Netflix acquired Ben Affleck‘s AI start-up company InterPositive this past March, and now the insane sum the streaming giant paid has been unveiled.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on Friday, the streamer stated that it paid $587 million in cash for the company, per The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the outlet, the information was provided in the company’s form 10-Q, stating that ‘in March 2026, the Company completed an acquisition which was accounted for as a business combination for a total purchase price of approximately $587 million, consisting of cash consideration.’

Although the document does not explicitly name InterPositive, the Netflix deal was announced on March 5. 

The price was also accounted for in the company’s Q1 10-Q, completed in May.

In a statement earlier this year, Affleck said he ‘couldn’t be happier’ with the deal after quietly founding the LA-based company in 2022 with a 16-person team of engineers, researchers and creatives.

The streamer disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on Friday that it paid $587 million in cash for Affleck’s company

An insider had previously told Bloomberg in March that the movie star-turned-senior adviser and his investors would earn up to $600 million from the streaming giant as long as it met ‘certain performance targets.’

‘InterPositive is a tool that’s designed to solve the specific problems that I’d encountered as a filmmaker that connect you more to the filmmaking,’ Affleck detailed in a Netflix video this past spring.

‘It’s not about text prompting or generating something from nothing. You’re building a model from your own material. 

‘That’s how this works. You have to create your movie, essentially, first before you can really build your model around your movie using AI.’

He explained he wanted to ‘take out all the logistical, difficult, technical stuff that often gets in the way.’

‘You can use your own model to remove the wires on stunts, reframe a shot, get a shot you missed, shape the lighting, enhance the backgrounds,’ the Oscar-winning star said.

‘If you can take some of those problems out, yes, you can do it more quickly, you can do it more easily, you’re giving more choice, you’re giving more opportunity, you’re getting more episodes of your favorite shows, you’re getting more human work,’ he stated emphatically.

Affleck emphasized that the goal was ‘to preserve what makes storytelling human’ and vowed that he and the streamer would do so, based on their shared ‘values’ and Netflix’s ‘responsibility with applying and scaling technology.’

Ben Affleck got a hefty boost to his reported $150million fortune when Netflix acquired his AI start-up company InterPositive last week (pictured January 13)

An insider told Bloomberg in March that the movie star-turned-senior adviser and his investors would earn up to $600 million from the streaming giant as long as it met ‘certain performance targets’

Affleck shared: ‘You can use your own model to remove the wires on stunts, reframe a shot, get a shot you missed, shape the lighting, enhance the backgrounds’

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Earlier this year, Affleck starred in the Netflix crime/thriller The Rip, which he produced and acted in alongside longtime best friend and collaborator Matt Damon.

The Joe Carnahan-directed movie is about Miami cops who seize millions of dollars.

Affleck and Damon first gained notoriety in cinema with their 1997 movie Good Will Hunting, which earned them an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

The father of three, who was previously married to Jennifer Garner and later Jennifer Lopez, also scored a Best Picture Academy Award in 2012 as a producer for Argo.

Rory McIlroy wanted The Open Championship to be held at a banned golf course

Rory McIlroy had dreams of The Open Championship being held at Muirfield. However, a ban on female golfers put a stop to this and left him fuming.

The Open is being held this year at Royal Birkdale in Southport. The club, situated just north of Liverpool, has hosted the major championship 10 times as well as two Ryder Cups.

McIlroy was keen for Muirfield to host for the first time since 2013 but private members refused to allow women. The Masters champion urged those who voted against allowing female golfers to join the club to “see sense.”

McIlroy said in 2016: “It’s more of a loss to Muirfield than it is to us. It’s not right to host the world’s biggest tournament at a place that does not allow women to be members. Hopefully Muirfield can see some sense and we can get it back on The Open rota.”

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As a result of the ban, the R&A confirmed they would not allow Muirfield on The Open rota until rules changed. A further vote was held in 2017 but the same outcome followed, leaving McIlroy furious.

He said: “Muirfield wouldn’t be one of my favourite Open rota courses, so no matter the decision yesterday, if it had been kept off The Open Championship rota, I wouldn’t have been that unhappy. In this day and age where you’ve got women that are the leaders of certain industries and heads of state and not to be able to join a golf course?

