Jack Lowden has been tipped as the front-runner to play the next James Bond, with 007 producers said to be ‘strongly considering’ the Slow Horses star.

Speculation about who will take over from Daniel Craig has been rife for months and recently heightened after Amazon MGM Studios announced in May that auditions were finally taking place. 

Presenter Richard Osman has now teased that he has been told who is likely to take on the role. 

Speaking to his co-host Marina Hyde on the latest episode of his podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, Richard said: ‘Someone told me for definite who the new Bond is the other day, but I mean that’s happened before. The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden.’ 

Richard cautioned: ‘It is definitively not a “he’s definitely got it” thing. He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he’d be amazing.’ 

Marina agreed, pointing out that at 36, Lowden is ‘a good age. You have to have the longevity. They’ve got to do at least two movies and he’s a good age for it.’ 

Richard said the actor has ‘real Daniel Craig energy’, adding that he ‘is such a brilliant actor. Can be funny, can definitely do action. I mean, I think he’d be sensational.’

Lowden, who also had a role in Christopher Nolan’s epic Dunkirk, is set to star as another leading man, Mr Darcy in Netflix’s anticipated Pride And Prejudice adaptation, coming to the streamer later this year. 

Lowden’s wife, the actress Saoirse Ronan, has previously backed her husband for the 007 role. 

When she co-hosted a 2024 BBC Radio 2 show with Scottish DJ Edith Bowman, Bowman brought up her belief that Lowden would be a great choice for the iconic role, adding that she had been making a similar argument for years.

In response, Ronan said: ‘I’m going to start counting how many times you plug him for Bond on the radio.’

When Bowman replied she had been doing so for six years, Ronan responded: ‘Hasn’t happened yet though,’ before adding: ‘There’s time, there’s time’.  

Richard and Marina’s podcast was discussing new research which reveals the public’s top picks for Bond are Tom Hardy, 48, Henry Cavill, 43, and James Norton, who recently ruled himself out, admitting at age 41 he feels relieved he is now seen as ‘too old’.

The podcasters pointed out that the public can’t necessarily be relied upon to pick the right actor.

Speculation about who will take over from Daniel Craig has been rife for months and recently heightened after Amazon MGM Studios announced in May that auditions were taking place 

‘If you look back at every single James Bond that has ever been appointed, not a single one of them would have been chosen by the public, apart from maybe one,’ said Richard, referring to 1995-2002 Bond Pierce Brosnan. 

‘You have to rely on the film producers to choose someone the public doesn’t know they want… Daniel Craig definitely wouldn’t have been chosen by the public. They were furious about it at the time.’

‘That was Barbara Broccoli’s call completely the Daniel Craig call,’ Marina agreed. ‘And it was really ballsy because everyone was like “what on earth are you talking about?” The second they see Casino Royale they’re like “oh yeah, no you’re right, that is the right call”.’

Bond producer Amy Pascal gave an update on the audition process last week explaining: ‘We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.’

‘And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different,’ she added. 

In July, casting director Debbie McWilliams said 007 should remain white and male amid speculation that the character could be reinvented.

McWilliams, who cast the previous 13 Bond films, said Ian Fleming ‘wrote a character, and that’s the character that stays’.

Speaking at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in an onstage interview moderated by Variety, McWilliams was asked by an audience member whether the spy could be a woman or a person of colour. ‘Not in my opinion. No,’ she replied.  

‘Ian Fleming wrote a character, and that’s the character that stays. That’s what I think. I mean, other people might think otherwise, but I don’t think that.’

Richard Osman has now teased that he has been told Jack is likely to take on the role. Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Richard said: ‘Someone told me for definite’

McWilliams retired from her casting career prior to Amazon MGM Studios acquiring creative control of the James Bond franchise in 2025. The job of finding the next Bond now falls to casting director Nina Gold and director Denis Villeneuve. 

McWilliams was also asked when she cast previous Bonds, such as Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, what she looked for in a leading man. 

‘Well, I mean, I’ve said this several times before, but part of his job description is license to kill,’ she explained. ‘So you’ve got to think that he could pick a gun up and shoot you. So he’s got to have a kind of threat about him, you know.’

‘I’m not sure that Pierce Brosnan had that particularly, but he kind of embodied a different side of him. He was very good looking and suave, and all the rest of it.’

‘And Daniel sort of changed that somewhat into the fact that you, you know … he was much tougher.’

