U.K.Prime: Celebs Rumors

Judi Dench wrote in an open letter published Wednesday in of London that  ought to have a «fictionalised drama» disclaimer before the start of every episode as the series inches closer «to our present times.»The 87-year-old actress said that «no one is a greater believer in artistic freedom» than her but «this cannot go unchallenged.» She insists that «the closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism.»Dench — who portrayed Queen Victoria in the 1997 film and 2017's, as well as Queen Elizabeth in 1998's — also wrote that «while many will recognise for the brilliant but fictionalized account of events that it is, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, may take its version of history as being wholly true.»She added that the «sensationalism» — that King Charles «plotted for his mother to abdicate, for example, or once suggested his mother’s parenting was so deficient that she might have deserved a jail sentence» -- is «cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent.» Dench was referring to former U.K. Prime Minister John Major (1990-1997), who responded over the weekend to rumors in the U.K. media that one of the plotlines in season 5 includes Prince Charles suggesting in 1991 he wanted Major's support to dethrone his mother.

Ellise Shafer U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has backed J.K. Rowling after the “Harry Potter” author spoke out against Scotland’s new hate crime act, daring the police to arrest her for misgendering trans women.

Naman Ramachandran Two proposed “Black Out” London West End performances of Jeremy O. Harris‘ “Slave Play” have come under fire from U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s office.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s participation on GB News‘ “People’s Forum” last week is the subject of an impartiality investigation by the country’s media regulator Ofcom. In the show, which aired on GB News on Feb.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sacked Suella Braverman from the position of Home Secretary after a tumultuous weekend of marches and protests in London.

K.J. Yossman Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is joining controversial network GB News as an anchor and producer. Johnson, who is set to start his role in the new year, will play “a key role in the channel’s coverage of both the U.K.

Naman Ramachandran “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci’s first stage play “Pandemonium” is a satire on how then U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The subtitle of the play is: “Being A Scornful Account of the Activities of Mr Boris Johnson and ‘Others’ during the Pandemic and its Aftermath.” The production is described as “a caustic entertainment for the winter months, a funny, wild ongoing history play about how our great leaders grappled first with the Pandemic and then with each other.

Naman Ramachandran Elan Closs Stephens, who has assumed charge as acting BBC chair following the resignation of Richard Sharp, has spoken out about her predecessor and the process of appointing her successor. Sharp resigned in April over his role in a 2020 loan to then U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. On Wednesday, Closs Stephens’ first day as acting BBC chair, a Q&A with BBC presenter Tina Daheley was shared with the corporation’s staff. When asked what she would say to people who feel the BBC’s reputation has been damaged by what happened with Richard Sharp, Closs Stephens said: “There’s no doubt that we’ve gone through a difficult period of time and I’m sure that staff and the board and Richard himself were unnerved by what happened over the past few months. All of us feel a debt of gratitude to Richard for the way in which he committed himself to the organization during his two years. But the organization as a whole is about the creativity and the news values and the production values of all the people who work in it.”

Naman Ramachandran Charlie Brooker, creator of hit Netflix series “Black Mirror,” has weighed in again on the debate around AI. Earlier this month, Brooker had revealed to Empire magazine that he went full “Black Mirror” by asking the artificial intelligence chatbot known as ChatGPT to write an episode of his beloved anthology series. The final results were “shit,” according to Brooker. On Friday, Brooker was asked by Sky News if U.K. politicians were doing enough about AI. In response, Brooker joked: “If Rishi Sunak had been replaced by AI, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. Actually, he’d be a good character to pop up like, you know the paper clip that used to pop up in Microsoft Word? I’d like a little Rishi Sunak that pops up and goes, ‘It looks like you’re writing about how depressing the government is – would you like some help with that’?'”

Naman Ramachandran BBC director general Tim Davie has called for a “transparent” hiring process for the next chair of the corporation. The previous BBC chair Richard Sharp resigned over his role in a 2020 loan to then U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Elan Closs Stephens has been appointed temporary acting chair. Davie appeared before a U.K. Culture Media and Sport Committee parliamentary inquiry on the workings of the BBC on Tuesday and was asked what qualities and skills BBC needs for the new chair. “This is an incredibly precious institution, globally admired complex, right in the heart of the public eye. It needs a world class chair and we need an outstanding candidate to do that,” Davie told the committee.