“I mean, it’s obscene. It’s ridiculous. It’s horrendous. I don’t get it. We’ll go back there for The Open Championship at some point and I won’t be having many cups of tea with the members afterwards.”

Eventually, the Muirfield members reneged and the ban was lifted. McIlroy was pleased and proposed that The Open be held there in 2028, but Royal Lytham & St Annes was chosen instead.

The 37-year-old said: “It would be wonderful if it was [there]. I’m not privy to those conversations, but Muirfield deserves to be back on the Open rota.

“They rectified the issues they had. It’s a wonderful course. It’s one of the best courses on the rota and in the UK. As well, it has to commercially make sense.

“I think Mark Darbon [R&A chief executive] has been brought in to make the Open Championship commercially viable. I would say Muirfield, that area, North Berwick, that would probably be one of the more commercially viable Opens.”

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Justin Bieber enjoyed a round of golf with friends at a course in The Hamptons this week.

The 32-year-old Canadian pop star was spotted smoking a cigar during the recreational activity, just days before he’s slated to perform at the FIFA World Cup halftime show.

It seemed the musician was not at all worried about the smoke agitating his vocals as he indulged while clad in navy trousers and a short-sleeved white shirt.

The SKYLRK designer finished his look with a pair of black leather sneakers with white soles.

His dirty blonde hair was buzzed into a short cut and he sported a scruffy beard.

Earlier this month Bieber was announced as one of several World Cup entertainers, alongside headliners Madonna, Shakira, and BTS.

The 32-year-old Canadian pop star was spotted smoking a cigar, days before he’s slated to perform at the FIFA World Cup halftime show

The halftime show will take place this Sunday, July 19 in New Jersey. 

The 11-minute production will also see appearances from Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus – a choir of elementary school students based in Staten Island, New York.

Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, it will take place during the final at MetLife Stadium. 

The show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.

‘The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can,’ Bieber said in a press release. 

‘I’m grateful to be part of this Halftime Show, and even more grateful knowing it’s already helping expand access to education for children around the world.’

His inclusion in the event comes amid Bieber’s career comeback, which was prompted by the release of his album Swag in July 2025.

One month later, the superstar followed up with a deluxe version, adding a whopping 23 more songs to Disc 2. 

He was clad in navy trousers and a short-sleeved white shirt

Earlier this month Bieber was announced as one of several World Cup entertainers, alongside headliners Madonna, Shakira, and BTS; pictured at the Grammys in February

Bieber captivated Coachella festival goers in back-to-back headlining weekends in Indio, California in April

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He took the stage at the 2026 Grammys this past February, delivering a showstopping acoustic rendition of his hit song Yukon.

Then, Bieber captivated Coachella festival goers in back-to-back headlining weekends in Indio, California in April.

He made history as he became the highest paid act ever booked, surpassing Beyoncé with his eight-figure payout, which reportedly totaled more than $10M.

And he negotiated directly with Goldenvoice, the festival’s promoter.

‘It’s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it’s something he built entirely on his own,’ a source close to the singer told Rolling Stone last September.

‘Between headlining Coachella and the success of Swag, it’s clear this is the start of an exciting new era for Justin – one where he’s fully in the driver’s seat,’ the person added.

Insiders said his fee surpassed $5 million per weekend.

Due to his negotiating prowess, Bieber did not share a cut with an agent – making his profit all the more substantial.

Disaster strikes up at Home Farm in Emmerdale soon as Kim Tate (Claire King) realises there’s been a break-in. With quite literally no other option, she decides to turn to Ross Barton (Michael Parr) for help.

Ross works for Kim as Director of Operations, but the only thing he’s really good at operating is the door to the fridge for the posh snacks.

Still, he’s employed by Kim which means sometimes, he actually has to show up and do as she asks.

Actually getting him there on time, though, is a challenge in itself.

In this new video, Ross arrives at Home Farm and explains to Kim that he’s late because he accidentally fell back to sleep. If you ask me, he received that call at 4am and very quickly concluded that staying in bed was a far better option.

It turns out Kim still has her head screwed on, as she makes it clear that former SAS member Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) would’ve dealt with the break-in, but he’s away right now.