She added, ‘There’s no set rule. It’s whoever fits the bill, frankly, and it will be different for different directors and different producers.’

‘And, you know, it’s about to change dramatically, is all I can say. And I’m not sure whether I’ll be paying my money to go and see it or not. But there isn’t an easy answer to that question.’ 

Auditions for the new Bond finally opened in May, five years after the famed spy’s last outing on the big screen.   

That announcement was delayed after the Broccoli family, which held an iron grip on the franchise for decades, handed over creative control to Amazon MGM Studios. 

The production company, which was formed when Amazon bought MGM in 2022, has been quiet on who might fill Craig’s boots, but in May it teased there will be ‘exciting 007 news’ in the coming months. 

In a statement revealing it was auditioning actors for the role, Amazon MGM Studios said: ‘The search for the next James Bond is underway. 

‘While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.’

At the end of June, insiders told Deadline that director Villeneuve had begun informing talent who had made the next round of auditions. 

Emergency services, including an air ambulance, were called to the Kirkleatham Lane area of the town at 7.23pm today (August 12) after a crash involving a vehicle and a child.

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said a passing ambulance stopped at the scene before another crew was sent. 

The ambulance service has confirmed that one person was taken to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough by road for further treatment.

Their condition remains unknown. 

A NEAS spokesperson said: “We were called at 7.23pm this evening (August 12) to reports of a road traffic collision involving a vehicle and a child in the Kirkleatham Lane area of Redcar.  

“An emergency ambulance passing stopped at the scene and we also dispatched a clinical team leader and requested support from the air ambulance.  

“The patient was taken to James Cook Hospital by road for further treatment.”

Perez Hilton‘s mother has filed to obtain temporary custody of his three children following his self-harm livestream, The Daily Mail can confirm.

Hilton, 48, was taken to the hospital in Miami last Tuesday after the police received emergency calls alerting them to a potential suicide attempt.

Footage from the stream, which The Daily Mail has chosen not to republish, appears to show the celebrity blogger smeared with blood after seemingly having cut himself with a knife.

His team subsequently issued a statement assuring the public that his ‘children remain safe and are being cared for by immediate family.’

On August 7, three days after the incident, his mother, Teresita Lavandeira, submitted a petition in a Miami family court to temporarily assume custody of Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, eight, according to records viewed by The Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail has contacted Hilton’s representatives for comment. 

Three days after the incident, Teresita Lavandeira, above with her son, submitted a petition in a Miami family court to temporarily assume custody of his three children

Hilton, 48, was taken to the hospital in Miami last Tuesday after the police received emergency calls alerting them to a potential suicide attempt. Above, in the hospital earlier this year

The day after Hilton was hospitalized, it emerged that his three children, as well as his niece and his sister, Barbara Lavandeira, 42, had been inside his Florida home in the minutes leading up to the livestream incident. 

A statement shared on Hilton’s website has indicated his family ‘immediately fled’ to protect the children from ‘witnessing any further trauma’ when it was clear Hilton was having ‘a severe mental health crisis and harming himself.’

Hilton’s team revealed over the weekend that he had sustained ‘significant blood loss’ as well as unspecified ‘additional injuries.’

According to the update, the one-time celebrity gossip blogger would ‘require surgery in the coming days’ to treat his injuries.

The statement also confirmed that Hilton ‘remains hospitalized under Florida‘s Baker Act,’ a law that allows for involuntary hospitalizations.

Due to the conditions of his facility and the Baker Act, they emphasized that the blogger’s ‘communication has been extremely limited and confined to immediate family, medical providers, and others directly involved in his care.’

The Baker Act – officially the Florida Mental Health Act – allows medical and mental health professionals, as well as judges and law enforcement officers, to involuntarily commit individuals for up to 72 hours if they are believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others. 

Hilton’s team emphasized that his ‘condition remains serious but stable,’ explaining that his ‘treatment and recovery’ would be a ‘long process.’

Teresita with Hilton and his two older children attending the 2018 premiere of Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween in Los Angeles

Hilton was hospitalized in March and shared pictures as he recovered from sepsis on the ward

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They also shared that he had been able to spend time with his mother and sister on Friday. 

Hilton’s team confirmed that his ‘children remain safe and are being cared for by immediate family.’ 

Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s house captured the moment when law enforcement arrived at Hilton’s residence in Miami last Tuesday after fans reached out to 911 over concerns for his welfare. 

Police cars could be seen pulling up to the home not long after 7pm on Tuesday evening. 

