Graham Norton: 'Terrible decision' to stop Ukraine hosting Eurovision amid Russian war

AMANDA Owen has broken her social media silence after concerned fans of Our Yorkshire Farm spotted a "family member" was missing. Many viewers of the popular Channel 5 series admitted they were keen for an update on sheepdog Kate as she hadn't been seen for a long time on the shepherdess' Instagram page.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has appointed Charlie Perkins as head of comedy, reporting into chief content officer Ian Katz. Former head of comedy Fiona McDermott left Channel 4 in March to join Apple TV+.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentAndrew Lloyd Webber and Antonio Banderas are teaming to create a joint company Amigos Para Siempre (APS) aimed at producing musicals, stage plays and live entertainment for major markets in the Spanish-speaking world, including the Latino U.S. Upcoming productions will include Spanish-language makeovers of Lloyd Webber classics, such as “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “Starlight Express,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “Cinderella,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “School of Rock.”Spanish-language adaptation rights to these works will be ceded to the new joint venture  by Lloyd Webber’s company, Really Useful Group.  Building on a decades-long friendship, APS will also license third-party works, as well as develop and produce original shows for the Spanish-speaking market, the biggest easily accessible non-English-language market in the world, whose theater and musical scene is experiencing robust growth. The joint venture will be overseen by Emanuel Nuñuz, CEO of the NuCO Media Group, who has a deep knowledge of the Spanish-world entertainment scene, and Jessica Koravos, president of Really Useful Group. “Antonio Banderas not only forms part of entertainment royalty but is also one of the most versatile creative minds with whom I’ve have the pleasure of working,” Lloyd Webber said.He added: “It’s really moving to associate with Antonio to present my work, as well as other brilliant Broadway and West End titles, in new markets. Though millions of people in all of the Spanish-speaking world already love our shows and music, there’s an extraordinary appetite to receive more and the levels musical and stage play talent is extraordinary.

WALKING into a room to see a consultant, Demi Jones had no idea just how much his words would change her life.  Covid regulations meant she was all alone and just 22 when he dropped the bombshell that she had cancer in her neck and would need to have it cut out. As her world came crashing down, surgeon Costa Repanos was there for her, providing the emotional support she would have had from friends and family pre-pandemic.

X FACTOR star Louisa Johnson looked incredible in a tiny bikini as she holidays in Ibiza. The 24-year-old singer, who won the ITV show in 2015, posed in the crochet bikini as she modelled hats at an outdoor market.

ADELE Roberts has revealed she is now cancer free. The Radio 1 DJ, 43, had been suffering from bowel cancer, revealing in October that she was undergoing treatment and later having surgery to remove a tumour.

X FACTOR star Tom Mann has been supported by his loved ones at a memorial for his fiancée Dani Hampson, following her tragic death last week. The musician – who appeared on the ITV show with band Stereo Kicks in 2014 – announced the devastating news of his partner's death on what was due to be the couple's wedding day. The couple share an eight-month-old son together.

There have been plenty of past Love Island contestants who have had drastic beauty transformations since leaving the villa (Molly-Mae and her filler removal comes to mind), but TikTok is saying Rosie Williams takes the crown for the best beauty overhaul. Rosie, now 30, appeared on series four of the ITV2 show and memorably left after being unceremoniously dumped by Adam Collard – who went on to couple up with Zara McDermott.Though she was known for her thick dark hair, tanned skin and glamorous makeup, it seems she was ready to give her appearance quite a big change after leaving the show. The star has also wiped her Instagram clean of old posts, instead maintaining a curated selection of just nine photos for her 700k followers to look at.

EastEnders star Ricky Champ's wife Sammy has announced they've welcome a baby boy together.The 41 year old actor's other half took to her Instagram stories to announce the happy news as she explained her waters broke two weeks earlier than planned. Sharing a snap of the medication she's on following the birth of their second child, she wrote: "Tell me you just had a c-section without telling me you just had a c-section," followed by a smiling emoji.

Tommy Mallet has shown off the results of his 10kg weight loss after making a bid to lower his cholesterol by the advice of doctors.The 30 year old posted side-by-side photos of himself before-and-after his transformation as he explained how his fitness journey began three months ago on Instagram. Tommy appeared in the snaps shirtless wearing a pair of black gym shorts and was seen looking noticeably slimmer in his most recent picture as he wrote: “Nearly 3 months ago I was given a challenge to lose 10kg & completely change my lifestyle! “I told my doctor I was going to do it and it did! Thank you everyone for the help along the way! Time to get it all in the green.” The star went on to show another photo of himself holding two test tubes of his blood, along with screenshots illustrating the progress he’d made in decreasing his cholesterol levels.

Cyndi Lauper has shared a rerecorded version of her 1993 abortion rights anthem ‘Sally’s Pigeons’ in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.In a series of tweets that accompanied the new, more stripped-back and plaintive version of ‘Sally’s Pigeons’ on June 25, Lauper wrote, “In my childhood, women didn’t have reproductive freedom and 50 years later we find ourselves in a time warp where one’s freedom to control their own body has been stripped away.”She continued, “When I wrote this song with Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1991, we wrote about two little girls who dreamt of stretching their wings like the pigeons they watched that flew above them.“They dreamt of being free.

Scots actress Julie Graham has slammed the decision to roll back the rights of American women following the overturning of Roe v Wade. The landmark law - which guaranteed a right to abortion across the US - has been ripped up after 49 years.

A West Lothian housing provider has pledged to offer homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

Graham Norton isn’t looking to take over for James Corden once his Late Late Show gig comes to an end.

Eurovision commentator Graham Norton has spoken about the prospect of the 2023 competition being held in the UK rather than in Ukraine as the BBC explores the possibility ‘seriously’. Last week, it was announced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that Ukraine had sadly been ruled out as hosts for next year’s contest, despite their act, Kalush Orchestra, storming to victory in May. The organisation said that the ‘security and operational guarantees required for a broadcaster’ could not be fulfilled by the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, before adding that discussions would be held with the BBC to host the event instead, given the UK’s entry Sam Ryder was the runner-up.

K.J. Yossman Graham Norton is one of the U.K.’s best-loved hosts. As well as interviewing guests from Tom Cruise to Adele on his weekly chat show, “The Graham Norton Show,” he is infamous for his biting commentary of the Eurovision Song Contest on BBC One, where he doesn’t hesitate to poke (gentle) fun at both the institution and the acts.And, as Variety revealed last year, now Norton is the host of “Queen of the Universe,” a new drag queen singing competition from World of Wonder, the producers behind “Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” which also features Leona Lewis, Trixie Mattel, Michelle Visage and Vanessa Williams on the judging panel.Ahead of Paramount+ launching in the U.K.

Eurovision fans are all making the same brutal request to James Corden. On Friday (18 June), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ruled that 2022 champions Ukraine would not be able to host the event due to the ongoing Russian invasion. It said that it was starting “discussions with the BBC” about the UK hosting the event on the country’s behalf.

Glasgow has been named the bookies’ favourite to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurovision Song Contest. It was announced earlier today by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that 2022 winners Ukraine would be unable to host the annual song competition. The EBU then followed up that announcement with confirmation that they have opened talks with the BBC about hosting next year’s contest in the UK.

The BBC have confirmed that talks are currently underway for the UK to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, in place of Ukraine. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is joining calls for next year's Eurovision Song Contest to be hosted in Scotland.