Category: 5. Entertainment

  • The 25 Most Influential Social Media Influencers and Creators of 2025

    The 25 Most Influential Social Media Influencers and Creators of 2025

    From streamers and podcasters to OnlyFans models and TikTok megastars, here’s the people shaping the culture of 2025

    They used to be a novelty, but creators have infiltrated every part of our lives. TikTokers are no longer bound to TikTok — they’re in our HBO shows and prime-time sitcoms and Spotify playlists. So what makes a creator influential today? For this list, we defined it as someone born from the internet — not a celebrity who jumped on after gaining fame in a more traditional way — who uses their chosen platforms to push conversations forward. We started with dozens of names, then with the help of data from the software and analytics company CreatorIQ, weighed their followers, engagement rate, and audience growth over the past year. Using those numbers — and our own editorial judgment — we ranked these creators, all of whom are shaping the culture of 2025.

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  • Miley Cyrus Gave Dad Billy Ray Cyrus an Original Song For His 64th Bday

    Miley Cyrus Gave Dad Billy Ray Cyrus an Original Song For His 64th Bday

    Billy Ray Cyrus knows daughter Miley Cyrus will definitely love him now that he’s turned 64 because she showed him in a song. The country singer celebrated his birthday this week with a very special gift from his daughter: an unreleased song called “Secrets” featuring two of his all-time favorite rock stars.

    “For my birthday, Miley gave me the gift of music and wrote me a song called ‘Secrets’ and got my favorite musicians Fleetwood Mac to play on it! I love you Mile,” Billy Ray wrote on Instagram in a birthday post on Monday in which he wanders around in a field seemingly listening to the gentle ballad on his phone with a big smile on his face.

    “Secrets, I want to keep your secrets/ Like sunlight in the shadows/ Like footsteps in the grass,” Miley sings on the track. “I won’t ever break my promise/ Like a songbird in the silence/ Like stones against the glass.” According to People, Miley previewed the song featuring Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham in June during her interview on Monica Lewinsky’s podcast, in which she talked about how writing the song helped her resolve the long-running tensions between her and her dad.

    “I wrote this song about my dad because I wanted him to tell me even though there were secrets, even though I didn’t really want to know,” she told Lewinsky. “I wanted to be the one he felt safe enough to tell me the things that were damning and damaging to the family. I wanted him to think that as a middle child, I’m old enough that I could take some of that.”

    That’s not the only way Billy Ray is celebrating. The singer said he’s also giving back this year by sharing a remix of his breakthrough 1990 hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.” In an Instagram post featuring throwback video from his mega-mullet days, Cyrus wrote, “From the very first time I sang ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ in the spring of ’91 to this remix today, it’s all because of YOU. I teamed up with [the song’s writer] Don Von Tress and The Johnson Mill Branch Boys on a brand-new ‘Achy Breaky Heart (Remix)’ as my gift to the fans. None of this would have been possible without the support of y’all through the years.”

    “Achy Breaky Heart” hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Country singles and tracks chart back in the day, giving Cyrus his biggest chart hit until his 2018 remix team-up with Lil Nas X on the Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Old Town Road.”

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  • The French film star, the fake Irish aristocrat and the missing €7m | France

    The French film star, the fake Irish aristocrat and the missing €7m | France

    One of France’s most popular actors will have a starring role in court when a fake Irish aristocrat goes on trial accused of cheating him out of millions of euros.

    Dany Boon, director and star of Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Sticks), France’s biggest box office hit, says an alleged conman, who claimed to be an Oxford-educated maritime lawyer, stole nearly €7m (£6m) from him as part of an elaborate scam.

    Next month, the court in Nice will seek to unpick a bizarre and convoluted story that could have come straight out of one of Boon’s movies, featuring luxury yachts, tax havens, multiple aliases, royal connections and an international manhunt.

    The man Boon says he knew as Terry Birles – whose real name is Thierry Fialek-Birles – reportedly appeared completely at home when he dined at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in November 2021. Fellow sailing enthusiasts told the Irish Independent the smooth-talking and smartly dressed young man in his 30s came across as cultured, classy and wealthy.

    He allegedly led them to believe he came from an “ancient” Irish family and that his parents had died in a helicopter crash in Connemara when he was nine. He owned two classic racing yachts and had bought a 17-bedroom property in Youghal, County Cork, which he was planning to restore while commuting between Ireland and Monaco where his girlfriend, a successful Chinese business executive, was an adviser for the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation, he allegedly said.

