Category: 5. Entertainment

The Hague/Munich. On Thursday 3 July, the Louwman
Museum opened the “Fine Art on Wheels” exhibition, featuring a
remarkable collection of eight iconic BMW Art Cars. This unique
exhibition, which is only on display for two months, offers a rare
opportunity to discover these masterpieces, designed by
internationally renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy
Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and Esther Mahlangu. The exhibition will
run from July 4 to August 31, 2025.

The selected cars illustrate the unique fusion of art, motorsport,
and design that has characterized the BMW Art Car Collection since
1975. For this anniversary edition, the Louwman Museum has chosen
eight examples that together form a journey through modern art history
on four wheels:

• Alexander Calder: BMW 3.0 CSL (1975)
• Frank Stella: BMW 3.0 CSL (1976)
• Roy Lichtenstein: BMW 320 Group 5 (1977)
• Andy Warhol: BMW M1 Group 4 (1979)
• César Manrique: BMW 730i (1990)
• Esther Mahlangu: BMW 525i (1991)
• David Hockney: BMW 850 CSi (1995)
• Jeff Koons: BMW M3 GT2 (2010)

Ronald Kooyman, Managing Director of the Louwman
Museum: “We are incredibly proud to have eight iconic rolling
sculptures temporarily on display at the Louwman Museum, contributing
to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the BMW Art Cars. This
special exhibition brings together art and automotive culture in a
truly unique and inspiring way.”

The exhibition at the Louwman Museum is part of the ongoing BMW Art
Car World Tour, which showcases the legendary BMW Art Cars across
various art and automotive platforms worldwide. Celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the collection, this tour not only highlights the
artistic brilliance of the collection but also emphasizes the
innovative spirit of BMW as it continues to merge art with automotive excellence.

The Art Car World Tour schedule is still evolving and will continue
through most of 2026. Further stops and venues are planned, including
Belgium France, Le Mans, Classic, Brussels, Zoute Gran Prix, Turkey,
Contemporary Instanbul – and many others.

Practical Information
The exhibition will be on
display from July 4 to August 31, 2025, at the Louwman Museum in The
Hague. Due to expected high attendance, the museum will be open seven
days a week during this period.

For more information, please visit: www.louwmanmuseum.nl/pers-fine-art-on-wheels

The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and
deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on
Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.

Songwriters are missing out on millions of pounds a year in royalties because the agency responsible for collecting and distributing payments cannot identify when their songs have been performed at more than 100,000 gigs and performances across the UK.

PRS for Music is responsible for collecting royalties for writers when music is played, including on the radio, streaming services, in shops and at live events from pubs to stadiums and festivals.

In the case of live music, PRS takes a small percentage cut of gross ticket sales from every performance, and after taking a cut for administration redistributes the royalties after successfully matching the set list performed with the relevant songwriters.

However, the collection agency is experiencing a ballooning number of gigs, classical performances and theatre and variety shows where it has taken a cut of ticket sales but not been able to allocate it to songwriters because of a lack of information about songs played.

In the music industry this growing pot of income at PRS is referred to as the “black box” and the agency is facing legal action about how it ultimately ends out distributing this money.

The case is proceeding at the high court, and there is an alternative dispute resolution meeting scheduled for 25 September.

The scale of the problem is evident in documents on the PRS website where it maintains a list of “concerts available for distribution” – displaying entries of artists, dates and the venue they played – dating back to 2022.

That list now tops 106,000 performances where money has been collected but not distributed, with almost three-quarters relating to pop gigs in mostly grassroots venues.

Artists on the list are mostly not big names but it does include Ronan Keating, The Jesus and Mary Chain, 10cc, Aled Jones, Alien Ant Farm and All Our Yesterdays.

Venues include a number of O2 sponsored Academy sites, the Jazz Cafe and Ronnie Scott’s in London, Durham Cathedral, York Barbican and Leicester Racecourse.

PRS does not reveal how much income is in the so-called black box, which it refers to as the “unclaimed pot”, however the Guardian has seen a document that showed that for the single year of 2019 it amounted to £2.7m.

The agency redistributes unclaimed money to the market after three years using its own formula, which some in the industry believe is not fair for smaller artists and acts.

