Category: Uncategorized

Radio presenter said McCall ‘highlighted the problem’ leading to his diagnosis

Jamie Theakston would have missed the opportunity to catch his cancer early if it wasn’t for Davina McCall.

In September 2024, the Heart Radio presenter was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer after going for a check up, which had been prompted by listeners noticing his voice sounded different on air. He emotionally revealed he was cancer-free last month.

The 54-year-old father of two was off work for months as he underwent operations and treatment for the condition. He reports being told he had a 95 per cent survival rate in the cancer’s first stage, which rapidly dwindles as it progresses. But the presenter almost shrugged off his symptoms at first.

“You do the show for 20 years, and you get a sore throat and it comes and goes,” he told The Times.

“But there were a couple of listeners who said, ‘You really need to get it checked.’ And I guess in many ways that sort of saved my life. Without being too dramatic about it.”

Fan concerns were not the only reason he decided to investigate his symptoms, as Theakston stressed the importance of early detection. While co-presenter Amanda Holden was on holiday, Masked Singer panelist McCall took Holden’s slot and inadvertently prompted concern.

“She’s a very huggy person, Davina,” he said. “She gave me a big hug around my neck and I remember thinking it felt quite uncomfortable. I think she thought, oh God, I’ve done something terrible. But in fact, she just highlighted the problem.”

McCall has battled her own health concerns recently as she had a benign brain tumour removed and made a plea to younger people.

After Theakston’s wife Sophie Siegle also mentioned he had croakiness, he decided to see his GP.

Once the news was confirmed, Theakston struggled to tell Siegle and their family.

“She was devastated. I think it’s odd, when it comes to cancer, there’s a lot of statistics,” he said.

“So when people talk about stage 1 cancer, it’s a 95 per cent survival rate. I felt quite reassured by that – and obviously that can go down to 50 per cent when you get to stage 3 and 4.

“But I think when you say, ‘I’ve got cancer,’ everyone sort of goes into meltdown. She had a lot of questions. And then we told the kids, obviously, and explained to them how it all works and what was going to happen and they were remarkably brave about the whole thing.”

Hollywood’s golden girl: How Jennifer Aniston’s legacy still steals the spotlight than ever

From ‘Friends’ to forever: Jennifer Aniston’s influence on Hollywood

Jennifer Aniston, legendary actress who has won millions of hearts with her glamorous appearance on screen, has recently celebrated her 56th birthday in an intimate get-together.

The actress hasn’t shared any post about her recent birthday bash yet, but her friends and fans definitely celebrated her legacy by sharing her pictures and reels from her most hit series, where she nailed a role of most gorgeous woman Rachel Green.

Jennifer took to her Instagram account and addressed all the love and appreciation she’s received from everyone.

The birthday celebrations came right after Aniston’s concerns over Friends co-star David Schwimmer’s new relationship.

However, from small beginnings to massive stardom, the Dumplin’ star’s journey proves that hard work and staying true to yourself can take you far in career.

When Friends first aired back in 1994 and captured millions of smiles with its genre, a few could have predicted that the global sensation would become the Jennifer Aniston.

Jennifer, alongside her co-stars Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc, rose to immense fame after that show with their iconic roles.

Jennifer Aniston continues to be actively involved in various projects, as she’s now focusing on her personal growth as well as her mental growth. 

Lady Gaga opens up about considering quitting music for good

Lady Gaga shares thoughts on quitting music: Find out

Lady Gaga is sharing her thoughts on quitting music after being ‘tested’ on multiple occasions.

The Born This Way hitmaker , who started out young in the industry, unapologetically admitted to wanting to ‘walk away’ from the spotlight despite all her achievements.

During her regal appearance on Hot Ones, Gaga addressed rumors of her exit from the music industry.

She said, “That is an incredibly deep question to ask me in this panic mode.

“I missed the community that I had in New York and that was really hard. So there were definitely times where I felt like maybe I should walk away.

“I know for sure that I never would. I would definitely say that I was tested, and I always didn’t give up. And I’m still doing it, so it must mean I want to do it.”

The American singer, who is currently gearing up for her seventh studio album, also recalled the time when she booked gigs for herself as her manager.

