Simon Cowell won't make a movie about his life unless he is dying.
Although the 65-year-old television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive has lived a remarkable life, he has no intention of bringing his story to the big screen unless he is "terminally ill" as he doesn't want to upset anyone while he is still alive.
He told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "I always say the best movie you can make is the week before you die.
“Then you could do everything; just tell all the stories about all the people you hate and everything else, and who cares?
“The only way I am going to make a movie is if I’m terminally ill.”
Meanwhile, Simon is renowned for his TV talent shows including 'Pop Idol', 'The X Factor', 'Britain’s Got Talent' and 'America's Got Talent' and he is excited about his latest TV venture, which will see him on the search for the nation’s next big boyband.
He said: “Fundamentally it is about casting. Every great season really depends on who turns up.
“If you have kind of average people with boring personalities, it doesn’t matter what gimmicks I throw at the show, it won’t work.
“If someone is naturally good, has got charisma, and people root for them, then you’ve got half a chance.
“So I say to everyone, look, just focus on the casting.
“You get the casting right, we got a shot.”
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Five people have reportedly been charged over Liam Payne's death, including one of his close friends.
According to respected online newspaper Infobae, Rogelio 'Roger' Nores, is among those who will face charges over the death of Liam, 31, who died in October when he plunged off the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Roger has reportedly been accused of negligent homicide and while he is not in custody, he has been advised not to leave the country.
Braian Paiz, a waiter at a Buenos Aires restaurant and CasaSur employee Ezequiel Pereyra are reported to have been charged with supplying narcotics, while hotel managers Gilda Martín and Esteban Grassi have allegedly been charged with manslaughter.
Only Paiz and Pereyra are in custody but, according to Infobae, all five are said to have been summoned to appear in court.
Roger, who was a close friend of Liam and frequently travelled with him, visited the star at his hotel on the day he died and left about 40 minutes before the tragedy.
He previously told TMZ that Liam was "in good spirits and perfectly balanced" when he left and denied claims of abandoning his friend.
He said in a statement last month: "I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened.
"There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left.
"I could have never imagined something like this would happen.
"I gave my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven't spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.
"I wasn't Liam's manager. He was just my very dear friend."
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Keanu Reeves’ stolen watches have been found in Chile.
Three watches belonging to the 60-year-old actor, including a $9,000 Rolex Submariner, were reportedly taken from his Los Angeles home in late 2023 and recovered during a recent raid in Santiago.
According to CNN, the police raid was linked to a series of local robberies.
Chilean authorities said they had found valuables during raids on four houses, with at least one of the watches "belonging to a famous actor who was victim of a robbery in Los Angeles in December 2023".
The Rolex Submariner watch is engraved with Keanu's name and the words, “2021, JW4, thank you, The John Wick Five”.
He reportedly gifted Rolex Submariners to the stuntmen he worked with on 'John Wick: Chapter 4' in 2021.
CNN Chile said Chilean authorities were working with US officials on the case and this had helped them to link the recovered watches to the burglary at Keanu's home.
Police said they have arrested a 21-year-old man.
Reeves was not at home last December when the robbery took place.
Police were first alerted to a possible intruder via an anonymous tip but found no signs of entry when they arrived.
In the early hours of the following morning, police received a report of an activated alarm at the premises.
Security cameras captured individuals wearing ski masks breaking through a window and entering the house.
They stole a firearm and managed to flee the scene before police arrived.
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Linda Lavin, a Tony Award-winning stage actor who became a working class icon as a paper-hat wearing waitress on the TV sitcom “Alice,” has died. She was 87.
Lavin died in Los Angeles on Sunday of complications from recently discovered lung cancer, her representative, Bill Veloric, told The Associated Press in an email.
A success on Broadway, Lavin tried her luck in Hollywood in the mid-1970s. She was chosen to star in a new CBS sitcom based on “Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore,” the Martin Scorsese-directed film that won Ellen Burstyn an Oscar for playing the title waitress.
