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14 amazing video games that were let down by awful marketing

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14 amazing video games that were let down by awful marketing
Sadly, being a good video game is not always enough (Square Enix/Nintendo/Capcom)

GameCentral reminisces about the many video games that were hampered by ill thought-out marketing schemes… or were barely advertised at all.

In a perfect world, putting in the effort to create a top quality video game (or any kind of product) should guarantee success, but that’s sadly not the case.

Too often a video game’s sales performance hinges not on its quality, but how it’s advertised. Even terrible games can enjoy strong launches if the trailers and general hype are doing their job right.

Sometimes, publishers such as EA and Activision will put plenty of effort into marketing new games but focus on the wrong areas. They’ll try and broaden a game’s appeal in the advertising and instead completely misrepresent why people should play it.

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Other times, they’ll pull ridiculous marketing stunts that do little to inspire confidence in what they are selling or they simply won’t even bother with marketing if they think a game won’t do well, dooming such games to rely entirely on good word of mouth.

Today, we want to remember the video games that suffered from absent, misguided, or just plain bizarre marketing and whether they managed to thrive in spite of it.

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Yoshi And The Mysterious Book

The game that inspired this list, Yoshi And The Mysterious Book initially looked like it would be another overly simplistic platformer for kids and hardly a good justification for purchasing a Nintendo Switch 2.

Turns out Nintendo severely undersold it, because Yoshi And The Mysterious Book’s levels are delightful toy boxes full of unique gimmicks that could easily have been the focus of entire games; ones that lend themselves perfectly to fun puzzle solving.

Nintendo’s marketing completely ignored the game’s best qualities, to the point where they still haven’t shared any sales figures, which is unusual for them. Despite being one of the best games of the year, and coming out shorty after Yoshi played a starring role in the Super Mario Galaxy movie, It’s believed to have not even cracked a million sales.

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Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy

After Square Enix’s extremely middling Avengers live service game, there was little enthusiasm for the company’s announcement of a Guardians Of The Galaxy game, even though it promised to be a purely single-player experience.

If anything, it was more bizarre that there were no co-op options for a game about Marvel’s gang of galactic outcasts, as trailers focused too much on Star-Lord’s (admittedly fantastic) mixtape of nostalgic 80s tunes, making the whole thing seem like a desperate recreation of the movies.

So, imagine our surprise when the game turned out to have some real ambition, boasting consistently entertaining tactical combat and, amidst the jokes, a sincerely heartfelt story about grief and coping with loss.

Despite developer Eidos-Montréal’s best efforts, and strong word of mouth, Guardians Of The Galaxy was branded a flop by Square Enix and contributed to the company’s decision to avoid future Marvel games and sell off its Western studios.

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The only silver lining is that, quite unexpectedly, the game is getting re-released on Switch 2, after being announced during this month’s Nintendo Direct.

Onrush, Split/Second: Velocity, and Blur

We’re bundling these three together since they’re all British-made arcade racing games that suffered from poor marketing decisions, which contributed to their awful sales.

Onrush by Codemasters was enjoyably unique, as it was more of a hero shooter with cars than a standard racer, and all four of its gameplay modes worked wonderfully. Unfortunately, it was barely advertised and some trailers made it seem very generic.

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Black Rock Studio’s Split/Second: Velocity also saw little advertising, despite having a great hook where you could trigger destructible environments mid-race to interfere with opponents and change the layout of the track. It also made the mistake of launching in May 2010, the same month as Red Dead Redemption and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Bizarre Creations and Activision fell into a similar trap with Blur, as they tried to position the game as an adult rival to Mario Kart, complete with a trailer clearly meant to mock Nintendo’s racer as a stupid baby game, without explaining why Blur was supposed to be better.

Titanfall 2

Titanfall 2 is still revered to this day as having one of the best first person shooter campaigns and deservedly so. Even if very few people played it at the time.

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Unfortunately, EA did it no favours by barely marketing the game and what marketing it did have didn’t do enough to emphasise that it had a proper campaign, compared to the first game’s multiplayer focus.

EA also made the baffling decision to launch Titanfall 2 between two other multiplayer shooters for far bigger franchises – EA’s own Battlefield 1 and the similarly sci-fi themed Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare – thus dooming it to lacklustre sales.