Recounting an instance from the past, she explained, “I would knock on door after door and say, ‘Can I please play here?’ Or I would call and pretend I was my manager.

“I would tell people ‘She’s so hot right now.’ Sometimes I would do an accent. I would do anything to get booked.”

On professional front, Gaga’s studio album, Mayhem, is set to release on March 7, marking her return to her pop roots.

Award-winning actress, writer, director and media mogul Issa Rae is canceling her sold-out appearance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts over President Donald Trump’s “infringement” on the institution’s values.

Rae, who is widely known for the critically acclaimed HBO series Insecure and her role in the blockbuster Barbie, announced Thursday that she was pulling out of her sold-out show in Washington because of what she believed to be “an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.”

Why It Matters

The announcement comes a day after the Kennedy Center board voted to appoint President Donald Trump as its chairman. Trump had purged the board of Biden appointees just days earlier, replacing them with Trump loyalists.

Left: Issa Rae attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards on March 10, 2024, in Hollywood, California. Right: President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on February 4, 2025, in Washington.

What To Know

Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center has sent ripples through the arts community. At least three leaders have resigned in the wake of Trump’s chairmanship.

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes, who was appointed to the board by President Barack Obama, resigned from her treasurer position Wednesday. Soprano Renée Fleming and songwriter Ben Folds also announced they were leaving their posts as artistic adviser at large and artistic adviser, respectively, of the National Symphony Orchestra, which is overseen by the Kennedy Center.

It’s not only Rae who canceled an upcoming appearance. Rock band Low Cut Connie did the same on Thursday.

Rae had been expected to appear for “An Evening with Issa Rae,” which was scheduled for March 16. The event has been removed from the venue’s website.

New members of the board include faces from the new administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, second lady Usha Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office Sergio Gor.

It also includes the spouses of some of Trump’s loyalist allies, such as Allison Lutnick, wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Andrea Wynn, wife of GOP megadonor Steve Wynn. Country singer Lee Greenwood, whose song “God Bless the U.S.A.” was a staple at Trump rallies, and Fox News’ Laura Ingraham are other new additions to the board.

Richard Grenell, Trump’s special U.S. envoy, has been appointed the center’s interim executive director.

What People Are Saying

Actress, writer and director Issa Rae, on Instagram on Thursday: “Thank you so much for selling out the Kennedy Center for ‘An Evening With {Me}”. Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue. All tickets will be refunded. Thank you so much for understanding and I hope to see you soon.”

Deborah Rutter, former president of the Kennedy Center, in a Wednesday statement: “The goal of the Kennedy Center has been to live up to our namesake, serving as a beacon for the world and ensuring our work reflects America. I depart my position proud of all we accomplished to meet that ambition. From the art on our stages to the students we have impacted in classrooms across America, everything we have done at the Kennedy Center has been about uplifting the human spirit in service of strengthening the culture of our great nation.”

Adam Weiner, of the rock band Low Cut Connie, in a Thursday Instagram post: “I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution’s Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice and equity through the arts. Upon learning that this institution that has run nonpartisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there.”

Ben Folds, singer-songwriter, in a Wednesday Instagram post: “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO. Not for me. It’s been a wonderful 8 years working with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter, fellow artistic advisor Renee Fleming, and the entire NSO staff, encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music.”

President Donald Trump, on Truth Social Wednesday: “It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”

What Happens Next

Rae said that all tickets to her show will be refunded.

Jimmy Fallon called Elon Musk out for bringing his son X Æ A-Xii to an Oval Office press conference with Donald Trump. The billionaire father-of-12 paraded his son as the US president signed an executive order to bolster the Department of Government Efficiency’s powers in government. On Wednesday’s episode of The Tonight Show, Fallon poked fun at the spectacle, joking: “Trump was looking at him like, ‘Don’t you dare touch my dinosaur chicken nuggets!’” X was seen mimicking Musk’s gestures and picking his nose before wiping it on the Resolute desk, gifted to President Rutherford Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880 and used by nearly every president since.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk met during Modi’s visit to the U.S., where he spoke with Trump about trade and tariff concerns

India US Modi Musk (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during his visit to the U.S. to meet President Donald Trump. The exact nature of the meeting is unclear, although Modi said on X that the two men “discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation.”

