Category: 5. Entertainment

Aside from Canadians, which country has the best rugby fans? 

France, for sure. Just the chants and the singing. Obviously, I’ve been lucky enough to play against them in a quarter-final in Paris (in the rugby sevens at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – as seen below) and the noise in there (Stade de France), I have never heard anything like it. It was insane. 

Whenever you play them, anywhere, you will hear ‘Allez Les Bleus’. Even in Canada – you’re like ‘Hey guys, wrong crowd’. 

Who in the Canada team has the best game face? 

Karen Paquin (below) for sure, without a doubt. She had a crazy black eye for a couple of weeks, which added to that. And she’s got the head-tape on. She just looks insane. I’m scared of her. 

One place you’ve been that everyone should go to at least once? 

Sydney, Australia. I loved it. That is one of my favourite places in the world. It’s the perfect mix of beach and city. Everyone there is happy and chill and just having a good time, drinking coffee and eating seafood. A perfect mix. 

I’m not going to include Canada! That would be my next favourite… 

Private chef or a private chauffeur? 

Private chef. Not having to worry about any food is the dream. And I can’t cook, so I would need that. Whereas I can sort of drive. 

If you could be an extra in any movie or TV show, which would you choose? 

Maybe The Great Gatsby. Just to go to one of those parties, that would be cool. 

What is the most ridiculous food combination that you secretly love? 

We were just in Spain and I was putting salt on my watermelon. I think you should try it. It’s way better than people think. 

One house chore to make disappear for ever? 

Taking out the garbage and the compost. I hate that. It’s like my biggest hate ever. And knowing what days to put out the garbage. 

If I feel the garbage slime on my leg or anything, that is my biggest pet peeve in the world. 

If your life had a narrator who would you want it to be? 

Oh my God. Maybe my teammate Sho (Shoshanah Seumanutafa) from sevens because she is one of the funniest people. Or my teammate Asia (Hogan-Rochester – pictured below). Just funny, funny people. 

One law that everyone had to follow for one day? 

Maybe every time I take a nap everyone has to take a nap, so I don’t miss out on anything. 

Which job would you be absolutely terrible at? 

Anything that has to do with organisation or time management or anything like that. Any super professional job. I would hate a job where I would have to dress up in a dress and look very good every day. 

If you could time travel to any period in history where would you go? 

Can I go forward? I would probably go forward 100 years, maybe more. 

Finally, you’ve done something you shouldn’t have on tour, which of your teammates do you call? 

I’d probably call Florence Symonds or Carol (Caroline Crossley) because I feel like they won’t judge, they wouldn’t stress much. They wouldn’t be like ‘you’re an idiot’, they would be like, ‘OK, we can figure this out’.

They would also be the two who would also do something bad on tour.

A rocket-like jellyfish, a majestic Komodo dragon and a dangerous surfing encounter are just a few of the stunning photographs captured by the finalists for the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 competition. The competition includes categories such as Impact and Hope, which have solicited breathtaking photographs that capture diverse forms of marine life and human interaction with the ocean.

The overall and category winners of the contest, hosted by Oceanographic Magazine and watch company Blancpain, will be announced in September. But all of the finalists’ photos emphasize the need to protect the planet.

Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan have shared a tribute to their friend and frequent collaborator, Robert Wilson, the renowned theater director, playwright, and artist, who died late last month at the age of 83. 

“Bob was among the artists who see, feel, hear, and sense the world in a way that most don’t experience it and want that experience to be shared and to connect others also immersed and suspended between the breaths of Life,” Waits and Brennan wrote. “Bob set course for the unseen portals of his imagination and gathered brave, adventurous, devoted, gifted, and brilliant artists, and crews and devotees and opened many hearts and eyes.”

Wilson was renowned for his provocative productions, which were often built around his unique approach to staging, as opposed to dialog or narrative. He founded the Watermill Center, a self-described “laboratory for performance,” and collaborated with numerous luminaries at the avant-garde and pop nexus, including Lou Reed, Susan Sontag, Lady Gaga, Philip Glass, and William Burroughs.