The title was shortened to “Alice” and Lavin become a role model for working moms as Alice Hyatt, a widowed mother with a 12-year-old son working in a roadside diner outside Phoenix. The show, with Lavin singing the theme song "There's a New Girl in Town," ran from 1976 to 1985.
The show turned “Kiss my grits” into a catchphrase and co-starred Polly Holliday as waitress Flo and Vic Tayback as the gruff owner and head chef of Mel’s Diner.
The series bounced around the CBS schedule during its first two seasons but became a hit leading into “All in the Family” on Sunday nights in October 1977. It was among primetime’s top 10 series in four of the next five seasons. Variety magazine listed it among the all-time best workplace comedies.
Lavin soon went on to win a Tony for best actress in a play for Neil Simon's “Broadway Bound” in 1987.
She was working as recently as this month promoting a new Netflix series in which she appears, “No Good Deed,” and filming a forthcoming Hulu series, “Mid-Century Modern,” according to Deadline, which first reported her death.
Lavin grew up in Portland, Maine, and moved to New York City after graduating from the College of William and Mary. She sang in nightclubs and in ensembles of shows.
Iconic producer and director Hal Prince gave Lavin her first big break while directing the Broadway musical "It's a Bird … It's a Plane … It's Superman." She went on to earn a Tony nomination in Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" in 1969 before winning 18 years later for another Simon play, "Broadway Bound."
In the mid 1970s, Lavin moved to Los Angeles. She had a recurring role on “Barney Miller” and in 1976 was chosen to star in a new CBS sitcom based on Ellen Burstyn’s Oscar-winning waitress comedy-drama, “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”
Back on Broadway, Lavin later starred in Paul Rudnick's comedy "The New Century," had a concert show called “Songs & Confessions of a One-Time Waitress” and earned a Tony nomination in Donald Margulies’ “Collected Stories.”
“A star in every medium, but pure theatrical genius. Blissfully funny, deeply emotional, and audiences adored her. She never disappointed: I worked with her, and just watching her rehearse and build a performance was an education and the greatest joy,” Rudnick wrote on X.
Michael Kuchwara of the AP gave Lavin a rave in “Collected Stories,” writing that she “gives one of those complete, nuanced performances, capturing the woman’s intellectual vigor, her wry sense of humor and her increasing physical frailty with astonishing fidelity. And Lavin’s sense of timing is superb, whether delivering a joke or acerbically dissecting the work of her protegee.”
Lavin basked in a burst of renewed attention in her 70s, earning a Tony nomination for Nicky Silver's "The Lyons." She also starred in "Other Desert Cities" and a revival of “Follies” before they transferred to Broadway.
The AP again raved about Lavin in “The Lyons," calling her "an absolute wonder to behold as Rita Lyons, a nag of a mother with a collection of firm beliefs and eye rolls, a matriarch who is both suffocating and keeping everyone at arm’s length."
She also appeared in the film “Wanderlust" with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd, and released her first CD, "Possibilities." She played Jennifer Lopez's grandmother in "The Back-Up Plan."
When asked for guidance from up-and-coming actors, Lavin stressed one thing. "I say that what happened for me was that work brings work. As long as it wasn't morally reprehensible to me, I did it," she told the AP in 2011.
She and Steve Bakunas, an artist, musician and her third husband, converted an old automotive garage into the 50-seat Red Barn Studio Theatre in Wilmington, North Carolina.
It opened in 2007 and their productions include "Doubt" by John Patrick Shanley, "Glengarry Glen Ross" by David Mamet, "Rabbit Hole" by David Lindsay-Abaire and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" by Charles Busch, in which Lavin also starred on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination.
She returned to TV in 2013 in “Sean Saves the World,” starring “Will & Grace’s” Sean Hayes, a show which lasted a season. Lavin also made appearances on “Mom” and “9JKL.”
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Britney Spears is set to launch her jewellery collection in 2025.
The 43-year-old pop superstar announced plans earlier this year to create the B Tiny brand, and on Saturday (28.12.24) morning, she took to Instagram once again to tease what she has planned for next year.
She wrote on Instagram: "Obviously I have been showing spin offs of the collection B Tiny !!!! My collection is set to come sometime next year !!! "We added belly rings to it yesterday !!! Ideas and inspiration !!!"
