British actor Tim Curry once recalled an awkward question from Ivana Trump while staying at the then Donald Trump-owned Plaza Hotel during the filming of the 1992 Christmas classic Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, in which the future US leader made a cameo.

In an nterview with The Guardian published earlier this week, Tim said that Ivana, who died in 2022 at the age of 73, asked his opinion of the property’s decor. She had overseen its lavish remodeling.

“She knocked on my door and said, ‘Are you happy in your room? Do you like the way it looks?’” recalled Tim. “And I loathed it actually.”

Read the full interview at The Guardian.

Tim, who passed away at the age of 80, played the Plaza’s concierge in the movie sequel.

In the same interview promoting his memoir Vagabond, which he penned after being left partially paralysed following a severe stroke in 2012, the actor also remembered Donald Trump himself being “very anxious” to get his then-girlfriend Marla Maples (he’d split from Ivana) an introduction to the film’s director, Chris Columbus.

The Rocky Horror star said: “He told me, ‘I’ve got to get Marla to meet Chris Columbus because she’s a brilliant actress.’ And I thought: ‘Yeah, I’m sure.’”

In Trump’s brief cameo, Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister ask him for directions to the lobby. Columbus has claimed Trump’s appearance was a condition of filming at the Plaza.

Trump, though, has insisted the filmmakers were “begging me to make a cameo” and he agreed despite being “very busy” and not really wanting to.

Macaulay Culkin has said he’d be happy if Trump’s scene were to be cut, but Columbus has joked that doing so would spark national outrage: “If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country.”

The amount of hours you spend asleep isn’t the be-all end-all when it comes to health: one study found that sleep regularity was more strongly linked to a longer life than sleep duration.

But that’s not to say it doesn’t matter. Getting at least seven hours’ shut-eye nightly seems to help us live longer, function better, and even lower our dementia risk.

And the lead author of recent research published in Nature, Junhao Wen, has said: “Previous studies have found that sleep is largely linked to ageing and the pathological burden of the brain.

“Our study goes further and shows that too little and too much sleep are associated with faster ageing in nearly every organ, supporting the idea that sleep is important in maintaining organ health within a coordinated brain-body network, including metabolic balance, and a healthy immune system.”

Using data collected from half a million members of the UK Biobank (a depositary of thousands of participants’ health data that scientists can use for health research), Wen created 23 “ageing clocks” to predict the rate of ageing of various organs and body systems.

He then compared that to the participants’ sleep patterns.

The paper said that those who sleep less than six hours or more than eight hours a night saw faster ageing, on average: a “U-shaped” association.

And there appeared to be a sleep duration sweet spot, too.

The least amount of ageing seemed to happen in those who slept between 6.4 and 7.8 hours a night in this research, though this varied by “organ and sex in the UK Biobank (aged 37-84 years)”.

And people who neither slept too much nor too little seemed to be at a lower risk of “all-cause mortality”, too.

In this research, either too much or too little sleep was linked to a higher likelihood of disease.

Short sleep was linked to depression, anxiety, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and heart arrhythmia.

Both short and long sleep were associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and multiple digestive issues, including gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

“The broad brain-body pattern is important because it tells us that sleep duration is a deeply embedded part of our entire physiology, with far-reaching implications across the body,” said Wen.

The paper read, “Our results underscore the systemic biological adverse associations of disturbed sleep and provide a compelling framework for more targeted and thoughtful attention to sleep disturbance as a potential signal of emerging health issues and a partner in the quest to promote healthy ageing, reduce disease risk and extend lifespan.”

The BBC has given an update on the future of Diane Morgan’s hit comedy Ann Droid.

On Thursday morning, it was confirmed at the Edinburgh TV Festival that Diane will be returning as the obsolete AI bot Linda in a second season, following the success of the first run.

She enthused: “The response to Ann Droid has been so incredible. We’re all totally blown away.”

Diane added: “I’m really looking forward to not blinking, needing physio and hearing Cotton Eyed Joe on repeat.”