Waits and Brennan were among his most frequent collaborators. In the late Eighties, Waits wrote the music for Wilson’s play The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, later recording many of those songs for his 1993 album, The Black Rider. Similarly, Waits and Brennan wrote the music for Wilson’s 1992 play Alice and his 2000 production Woyzeck; the songs for those projects were eventually recorded for Waits’ albums, Alice and Blood Money, both of which arrived in 2002.

“Over 40 years of loving Bob and still he astounds,” Waits and Brennan wrote. “His vodka paintbrush of absurdity, vaudeville, heartbreak and forgiveness and imagination of the infinite is still wet and painting backdrops backwards behind the Mirror into the wee hours of the morning of his opening night! We will always be suspended in his orbit.”

The couple went on to remember the multi-faceted nature of Wilson’s creativity, calling him an “absolute amethyst of an actor … a space floating astronaut.” They celebrated his ability to come up with “6 impossible things before breakfast to stage, to paint, to costume, to build, draw, perform, choreograph, film, design … to light into Life and darkness.” 

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In a final flourish both fittingly poignant and idiosyncratic, Waits and Brennan ended by trying to encapsulate Wilson’s attentiveness, vision, and command of his craft: “Always attune, to a finger, a face, a chin, a leg, a tear, a gesture, a shape, an ear, a branch, a child under the table, the stalk of blooming cactus … or an unplanned sneeze that turns on the Christmas lights as you the say the word … SCHLEP!  His actors ever game and skillful would, upon Bob’s suggestions and their imaginations, would turn their bodies into the letter G or throw up their arms like the wings of a crow and open their mouths in a silent scream … Bob s-l-o-w-e-d everything down, the actors moved as if underwater … the audience experienced a flower blooming in real time. Robert Wilson. Bob. Beloved Bob.  Biscuits and Gravy Bob, Elegant Bob.

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“And … with his down-home heart and pure prisms of light mind and a wild and wicked Texas cackle ripping up yellow lighting in a black sky desert … Forever Bob …”

Wilson died at his home in Water Mill, New York on July 31 after what was described in a statement as a “brief but acute illness.” The statement continued: “While facing his diagnosis with clear eyes and determination, he still felt compelled to keep working and creating right up until the very end. His works for the stage, on paper, sculptures and video portraits, as well as The Watermill Center, will endure as Robert Wilson’s artistic legacy.”

In a projected landmark venture, L.A.-based international entertainment studio MFF & Co is partnering with Brazilian TV colossus Globo, the company behind Oscar winner “I’m Not Here,” to adapt for North American audiences a curated slate of hit Brazilian telenovelas.

The development deal will see MFF & Co shopping and working with U.S. distributors – foreseeably studios and streaming services –  to develop in a first adaptations of some of Globo’s biggest hits, reimagined in traditional American multiple season formats. The English-language adaptations will be written by experienced U.S. writers, MFF & Co announced Tuesday.

The four titles on an initial slate range broadly from “Empire” (2014-15), winner of a 2015 Intl. Emmy for best telenovela and the story of a heartbroken, power-obsessed millionaire battling to retain control of his jewellery empire, to woman’s empowerment tale “Belíssima,” (2005-06), a huge hit on Globo, punching a 48% audience share and “a classic telenovela with captivating characters,” MFF & CO noted. 

Another slate title, “The Other Side of Paradise,” (“O Outro Lado do Paraíso” (2017-18) turns on revenge, as a young woman, sectioned to a psychiatric ward by her mother-in-law, returns years later for payback. 

A fourth, and the most recent, “All the Flowers,” (“Todas as Flores,” 2022), is “a classic melodrama with a thriller-like pace,” MFF & Co noted. That combination, it could be said, lies behind Netflix’s biggest ever hit from Latin America, “Who Killed Sara?”

All four titles were created by telenovela doyens: Aguinaldo Silva (“Empire”), Silvio de Abril (“Bellísima”), Walcyr Carrasco (“The Other Side of Paradise”) and João Emanuel Carneiro (“All the Flowers”), creator of Globo’s biggest telenovela in modern times, “Brazil Avenue,” a ratings and export phenom.

“Empire” channels forbidden love, jealousy, revenge, and big revelations in a classic telenovela cocktail. Most titles feature strong women, both in protagonist or antagonists, such as in “Bellísima.” Here, Oscar nominated Brazilian Grand Dame Fernanda Montenegro, (“Central Station”) who played  the elderly Eunice Paiva in “I’m Still Here,” took on the role of one of the most acclaimed villains in Brazilian TV history, a cold-hearted, iron willed matriarch.

