussing acquiring Greenland and claiming that the UK takes 92 per cent of North Sea oil revenue – a statement since proven to be factually incorrect.
What was so interesting about those broadcasts was the degree to which our listeners discussed with great fervour and passion the relevance and importance of us marking this anniversary. On balance, the positive voices far outweighed the critical: and so our audience would arguably see it as a failure on our part to row back from showcasing outstanding American music, in this most important of years. It is for this reason that we’ve taken a similar approach with the 2026 Proms.
At the Last Night of the Proms, the Piano Concerto by Samuel Barber will be performed for the first time at the festival. The great Yuja Wang will be at the keyboard for this rarely heard piece, alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo. Earlier in the season, Marin Alsop conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in an evening of Great American Classics that includes Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman and music by Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and William Grant Still.
During the summer, we’ll hear the UK premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s new cello concerto – a co-commission between the BBC and Lincoln Center in New York; George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, as part of the First Night of the Proms; and the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s Concerto for Orchestra. We also welcome two of America’s finest orchestras: the LA Phil, returning for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, and the Proms debut of New York’s Met Orchestra.
Beyond classical music, the centenary of the great Miles Davis is marked in a special Prom featuring the American trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, we showcase the Oscar-winning Alan Menken with a Prom for all the family, and the American soprano Angel Blue joins the Chineke! Orchestra.
This season is about far more than just American music. Space restricts me from extolling the riches of an entire eight weeks of music-making. But at a time when so many countries appear to be retreating into an ever more nationalistic bubble, it’s increasingly important that the Proms maintains its mission to shed light on great music from all corners of the world – and to bring people together, no matter what might be happening around us.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
Despite world events, we should still salute American culture, writes BBC Proms director Sam Jackson.
Show full content
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Preparing for the world’s biggest classical music festival is a complex but hugely enjoyable jigsaw puzzle. Every year, we look to marry the best of British with the finest international talent, and to explore how the BBC Proms can tell stories about music and culture – both contemporary and historical. It also takes time.
Two years ago, we decided to reflect the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence at this year’s BBC Proms. Of course, that was before the election of Donald Trump and what we didn’t know then was the way in which world events – particularly those relating to the USA – would take an, at times, unprecedented course.
I believe strongly that the potency and power of classical music, and the stories of those who compose it, should be shared with a broad audience. What’s more, we must not allow our current geopolitical climate to stifle culture, or to dissuade us from championing music of both the past and the present. Great art can’t be cancelled.
We could so easily have decided to retreat from our plans to reflect US culture; indeed, when BBC Radio 3 undertook an American Roadtrip in January, broadcasting from cities such as Boston, Los Angeles and New York, some listeners understandably questioned why we were doing so: this was around the time that President Trump was discussing acquiring Greenland and claiming that the UK takes 92 per cent of North Sea oil revenue – a statement since proven to be factually incorrect.
What was so interesting about those broadcasts was the degree to which our listeners discussed with great fervour and passion the relevance and importance of us marking this anniversary. On balance, the positive voices far outweighed the critical: and so our audience would arguably see it as a failure on our part to row back from showcasing outstanding American music, in this most important of years. It is for this reason that we’ve taken a similar approach with the 2026 Proms.
At the Last Night of the Proms, the Piano Concerto by Samuel Barber will be performed for the first time at the festival. The great Yuja Wang will be at the keyboard for this rarely heard piece, alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo. Earlier in the season, Marin Alsop conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in an evening of Great American Classics that includes Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman and music by Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and William Grant Still.
During the summer, we’ll hear the UK premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s new cello concerto – a co-commission between the BBC and Lincoln Center in New York; George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, as part of the First Night of the Proms; and the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s Concerto for Orchestra. We also welcome two of America’s finest orchestras: the LA Phil, returning for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, and the Proms debut of New York’s Met Orchestra.
Beyond classical music, the centenary of the great Miles Davis is marked in a special Prom featuring the American trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, we showcase the Oscar-winning Alan Menken with a Prom for all the family, and the American soprano Angel Blue joins the Chineke! Orchestra.
This season is about far more than just American music. Space restricts me from extolling the riches of an entire eight weeks of music-making. But at a time when so many countries appear to be retreating into an ever more nationalistic bubble, it’s increasingly important that the Proms maintains its mission to shed light on great music from all corners of the world – and to bring people together, no matter what might be happening around us.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
The popular broadcaster presented BBC Radio 1 for almost 15 years.
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Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid host Andy Kershaw has died at the age of 66, it has been confirmed.
The broadcaster passed away on Thursday evening (16 April), his family confirmed.
Kershaw revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with cancer which was affecting his spinal column and leaving him "unable to walk".
At the time, his close friend Peter Everett – who produces the Andy Kershaw Podcast – shared the news on Facebook, revealing that the broadcaster had been receiving treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and physiotherapy.
Everett shared a comment from Kershaw himself, which read: "I am in good spirits, feeling very positive and planning another podcast."
He added: "I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant’n’Dec. That should keep me going for a while."
Everett himself added: "My friend Andy has been going through a difficult time.
"Although we’ve not been able to put together any podcasts in the last six months, we are very grateful to all the patrons and supporters who have stuck with us."
Kershaw spent almost three decades working at the BBC, and was best known for his Radio 1 show which ran from 1985 to 2000.
He began his career at the corporation in 1984 as the host of its rock music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test.
He went on to join Radio 1 and became well regarded for his eclectic taste in music, and also reported for Radio 4, both on music and global conflicts.
In 1985, he also co-presented the BBC’s television coverage of Live Aid, a huge benefit concert which raised money for the Ethiopian famine.
In 2021, the broadcaster launched The Andy Kershaw Podcast as a continuation of his much-loved former BBC Radio 1 show. The podcast featured guests such as Martin Carthy, Robyn Hitchcock and The Burner Band.
Kershaw is survived by two children from his 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner.
The popular broadcaster presented BBC Radio 1 for almost 15 years.
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Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid host Andy Kershaw has died at the age of 66, it has been confirmed.
The broadcaster passed away on Thursday evening (16 April), his family confirmed.
Kershaw revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with cancer which was affecting his spinal column and leaving him "unable to walk".
At the time, his close friend Peter Everett – who produces the Andy Kershaw Podcast – shared the news on Facebook, revealing that the broadcaster had been receiving treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and physiotherapy.
Everett shared a comment from Kershaw himself, which read: "I am in good spirits, feeling very positive and planning another podcast."
He added: "I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant’n’Dec. That should keep me going for a while."
Everett himself added: "My friend Andy has been going through a difficult time.
"Although we’ve not been able to put together any podcasts in the last six months, we are very grateful to all the patrons and supporters who have stuck with us."
Kershaw spent almost three decades working at the BBC, and was best known for his Radio 1 show which ran from 1985 to 2000.
He began his career at the corporation in 1984 as the host of its rock music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test.
He went on to join Radio 1 and became well regarded for his eclectic taste in music, and also reported for Radio 4, both on music and global conflicts.
In 1985, he also co-presented the BBC’s television coverage of Live Aid, a huge benefit concert which raised money for the Ethiopian famine.
In 2021, the broadcaster launched The Andy Kershaw Podcast as a continuation of his much-loved former BBC Radio 1 show. The podcast featured guests such as Martin Carthy, Robyn Hitchcock and The Burner Band.
Kershaw is survived by two children from his 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner.
Both already have Doctor Who experience under their belts.
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Paul McGann’s latest Doctor Who adventures are coming this year, and Coronation Street and Strictly Come Dancing star Natalie Gumede is leading the new arrivals into the TARDIS.
The first episode of The Eighth Doctor Adventures: New Pathways lands in November 2026, launching a fresh six-part audio miniseries for McGann’s Doctor and introducing not one but two new companions for this era.
Gumede joins the long-running Big Finish range alongside Vikings: Valhalla actor Sam Stafford, as the pair step into a brand new chapter for the Eighth Doctor.
Gumede will be the name many viewers recognise first. The actress is best known for playing Kirsty Soames in Coronation Street, while she also finished as a runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. She is also no stranger to the Who-niverse, having previously appeared in the 2014 festive special, Last Christmas.
In New Pathways, Gumede plays Chase Moyo, a sharp and adventurous woman whose everyday call centre routine is upended when a phone call connects her to the TARDIS. Stafford, meanwhile, plays Alfie, a gentle giant from a London estate in the mid-21st century who is already travelling with the Doctor when the story begins.
Stafford may be a slightly newer face for some viewers, but he has already picked up credits across both screen and audio. Along with playing Ulf in Vikings: Valhalla, Big Finish listeners may also recognise his name from earlier work in the wider Doctor Who franchise (Doctor Who: Time War), and even the Torchwood podcast series, making New Pathways a fitting next step for the actor.
Big Finish has also teased a bigger mystery running through the miniseries, revealing that soon after his regeneration, the Doctor receives an unusual call — one that appears to come back around many years later when Chase enters the picture. The six-episode story will unfold across two box sets, with New Pathways 1 due in November 2026 and New Pathways 2 following in December.
Producer David Richardson has said both Gumede and Stafford had been on his radar as potential companions for some time, with the pair now set to become the Doctor’s "new best friends" in audio. With a fresh TARDIS dynamic and a longer mystery already being teased, The Eighth Doctor Adventures: New Pathways is shaping up to be a notable new phase for McGann’s Doctor.
Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Both already have Doctor Who experience under their belts.
Show full content
Paul McGann’s latest Doctor Who adventures are coming this year, and Coronation Street and Strictly Come Dancing star Natalie Gumede is leading the new arrivals into the TARDIS.
The first episode of The Eighth Doctor Adventures: New Pathways lands in November 2026, launching a fresh six-part audio miniseries for McGann’s Doctor and introducing not one but two new companions for this era.
Gumede joins the long-running Big Finish range alongside Vikings: Valhalla actor Sam Stafford, as the pair step into a brand new chapter for the Eighth Doctor.
Gumede will be the name many viewers recognise first. The actress is best known for playing Kirsty Soames in Coronation Street, while she also finished as a runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. She is also no stranger to the Who-niverse, having previously appeared in the 2014 festive special, Last Christmas.
In New Pathways, Gumede plays Chase Moyo, a sharp and adventurous woman whose everyday call centre routine is upended when a phone call connects her to the TARDIS. Stafford, meanwhile, plays Alfie, a gentle giant from a London estate in the mid-21st century who is already travelling with the Doctor when the story begins.
Stafford may be a slightly newer face for some viewers, but he has already picked up credits across both screen and audio. Along with playing Ulf in Vikings: Valhalla, Big Finish listeners may also recognise his name from earlier work in the wider Doctor Who franchise (Doctor Who: Time War), and even the Torchwood podcast series, making New Pathways a fitting next step for the actor.
Big Finish has also teased a bigger mystery running through the miniseries, revealing that soon after his regeneration, the Doctor receives an unusual call — one that appears to come back around many years later when Chase enters the picture. The six-episode story will unfold across two box sets, with New Pathways 1 due in November 2026 and New Pathways 2 following in December.
Producer David Richardson has said both Gumede and Stafford had been on his radar as potential companions for some time, with the pair now set to become the Doctor’s "new best friends" in audio. With a fresh TARDIS dynamic and a longer mystery already being teased, The Eighth Doctor Adventures: New Pathways is shaping up to be a notable new phase for McGann’s Doctor.
Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Hugh Bonneville is set to feature in a new podcast version of the beloved Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The nine-part series from award winning podcasters Noiser will see the Downton Abbey actor reading from Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, which was originally published in serial form in The Strand Magazine from 1901 to 1902.
Each episode of the new series will end on a cliffhanger, mirroring the instalments of Conan Doyle’s novel.
The production will combine Bonneville's narration of the original text with a brand new score, special artwork, and immersive sound design.
Bonneville said in a statement: “There’s a reason this story has never left us, and Arthur Conan Doyle knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote it to land in nine parts.
"Getting to bring that structure back, to let listeners feel those cliffhangers the way Victorian readers felt them, is a rare opportunity. I wanted to honour the material and make it feel alive for new audiences today.”
Katrina Hughes, Executive Producer at Noiser, added: “125 years on, this story still has the power to stop you cold, which tells you everything about why it’s a classic.
"We wanted to mark the anniversary of The Hound of the Baskervilles with a production that truly rose to the occasion. Hugh and the whole team have made something that feels genuinely alive, and we can’t wait for you to hear it.”
Bonneville previously narrated a 16-part podcast series featuring Conan Doyle’s greatest mysteries, titled Sherlock Holmes Short Stories, for Noiser.
The Hound of the Baskervilles will launch on all podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify on 27 April, with instalments releasing twice weekly.
Noiser+ subscribers will receive early access to the show, including access to the first episode on 23 April.
Hugh Bonneville is set to feature in a new podcast version of the beloved Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The nine-part series from award winning podcasters Noiser will see the Downton Abbey actor reading from Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, which was originally published in serial form in The Strand Magazine from 1901 to 1902.
Each episode of the new series will end on a cliffhanger, mirroring the instalments of Conan Doyle’s novel.
The production will combine Bonneville's narration of the original text with a brand new score, special artwork, and immersive sound design.
Bonneville said in a statement: “There’s a reason this story has never left us, and Arthur Conan Doyle knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote it to land in nine parts.
"Getting to bring that structure back, to let listeners feel those cliffhangers the way Victorian readers felt them, is a rare opportunity. I wanted to honour the material and make it feel alive for new audiences today.”
Katrina Hughes, Executive Producer at Noiser, added: “125 years on, this story still has the power to stop you cold, which tells you everything about why it’s a classic.
"We wanted to mark the anniversary of The Hound of the Baskervilles with a production that truly rose to the occasion. Hugh and the whole team have made something that feels genuinely alive, and we can’t wait for you to hear it.”
Bonneville previously narrated a 16-part podcast series featuring Conan Doyle’s greatest mysteries, titled Sherlock Holmes Short Stories, for Noiser.