    Several months before the dinner, Fialek-Birles, who claimed he had been educated in Britain and Italy and had a master’s degree from Oxford University, had reportedly met Boon in Monaco and been engaged to renovate the actor’s recently acquired yacht, Umaren, a 21-metre vessel estimated at €3.5m.

    In hearings in 2022 and 2023, an Irish court was told the actor transferred more than €2.2m to a Dublin-registered company, South Seas Merchants Mariners Ltd Partnership (SSMM), which Fialek-Birles said had been founded by his family more than a century before, for the maintenance, management and insurance of Umaren.

    A few months later, Fialek-Birles is alleged to have convinced the comedian to invest €4.5m, via SSMM, in a scheme with the Irish Central Bank that paid 3.25% annual interest tax free.

    When a suspicious Boon – alerted by an anonymous person who claimed to have had dealings with the alleged conman – asked for his money back, he said Fialek-Birles replied that SSMM had been sold to an Italian family and he should sue them for his millions, it was reported.

    Fialek-Birles then apparently disappeared. Boon hired private investigators, who reportedly discovered the “Irish aristocrat” had at least two passports, a network of companies, and addresses in Paris, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the French Riviera, Monaco, on the West Indian island of St Kitts and in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

    In a hearing at the Dublin high court three years ago that led to the freezing of Fialek-Birles’s assets, Boon’s counsel, Rossa Fanning SC, now the Irish attorney general, said the French actor had been the victim of an “elaborate fraud” and had been told “lie after lie”.

    Fanning told the court one of Fialek-Birles’s network of companies turned out to be a hardware store in Samoa. Boon’s representatives said they had discovered that neither the investment scheme nor the Italian family existed and Fialek-Birles, listed as a municipal councillor in the Paris suburb of Le Chesnay in 2008, was believed to have transferred the actor’s money to offshore accounts in Panama and South Korea.

    The only online reference for one of the accused’s other aliases, is a “Commodore Sir Thierry Waterford-Mandeville” of the West Indies Yacht Club. None of the website links work, the number listed appears not to exist, and when the Guardian messaged the email address it was returned as address not known.

    Fialek-Birles was arrested in Panama in February 2024 after Interpol issued an international search notice and extradited him to France six months later. He initially denied the accusations, but last month applied to be released on bail before his trial. At the hearing he was reported as saying he wanted to “make amends” and repay Boon. The court refused his application. His trial on charges of fraud, money laundering, forgery and use of forged documents will begin in Nice on 26 September.

    It is not known if Boon, whose real name is Daniel Farid Hamidou and who did French voiceovers in Shark Tale and Frozen 2, will attend. The actor has made no comment.

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  • ‘Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can’ at restaurants across Mexico City

    ‘Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can’ at restaurants across Mexico City

    Michelin-starred Masala y Maiz hopes to spread the trend across Mexico and around the world.

    When Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, owners and chefs at one of Mexico City’s most popular restaurants, Masala y Maiz, won their first Michelin star, they were in New York City at a party for a fellow chef.

    “Our team was calling us, and we weren’t answering the phone,” explains Listman with a laugh. “And then the nerdiest of our managers, the most serious one calls, and I was like, he never calls unless something is wrong. Turns out that we were live on the stage [at the Michelin awards].”

    The couple, known for establishing the restaurant’s groundbreaking “Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can” initiative, is much more passionate about supporting community than prestigious accolades. Spending time celebrating a fellow chef they admire instead of attending an awards ceremony in honour of themselves is much more in Listman and Keval’s wheelhouse.

    Ana Lorenzana For husband and wife Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, community was the main impetus behind expanding the "Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can" initiative (Credit: Ana Lorenzana)Ana Lorenzana
    For husband and wife Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, community was the main impetus behind expanding the “Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can” initiative (Credit: Ana Lorenzana)

    Take, for example, the pay-what-you-can model that has made Masala y Maiz so popular. Several times a year, restaurant-goers are offered a menu of the restaurant’s signature Mexican, African and Indian-fusion dishes alongside an envelope in which to leave whatever payment they have available or deem acceptable. There is no bill and no reservations, guests must line up for a first-come, first-served experience. But there is one requirement: diners must write how much of what they’ve left is intended for the staff rather than the restaurant itself.