Ann Droid centres on a grieving widow, played by The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston, whose hapless son haphazardly buys her an AI bot to keep her company.

While initially, Sue’s character is resistant to her new companion, the two eventually grow closer and become unlikely friends.

Reacting to the news that Ann Droid will be back for six more episodes, Sue beamed: “I am so unbelievably happy that we are to do another series! Great script, great cast, great crew.

“The reaction from the public has been wonderful. Even my doctor called me Sue, Sue, Sue this morning! Everyone has been asking if there will be more and now we can tell them! Yippee.”

Since it premiered last month, Ann Droid pulled in 7.6 million viewers in its first week, a figure which has already increased to 8.1 million.

Besides Diane and Sue, the show also features appearances from Paul Ready, Kathryn Hunter and Margot Leicester.

BBC Comedy’s Emma Lawson said of the upcoming second run: “We’re delighted to be bringing Ann Droid back for a second series. Diane and Sarah have created such a warm, relatable, and uniquely funny comedy that audiences in their millions have fallen in love with.

“Alongside the brilliant team at Boffola and Witchcraft Industries, they’ve given us something truly distinctive, and Linda and Sue Sue Sue have quickly become two of comedy’s most lovable characters. We’re thrilled that we will all get to spend more time with them!”

We’ve whittled down to our last few bank holidays of the year. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, there are only two left after the next summer bank holiday on 31 August.

Scotland, meanwhile, has a November date that the rest of the UK doesn’t take off – St Andrew’s Day – but next Monday isn’t a bank holiday there.

For the rest of the UK, however, the upcoming three-day stretch comes after a thundery week, with yellow weather storm warnings.

This begs the question: what will the weather be like this bank holiday weekend?

Well, so far, it’s not looking very sunny.

The Met Office has predicted an “unsettled” bank holiday weekend. On Friday, we can expect “bands of rain and showers moving across many parts… with most persistent rain towards the northeast”.

Northern Ireland is expected to remain relatively dry that day, however, while the south-east of England could escape some of the worst showers too.

It will also be “windy at times, especially on Saturday,” the weather service went on to note. This breeze and rain might be felt strongest in the south of the UK, though more northerly areas are still likely to face heavy clouds.

BBC Weather continued: “Sunday will be an unsettled day with showers or longer spells of rain, particularly across the north and the west”. Some thunder is possible.

And by bank holiday Monday itself, we can expect wetter, windier conditions to make their way north.

Still, a (literal) bright spot for some: BBC Weather predicts “sunny spells and the odd shower elsewhere”.

As for the rest of September, the Met said we’re likely to see higher-than-average rainfall at the start of the month (welcome for some after periods of drought).

The wettest conditions are likely to be in the north-west, though wind and showers will probably be mainstays in this period.

Meteorologists don’t expect the weather to dry out until late September.

A new trailer for the upcoming second season of The Celebrity Traitors has been unveiled.

In the cryptic new clip, the star-studded cast is shown together for the first time, gathered in the chapel on the iconic castle’s grounds.

Host Claudia Winkleman then declares: “A moment of silence for the celebrities gathered today.”

After close-ups of their nervous expressions, she calls for “thoughts and prayers” before strutting out.

“Who doesn’t love a dramatic exit?” she then concludes.

A release date for the second season of The Celebrity Traitors has not yet been revealed, but the first iteration began airing in early October, and ended four weeks later, in November.

What we do know, though, is the cast of stars on the line-up, which boasts an eclectic mix from the world of TV, music, sport and beyond.

The contestants this time around include comedians Joe Lycett and James Acaster, actors Bella Ramsey, Richard E Grant and Michael Sheen, TV personality Maya Jama and chart-topping singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock.