The Hound of the Baskervilles will launch on all podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify on 27 April, with instalments releasing twice weekly.
Noiser+ subscribers will receive early access to the show, including access to the first episode on 23 April.
"I'm not ashamed to admit that when I was in it everybody – particularly men – would say 'musicals oof'."
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Dame Elaine Page's influence on the West End was celebrated in true musical theatre fashion last Sunday night, as she scooped up a Special Award at the 50th anniversary of the Oliviers.
Decked out in a larger-than-life pink cape, the Radio 2 host was full of gratitude for the recognition of her 60-year career on stage, although she admitted it was also "rather alarming".
"It's all very exciting but I must say also rather alarming because you realise you're getting to the wrong end of the line!" she said in an exclusive chat with Radio Times, "But it's a great honour, and I'm thrilled."
Paige's career on the West End began in 1968 with the rock musical Hair, although her biggest career shift would arrive a decade later upon forming a partnership with the one and only Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In 1978 the actress became the first Eva Perón to sing Don't Cry For Me Argentina, winning her an Olivier Award for performance of the year. Soon after she would become the first Grizabella in Cats – known for the iconic song Memory – the first Florence Vassy in Chess, and appear in early performances of Anything Goes and Sunset Boulevard, scooping up four more Olivier noms in the process.
"When it comes to career defining moments I've been so lucky because there's been two or three." said Paige, "Evita, obviously, is one that changed my life completely. Cats because of memory – oh that wonderful song – and Sunset Boulevard as well, and Édith Piaf and Chess. I've been pretty lucky with the wonderful roles that I've been able to play."
Although even she'd be the first to admit that things sometimes went awry in that six-decade span. "There's been more than one, many, many times.
"I can remember being in the King and I once and playing Mrs Anna, and I had to pull down a map at the back of the stage for all the children to see see, and the map just fell to the floor. So I couldn't describe anything on it and I had to improvise."
In the early 2000s, Paige started to lean away from her on-stage career only to begin another huge venture, her BBC Radio 2 show Elaine Paige on Sunday. Over the past 22 years, this slot has been entirely devoted to musical theatre, and still regularly pulls in an average listenership of 2.3 to 2.5 million listeners each week.
Reflecting on this, she said: "You know when I first started the program, I had no idea that it was going to take off and be the success that it's become,.
"To be honest, I thought it would be a small, little eclectic show. But it goes to prove that as the years have gone by since I was performing in musical theatre, this country has embraced it as a legitimate art form."
She continued: "I'm not ashamed to admit that when I was in it everybody – particularly men – would say 'musicals oof'. It was considered, you know, the poor man's theatre.
"But now I think it is held up, and people respect it in the same way they do the classics. I hope they do, because it is a difficult art form to to perform in, to be able to do everything, and it's jolly exhausting, but a lot of fun.
"I've had the most wonderful adventure with it in this life."
With all that experience, did she have any advice to share for the younger generation?
"Oh, I could never do such a thing. I think every actor has to find their own way with a character. But I thought Rachel Zegler was marvellous in Evita, I did go and see her, obviously, and she sings up a storm. She's got the most beautiful voice and I thought she was magnificent in it. Made me rather jealous!"
As for Paige herself, she's emphatic that life on the stage is behind her, closing out the interview with a laugh.
"I don't have the energy to do it anymore, you've got to be fit. No, I think I'll leave it to the young ones now."
"I'm not ashamed to admit that when I was in it everybody – particularly men – would say 'musicals oof'."
Show full content
Dame Elaine Page's influence on the West End was celebrated in true musical theatre fashion last Sunday night, as she scooped up a Special Award at the 50th anniversary of the Oliviers.
Decked out in a larger-than-life pink cape, the Radio 2 host was full of gratitude for the recognition of her 60-year career on stage, although she admitted it was also "rather alarming".
"It's all very exciting but I must say also rather alarming because you realise you're getting to the wrong end of the line!" she said in an exclusive chat with Radio Times, "But it's a great honour, and I'm thrilled."
Paige's career on the West End began in 1968 with the rock musical Hair, although her biggest career shift would arrive a decade later upon forming a partnership with the one and only Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In 1978 the actress became the first Eva Perón to sing Don't Cry For Me Argentina, winning her an Olivier Award for performance of the year. Soon after she would become the first Grizabella in Cats – known for the iconic song Memory – the first Florence Vassy in Chess, and appear in early performances of Anything Goes and Sunset Boulevard, scooping up four more Olivier noms in the process.
"When it comes to career defining moments I've been so lucky because there's been two or three." said Paige, "Evita, obviously, is one that changed my life completely. Cats because of memory – oh that wonderful song – and Sunset Boulevard as well, and Édith Piaf and Chess. I've been pretty lucky with the wonderful roles that I've been able to play."
Although even she'd be the first to admit that things sometimes went awry in that six-decade span. "There's been more than one, many, many times.
"I can remember being in the King and I once and playing Mrs Anna, and I had to pull down a map at the back of the stage for all the children to see see, and the map just fell to the floor. So I couldn't describe anything on it and I had to improvise."
In the early 2000s, Paige started to lean away from her on-stage career only to begin another huge venture, her BBC Radio 2 show Elaine Paige on Sunday. Over the past 22 years, this slot has been entirely devoted to musical theatre, and still regularly pulls in an average listenership of 2.3 to 2.5 million listeners each week.
Reflecting on this, she said: "You know when I first started the program, I had no idea that it was going to take off and be the success that it's become,.
"To be honest, I thought it would be a small, little eclectic show. But it goes to prove that as the years have gone by since I was performing in musical theatre, this country has embraced it as a legitimate art form."
She continued: "I'm not ashamed to admit that when I was in it everybody – particularly men – would say 'musicals oof'. It was considered, you know, the poor man's theatre.
"But now I think it is held up, and people respect it in the same way they do the classics. I hope they do, because it is a difficult art form to to perform in, to be able to do everything, and it's jolly exhausting, but a lot of fun.
"I've had the most wonderful adventure with it in this life."
With all that experience, did she have any advice to share for the younger generation?
"Oh, I could never do such a thing. I think every actor has to find their own way with a character. But I thought Rachel Zegler was marvellous in Evita, I did go and see her, obviously, and she sings up a storm. She's got the most beautiful voice and I thought she was magnificent in it. Made me rather jealous!"
As for Paige herself, she's emphatic that life on the stage is behind her, closing out the interview with a laugh.
"I don't have the energy to do it anymore, you've got to be fit. No, I think I'll leave it to the young ones now."
Nighy takes on a new role, having previously played Rufus Scrimgeour in 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
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Love Actually star Bill Nighy is no stranger to Harry Potter, having played Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Now, he is returning to the franchise, in the newly released full-cast audio adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – and Radio Times has got an exclusive clip.
The clip sees Nighy take on his new role as Professor Slughorn, potions master at Hogwarts during the final two books of the series, played by Jim Broadbent in the films. It also features Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Jaxon Knopf as Harry Potter and Cush Jumbo as the narrator.
Both book readers and fans of the films will recognise the clip as the scene in which Dumbledore and Harry go to Professor Slughorn's house, where he is disguised as an armchair in a dilapidated room. With Slughorn's disguise exposed, he and Dumbledore then set about fixing up the room.
The Harry Potter Full-Cast Audio Editions first started releasing in November 2025, with a new instalment debuting on Audible each month. The sixth instalment is available as of today (Tuesday 14 April), while the seventh and final entry in the series will release on Tuesday 12 May.
Other actors to feature in the cast for The Half Blood Prince include Rhys Mulligan as Ron Weasley, Nina Barker-Francis as Hermione Granger, Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape, Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall and Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort.
Meanwhile, Ruth Wilson plays Bellatrix Lestrange, Simon Pegg plays Arthur Weasley, Leo Woodall plays Bill Weasley and Ambika Mod plays Nymphadora Tonks.
The Full-Cast Audio Editions are arriving ahead of a new TV series adaptation of the books for HBO, which is scheduled for release in December of this year. The trailer for HBO's highly-anticipated adaptation was released last month and stars the likes of Nick Frost as Hagrid, John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The Full-Cast Audio Edition is available on Tuesday 14 April. Read our list of the best audiobooks on Audible to listen to right now.
Nighy takes on a new role, having previously played Rufus Scrimgeour in 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Show full content
Love Actually star Bill Nighy is no stranger to Harry Potter, having played Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Now, he is returning to the franchise, in the newly released full-cast audio adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – and Radio Times has got an exclusive clip.
The clip sees Nighy take on his new role as Professor Slughorn, potions master at Hogwarts during the final two books of the series, played by Jim Broadbent in the films. It also features Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Jaxon Knopf as Harry Potter and Cush Jumbo as the narrator.
Both book readers and fans of the films will recognise the clip as the scene in which Dumbledore and Harry go to Professor Slughorn's house, where he is disguised as an armchair in a dilapidated room. With Slughorn's disguise exposed, he and Dumbledore then set about fixing up the room.
The Harry Potter Full-Cast Audio Editions first started releasing in November 2025, with a new instalment debuting on Audible each month. The sixth instalment is available as of today (Tuesday 14 April), while the seventh and final entry in the series will release on Tuesday 12 May.
Other actors to feature in the cast for The Half Blood Prince include Rhys Mulligan as Ron Weasley, Nina Barker-Francis as Hermione Granger, Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape, Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall and Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort.
Meanwhile, Ruth Wilson plays Bellatrix Lestrange, Simon Pegg plays Arthur Weasley, Leo Woodall plays Bill Weasley and Ambika Mod plays Nymphadora Tonks.
The Full-Cast Audio Editions are arriving ahead of a new TV series adaptation of the books for HBO, which is scheduled for release in December of this year. The trailer for HBO's highly-anticipated adaptation was released last month and stars the likes of Nick Frost as Hagrid, John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The Full-Cast Audio Edition is available on Tuesday 14 April. Read our list of the best audiobooks on Audible to listen to right now.
The Radio Times Moment of the Year award returns for another year – but who will win?
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The Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS) are returning for a landmark 10th annual ceremony, celebrating the biggest names and rising stars in radio.
For another year, Radio Times is honoured to partner with the Audio Academy to celebrate the biggest moment of the year – and it's down to the public to decide who wins!
This year is a tough competition, from political confrontations and sobering reflections, to joyous sporting celebrations and royal revelations. But who will get your vote?
Cast your vote at the bottom of this page – you have until 8 May. Remember... don't click until you're really sure who you want to win as once you've clicked, your vote will be submitted!
Interviews by Caroline Frost and Gareth McLean
The ARIAS Radio Times Moment of the Year nominees are…Sarah Speaks: The Southport Attacks, on BBC Radio Merseyside
As odd as it sounds, hearing the testimony of Sarah, a survivor of the mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in July 2024, was, says BBC Merseyside presenter Kev Duala, "life-affirming".
"The realisation such an ordinary day became so unpredictable reminded me that what happened to Sarah could've happened to my daughters. It could happen to anyone's child. Yet, in the face of utter devastation, there was this young girl in front of me explaining very calmly about how she was able to take control and decide how she best could help the other girls around her get to safety."
Duala told Radio Times: "What makes this a truly special moment is Sarah's strength, determination, tenacity, and commitment to help others and not let what happened to her in Southport define her but make her."
Scotland v Denmark World Cup qualifier, on BBC Radio Scotland
After nearly 30 years of sports broadcasting, commentator Alasdair Lamont’s voice broke as Scottish midfielder Kenny McLean scored from the halfway line, and was able to say: "We’re returning to the World Cup. What a night."
Reflecting on that evening, Lamont tells RT: "The game swung one way, then the other, but when Scotland’s third and fourth goals went in, I shared the euphoria of every supporter." He was surprised and touched by the reception to his commentary that summed up all the disbelief and joy of his nation’s return to the World Cup after 27 years.
As for working at this year’s tournament in the US and Mexico, Lamont calls it "a dream come true".
Chelsey Ward shares her experience of racist abuse in Yorkshire, on BBC Radio Sheffield
Listeners to Toby Foster’s afternoon show on BBC Radio Sheffield, BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Radio York are used to hearing Chelsey Ward’s voice. The on-air producer usually reads the travel news on the programme and that October day last year was no exception.
But then there was an item about a Doncaster chip shop that had been daubed with a racist slogan. As the shop owner spoke about the impact of the incident and his fear for his family, Ward felt compelled to speak up and tell of racist abuse she was recently subjected to. Her voice faltering, she explained: "I’ve never felt so small in a place where I feel like I belong."
Listeners responded in their droves, demonstrating the power of local radio to connect people.
The King's Music Room, on Apple Music
To celebrate Commonwealth Day, King Charles shared some of his most beloved tunes with listeners across the world. Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones were among the artists featured in the monarch’s eclectic playlist.
Speaking from his office at Buckingham Palace, Charles reflected on the power of music: "Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back… to comfort us in times of sadness and to take us to distant places. But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy."
I Don't Like Cricket, I Love It, on Three Counties Radio
In 1978, 10cc’s reggae song Dreadlock Holiday went to number one in the UK and several other countries. It contained the line, "I don’t like cricket, I love it." Forty-seven years later, presenter Justin Dealey took the band’s frontman Graham Gouldman to his first ever cricket match at the Oval. "We first spoke about in 2018," remembers Dealey. "Due to Covid and touring schedules, it took seven years to pull off but it was worth it."
Listeners heard Gouldman’s reaction to hearing leather on willow for the first time. Dealey tells RT: "Graham had a smile on his face throughout. Afterwards, he told me, unrehearsed, 'I don’t like cricket, I love it,' and that summed up the day."
The Human Cost: How tool theft pushed one listener to the brink of suicide, on Fix Radio
Fix Radio – the UK’s only nationwide station aimed exclusively at tradespeople – is the little station that could. At last year’s Arias, it won two awards - Silver for its breakfast show and Gold for its sonic branding – and this year, its afternoon show shows its mettle.
