Entertainment, in sixty words

Dolly Parton, who died aged 80, launched her Imagination Library in 1995 to honour her father, who never learned to read. The programme provides children from birth to age five with one free book every month. By 2025, the scheme had given out more than 300 million books across several countries.

TV presenter Richard Osman has discussed nystagmus, an incurable eye condition present from his birth which causes blurred vision. Nystagmus means he can't read an autocue and finds looking directly at the camera hard. His poor eyesight helps him focus on a show's 'feel' rather than just visuals, which is a useful skill.

The Human League's Hitchin performance was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, which featured intense rainfall and lightning. Hitchin Live, the event's organisers, stated they were unable to proceed with the show safely. Nevertheless, concerts featuring Rudimental and The Libertines are still set to go ahead this weekend.

Winning Celebrity Hunted has given Strictly star Amy Dowden back her confidence after her cancer journey. The 36-year-old dancer shared a joint victory with Brian and Lucy Conley in the Channel 4 show, raising money for Stand Up To Cancer. Dowden said the win made her feel she can now achieve anything, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023.

Former Strictly dancer Ola Jordan revealed a "tough summer" and "darkest of days" following her separation from husband James. She shared on social media that spending time with their six-year-old daughter Ella was her greatest comfort. The couple announced this month that they had separated, having been together for 26 years, and stated that they were addressing personal difficulties.

The BBC's director of entertainment, Ed Havard, confirmed on Wednesday that Top Gear is making a comeback after a serious crash in its last series. While he didn't name new presenters, speculation is focusing on comedian Jimmy Carr as a strong possibility. Other names suggested include TV personality Jodie Kidd and rally driver Catie Munnings from CBeebies.

The Ministry of Defence will fund a study into keeping the Type 45 destroyers in service past their planned 2035-38 retirement. The Type 83 replacement programme was dropped, and the new 'Hybrid Navy' plan is still far from ready. A decision on extending the destroyers' use will be made in 2027-28.

Queen Camilla plays a key role in resolving the disagreement involving Prince Harry, Meghan, and other members of the royal family. Sources indicate she assisted King Charles in moderating his stance on Prince Harry and Meghan, prioritising his grandchildren. Camilla, 79, was also at a recent meeting between the King and the Sussexes, despite Harry's criticisms in his memoir.

Vivienne, the daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is dropping 'Pitt' from her name, a move her elder siblings have also made. Her application to alter her name to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie was submitted, and a newspaper advertisement ran weekly from July through August. Her siblings Zahara, Maddox, and Shiloh have all made similar changes, while Pax still uses Pitt.

The blockbuster, an adaptation of Homer's epic, is the first R-rated film to take over $1.35 billion worldwide. It exceeded the $1.338 billion earned by Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Wolverine. The Odyssey also became Nolan's most successful movie, earning $1.104 billion and beating The Dark Knight Rises.

Fans are boycotting Neutrogena after actress Hayden Panettiere's death, following her claims the brand ended her contract. Panettiere said in her 2026 memoir that Neutrogena severed ties after she spoke publicly about postpartum depression in 2015. The backlash has seen Neutrogena's parent company, Kenvue Inc., experience a stock price drop of over two percent on Monday.

US band Demon Hunter is suing Netflix for trademark infringement, claiming the hit film's name causes confusion among fans. The band, who have released music and toured for 25 years, say Netflix's plans for a global concert tour and merchandise overlap with their offerings. They are requesting a court order to prevent Netflix from employing the name for music, live performances, and associated merchandise.

Gillian Anderson said allegations about Raynor Winn's memoir, which she starred in, felt like a "betrayal" after she spent time with the couple. Sony Classics then pulled its US distribution deal for the film, which was set to be signed the week the Observer article came out. The film will now be released in the US by Rialto Distribution on 4 September.