DmC Devil May Cry

Capcom’s decision to reboot Devil May Cry and try to make it more appealing to Western audiences, by using British developer Ninja Theory and turning protagonist Dante into an unlikable git, was a bad call – especially with stuff like this joke, that seemed tailor made to antagonise long time fans.

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And yet DmC Devil May Cry was a good game, with more complex combat than it’s given credit for, while fulfilling Capcom’s aim to be a more accessible entry point for the series.

Had Capcom not tried too hard in rebooting the world and characters, the game may not have generated such undeserved hate for developer Ninja Theory. To its credit, Capcom didn’t sweep the game under the carpet immediately and launched a fantastic next gen upgrade that added a number of new features and options.

Regardless, Capcom did end up reverting to the original continuity with the next game, Devil May Cry 5, and considering that’s now the series’ best-selling entry, it’s safe to say the reboot will remain a one-off.

Kirby Mouse Attack box art with Kirby carrying a treasure chest as he runs away from cartoon mice thieves
The image of a scowling Kirby became somewhat memetic (Nintendo/MobyGames)

Kirby

We’re including the Kirby series as a blanket case and long-time fans already know exactly why that is. For years, Nintendo of America seemed to think the best way to market Kirby in the West was by, and we’re not exaggerating here, giving him angry eyes.

Look up any box art comparisons of Kirby games and you’ll see the pink puffball’s joyful smile on the Japanese covers replaced with a furrowed brow and steely determination on the US covers, clearly done to make Kirby seem more hardcore than cute.

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Maybe the tactic worked, because the game is bigger in the US than Europe, but nowadays the box art for Kirby games remains the same across regions, as Nintendo of America instead relies on nostalgia and leans into the cuteness.

God of War 2 gameplay of Kratos holding a wounded enemy soldier up by the throat
We don’t think Sony will be using animal carcasses to advertise the God Of War remakes (Sony/MobyGames)

God Of War 2

Before God Of War was about the contemplations of fatherhood and Kratos overcoming his anger issues, to be a kinder and wiser person, the series was primarily sold on its ultra violence and its hero being an amoral tryhard.

As one of the poster children for the 2000s era of video games, where a lot of the industry sold itself on being offensively edgy, Sony wound up rocking the boat by inviting press to a God Of War 2 event that involved shoving your hand into a dead, headless goat’s carcass and eating its insides.

Sony did clarify that the goat’s insides were filled with normal Greek food, but the dead goat was real and caused enough outrage among the mass media and animal rights activists for Sony to apologise for the debacle.

They may have been convinced to go to such lengths because the original God Of War wasn’t a big hit in Europe, as it came at the height of the rivalry between Sony Computer Entertainment America and Europe. The latter put purposefully little effort into pushing the first game, back when they had a lot more autonomy than they do now.

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The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time has a lasting legacy as one of the best and most important video games ever made, but it has one small blight on that legacy and it’s an infamous UK ad that asked fans, ‘Willst thou get the girl? Or play like one?’

Aside from being uncharacteristically antagonistic for the family friendly Nintendo, it fed into the stereotype that video games are only for boys. It felt like a weirdly old-fashioned form of sexism even at the time and seems even more unforgivable nowadays.

This did spark a small controversy and an attempt to have the ad removed, which didn’t work, but it didn’t hurt Ocarina Of Time’s launch and is now more of an odd curio, since the ads weren’t run in other countries.

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Dead Space 2/Dante’s Inferno

We should just put EA’s entire tenure during the Xbox 360 era on this list because the publisher was constantly guilty of relying on shock value and deliberately stirring up controversies to market its games.

For Dead Space 2, EA ran a Your Mum Hates Dead Space 2 campaign for the former, where it essentially put together a focus group of mothers and recorded their horrified and outraged reactions to some of Dead Space 2’s more violent moments.

Clearly, the goal was to make the game look cool and edgy to rebellious youths (EA even encouraged fans to post their own mums’ reactions on social media), but it was tasteless and lame even at the time and didn’t help the stereotype of video games being childish and exploitative. The strategy didn’t even work since, according to one of the game’s developers, EA branded Dead Space 2 a commercial failure.

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As for Dante’s Inferno, which was a God Of War clone based on The Divine Comedy, EA tried to capitalise on religious backlash to promote the game and staged a protest to make it look as if devout church goers found the game offensive.