The Clive Holland Show ("join the big guy as he takes a look at the biggest topics in construction") tackled the two defining crises facing UK tradespeople – tool theft and suicide – when it heard from Steve Baker.
Baker’s raw account of how tool theft became the catalyst for a catastrophic mental health collapse gave a voice to those struggling and hammered home the human cost of the statistics: every 12 minutes, a tradesperson has tools stolen, and every day, two tradespeople take their own lives.
80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, on BBC Radio 3
When Petroc Trelawny heard of the plan, by BBC Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson, to broadcast from the site of the Nazi death camp on Holocaust Memorial Day and explore the place of music in Auschwitz, he had his reservations.
"We had developed a bit of a reputation for doing OBs [outside broadcasts] but they were ‘The River Severn’ or ‘A Journey across the Highlands’," Trelawny told Radio Times. "With this, I thought it would be really hard to strike a balance between reverence and storytelling and also playing beautiful music and keeping listeners with us."
But, after canvassing opinions from Jewish friends, Trelawny put those reservations aside and, thanks to "producer Susan Kenyon and assistant producer Michael Rossi, two absolutely brilliant creative minds who found these extraordinary stories to tell and built the most beautiful musical running order", the result was a profoundly moving and meaningful piece of radio.
"Listen love, you're trying ever so hard", on Bloomberg
Mishal Husain still isn’t sure whether Nigel Farage calling her "love" during an October 2025 interview in which she asked him about Russia was genuine passive-aggressive anger or an attempt at a tactical deflection. "Perhaps it was both. Either way, I thought the best approach was to press on," Bloomberg Weekend’s editor-at-large told Radio Times. "In the end this ‘love’ got Nigel Farage to reveal a major pivot in policy." Not only did that pivot, elicited by Husain’s forensic questioning, make global headlines, the moment went viral as, once again, Farage’s apparent allergy to accountability flared up.
Live Aid Relived, on Greatest Hits Radio
On the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, this 10-hour broadcast brought the unique event back to life. Alongside the familiar music were artists reliving 13 July 1985 when the world, briefly, came together in collective action. Presenter Simon Mayo reports listeners sharing their own memories of the day: "Everyone had their own particular moment."
One listener messaged to say: "What an emotional few hours, remembering the day, and family members I sat and watched it with who are no longer with me." Another, who had attended the concert at Wembley, said: "Thank you for broadcasting the whole thing and bringing it all back! What a truly amazing day it was."
Comedian Dan Skinner swims with the Bluetits Chill Swimmers off the Pembrokeshire coast, on Great Escapes podcast
When the host Dan Skinner made a spontaneous dip into the cold waters off the Pembrokeshire coast, it made for a comical but intimate moment between presenter and listener. Those tuning in heard Skinner exclaim: "It’s October and I’m in the sea."
His experience captured on his smart watch, Skinner tells RT: "The biggest surprise was how cold the water was, close to freezing, but also how quickly your body gets used to it!" The adventure was part of Skinner’s broader mission for the podcast: "We wanted to convey how awesome all the places we visit are. The UK is full of amazing places and people, most of them are right on your doorstep."
The Radio Times Moment of the Year award returns for another year – but who will win?
Show full content
The Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS) are returning for a landmark 10th annual ceremony, celebrating the biggest names and rising stars in radio.
For another year, Radio Times is honoured to partner with the Audio Academy to celebrate the biggest moment of the year – and it's down to the public to decide who wins!
This year is a tough competition, from political confrontations and sobering reflections, to joyous sporting celebrations and royal revelations. But who will get your vote?
Cast your vote at the bottom of this page – you have until 8 May. Remember... don't click until you're really sure who you want to win as once you've clicked, your vote will be submitted!
Interviews by Caroline Frost and Gareth McLean
The ARIAS Radio Times Moment of the Year nominees are…Sarah Speaks: The Southport Attacks, on BBC Radio Merseyside
As odd as it sounds, hearing the testimony of Sarah, a survivor of the mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in July 2024, was, says BBC Merseyside presenter Kev Duala, "life-affirming".
"The realisation such an ordinary day became so unpredictable reminded me that what happened to Sarah could've happened to my daughters. It could happen to anyone's child. Yet, in the face of utter devastation, there was this young girl in front of me explaining very calmly about how she was able to take control and decide how she best could help the other girls around her get to safety."
Duala told Radio Times: "What makes this a truly special moment is Sarah's strength, determination, tenacity, and commitment to help others and not let what happened to her in Southport define her but make her."
Scotland v Denmark World Cup qualifier, on BBC Radio Scotland
After nearly 30 years of sports broadcasting, commentator Alasdair Lamont’s voice broke as Scottish midfielder Kenny McLean scored from the halfway line, and was able to say: "We’re returning to the World Cup. What a night."
Reflecting on that evening, Lamont tells RT: "The game swung one way, then the other, but when Scotland’s third and fourth goals went in, I shared the euphoria of every supporter." He was surprised and touched by the reception to his commentary that summed up all the disbelief and joy of his nation’s return to the World Cup after 27 years.
As for working at this year’s tournament in the US and Mexico, Lamont calls it "a dream come true".
Chelsey Ward shares her experience of racist abuse in Yorkshire, on BBC Radio Sheffield
Listeners to Toby Foster’s afternoon show on BBC Radio Sheffield, BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Radio York are used to hearing Chelsey Ward’s voice. The on-air producer usually reads the travel news on the programme and that October day last year was no exception.
But then there was an item about a Doncaster chip shop that had been daubed with a racist slogan. As the shop owner spoke about the impact of the incident and his fear for his family, Ward felt compelled to speak up and tell of racist abuse she was recently subjected to. Her voice faltering, she explained: "I’ve never felt so small in a place where I feel like I belong."
Listeners responded in their droves, demonstrating the power of local radio to connect people.
The King's Music Room, on Apple Music
To celebrate Commonwealth Day, King Charles shared some of his most beloved tunes with listeners across the world. Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones were among the artists featured in the monarch’s eclectic playlist.
Speaking from his office at Buckingham Palace, Charles reflected on the power of music: "Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back… to comfort us in times of sadness and to take us to distant places. But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy."
I Don't Like Cricket, I Love It, on Three Counties Radio
In 1978, 10cc’s reggae song Dreadlock Holiday went to number one in the UK and several other countries. It contained the line, "I don’t like cricket, I love it." Forty-seven years later, presenter Justin Dealey took the band’s frontman Graham Gouldman to his first ever cricket match at the Oval. "We first spoke about in 2018," remembers Dealey. "Due to Covid and touring schedules, it took seven years to pull off but it was worth it."
Listeners heard Gouldman’s reaction to hearing leather on willow for the first time. Dealey tells RT: "Graham had a smile on his face throughout. Afterwards, he told me, unrehearsed, 'I don’t like cricket, I love it,' and that summed up the day."
The Human Cost: How tool theft pushed one listener to the brink of suicide, on Fix Radio
Fix Radio – the UK’s only nationwide station aimed exclusively at tradespeople – is the little station that could. At last year’s Arias, it won two awards - Silver for its breakfast show and Gold for its sonic branding – and this year, its afternoon show shows its mettle.
The Clive Holland Show ("join the big guy as he takes a look at the biggest topics in construction") tackled the two defining crises facing UK tradespeople – tool theft and suicide – when it heard from Steve Baker.
Baker’s raw account of how tool theft became the catalyst for a catastrophic mental health collapse gave a voice to those struggling and hammered home the human cost of the statistics: every 12 minutes, a tradesperson has tools stolen, and every day, two tradespeople take their own lives.
80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, on BBC Radio 3
When Petroc Trelawny heard of the plan, by BBC Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson, to broadcast from the site of the Nazi death camp on Holocaust Memorial Day and explore the place of music in Auschwitz, he had his reservations.
"We had developed a bit of a reputation for doing OBs [outside broadcasts] but they were ‘The River Severn’ or ‘A Journey across the Highlands’," Trelawny told Radio Times. "With this, I thought it would be really hard to strike a balance between reverence and storytelling and also playing beautiful music and keeping listeners with us."
But, after canvassing opinions from Jewish friends, Trelawny put those reservations aside and, thanks to "producer Susan Kenyon and assistant producer Michael Rossi, two absolutely brilliant creative minds who found these extraordinary stories to tell and built the most beautiful musical running order", the result was a profoundly moving and meaningful piece of radio.
"Listen love, you're trying ever so hard", on Bloomberg
Mishal Husain still isn’t sure whether Nigel Farage calling her "love" during an October 2025 interview in which she asked him about Russia was genuine passive-aggressive anger or an attempt at a tactical deflection. "Perhaps it was both. Either way, I thought the best approach was to press on," Bloomberg Weekend’s editor-at-large told Radio Times. "In the end this ‘love’ got Nigel Farage to reveal a major pivot in policy." Not only did that pivot, elicited by Husain’s forensic questioning, make global headlines, the moment went viral as, once again, Farage’s apparent allergy to accountability flared up.
Live Aid Relived, on Greatest Hits Radio
On the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, this 10-hour broadcast brought the unique event back to life. Alongside the familiar music were artists reliving 13 July 1985 when the world, briefly, came together in collective action. Presenter Simon Mayo reports listeners sharing their own memories of the day: "Everyone had their own particular moment."
One listener messaged to say: "What an emotional few hours, remembering the day, and family members I sat and watched it with who are no longer with me." Another, who had attended the concert at Wembley, said: "Thank you for broadcasting the whole thing and bringing it all back! What a truly amazing day it was."
Comedian Dan Skinner swims with the Bluetits Chill Swimmers off the Pembrokeshire coast, on Great Escapes podcast
When the host Dan Skinner made a spontaneous dip into the cold waters off the Pembrokeshire coast, it made for a comical but intimate moment between presenter and listener. Those tuning in heard Skinner exclaim: "It’s October and I’m in the sea."
His experience captured on his smart watch, Skinner tells RT: "The biggest surprise was how cold the water was, close to freezing, but also how quickly your body gets used to it!" The adventure was part of Skinner’s broader mission for the podcast: "We wanted to convey how awesome all the places we visit are. The UK is full of amazing places and people, most of them are right on your doorstep."
Matt Baker is launching a brand new podcast celebrating the nation’s love of pets, featuring famous faces and heartfelt stories.
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Matt Baker is set to front a brand new podcast series, Matt Baker’s Petcast, launching soon in collaboration with Radio Times.
The upcoming series will see the popular presenter – best known for his work on Countryfile, The One Show and Blue Peter – explore one of the UK’s most beloved topics: the special relationship between people and their pets.
Across the series, Baker will sit down with big names from the world of TV, entertainment and beyond for relaxed, wide-ranging conversations about the animals that have played a meaningful role in their lives. From the pets they grew up with to the companions they have today, each episode will offer a personal and often nostalgic look at how animals shape our experiences and memories.
As well as celebrating those bonds, Petcast will delve into the realities of modern pet ownership. Discussions are set to cover everything from balancing busy lifestyles with caring for animals, to the responsibilities that come with choosing and looking after a pet.
The podcast will also touch on the growing conversation around pets and mental wellbeing, exploring the comfort, companionship and routine animals can bring to everyday life.
The collaboration with Radio Times marks an exciting expansion into podcasting for both Baker and the brand, building on their shared focus on storytelling and audience connection.
Further details, including the full guest line-up and episode schedule, will be announced in due course, but listeners can expect a series filled with humour, honesty and heartfelt moments.
Matt Baker’s Petcast will be available soon via major podcast platforms.
Matt Baker is launching a brand new podcast celebrating the nation’s love of pets, featuring famous faces and heartfelt stories.
Show full content
Matt Baker is set to front a brand new podcast series, Matt Baker’s Petcast, launching soon in collaboration with Radio Times.
The upcoming series will see the popular presenter – best known for his work on Countryfile, The One Show and Blue Peter – explore one of the UK’s most beloved topics: the special relationship between people and their pets.
Across the series, Baker will sit down with big names from the world of TV, entertainment and beyond for relaxed, wide-ranging conversations about the animals that have played a meaningful role in their lives. From the pets they grew up with to the companions they have today, each episode will offer a personal and often nostalgic look at how animals shape our experiences and memories.
As well as celebrating those bonds, Petcast will delve into the realities of modern pet ownership. Discussions are set to cover everything from balancing busy lifestyles with caring for animals, to the responsibilities that come with choosing and looking after a pet.
The podcast will also touch on the growing conversation around pets and mental wellbeing, exploring the comfort, companionship and routine animals can bring to everyday life.
The collaboration with Radio Times marks an exciting expansion into podcasting for both Baker and the brand, building on their shared focus on storytelling and audience connection.
Further details, including the full guest line-up and episode schedule, will be announced in due course, but listeners can expect a series filled with humour, honesty and heartfelt moments.
Matt Baker’s Petcast will be available soon via major podcast platforms.
The rapper was scheduled to perform across three nights in London.
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Wireless Festival 2026 has been cancelled following the Home Office's decision to deny Kanye West permission to travel to the UK.
The festival, the presale for which began today (7 April), confirmed the news on social media, writing: "As a result of the Home Office banning Ye from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel."
The Home Office confirmed to BBC News that the rapper had made an application to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), but it was refused on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
Kanye West, whose legal name was changed to Ye in 2021, was scheduled to perform across three nights in London this summer, but his signing sparked outrage due to his previous antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments.
Following the controversy of his signing and before news his application was refused, Ye released a statement that read: "I've been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music.
"I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren't enough - I've have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here. With Love."
President of the board of deputies of British Jews Phil Rosenberg responded to the statement, and said the body was "willing" to meet the rapper, but only if he agreed not to play at Wireless Festival.
"It has been less than a year since Kanye West released a song entitled Heil Hitler, the culmination of three years of appalling antisemitism," Rosenberg said.