Harris Dickinson was spotted filming a scene for the upcoming Beatles biopic, recreating the iconic Abbey Road album cover. He plays John Lennon, leading Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. The four films, each from a different band member's perspective, are due out in April 2028.

Hundreds of fans lined the streets of Mumbles, Wales, on Saturday as Bonnie Tyler's coffin was taken to her home. The Welsh singer, born Gaynor Hopkins, died aged 75 on 8 July in Portugal after complications from intestinal surgery. A celebration of her life is planned at Swansea Minster on Monday, followed by a procession through her hometown of Skewen.

Maya Boyd will play Storm in Marvel Studios' upcoming X-Men movie, with Inde Navarrette cast as Rogue and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Jake Schreier is directing the film, working from a screenplay written by Sonny Lee. The casting news was revealed on Saturday.

More than £27,000 was collected for charity at Lancashire's Lytham Festival last month through guest list donations and bucket collections. Five local charities, including Heartbeat and Brian House Children's Hospice, will share the money. Volunteers from each charity collected donations during their allocated headline night, helping fans to give.

Meghan Markle's choice of jewellery for a fundraising gala on Friday, 7 August, was her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's diamond and sapphire earrings. She paired the sentimental jewellery with a black one-shoulder dress by Canadian designer Greta Constantine. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the David Foster Foundation's 40th anniversary celebration in British Columbia.

Ted Lasso star Juno Temple has confirmed she secretly married her long-term boyfriend, actor Michal Szymanski, whom she met during filming of season two. Temple, 37, shared the news during promotional activities for the Apple TV series' new season, which launched its first episode on Wednesday. Her co-star Hannah Waddingham joked that she warned Szymanski to look after Temple.

Rockstar Games is giving fans a closer look at Grand Theft Auto VI, with an "Extended Look" presentation debuting on Netflix first. The programme will be available on Netflix from 12 pm PT on August 27, before being released on YouTube and Rockstar's website. Netflix's vice president of nonfiction series, Brandon Riegg, said the collaboration reflects Netflix's goal to host ambitious storytelling.

Reality TV star Stephen Bear was handed a 16-month prison sentence because he broke a restraining order related to his ex-girlfriend, Georgia Harrison. He was convicted of harassment for posting about Harrison on social media, violating an order from his 2023 conviction. Harrison described Bear's behaviour as having a "profound impact" on her, causing distress and anxiety during her pregnancy.

Neil Patrick Harris, who played Barney in How I Met Your Mother, has called his character "toxic" and a "devil on Ted's shoulder." He told The Times that because the show's story is narrated by Ted, his character's extreme behaviours weren't necessarily true. Harris also said he wouldn't play Barney again unless the character seriously changed his ways.

Martha Reeves, the 85-year-old Motown singer, sparked online amusement after a shaky performance of the American national anthem. She took to the field on Saturday, August 1, for the opening game of the new Women's Professional Baseball League in Springfield, Illinois. Reeves later blamed the blunder on wet, windy weather conditions and a lack of proper stage monitors.

Amazon is expanding its sci-fi plans with a brand new animated show based on the tabletop game. Variety says it stems from the Secret Level anthology and joins the actor's live-action project. The plot focuses on the Deathwatch, which is a specialised squad of soldiers hunting alien monsters.

The heavy metal veterans are heading back for their first UK headline tour since 2015 as part of a multi-year global farewell trek. Frontman Dave Mustaine said the 24-date arena run starting on Monday 9 March 2027 in Belfast will celebrate four decades of music. Black Label Society and Testament, two fellow thrash metal acts, will join them as support acts.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day took 355 million dollars domestically and 927 million dollars worldwide over its opening weekend, according to trade outlets. The domestic figure is the second-highest opening ever, about 2 million dollars short of Avengers Endgame's 2019 record. Globally the film ranks second behind Endgame's 1.223 billion dollar debut, with Tom Holland's film earning 573 million dollars from international markets.