The company later confessed the protest was fake and, much like Dead Space 2, EA’s efforts were for naught as Dante’s Inferno underperformed, prompting EA to cancel a planned sequel.

Burnout 2 box art featuring logo and speeding race cars
Acclaim seemed to love stirring up controversy when advertising games like Burnout 2 (Acclaim/MobyGames)

Burnout 2

Acclaim rose from the dead last year, to get back into video game publishing, and we hope for its sake that it doesn’t repeat the same marketing snafus it pulled before it closed its doors.

We could write a whole article about Acclaim’s ill-thought-out ideas to promote its games here in the UK, which only ever earned it controversy and a poor reputation.

For example, to advertise racing game Burnout 2, Acclaim offered to pay for peoples’ speeding tickets, which unsurprisingly made the UK government very angry, since it came across as Acclaim encouraging speeding.

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Acclaim filed for bankruptcy two years after it came out. EA, however, saw the potential in both the series and developer Criterion, as it acquired both and went on to release plenty more Burnout games.

Sadly, Burnout nowadays languishes in EA’s vaults (the last game was in 2018) and is unlikely to ever return now that Criterion has been reworked into a Battlefield 6 studio.

Shadow Man 2 box art of title character's head posed next to a skeletal head with glowing eye sockets
Acclaim’s self-described ‘deadvertising’ never caught on (Acclaim/MobyGames)

Shadow Man 2

Another infamous Acclaim promotion was for action adventure sequel Shadow Man 2… or Shadow Man: 2econd Coming to use its actual, much stupider name.

If you thought the speeding ticket scenario was bad, you’ll be amazed to learn that Acclaim’s marketing plans included buying advertising space on tombstones.

We don’t mean bespoke tombstones either. We mean Acclaim was offering families money to have Shadow Man 2 billboards placed on their dead relatives’ tombstones.

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Billed as ‘deadvertising,’ Acclaim argued that it fit the game’s dark and gory tone and even said the offer would ‘particularly interest poorer families,’ describing it as ‘a subsidy to burial costs to give their loved one a good send-off.’

As far as we can tell, nobody took Acclaim up on the offer and, much like Burnout 2, Shadow Man 2’s sales weren’t strong enough to save Acclaim from bankruptcy, proving that there is such a thing as bad publicity.

To our surprise, there is a new Shadow Man game in the works, though, called Shadowman: Darque Legacy from Australian developer Blowfish Studios. But it was only announced with a vague teaser trailer in 2023 and has seen no updates since.

A darkly lit dock in a bayou from Shadowman Darque Legacy teaser
The teaser for the next Shadow Man game only consists of dimly lit environments (Blowfish Studios)

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Mariska Hargitay sparks backlash over ‘cringe’ opening number at the 2026 Emmys: Live updates

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Mariska Hargitay sparks backlash over 'cringe' opening number at the 2026 Emmys: Live updates

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Host Mariska Hargitay drew backlash online for her ‘cringe’ opening number at the 2026 Primetime Emmys.

As the Law and Order star sat on horseback, she sang a remixed rendition of ‘I Love Rock n’ Roll’ as she arrived to the Peacock theater surrounded by men dressed as televisions. 

Fans rushed online to slam the star’s opening monologue, with one declaring: ‘#emmys the opening by Mariska, so cringe what,’ and another adding ‘It’s giving “your mom does stand up”.’

Earlier in the evening, stars are hit the red carpet as television’s biggest programs are honored. 

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Zendaya graced the carpet in a floor length silver gown and donned her shortest haircut to date as comedian Meg Statler sent shockwaves through the crowd in a bizarre gold Emmys statue costume. 

HBO Max’s The Pitt and Hacks are expected to sweep the evening’s biggest awards after seeing record-breaking nominations earlier in the year. 

An emotional in memoriam segment will honor beloved stars who have passed this year including Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara and James Van Der Beek

Follow the Daily Mail for the latest updates… 

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The ceremony kicks off with musical number from host Mariska Hargitay… but some viewers weren’t so impressed

The Law & Order: SUV actress was joined by Knicks star Jalen Brunson for the performance, which saw her singing a parody of the classic song I Love Rock and Roll.

