All posts tagged: Betrayal

Weak Starmer has been forced into an unthinkable betrayal

Weak Starmer has been forced into an unthinkable betrayal

Published by Sam Flores

After his failure as shadow Brexit secretary to secure a second referendum in 2019, it was little wonder that Sir Keir Starmer lacked any appetite to reopen old wounds five years later. In a speech on the campaign trail in June 2024, just under two weeks before he swept to power, Sir Keir warned any revival of the Brexit debate would only bring “turmoil” and “uncertainty” into politics. But more than 18 months into his turbulent tenure, the now-Prime Minister is facing growing pressure from inside his own ranks to shift his position on Europe. The Labour manifesto of 2024 promised that Britain would stay outside the European Union, before going on to draw three more red lines by stating: “There will be no return to the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement.” Sir Keir pledged in his election manifesto that there would be no return to the single market, but his position may be shifting – Stefan Rousseau/AFP via Getty Images Downing Street insists these red lines are still in place. …

Love, Betrayal, and Taylor Swift at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Love, Betrayal, and Taylor Swift at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Published by Sam Flores

Romance comes in many forms, as illustrated by the scene when Jutta Leerdam broke an Olympic record and took home the gold medal in the women’s 1,000-meter speed skating event. Leedam’s boyfriend, controversial conservative influencer Jake Paul, appeared to cry frantically as he watched her performance. How beautiful to see such an open expression of sensitivity from the boxer. Jake Paul in the stands during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Anadolu/Getty Images Paul was not the only person at the Olympics expressing complicated emotions. Immediately after winning the bronze medal in the biathlon, Sturla Holm Lægreid confessed in tears that he had cheated on his girlfriend: “Six months ago I met the love of my life, the most extraordinary person in the world. But three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and was unfaithful to her,” were his words when translated. In a text message to a Norwegian newspaper, his former partner dismissed his words. “I did not choose to be put in this position, it is painful to find …

‘Good parenting’ or betrayal? Readers clash over giving up dogs after having a baby

‘Good parenting’ or betrayal? Readers clash over giving up dogs after having a baby

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more The debate over whether it is acceptable to rehome a dog after having a baby has sharply divided Independent readers, following Lydia Spencer-Elliott’s exploration of celebrities who have chosen to do exactly that. Many commenters were unequivocal that a child’s safety must come first. They argued that once a dog shows aggression towards a baby or child, rehoming is not only justified but responsible, rejecting outrage directed at parents who make that decision. Several shared personal experiences of dog bites and long-term injuries, and expressed frustration at what they see as an increasingly hostile reaction to parents who prioritise their children over their pets. Others, however, viewed rehoming as a moral failure. They stressed that pets are a lifelong commitment, not disposable accessories, and …

Viewers binge-watch new spy thriller Betrayal after ‘brilliant’ 1st episode

Viewers binge-watch new spy thriller Betrayal after ‘brilliant’ 1st episode

Published by Daniella Wilson

Viewers who tuned into ITV’s new spy thriller, Betrayal, have wasted no time binge-watching all four episodes after Sunday night’s “brilliant” premiere.  The series, penned by David Eldridge, stars Shaun Evans as a mid-career MI5 officer, John Hughes, as he navigates a “rapidly evolving intelligence landscape” while trying to keep his home life intact, and his marriage to long-suffering wife Claire (Romola Garai) alive.  © Ben Blackall Viewers have hailed the show as “excellent” What have viewers said about the show? Taking to social media, viewers hailed the series as “excellent” after binge-watching all four episodes on ITVX. One person penned: “BINGED THE LOT REALLY GOOD,” while another added: “Brilliant first episode.” A third viewer wrote: “That 9pm Sunday ITV slot has been a goldmine for a while now. Betrayal is probably the best of the lot though,” while another added: “I’ve watched all Betrayal. It’s excellent. Well written. Well acted. A good storyline well told.” WATCH: The trailer for ITV’s Betrayal © ITV Shaun Evans leads the cast What is Betrayal about? The series …

Will there be Betrayal season 2? Release date speculation and news

Will there be Betrayal season 2? Release date speculation and news

Published by Daniella Wilson

*Warning – contains spoilers for all four episodes of Betrayal.* Shaun Evans’s latest series, Betrayal, sees him play John, an MI5 agent dealing with both personal and professional crises, and all four episodes are now available to stream on ITVX. The thriller series also stars Romola Garai and Zahra Ahmadi in central roles, and follows John as he uncovers a threat on UK soil involving a hardline faction of the Iranian regime. The first season brings this storyline to a close, but sees John and his wife Claire still unsure as to how they move forward as a partnership. So, will we get to see how that plays out, and follow John on another mission? Want to see this content? We’re not able to show you this content from Google reCAPTCHA. Please sign out of Contentpass to view this content. Sign out of ContentPass Read on for everything you need to know about the potential for a Betrayal season 2. Will there be a Betrayal season 2? Shaun Evans as John Hughes in Betrayal. Mammoth Screen …