The 'Toxic' hitmaker has taken inspiration from some bracelets that she found in Mexico but joked that those ones were too expensive for what they actually were.
She said: "These tiny exquisite bracelets were found in a deep hidden treasure spot in Mexico !!! So freaking cool !!! Psss I had to share because they inspired me but GEEZ they were like 400 dollars for each one !!! I was like …. It’s a string."
Britney – who regained control of her multimillion-dollar fortune and various aspects of her life when a conservatorship that had been governed by her family was terminated in 2021 – shot to fame in the late 1990s with '…Baby One More Time' and went on to release a further nine albums but hasn't released a new record since 'Glory' in 2016 and recently admitted thwarted rumours of a musical comeback.
She wrote on Instagram: "Just so we’re clear most of the news is trash !!! They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!!
"When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!
"For those of you who have read my book, there’s loads that you don’t know about me … I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way !!! (sic)"
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is said to have had a “meltdown” in prison over Christmas.
The rapper and music mogul, 55, has been locked up at the notoriously tough Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since September and is awaiting trial in 2025 on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering – all of which he strongly denies.
A source has now told The Sun he had to be taken for “observation” over the festive period as he allegedly couldn’t believe he was still behind bars for Christmas.
The insider said: “With his high-powered legal team Diddy thought he’d be out on bail by now.
“Spending the holidays behind bars was a nightmare for him. He eventually managed to calm himself down with the meditation technique he’s been using while he’s been behind bars.
“It took him a few hours of deep breathing and focusing to get out of the bad space he was in, but he finally managed it.”
Another source close to the disgraced rapper denied the claims he suffered a “meltdown”.
They told the Daily Mail the rapper is continuing to stay strong in prison.
The reports come after a legal expert said Combs’ bleak Christmas behind bars was a “reminder of the seriousness of the allegations against him”.
James Pipe, from freegrantsforfelons.org, told the Daily Star: “The stark contrast between Diddy’s past life of indulgence and his current circumstances highlights the profound consequences of legal and personal accountability.
“While the festive season might offer moments of muted cheer for some inmates, for Combs, it serves as a reminder of the seriousness of the allegations against him and the impact of his actions on others.”
It’s been widely reported Combs and his fellow inmates ate a Christmas Day meal of baked Cornish hen, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls, followed by a “holiday dessert”.
Mr Pipe added inmates might get a hot chocolate or a pastry if the facility’s budget allows.
He said the jail runs a “no frills” and “no luxury” regime.
The comments on Combs’ grim Christmas come after it was reported he has lost a huge amount of weight behind bars, according to a journalist who attended his last court proceeding.
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Beyoncé reportedly paid her dancers a huge bonus for working Christmas Day.
The singer, 43, performed for 13 minutes on the field at NRG Stadium in her hometown of Houston on 25 December at the halfway point of the Ravens clash against the Texans, alongside guests Shaboozey, Post Malone and her 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy.
And The Sun has reported the performer forked out “double” rates on her dancers as a thank you for working with her on Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day broadcast.
A source said: “Beyoncé paid her staff bonuses for working on Christmas Day. “The show was a big business deal and had to happen on Christmas Day so she paid her staff and dancers double pay to make it happen.
“She is also planning to bring some of her old dancers back into the mix for her next tour.”
The show was dubbed the ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ and was streamed live on Netflix and produced by the singer’s Parkwood Entertainment company.
It saw her sport a white cowboy hat and chaps and sing hits from her country album ‘Cowboy Carter’, which included her number one song ‘Texas Hold ’Em’.
Beyoncé – who has an estimated net worth of $600 million – was reportedly paid $20 million for her half-time performance during Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day NFL broadcast.
DailyMail.com said the figure came partly from social media deals, with “several people” claiming the huge sum was also part of a larger contract between Beyoncé and Netflix.
The Mail added it has been reported the singer inked a three-project deal with the streaming giant in 2019, which is now two-thirds done.
It said the first part was a documentary that showed her 2019 performance at Coachella, which is also said to have earned her $20 million.