“One of my members described [it] as a reverse Robin Hood,” said Mark Davyd, the founder and chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, which represents grassroots venues, speaking at a culture select committee session in May. “[PRS] comes in and takes 100% of the songwriter royalty on just about every show, it is unable to distribute it, and it ends up in what is colloquially known as the black box – it is a fund that cannot be distributed.”

On its website, PRS has an article about the importance of submitting setlists after live shows in order to receive royalties.

However, two of the acts interviewed – You Me At Six and Peaness – appear on the spreadsheet of unallocated royalties for gigs played.

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PRS said that it goes to great lengths to try to match the music performed with the writers, including recently piloting a tool that automatically turns photos of handwritten setlists – which are a common submission – into readable text.

“PRS dedicates significant resources to match live performances to works, and ensure songwriters and composers receive the royalties they are due,” said a spokesperson for PRS. “We have a team whose primary job is to manually research setlist details. In addition, we provide and widely promote our online tool, designed to make it easy for members or their representatives to report setlists for any performances of their works We also send staff to festivals and events to collect setlist in person. While it is true there is a contractual obligation on venues and promoters to provide setlists, we also work hard fill in as many gaps as we can.”

Last year, Dave Rowntree of Blur started a legal action against PRS, alleging it is in violation of UK and EU competition rules over how it distributes “black box” income.

The lawsuit claims that PRS handles this income in a way that benefits music publishers more than songwriters.

PRS has said Rowntree’s claims are “factually incorrect and fundamentally misrepresent our policies and operations”.

Last month, the two sides attended a hearing at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which is in the process of determining whether or not Rowntree’s case will be certified as a class action.

In June, PRS said it paid out a record £1.02bn to rights holders last year, up 8% on 2023, beating its five-year plan to top £1bn by 2026.

PRS represents the rights of more than 180,000 music industry members, covering more than 45m musical works, collecting and paying royalties when tracks are played in public, broadcast, downloaded, streamed or performed live in the UK and around the world.

Scarlett Johansson has just recalled a painful experience from Jurassic World Rebirth.

The Hollywood actress plays the role of Zora Bennett, who leads a team on a mission to retrieve dinosaur DNA.

During an interview with People, the Black Widow actress candidly talked about her filming experience in Thailand.

Recalling the scene in which she and Jonathan Bailey were rappelling down a cliff, Johansson said, “We wore harnesses under our actual harness.”

“You have a movie harness that looks like a harness, then you have an actual harness that’s hooked up to a line, because you’re not actually abseiling, you’re on a stunt rig.”

Sharing another incident, she told the outlet, “When we first got to Thailand, we had to do a camera test of the full costume and all that stuff, and just putting all the pieces of the costume together and then standing in a mosquito-infested bush, I was like, ‘This is really happening.’”

However, the 40-year-old actress noted that the experience was insane but also rewarding.

“We all laughed a lot, and we were thrown into such extraordinary circumstances physically. Half our set would wash away, and then ten minutes later it would grow too large, and there’s no continuity to anything because the sun was moving in. It was just insane,” she added before quitting chat.

Jurassic World Rebirth was released in cinemas on July 2, 2025.

Gary Lineker has said the BBC should “hold its head in shame” over its failure to show a documentary about the plight of medics in Gaza.

The former Match of the Day presenter said people at “the very top of the BBC” had been failing over the conflict, following the corporation’s controversial decision to drop Gaza: Doctors Under Attack.

It is the first time Lineker has criticised his former employer since he left the broadcaster in May. His departure came after he apologised for amplifying online material with antisemitic connotations. He had reposted a video about Gaza that contained a picture of a rat, imagery used in the Nazi era to attack Jews.

A clearly emotional Lineker was speaking at a private viewing of the Gaza medics documentary in London on Thursday night, where he led a question and answer session with the producers after the showing.

“It needed to be seen, it really did need to be seen – I think everyone would agree with that,” he said. “I think the BBC should hold its head in shame.

“As someone who’s worked for the corporation for 30 years, to see the way it’s declined in the last year or two has been devastating really, because I’ve defended it and defended it against claims that it’s partial. It talks about impartiality all the time.