    The practice is intended to ensure that everyone in the city, regardless of their economic status, can enjoy the dishes prepared here: Camarones pa’pelar, a shrimp dish cooked with vanilla, lime and ghee, and the Kuku Poussin, a small fried chicken served with cheese, lettuce and a tamarind dressing. They are prepared exactly the same as on a normal day in both size and quality, but with no price tag attached. The couple says they don’t lose money on the event. Most visitors give something, even if it’s only original art for the staff, while others have paid more, they say, sometimes as much as three times the usual cost.

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner offers advice to new ‘Harry Potter’ cast: “Avoid social media”

    ‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner offers advice to new ‘Harry Potter’ cast: “Avoid social media”

    Sophie Turner has offered advice to the child actors starring in HBO’s new Harry Potter television series, warning them about the impact of social media.

    Turner, now 29, was 14 when she joined Game of Thrones and said growing up in the spotlight had a damaging effect on her wellbeing.

    “It had such a profound impact on my mental health, like more than I could tell you. It almost destroyed me on numerous occasions,” Turner told Flaunt magazine. She said therapy helped her cope and added, “One of the most important things to me in my life is talking about mental health: it’s vital.”

    The actress expressed concern for Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, who will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in the forthcoming series. “I look at the kids who are about to be in the new Harry Potter and I just want to give them a hug and say, ‘Look, it’s going to be OK, but don’t go anywhere near [social media],’” Turner said.

    She also urged the young stars to maintain stability in their personal lives, “Stay friends with your home friends, keep living at home with your family, make sure your parents are your chaperones — it’s so important to have that grounding adjacent to the big, crazy stuff that you do.”

    Turner, who shares daughters Willa and Delphine with ex-husband Joe Jonas, said she would not want her own children to start acting at a young age. “Oh God, they’re not acting! Not until they’re at least 25!” she said.

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  • Man arrested on suspicion of rape

    Man arrested on suspicion of rape

    PA Media Strictly Come Dancing logo with glitter ball PA Media

    An unnamed star from Strictly Come Dancing has been arrested on suspicion of rape.

    The Metropolitan Police said the man, who was arrested on Friday, is also suspected of “non-consensual intimate image abuse”. He was released on bail on Saturday.

    A BBC spokesperson told BBC News: “It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing police investigation.”

    It is understood the development is not related to the upcoming series of Strictly, which starts in a few weeks and is currently in production.

    It is not known what role the individual arrested had in the programme.

    The Met statement said the arrest “follows a third-party ­allegation of sexual and drug-related offences”.

    It added: “This is a joint investigation with Hertfordshire Constabulary and while the investigation is in its early stages, we urge anyone with any information to come forward to us.”

    The man has been bailed until a date in late November, the force said.

    Strictly, which has aired since 2004 and is predominantly filmed at Elstree Studios, has faced multiple controversies over the past few years relating to the behaviour of some of its professionals and celebrity guests.

    Separately, the BBC launched an investigation earlier this month into alleged drug use by two of the show’s stars, who have not been named.

    Earlier this month, the Met said it was investigating allegations of drug use on the hit dance show.

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  • A24 developing Elden Ring film after Alex Garland’s extensive script secures approval from Miyazaki

    A24 developing Elden Ring film after Alex Garland’s extensive script secures approval from Miyazaki

    A24 is developing a film based on Elden Ring, with writer-director Alex Garland penning the script. According to a recent profile in The New Yorker, Garland’s draft was instrumental in securing approval for the project, which remains tightly under wraps.

    Garland, best known for Ex Machina and Annihilation, is also an avid fan of the FromSoftware title, reportedly completing it six times. His enthusiasm for the game helped him pitch the adaptation to A24’s head of film, Noah Sacco.

    During a meeting in London, Garland showed him the game’s world and aesthetics. Sacco later recalled that the “lush visuals and fantasy setting” reminded him of The Lord of the Rings films.

    Following the meeting, Garland produced a 160-page draft script with an additional 40 pages of visual material. Though written on speculation rather than direct commission, the script was presented to Elden Ring creator Hidetaka Miyazaki in Japan. With Bandai Namco’s support, the project was confirmed after Garland’s pitch.