Betrayal review – This pure ITV nonsense squanders an intriguing idea

Betrayal review – This pure ITV nonsense squanders an intriguing idea

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Marriage breakdowns and cop dramas: two of the great staples of British telly. This psychological obsession with infidelity and espionage is, perhaps, a demonstration of the way in which the small screen offers a lurid portal into the unmentionable, secret sides of our buttoned-up national character. It also provides a roadmap for the new ITV four-part drama Betrayal, which combines these two genres to frustratingly mixed effect. Shaun Evans is John, a British Intelligence operative with a reputation for doing things on his own terms. “We all know your gut is good,” Simone (Nikki Amuka-Bird), his handler at MI5, tells him, “but we have to prioritise using our resources carefully.” And so, John goes off on his own, resulting in him witnessing a brutal murder and being lined up for voluntary redundancy. But while he’s being squeezed out of the agency, …

Shaun Evans drama Betrayal feels like it was made in a different era

Shaun Evans drama Betrayal feels like it was made in a different era

Published by Daniella Wilson

We’ve seen spy thrillers on TV so many times before that any new addition to the genre needs to set out its stall quickly – especially given we’ve just had the welcome return of the BBC’s excellent The Night Manager. ITV’s new series Betrayal does that. It makes clear from the off that it’s a different kind of series, bringing the spycraft right down to earth, and making clear that as well as being about protagonist John’s professional life, it is also heavily hinged on his personal issues in his crumbling marriage. These are both potentially interesting concepts. However, just as quickly as the potential for innovation emerges, so too does a problem, and that is in the execution. That’s because for as much as it’s purporting to be a fresh take on a beloved yet highly exposed genre, so many aspects of this series feel incredibly dated – with the worst offender being its portrayal of John’s marital woes. Shaun Evans as John Hughes in Betrayal. Mammoth Screen for ITV Very early into the first …

Shaun Evans reveals how Betrayal most differs from other spy thrillers

Shaun Evans reveals how Betrayal most differs from other spy thrillers

Published by Daniella Wilson

Endeavour star Shaun Evans is back on ITV, this time starring in four-part spy thriller Betrayal, in which he plays a mid-career MI5 officer. The series follows Evans’s character John, as he finds himself under investigation, while also struggling with problems in his personal life, and becoming increasingly convinced that a hardline faction of the Iranian regime are planning an attack. When speaking with RadioTimes.com exclusively about the series, Evans noted that when adding to a genre as well established as the spy thriller, you have to bring “a fresh, new voice” to it. Evans said that the way in for him and the team behind the programme was to make John an “everyman figure”, and to look at “the daily life, the reality of what it’s actually like to work for the security services”. “The idea that you could be dealing with international terrorism at work and coming home and having to bath the kids or put a wash on, for me, seemed very fertile territory if we really wanted to dig into the …

The 4 Billion Betrayal: Inside Elon Musk’s Explosive Lawsuit With OpenAI

The $134 Billion Betrayal: Inside Elon Musk’s Explosive Lawsuit With OpenAI

Published by Jenni Sidey

Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft has evolved into a high-stakes dispute over whether OpenAI stayed true to the mission it was founded on or quietly outgrew it while relying on that original promise. Musk is seeking between $79 billion and $134 billion in damages, a figure derived from an expert valuation that treats his early funding and contributions as foundational to what OpenAI later became. While the number is enormous, the heart of the case is simpler: Musk argues he helped create and fund a nonprofit dedicated to AI for the public good, and that OpenAI later abandoned that commitment in a way that amounted to fraud. According to Musk’s filings, his roughly $38 million in early funding was not just a donation but the financial backbone of OpenAI’s formative years, supplemented by recruiting help, strategic guidance, and credibility. His damages theory, prepared by financial economist C. Paul Wazzan, ties those early inputs to OpenAI’s current valuation of around $500 billion. The claim is framed as disgorgement rather than repayment, with Musk arguing …

Badenoch and Starmer are the winners from Robert Jenrick’s dismal Tory betrayal

Badenoch and Starmer are the winners from Robert Jenrick’s dismal Tory betrayal

Published by Sam Flores

Given that Robert Jenrick was pushed before he got the chance to jump across to Reform UK at a time and in a fashion of his own choosing, he and his new party leader decided that they may as well get on with it and face the media. Indeed, Nigel Farage, in ironic jest, even thanked Kemi Badenoch for revealing their slow-moving bromance as if she’d played Cupid at this impromptu political wedding – she had brought the happy couple together, he suggested, and, joshing as ever, he offered to buy her lunch in return. It all sounded a little strained, as so much of Mr Farage’s jocularity often is. That, however, was about as sweet as things got in the pair’s impromptu press conference. Mr Jenrick was far more bitter and twisted about his old colleagues than, say, the urbane Nadhim Zahawi had been a few days before. Not only did he make a long, and predictable, statement about “broken Britain”: he launched, with the most cursory of courtesies, violent attacks on Sir Mel …