Controversial former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced he is stepping down as a Member of Parliament with immediate effect.

Naman Ramachandran BBC chairman Richard Sharp has resigned his position over his role in a 2020 loan to then U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sharp had been under pressure ever since a parliamentary inquiry into the matter by the same Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee that had interviewed him for the job found that he had made “significant errors of judgement” when he did not declare his role in the facilitation of the loan to Johnson. Sharp, a banker and former chair of the Royal Academy of Arts, was appointed in January 2021 on the recommendation of Oliver Dowden, then DCMS secretary and Johnson. A report in U.K.’s The Sunday Times in January alleged that Johnson put forward the recommendation just weeks after Sharp “helped to arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800,000 [$990,000 ]” for Johnson.

Naman Ramachandran Publisher Puffin U.K. will release “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection,” which will have the author’s original texts. “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection” will be available alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers, “which are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time,” Puffin said. “Readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.” Last week, Puffin was in the eye of a storm when it emerged that the works of Dahl, who died in 1990, had been rewritten, with the phrase “enormously fat” edited to just “enormous” and “most formidable female” to “most formidable woman” among numerous other examples from his most famous books. People who opposed the edits include author Salman Rushdie, who described it as “absurd censorship,” and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to make an appearance at the Berlinale, Variety has learned. A spokesperson for the Berlin Film Festival, which kicks off on Thursday, confirmed that the Ukrainian leader “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form,” although “which and when is not confirmed yet.” Zelenskyy is the subject of one of the festival’s most high-profile projects: Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s top-secret documentary “Superpower.” The details of the film have remained sparse for over a year, when it was first revealed that Penn had been in Ukraine when the war with Russia broke out.

Keeping them close. Queen Consort Camilla paid subtle tribute to her and husband King Charles III’s family — including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — while honoring her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.

U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss' push to cut taxes for her country's highest earners was a "mistake," President Biden stated Saturday. Truss was forced to scrap large portions of her tax plan last week amid market turmoil and disintegrating public confidence.

K.J. Yossman U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss has sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor of the Exchequer – the government’s top financial post – after just five weeks into office. The move comes as the U.K. continues to deal with the fall-out of Kwarteng’s mini-budget, which Truss endorsed and triggered financial turmoil, including a steep rise in interest rates. The country as already been dealing with sky-rocketing energy costs as well as a cost of living crisis, which is affecting both individuals and businesses. Kwarteng was in the U.S. for business when he was called back urgently on Friday (Oct. 14) to hear he’d been sacked. At time of writing, Truss had not yet announced his replacement.

A sentimental king! King Charles III is keeping his family close by during his new reign with a collection of photos in his office — including one from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.

Those attending Queen Elizabeth’s State Funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday sang one of the hymns sung at the late monarch’s wedding to Prince Philip.

Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. The British monarch passed away at her Balmoral residence in Scotland with her family by her side on Thursday afternoon. "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

Naman Ramachandran Leaders and celebrities around the world are mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 on Thursday, ending a historic 70-year reign over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her son and heir, King Charles III, said: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”

Naman Ramachandran Leaders and celebrities around the world are mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 on Thursday, ending a historic 70-year reign over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her son and heir, King Charles III, said: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”

K.J. Yossman New U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss has appointed Michelle Donelan as the new secretary of state for culture. Donelan replaces Nadine Dorries, who resigned from the post on Tuesday morning. Dorries, a former actor and romance novelist who was appointed by former premier Boris Johnson, said Truss had asked her to stay on as culture secretary but declined the offer. She had been in the post less than a year. Donelan, who has previously served as minister for higher education and secretary for education, will now be responsible for the department of digital, culture, media and sports. Among the top items for consideration will be whether to go ahead with privatizing Channel 4, which both Johnson and Dorries had committed to despite industry-wide criticism of the move, as well as reviewing the BBC’s license fee. As well as freezing the license fee, which is a mandatory levy for anyone who watches live television on any network or device, Dorries had indicated she hoped to eventually do away with it altogether.