"He also made a number of deeply offensive comments about the Black community, saying that the 400-year experience of slavery was 'like a choice'.
"Even while claiming remorse today, his latest album includes a track first released last year with the abhorrent title Gas Chamber. The Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at the Wireless Festival.
"As such, we are willing to meet Kanye West as part of his journey of healing, but only after he agrees not to play the Wireless Festival this year."
In January, Ye published a statement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his antisemitic remarks, attributing his actions to his bipolar-1 disorder.
"One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that led to poor judgment and reckless behaviour that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience," he wrote.
"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though."
The rapper's ETA block came after Festival Republic's managing director Melvin Benn defended the decision to have Ye headline the festival, noting that he would only be performing and not given a platform to voice any opinions.
He said in a statement: "What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community.
"Ye's music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country.
"He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions."
The rapper was scheduled to perform across three nights in London.
Show full content
Wireless Festival 2026 has been cancelled following the Home Office's decision to deny Kanye West permission to travel to the UK.
The festival, the presale for which began today (7 April), confirmed the news on social media, writing: "As a result of the Home Office banning Ye from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel."
The Home Office confirmed to BBC News that the rapper had made an application to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), but it was refused on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
Kanye West, whose legal name was changed to Ye in 2021, was scheduled to perform across three nights in London this summer, but his signing sparked outrage due to his previous antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments.
Following the controversy of his signing and before news his application was refused, Ye released a statement that read: "I've been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music.
"I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren't enough - I've have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here. With Love."
President of the board of deputies of British Jews Phil Rosenberg responded to the statement, and said the body was "willing" to meet the rapper, but only if he agreed not to play at Wireless Festival.
"It has been less than a year since Kanye West released a song entitled Heil Hitler, the culmination of three years of appalling antisemitism," Rosenberg said.
"He also made a number of deeply offensive comments about the Black community, saying that the 400-year experience of slavery was 'like a choice'.
"Even while claiming remorse today, his latest album includes a track first released last year with the abhorrent title Gas Chamber. The Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at the Wireless Festival.
"As such, we are willing to meet Kanye West as part of his journey of healing, but only after he agrees not to play the Wireless Festival this year."
In January, Ye published a statement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his antisemitic remarks, attributing his actions to his bipolar-1 disorder.
"One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that led to poor judgment and reckless behaviour that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience," he wrote.
"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though."
The rapper's ETA block came after Festival Republic's managing director Melvin Benn defended the decision to have Ye headline the festival, noting that he would only be performing and not given a platform to voice any opinions.
He said in a statement: "What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community.
"Ye's music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country.
"He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions."
Radio presenter Richard Rees has announced he is retiring after 50 years at the BBC.
He announced the news during his BBC Radio Cymru programme this morning (4 April), a show he has presented for over 20 years.
Over the course of his career, Rees has worked on a number of radio shows across the BBC, from Sosban and Ar Hyd y Nos on BBC Radio Cymru to Rockpile and Get Set on BBC Radio Wales. Rees' final programme will broadcast on 11 April.
His radio career first began in 1974, working as a freelance presenter and producer for the Swansea Sound station. He also worked a researcher on news and current affairs for HTV, before moving to the BBC in 1976.
Upon sharing the news, Rees recalled his first day working at the BBC in 1976, telling his listeners: "I remember arriving by car at 7.30 in the morning, parking and sitting outside the BBC Centre in Llandaf, staring at the huge building with its big glass foyer and thinking, ‘What on earth am I doing here?’… the huge doubt - was I good enough? I almost drove home."
He continued: "Working with the BBC in Wales for fifty years has been a privilege and an honour on so many levels. It has been a privilege to be welcomed into people’s homes through radio and to get to know audiences and individuals across the country. It has been an honour to represent the world’s most famous and respected broadcasting service on so many occasions.
"It has also been a privilege to work alongside so many incredibly talented people - producers, technicians, contributors and fellow presenters. Many of them are now lifelong and very dear friends. I will always remember the BBC as a lovely place to work, with teams that sometimes felt almost like family - a workplace full of creativity and friendship."
Just two years after he joined, Rees became a regular presenter, responsibly for all BBC Cymru's nightly broadcasts.
Dafydd Meredydd, editor of BBC Radio Cymru, commented: "I would like to thank Richard wholeheartedly for his exceptional contribution over the decades. As one of the station’s first voices, he has offered warm companionship to generations of BBC Radio Cymru listeners, while also championing the Welsh music scene with his quiet passion.
"His dedication and enthusiasm for music have enriched our culture and shaped the sound of BBC Radio Cymru from the very beginning. As we welcome the multi‑talented Huw Stephens to Saturday mornings, we wish Richard all the very best in his retirement - thank you for everything."
From mid-April, Huw Stephens will take over with a new Saturday morning show from 5:30 to 7am.
He said of the appointment: "I’m looking forward to starting a new weekly show on BBC Sounds and on Saturday mornings on BBC Radio Cymru. After 25 years of broadcasting in Welsh at night, this new programme will be a fun musical journey celebrating some of my all‑time favourite artists.
"Broadcasting on Radio Cymru is a privilege, and I hope you’ll join me each week to enjoy a special playlist. Respect and strength to Richard Rees, and thank you for all the music over the years."
Radio presenter Richard Rees has announced he is retiring after 50 years at the BBC.
He announced the news during his BBC Radio Cymru programme this morning (4 April), a show he has presented for over 20 years.
Over the course of his career, Rees has worked on a number of radio shows across the BBC, from Sosban and Ar Hyd y Nos on BBC Radio Cymru to Rockpile and Get Set on BBC Radio Wales. Rees' final programme will broadcast on 11 April.
His radio career first began in 1974, working as a freelance presenter and producer for the Swansea Sound station. He also worked a researcher on news and current affairs for HTV, before moving to the BBC in 1976.
Upon sharing the news, Rees recalled his first day working at the BBC in 1976, telling his listeners: "I remember arriving by car at 7.30 in the morning, parking and sitting outside the BBC Centre in Llandaf, staring at the huge building with its big glass foyer and thinking, ‘What on earth am I doing here?’… the huge doubt - was I good enough? I almost drove home."
He continued: "Working with the BBC in Wales for fifty years has been a privilege and an honour on so many levels. It has been a privilege to be welcomed into people’s homes through radio and to get to know audiences and individuals across the country. It has been an honour to represent the world’s most famous and respected broadcasting service on so many occasions.
"It has also been a privilege to work alongside so many incredibly talented people - producers, technicians, contributors and fellow presenters. Many of them are now lifelong and very dear friends. I will always remember the BBC as a lovely place to work, with teams that sometimes felt almost like family - a workplace full of creativity and friendship."
Just two years after he joined, Rees became a regular presenter, responsibly for all BBC Cymru's nightly broadcasts.
Dafydd Meredydd, editor of BBC Radio Cymru, commented: "I would like to thank Richard wholeheartedly for his exceptional contribution over the decades. As one of the station’s first voices, he has offered warm companionship to generations of BBC Radio Cymru listeners, while also championing the Welsh music scene with his quiet passion.
"His dedication and enthusiasm for music have enriched our culture and shaped the sound of BBC Radio Cymru from the very beginning. As we welcome the multi‑talented Huw Stephens to Saturday mornings, we wish Richard all the very best in his retirement - thank you for everything."
From mid-April, Huw Stephens will take over with a new Saturday morning show from 5:30 to 7am.
He said of the appointment: "I’m looking forward to starting a new weekly show on BBC Sounds and on Saturday mornings on BBC Radio Cymru. After 25 years of broadcasting in Welsh at night, this new programme will be a fun musical journey celebrating some of my all‑time favourite artists.
"Broadcasting on Radio Cymru is a privilege, and I hope you’ll join me each week to enjoy a special playlist. Respect and strength to Richard Rees, and thank you for all the music over the years."
Musician, artist and activist Brian Eno sheds light on the hidden path to hope that's right in front of us.
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For some time now I have been living by a maxim that informs almost everything I do: that if we want a new world we have to start making it, together.
Right now, with war, collapse, climate and cost of living dominating our headlines, the systems we thought we could rely on seem completely unreliable and broken, and the governments we used to hope would sort it out for us aren’t. This can feel worrying and daunting at face value, but in reality, it is also a thrilling opportunity.
Because while the headlines rage and rail, there’s another story unfolding quietly across the UK - one that rarely reaches national attention. One where ordinary people are refusing to accept ‘no’ and are building solutions from the ground up. It’s happening in housing estates, high streets, farms, and community halls. It’s the story of ordinary people who looked at failing systems: food, energy, housing, democracy - and said we need to find another way.
And in trying, they’re discovering something extraordinary: hope.
In our attention economy their stories are often sidelined or marginalised as unimportant, and given five minutes on the end of the so-called important news. But what we pay attention to grows. It’s our attention that feeds it. So, is it time to reassess?
Screw this... let’s try something else
In the podcast Screw this... let’s try something else, where hosts Maryam Pasha and Matt Golding tour the country to meet ordinary communities doing the extraordinary, I listened to stories of people taking matters into their own hands to create big, whopping ‘change the narrative’ change.
There’s Mark Pepper and a group of residents from deprived neighbourhood Lawrence Weston who got sick of being ignored and knocked on 3,000 doors to ask, “What matters to you most?” From that came answers many can relate to: our heating bills, living in a food desert, lack of access to green space.
Without money and skills they set about addressing these big things, forcing the council to get a supermarket built on a brownfield site, changing housing policy so that all new homes had to be energy efficient and cheap to run, and financing the construction of Britain’s tallest wind turbine that generates enough electricity to power 3,000 homes, while making £100k a year for community projects.
That wind turbine is part of the inspiration for the government's £1 billion investment into community energy projects across the country. Energy for people, owned by the people.
And once you start to really think about that, what if there were 500 or more such wind turbines across the country, generating secure, resilient energy that no war could affect, that lowered bills and generated income for regular people? Is that the kind of world you would want to live in?
Another story that affected me deeply was that of Immy Kaur and Civic Square in Birmingham. Their ambitious aim is to build a resilient neighbourhood of the future. They, not our governments, are thinking about what a future that is three degrees warmer actually looks like, and in response are creating a dynamic neighbourhood hub, complete with community power station, microfactories and an ambitious retrofit program that puts the power of helping us into our own hands.
They are purposely thinking seven generations back and seven generations forward; how do we act as responsible ancestors who care for our children and grandchildren and the world they will live in.
On a neighbourhood level Civic Square is doing the learning and the practical experimentation for us so that, in the model of the NHS, its caring, inclusive neighbourhood can become a template that could spread. So I will ask the question again – what if there were a thousand such neighbourhoods across Britain?
Our power is in seeing ourselves as Citizens
When we hear examples like this, our tendency is to believe that we could never do the same, or that exceptional circumstances were at play to make the conditions exactly right for the impossible to become possible. But as Jon Alexander, says in his book Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything Is All of Us, the key to big change is often much smaller and more personal than that:
“I think there is a citizen in all of us, right? I think of it almost more like a verb than a noun. What is it to citizen? At the level of any given individual, there is a choice to make; do you succumb to this kind of politics of inevitability that people are basically bad, the world that we live in is horrible, but it's all humanity is capable of? Or do you choose to love humanity? And that's not a trivial thing, I'm not using those words lightly.
“On any given day, it might be easier to switch on the news and doom scroll and have your attention co-opted. It's an active choice to reject that, to go and look someone in the eye and see the best in them and invite them into something with me. It's as simple as that and as huge and difficult as that, but it is world changing.”
When we choose to connect with each other and create something together, like Mark and the crew in Lawrence Weston and Immy and the rest of Civic Square have done, we are committing a radical act. We are taking back power from those we normally ask permission from, and saying we know what we need, here in our place. And when you start doing that, things begin to shift around you.
Take another story from Northern Ireland, where single mum Lee Robb got sick of the narrative around her broken town of Carrick Fergus. She asked her fellow residents what mattered to them and – like many of us – the answer was that they wanted to see a bustling and thriving local high street, something that had been lost over many years.
Lee and nine other residents crowdfunded a greengrocers that is supplied by a local market garden, bringing over 10,000 people a year to a previously dead part of the city centre. Lee now advises the Northern Ireland Government on food policy and creating resilience within our food systems:
“It feels really amazing... to have built something really concrete that you can actually touch. And it gives us a huge amount of credibility… because there's a lot of people... just sitting at desks doing research and writing papers and thinking that they're influencing change... And actually we just need people to build real stuff.”
These are people who are living by the maxim: if we want a new world we have to start making it, right now. We have to *live* the world we want to exist in.
What unites us is greater than what divides us
All around us we see the language and markers of division, both on the left and the right. All the stories that I have outlined so far focus on our essential needs, housing, food, energy and decision making, all part and parcel of political conversations day in, day out, but interestingly, in these communities, traditional politics is rarely part of the conversation.
In Grimsby where local community group East Marsh United have crowdfunded to buy houses and become ethical landlords in an effort to knit their community back together, Billy Daesin says, “We’ll talk to anybody.”
A recent survey showed that while only 12 per cent of us still trust politicians, 70 per cent of us trust in each other. That is hugely, manifestly important. If we reject narrow, top-down leadership in favour of working together in our communities, the potential to effect change is not just a nice idea, but a generational opportunity. As Jon Alexander says, “All of us are smarter than any of us.”
Podcast ‘Screw this… let’s try something else’ shows that the mechanisms for creating a new kind of political engagement already exist in the citizens assembly in Paris that runs a 100 million euro budget, Scotland’s Community Wealth building bill, and further afield in Zohran Mamdani’s New York Office of Mass Engagement.
Slowly the zeitgeist is beginning to catch on. Rutger Bergman’s BBC Reith Lectures laid out a vision of ordinary groups of people coming together to create meaningful societal change that challenges and redefines the status quo, pointing to clear historical precedents that prove it can be done.