    Casting details are limited, though Kit Connor of Heartstopper is the only confirmed actor. Cailee Spaeny, who has appeared in Civil War and Alien: Romulus, has been reported by journalist Jeff Sneider as a potential addition to the cast.

    Despite the announcement, little is known about the scope or timeline of the production. A24 has described the film as one of its most secretive projects.

    With Garland also attached to the 28 Years Later trilogy, where the next instalment is expected in 2026, further updates on the Elden Ring adaptation may take some time.

    The adaptation follows the growing trend of video game properties moving to film. Industry success stories such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie have demonstrated significant box office potential for game-based stories.

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  • The Strad News – Violinist Anna Agafia joins the Royal Danish Academy of Music

    The Strad News – Violinist Anna Agafia joins the Royal Danish Academy of Music

    Read more news stories here 

    Danish-Ukrainian violinist Anna Agafia has announced her new role teaching violin at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Frederiksberg. She will be taking over the class of Ukrainian violinist Alexandre Zapolski, who died in March this year at the age of 74, with whom she formerly studied at the academy.

    Agafia has won accolades at notable competitions, including the first prize at the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition, second prize at the Singapore International Violin Competition, and third prize at the Carl Nielsen International Competition. Her debut album with Claves Records was nominated for the 2023 International Classical Music Awards, and recognised as the Clef d’Or of the year by ResMusica.

    Agafia has performed with artists including Renaud Capuçon, Miguel da Silva, and the David Oistrakh Quartet, and orchestras including the Copenhagen, Stuttgart and Bergen philharmonic orchestras, the Malmö, Munich, and Singapore symphony orchestras, and the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie. She performs on the c.1730–1733 ‘The Sphinx’ Guarneri del Gesú violin, on loan from an anonymous donor.

    The violinist announced her new role through a post on social media:

    ‘Joining the teaching staff at the music academy where I once studied myself fills me with emotion. It’s a very special feeling to be taking over my beloved late teacher Alexandre Zapolski’s class, and the shoes I’ll be trying to fill are simply immeasurable. I’m extremely grateful and I can’t wait to give back everything I’ve learnt and more to my wonderful students at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.’

    Best of Technique

    In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

    Masterclass

    In the second volume of The Strad’s Masterclass series, soloists including James Ehnes, Jennifer Koh, Philippe Graffin, Daniel Hope and Arabella Steinbacher give their thoughts on some of the greatest works in the string repertoire. Each has annotated the sheet music with their own bowings, fingerings and comments.

    Calendars

    The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.

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  • Has Kate Middleton Gone Blonder for Fall?

    Has Kate Middleton Gone Blonder for Fall?

    A paparazzi shot through a car window of the Princess of Wales is currently causing a stir. Not much can be seen in the slightly blurred pictures of Kate Middleton, but one thing immediately catches the eye: the princess’s hair looks much lighter. Instead of the usual hazel shade, the royal is now wearing a medium blonde honey shade, with the light strands falling over her shoulders in soft waves.

    When the Princess returned to royal duties after her chemotherapy treatment last year, royal fans quickly noticed that she gradually lightened her hair over the following months. During President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit a few weeks ago, Middleton sported a honey bronde shade—a warm tone somewhere between brown and blonde. At the time, there was still speculation as to whether it was really a dye job or whether her hair just looked lighter in the sunlight.

    The first picture of Kate Middleton’s new hair color while going to church at Crathie Kirk.

    Photo: Getty Images

    Fast forward to this weekend, and Kate and Prince William were photographed with their children after going to church at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral. Under her hat, the long waves shimmer much brighter—and blonder—than ever.

    Even though the latest pictures were taken through the car window and the tint of the windows makes it difficult to see the exact shade, the Princess of Wales’s hair is definitely lighter than ever before. We’ll wait to see the new blonde shade properly at the Princess’s next public engagement.

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  • Stars and geopolitics share the spotlight at Venice Film Festival – Reuters

    1. Stars and geopolitics share the spotlight at Venice Film Festival  Reuters
    2. Venice Film Festival faces pressure to take stronger stand on Gaza  Euronews.com
    3. Artists demand Venice Festival stand against ‘genocide in Gaza’ | Daily Sabah  Daily Sabah
    4. Italian film industry figures call for Venice Film Festival to support Palestinians  The Jerusalem Post
    5. Gal Gadot to skip Venice Film Festival amid pro-Palestinian campaign  www.israelhayom.com

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