Kim hands Ross a piece of paper with a list of suspects and tells him to grab his deerstalker hat and get to work.

Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) is the first to get the Poundland detective treatment from Ross and is accused of the crime shortly before she boots him out.

His next ill-thought-out decision is to accuse Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley).

Again, not a wise move given that Robert’s lover is Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller). Also not well thought out seeing as Robert was recently hit by a runaway trailer and not in a fit state to rob anyone.

Aaron takes umbrage on Robert’s behalf and shows Ross what he thinks with his fists.

Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) steps in to protect the bruised egos from too much damage and once Ross is gone, she works on Robert and Aaron to let her stay by giving the full explanation about John.

Aaron is still wary that things about Serena remain iffy, but at least he’s not beating up Ross anymore.

Later in the week, Kim realises the person who broke into Home Farm has stolen a USB. Interesting.

The culrpit isn’t after money – they’re after information.

But who is it?

MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as Dr Todd twist brings hope for Charity

MORE: Ross ‘dead’ in Emmerdale as murderous Mack spirals

MORE: Ross lured to his doom by vengeful Mack in tense Emmerdale spoiler video

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada, blaming the country for wildfire smoke that has blanketed large swaths of the United States.

“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable,” the Republican president wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon.

Trump added that he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss how his government intends to respond.

“Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal,” Trump continued. “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”

On Friday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported 904 active fires across Ontario, Quebec and other provinces — more than 200 of which are classified as “out of control.” Fires are also burning across northeastern Minnesota.

The resulting smoke has pushed air quality to hazardous levels across parts of the United States. More than a dozen states are under air quality alerts, and officials in cities including New York and Chicago have urged residents to remain indoors when possible. NBC News’ Monica Alba also reported Friday that FIFA and the White House are in “active discussions” over air quality concerns ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey.

Carney, who leads Canada’s Liberal Party, did not immediately respond to Trump’s post.

Other Republicans have also targeted Canada over the smoke. Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno floated a range of retaliatory measures, including sanctions and restrictions on assets and visas.

Earlier in the week, four Michigan House members sent a letter to Carney criticizing Canada’s wildfire response.

“Our constituents in Michigan are once again under air quality alerts,” the lawmakers wrote. “Our hospitals are once again treating children, dialysis patients, and older residents for the effects of smoke that did not originate anywhere near them. This is the third consecutive year we have had to write to Canadian officials about a crisis that Canada has the tools to prevent and has chosen not to.”

Asked about the letter at a Thursday press conference, Carney pointed to climate policy differences between the two countries.

“We’re focusing on investing in clean energy,” Carney said, according to a CTV News translation. “In the U.S., there’s prohibitions now against clean energy.”

“Climate change is the responsibility of everyone, truly everyone, including the United States,” he added.

Earlier this week, Minister of Emergency Management Eleanor Olszewski said Canada is “working with urgency” to “support response efforts” to the wildfires.

“Canada and the United States have a long history of working together to fight wildfires on both sides of the border — it is a history that both countries benefit from and that we are building on during this challenging wildfire season,” Olszewski said in a statement posted to social media.

Trump’s threat comes against a broader backdrop of heightened tensions. Canada is already subject to multiple U.S. tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, including sector-specific levies on steel and autos. Since returning to office, Trump has also repeatedly mused about annexing Canada and turning it into the “51st state.”

Carney has rejected those overtures, telling Trump last year that Canada is “not for sale.” At other times, he’s shrugged off Trump’s hostile remarks. In June, he said: “We’re not gonna respond or react to everything that he posts.”

Gheorghe, 45, had been travelling with his wife after the pair were told their daughter had been involved in a collision

A father died after suffering a heart attack while rushing to the scene of a road crash involving his daughter.

Gheorghe, 45, had been travelling with his wife after the pair were told their daughter had been involved in a collision. Although the crash was described as low impact and their daughter was not seriously injured, he reportedly became unwell while driving to reach her.

The couple had left their home in the village of Vasile Alecsandri, in Romania’s Galați County, and were travelling along the DN25 near Șendreni when Gheorghe suffered the suspected medical emergency.

Despite feeling seriously ill, he managed to pull the car safely onto the roadside before losing consciousness, preventing another potential collision.