Musk was recently chosen by Trump to head a new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Modi and Musk also met each other in New York in 2023. At that time Musk said he was “confident that Tesla will be in India … as soon as humanly possible.”

Trump unsure about why Modi and Musk met

Modi and Musk met each other on Thursday during the Indian prime minister’s visit to the U.S. While Musk was accompanied by his three young children, Modi was notably flanked by his top advisers — including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Later, at a joint press conference with Modi at the White House, Trump said he wasn’t sure why Musk met the Indian prime minister but he assumed Musk “wants to do business in India.”

“I would imagine he met, possibly, because you know he’s running a company,” Trump told reporters.

India’s foreign ministry in a statement said Modi and Musk “discussed strengthening collaboration between Indian and U.S. entities in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence and sustainable development” and on “entrepreneurship and good governance.”

Musk has Starlink ambitions in India

Musk, who previously called himself a “fan of Modi,” has long wanted his Starlink satellite internet service to make an entry into the Indian market. Its launch, however, has been delayed due to regulatory challenges, security concerns and opposition from domestic telecom giants like Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio.

Last November, India’s telecoms minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, said Starlink was yet to comply with security norms, and a license for satellite communications services will be issued only after the company meets all the requirements.

Musk had earlier criticized India’s policy of granting spectrum for satellite services through auctioning. The Indian government later changed the policy and said it will assign satellite spectrum and not auction it.

India has vast, untapped potential in satellite broadband

India’s satellite broadband service market is highly competitive. At least six companies control the market, led by Ambani’s Reliance Jio.

Apart from regulatory roadblocks, Musk’s Starlink has also faced resistance by Reliance Jio, which last year said granting spectrum for satellite services through auctioning is necessary to ensure fair competition.

Musk’s Starlink has at least 6,900 active satellites orbiting Earth that provide low-latency broadband to some 4.6 million people. But if Musk wants to enter the Indian market, Starlink’s high pricing could be a concern.

Mobile data in India is among the cheapest globally, and Ambani’s Jio once gave data for free on its mobile plans. And yet, at least 40% of the country’s more than 1.4 billion people still don’t have access to the internet. Cheap satellite broadband is needed to bridge this gap, particularly in India’s vast remote and mountainous areas.

Musk’s Tesla cars are yet to enter Indian market

Musk’s Tesla has also been waiting to get into India, which is one of the world’s largest automobile markets, but has faced hurdles due to high import duties on vehicles brought into the country.

Also, India’s electric vehicle market is still nascent and made up a little more than 2% of total car sales last year. But the government wants to change that and increase the electric vehicle share to 30% by 2030.

India also recently unveiled a new policy that extends concessional tariffs on fully imported electric vehicles made by foreign carmakers who commit to starting local manufacturing.

‘You can’t fool audiences,’ the 72-year-old actor said

Liam Neeson has shared an update on the future of his acting career, acknowledging that “it has to stop at some stage.”

The Irish actor, who made his screen debut in the 1978 biblical film Pilgrim’s Progress, has since appeared in more than a hundred films and TV shows over the course of his lengthy career.

Known for a variety of movies, including the divisive 2003 romcom Love Actually and the Oscar-winning drama Schindler’s List, Neeson has, in later years, become an action film hero, starring in movies such as Taken (2008) and The Marksman (2021).

“I’m 72,” Neeson told People in a new interview. “It has to stop at some stage.”

The Dark Knight Rises star has always performed his own fight scenes. However, he relies on his longtime collaborator Mark Vanselow to complete some of his more daring stunts.

Recognizing that “you can’t fool audiences,” he said: “I don’t want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me.”

While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from acting, he revealed that he is considering putting an end to making action films in 2025.

Liam Neeson says he’s looking to retire from making action films in 2025 (Getty Images)

“Maybe the end of next year,” he said. “I think that’s it.”

Until then, Neeson fans have nothing to worry about as the Star Wars actor currently has nearly a dozen more projects in the pipeline.