What we pay attention to... grows
Practical demonstrations of hope in action show that the most fundamental way to meet the current moment is to come together, and there is a place for all of us within that, whatever our views. By coalescing around common-sense solutions to our basic needs like food, energy, housing and decision-making, we have the tools to bridge division and make real change that can create a better world.
But as an artist and a storyteller I see my responsibility going one step further. I talk a lot about what art is and what it can be, most recently in my book with co-writer Bette Adriaanse, What Art Does. Anything from a hairstyle to a sweet wrapper can be art, and art and creativity are foundational to our lives and are pivotal in creating real, meaningful change.
In my mind, Lawrence Weston’s Wind Turbine and Civic Square’s neighbourhood hub are game-changing pieces of art, because they are both physical embodiments of the possibility for a very different kind of future: a future that rejects the dire picture that many of us imagine in our minds.
What we pay attention to grows, so when we look at the stories we are telling ourselves on the news, and in the slick television dramas we watch about the billionaire class, could spending more time focusing on real people doing incredible things help shift the needle to a better world?
So what can we do?
I asked Matt Golding, producer and host of ‘Screw this… let’s try something else’ to give me his suggestions:
Notice & Listen
Take a walk in your neighbourhood, visit local shops, parks, or community spaces, and simply ask: what matters to people here? Listen to your neighbours’ concerns, ideas and small frustrations. Often, the first step to change is understanding what already exists and what needs attention.
Start Small & Act
You don’t need a big budget or a council mandate to begin. Plant a community garden, organise a litter pick, set up a local swap, or volunteer at a nearby project. Even small, consistent actions create momentum, build relationships, and inspire others to join.
Connect & Multiply
Change spreads through networks. Invite neighbours to help, partner with local groups, or join existing initiatives like community farms, renewable energy co-ops, or housing projects. Sharing ideas and working together multiplies your impact and makes hope contagious.
Remember: hope isn’t something you wait for – it’s something you create, right where you are.
Musician, artist and activist Brian Eno sheds light on the hidden path to hope that's right in front of us.
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For some time now I have been living by a maxim that informs almost everything I do: that if we want a new world we have to start making it, together.
Right now, with war, collapse, climate and cost of living dominating our headlines, the systems we thought we could rely on seem completely unreliable and broken, and the governments we used to hope would sort it out for us aren’t. This can feel worrying and daunting at face value, but in reality, it is also a thrilling opportunity.
Because while the headlines rage and rail, there’s another story unfolding quietly across the UK - one that rarely reaches national attention. One where ordinary people are refusing to accept ‘no’ and are building solutions from the ground up. It’s happening in housing estates, high streets, farms, and community halls. It’s the story of ordinary people who looked at failing systems: food, energy, housing, democracy - and said we need to find another way.
And in trying, they’re discovering something extraordinary: hope.
In our attention economy their stories are often sidelined or marginalised as unimportant, and given five minutes on the end of the so-called important news. But what we pay attention to grows. It’s our attention that feeds it. So, is it time to reassess?
Screw this... let’s try something else
In the podcast Screw this... let’s try something else, where hosts Maryam Pasha and Matt Golding tour the country to meet ordinary communities doing the extraordinary, I listened to stories of people taking matters into their own hands to create big, whopping ‘change the narrative’ change.
There’s Mark Pepper and a group of residents from deprived neighbourhood Lawrence Weston who got sick of being ignored and knocked on 3,000 doors to ask, “What matters to you most?” From that came answers many can relate to: our heating bills, living in a food desert, lack of access to green space.
Without money and skills they set about addressing these big things, forcing the council to get a supermarket built on a brownfield site, changing housing policy so that all new homes had to be energy efficient and cheap to run, and financing the construction of Britain’s tallest wind turbine that generates enough electricity to power 3,000 homes, while making £100k a year for community projects.
That wind turbine is part of the inspiration for the government's £1 billion investment into community energy projects across the country. Energy for people, owned by the people.
And once you start to really think about that, what if there were 500 or more such wind turbines across the country, generating secure, resilient energy that no war could affect, that lowered bills and generated income for regular people? Is that the kind of world you would want to live in?
Another story that affected me deeply was that of Immy Kaur and Civic Square in Birmingham. Their ambitious aim is to build a resilient neighbourhood of the future. They, not our governments, are thinking about what a future that is three degrees warmer actually looks like, and in response are creating a dynamic neighbourhood hub, complete with community power station, microfactories and an ambitious retrofit program that puts the power of helping us into our own hands.
They are purposely thinking seven generations back and seven generations forward; how do we act as responsible ancestors who care for our children and grandchildren and the world they will live in.
On a neighbourhood level Civic Square is doing the learning and the practical experimentation for us so that, in the model of the NHS, its caring, inclusive neighbourhood can become a template that could spread. So I will ask the question again – what if there were a thousand such neighbourhoods across Britain?
Our power is in seeing ourselves as Citizens
When we hear examples like this, our tendency is to believe that we could never do the same, or that exceptional circumstances were at play to make the conditions exactly right for the impossible to become possible. But as Jon Alexander, says in his book Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything Is All of Us, the key to big change is often much smaller and more personal than that:
“I think there is a citizen in all of us, right? I think of it almost more like a verb than a noun. What is it to citizen? At the level of any given individual, there is a choice to make; do you succumb to this kind of politics of inevitability that people are basically bad, the world that we live in is horrible, but it's all humanity is capable of? Or do you choose to love humanity? And that's not a trivial thing, I'm not using those words lightly.
“On any given day, it might be easier to switch on the news and doom scroll and have your attention co-opted. It's an active choice to reject that, to go and look someone in the eye and see the best in them and invite them into something with me. It's as simple as that and as huge and difficult as that, but it is world changing.”
When we choose to connect with each other and create something together, like Mark and the crew in Lawrence Weston and Immy and the rest of Civic Square have done, we are committing a radical act. We are taking back power from those we normally ask permission from, and saying we know what we need, here in our place. And when you start doing that, things begin to shift around you.
Take another story from Northern Ireland, where single mum Lee Robb got sick of the narrative around her broken town of Carrick Fergus. She asked her fellow residents what mattered to them and – like many of us – the answer was that they wanted to see a bustling and thriving local high street, something that had been lost over many years.
Lee and nine other residents crowdfunded a greengrocers that is supplied by a local market garden, bringing over 10,000 people a year to a previously dead part of the city centre. Lee now advises the Northern Ireland Government on food policy and creating resilience within our food systems:
“It feels really amazing... to have built something really concrete that you can actually touch. And it gives us a huge amount of credibility… because there's a lot of people... just sitting at desks doing research and writing papers and thinking that they're influencing change... And actually we just need people to build real stuff.”
These are people who are living by the maxim: if we want a new world we have to start making it, right now. We have to *live* the world we want to exist in.
What unites us is greater than what divides us
All around us we see the language and markers of division, both on the left and the right. All the stories that I have outlined so far focus on our essential needs, housing, food, energy and decision making, all part and parcel of political conversations day in, day out, but interestingly, in these communities, traditional politics is rarely part of the conversation.
In Grimsby where local community group East Marsh United have crowdfunded to buy houses and become ethical landlords in an effort to knit their community back together, Billy Daesin says, “We’ll talk to anybody.”
A recent survey showed that while only 12 per cent of us still trust politicians, 70 per cent of us trust in each other. That is hugely, manifestly important. If we reject narrow, top-down leadership in favour of working together in our communities, the potential to effect change is not just a nice idea, but a generational opportunity. As Jon Alexander says, “All of us are smarter than any of us.”
Podcast ‘Screw this… let’s try something else’ shows that the mechanisms for creating a new kind of political engagement already exist in the citizens assembly in Paris that runs a 100 million euro budget, Scotland’s Community Wealth building bill, and further afield in Zohran Mamdani’s New York Office of Mass Engagement.
Slowly the zeitgeist is beginning to catch on. Rutger Bergman’s BBC Reith Lectures laid out a vision of ordinary groups of people coming together to create meaningful societal change that challenges and redefines the status quo, pointing to clear historical precedents that prove it can be done.
What we pay attention to... grows
Practical demonstrations of hope in action show that the most fundamental way to meet the current moment is to come together, and there is a place for all of us within that, whatever our views. By coalescing around common-sense solutions to our basic needs like food, energy, housing and decision-making, we have the tools to bridge division and make real change that can create a better world.
But as an artist and a storyteller I see my responsibility going one step further. I talk a lot about what art is and what it can be, most recently in my book with co-writer Bette Adriaanse, What Art Does. Anything from a hairstyle to a sweet wrapper can be art, and art and creativity are foundational to our lives and are pivotal in creating real, meaningful change.
In my mind, Lawrence Weston’s Wind Turbine and Civic Square’s neighbourhood hub are game-changing pieces of art, because they are both physical embodiments of the possibility for a very different kind of future: a future that rejects the dire picture that many of us imagine in our minds.
What we pay attention to grows, so when we look at the stories we are telling ourselves on the news, and in the slick television dramas we watch about the billionaire class, could spending more time focusing on real people doing incredible things help shift the needle to a better world?
So what can we do?
I asked Matt Golding, producer and host of ‘Screw this… let’s try something else’ to give me his suggestions:
Notice & Listen
Take a walk in your neighbourhood, visit local shops, parks, or community spaces, and simply ask: what matters to people here? Listen to your neighbours’ concerns, ideas and small frustrations. Often, the first step to change is understanding what already exists and what needs attention.
Start Small & Act
You don’t need a big budget or a council mandate to begin. Plant a community garden, organise a litter pick, set up a local swap, or volunteer at a nearby project. Even small, consistent actions create momentum, build relationships, and inspire others to join.
Connect & Multiply
Change spreads through networks. Invite neighbours to help, partner with local groups, or join existing initiatives like community farms, renewable energy co-ops, or housing projects. Sharing ideas and working together multiplies your impact and makes hope contagious.
Remember: hope isn’t something you wait for – it’s something you create, right where you are.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness."
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Following the announcement on Monday (30 March) that Scott Mills had been sacked by the BBC following allegations over his 'personal conduct', the former Radio 2 presenter has released a statement.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16, relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The investigation began in 2016 and was later closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
In a statement shared with Radio Times on Wednesday (1 April), Mills said: "The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me.
"An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
The Metropolitan Police's statement, released earlier this week, said: "In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
"As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
"A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019."
The BBC's statement said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many.
"We also recognise there’s been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved.
"What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March.
"The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards. Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met.
"Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time."
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness."
Show full content
Following the announcement on Monday (30 March) that Scott Mills had been sacked by the BBC following allegations over his 'personal conduct', the former Radio 2 presenter has released a statement.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16, relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The investigation began in 2016 and was later closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
In a statement shared with Radio Times on Wednesday (1 April), Mills said: "The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me.
"An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
The Metropolitan Police's statement, released earlier this week, said: "In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
"As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
"A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019."
The BBC's statement said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many.
"We also recognise there’s been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved.
"What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March.
"The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards. Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met.
"Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time."
As NASA returns humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972, experts say Artemis II could mark the beginning of long-term life beyond Earth.
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The prospect of a permanent lunar base comes one step closer today, with NASA launching the first manned Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. For Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock – a self-confessed 'lunatic' born a year before Neil Armstrong made history – Artemis II’s voyage to the far side of the Moon can’t come soon enough.
"My retirement plan is to have an optical telescope on the lunar surface," says the space scientist and Sky at Night presenter. "We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and now there’s talk of a lunar gateway, the capability of refuelling vessels in orbit around the Moon; it feels as if it’s coming together."
British astronaut Tim Peake is similarly excited: "This is the start of the human journey to spend extended periods of time on another celestial body, and a stepping stone to Mars."
The pair, with US journalist Kristin Fisher, are tracking Artemis II’s ten-day mission in live daily dispatches of their BBC World Service space history podcast 13 Minutes. The latest series, which kicked off on Monday and is due to wrap up the day after the crew returns, digs deep into the science behind the mission to understand its role in paving the way for a lunar base.
"Having looked retrospectively at key events in space history, it’s exciting to be doing something in real time," says Dame Maggie.
While the crew won’t set foot on the surface, they will travel several thousand miles beyond the Moon – further than anyone before them. But technical difficulties have forced NASA to postpone Artemis II twice from its original February launch. Now it’s added an extra mission next year, to practise docking with a lunar lander, before humans next step onto the Moon with potentially two landings in 2028.
Irrespective of the stress of the delays, can anything really prepare the crews of this and subsequent missions for the experience?
"You can learn the nuts and bolts, but nothing can prepare you for the view or the weightlessness,” says Peake. “Burning those engines and heading off to the Moon, watching Earth disappear to a thumbnail in the window, is mentally another order of magnitude."
Among Artemis II’s crew are the first lunar non-white astronaut, the first woman and the first non-American (a Canadian, at a time when the distinction between the neighbouring nations feels wider than ever).
"The 12 people who’ve landed on the Moon have all been white American guys, which seems like a very narrow band of people," says Dame Maggie. "As a child, I thought I had to become a fighter pilot to stand a chance, but the younger generation can see this is potentially for everyone.
"I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere, but when you see our planet from space, you don’t see borders. The world feels fractured right now, and it’s lovely to see the European Space Agency collaborating with the US and Canada. The images of our planet will reflect the work that’s been done to get people out there."
From impact craters to solar flares and ancient lava flows, we’ve learnt a lot more about the Moon in the past half-century. The surface is essentially "a four-billion-year-old museum, a pristine repository of what Earth used to be like," says Peake.
Artemis represents the most sustained approach yet to establishing a staging post to the solar system, a world away from what Dame Maggie calls the “sabre-rattling” one-upmanship of the early space race. Yet its journey over the past quarter-century, through successive US presidents with wildly contrasting agendas, has not been plain sailing.
Peake highlights that around 0.5% of US GDP goes into space research, down from 5% in the Apollo era, while Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have skewed the public’s perception of space exploration as a “billionaires’ playground” rather than a scientific endeavour.