His wife raised the alarm as passers-by stopped to help. An ambulance crew travelling nearby spotted the incident and pulled over to assist.

Paramedics carried out CPR for around 50 minutes, but despite their efforts, Gheorghe could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. Reports said he previously had a heart stent.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident, which was treated as a medical emergency rather than a road traffic collision.

Traffic was temporarily affected while police attended the scene.

Gheorghe’s body has been taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, where a post-mortem examination will establish the exact cause of death.

His daughter escaped the earlier crash without serious injuries, but relatives and friends have spoken of the family’s devastation following his sudden death while trying to reach her.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico’s southern Pacific coast on Friday, near the Guatemalan border, sending tremors across a vast region from Mexico City to El Salvador.

While authorities have reported no severe damage or fatalities in any affected country, two individuals sustained injuries in southern Mexico.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified the quake’s epicenter 30 miles southwest of Aquiles Serdan, off the coast of Chiapas, at a depth of nine miles. This significant seismic event was preceded by a smaller tremor further out at sea and followed by at least 10 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.9 to 6.

Residents in Tapachula, a major city on Mexico’s southern border, described the initial shaking as mild before it gradually intensified.

“We were upstairs on the second floor when it started shaking; we thought it would pass, but then it got stronger, so we all went downstairs and evacuated in an orderly manner to the front courtyard,” Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in the city, explained to The Associated Press.

Demetrio Martínez, head of the city’s Civil Protection agency said that a Haitian migrant woman in her 30s suffered a nervous breakdown and jumped from a height of about four meters (13 feet) from an apartment building. She was taken to a hospital with fractures, but her life is not in danger, the official added. He said that there was another minor injury from a broken window at a nearby business.

In Guatemala City, the earthquake frightened residents because of how long it lasted. Many people poured into the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning and several buildings were evacuated.

Guatemala’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) reported no immediate damage. Social media users posted videos of some landslides, especially on roads heading west.

The Ministry of Education suspended in-person classes in the departments of San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Suchitepéquez and Retalhuleu, near the quake’s epicenter.

In the Mexican capital, where buildings in certain areas creaked and shook, the earthquake alert did not sound because, the government said, “the energy radiated by the earthquake during the first few seconds did not exceed the activation thresholds.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that preliminary reports showed no damage. The navy recommended staying away from beaches for six hours because of tsunami risk.

The Meteorological Service of Chiapas alerted that there could be tsunami waves up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) off the coast of Mexico and Guatemala.

In the town of Suchiate, located along the river that separates Mexico from Guatemala, coastal areas are being monitored for tsunami risk, according to Mayor Elmer Vázquez Gallardo.

In San Salvador, the earthquake was also felt strongly, but no deaths or damage were reported, although the Ministry of Environment reported another earthquake of lesser intensity off the coast of the department of Usulután, in the eastern part of the country.

The region is prone to earthquakes, many that can be deadly. Earlier this year, a strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico, killing two. Hundreds in Mexico City were killed in a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2017.

If ever there was a symbol of how far away America and Iran are from their short-lived ceasefire, this billboard is it.

Portraits of Donald Trump, his wife and his children, behind US flag-draped coffins have been put up in Tehran’s Palestine Square.

The US President is at the top, wife Melania and daughter Ivanka below and then at the bottom are his other children Barron, Donald Jr, Tiffany and Eric with the White House in the background.

It came as US missiles struck Iran’s bridges, railways and water facilities for the seventh night in a row. 

Both sides traded blows in the biggest escalation of fighting since the US resumed its bombing campaign six days ago.

Mr Trump followed through on his threat to target civilian infrastructure that is also used by the Iranian military.

Washington hopes the attacks will cripple the regime’s civilian infrastructure, forcing Tehran to ease its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

In fresh comments, Mr Trump claimed the US is ‘winning big in Iran’ and that ‘you will see the fruits of that labour very, very shortly’.

Pictured: A damaged bridge following US strikes across Iran for the seventh consecutive day 

The billboard includes a Persian sentence meaning ‘blood for blood’ and is hanging in Palestine Square in the Iranian capital

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It has been reported that a number of bridges were destroyed in the airstrikes. At least seven people were killed.

US missile attacks hit the city of Bandar Khamir, on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz.