She then delivered a hilarious monologue during which she cracked a joke about not being able to pronounce the word ‘finale’ because her show ‘never had one’ and quoted Nicole Kidman’s famous AMC ad, which prompted an interruption from Kidman herself.

Some people weren’t entertained by the opening number, however, and took to X to bash it, branding it as ‘cringe.’

Rhea Seehorn earns the award for Outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her role in Pluribus

Allison Janney wins the award for Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role in The Diplomat

She beat out fellow actresses Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa, Sepideh Moafi, Julianne Nicholson and Karolina Wydra.

Allison Janney at the 78th Emmy Awards held at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast reunites on stage at 2026 Emmys

Former costars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz came on stage together to present an award 30 years after the show debuted, and boy, was it nostalgic.

78th PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS -- Pictured: (l-r) Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz speak on stage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026. -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)

Matthew Rhys snags the award for Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie

He won for his role in The Beast in Me.

Jean Smart wins the award for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her part in Hacks

It was the actress’s fifth consecutive Emmy for her role in Hacks. An impressive feat, if you ask us.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 14: Jean Smart accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Award for "Hacks" onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The first award goes to…

Kate O’Flynn from Widow’s Bay won the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Zendaya smirks coyly after being called ‘Mrs. Holland’

Euphoria star Zendaya kept a straight face until a photographer shouted ‘Mrs. Holland’ at her on the Emmys red carpet this evening.

Although Zendaya and Tom Holland have not openly confirmed their nuptials, it was reported that the actors wed in secret back in August at Beaverbrook estate in Surrey, England, with Zendaya thought to have worn a lace Schiaparelli gown with a long-sleeved and high-neck design.

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Battle of the skinny stars at Emmys 2026 as Hollywood’s Ozempic obsession continues

The Emmys 2026 kicked off award season in style – but it was the parade of skinny stars on the red carpet that caused the biggest stir.

Zendaya, Amy Poehler and Sarah Michelle Gellar were among the biggest names to descend on the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, on Monday night.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 14: (L-R) Noah Wyle and Sara Wells attend the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

Brooks Nader flaunts her toned figure in a tight dress dress that has a sultry cut-out in the chest area and a thigh-high slit

Brooks Nader at the 78th Emmy Awards held at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

Calista Flockhart is pretty in pink as she walks the Emmys 2026 red carpet

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 14: Calista Flockhart attends the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

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Richard Hammond reveals Grand Tour cars he brought back

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Richard Hammond reveals Grand Tour cars he brought back

The well-known car enthusiast, who lives near Abergavenny, shared this in a new DriveTribe video.

In the film, he reminisces about the vehicles that became part of his personal collection after years of filming around the world.

Mr Hammond said: “Some people bring home fridge magnets. I brought home the cars.”

He fondly described the cars as “battered, slightly ridiculous, and full of very good memories” from his two decades of motoring adventures with Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

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Richard Hammond returned to the Top Gear track. (Image: DriveTribe / YouTube)

The video showcases Mr Hammond reflecting on some of the cars he retained after filming, and he also shares stories from the final days of The Grand Tour.

The presenter, who was brought up in North Yorkshire and attended Ripon Grammar School then Harrogate College of Art and Technology, has been in the spotlight for his vast vehicle collection and his connections to south-east Wales.

He runs the restoration business The Smallest Cog in Herefordshire and was recently reported to have dozens of cars registered at his home near Abergavenny.

His collection includes a variety of vehicles, from British classics and Land Rovers to American muscle cars and high-performance sports cars.

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Fans also recall his love for vehicles used in some of the trio’s most memorable TV specials.

The DriveTribe video follows the end of the original Grand Tour line-up, marking the closure of one of motoring television’s most popular partnerships.

The video, where Mr Hammond talks about the cars he couldn’t part with after filming, has sparked significant interest from fans.

While many cars used in the shows were sold, returned, or scrapped, a few special ones remain with him.