The full cast list is as follows:

• Amol Rajan
• Bella Ramsey
• James Acaster
• James Blunt
• Jerry Hall
• Joanne McNally
• Joe Lycett
• Julie Hesmondhalgh
• Kenny Oghenovo “King Kenny” Ojuederie
• Leigh-Anne Pinnock
• Maya Jama
• Michael Sheen
• Miranda Hart
• Myha’a
• Professor Hannah Fry
• Richard E Grant
• Rob Beckett
• Romesh Ranganathan
• Ross Kemp
• Sebastian Croft
• Sharon Rooney

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the regular Traitors and its celebrity counterpart had both been renewed by the BBC until 2030 at the earliest.

Celebrating the news, the CEO of production company Studio Lambert, Stephen Lambert enthused: “The Traitors has become a genuine television phenomenon across the world, but especially in the UK, and we’re thrilled to continue the journey with the BBC.

“It’s hugely exciting that audiences will have many more years of strategy, suspense and shocking twists still to come.”

Nearly one million young people are still not in education, employment or training, damning new figures have revealed.

The official data released by the government showed that the number of so-called NEETs fell by 30,000 between April and June.

However, an estimated 981,000 16 to 24-year-olds remained economically inactive, piling pressure on ministers to act.

The figures emerged a day after the first group of young people began work as part of the government’s “jobs guarantee” scheme, which sees young people on Universal Credit supported into work.

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden said bringing down the number of NEETs – which soared after the Covid pandemic – was “a priority” for the government.

“We are determined to turn the tide on the youth unemployment crisis, which has been years in the making with the number of young people not in education, employment or training rising by 248,000 between 2021 and 2024,” he said.

“These latest figures underline why we are addressing youth inactivity as a priority.”

Lindsay Judge, research director at the Resolution Foundation think-tank, said the latest statistics were “a worrying sign that Britain’s NEET crisis is a long way from easing”.

“Good intentions and warm words will not achieve the systemic shift needed on their own,” she said.

“Reversing this trend in the long-term will take serious investment – on a similar scale that lower-NEET countries devote to supporting young people into work or training – and a joined-up effort from the level of Whitehall departments to local services.

“Without that, we risk our younger generation paying the price for a system that is failing to support them through the transition to adulthood.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

The BBC has confirmed plans to reboot Top Gear after a prolonged absence.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday, the broadcaster’s director of entertainment Ed Havard responded to recent rumours suggesting Top Gear was being revived.

He said: “There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back.”

After 20 years on our screens, with an array of different presenters at the helm, the BBC motoring series was “rested” in 2022, following a serious on-set crash involving one of its presenters, Andrew Flintoff.

The former cricketer – who co-hosted the series with Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris – said he suffered “life-alteringly significant” injuries in the accident, and was later reported to have received £9 million in compensation from the BBC for loss of earnings in the aftermath of the crash.

Last week, The Sun reported that controversial comedian and presenter Jimmy Carr was “in talks” to host the rebooted Top Gear, with former Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler and model Jodie Kidd also among the names mentioned by The Guardian as supposedly being in consideration.

Havard refused to be drawn on this speculation, insisting he was “not going to talk about talent”, but did concede that “Jimmy would be a great host.

“I won’t be discussing that today,” he continued. “We will have more information on Top Gear shortly.”

Top Gear first premiered in the 1970s, but was brought back in the early 2000s with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May as its hosts.

After an infamous behind-the-scenes “fracas” with a producer led to Clarkson’s contract not being renewed, his co-hosts chose to leave the show with him, and they later launched a rival car show, The Grand Tour, on Amazon Prime.

Since their departure, a host of stars have fronted Top Gear, including Chris Evans, Friends star Matt LeBlanc and the late Sabine Schmitz.

In her tribute to her former Annie co-star Tim Curry, screen legend Carol Burnett remarked that “nobody could play lovable villains better than he could”.

And let’s face it, she’s certainly got a point.