Jelling with current times, shows often take the point of view of younger disenfranchised women battling a greedy, hide-bound elite. 

The development of each telenovela’s adaptation will be led by Miura Kite, president of global content at MFF & Co and formerly EVP of global television at Participant, whose executive producer credits there include the Hulu’s Taiki Waititi-directed show “Interior Chinatown,” two seasons of “Noughts + Crosses” for BBC and the docuseries “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” for Netflix. 

Projects currently set up at MFF & Co include “Pegasus,” created by Amit Cohen (“False Flag”) and Ron Leshem (“Euphoria”), “Fail-Safe,” directed by Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost”), and “Esperanza,” from Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”).

What Drives the Deal

“Brazil is one of the world’s most culturally dynamic countries, home to more than 220 million people with roots from every corner of the globe. When a story connects with multicultural audiences here – often drawing tens of millions of viewers per title – it signals the power to transcend borders,” said Estela Renner, showrunner, director, co-founder and chief creative officer of MFF & Co. 

She added: “Globo has elevated the telenovela into a storytelling art form with universal appeal. By reimagining these narratives for U.S. platforms, we’re not only tapping into an extraordinary creative legacy and a proven ratings track record but also inviting new audiences to experience the imagination, emotion and diversity that define these stories.”

For Kite, “Brazilian telenovelas have mastered the art of emotional connection with broad audiences. We are excited to create premium U.S. versions of these telenovelas while preserving all of the glorious twists, addictive characters, epic cliffhangers and jaw-dropping storylines filled with secrets, lies, love, betrayal, family drama and more.” 

Under Angela Colla, Globo head of international business and co-productions, the Brazilian TV giant has sought to not only sell originals but reach format deals around the world, kicked off by a milestone first international remake pact with Turkey’s Ay Yapim on “Brazil Avenue,” announced at Mipcom 2023.

“This agreement highlights the universal appeal of our storytelling and the strength of our telenovelas,” Colla said of the MFF & Co deal. 

“Bringing stories that captivated Brazilian audiences to new markets is not only rewarding but also a testament to Globo’s creative power on the global stage. We believe in stories that connect people, spark conversations and transcend cultural boundaries. It’s exciting to see our content take on new lives around the world, adapted through local lenses but always rooted in the quality that defines Globo productions,” Colla added.

Prior to Participant Media, Kite worked for over 10 years as head of development at Tom Hanks’ company Playtone, co-producing HBO’s Emmy-winning The Pacific” and “Game Change” and contributed to five seasons of “Big Love” and “John Adams.” Kite helped develop Playtone features “Mamma Mia,” “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”

In a further expansive move, MFF & Co has taken a minority stake in Joanna Natasegara’s London-based production company Violet Films, behind high-profile docs such as Academy Award winner “White Helmets” and the Oscar-nominated “Virunga” and “The Edge of Democracy.”

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith and Entertainment Tonight co-host Kevin Frazier are taking a personal bond as friends for 30-plus years and making it professional.

Smith has tapped his pal for a “strategic partnership” at his Straight Shooter Media, in a move designed to help the former “expand and elevate” the company through original content that helps redefine sports and entertainment storytelling. “By amplifying diverse voices and pushing creative boundaries, this fusion is set to ignite a new era of storytelling and redefine how audiences engage with commentary, conversation, and connection across television, digital platforms and streaming,” per official intel.

“Kevin Frazier is a consummate professional and one of the most respected voices in entertainment,” praised Smith, who hosts ESPN’s number one morning show, First Take. ”Teaming up with him isn’t just a partnership — it’s a statement. We’re here to build something different, something disruptive and something authentic.” 

Frazier is best known as a beloved star at Entertainment Tonight. He also founded the digital platform HipHollywood. “Stephen A. is a force — period,” said Frazier. “His vision for Straight Shooter Media is ambitious, timely and exactly what the industry needs right now. I’m thrilled to build something that not only entertains but also informs and empowers.” 