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Emmy Awards 2026 best dressed! Zendaya, Selena Gomez and Mariska Hargitay lead red carpet glamour at TV’s biggest night

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Carey Mulligan earned a Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology nod for Beef

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Michael J. Fox, Shrinking

Brett Goldstein, Shrinking

Hamish Linklater, Widow’s Bay

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Christopher McDonald, Hacks

Rob Reiner, The Bear

Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live

 

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Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Claire Danes, The Beast in Me

Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures

Carey Mulligan, Beef

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Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Sarah Snook, All Her Fault

Carey Mulligan earned a Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology nod for Beef

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Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Riz Ahmed, Bait

Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit

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Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Oscar Isaac, Beef

Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me

 

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Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis

Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault

Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story

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Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis

Youn Yuh-jung, Beef

Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

 

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Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis

Richard Gadd, Half Man

David Harbour, DTF St. Louis

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Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis

Charles Melton, Beef

Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning

Jason Bateman and David Harbour will face off in the Bestg Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for DTF St. Louis

Jason Bateman and David Harbour will face off in the Bestg Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for DTF St. Louis

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Outstanding Reality Competition Program

Dancing With the Stars

RuPaul’s Drag Race

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Survivor

Top Chef

The Traitors

 

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Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Alan Cumming, The Traitors

Kristen Kish, Top Chef

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Ariana Madix, Love Island

Jeff Probst, Survivor

 

Outstanding Host for a Game Show

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Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud

Ken Jennings, Jeopardy

Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy

Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

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Martin Short, Match Game

 

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow

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Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Love Is Blind

Queer Eye

Shark Tank

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Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Love on the Spectrum

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RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked

Summer House

Welcome to Wrexham

Summer House received a surprise nomination in the Best Unstructured Reality Program category

Summer House received a surprise nomination in the Best Unstructured Reality Program category

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Outstanding Variety Series

The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live

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Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Saturday Night Live

 

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Outstanding Game Show

Celebrity Family Feud

Jeopardy

The Price Is Right

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Wheel of Fortune

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

 

Outstanding Movie

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Heads of State

Miss You, Love You

People We Meet on Vacation

Remarkably Bright Creatures

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Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Diplomat (Peter Akerman and Debora Cahn for “Amagansett”)

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The Pitt (Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill for “1:00 PM”)

The Pitt (Valerie Chu for “12:00 PM”)

Mickey Down and Konrad Kay for “Dear Henry,” Industry

Pluribus (Vince Gilligan for “We Is Us”)

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Slow Horses (Will Smith for “Scars”)

Task (Brad Ingelsby for “A Still Small Voice”)

 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

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Abbott Elementary (Quinta Brunson for “Team Building”)

The Chair Company (Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin for “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does”)

The Comeback (Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow for “Valerie Does It All”)

Hacks (Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for “Hacks”)

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Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat (Anthony King for “Mergers and Acquisitions”)

Widow’s Bay (Katie Dippold for “Welcome to Widow’s Bay”)

 

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

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All Her Fault (Megan Gallagher for “Episode 8”)

The Beast in Me (Gabe Rotter and Daniel Pearle for “Sick Puppy”)

Beef (Lee Sung Jin for “All the Things We’re Never Gonna Have”)

DTF St. Louis (Steven Conrad)

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Death by Lightning (Mike Makowsky)

 

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

The Gilded Age (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for “My Mind Is Made Up”)

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Paradise (Hanelle M. Culpepper for “Exodus”)

The Pitt (Noah Wyle for “12:00 PM”)

Pluribus (Vince Gilligan for “We Is Us”)

Slow Horses (Saul Metzstein for “Scars”)

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Task (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river”)

 

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (Randall Einhorn for “Ballgame”)

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The Bear (Christopher Storer for “Bears”)

The Chair Company (Andrew DeYoung for “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does”)

Hacks (Lucia Aniello for “Hacks”)

The Ms. Pat Show (Mary Lou Belli for “Give It Arrest”)

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Widow’s Bay (Hiro Murai for “Welcome to Widow’s Bay”)

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‘I worked for the Queen – arrogant Andrew was not her favourite’

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Cambridgeshire Live

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was long believed to be Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite of her four children, but one of the late monarch’s former colleagues has now cast doubt on the claim

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was “never the favourite” child of Queen Elizabeth II, according to the late monarch’s former press secretary. For many years, it has been widely reported that the former Prince, whose three siblings are King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, held a particularly cherished place in his mother’s affections.

However, Dickie Arbiter, who served as the Queen’s press secretary from 1988 to 2000, has cast doubt on this long-held assumption.

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Speaking on the Royal Exclusive podcast, he claimed: “He was never the favourite, he was arrogant, he was bombastic, he always pushed himself in front to the detriment of everybody else.”