“The truth is at the moment, [there is a problem] at the very top of the BBC. Not [all] the BBC because there are thousands and thousands of people that work at the BBC, that are good people, that understand what is going on here and can see it. We see it on our phones every day. The problem is they’re bowing to the pressure from the top. This is a worry and I think time’s coming where a lot of people are going to be answerable to this, and complicity is something that will come to many.”

The BBC Radio 5 presenter Nihal Arthanayake responded to a video of Lineker’s comments by saying: “Gary Lineker is a good man. He is spot on about the BBC.”

The BBC has been approached over his comments. It has previously said it had been attempting to find ways to use the documentary material in news coverage, but a final decision was made to drop the film entirely after talks broke down with its producers, Basement Films.

There has been considerable internal unrest over the failure to broadcast the programme, with the director general, Tim Davie, facing questions about it at a recent virtual meeting with staff. More than 100 BBC staff signed a letter criticising the decision to drop the film.

It ends a torrid week for the BBC, which has also been hit with the fallout from its failure to cut the live feed of Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance. Davie has come under significant pressure from ministers over the broadcast. During the live stream, Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led chants of “death, death to the IDF”, referring to the Israel Defense Forces, at Glastonbury last Saturday.

While Davie has received a vote of confidence from the BBC board and its chair, Samir Shah, more junior figures appear to be expected to take the blame for the incident. There have been unconfirmed reports that Lorna Clarke, who oversees pop music commissioning at the BBC, has stood back from her duties.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We would urge people not to speculate, particularly in relation to any individuals.”

BBC insiders have pointed to editorial cuts as fuelling issues around the monitoring of live streams. One said many of the BBC staff who worked on Glastonbury were volunteers from other teams, especially on digital-only streams.

Speaking to Myspace as an upcoming artist in 2013, Lana Dey Rey said that the “vision of making [her] life a work of art” was what inspired her to create her music video for her breakthrough single, Video Games (2011).

The self-made video, featuring old movies clips and webcam footage of Del Rey singing, went viral. It eventually led her to sign with a major record label. For many, the video conveyed a sense of authenticity. However, upon discovering that “Lana Del Rey” was a pseudonym (her real name is Elizabeth Grant), some fans began to have doubts. Perhaps this self-made video was just another calculated marketing scheme?

The question of Del Rey’s authenticity has puzzled many throughout her career. Consider, for instance, the controversial Judah Smith Interlude from her latest album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd? (2023). Both fans and critics – including her sizeable LGBTQ+ fanbase – were surprised and troubled by her decision to feature the megachurch pastor Judith Smith, who’s been accused of homophobia.

However, the meaning of Del Rey’s inclusion of Smith’s sermon soundclips, layered under a recording of Del Rey giggling, is unclear. Is this meant to mock Smith, or even Christianity itself? Or is it an authentic expression of Del Rey’s own spirituality? After all, she repeatedly makes references to her “pastor” in the same album’s opening track The Grants, about her family in real life.

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Before she became a singer-songwriter, Del Rey gained her philosophy degree at Fordham University. It was the mid-2000s, when the eminent existentialism scholar Merold Westphal would have been on staff, so she probably studied theories of authenticity by existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–80) and Martin Heidegger (1889–1976). Heidegger spoke of human existence as a “being-towards-death”. Or as Del Rey sings in the title track of her first major-label album, “you and I, we were born to die”.

In Heidegger’s view, to pretend that we are not all bound to die is to deny the kind of finite beings which we are: it is to disown ourselves and exist inauthentically. Conversely, to exist authentically is to accept our own mortality and embrace the way we exist as finite beings.

In this understanding, to exist authentically does not mean the expression of some underlying “true self” or “human nature”. Rather, it is to accept the conditions of life in which we find ourselves.

‘An obsession for freedom’

For existentialist philosophers, such conditions include not only mortality but also freedom – a theme particularly emphasised by Sartre.

As Sartre says in his 1946 lecture Existentialism Is a Humanism, existentialism holds that “there is no human nature, because there is no God to have a conception of it … Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself”.

With no creator God or pre-established human nature to determine human destiny or purpose, Sartre teaches that human beings are “condemned to freedom”. We are free beings who are always acting freely – whether we acknowledge that we are free or not. To pretend that we are not free is to be inauthentic.

Sartre suggests embracing our freedom means living life in a manner “comparable to the construction of a work of art”. In his view, in both art and life, we cannot decide in advance what actions ought to be taken: “No one can tell what the painting of tomorrow will be like; one cannot judge a painting until it is done.”