For his next movie, Absolution, he has once again teamed up with Hans Peter Molan, who directed him in 2019’s Cold Pursuit. Scheduled to release in theaters on November 1, the new crime-thriller follows an aging gangster (Neeson) as he attempts to reconnect with his estranged children and make amends for his past mistakes.

“When he’s immersed in the character he is, you see the hurt, you see the pain,” Moland told People of Neeson. “He becomes that man.”

Neeson will additionally lead the forthcoming movies The Naked Gun, a reboot of the classic crime-spoof franchise, and Cold Storage, both of which are due out next year.

Meanwhile, he is set to reprise his 2021 Ice Road role in the upcoming sequel, Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky. He will also lead Guy Moshe’s Hotel Tehran, Jaume Collet-Serra’s Run All Night 2, Neil Jordan’s The Riker’s Ghost, Mark Vanselow’s The Mangoose and Tarik Saleh’s Charlie Johnson in the Flames.

U.S. president also wants to conduct denuclearization talks with Russia and China

A decade after Russia was expelled from the Group of Eight for invading and illegally annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, President Donald Trump says he wants to reverse the decision and permit Russia to rejoin the group of the world’s major industrialized democracies, while also slashing America’s defense budget by 50 percent.

“I’d love to have them back, I think it was a mistake to throw them out,” said Trump, who blamed then-president Barack Obama for the collective decision by the world’s largest industrialized economies to exclude Russia from what had become the Group of Seven, of G7, after the fall of the Soviet Union, when Russia was invited to join in an attempt to integrate it more tightly with the global economy.

The American president made the shocking declaration in the Oval Office during a marathon question-and-answer session with reporters, telling the assembled press that he blamed his predecessor, former president Joe Biden, for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order a large-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.

Trump and Putin, pictured at a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018 spoke on the telephone on Wednesday (AFP via Getty Images)

He falsely suggested that Biden had provoked the war by supporting a path to NATO membership for Kyiv even though NATO membership has been on the table for Ukraine since 2008, when then-president George W. Bush said he “strongly supported” Ukraine as a future candidate to join the defensive alliance.

“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow them, just in their position, could allow them to join NATO. I don’t see that happening,” he said.

Trump, who spoke to Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, also told reporters he believes Putin “wants peace” and said he trusts the Russian leader, who according to a Senate intelligence committee report ordered Russian intelligence to interfere in the 2016 election on Trump’s behalf.

He said he wants to restart denuclearization and arms control talks with Russia and China with the aim of reducing American defense spending by 50 percent.

Trump blamed his own predecessor as U.S. president for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (AP)

“At some point when things settle down, I’m going to meet with China, and I’m going to meet with Russia, in particular, those two, and I’m going to say there’s no reason for us to be spending almost a trillion dollars on military,” he said.

He added that he’d like to come to an agreement between all three countries to cut existing military spending by 50 percent.

“I want to say, let’s cut our military budget in half. And we can do that,” he said.

Trump has frequently blamed the Biden administration and the prior Obama administration for the conduct of the war that Putin started by invading Ukraine.

Pressed on what Russia should have to give up in any negotiated settlement, Trump declined to say that Moscow should give up anything at all and instead cast yet more blame on prior presidential administrations.

“Russia has gotten themselves into something that I think they wish they didn’t. If I were president, it would not have happened, absolutely would not have happened, and it didn’t happen for four years. If you look at what has taken place under President Bush, they lost a lot under President Obama. They lost Crimea. Under Biden, it looks like they could lose the whole thing. Under Trump, they lost nothing. Ukraine lost nothing. They didn’t give up anything,” he said.

“Now, Russia has taken over a pretty big chunk of territory, and they also have said from day one, long before President Putin, they’ve said they cannot have Ukraine be a NATO. They said that very strongly. I actually think that that was the thing that caused the start of the war. And Biden said it, and Zelensky said it, and I think that was one of the reasons, one of the starts of the war. But from long before Putin, they said you cannot have, you cannot have Ukraine going in, in any way, into NATO. And I start from that standpoint. I think everybody knew that now, if a better deal can be negotiated, if they’re able to make a deal where they can do that, that’s fine with me. I really don’t care.”