Dickie suggested that the Queen, who died away in 2022, actually “had more time for Edward”, attributing this to him “being quiet”. He continued: “He went about life quietly without pushing himself and he’s doing a tremendous job today.

“[He’s also had a] happy marriage to Sophie (the Duchess of Edinburgh) for over 25 years but Andrew was always up front, he was always the noisy one and he was always the noisy one as an adult until he was put back in his box,” Dickie added.

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The former royal press secretary’s assertion is supported by royal biographer Matthew Dennison, who has similarly suggested that Edward was the Queen’s favoured child.

In his extensive biography of the Queen, he wrote: “Prince Edward, seemingly a bit wet and a tad irritating to the rest of us, was always his parents’ favourite.

“That became apparent in 1987 when Edward, aged 22, opted out of the Royal Marines when he was just a third of the way through his 12-month basic training course,” he explained.

“To the surprise of some, Prince Philip (Captain-General of the Royal Marines) did not come down on his son like a ton of bricks. He accepted that the Marines ‘wasn’t right for Edward’ – and to this day Edward is grateful for that.”

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Ailsa Anderson, who served as the Queen’s press secretary from 2001 to 2013, stated she witnessed no favouritism regarding the Queen and her four children with Prince Philip.

“The media do say that he was the favourite son, but in my 12 years working for the late Queen I never saw her display any favouritism amongst any of her children so I can’t really say that’s true,” she told BBC News.

In October 2025, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles by the King following allegations against him and fresh revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in 2019.

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He has always denied any wrongdoing, though was later forced to leave his Windsor mansion, moving to the monarch’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk earlier this year.

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Darlington Duck Race to raise money for hospice care

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Darlington Duck Race to raise money for hospice care

The Darlington Duck Race starts at 2pm on Saturday, September 26, behind St Cuthbert’s Church in the Market Place and finishes near the Premier Inn.

Residents may already have spotted a number of illuminated and decorated ducks displayed in shop windows and at landmarks across Darlington town centre as excitement builds for the event.

Organised by St Teresa’s Hospice in partnership with Darlington Borough Council and Darlington Rotary Club, the fundraiser will see numbered rubber ducks race along the River Skerne for the chance to win cash prizes.

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Participants can purchase a duck for £5, with every entry linked to a uniquely numbered ticket.

The owners of the first three ducks across the finish line will win prizes.

The event will raise money for St Teresa’s Hospice, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in December.

St Teresa’s Hospice provides palliative and end-of-life care for people with life-limiting illnesses and support for their families and carers.

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Ducks are available from Angel’s Cut, Charles Clinkard and Leggs, as well as online.

Sales through participating outlets close at midnight on September 20, but limited entries may still be available on race day.

Families and spectators are expected at the riverside, with visitors urged to explore the town centre’s colourful duck displays before the race.

The race is licensed as a Small Society Lottery and is open to people aged 16 and over.

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Only winners aged 16 or over can claim prize money.

Organisers have also issued a reminder about water safety, urging spectators to follow instructions from marshals and volunteers throughout the event.

Only authorised personnel will be allowed to enter the river.

Children must be supervised by a parent or responsible adult, and well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads.

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The event will raise money for vital hospice services while bringing families and the community together by the riverside.

Duck Trail Maps can be purchased from any shop displaying a duck in its window.

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Mr Bean to step into the world of Dennis The Menace and more in Beano crossover

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Mr Bean to step into the world of Dennis The Menace and more in Beano crossover

Tom Beattie, managing director at the production company behind the Mr Bean animated series, Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, added: “Having been a Beano Fan Club member as a kid, it’s a dream come true to work on this collaboration – it feels like the perfect partnership between two comedy greats.