Likewise, we cannot judge whether or not a life is well-lived until it is finished. We must not predetermine how someone should live according to some pre-established criterion of “human nature”.

Instead, we can only assess someone’s life by considering whether they accept that they are free, with the freedom and responsibility to create meaning for their existence by living life as a work of art.

Both freedom and making life a work of art are recurring themes in Del Rey’s discography. They are brought together perhaps most memorably in her much-loved monologue in the music video for Ride (2012):

On the open road, we had nothing to lose, nothing to gain, nothing we desired anymore, to make our lives into a work of art: Live fast, die young, be wild, and have fun. I believe in the country America used to be. I believe in the person I want to become. I believe in the freedom of the open road.

Del Rey is someone Elizabeth Grant became. As though echoing Sartre’s comparison between making art and living life, in her 2012 song Gods & Monsters, she sings of herself “posing like a real singer – cause life imitates art”.

For Del Rey, being a public-facing “real singer” involves some kind of image-cultivation or even self-cultivation. Not unlike how her music video for Video Games is “self-made”, the very identity of Lana Del Rey is also “self-made”. The image of Lana is a work of art made by the artist, Del Rey herself.

To be an “authentic” or “real” singer is to accept that the persona of a public figure is always inevitably curated. To combine Sartre’s slogan and Del Rey’s lyrics, the real singer is always “condemned to posing”. To pretend otherwise is to disown what it is to be a “real singer” and to act inauthentically.

If it is true that, as Del Rey sings, “life imitates art”, to render life as a work of art is the most authentic thing that a person can do. Because to live life as a work of art is nothing other than authentically accepting life as it is, something that itself “imitates art”. As she sings in Get Free (2017), this is Del Rey’s commitment, her modern manifesto.

Hello, all. It’s Insider time. Jesse Whittock here from a cooling London that was earlier this week among the hottest places on Earth. All the big international TV and film news to follow. Let’s begin. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Glastonbury Firestorm

Fast-moving story: To quote fictional news man Ron Burgundy… that escalated quickly. All the lead up to this week’s Glastonbury Festival in the UK concerned whether the BBC would broadcast or stream controversial Irish rap group Kneecap following the arrest and bail of group member Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh for a terror offense. In the end, the carnage came from little-known punk duo Bob Vylan. In a set directly before Kneecap on the same stage, the British band led thousands of crowd members in chants of “Death, death to the IDF” (Israeli Defence Forces) and “Free, free Palestine,” before repeating the controversial slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, free.” The BBC called the set “deeply offensive,” but the reputational damage was done, and things went from bad to worse when it emerged Director General Tim Davie had been at the festival on the day this all happened and that Bob Vylan had been deemed “high risk” prior to the fest. The eye of the storm was open, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanding answers. The BBC later said it had “regrets” over playing the stream, which has flummoxed many in the live and music broadcasting production space, who say tried-and-tested systems are in place to stop such mistakes. Does the BBC now have a “problem of leadership,” as suggested by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy? Calls are growing for Davie’s resignation from some insiders we spoke with for our Friday morning deep dive, and more controversy is on the horizon concerning two documentaries about Gaza. As for Bob Vylan, they have been dropped by UTA per Jake’s scoop, are being investigated by UK police and have had their U.S. visas revoked. The Corporation’s board has thrown its support behind Davie, at least for now.

Paramount Pays Out

Trump gets his way: Fair to say the media community hasn’t taken Paramount Global’s settlement with President Donald Trump well. The President had sued the U.S. giant for $20B over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris that CBS News conducted before the election. The announcement of a $16M payout, which did not come with an apology, was met with dismay from sources within CBS News and has been likened to “bribery in plain sight” by Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren. Coincidentally, the figure is the same amount Disney paid the President’s team in a defamation case in December, with both payments going on Trump’s future presidential library. What the critics are getting at is the idea Paramount has paid off Trump so that the protracted merger with Skydance can finally go ahead. The agreement, which given the lack of crossover between the companies in most cases would be waved through by the FCC with little concern, has been with regulators for months, creating huge uncertainty within the company. Paramount has categorically denied the two issues are linked, and that the agreement came with a sweetener to provide Trump with more public service announcements across its networks. CBS bosses have been urging their staff to see the payout as a fresh start, but it feels like a hard sell. There remains much concern over the impact on the news room. Numerous press freedom orgs have blasted the agreement, and it’s expected that new lawsuits contesting it will be filed. As we revealed a week ago from the UK, layoffs continue at Paramount in the run-up to the Skydance deal closing and this new deal won’t help morale at an under-fire entertainment giant. Our Political Editor Ted Johnson had more on the Paramount-Skydance saga in the wake of the Trump deal here.