Law enforcement was seen trying to coax Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr, out of his home in the video. 

A deputy was heard calling out: ‘Mario, it’s the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, please step out of the house.’  

Clips taken from the footage appeared to show the media personality covered in blood while brandishing a knife. 

The livestream video has since been taken down by TikTok, and his account has also been suspended. 

Hilton’s team has confirmed he ‘remains hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act,’ a law that allows for involuntary hospitalizations

The livestream video has since been taken down by TikTok and his account has also been suspended

His family requested ‘privacy and space they need during this unimaginably difficult time’ 

The statement from Perez’s family continued: ‘Our family cannot express enough our continued gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time.

‘The events of the past several days have been nearly unbearable for our family.’ 

‘Our highest priority right now is helping the children begin to heal from what they experienced. An important part of that process is allowing them to safely return home and begin rebuilding a sense of security and normalcy.’ 

Hilton’s family also requested ‘privacy and space they need during this unimaginably difficult time’.

They added: ‘We will continue to provide updates on Perez’s condition through PerezHilton.com when we have additional information we are able to share. Again, thank you for your compassion, understanding, and continued prayers.’

Hilton had been hospitalized earlier this year in March and had shared pictures of himself on the ward while recovering from sepsis. 

He had developed an ulcer after taking flu medication on an empty stomach, which then led to a 21-day hospitalization. 

Hilton developed an ulcer earlier this year after taking flu medication on an empty stomach, which then led to a 21-day hospitalization. Above, last year

And just weeks later, the blogger faced another health crisis after experiencing ‘soreness and pain in one of my legs.’

Following an ultrasound, it was revealed that Hilton had a deep vein thrombosis.

‘I am so thankful to God that we caught this early because if that blood clot had gone to my lungs or my heart, it could have been real bad,’ he said on Instagram at the time. 

He soon gave another update on social media to share that he was able to ‘finally walk again’ as he used the help of a walker. 

Months before the distressing TikTok livestream, Hilton reflected on his health scares.

During an appearance on Fox News Media’s Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast, which had been recorded on July 14, he said: ‘I was in the hospital for 21 days, so I thought I was gonna die.

‘Especially because the first few days they couldn’t find where the perforation was and then I had all of these other issues. My body just started breaking down.’

He further explained: ‘I had fluid in my lungs. I went AFib. My heart issues. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong.

‘I’m 48 and I’ve never taken any kind of flu medication with food. And some medication, you don’t need to take with food. The flu medication you’re supposed to take with food.’ 

Hilton stated that he took both ‘Aleve and Tylenol’ on an empty stomach. 

‘I know, I did that for a week, and I developed an ulcer and a perforation and here we are.’

He soon gave another update on social media to share that he was able to ‘finally walk again’ as he used the help of a walker

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Hilton notably launched his celebrity gossip blog back in 2004, which was originally called PageSixSixSix.com. Shortly after, he changed the name to PerezHilton.com.

He has also befriended a number of Hollywood celebrities.

Back in 2021, Hilton admitted that he ‘regrets’ the way he covered Britney Spears’s breakdown in 2007.

He had garnered criticism for ‘bullying’ the Baby One More Time hitmaker after he previously called her an ‘unfit mother.’

He also released a shirt design on his website in 2008, which questioned why the pop star didn’t die instead of Heath Ledger.

The shirt had an image of the actor from his role in Brokeback Mountain as well as the words: ‘Why couldn’t it be Britney?’

‘I regret a lot or most of what I said about Britney as I’m sure Piers [Morgan] would if he were here about things he’s said in the past,’ Hilton said during an interview on the TV show Good Morning Britain.

The media personality added that he has grown over the years and expressed: ‘Thankfully, hopefully, many of us get older and wiser.’

If you or someone you know needs help in the US, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. If you are in the UK, call Samaritans at 116 123 for free. If you are in Australia, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800.

That one probably wasn’t in the training manual.

First responders in Washington, D.C., got an unusual surprise on Wednesday when a suspicious package outside an area fire station turned out to be a sex toy.

The device was reported to officials around 7 a.m., after a bystander saw someone leave it in the trash near the Tenleytown fire station.

The individual with the object allegedly approached a member of the firehouse, then left the device, which could be seen with exposed wires, behind.

The encounter triggered a large emergency response, which shut down Wisconsin Avenue NW from 40th Street to Warren Street for nearly two hours.