Beyoncé was last on stage in October, 2023, to wrap up her ‘Renaissance World Tour’ at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Charles Shyer has died aged 83.
The acclaimed filmmaker passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Friday (12.27.24), although the official cause of death has not yet been revealed.
In a statement given to Deadline, his family said: "It’s with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father, Charles Shyer’s passing. His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind.
"We honour the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him."
The director's daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, has confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Shyer battled a brief illness before he passed away.
Shyer began his career in the 1970s, writing for sitcoms like 'The Odd Couple' and 'The Partridge Family'.
Despite this, the Hollywood director ultimately became best known for writing and directing romantic-comedy movies, and he enjoyed a particularly fruitful working partnership with Nancy Meyers, whom he was married to between 1980 and 1999.
The former couple worked together on a host of hit movies, including the 1987 romantic comedy-drama film 'Baby Boom', which starred Diane Keaton, as well as 'Father of the Bride' in 1991 and 'Father of the Bride Part II' in 1995.
The pair separated in 1999, but Shyer continued to achieve significant success as a writer and director.
In 2004, for instance, he wrote, directed, and produced 'Alfie', the romantic comedy-drama film inspired by the 1966 film of the same name.
And more recently, Shyer directed the Christmas movies 'The Noel Diary' and 'Best. Christmas. Ever!', which starred the likes of Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, and Jason Biggs.
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Justin Baldoni is preparing a “shock” counter-complaint against Blake Lively.
The actor and director, 37, has been accused by actress Blake of sexual harassment on the set of their movie ‘It Ends With Us’ and according to the Daily Mail, he is now preparing to submit legal documents of his own when the courts reopen after New Year’s Day.
His lawyer Bryan Freedman also told Deadline Saturday: “I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative.
“It will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story. In over 30 years of practicing, I have never seen this level of unethical behaviour intentionally fuelled through media manipulation.”
The Mail added Justin’s lawsuit will flip Blake’s narrative Justin and his crisis PR team allegedly planted a smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation.
Supporters of Blake amid her battle against Justin have included actress Kaitlin Olson, 49, whose husband Rob McElhenney, 47, is a friend and business partner of Blake’s 48-year-old partner Ryan Reynolds.
Kaitlin wrote on her Instagram Stories: “@blakelively is a kind, lovely, honest and generous person (and an incredible mom.) FYI.”
Justin, 40, has denied the allegations made by Blake, with his lawyer describing the claims as “categorically false”.
Mr Freedman, who is acting as a lawyer for the actor and his Wayfarer Studios production company, told Variety: “These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”
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Britney Spears will be honoured as a “human icon” in her upcoming biopic.
The 43-year-old ‘Toxic’ singer’s turbulent life will be told on screen by ‘Wicked’ director Jon M Chu, 45, and the filmmaker has now revealed his vision for his portrayal of the pop sensation.
He told Bustle about getting a different idea about Britney after reading her 2023 memoir ‘The Woman In Me’: “She’s always been this icon, but ultimately, especially more recently after reading her book, she’d become human to me.
“I think that is so beautiful. I hope to convey that humanity and the spectacle of what she is in all her glory.
“(I want to explore) what we expect from people that we think are ours. “They’re their own people, and we have to respect that.”
Britney teased in August she was working with producer Marc Platt on a “secret project” moments before the biopic was announced.
Universal won the film rights to her 2023 autobiography, and Jon added landing the job as director of the project was a thrill as he grew up a Britney fan.
He added: “I watched Britney before she was a solo act, when she was one of 12 acts at some radio station thing at The Shrine Auditorium.
“I’ve loved her for many years. I've seen over seven concerts, which probably isn’t a lot compared to other people.”
Britney said on Instagram in August it was “flattering to be in such good company with Jon M Chu” while making a gag about the format of her biopic.
She added: “The project I might be doing isn’t a biopic story… it’s a fictional musical where I play an extremely intelligent character !!!”
Britney told fans on Christmas Day she had reunited with her sons Sean, 19, and 18-year-old Jayden – who she had with her ex-husband Kevin Federline, 46 – for the first time in two years.