Corden’s Campus Loses Backer

Cain not able: Bad news for Fulwell Entertainment. The northeast England studio that Fulwell has been championing, Crown Works Studios, this week lost its main backer. Cain International has pulled out of the £450M ($620M) project without providing a reason. Given Fulwell’s dedication to the Sunderland region – remember the Netflix doc series and that its name is a homage to a stand at Sunderland AFC’s former home – this one will hurt, especially for a number of the original Fulwell partners who hail from the region and want to see it become a key production hub in the UK. A cool £300M will be required in private investment now that Cain has dropped out, throwing doubt on the project unless another party comes forward. Fulwell itself isn’t short of cash following the mega-merger between Fulwell 73 and basketball legend LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment, with news the pair had raised $40M from existing investors to build scale emerging this past November. They’ll need a little more if they want Crown Studios to assume the mantle of the northeast’s leading production venue, although Fulwell has stressed it is pushing on and the council is seeking private investment. There’s plenty of competition in the UK, with Ulster Studios among the most recent to open its doors. A government decision on the James Cameron-backed Marlow Film Studios is also nearing, with a major report expected to be submitted midway through this month.

Gillian’s German Moment

Missives from Munich: Gillian Anderson was emotional as she picked up her CineMerit Award at the Munich Film Festival this week. Calling herself “a bit of a hermit” who has been in “a little bit of a hole,” she said she felt “unbelievably honored” to collect the prize. As Stewart reported, people were certainly paying attention at the Deutsches Theater, where Anderson’s movie The Salt Path was screening. Several X-Files fans were delighted when she addressed how the passage of time had changed her view on her iconic role as FBI agent Dana Scully. “It does… because it was such a whirlwind for me,” she said. “It felt like too big of a responsibility to take ownership of at the time.” Elsewhere, the Festival’s Artistic Directors clued us into how things have gone this year and where things are headed — and Uta Briesewitz, director of Severance, The Wheel Of Time, Black Mirror and more, gave the Munich crowd a masterclass and clued them into how to break into Hollywood. Deadline hosted that one. More Munich coverage here.

Turkish Breakout

I’m so ‘dizi’: This week’s Global Breakout took us to Turkey, where Stewart interviewed the team behind Valley of Hearts, the latest drama from prolific producers TIMS&B. Set in the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia, famous for the hundreds of hot air balloons that routinely take to its skies, the TV series follows a mother (Ece Uslu), who is confronted by her adult twin children, played by Aras Aydın and Hafsanur Sancaktutan, after she abandoned them at a young age and later married a wealthy businessman (Burak Sergen). Several other factors complicate matters, helping wrier Yıldız Tunç to create a new spin on the Turkish drama subgenre ‘dizi.’ International sales will no doubt follow for distributor Inter Medya, with Turkish drama among the surest bets on the market right now. “Magically, the Turkish TV industry somehow manages to pull through all these hurdles,” Selin Arat, Chief Global Officer at TIMS Group told us. I feel so dizi that I need to sit down. Full story here.

The Essentials

🌶️ Hot One: Breaking Baz had the news that Jamie Lloyd is looking to take his electrifying West End production of Evita, which stars Rachel Zegler, to Broadway “straight away.“

🌶️ Another One: Bella Ramsey has landed the title role in darkly comedic Channel 4 thriller Maya, with creator and co-star Daisy Haggard set to for her directorial debut.

🌶️ Go on, a third One: Thai dark comedy A Useful Ghost, which won the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at Cannes, has been picked up by Cineverse for North America.

🖋️ Poison Pen: Ben Stephenson told Max in an exclusive interview about how crime stories would act as a “fulcrum” for his shows.

