Today's updates: The top Manchester news stories this Monday, September 27, 2021

Rihanna is stepping out for the day!

Call The Midwife actress Pam Ferris has revealed that riding her clunky bike as Sister Evangelina left her needing a knee operation.She groaned: “Those bikes were really heavy and my shoes were so big on me that they didn’t allow me to turn the bike because my foot would hit the front wheel.“Add in darkness and cobbles and puddles with holes underneath that you didn’t know about and it was a risk to life and limb – in my case to my cruciate ligament."The star explained: “I ended up having to have an operation on my knee. But I loved it when I was going straight.”Co-star Jessica Raine, Jenny Lee in the BBC series, admitted that she struggled with her bike too.She said: “It was so much cycling! When we were in Chatham doing all the exterior scenes those cobbles had pretty deep grooves between them so if your front wheel got caught in one of them it was a nightmare.“You just had to battle through.

X Factor winner Alexandra Burke joyously displayed her baby bump as she poses with her footballer boyfriend West Ham player Darren Randolph.The 33-year-old singer who announced earlier this week that she's pregnant took to Instagram to give the first peek of her five-month baby bump.Alexandra cradled her tummy in a post to her 248,000 followers while wearing a fuchsia pink sleeveless mini dress, with her partner Darren's, 35, hands wrapped around her.Alexandra thanked her followers for their ongoing support in her Instagram caption since the couple went public about the news.Alexandra's caption read: "We have received so many beautiful messages and well wishes!"Just wanted to say a big thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are truly overwhelmed.

Dawn French has released the dates for her upcoming solo UK show named after something quite graphic.The 64-year-old The Vicar of Dibley star has announced that her one-woman show is called Dawn French Is A Huge Tw*t.Leaving little to the imagination, the comedian has written the show herself and is looking forward to delighting fans with "buttock clenching embarrassing stories".Explaining the meaning behind the X-rated show's name, The French & Saunders star said: "This show is so named because, unfortunately, it's horribly accurate."There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of tw*ttery."The Vicar of Dibley star added: "I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give the audience a peek behind the scenes of my work life."This autumn, the award-winning actress will return to the stage following her most recent appearance in Kenneth Branagh's widely anticipated movie Death on the Nile alongside her celebrity pal Jennifer Saunders.Dawn will tour the UK from September 15 and perform a further 19 shows across the country until October 16.In an upcoming episode of The Graham Norton Show set to air on Friday, Dawn revealed that there are 'no plans' for her hit sketch show French and Saunders to return.Dawn and Jennifer, 63, first started working together when they met in their early 20s in 1978, with their hilarious sketch show French and Saunders first airing on BBC Two in 1987.Speaking on this week's dose of The Graham Norton show, she said: "There are no plans at the moment, but we are doing something for Comic Relief this year."I think the time for the sketch show is over, but Jen and I are

Benedict Cumberbatch is calling out Netflix and he’s looking for answers as to why his new movie was shown in theaters for such a limited amount of time.

Rockmond Dunbar, who played Michael on the Fox series 9-1-1 for four seasons, has filed a lawsuit against Disney over his abrupt exit from the show.

There’s going to be another Hilton grandchild!

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas have been spotted again this week!

Lily James seems to have made her relationship with Michael Shuman Instagram official.

A serial killer, dubbed by the media as ‘The Mutilator’ for murdering and dismembering the bodies of two of his boyfriends in Sydney, is due to be released in September 2022 after his 21-year prison term expires. The NSW police, however, want 53-year-old Damien Anthony Peters’ detention to be continued over fears that he could reoffend. Trigger Warning: This story has details of  a gruesome double murder, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.Justice Julia Lonergan of the NSW Supreme Court heard an application for Peters’ interim continuing detention last week.

Alejandro Fernández is paying tribute to his «viejo,» late father Vicente Fernández.The legendary GRAMMY-winning Mexican singer known as «The King of Ranchera Music» died Dec. 12 at the age of 81. On Thursday, which would have marked Vicente's 82nd birthday, his son took to social media to honor him by sharing a story about him.«Here's a quick story,» Alejandro began in Spanish.

California Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out today at what he called “Perhaps one of the great disinformation networks in America…One America News” for spreading “a lot of misinformation” about Covid. He did not stop there.

Maud Adams is looking better than ever! The Hollywood icon, who turned 77 this month, appeared to be in great shape in photos you can see here as she walked her dogs in Beverly Hills last week. The actress, who was well-known for her roles in three James Bond movies, Man With the Golden Gun (1974), Octopussy (1983), and A View to Kill (1985) with Bond actor Roger Moore, strolled along in the park with her adorable pooches and dressed in a casual black zip-up jacket and camouflage pants. She also sported black loafers for the occasion and a small black purse slung over her shoulder, wearing her hair in a low ponytail.

Sonequa Martin-Green has taken over the captain's chair in the fourth season of, and the actress couldn't be more excited about the opportunity and her character's growth.«It was exhilarating, it was solidifying, it was cementing and fulfilling in so many ways,» Martin-Green shared with ET's Nischelle Turner. «I felt as if I had arrived, or sort of reached the pinnacle of what this season is about.»With her character, Michael Burnham, in command, she's become the first black female captain in the franchise's history.

 is clapping back at critics who say the Sex and the City reboot is too «politically correct.»Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and more members of the hit HBO Max series sat down with Andy Cohen for a special SiriusXM Town Hall where they discussed the series and the possibility of a second season.«I feel like people have watched it and they know it so well, inside and out. And when you know something that's so familiar, it becomes tame.

Michael Douglas is reflecting on an astute piece of advice his late father Kirk Douglas told him during the actor's foray into the film business. The 77-year-old "Wall Street" star was a guest of honor at the Fourth Annual Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival and recalled in an interview with producers that in being so close to his father and mother Diana Douglas, the actor was able to "watch their insecurities and see that what was on the screen was not exactly what that person was like," according to People magazine.

41 is looking good on Paris Hilton as she celebrated her birthday on Thursday, February 17. The TV personality took her birthday festivities to the tropics as she showed off several pics of her soaking up the sun on a private boat and then she took it to the beach. Paris let out her wild side as she sported a leopard print bikini set and matching flats.

After it leaked that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was planning on not requiring vaccination at the 94th Academy Awards, there was a massive pushback from members and the industry over the decision. Today, an AMPAS spokesperson revealed an updated policy that will raise many eyebrows and will leave the door open for major speculation on who on the telecast is and isn’t vaccinated.

Kanye West posted maybe the most sympathetic thing he’s put on Instagram so far — tragically after Kim Kardashian had (understandably) already stopped following him.

Prabal Gurung blended his love for his adopted city of New York and his homeland of Nepal in a Fashion Week show featuring psychedelic flower prints imbued with a New York edginess.

Sign up to Postcards from the North - a newsletter from M.E.N. political editor Jennifer Williams