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Slow Horses stars Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Ruth Bradley look glam as they lead the British and Irish arrivals at the Emmy Awards after their show received nine nominations

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Carey Mulligan earned a Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology nod for Beef

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Michael J. Fox, Shrinking

Brett Goldstein, Shrinking

Hamish Linklater, Widow’s Bay

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Christopher McDonald, Hacks

Rob Reiner, The Bear

Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live

 

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Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Claire Danes, The Beast in Me

Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures

Carey Mulligan, Beef

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Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Sarah Snook, All Her Fault

Carey Mulligan earned a Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology nod for Beef

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Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Riz Ahmed, Bait

Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit

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Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Oscar Isaac, Beef

Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me

 

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Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis

Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault

Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story

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Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis

Youn Yuh-jung, Beef

Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

 

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Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis

Richard Gadd, Half Man

David Harbour, DTF St. Louis

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Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis

Charles Melton, Beef

Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning

Jason Bateman and David Harbour will face off in the Bestg Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for DTF St. Louis

Jason Bateman and David Harbour will face off in the Bestg Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for DTF St. Louis

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Outstanding Reality Competition Program

Dancing With the Stars

RuPaul’s Drag Race

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Survivor

Top Chef

The Traitors

 

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Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Alan Cumming, The Traitors

Kristen Kish, Top Chef

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Ariana Madix, Love Island

Jeff Probst, Survivor

 

Outstanding Host for a Game Show

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Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud

Ken Jennings, Jeopardy

Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy

Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

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Martin Short, Match Game

 

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow

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Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Love Is Blind

Queer Eye

Shark Tank

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Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Love on the Spectrum

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RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked

Summer House

Welcome to Wrexham

Summer House received a surprise nomination in the Best Unstructured Reality Program category

Summer House received a surprise nomination in the Best Unstructured Reality Program category

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Outstanding Variety Series

The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live

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Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Saturday Night Live

 

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Outstanding Game Show

Celebrity Family Feud

Jeopardy

The Price Is Right

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Wheel of Fortune

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

 

Outstanding Movie

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Heads of State

Miss You, Love You

People We Meet on Vacation

Remarkably Bright Creatures

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Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Diplomat (Peter Akerman and Debora Cahn for “Amagansett”)

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The Pitt (Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill for “1:00 PM”)

The Pitt (Valerie Chu for “12:00 PM”)

Mickey Down and Konrad Kay for “Dear Henry,” Industry

Pluribus (Vince Gilligan for “We Is Us”)

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Slow Horses (Will Smith for “Scars”)

Task (Brad Ingelsby for “A Still Small Voice”)

 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

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Abbott Elementary (Quinta Brunson for “Team Building”)

The Chair Company (Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin for “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does”)

The Comeback (Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow for “Valerie Does It All”)

Hacks (Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for “Hacks”)

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Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat (Anthony King for “Mergers and Acquisitions”)

Widow’s Bay (Katie Dippold for “Welcome to Widow’s Bay”)

 

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

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All Her Fault (Megan Gallagher for “Episode 8”)

The Beast in Me (Gabe Rotter and Daniel Pearle for “Sick Puppy”)

Beef (Lee Sung Jin for “All the Things We’re Never Gonna Have”)

DTF St. Louis (Steven Conrad)

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Death by Lightning (Mike Makowsky)

 

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

The Gilded Age (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for “My Mind Is Made Up”)

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Paradise (Hanelle M. Culpepper for “Exodus”)

The Pitt (Noah Wyle for “12:00 PM”)

Pluribus (Vince Gilligan for “We Is Us”)

Slow Horses (Saul Metzstein for “Scars”)

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Task (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river”)

 

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (Randall Einhorn for “Ballgame”)

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The Bear (Christopher Storer for “Bears”)

The Chair Company (Andrew DeYoung for “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does”)

Hacks (Lucia Aniello for “Hacks”)

The Ms. Pat Show (Mary Lou Belli for “Give It Arrest”)

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Widow’s Bay (Hiro Murai for “Welcome to Widow’s Bay”)

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Amanda Owen’s life now after split from Clive and Our Yorkshire Farm

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Amanda Owen's life now after split from Clive and Our Yorkshire Farm

The Yorkshire Shepherdess, her former husband Clive and their nine children became household names as cameras followed life at remote Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale.

However, much has changed since the Channel 5 programme came to an end.

Amanda and Clive announced their separation in June 2022 after 22 years of marriage, but said they would continue farming and raising their family together.

Four years on, Amanda remains in the Yorkshire Dales, back on television with Clive and their children while building a career beyond the farm.

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So what is Amanda Owen doing now?

Amanda Owen’s life after splitting from Clive

Amanda and Clive confirmed their separation in June 2022 after describing their marriage as going through a “rocky patch”.

At the time, Amanda said the pair believed separating was the right choice for their family.