🤖 Digital demands: Influencers and online creators such as Amelia Dimoldenberg have put their names to a huge report with backing from YouTube that demands the UK government recognize their contribution.

💼 Back to work: Under-fire BBC Breakfast editor Richard Frediani returned to the Beeb amid allegations over his behavior in the news room.

🏪 New shop: Peaky Blinders and Alex Rider exec Nicole Finnan launched a production consultancy, Jaeger Media.

🎭 Treading the boards: Susan Saranon will make her London stage debut this fall at London’s Old Vic Theatre opposite Academy Award nominee Andrea Riseborough in the UK premiere of Tracy Letts’ play Mary Page Marlowe.

⛺ Fest: The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival wrapped in the Provence region of France.

🍿 Box Office: Apple Original Films’ F1 launched with a global bow of $146.3M, up $2.3M on Sunday’s estimates. 

International Insider was written by Jesse Whittock and edited by Max Goldbart.

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All the answers here are linked in some way. Once you’ve spotted the connection, any you didn’t know the first time around should become easier.

1. Which 19th-century figure has a UK university named after him — and was played by Kenneth Branagh in the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics?

2. Which now common two-word phrase for a specific American disaster was coined by the journalist Robert Geiger in 1935?

3. Which now common two-word phrase is derived from a Greek myth about the king of Phrygia?

4. The four suits in a standard tarot pack are cups, swords, pentacles — and what?

5. Which 1998 novel by Margaret Atwood shares its name with that of a road safety device?

6. Which of the “rude mechanicals” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream shares his name with that of a musical instrument?

7. What first became a feature of the annual Oscar ceremony in 1961 and is now 900 feet long?

8. The 1982 film E.T. did much to popularise which annual autumnal children’s activity in the UK?

9. According to Shirley Conran’s 1975 housework manual Superwoman, “Life is too short to stuff a . . . ” what?

10. Which of the 11 London Underground lines has the fewest letters in its name?

Click here for the answers

James Walton is co-host of “The Booker Prize Podcast”

We often hear about the people who win TV contests. As well as the glory of victory, they might earn an enviable cash prize, a lucrative record deal or a life-changing career boost. But what about those who finish last? Are they philosophical in defeat or throwing tantrums behind the scenes? We tracked down five TV losers to relive their failure in front of millions, reveal how they recovered from humiliation and share what they learned.

‘I should have been more vulnerable, maybe cried’

Communication scientist Yin Lü was “murdered” in the opening episode of the third series of The Traitors UK.

I applied for The Traitors because it’s a show about communication and social dynamics. That’s my obsession, so it was like the perfect experiment. I took 51kg of luggage. One of my strategies was to utilise my wardrobe. I had jumpers with hearts on, tops with big bows and cute hair accessories for a softer look. I wanted to come across as whimsical to make myself less threatening. I decided not to mention my job and said I worked in marketing.

I’d chatted to the sisters, Armani and Maia, on the steam train. With hindsight, I was too high-energy and articulate, which marked my card as a potential threat. When Armani was selected as a Traitor, she became the driving force behind my murder. Summoned to the yellow sofa room, I delayed picking up the murder note for as long as possible and read it slowly. As the words percolated, my heart fell out of my chest. It was very visceral. We were all warned we could be first out and to be prepared. But after you’ve met people and bonded, it’s different.

I’m sad I didn’t get to experience a breakfast or a Round Table. It felt as if I’d only had a tiny taster of an extravagant 12-course meal. It was gut-wrenching to watch the series after I was booted off. The missions were brilliant. I would’ve loved to topple that giant Traitor statue. I should’ve been less confident, maybe shown some vulnerability by crying. I also wish I’d volunteered to get off the train. I would’ve loved to descend in a cage and talk my way back into the castle! Rhetoric is my speciality.

Millions watched my murder on New Year’s Day. My friends and family thought I was robbed. I went into hibernation mode because the online reaction was too much. It’s astounding how people judge you on a few minutes’ screen time. It felt exposing and knocked my confidence quite substantially. January was hellish. What helped was finding my own voice. I starting posting on social media, even some silly songs I’d written during my time there.

The Traitors fandom pointed out that mine was the earliest exit in all the global editions. So embarrassing. With time, I’ve learned to laugh at it. You can’t take life too seriously, and discover so much more about yourself by losing. I’m still getting recognised and people are always positive. It was a privilege to be part of the show – even if it was for just a flap of a lunar moth’s wing.