K.J. Yossman Liz Truss is the new U.K. Prime Minister. Truss will replace Boris Johnson, who stepped down from the role in July following numerous scandals. She becomes the U.K.’s third female Prime Minister, following Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. In her speech she thanked “my friend” Johnson. “You got Brexit done. You crushed Jeremy Corbyn. You rolled out the vaccine and you stood up to Putin.” Truss, who was the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, and Rishi Sunak, who was previously Chancellor of the Exchequor, were both frontrunners for the job (pictured above). They are both Conservative Party members of parliament (MPs).

K.J. Yossman Over 700 U.K. production companies, ranging from tiny indies to industry titans, have signed an open letter addressed to the next U.K. Prime Minister urging the privatization of public broadcaster Channel 4 to be halted in its tracks. Current Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned in July but remains in office until next Monday (Sept. 5), is set to be replaced by either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, who are both frontrunners for the top job. Under Johnson’s administration, plans for privatizing Channel 4 were already in motion under culture secretary Nadine Dorries, a former actor who is almost unanimously unpopular in the industry.

Naman Ramachandran Fremantle has scored a raft of sales on “The Trip” director Michael Winterbottom’s drama on outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, “This England.”The 88 territories closed for “This England” include Movistar+ (Spain), Viaplay (Nordics and Baltics, Poland and the Netherlands), Cosmote (Greece), OSN TV and OSN+ (MENA), M-Net (South Africa), BBC First (Australia) and TVNZ (New Zealand).

Jordan Moreau A live debate between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, two British politicians vying for the open Prime Minister position, was canceled Tuesday after the debate’s presenter fainted on-air.Truss was in the middle of responding to question when presenter Kate McCann fainted and loudly crashed to the floor off camera. The incident was caught on Talk TV, and Truss was visibly shaken watching McCann faint.“Oh my god,” Truss says as McCann faints, then walked off camera to assist her, which can be seen in the Twitter video below.What on earth happened then? Hope everyone is ok! #TalkTV #TheSun pic.twitter.com/M9RvqVyCr3— Harry Rutter (@harryjohnrutter) July 26, 2022Despite the loud thud, McCann ended up being fine, according to Talk TV, but the debate was canceled.

Hugh Grant is the man behind that “Benny Hill” music prank.

Manori Ravindran International EditorBoris Johnson is set to resign as U.K. prime minister amid mounting scandals and the resignations of his top ministers.Following a turbulent 48 hours in British politics, Johnson has finally agreed to stand down, and a new Conservative leader is expected to be in place by the party conference in October.

Embattled U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s grip on power was further weakened on Tuesday as two top cabinet ministers resigned in protest at his handling of allegations of misconduct against a prominent Conservative Party lawmaker

K.J. Yossman British Prime Minister is facing a vote of no-confidence on Monday evening, according to U.K.

Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy are planning to move two Ukrainian families into the unused properties on their Buckinghamshire, U.K., estate following Russia’s invasion of the country.

Naman Ramachandran London’s Metropolitan Police will fine U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak over lockdown violations in 2020 and 2022.In what has been dubbed “Partygate” by the British media, it emerged towards the end of last year that there were a series of parties in the Prime Minister’s residence, No.

Prince Charles has provided an update regarding the health of Queen Elizabeth II after her coronavirus diagnosis. The Prince of Wales, 73, provided the update to Janice Jacom, a local administrative worker, at an area golf course during a visit in Southend-on-Sea, England, for its City Day, according to Hello! magazine. "I asked the prince about his mother, and he said, 'She's a lot better now.

Queen Elizabeth, 95, had her first virtual meeting, after rumors of her passing took the Internet by storm, on Tuesday March 1. The English monarch was taking part in some virtual meetings with foreign ambassadors from Andorra and Chad, as revealed in a tweet. The queen video called in to greet the officials at Buckingham Palace, but she looked like she was in good spirits on her computer monitor.

Prince William, 39, made an unpublicized stop at the London building for MI6 on Wednesday February 23, only hours before Russian forces began their attack on Ukraine, according to The Times. There aren’t many details about the Duke of Cambridge’s meeting with the intelligence agency, but he went as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, 95, and dad Prince Charles, 73, are on the mend after testing positive for COVID-19.