And the US military’s Central Command (Centcom) said it hit dozens of targets in its latest bombardments.

The strikes also appeared to have collapsed a tower at Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, a key trade route for landlocked, neighboring Afghanistan.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the image of the surveillance tower appearing to collapse. 

That image had circulated on social media via activists prior to Hegseth sharing it.

Chabahar port, which Iran had been running with support from India, has been a repeated target of American airstrikes.

Iranian state media acknowledged a third round of strikes on the facility without immediately acknowledging the tower’s collapse.

The country has warned that it will return to ‘full-scale war’ if US strikes against it continue for another two or three days.

This is the moment Iran’s naval surveillance tower in Chabahar was destroyed

People stand near a damaged portion of a bridge in the aftermath of a strike, in Bandar Khamir, Iran

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, said according to state media: ‘Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses…and no political border will be safe.’ 

Earlier, Iran told its citizens to turn off their air conditioning during peak hours as the country’s power grid came under strain due to the US strikes.

Tehran’s energy ministry said that the power restrictions were necessary ‘to help ensure a stable electricity supply in the southern provinces, which are currently facing extreme heat and attacks on electricity supply facilities.’

Temperatures in the capital were expected to hit triple digits Friday, with highs of 102F on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Kuwait, where Tehran said it had targeted US military sites, the electricity ministry said an Iranian attack damaged a power and water plant and urged users to ration electricity.

The Kuwaiti military said several troops had been wounded when Iranian drones targeted a number of its bases and camps.

Iran’s Guards said they had targeted US radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar to ‘punish the aggressor’, with Doha saying it had intercepted a missile attack.

An Iranian missile is launched from an undisclosed location towards US targets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain

Smoke and flames rise are seen in Chabahar, Iran, after local media reported explosions

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Abu Baker, a Sudanese resident of Qatar, said he had been about to go to sleep when he heard the air alerts, hoping the interception would be out at sea.

‘Then it hit and it shook my house,’ he added. ‘I am worried that this war will drag on…but thank God we’re in a country that protects us.’

Iran’s Guards said they had attacked two US radar sites in Oman and the Al-Tanf military base in Syria. 

A Syrian military source denied there had been an attack and US forces said they had withdrawn from the base earlier this year.

In Bahrain, Tehran targeted US helicopters and planes at an airbase, Iranian state media reported, with the island nation urging citizens to take shelter.

In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, drone and rocket strikes killed nine members of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group on Friday, the exiled Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan said, blaming the attack on Iran.

Iran’s health ministry said at least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 wounded in the country since fighting resumed.

Mediators have attempted to bring both sides back to the negotiating table and China and Pakistan called for the United States and Iran to stop fighting and resume talks

The Strait of Hormuz remains the heart of the conflict, a narrow waterway responsible for one-fifth of global oil. 

Iran has tried to assert control over the waterway and opened fire on ships after Trump reimposed his blockade.  

The BBC have released their first look at the third series of BAFTA winning drama

Time is returning to the BBC soon with some huge stars among its cast ahead of an eagerly anticipated comeback.

The BAFTA-winning TV drama, which was filmed in Northern Ireland, follows the impact of prison on those behind both sides of the bars and the writers have teased the new episodes will be “impactful and devastating”.

The third series, written by multi-award-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern and Samuel Bailey, is returning to our screens later this year. Set in a Young Offenders Institution, it will explore the impact of locking up teenagers and the effects on those who look after them.

It is made by BBC Studios Fiction for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in co-production with BritBox with support from Northern Ireland Screen and was filmed in Belfast earlier this year.

While the first series focused on the tension between inmate Mark (Sean Bean) and prison officer Eric (Stephen Graham) and the second looked at the lives of the inmates of a women’s prison, the third series will focus on youth offenders.

Set in a Young Offenders Institution (YOI), it will explore the impact of locking teens up and those with the duty to care for them.

National treasure David Tennant will star as Bobby Bailey, a veteran custodial manager at the YOI. In an initial image from the show, he can be seen looking very seriously at the camera as he sits at a desk in the detention centre whilst wearing his uniform.

Siobhan Finneran, who appeared in the both the first and second series as chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell, will reprise her role.