The Washington Metropolitan Police Department’s bomb squad and K-9 unit cleared the item, which was first thought to be a thermos.

Police later described the object as an “electronic sex portable pump device.”

News photos showed a technician carrying a blue and black cylindrical object about the size of a large water bottle.

The Independent has contacted the police department for comment.

The area has been cleared and reopened to traffic.

Though today’s firehouse incident was a false alarm, the threats in the nation’s capital are very real.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran recently warned that threat levels facing the agency are “off the charts” in the current political climate.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran has revealed that the current threat level his agency faces is “off the charts,” blaming a political climate more volatile than anything he said he has seen over his 24-year career.

Around 10,000 threats have been made against government officials and Supreme Court justices so far in 2026, a 40 percent increase on the same period in 2025, he said last month.

Last November, a bomb threat temporarily halted flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia.

American football player Travis Kelce has reflected on his wedding to Taylor Swift, telling US media that their nuptials were “the best night of my life”.

Kelce and Swift tied the knot on 3 July at New York’s Madison Square Garden in a star-studded event that was largely kept private.

Few details from the ceremony have been shared publicly and Kelce’s comments on Wednesday mark the first he’s shared since the couple were wed by comedic actor Adam Sandler.

“It was kind of cool to live out my childhood dream of being in that venue, the mecca of all sports venues, being able to get married there,” Kelce told reporters at the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp in Missouri.

Kelce called the wedding “the best night of my life”, thanking guests who attended and calling it “a crazy night”.

The NFL star and the award-winning singer have kept much of the details of the wedding private and there have been no official photos released of the ceremony held inside the stadium. A litany of Hollywood A-list stars, such as actors Hugh Grant and Jason Sudeikis, singer Benson Boone and model Gigi Hadid were in attendance.

Kelce said he had wanted to attend a game when the New York Knicks basketball team were having a good playoff run last year, but had other commitments. The team ended up winning the NBA championships for the first time in nearly six decades.

“My wife went when I was stuck in a mini camp so I didn’t get my opportunity to go then,” he said referring to Swift as his wife publicly for the first time. She sat courtside at Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when the Knicks pulled off a stunning upset against the San Antonio Spurs in a 107-106 finish.

Work is set to begin on Monday (August 17) to resurface Beckfield Lane in York as part of the city council’s Highways Maintenance Programme.

The scheme is running from Wetherby Road to the junction of Lidgett Grove and will begin on Monday and is expected to be completed by Friday, September 4.

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The project – which follows recent upgrades in the area, including footpath resurfacing, drainage improvements, new bus shelters and improved tactile crossings – will be delivered in two phases to reduce disruption.

Phase one, from Wetherby Road to Ostman Road, will run from August 17 to August 24 and during this phase, access to Ostman Road will be maintained from the Boroughbridge Road end of Beckfield Lane.

Phase two, covering Ostman Road to Lidgett Grove, will begin on August 25 and is scheduled to finish by 5pm on September 4 – with residents able to access Ostman Road from the Wetherby Road end.

Beckfield Lane will be closed to traffic between 8am and 5pm on weekdays throughout the works, but will reopen in the evenings, on weekends, and during the August Bank Holiday (August 31).

Pedestrian and mobility aid access will be maintained at all times, however cyclists will be diverted via Boroughbridge Road, Carr Lane and Wetherby Road during both phases.

Buses will follow their normal routes until 9.30am each day, after which services will be redirected until the road reopens at 5pm.

Councillor Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport at City of York Council, said: “Having already completed significant road resurfacing works at Bishopthorpe, Osbaldwick and Monks Cross, amongst many others across the city, we continue to deliver our record programme of planned Highways Maintenance works for 2026/27 alongside emergency repairs.

“We’re responsible for over 500 miles of roads across the city and maintaining them is crucial in helping everyone to get around the city efficiently. We’re grateful for everyone’s patience while our contractors get this work done.

“Businesses in the area are very much open for business and we encourage residents to continue supporting them through this period.”

Carers and residents requiring transport to medical appointments will be allowed through the closure, and businesses needing daytime deliveries are asked to contact the council.

Waste and recycling collections will continue as normal and emergency services will always be permitted.

Lane Rentals Services will carry out the works on behalf of City of York Council.

An experienced detective sacked for allegedly calling trans-women ‘c**s in frocks’ has hit out at the way her case was handled and told how she has had to increase security at her home for fear of activist attacks.