‘I didn’t leave my hotel room for 24 hours’

Journalist, presenter and Loose Women panellist Kaye Adams was the first celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2022.

I was about to turn 60, so Strictly seemed like a sign from the universe. I secretly wanted a journey of self-discovery. I hoped there was something hidden inside me to bring out – but it turned out there was nothing! My professional partner Kai Widdrington was endlessly patient and encouraging. We invented an alter ego for my flamboyant side named Fifi LaTouche, like some kind of superannuated can-can girl. Sadly she didn’t exist.

Our first dance was a tango to Abba. Draped on this bordello-type bar, all I could think was that it looked like grab-a-granny night. It was the most petrifying thing I’d ever done. I genuinely considered hypnotism to overcome my nerves. By week two, I was running on empty. We did a Charleston and I utterly blanked. I had a terrible dress rehearsal, so I was cacking myself. One of the makeup girls had some awful Greek liquor she’d bought back from holiday and I took a shot out of sheer desperation. I thought it might do something to me and it did. It made me worse!

I read an article that morning which mullered me. The idea started to eat away that people were laughing at me. As a woman of a certain age, you fear being a laughing stock. There are so many old tropes, like mutton dressed as lamb. I’m not usually seeking that kind of approval but on Strictly, you’re seeking approval on a huge scale in a public vote, like it or not. My mood was very low. By the dance-off against Matt Goss, I was done.

Shirley Ballas, the head judge, voted for me to stay. I was grateful because it gave me a tiny bit to walk away with. I was as gutted as I’ve been about anything. I didn’t leave my hotel room for 24 hours. I was embarrassed to go out. It was a much bigger deal, emotionally and psychologically, than I anticipated.

When I went back for the group dance in the final, they could easily have hidden me at the back but I opened the routine. I’m still thankful for that, because it gave me some self-respect. The female pros could see how nervous I was they were so sweet and supportive, giving me last-minute tips. It went well, which truly helped me get over it.

I was in awe of the whole production but personally, it was quite a sore experience. I’m not a terrible dancer but razzle-dazzle takes such confidence. If you allow negative thoughts to creep in, you’re sunk. You go into these shows hoping for growth but Strictly just confirmed my self-doubts. It was difficult for a long time. I didn’t watch the show for two years out of self-preservation. Abba still trigger me! But you’ve got to be able to fail or you’d never try anything. Now I’m grabbing my 60s by the short and curlies.

Kaye Adams’ podcast, How to Be 60, is released bi-weekly and will be live at Edinburgh fringe, 10-12 August

‘We went for a stiff drink and laughed about it’

Sophie Walker captained Reading University to the final of Christmas University Challenge in 2017, only to lose by a record 240-0.

When I was asked to go on University Challenge, my immediate thought was ‘Absolutely not. Next!’ But at the time, I was leading the Women’s Equality party and we got very little media coverage. This was a chance to raise awareness of our work, so eventually I said OK. I assumed I’d be there for one round and out.

My teammates – anthropologist Anna Machin, naturalist Martin Hughes-Games and gardener Pippa Greenwood – were lovely people who were equally bemused by how they got into this. Other teams were taking it Very Seriously – capital V, capital S – so we agreed to have fun. I was stunned when we got through. We won the next round too and were suddenly in the final. Our opponents were Keble College, Oxford but we were mainly up against Frank Cottrell-Boyce. He knew vast amounts of stuff and was fast on the buzzer. At one point, he answered 10 in a row. I was like, ‘Alright Frank, enough!’ One reason I don’t feel any despair is that he’s a prince among men with an extraordinary brain. I’d invite anybody to go up against Frank and do better.

As questions flew past, I remember thinking: ‘I went to a secondary comp in Glasgow – this wasn’t on the syllabus!’ But we still enjoyed ourselves. At one point, Jeremy Paxman told us to stop giggling. The crosser he got with us, the funnier it seemed. When the gong went, we weren’t cowed by our failure. I gathered everybody up, took them for a stiff drink and laughed about it. Pippa and I were invited on Woman’s Hour to discuss being the first team to get no points. There was lots of mickey-taking, not least from my university chums. They were like, ‘Thanks a lot for that!’