"The involvement of commercial companies is nothing new, but there haven’t always been such large personalities attached to them," he notes.
Dame Maggie, meanwhile, confesses she’s "a little scared" about the risks involved.
"As we take these first wobbly steps into space and further into the solar system, we must get it right, in the name of all humanity. It’s not just for the great and the good, it’s for everybody. The wrong mindset could lead to disaster later."
For Musk in particular, Mars is the prize. While Peake predicts crews will routinely spend six months on the Moon within a decade, he reckons that once the red planet becomes a viable destination, it will forever change how humans deal with the psychological impact of space.
"When you watch Earth disappear until it's no brighter than an ordinary star in the night sky, and you're committed to a three-year mission, that's a quantum leap."
A decade on from his spacewalk, Peake is technically a retired astronaut, though a return to the International Space Station could be on the cards. Could he see himself working on the Moon?
"I’d love to – I don't think it will be too challenging: the Earth is still there in your view, which would ground you while you’re living on another celestial spot."
So, as he watches the flight from his home, is he not a tiny bit... jealous?
He laughs. "I guarantee that every single astronaut who isn’t on that rocket envies that crew. A lunar mission is the highlight of any astronaut’s mission. It’s what we live and work for – and dream about."
As NASA returns humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972, experts say Artemis II could mark the beginning of long-term life beyond Earth.
Show full content
The prospect of a permanent lunar base comes one step closer today, with NASA launching the first manned Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. For Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock – a self-confessed 'lunatic' born a year before Neil Armstrong made history – Artemis II’s voyage to the far side of the Moon can’t come soon enough.
"My retirement plan is to have an optical telescope on the lunar surface," says the space scientist and Sky at Night presenter. "We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and now there’s talk of a lunar gateway, the capability of refuelling vessels in orbit around the Moon; it feels as if it’s coming together."
British astronaut Tim Peake is similarly excited: "This is the start of the human journey to spend extended periods of time on another celestial body, and a stepping stone to Mars."
The pair, with US journalist Kristin Fisher, are tracking Artemis II’s ten-day mission in live daily dispatches of their BBC World Service space history podcast 13 Minutes. The latest series, which kicked off on Monday and is due to wrap up the day after the crew returns, digs deep into the science behind the mission to understand its role in paving the way for a lunar base.
"Having looked retrospectively at key events in space history, it’s exciting to be doing something in real time," says Dame Maggie.
While the crew won’t set foot on the surface, they will travel several thousand miles beyond the Moon – further than anyone before them. But technical difficulties have forced NASA to postpone Artemis II twice from its original February launch. Now it’s added an extra mission next year, to practise docking with a lunar lander, before humans next step onto the Moon with potentially two landings in 2028.
Irrespective of the stress of the delays, can anything really prepare the crews of this and subsequent missions for the experience?
"You can learn the nuts and bolts, but nothing can prepare you for the view or the weightlessness,” says Peake. “Burning those engines and heading off to the Moon, watching Earth disappear to a thumbnail in the window, is mentally another order of magnitude."
Among Artemis II’s crew are the first lunar non-white astronaut, the first woman and the first non-American (a Canadian, at a time when the distinction between the neighbouring nations feels wider than ever).
"The 12 people who’ve landed on the Moon have all been white American guys, which seems like a very narrow band of people," says Dame Maggie. "As a child, I thought I had to become a fighter pilot to stand a chance, but the younger generation can see this is potentially for everyone.
"I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere, but when you see our planet from space, you don’t see borders. The world feels fractured right now, and it’s lovely to see the European Space Agency collaborating with the US and Canada. The images of our planet will reflect the work that’s been done to get people out there."
From impact craters to solar flares and ancient lava flows, we’ve learnt a lot more about the Moon in the past half-century. The surface is essentially "a four-billion-year-old museum, a pristine repository of what Earth used to be like," says Peake.
Artemis represents the most sustained approach yet to establishing a staging post to the solar system, a world away from what Dame Maggie calls the “sabre-rattling” one-upmanship of the early space race. Yet its journey over the past quarter-century, through successive US presidents with wildly contrasting agendas, has not been plain sailing.
Peake highlights that around 0.5% of US GDP goes into space research, down from 5% in the Apollo era, while Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have skewed the public’s perception of space exploration as a “billionaires’ playground” rather than a scientific endeavour.
"The involvement of commercial companies is nothing new, but there haven’t always been such large personalities attached to them," he notes.
Dame Maggie, meanwhile, confesses she’s "a little scared" about the risks involved.
"As we take these first wobbly steps into space and further into the solar system, we must get it right, in the name of all humanity. It’s not just for the great and the good, it’s for everybody. The wrong mindset could lead to disaster later."
For Musk in particular, Mars is the prize. While Peake predicts crews will routinely spend six months on the Moon within a decade, he reckons that once the red planet becomes a viable destination, it will forever change how humans deal with the psychological impact of space.
"When you watch Earth disappear until it's no brighter than an ordinary star in the night sky, and you're committed to a three-year mission, that's a quantum leap."
A decade on from his spacewalk, Peake is technically a retired astronaut, though a return to the International Space Station could be on the cards. Could he see himself working on the Moon?
"I’d love to – I don't think it will be too challenging: the Earth is still there in your view, which would ground you while you’re living on another celestial spot."
So, as he watches the flight from his home, is he not a tiny bit... jealous?
He laughs. "I guarantee that every single astronaut who isn’t on that rocket envies that crew. A lunar mission is the highlight of any astronaut’s mission. It’s what we live and work for – and dream about."
The presenter has also shared a statement for the first time since his departure from the BBC.
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The BBC has said that broadcaster Scott Mills was sacked after “new information” came to light.
In a statement released on Wednesday (1 April), the BBC revealed that it knew about a police investigation into the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show host in 2017, but said that it had “acted decisively” after receiving fresh information in recent weeks and terminated his contract on Friday (27 March).
Mills has also shared a statement for the first time, confirming that he was the subject of the police investigation in which he "fully cooperated", and thanking those who have reached out to him this week.
“The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said.
"In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.
"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
Earlier, a BBC spokesperson said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many.
"We also recognise there’s been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved.
"What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March.
"The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards. Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met."
The spokesperson continued: "Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time."
It was announced that Mills had been sacked on Monday following allegations over his personal conduct.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16.
The investigation began in 2016 and concerned allegations relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The case was closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
Radio Times has reached out to Mills for comment on the allegations.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement: "In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
"As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
"A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019."
The presenter has also shared a statement for the first time since his departure from the BBC.
Show full content
The BBC has said that broadcaster Scott Mills was sacked after “new information” came to light.
In a statement released on Wednesday (1 April), the BBC revealed that it knew about a police investigation into the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show host in 2017, but said that it had “acted decisively” after receiving fresh information in recent weeks and terminated his contract on Friday (27 March).
Mills has also shared a statement for the first time, confirming that he was the subject of the police investigation in which he "fully cooperated", and thanking those who have reached out to him this week.
“The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said.
"In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.
"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
Earlier, a BBC spokesperson said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many.
"We also recognise there’s been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved.
"What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March.
"The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards. Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met."
The spokesperson continued: "Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time."
It was announced that Mills had been sacked on Monday following allegations over his personal conduct.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16.
The investigation began in 2016 and concerned allegations relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The case was closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
Radio Times has reached out to Mills for comment on the allegations.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement: "In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
"As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
"A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019."
From Beethoven to the Beatles, Tchaikovsky to Charli XCX, these are the inventions that changed music.
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Could you tell the difference between music made in 2026 and that made in 2000? Many would say no. In the past couple of decades, innovation has stagnated, and arguably we live in a globalised age of homogenised sound. Yet the history of music is inseparable from that of technological change.
Over the past thousand years, invention after invention has revolutionised how music is written, funded, distributed, performed and heard. And while classical music might have a stereotyped image of being a settled art form that venerates tradition above all, that’s far from the whole story, as a landmark new series from BBC Radio 3 demonstrates. Key Changes explores the pivotal points of innovation that have shaped music across the last millennium, and here its presenter Gillian Moore picks 10 of those seismic shifts.
1) The musical stave
Almost exactly a thousand years ago, around 1025 or 1026, Guido of Arezzo, a monk in Tuscany, was trying to teach his fellow monks how to sing plainchant properly. The only problem? The way in which the music was written down was imprecise and difficult to decipher. So tricky, in fact, that when monks in Northumberland wanted to learn a new chant from Rome, a musician had to be sent in person.
"There's this dramatic moment where he draws four lines on a stave and then populates that with notes," explains Moore. "He also names those notes – beginning ut, re, mi – so that the monks can memorise and read things off a stave. Clearly, this change is seismic. This is the absolute basis of the distribution of music for the last 1,000 years." Thanks to his innovation, we are today able to enjoy music by composers from Hildegard of Bingen (the first named composer) to Hans Zimmer.
2) The Petrucci printing press
When Johannes Gutenberg invented his movable-type printing press in Mainz in 1440, he revolutionised publishing, making it much cheaper and faster to print material. For music, the real game-changer happened in 1501, in the canal-side workshop of Ottaviano Petrucci in Venice.
"His printing press could separately print the lines and the dots, so that meant music could be printed and distributed much more easily," says Moore. "Before, music was handwritten by scribes and monks. Petrucci’s press meant music could be relatively widely distributed."
That year, Petrucci printed a book of polyphonic music with movable type for the first time, and he went on to print collections of popular songs. Sheet music became a booming market, "and that led ultimately to Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag," says Moore. Whether or not this 1899 piece sold the million copies some claim, it was a massive hit and influenced early jazz in America.
3) Equal temperament
How to make music sound in tune is a complicated question, one that’s fascinated both mathematicians and musicians. For a long time, music theory was based on the way strings vibrate, which creates a pattern of notes called the natural harmonic series. However, using this system, some keys sound pleasant and "pure", while others sound uncomfortable. In the late 16th century, the Chinese prince and scholar Zhu Zaiyu divided the octave up into 12 equally spaced notes, now known as "equal temperament".
This meant that musicians could move between different keys with ease. "That obviously has a big implication for how music sounds," says Moore. "JS Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier [written in all 24 major and minor keys] is a great case in point. Lady Gaga samples a full chromatic theme of Bach’s at the start of Bad Romance. That just would have sounded horrendous before equal temperament. Everything would have been out of tune.”
4) The railway
When Renaissance composers travelled from Flanders and France to the courts of Italy, or Haydn and Mozart sought commercial success in London, they endured "long, arduous journeys", and their long stays were "big life events," says Moore.
Then along came the railway, allowing musicians to shuttle around Europe like never before. "It’s a key moment," says Moore. "Take Mendelssohn’s Elijah, which was given its premiere in Birmingham, a big industrial hub, in 1846 in the Town Hall. There were 400 performers in total and many of them came from London on a specially chartered steam train."
The modern touring artist was born. Aeroplanes and tour buses eventually took over, but the railways have made a comeback for performers concerned about their carbon footprints.
5) The piston valve
Think of the trumpet solo at the end of the Beatles hit Penny Lane. The French horn solo in Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. The elaborate cornet solos played in brass bands. Before the early 19th century, and the development of the piston valve, none of those would have been possible.
"Horns and trumpets could only play a limited number of notes, so their music might sound quite military and they’d come in at the loud bits of pieces, like in a Haydn symphony," says Moore. |But with piston valves, they can start to play the most gorgeous tunes. The upper brass becomes almost as flexible as the human voice." Attracting factory, colliery and mill workers, brass bands flourished in Britain in the 19th century and are enjoying something of a revival today.
6) The metronome
The metronome was invented in Amsterdam in 1814 by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel, and it allowed composers to specify, for the first time, the exact numerical tempo (speed) of a piece of music and what we now call beats per minute (BPM). A couple of years later, Johann Maelzel patented his wind-up, mechanical device, which clicked on every beat.
"Beethoven was a friend of his and an early adopter of the metronome. He went back over all his symphonies to date and added in metronome markings, so he could say how fast a section could go," says Moore. "You might say that made music much more regulated and that people didn’t like that, but the idea of beats per minute is crucial in all sorts of contemporary music."
7) The upright piano
The piano started life as a hand-crafted instrument for aristocrats and professionals, but the invention and mass production of the upright piano, fuelled by the Industrial Revolution, made it a common sight in British homes in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Composers like Brahms produced piano versions of their orchestral works so people could play them at home. "Upright pianos really were available to a wide range of people and that meant a huge spread in music-making and a great uptick in musical literacy," says Moore. "I grew up in a 1960s council flat, and we had an upright piano. Relatives in two-room tenement flats in Glasgow had them. I’m betting Paul McCartney had a piano in his Liverpool terraced home." He did, while Elton John wrote many of his early songs on an upright, too.
True, upright pianos have since fallen out of fashion in the home, but street pianos have sprung up in stations and public spaces around the globe in recent years.
8) The phonograph
We take recorded sound for granted these days, but when Thomas Edison made his first successful recording – of children’s nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb, of all things – he was "never so taken aback in my life". Imagine the shock and astonishment of hearing his own voice playing back to him, thanks to his invention of 1877 — a metal cylinder wrapped with tinfoil.
The phonograph, as he named it, was the first step towards the modern recording industry, which gave musicians a new revenue stream. Selling recordings became big business. Recording also spawned the English Folk Revival in the early 20th century, when "people like Vaughan Williams, Holst and Maud Karpeles went out into the field to record music with wax cylinders," says Moore, preserving traditions threatened with being lost in the face of industrialisation and globalisation.
9) Electronic instruments
Drum and bass, house, techno, trance, hip-hop, hyperpop: arguably none of these genres would exist without the invention of two obscure electronic instruments, first championed by classical musicians.
The Theremin, created in 1920 by Russian physicist Léon Theremin, was followed in 1928 by the Ondes Martenot, named for its French inventor Maurice Martenot. "Add to those the magnetic tape recorder, which was developed just before the Second World War but really refined during and afterwards," says Moore. "The tape recorder became a means of not just recording but manipulating music – sampling music, if you like."