Detective Constable Rachel Fletcher, 49, today denied ever having used the derogatory phrase but did say she had issues with the way she feels trans rights have been put ahead of women’s rights.

Ms Fletcher is now set to pursue an unfair dismissal and discrimination case on the grounds of her gender critical beliefs -and insists that her views on trans issues have been misrepresented by Northumbria Police.

Speaking from her home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Ms Fletcher said she has received ‘incredible support’ since she was dismissed from the force following 23 years of service – a civilian in the force for six years, and then a cop for 17 years.

‘I have been sent support from members of the public, colleagues, former colleagues, people I went to school with and politicians,’ said the single mother of two.

‘People have reached out on X and I’ve had loads of messages from retired cops, saying “keep going”, “you’re doing the right thing” and that it all needs to be challenged.

‘I’ve had very few negative reactions.’

But Ms Fletcher denies the allegations against her.

‘I didn’t say “c***s in frocks”, although that is going to be attached to my name for the rest of my life, even though I didn’t say it,’ she laughed.

But she does recall the context and location of where she was alleged to have made the remark.

‘I absolutely remember the conversation. I was talking about the search guidance that was in place at the time, which had been brought in very quietly in 2021,’ she said.

It was the strip search guidance for police officers strip searching members of the public who had been brought into custody.

‘The policy was basically self ID. So, for example, if a male police officer declared himself as female, then he would be permitted to carry out any and all searches on other females, so other female prisoners,’ she explained.

‘And, vice versa.

‘And, anyone who objected to that could be deemed to have objected on the basis of discriminatory views and have a hate crime recorded against them.’

Recalling how the ‘c’***s in frocks’ phrase may have been misheard by colleagues at Gateshead Police Station, during the frank discussion amongst themselves, Ms Fletcher said: ‘I was talking about imagining a brand new female recruit going into custody who has to conduct a strip search of a prisoner.

‘She might be with her tutor constable. She goes into custody and is told “we need you to strip search a woman”.

‘That would be really daunting for her anyway, because the first time you do things like that, it is terrifying.’

Ms Fletcher, who served as a child protection detective and later a family liaison officer, explained that when conducting a strip search on males or females, the top half is searched first. The prisoner is asked to remove their upper clothing and a visual search is done.

Ms Fletcher today denied ever having used the derogatory phrase but did say she had issues with the way she feels trans rights have been put ahead of women’s rights .

Then, the upper clothing is replaced and the lower garments are then removed by the prisoner so a visual search of the bottom part of the body can be conducted.

She continued: ‘Once naked on the bottom half, they are asked to bend over, so the officer can check whether anything could be concealed.

‘You don’t touch them at all, but you are looking at somebody’s private parts. It couldn’t be any more degrading for them.

‘Imagine someone identifying as a woman undressed their bottom half, and there was a c**k.

‘How would that young female officer feel? Would she have the confidence to say “Hold on a minute, this isn’t right. I shouldn’t be doing this?” – because I don’t think she would.’

She said the word ‘c**k’ was used among colleagues who do the same job and are well-used to such language.

‘We spend all day talking about sex offences,’ said the experienced child protection and family liaison officer.

‘We have heard and use every possible name for body parts in our line of duty. Victims use every possible word for genitalia, etc, when interviewing victims and suspects.

‘People don’t always use correct anatomical language, and if I’m asking someone to tell me what happened to them, I would ask them to use their own terms and language.’

She said all officers are ‘desensitised’ to often vulgar words, and she would not use them at home or amongst friends, or the public.

‘But it is language I would use in the office, because it is completely normal there,’ she said.

Ms Fletcher said she was not shocked when she was dismissed on 31 July for gross misconduct allegation of making the ‘c**ks in frocks’ remark and ‘all men are rapists’.

‘Again, I didn’t say “all men are rapists”, I said “all rapists are men”.’

She said she joked about putting all men on a 9pm curfew to stop nighttime rapes.

‘It was a total joke, and everybody in the room, at the time, knew it was a joke,’ she said.

‘It is not something I would support in reality.

‘I am absolutely looking forward to fighting my case at an employment tribunal.’

Meanwhile, Ms Fletcher is trying to enjoy the summer holidays before trying to find alternative employment.

However, she has been forced to take measures for her own safety.

‘I’ve had to put CCTV cameras on my house because I knew all this would be public, and I’m expecting to get death threats and things like that. I haven’t had any yet, but I am expecting that.’

Ms Fletcher’s employment tribunal case is listed for November, next year.