Cinema audiences are queueing up to catch the latest superhero installment directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The plot follows Peter Parker protecting New York while dealing with a reality where everyone has forgotten his identity. Critics have welcomed the shift away from multiverse storylines towards a more personal, character-driven adventure.

The royal family joined cheering crowds in Glasgow on Saturday to watch the netball semi-finals and cycling. They visited the OVO Hydro and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on the second last day of the competition. During the trip, the couple met athletes including gold medal-winning para powerlifter Mark Swan.

The pop star's eighth studio album went straight to the top of the Official Charts. It follows her earlier soundtrack release this February, making her the first British woman to secure a double chart-topping feat in twelve months. She joins legendary acts like The Beatles and David Bowie who have achieved the same milestone.

EastEnders actor Shane Richie, 62, has been charged with drink-driving after Essex Police stopped him in Harlow on the night of 29 July. Essex Police say a patrol responded to a report of a suspected drink-driver on Church Langley Way just before 11.20pm and arrested him nearby. He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court on 9 September to answer the charge.

Meghan Markle likely views her low popularity in the UK as a "lost cause" despite a recent visit, according to a royal expert. A new poll shows she only has a 22% approval rating among Brits, with only Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's being lower. Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, thinks Meghan is more content concentrating on her life and business projects in California.

The owner of a new queer venue in Soho says losing LGBTQ+ spaces is an emergency, with the area's identity fading. Jeremy Joseph, who ran G-A-Y Bar for 25 years, states Old Compton Street has "no identity" and nothing is being done to revive it. Outside central London, new LGBT spaces are appearing, like four venues in Elephant and Castle, offering local connections.

A stolen master copy set off the $105m claim, filed in Los Angeles on 30 July over missing Nicolas Cage thriller Fortitude. Producer Daniel Haido hand-delivered the unencrypted drive for a Netflix screening, and it disappeared from office desks within a week. Netflix called the delivery non-standard and denies responsibility, though it offered to monitor piracy sites for leaks of the seven-year, $45m production.

Mitch Winehouse must pay £950,000 to two of Amy Winehouse's friends after a High Court judge dismissed his claim over her auctioned belongings. He accused stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourlay of wrongly selling 155 of Amy's items between 2021 and 2023. Judge Sarah Clarke branded it an 'inherently weak claim' pursued aggressively and ordered Winehouse to cover the women's legal costs.

The two-part play, a sequel to JK Rowling's book series, first opened at London's Palace Theatre in 2016. It has since been seen by over 2.5 million people, with 276 cast members performing 1,762 times. The show has won a record nine Laurence Olivier Awards and 60 major global honours.

A London High Court ruling covering all 166 WTO members ordered Wolfoo videos off every platform by 4pm BST on Monday. The judge ruled against Vietnamese studio Sconnect, finding Peppa Pig audio clips in all 92 English-language Wolfoo episodes examined and three-quarters of foreign-language versions. The court called the copying 'compelling', in a case Hasbro and Astley Baker Davies brought in 2022.

BTS announced on Instagram that the group will not submit any music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. The decision follows the Recording Academy's creation of a new Asian pop category, covering K-pop, J-pop and C-pop acts using an Asian language. The seven-member group, seen as a frontrunner for the category, said it wants its music judged without being separated by region or language.

Singer Madison Beer and American football player Justin Herbert announced their engagement on Tuesday via social media. The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback, 28, was photographed on one knee with a ring box, with Beer, 27, beaming. The couple were first publicly seen together in August 2025, and Herbert featured in Beer's music video earlier this year.

The 2026 Booker Prize longlist, also known as the Booker Dozen, was announced on Tuesday, featuring 13 books by authors including Elizabeth Strout, Douglas Stuart, and Marlon James. Two previous winners, Douglas Stuart and Marlon James, are on the list, along with third-time nominee Elizabeth Strout. The winner of the prestigious literary award will receive £50,000 and be announced on November 9.