All posts tagged: England

James Bond author says 007 frontrunner Jack Lowden is ‘not a convincing’ choice for role

James Bond author says 007 frontrunner Jack Lowden is ‘not a convincing’ choice for role

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 Slow Horses star Jack Lowden may be the bookies’ current favourite to play 007 at the moment, but the book franchise’s new author isn’t convinced that he’s the man with a licence to kill. Charlie Higson, who has written the latest James Bond book, has given his thoughts on the latest frontrunners to replace Daniel Craig as the fictional British spy – and revealed that he struggles to see any of them as the martini-drinking spook. The actor currently with the best odds of playing Bond is Scottish star Jack Lowden, while Masters of the Air’s Callum Turner and Wuthering Heights’ Jacob Elordi are also said to be in the running. In a new interview, Higson said he’s “not sure” whether Lowden has what it takes to play Bond. “I like him, but it’s like when Tom Hiddleston was in the …

Before-and-after images show effects of rain in drought-hit England and Wales | UK weather

Before-and-after images show effects of rain in drought-hit England and Wales | UK weather

Published by Jenni Sidey

The landscapes of southern England and Wales are slowly regaining their colour after this summer’s extreme heat. The UK’s hottest summer on record left the south of the country dried out and brown, making the impact of the drought particularly visual. As autumn begins, large parts of the UK are still officially in drought. And even if autumn is wetter than normal, some could still be in drought in the spring, according to the Environment Agency. Clissold Park, in north-east London, at the end of July. Photograph: Richard Barnes/Alamy But some rain has returned, and with it the green, to the relief of many. Darren Share, the director of the royal parks, which manages Hyde Park and St James Park among others, recalls: “The grass was completely scorched off across all of our park network, it was quite shocking. The grass level had almost turned to dust. “We’ve had heatwaves in the past but they’ve only been for short periods of time. The grass dies off, we get the rain again and then everything starts …

Johannes Radebe on Strictly and survival: ‘It’s a blessing and a curse to know life in both extremes’

Johannes Radebe on Strictly and survival: ‘It’s a blessing and a curse to know life in both extremes’

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 I’ve been in the bottom of the pits and I’ve rubbed shoulders with the King and the Queen,” Johannes Radebe tells me. “I’m a boy from Zamdela who never thought life could possibly turn out this way.” He lets out a hearty laugh, shifting back – as he tends to do – into dazzle mode. “It did give me resilience, my darling.” Tonight, Radebe will make his debut as one of three new presenters guiding viewers through the revamped Strictly Come Dancing, alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdecombe. And he’s the only one with connecting tissue to the show’s earlier Tess-and-Claudia incarnation, having served as a professional dancer on Strictly since 2018. He admits he’s nervous, but he’s also made of strong stuff. Growing up in South Africa during the final years of apartheid, the 39-year-old withstood homophobia and a period …

Busted star James Bourne shares update on ‘life-extending surgery’ after pulling out of tour

Busted star James Bourne shares update on ‘life-extending surgery’ after pulling out of tour

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Busted star James Bourne has shared a health update with fans after revealing he needed “major surgery to extend his life”. The musician left fans concerned in September last year when he was forced to pull out of the band’s UK and Ireland tour just 24 hours before they were due to hit the stage. Citing “health problems”, the guitarist and vocalist said at the time: “There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now.” Bourne later told fans he would need surgery and reports recently claimed this had taken place. However, in an update on X on Thursday (17 September), Bourne sought to clarify the situation. Bourne on stage in 2023 (Getty) “I haven’t had any surgery yet,” he …

Strictly’s Will Best: ‘Reserve judgement until you’ve seen the new show’

Strictly’s Will Best: ‘Reserve judgement until you’ve seen the new show’

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 Will Best, one of the busiest men in British television, is apologising. “I’m so sorry that we had to move this,” he tells me over the phone, sounding remarkably unflustered for someone being pulled in 25 directions. The 41-year-old presenter is one of the 15 famous faces taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, and that alone comes with a schedule so rigorous that it’s tiring to even think about. But for Best, doing the show means adding a heap of extra commitments to an already fit-to-burst diary. In between the gruelling training sessions, filming and live shows, he’ll be continuing to co-host Greatest Hits Radio’s breakfast show from 6am on weekdays, as well as fronting ITV’s Big Brother. His day started long before our midmorning chat, with Best waking up “at the crack of dawn” for his radio slot, …

England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to secure T20 series 2-0

England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to secure T20 series 2-0

Published by Sam Flores

CARDIFF, Sept 17 : Jos Buttler became the first batsman to score 15,000 career T20 runs and Liam Dawson took a three-wicket haul as a dominant England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Cardiff on Thursday to secure the series 2-0. The hosts won Tuesday’s first T20 in Southampton by 119 runs and followed it up on an overcast evening with a 14th consecutive victory over Sri Lanka in the format. Set a target of 146, after winning the toss and opting to bowl at a murky and overcast Sophia Gardens, England had marched to 48-0 after four overs but openers Aneurin Donald (21) and Buttler (30) then walked in quick succession for 55-2. Big-hitting captain Harry Brook smashed three sixes in one over but went for 23, well caught by a diving Eshan Malinga off a Wanindu Hasaranga delivery, before Tom Banton steadied the ship with a top scoring 52 not out from 24 balls as England cantered towards another easy win with 47 balls and 7.5 overs to spare. “Tonight was a special …

Banton shows his worth as England cruise to series victory against Sri Lanka

Banton shows his worth as England cruise to series victory against Sri Lanka

Published by Sam Flores

Brook’s fireworks in Southampton rather obscured Baker’s superb bowling. He took three wickets there, but this was better still, because England were bowling first and he was shaping the game. Baker had two bruising white-ball international debuts last summer, then an introduction to Test cricket at the Oval in June that would have left him in no doubt of the difficulty of the longest format’s challenge. But Baker is a bundle of energy, and a voracious listener with natural pace: a good combination. Here, his greatest skills were the variations he used at the death. The third of the trio, Banton, turns 28 this year, and made his England debut almost seven years ago. He never quite settled and lost form, before a recall under Brendon McCullum and Brook – a good friend from England U19 days – last year. He was asked to bat lower down than he is used to, and has done pretty well, whilst always fielding superbly. A 24-ball half-century here made this one of his best nights in an England …

Bank of England issues stark warning on energy price hike ahead after interest rate decision | Money News

Bank of England issues stark warning on energy price hike ahead after interest rate decision | Money News

Published by Sam Flores

On the face of it, you could be fooled into thinking that nothing had changed. The Bank of England just voted, once again, to leave interest rates on hold at 3.75%. Once again, three members of the monetary policy committee (MPC) voted to raise rates. But, beneath the surface, the Bank dropped some heavy hints that Britons should prepare themselves for higher inflation and higher interest rates. Money latest: Energy bills forecast to leap 25% in January In the minutes alongside today’s decision, it said it now expected the consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation to hit about 3.75% in the final three months of this year, compared with its previous forecast of 3.2%. By early next year, inflation could be well above 4%. It warned households that the Ofgem price cap determining their bills was to rise by 4% in the final quarter of this year, and that it expected a further 24% hike in the first quarter of next year, pushing up the average household energy bill by hundreds of pounds. That …