The British actor – who died on Tuesday night at the age of 80 – was known for playing plenty of iconic baddies, dating right back to his film debut in the 1970s, starring as Frank-N-Further in the cult musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

From there, his villainous roles included the dastardly pirate Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, the nightmarish Pennywise in the TV adaptation of It and, as mentioned, Miss Hannigan’s no-good brother Rooster in Annie.

But there’s one evil performance of the Emmy winner’s that we think is often overlooked, as he also lent his voice to one of Disney’s most underrated villains ever.

In 1997, Tim joined the cast of Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas as its central villain, Maestro.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. Straight-to-video Disney sequels were rarely the stuff of cinematic greatness, and this Beauty And The Beast follow-up is probably no exception (not that we let that stop us from streaming it every single December, of course).

However, true to form, Tim’s voice performance as Maestro is as stellar as you’d expect, flipping from comedic sarcasm to unsettling fury with remarkable ease.

A Beauty And The Beast “midquel”, The Enchanted Christmas takes place during the events of the first film, around the festive season.

Tim’s character, Maestro, is a domineering pipe organ intent on keeping the Beast as miserable as possible, who tries to stop him falling in love with Belle so as not to break the spell that the enchanted castle is under.

While he’s overall a pretty shady and sinister fella (not helped by the nightmare fuel that is his early CGI appearance), he does get to deliver some brilliant one-liners, our favourite being: “Heavens, look, I’m bolted to the wall!”

Fittingly, the three-time Tony nominee also got the chance to perform his own villainous musical number with Don’t Fall In Love.

“I think writers have a lot more fun writing villains,” Tim once said while discussing his work in the Disney movie. “They’re just, on the whole, very much better written, and therefore a great deal more fun to play. You get to be the bad guy!”

He admitted: “My father was a minister, so I grew up in Methodist churches all over. So, I’m actually very fond of the sound of organ music. I just sort of tried to approximate that huge breathy sound [with my performance].”

“They said, ‘you could take it a bit further if you’d like to’, and I said, ‘that’s not a direction I hear very often’,” he added with a laugh.

As well as the returning voice cast from the original, Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas introduces new characters voiced by stage legend Bernadette Peters and Paul Reubens, while Haley Joel Osment took over as the voice of Chip.

So, if you’re planning on revisiting Home Alone 2 this Christmas in tribute to Tim Curry, why not revisit this, too, and make it a double feature…?

The news broadcaster CNN has issued a public apology after mistakenly including footage of a Dolly Parton tribute act in their reporting on the late singer’s death.

On Tuesday night, following the news that the Jolene singer had died at the age of 80, the current affairs show Laura Coates Live included a segment paying tribute to the late Grammy winner.

However, included in this was a photo of Las Vegas impersonator Kelly Vohnn rather than Dolly herself.

A CNN spokesperson later told Deadline: “We regret the error and apologise to the Parton family.”

Kelly later posted a statement on Instagram which read: “I did not give anyone my likeness to be used in any way to fool people into thinking I am the real Dolly Parton. This has happened a couple of times now and it’s not OK.

“I don’t own these images. These photos were taken during a red carpet event in Las Vegas for the opening of the movie Song Sung Blue where multiple impersonators attended.”

She added: “My goal is to carry on [Dolly’s] giving, loving legacy in the world. We need reporters to do better due diligence when broadcasting to prevent [fake news].”

“I want to say, in no way, shape or form, have I ever given permission to anyone to allow them to use my image and say that I am Dolly Parton,” she said in the accompanying video. “I would never fool people that way. I am an impersonator.

“People know that they’re buying tickets to see an impersonator, and I would never say that I’m Dolly Parton.”

Kelly also told the New York Post: “I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it.”

“I was already heartbroken at losing Dolly because of how much she has given to me as a woman and an artist,” she added. “But then to see these images of me on screen was just weird.”

Dolly’s team has confirmed that the singer died in hospital on Tuesday following what they described as a “brief battle with cancer”.

The legendary musician is to be laid to rest in a “small” and “private” funeral attended by close family, with fans being encouraged to donate to one of her charity initiatives in her memory.