The retired comedian recently relocated to the English countryside

Ellen DeGeneres has responded to reports that her home in England had flooded.

The retired comedian, 66, took to Instagram on Sunday (December 1) to honor her 20th anniversary with wife Portia de Rossi. DeGeneres posted a selfie with de Rossi as they posed in front of a typical British countryside scene, where the couple recently relocated.

“20 years ago today we began this relationship not realizing what a long beautiful adventure this would be,” the former talk show host began the caption. “You are the best thing that ever happened in my life. You take care of me. You help me see the good in everything. You help to guide me and pick me up when I feel off or down.

DeGeneres continued: “You are a beautiful soul that I am so very grateful to have as a partner to navigate this crazy life with. My wife. My best friend. The love of my life. Thank you for being you and loving me.

“So happy we get to travel and explore the world together in the next 20 years, and looking forward to our first snowy Christmas,” she wrote.

Ellen DeGeneres denies reports her U.K. home flooded (Instagram / @ellendegeneres)

DeGeneres concluded the anniversary tribute with a message for fans who were concerned that their 43-acre property had reportedly flooded due to Storm Bert in the U.K.

“P.S. for those of you concerned, our UK farmhouse did NOT flood,” she said.Earlier this week, the Daily Mail reported that DeGeneres and de Rossi’s new home in the Cotswolds, about a two-hour drive from London, had flooded due to Storm Bert, which brought days of torrential rain and wind speeds of up to 80mph. During the storm, the River Thames broke its banks, which happened to be right next to DeGeneres’s and de Rossi’s mansion.“The flood waters are rising by the hour. This is the worst I have seen it in years,” a local resident told the Daily Mail about the aftermath of the storm.

A source previously confirmed to People that DeGeneres had relocated to the English countryside after she “fell in love” with a house abroad.

“Ellen was in England house hunting in the beginning of October. She ended up finding a house that she loved and purchased it shortly after,” the source said.

The move across the pond was rumored to be in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s second-term win, as a source told TMZ that DeGeneres and de Rossi were “very disillusioned” about the election results.

Since moving to the U.K., the comedian seems to have been sporting a brand new haircut. In an Instagram Reel shared by Jeremy Clarkson’s pub The Farmer’s Dog and singer Natalie Imbruglia on November 13, DeGeneres was spotted enjoying an intimate live music session alongside her wife and friends.

The clip showed Imbruglia singing with the crowd before panning to DeGeneres, who waved to the camera wearing a shorter, darker hairstyle instead of her signature platinum blonde hair.

Brechin City FC’s monument to William Wallace ridiculed on social media

(Rudolph Botha/CC BY-SA 3.0 (edited)/Getty)

A statue unveiled outside Brechin City Football Club’s stadium in Scotland has been criticised on social media, with many comparing it to the infamously awful bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport.

The monument depicts the great Scottish hero William Wallace and is based on Mel Gibson’s performance as the warrior in the 1996 Hollywood blockbuster Braveheart, which the Australian also directed.

It was first built by sculptor Tommy Church in the year of the film’s release and originally leased to Stirling Council for installation at the National Wallace Monument, which stands on the shoulder of the Abbey Craig.

“The sun and crowds came out for a fantastic day to honour the craftsmanship of Brechiner Tommy Church and it was brilliant to see the community of all ages turn out in numbers to support the event,” the club wrote in a press release promoting Sunday’s unveiling.

Brechin, which plays its football in the fifth-tier Highlands League, had hoped to celebrate the 13th century knight who fought the English during the First War of Scottish Independence but, instead, many became preoccupied by the tribute’s similarity to the famously wonky Ronaldo monument.

Others relished the details, like Wallace opening his mouth wide to bellow “Freedom!” in the manner of Britain’s Got Talent winner Susan Boyle or as though he were in agony having just stepped on a Lego brick.

The beheaded foe at his feet was also thought by several commentator’s to resemble Spinal Tap’s moustachioed bass player Derek Smalls in the celebrated comedy This is Spinal Tap (1984).

The work was further ridiculed by being compared to Spanish pensioner Cecilia Gimenez’s notoriously botched attempt to restore a faded fresco of Jesus Christ at the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Zaragoza in August 2012.