She posted a video of her kissing Jayden on the cheek on her account, while a source told DailyMail.com his older brother was also with them for the holiday.
A source told the outlet: “Sean and Jayden surprised Britney on Christmas and she was absolutely blown away.
“Needless to say, she was a sobbing happy mess and couldn’t pull herself together because of how happy she was. It was so sweet.”
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Matthew McConaughey is launching a weekly newsletter called 'Lyrics of Livin'.
The Oscar-winning actor will launch the first edition of his newsletter on January 3, with new editions being released every Friday thereafter.
The series has been described as "a collection of thought-provoking notes, tips, truths and inspirations he’s gathered over decades of life".
McConaughey, 55 – who released his memoir, 'Greenlights', in 2020 – said in a statement: "I’ve journaled and scribbled down good times, bad times, turn-offs and turn-ons for more than four decades now, and as you may know, many of those journal entries were what inspired my book 'Greenlights'.
"Which got me thinking, what if I didn’t wait 40 more years to share my thoughts, prescribes, tips, truths and inspirations: Things I’ve seen, said, stole and heard along my way that can help us find more 'Greenlights' in our life and put a little rhyme to our reason."
McConaughey opted to release the newsletter on Friday afternoons because Friday has "always been [his] favourite day of the week".
The actor added: "Think of it as five minutes with McConaughey as you end your week and head into your weekend. You can read it yourself or listen to me read it for you. It’s yours if you want it, easy."
'Greenlights' is comprised of McConaughey's personal journal entries and musings, with the Hollywood star previously describing it as a "playbook based on adventures".
He told ABC News before its release: "This is not a traditional memoir, or an advice book, but rather a playbook based on adventures in my life.
"Adventures that have been significant, enlightening, and funny, sometimes because they were meant to be but mostly because they didn't try to be."
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Tom Cruise is searching for an actor to play a young Ethan Hunt in the next two 'Mission: Impossible' movies.
The Hollywood legend is said to be planning to explore the early life of his alter ego in the eighth and ninth films in the action series and a budding performer is wanted for the significant part.
An insider told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "Tom is keen to give 'Mission: Impossible' a fresh take in the next two films and wants to explore a bit of Ethan's past.
"They're going to start looking for a young star to take on the role and they will appear a bit in the next film and then more in the ninth.
"It's very important to Tom that they get the right person. They are seeking a youngster who is completely fresh on the scene and will cause a real stir.
"It's a huge role but the hunt is on to see if they can find a young Tom Cruise.
"The scenes will show Ethan in his early life and explore the things that happened to him before he went on to start working as a spy. It is something they've not done before with 'Mission: Impossible' and so Tom thinks it could be a really interesting tangent for fans."
The next movie in the franchise – 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' – is due to be released in May 2025 and cast member Shea Whigham has stressed that the blockbuster won't disappoint because of Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie's commitment to the project.
The 55-year-old star, who will be reprising his role as US Intelligence agent Jasper Briggs, told MovieWeb: "I think it's going to be amazing. I really do, because of [Tom] and McQuarrie there … I've got to be careful. I can't give away too much. I get in trouble. I've gotten in trouble already.
"I think one of the great things is just to be around these guys that love cinema. I mean, Tom, there's nothing phoney about him when he says how much he loves and he wants people to come to see movies.
"There’s a reason why they’re getting better. Each 'Mission' gets better."
Whigham isn’t the only 'Mission: Impossible' star to comment on 'The Final Reckoning', as Simon Pegg – who plays secret agent Benji Dunn – recently insisted the upcoming flick would be the "best one" in the franchise.
The 'Hot Fuzz' star told the ‘Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum’ podcast last month: "I have just finished shooting. I have one day left of pick-ups to do. I've seen it. It's bananas. It's absolutely bananas."
Pegg added that his co-star Cruise had worked on some huge stunts for the movie that will leave audiences speechless.
He said: "What he does in this one, it boggles the mind. I think this one is the best one ever. And I'm not just saying that because it's like, 'Oh, you've got to say that'. It is going to be great."
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Green Gables Daycare, Kelowna
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