Musicians in France, in particular, experimented with layering up and altering real-life sounds, whether that was playing them backwards (a technique also used by the Beatles and many others) or altering the pitch. Without those early electronic pioneers, hyperpop and Charli XCX’s music might not exist.
10) The World Wide Web
When scientist Tim Berners-Lee released his software for the World Wide Web into the public domain in 1993, he couldn’t have guessed its seismic impact on music. He had come up with a way to share information instantly across the globe – and thanks to that, our listening habits have been entirely reshaped.
"1,000 years after Guido of Arezzo first worked out how to share music via notation, we’re still inventing new ways of sharing music," says Moore. Berners-Lee’s invention helped create the modern internet culture that made streaming and smartphones central to our lives. "You can curate your musical world very easily," says Moore. "Consumption is now less driven by genre and more by mood. How do I want to feel? Do I want to be relaxed? Hyped up? Motivated on my run?"
Music is ubiquitous. "It’ll probably be an implant in your cheekbone quite soon," says Moore – leaving you to decide if she’s joking or not.
Key Changes: Radio 3’s Essential History of Classical Music begins on Saturday 4 April (1pm), with new instalments airing weekly. The full series will also be available in perpetuity on BBC Sounds.
From Beethoven to the Beatles, Tchaikovsky to Charli XCX, these are the inventions that changed music.
Show full content
Could you tell the difference between music made in 2026 and that made in 2000? Many would say no. In the past couple of decades, innovation has stagnated, and arguably we live in a globalised age of homogenised sound. Yet the history of music is inseparable from that of technological change.
Over the past thousand years, invention after invention has revolutionised how music is written, funded, distributed, performed and heard. And while classical music might have a stereotyped image of being a settled art form that venerates tradition above all, that’s far from the whole story, as a landmark new series from BBC Radio 3 demonstrates. Key Changes explores the pivotal points of innovation that have shaped music across the last millennium, and here its presenter Gillian Moore picks 10 of those seismic shifts.
1) The musical stave
Almost exactly a thousand years ago, around 1025 or 1026, Guido of Arezzo, a monk in Tuscany, was trying to teach his fellow monks how to sing plainchant properly. The only problem? The way in which the music was written down was imprecise and difficult to decipher. So tricky, in fact, that when monks in Northumberland wanted to learn a new chant from Rome, a musician had to be sent in person.
"There's this dramatic moment where he draws four lines on a stave and then populates that with notes," explains Moore. "He also names those notes – beginning ut, re, mi – so that the monks can memorise and read things off a stave. Clearly, this change is seismic. This is the absolute basis of the distribution of music for the last 1,000 years." Thanks to his innovation, we are today able to enjoy music by composers from Hildegard of Bingen (the first named composer) to Hans Zimmer.
2) The Petrucci printing press
When Johannes Gutenberg invented his movable-type printing press in Mainz in 1440, he revolutionised publishing, making it much cheaper and faster to print material. For music, the real game-changer happened in 1501, in the canal-side workshop of Ottaviano Petrucci in Venice.
"His printing press could separately print the lines and the dots, so that meant music could be printed and distributed much more easily," says Moore. "Before, music was handwritten by scribes and monks. Petrucci’s press meant music could be relatively widely distributed."
That year, Petrucci printed a book of polyphonic music with movable type for the first time, and he went on to print collections of popular songs. Sheet music became a booming market, "and that led ultimately to Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag," says Moore. Whether or not this 1899 piece sold the million copies some claim, it was a massive hit and influenced early jazz in America.
3) Equal temperament
How to make music sound in tune is a complicated question, one that’s fascinated both mathematicians and musicians. For a long time, music theory was based on the way strings vibrate, which creates a pattern of notes called the natural harmonic series. However, using this system, some keys sound pleasant and "pure", while others sound uncomfortable. In the late 16th century, the Chinese prince and scholar Zhu Zaiyu divided the octave up into 12 equally spaced notes, now known as "equal temperament".
This meant that musicians could move between different keys with ease. "That obviously has a big implication for how music sounds," says Moore. "JS Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier [written in all 24 major and minor keys] is a great case in point. Lady Gaga samples a full chromatic theme of Bach’s at the start of Bad Romance. That just would have sounded horrendous before equal temperament. Everything would have been out of tune.”
4) The railway
When Renaissance composers travelled from Flanders and France to the courts of Italy, or Haydn and Mozart sought commercial success in London, they endured "long, arduous journeys", and their long stays were "big life events," says Moore.
Then along came the railway, allowing musicians to shuttle around Europe like never before. "It’s a key moment," says Moore. "Take Mendelssohn’s Elijah, which was given its premiere in Birmingham, a big industrial hub, in 1846 in the Town Hall. There were 400 performers in total and many of them came from London on a specially chartered steam train."
The modern touring artist was born. Aeroplanes and tour buses eventually took over, but the railways have made a comeback for performers concerned about their carbon footprints.
5) The piston valve
Think of the trumpet solo at the end of the Beatles hit Penny Lane. The French horn solo in Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. The elaborate cornet solos played in brass bands. Before the early 19th century, and the development of the piston valve, none of those would have been possible.
"Horns and trumpets could only play a limited number of notes, so their music might sound quite military and they’d come in at the loud bits of pieces, like in a Haydn symphony," says Moore. |But with piston valves, they can start to play the most gorgeous tunes. The upper brass becomes almost as flexible as the human voice." Attracting factory, colliery and mill workers, brass bands flourished in Britain in the 19th century and are enjoying something of a revival today.
6) The metronome
The metronome was invented in Amsterdam in 1814 by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel, and it allowed composers to specify, for the first time, the exact numerical tempo (speed) of a piece of music and what we now call beats per minute (BPM). A couple of years later, Johann Maelzel patented his wind-up, mechanical device, which clicked on every beat.
"Beethoven was a friend of his and an early adopter of the metronome. He went back over all his symphonies to date and added in metronome markings, so he could say how fast a section could go," says Moore. "You might say that made music much more regulated and that people didn’t like that, but the idea of beats per minute is crucial in all sorts of contemporary music."
7) The upright piano
The piano started life as a hand-crafted instrument for aristocrats and professionals, but the invention and mass production of the upright piano, fuelled by the Industrial Revolution, made it a common sight in British homes in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Composers like Brahms produced piano versions of their orchestral works so people could play them at home. "Upright pianos really were available to a wide range of people and that meant a huge spread in music-making and a great uptick in musical literacy," says Moore. "I grew up in a 1960s council flat, and we had an upright piano. Relatives in two-room tenement flats in Glasgow had them. I’m betting Paul McCartney had a piano in his Liverpool terraced home." He did, while Elton John wrote many of his early songs on an upright, too.
True, upright pianos have since fallen out of fashion in the home, but street pianos have sprung up in stations and public spaces around the globe in recent years.
8) The phonograph
We take recorded sound for granted these days, but when Thomas Edison made his first successful recording – of children’s nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb, of all things – he was "never so taken aback in my life". Imagine the shock and astonishment of hearing his own voice playing back to him, thanks to his invention of 1877 — a metal cylinder wrapped with tinfoil.
The phonograph, as he named it, was the first step towards the modern recording industry, which gave musicians a new revenue stream. Selling recordings became big business. Recording also spawned the English Folk Revival in the early 20th century, when "people like Vaughan Williams, Holst and Maud Karpeles went out into the field to record music with wax cylinders," says Moore, preserving traditions threatened with being lost in the face of industrialisation and globalisation.
9) Electronic instruments
Drum and bass, house, techno, trance, hip-hop, hyperpop: arguably none of these genres would exist without the invention of two obscure electronic instruments, first championed by classical musicians.
The Theremin, created in 1920 by Russian physicist Léon Theremin, was followed in 1928 by the Ondes Martenot, named for its French inventor Maurice Martenot. "Add to those the magnetic tape recorder, which was developed just before the Second World War but really refined during and afterwards," says Moore. "The tape recorder became a means of not just recording but manipulating music – sampling music, if you like."
Musicians in France, in particular, experimented with layering up and altering real-life sounds, whether that was playing them backwards (a technique also used by the Beatles and many others) or altering the pitch. Without those early electronic pioneers, hyperpop and Charli XCX’s music might not exist.
10) The World Wide Web
When scientist Tim Berners-Lee released his software for the World Wide Web into the public domain in 1993, he couldn’t have guessed its seismic impact on music. He had come up with a way to share information instantly across the globe – and thanks to that, our listening habits have been entirely reshaped.
"1,000 years after Guido of Arezzo first worked out how to share music via notation, we’re still inventing new ways of sharing music," says Moore. Berners-Lee’s invention helped create the modern internet culture that made streaming and smartphones central to our lives. "You can curate your musical world very easily," says Moore. "Consumption is now less driven by genre and more by mood. How do I want to feel? Do I want to be relaxed? Hyped up? Motivated on my run?"
Music is ubiquitous. "It’ll probably be an implant in your cheekbone quite soon," says Moore – leaving you to decide if she’s joking or not.
Key Changes: Radio 3’s Essential History of Classical Music begins on Saturday 4 April (1pm), with new instalments airing weekly. The full series will also be available in perpetuity on BBC Sounds.
The radio host was described by his son Darren as "someone who meant so much to so many people in Manchester".
Show full content
Manchester radio host James Stannage has died at the age of 76, his family has confirmed.
Stannage passed away following a year-long battle with cancer on Monday, his son Darren confirmed in a public post on Facebook, in which he described his father as "someone who meant so much to so many people in Manchester".
The post continued: "He died peacefully this morning at MRI after battling cancer for over a year. Listening to The Who, he was surrounded by people that loved him and died at 11:52am.
"Such a remarkable time as that was the Radio Station that made him a legend in Manchester to so many people who grew up listening to him on Piccadilly and later on Key103.
"There will be so many stories and memories that people will have. I will miss him so much as I know so many people will and am very lucky to have been able to have called him my Dad. X."
Stannage began his radio career in the 1970s and soon became known for hosting late-night phone-in shows, first on Piccadilly Radio and later on Piccadilly Radio's Key 103 (now Hits Radio).
An outspoken, often controversial radio host, Stannage left Key 103 in July 2005 after almost 10 years at the station. At the time of his departure, Key 103 programme director, Anthony Gay, said in a statement that Stannage's "challenging and direct style... has entertained people in the north-west for almost 10 years and has always courted controversy".
The radio host was described by his son Darren as "someone who meant so much to so many people in Manchester".
Show full content
Manchester radio host James Stannage has died at the age of 76, his family has confirmed.
Stannage passed away following a year-long battle with cancer on Monday, his son Darren confirmed in a public post on Facebook, in which he described his father as "someone who meant so much to so many people in Manchester".
The post continued: "He died peacefully this morning at MRI after battling cancer for over a year. Listening to The Who, he was surrounded by people that loved him and died at 11:52am.
"Such a remarkable time as that was the Radio Station that made him a legend in Manchester to so many people who grew up listening to him on Piccadilly and later on Key103.
"There will be so many stories and memories that people will have. I will miss him so much as I know so many people will and am very lucky to have been able to have called him my Dad. X."
Stannage began his radio career in the 1970s and soon became known for hosting late-night phone-in shows, first on Piccadilly Radio and later on Piccadilly Radio's Key 103 (now Hits Radio).
An outspoken, often controversial radio host, Stannage left Key 103 in July 2005 after almost 10 years at the station. At the time of his departure, Key 103 programme director, Anthony Gay, said in a statement that Stannage's "challenging and direct style... has entertained people in the north-west for almost 10 years and has always courted controversy".
The investigation was later closed due to insufficient evidence.
Show full content
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that former BBC Radio presenter Scott Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16.
The investigation, which began in 2016 and concerned allegations relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000, was later closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement: "In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
"As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
"A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019."
BBC News also reports that director-general at the time, Tony Hall, did not know about the allegations.
This news, which was first reported by The Mirror, comes after Mills was sacked by the BBC following allegations over his 'personal conduct'. The Mirror has said that it understands the sacking relates to the individual involved in the allegations referenced by the police.
On Wednesday 1 April, Mills shared a statement for the first time, confirming that he was the subject of the police investigation in which he "fully cooperated", and thanking those who have reached out to him this week.
“The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said.
"In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.
"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
Mills had originally risen to prominence presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022, before making the move to BBC Radio 2. He took over Zoe Ball's Radio 2 breakfast show earlier this year.
A spokesperson for the BBC said after Mills's dismissal was announced: "While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC."
In an internal note to staff on Monday following the news that Mills had been sacked, Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, said: "I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the breakfast show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.
"Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.
"Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now."
The investigation was later closed due to insufficient evidence.
Show full content
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that former BBC Radio presenter Scott Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16.
The investigation, which began in 2016 and concerned allegations relating to incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000, was later closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement: "In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
"As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
"A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019."
BBC News also reports that director-general at the time, Tony Hall, did not know about the allegations.
This news, which was first reported by The Mirror, comes after Mills was sacked by the BBC following allegations over his 'personal conduct'. The Mirror has said that it understands the sacking relates to the individual involved in the allegations referenced by the police.
On Wednesday 1 April, Mills shared a statement for the first time, confirming that he was the subject of the police investigation in which he "fully cooperated", and thanking those who have reached out to him this week.
“The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said.
"In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.
"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
Mills had originally risen to prominence presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022, before making the move to BBC Radio 2. He took over Zoe Ball's Radio 2 breakfast show earlier this year.
A spokesperson for the BBC said after Mills's dismissal was announced: "While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC."
In an internal note to staff on Monday following the news that Mills had been sacked, Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, said: "I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the breakfast show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.
"Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.
"Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now."
Broadcaster Scott Mills has been sacked by the BBC following allegations over his 'personal conduct', and will no longer be hosting the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show.