Leading a start-up political party, looking like an idiot is an everyday risk. I can think of 10 more embarrassing things I did before breakfast the next day. We set a rather unfortunate record, but not everybody can say they’ve got through to the University Challenge final. I’ll take that.

‘At least I beat Dustin the Turkey’

Andy Abraham was the UK’s entry in the 2008 Eurovision song contest and came last with only 14 points.

It felt great to win Eurovision: Your Decision – although I thought the public were off their heads. My song was soulful, not a Euro-type tune! Michelle Gayle had been bookies’ favourite and was very upset. As soon as the result was announced, she was off. I thought: ‘Wow, be a bit more gracious.’ Representing your country is a big deal. My only worry was being beaten by Dustin the Turkey. Ireland didn’t want the expense of hosting again, so they sent a puppet. Luckily, he was knocked out in the semi-final. At least I did better than the turkey!

Serbia was strange. We were escorted everywhere by machine gun-wielding security but my song, Even If, went down a storm in Belgrade nightclubs. They dug it in the arena, too. The crowd danced and sang along, but it didn’t translate to viewers at home. Jean Paul Gaultier came over from the French delegation and said he loved it. I did myself proud. The rest was in the lap of the gods. We had an inkling that political voting might happen. As the results came in, I wasn’t embarrassed. I might’ve been if I’d forgotten the lyrics, stumbled or been off-key but I was over the moon with my performance. No way we deserved to finish that low down.

I went to the BBC booth to see Terry Wogan. He was crestfallen and said ‘I’m so sorry.’ I told him: ‘It’s all good.’ We had a few drinks and the UK delegation – Caroline Flack, god rest her soul, Paddy O’Connell and co – had a brilliant time. They didn’t feel let down by me, only by how severe the anti-UK voting was. That year, Terry quit. He said it had gone too far and was no fun any more.

Back home, people sympathised because I was hard done by. I’m a working-class boy – before The X Factor, I was a binman – which keeps things in perspective. If music came to an end, I’d just go back to grafting. The only thing I’d do differently is go out there earlier to promote the song. There wasn’t enough momentum behind it. I was also second on the bill, the dreaded slot of death. Maybe if I’d performed last, who knows?

Eurovision was a career highlight and wonderful experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. In fact, I’d do it again. Whenever I perform Even If live, I joke about it and say ‘Thanks for the 14 points, guys!’ The whole room always starts clapping and cheering.”

Everything That You Do, the new single by Benjamin Race feat Andy Abraham, is out on 18 July.

‘The showstopper stopped my show’

Amos Lilley was the first baker to be sent home from The Great British Bake Off 2023.

It was surreal walking into the famous tent. I’m 6ft 5in, so they made a little plinth to raise my workbench. The opening round was a vertical layer cake. I was nervous, got into my own head and overdid it. By the technical challenge, I felt calm. We made the iconic Bake Off cake from the title sequence and mine came second. I felt elated. Maybe it gave me false hope!

It was the showstopper that stopped my show. For my animal cake, I made an orca. Why choose a whale? I should’ve done Colin the Caterpillar! I was disappointed with how it turned out and said it ‘looked like a piece of poo’. Even worse, Paul Hollywood called my sponge ‘tough as old boots’. It was horribly tense, awaiting the result. I knew I was in danger but a few of us were. No way I thought I’d be going home.

When Noel [Fielding] called my name, I felt myself leave my body. It was my second time applying, so I’d been building up to this for two years. In an instant, the journey was over. Viewers were outraged. I was inundated with messages, which softened the blow. Thanks, Bake Off fans! I’d planned out all 10 weeks – my outfits, my bakes. I’d bought special equipment and stands. When I went back home, I chucked it all away like a diva. Don’t need this! Don’t need that! But the show changed my life. I quit my job. Now I’m setting up my own bakery, Lilley’s Luxurious Cakes. My early exit knocked my confidence but with time, I realised I’d done well to get that far. It’s two people’s opinion and only a TV show. And I got recognised at Abba Voyage last night, so I must’ve made an impression. It was also a landmark episode – Alison Hammond’s first as co-host and it featured Prue Leith’s beaver innuendo. That clip will be replayed for a long time – and I’m one of the people in hysterics.