Straight Shooter Media borrowed its name from Smith’s New York Times best-seller, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes. The company, previously known as Mr. SAS Productions, produced ESPN’s Up For Debate: The Evolution of Sports Media, and currently shepherds The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube.

On the horizon are two original shows on SiriusXM, including a sports show on Mad Dog Radio Channel 82 and a political show on POTUS Channel 124, both to be hosted by Smith. There’s a slate in development that includes docuseries, interview-driven formats and scripted projects.

Nick Frost has sent the internet into a frenzy after a behind-the-scenes video surfaced online. The Daily Mail UK put up a sneak peek of the same on its Instagram handle. Nick Frost and Dominic McLaughlin, who play Rubeus Hagrid and Harry Potter in the series, took over the London streets as they were filmed shooting together.

The Harry Potter series was announced by HBO, slated for a release in 2027. It is said that each season of the series will be as per the novel series, and therefore, the show will be around for a long time. The other cast members consist of McLaughlin playing protagonist Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

For those who loved the rapport between our beloved Hagrid and Harry in the movies, gear up for something new and intriguing in the show, as quoted by Frost himself.

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Nick Frost Channels Hagrid With an Almost Uncanny Resemblance

Nick Frost, who plays Rubeus Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming reboot of Harry Potter, is seen to have an uncanny resemblance to the original movie Hagrid, portrayed by Robbie Coltrane.

With Frost stepping into the big boots, he has often spoken about the role and the usual comparison that is drawn between him and Coltrane. In an interview with Collider, Nick Frost quotes that,

“I’m going to try and do something, not ‘different.’ I think you have to be respectful to the subject matter, but within that, there’s scope for minutia. I always read Hagrid as he’s like a lovely, lost, violent, funny, warm child.”

He further quipped that, 

“I think the beauty of being able to do a book a season means I get to explore that a lot more, and I can’t wait. He’s funny! I want it to be funny and cheeky and scared and protective and childlike. That’s what I’m planning on doing.”

With such a resemblance and thoughts, Frost is giving his best to justify the late actors’ legacy that has brought the character to life and fanned over for all these years.

While some fans expressed their excitement that Frost is a great choice for the role, others have critiqued the look, suggesting that the hair and makeup look unnatural or cosplay-like.

Furthermore, some also argued that Frost is like a spiritual successor to Robbie Coltrane’s portrayal of Hagrid and that the makers should be creative enough to change the approach a bit.

How Robbie Coltrane’s Hagrid Became the Heart of the Harry Potter Films

Just remembering the legendary late actor Robbie Coltrane‘s portrayal of Rubeus Hagrid sends me down memory lane. A teacher, a guide, a friend, and a father figure to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hagrid has been one big rock that has helped Harry with his missions.

Despite his size as a half-giant, Coltrane masterfully conveyed Hagrid’s soft-hearted, sensitive, and tearful nature. His fierce loyalty towards Harry and Professor Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) tells about his central character.

A lot of us draw comparisons between Robbie Coltrane’s original and Nick Frost’s reprisal as Rubeus Hagrid. But, before that, it is important to know that the two are different. One marked the legacy, the other will step in to give it a new narrative and perspective.

For a generation of fans, including me (unapologetically), Coltrane didn’t portray Hagrid, but he was Rubeus Hagrid. At the same time, laying the foundation, it becomes essential to acknowledge that when time changes, everything progresses.

While there are similarities between the portrayals after the sneak-peek release, Frost himself said that it will be something new and vibrant to watch and binge upon.

While we wait for more such news to unfurl, let us know your thoughts on this banging portrayal and the peek into the sets.

Harry Potter films are available on HBO Max (US).

Last week, a video of Florence Welch screaming into a hole in the ground sent fans into a frenzy. In the clip Welch – front person of Florence + the Machine – posted on her Instagram profile, she furiously digs a pit in the ground and lets out a blood-curdling yell.

Now it all makes sense. On Tuesday morning (Aug. 19) Welch announced the release of Florence + the Machine’s upcoming album, Everybody Scream, which will drop right in time for Halloween (Oct. 31). She confirmed the release in a new post on her social platforms alongside the LP’s artwork, which you can see below.

At press time, only limited information for Everybody Scream has been shared. Pre-orders for the record – the Machine’s sixth studio LP – are now live and include a number of variants across physicals. The website says the LP will feature 12 new songs, though a tracklist and lead single have not yet been released revealed.