As reported by The Mirror, the radio DJ was taken off air last week while the BBC assessed the information.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC."
Mills rose to prominence presenting the Scott Mills show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022, before making the move to BBC Radio 2.
He took over Zoe Ball's Radio 2 breakfast show show earlier this year, moving from his afternoon show slot on the station.
In an internal note to staff, Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, said: "I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the breakfast show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.
"Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.
"Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now."
Mills is also a prominent figure in the Eurovision circuit, having been a commentator for the semi-finals over the years, although details on the BBC's presenting line-up for the contest this year is yet to be confirmed.
Update (1/4/26): On Wednesday 1 April, Mills shared a statement for the first time, confirming that he was the subject of a police investigation in which he "fully cooperated", and thanking those who have reached out to him this week.
“The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said.
"In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.
"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
Broadcaster Scott Mills has been sacked by the BBC following allegations over his 'personal conduct', and will no longer be hosting the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show.
As reported by The Mirror, the radio DJ was taken off air last week while the BBC assessed the information.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC."
Mills rose to prominence presenting the Scott Mills show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022, before making the move to BBC Radio 2.
He took over Zoe Ball's Radio 2 breakfast show show earlier this year, moving from his afternoon show slot on the station.
In an internal note to staff, Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, said: "I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the breakfast show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.
"Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.
"Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now."
Mills is also a prominent figure in the Eurovision circuit, having been a commentator for the semi-finals over the years, although details on the BBC's presenting line-up for the contest this year is yet to be confirmed.
Update (1/4/26): On Wednesday 1 April, Mills shared a statement for the first time, confirming that he was the subject of a police investigation in which he "fully cooperated", and thanking those who have reached out to him this week.
“The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said.
"In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.
"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.
"I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
The 2026 MOBO Awards have crowned its winners at this year's ceremony, celebrating the very best of Black music and culture in the UK and beyond.
Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean won big at the ceremony, while actor Stephen Graham took home an award for his performance in Adolescence.
The ceremony also recognised outstanding cultural contributions across television and film, with several highly-lauded programmes and movies nominated.
The annual event was held at Manchester's Co-op Live, with Olivia Dean, Aitch and Myles Smith just some of the stars who performed across the night.
Here is the full list of nominees and winners at the MOBO Awards 2026.
MOBO Awards 2026 winners: Full list of winners and nomineesBest male act in association with Prostate Cancer UK
Central Cee
Elmiene
Jim Legxacy - WINNER
Nemzzz
Odeal
Skepta
Best female act in association with Got2b
Flo
Kwn
Little Simz
Olivia Dean - WINNER
Pinkpantheress
Sasha Keable
Album of the year in association with Amazon Music
Central Cee – Can’t Rush Greatness
Ezra Collective – Dance, No Ones Watching
Flo – Access All Areas
Kojey Radical – Don’t Look Down
Little Simz – Lotus
Olivia Dean – The Art Of Loving - WINNER
Song of the year
AJ Tracey feat Jorja Smith – crush
Donae’o feat Omar, Lemar & House Gospel Choir – nights like this
Fred Again, Skepta & Plaqueboymax – victory lap
Jim Legxacy & Dave – 3x
Kwn – do what I say
Myles Smith – nice to meet you
Olivia Dean – man I need - WINNER
Pinkpantheress – illegal
Raye – where is my husband!
Tim Duzit – kat slater
Best newcomer
Dc3 - WINNER
Esdeekid
Finessekid
Jim Legxacy
Kwn
Namesbliss
Nia Smith
Sekou
Skye Newman
Yt
Video of the year in association with Vevo
Pozer – shanghigh noon (Directed By Bas Haselager)
Fka Twigs – eusexua (Directed By Jordan Hemingway)
Jim Legxacy – father (Directed By Lauzza)
Little Simz – flood feat Obongjayar & Moonchild Sanelly (Directed By Salomon Ligthelm)
Raye – where is my husband! (Directed By The Reids) - WINNER
Skepta & Fred Again – back 2 back (Directed By Domamanic And Skepta)
Best R&B/soul act
Elmiene
Flo - WINNER
Kwn
Odeal
Olivia Dean
Sasha Keable
Best alternative music act
Alt Blk Era
Blood Orange
Hak Baker
Michael Kiwanuka
Nova Twins - WINNER
Rachel Chinouriri
Best grime act supported by Trench
Chip - WINNER
Jayahadadream
Kasst 8
Ruff Sqwad
Scorcher
Wiley
Best hip hop act
Aitch
Asco
Catch
Central Cee - WINNER
D-block Europe
Kojey Radical
Little Simz
Loyle Carner
Wretch 32
Youngs Teflon
Best drill act
36
Booter Bee
Chy Cartier
Esdeekid
K-trap
Leostaytrill
Nemzzz
Pozer
Twin S - WINNER
Wohdee
Best international act
Ayra Starr - WINNER
Cardi B
Clipse
Gunna
Kehlani
Leon Thomas
Mariah The Scientist
Moliy
Tyla
Vybz Kartel
Best media personality
Bemi Orojuogun (Bus Aunty)
Dj Ag
In My Opinion
Melissa Holdbrook-akposoe (Melissa’s Wardrobe)
Nadia Jae
Niko Omilana - WINNER
Pk Humble
Remi Burgz
Uche Natori
Winners Talking
Best performance in a TV show/film
Aaron Pierre – Mufasa: The Lion King
Ashley Thomas – Hostage
Ashley Walters – Adolescence
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Damson Idris – F1
Dayo Koleosho – EastEnders
Lennie James – Mr Loverman
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Stephen Graham – Adolescence - WINNER
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Best African music act
Adekunle Gold (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Davido (Nigeria)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
Moliy (Ghana)
Rema (Nigeria)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
Tyla (South Africa)
Wizkid (Nigeria) - WINNER
Best Caribbean music act
Ayetian
Lila Iké
Masicka
Shenseea
Vybz Kartel - WINNER
Yung Bredda
Best jazz act
Cktrl
Ego Ella May
Ezra Collective - WINNER
Kokoroko
Nubya Garcia
Yazmin Lacey
Best electronic/dance act supported by Bema & Mixmag
The 2026 MOBO Awards have crowned its winners at this year's ceremony, celebrating the very best of Black music and culture in the UK and beyond.
Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean won big at the ceremony, while actor Stephen Graham took home an award for his performance in Adolescence.
The ceremony also recognised outstanding cultural contributions across television and film, with several highly-lauded programmes and movies nominated.
The annual event was held at Manchester's Co-op Live, with Olivia Dean, Aitch and Myles Smith just some of the stars who performed across the night.
Here is the full list of nominees and winners at the MOBO Awards 2026.
MOBO Awards 2026 winners: Full list of winners and nomineesBest male act in association with Prostate Cancer UK
Central Cee
Elmiene
Jim Legxacy - WINNER
Nemzzz
Odeal
Skepta
Best female act in association with Got2b
Flo
Kwn
Little Simz
Olivia Dean - WINNER
Pinkpantheress
Sasha Keable
Album of the year in association with Amazon Music
Central Cee – Can’t Rush Greatness
Ezra Collective – Dance, No Ones Watching
Flo – Access All Areas
Kojey Radical – Don’t Look Down
Little Simz – Lotus
Olivia Dean – The Art Of Loving - WINNER
Song of the year
AJ Tracey feat Jorja Smith – crush
Donae’o feat Omar, Lemar & House Gospel Choir – nights like this
Fred Again, Skepta & Plaqueboymax – victory lap
Jim Legxacy & Dave – 3x
Kwn – do what I say
Myles Smith – nice to meet you
Olivia Dean – man I need - WINNER
Pinkpantheress – illegal
Raye – where is my husband!
Tim Duzit – kat slater
Best newcomer
Dc3 - WINNER
Esdeekid
Finessekid
Jim Legxacy
Kwn
Namesbliss
Nia Smith
Sekou
Skye Newman
Yt
Video of the year in association with Vevo
Pozer – shanghigh noon (Directed By Bas Haselager)
Fka Twigs – eusexua (Directed By Jordan Hemingway)
Jim Legxacy – father (Directed By Lauzza)
Little Simz – flood feat Obongjayar & Moonchild Sanelly (Directed By Salomon Ligthelm)
Raye – where is my husband! (Directed By The Reids) - WINNER
Skepta & Fred Again – back 2 back (Directed By Domamanic And Skepta)
Best R&B/soul act
Elmiene
Flo - WINNER
Kwn
Odeal
Olivia Dean
Sasha Keable
Best alternative music act
Alt Blk Era
Blood Orange
Hak Baker
Michael Kiwanuka
Nova Twins - WINNER
Rachel Chinouriri
Best grime act supported by Trench
Chip - WINNER
Jayahadadream
Kasst 8
Ruff Sqwad
Scorcher
Wiley
Best hip hop act
Aitch
Asco
Catch
Central Cee - WINNER
D-block Europe
Kojey Radical
Little Simz
Loyle Carner
Wretch 32
Youngs Teflon
Best drill act
36
Booter Bee
Chy Cartier
Esdeekid
K-trap
Leostaytrill
Nemzzz
Pozer
Twin S - WINNER
Wohdee
Best international act
Ayra Starr - WINNER
Cardi B
Clipse
Gunna
Kehlani
Leon Thomas
Mariah The Scientist
Moliy
Tyla
Vybz Kartel
Best media personality
Bemi Orojuogun (Bus Aunty)
Dj Ag
In My Opinion
Melissa Holdbrook-akposoe (Melissa’s Wardrobe)
Nadia Jae
Niko Omilana - WINNER
Pk Humble
Remi Burgz
Uche Natori
Winners Talking
Best performance in a TV show/film
Aaron Pierre – Mufasa: The Lion King
Ashley Thomas – Hostage
Ashley Walters – Adolescence
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Damson Idris – F1
Dayo Koleosho – EastEnders
Lennie James – Mr Loverman
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Stephen Graham – Adolescence - WINNER
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Best African music act
Adekunle Gold (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Davido (Nigeria)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
Moliy (Ghana)
Rema (Nigeria)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
Tyla (South Africa)
Wizkid (Nigeria) - WINNER
Best Caribbean music act
Ayetian
Lila Iké
Masicka
Shenseea
Vybz Kartel - WINNER
Yung Bredda
Best jazz act
Cktrl
Ego Ella May
Ezra Collective - WINNER
Kokoroko
Nubya Garcia
Yazmin Lacey
Best electronic/dance act supported by Bema & Mixmag
The Beatles icon says the new song is about John Lennon and growing up in Liverpool.
Show full content
Sir Paul McCartney has premiered his brand new single Days We Left Behind, marking his first musical release in six years.
The new song debuted on Radio Merseyside today (26 March), meaning the people of Merseyside, where McCartney and the Beatles famously came from, heard the song before anyone else.
Meanwhile, on The Afternoon Show with Trevor Nelson on BBC Radio 2, the Beatles icon also announced that the track is from a brand new studio album entitled The Boys of Dungeon Lane.
The station exclusively broadcast a voice message from McCartney as he opened up about the inspiration for the new song, saying the lyrics were about the past – namely of growing up in Liverpool – and of John Lennon.
"So this next song is very much a memory song for me," McCartney said.
"I was doing an interview yesterday and I was thinking, well, songwriters, and writers in general, what else can you draw on, besides the past? I mean, you can do the present, but still a lot of the past in that.
"So, anyway, this is the past. You know, it's just a lot of memories of Liverpool for me, and that involves a little bit in the middle about John, Forthlin Road, which is the street I used to live in."
He continued: "I used to live in a place called Speke which is, you know, working class. It's only looking back on it, you think, yeah, we didn't have much at all.
"But you know, as they always say, it didn't matter, because all the people were so great and you didn't notice you didn't have much."
McCartney found global fame in the Beatles, with whom he released 12 studio albums between 1963 and 1970.
He'll soon be seen on the big screen... in a manner of speaking, as Hamnet star Paul Mescal will be playing McCartney in Sam Mendes's new Beatles films, alongside Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn as the other members of the Fab Four.
The Beatles icon says the new song is about John Lennon and growing up in Liverpool.
Show full content
Sir Paul McCartney has premiered his brand new single Days We Left Behind, marking his first musical release in six years.
The new song debuted on Radio Merseyside today (26 March), meaning the people of Merseyside, where McCartney and the Beatles famously came from, heard the song before anyone else.
Meanwhile, on The Afternoon Show with Trevor Nelson on BBC Radio 2, the Beatles icon also announced that the track is from a brand new studio album entitled The Boys of Dungeon Lane.
The station exclusively broadcast a voice message from McCartney as he opened up about the inspiration for the new song, saying the lyrics were about the past – namely of growing up in Liverpool – and of John Lennon.
"So this next song is very much a memory song for me," McCartney said.
"I was doing an interview yesterday and I was thinking, well, songwriters, and writers in general, what else can you draw on, besides the past? I mean, you can do the present, but still a lot of the past in that.
"So, anyway, this is the past. You know, it's just a lot of memories of Liverpool for me, and that involves a little bit in the middle about John, Forthlin Road, which is the street I used to live in."
He continued: "I used to live in a place called Speke which is, you know, working class. It's only looking back on it, you think, yeah, we didn't have much at all.
"But you know, as they always say, it didn't matter, because all the people were so great and you didn't notice you didn't have much."
McCartney found global fame in the Beatles, with whom he released 12 studio albums between 1963 and 1970.
He'll soon be seen on the big screen... in a manner of speaking, as Hamnet star Paul Mescal will be playing McCartney in Sam Mendes's new Beatles films, alongside Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn as the other members of the Fab Four.
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The Boys season 5 finale trailer
Watch the Champions League final 2026 on TV and live stream
Also in this week's Radio Times:
The combat
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Screw this... let’s try something else 
2) The Petrucci printing press 
5) The piston valve 
8) The phonograph 
10) The World Wide Web 
Video of the year in association with Vevo
Best African music act