In a synopsis for the series, Marie-Louise is set to arrive at the YOI to perform her duties as a prison chaplain, despite having lost her faith. When tragedy strikes the prison, she clashes with Tennant’s Bobby, who knows more about what led to the major incident than he is letting on.

As Bobby struggles with his guilt, two teen offenders, Peter (Ollie McNulty) and James (Louis McCartney) form an unlikely friendship as they face their first weeks of incarceration. James struggles to face his parents having committed an unforgivable act of violence, and Peter has to decide if he will ever tell the truth about the death of an innocent man, or remain loyal to his family.

Alongside Tennant and Finneran, the cast is set to feature EastEnders star Jo Joyner as Nicola, Boiling Point’s Vinette Robinson as Erica Bailey and The Responder’s Warren Brown as Albie. Meanwhile star of Such Brave Girls Daniel Ryan will also be in the show as Custodial Manager Jennings.

The first series won two BAFTAs, one for best mini-series and another for best actor, which went to Sean Bean. Stephen Graham was nominated for best supporting actor.

Meanwhile, the second series won three Royal Television Society Awards. Tamara Lawrence, who played Abi, a mother serving a life sentence after killing her baby whilst suffering from postpartum depression, won the award for leading female actor.

Jodie Whittaker, who played first offender Orla who loses custody of her children whilst in prison, was also nominated. Bella Ramsey, who played Kelsey, a heroin addict who discovers she’s pregnant whilst in prison, won an award for supporting actor.

The third series was confirmed in November 2025.

At the time of its announcement, Samuel Bailey, who co-wrote the series with Jimmy McGovern said: “It’s been an absolute honour to work with Jimmy on Time series 3, and with the brilliant cast put together by the team, I think this series will be just as impactful and devastating as Time 1 and 2.

“I’m particularly excited for audiences to meet the lads playing our young offenders, who are all remarkable actors that I know we’re going to be seeing a lot more of in the future.”

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You could have more in your pension pot than you think

Martin Lewis has urged people to understand what he calls a ‘superpower’ around how pensions work. He shared several tips about pensions on his BBC podcast, to help people get to grips with how these retirement pots work.

One point he had huge emphasis on is understanding how tax relief on your pension contributions works. He said this is a vital principle to know as it is “the big pension superpower”. He explained: “It is a savings pot, but it’s tax-efficient because when you put money into your pension, it comes from your pre-tax income. This is really important.”

He shared some figures to show how this works. Normally you pay income tax on your income, so if a basic rate taxpayer earning £100 would have £20 taken away in tax. But if you put £100, the whole amount goes in.

‘You’re £40 up’

Mr Lewis said: “If you put it towards your pension, the entire £100 goes towards your pension. So, you’re effectively that £20 up. If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, normally for every £100 you’re paid, £60 would be in your pay packet, but you can put the whole £100, so you’re £40 up.”

He also explained another way you could be getting more than you think paid into your pension – as your employer is obliged to top it up. Mr Lewis told his listeners: “Plus, if it’s a workplace pension, then most people are auto-enrolled into the pension scheme, and that means not only do you get the tax benefit, but your employer has to contribute too.

“The minimum amount is: you are putting in 5 per cent of your income, it has to give you 3 per cent on top, so you’d have an 8 per cent contribution. And all of that goes into this investment vehicle, if you like.”

The rules state that a minimum 8 per cent of the employee’s salary has to go in. This can be divided as you choose between a contribution from the employee and an amount from the employer. Either side can also pay in more to have a higher overall contribution.

How do your pensions grow?

It’s worth understanding how your pension pot grows over time. Mr Lewis pointed out that your pension is not just sitting in a standard bank account—it is actively working for you in the stock market.

The money expert said: “The thing to understand about the pension itself, the pension pot, you can choose to have it in a whole different range of investments. You can go really sophisticated and be picking your own investments, and you could do single shares, although that’s high risk, inside something like a SIPP, a self-invested personal pension.

“Or you could go to a sort of a robo-investment firm where you just say, ‘I want medium risk,’ and it will pick a whole load of shares for you in a broad spread of investments to try and ride out the market. It is just an investment fund.”

You can draw down from your private pension from the age of 55. This access age is increasing to 57 from April 2028.