Florence + the Machine released their last studio album Dance Fever in 2022, which included production from Jack Antonoff and Kid Harpoon. The record peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart. 

Fans have been expecting a new release from Welch after a period of relative quiet. In 2024 Welch appeared on Taylor Swift’s “Florida!!!” from the record-breaking The Tortured Poets Department, and earlier in 2025 she had a spot on The Weeknd’s “Reflections Laughing,” from his Hurry Up Tomorrow LP.

In recent weeks fans had noticed changes to the Welch’s website and Spotify profiles. Another teaser shared on Friday featured a video of Welch walking across a field in blood red shoes and matching dress.

Earlier this summer, Welch shared a selection of pictures on her social profile which included a shot with IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen in the studio and a whiteboard with the message “You can have it all,” followed by the list of terms: “Clarity — Power, Purpose, Vocals!!!, Space, Dynamics, Beauty, Swans vs. Adele.”

In October 2024, Florence + The Machine shared a live album taken from their performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall earlier that year. The performance for the BBC Proms saw them remodel their 2009 debut Lungs with the Jules Buckley Orchestra.

The actor Sharon Stone has expressed scepticism about the Basic Instinct reboot currently being scripted by the original film’s writer Joe Eszterhas.

Speaking on US TV’s Today programme, Stone made reference to the unsuccessful 2006 sequel, in which she reprised her role of murderous novelist Catherine Tramell. That film earned dreadful reviews, poor audience feedback and just $38m (£28m) at the global box office, compared to the original’s $353m (£261m).

“If it goes the way the one that I was in went, I would just say, I don’t know why you’d do it,” said Stone. “I mean, go ahead, but good fucking luck.”

She continued by questioning the logistics of her character’s return. “I’m at that stage where I already retired once, and I already died a couple of times,” Stone said. “I’m like, ‘What are you gonna do? Kill me again? Go ahead.’”

Stone, who is now promoting Nobody 2, went on to say she “pretty much owned the 90s as an actress” before explaining that a stroke that led to a brain haemorrhage in 2001 stopped her working.

She then took time out to raise a family before returning to acting.

“I want to leave it on the screen,” she said, “because it lasts for ever, and I won’t. And I’m sure of that.”

Last month is was reported that Eszterhas, 80, has signed a deal with Amazon MGM: the streamer guarantees a $2m (£1.5m) fee for his new Basic Instinct script, which will be upped to $4m (£3m) should the film be made, making it the most lucrative spec sale of the year.

“To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumours of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist,” Esztherhas said, in a statement to the Wrap.

“I call my writing partner the TWISTED LITTLE MAN and he lives somewhere deep inside me. He was born 29 and he will die 29 and he tells me he is ‘sky high up’ to write this piece and provide viewers with a wild and orgasmic ride. That makes me very happy.”

Prince Andrew’s former wife Sarah Ferguson has shared her major wish for the future after King Charles invited the Duke of York to Balmoral for summer holidays.

Princess Eugenie and Beatrice mother took to Instagram and shared her stunning photos.

She said, “Today on World Humanitarian Day, I’m filled with gratitude and hope. Over the decades, I’ve travelled across continents – from delivering aid to Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, brought essential supplies to NHS workers through @sarahs_trust_ and championed education for children via Children in Crisis educating over 1.4 million children and building 57 schools.”

Sarah added, “As I stand alongside inspiring young activists through @glblctzn and the @youthimpactcouncil, I’m reminded of one simple truth: that small acts of kindness can spark extraordinary change.”

The duchess also shared her wish, saying: “That we all become bridges between generations.”

“My wish for the future? That we all become bridges between generations, communities and dreams. So together, let’s continue to offer compassion, lift up young voices, and nurture a more hopeful, and inclusive world for all,” Sarah explained.

Sarah’s statement comes after King Charles apparently extended an olive branch to his disgrace brother Prince Andrew by inviting him to Balmoral.

The Daily Mail reported “Andrew arrived at Balmoral on Friday.”

The source on ‘Royal Deeside’ tells the royal expert, “He was on his own, with none of the security he used to have. He is believed to be staying at a lodge on the estate.”