Although no longer a couple, they said they would continue working together at Ravenseat and co-parenting their nine children.

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Amanda said farm life had to continue, with children to care for and animals needing constant attention.

She told ITV’s Lorraine in September 2022 that the separation had been difficult, but added: “Life carries on on the farm.”

Clive later publicly took responsibility for his part in the breakdown of the marriage.

Appearing on Lorraine in 2023, he said he struggled to cope with the dramatic changes brought by Our Yorkshire Farm’s success and should have supported Amanda more.

But the former couple have maintained an unusually close working relationship.

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That relationship has become central to their return to television.

Amanda and Clive return to television together

Our Yorkshire Farm ended in 2022, but the Owen family’s television story continued.

Amanda, Clive and their children returned in More4’s Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids.

Instead of focusing solely on life at Ravenseat, the programme follows one of the family’s biggest projects yet – bringing a centuries-old derelict farmhouse known as Anty John’s back to life.

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Amanda and Clive bought the property in 2020 and began restoring it with help from their children and local tradespeople.

The project has continued despite their separation.

Channel 4 said the farmhouse was bought for the family’s future, while the programme charts its painstaking transformation into a modern home.

The programme has become a success in its own right.

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Channel 4 commissioned two more series in August 2025, following the Owens as they moved from restoring Anty John’s exterior to tackling its vast interior.

The work includes planning the rooms and installing plumbing and running water.

A fourth series is now on the way.

A behind-the-scenes event in Northallerton on September 30, 2026, will include an exclusive preview of the new series, organisers say.

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Does Amanda Owen still live at Ravenseat?

Ravenseat remains at the centre of the Owen family’s life.

The remote 2,000-acre hill farm in Upper Swaledale featured in Our Yorkshire Farm, where Amanda and Clive raised their nine children: Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy.

Amanda has continued farming while working on Anty John’s nearby.

Speaking in 2025, she said raising her children in rural Yorkshire gave them freedom while teaching them independence, common sense and a strong work ethic.

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She described the Anty John’s renovation as “all-consuming”, saying its scale could make progress feel slow.

Amanda, Clive and Kids altogether outside Anty John’s (Image: CHANNEL 4)

Several of the older Owen children have increasingly built lives and careers of their own.

Raven left home for university and pursued a career beyond farming, while Reuben built a contracting business and television career.

The changing lives of the nine children have increasingly become part of the family’s story as the younger siblings grow up at Ravenseat.

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Amanda Owen’s career beyond Our Yorkshire Farm

Television is now only one part of Amanda’s work.

She has built a career as an author and public speaker alongside farming.

Her latest book, Cosy Bedtime Stories from the Farm, was published by Puffin on September 3, 2026.

The children’s book contains ten stories inspired by life on a working farm, covering everything from wildlife and camping to sheepdogs and evenings beside the fire.

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Amanda has written several books about her experiences in the Yorkshire Dales, and her publisher describes her as a bestselling author, shepherdess and TV personality.

It is another step in a career that began far from television.

Born in Huddersfield, Amanda became a first-generation farmer before eventually arriving at Ravenseat, where she met Clive and went on to raise their large family.

What is Amanda Owen doing now in 2026?

Amanda’s life looks very different from the early days of Our Yorkshire Farm, but the ingredients that made it popular remain.

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She continues to farm in Swaledale, raise her family and work alongside Clive despite their marriage ending.

She is also transforming Anty John’s, filming Our Farm Next Door, writing books and making public appearances.

And there is plenty more of the Owen family’s story to come.

With series four of Our Farm Next Door returning to More4, viewers can once again see life for the family years after Our Yorkshire Farm made them famous.

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Mid-air diversion for Jet2 flight after ‘medical incident’ reported on board

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Daily Record

Flight LS1413 was travelling from London Stansted to Bulgaria when it was diverted

A Jet2 flight was forced to divert following a medical emergency that disrupted its journey. The aircraft had departed London Stansted bound for Burgas in Bulgaria.

However, Flight LS1413 was redirected to Germany on Monday (September 14) afternoon due to a “medical incident on board”, Jet2 confirmed.

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The aircraft touched down at Frankfurt Airport at 5.43pm local time. During the stopover, the plane refuelled before departing for its original destination, according to The Mirror.

The Airbus A321 arrived at Burgas at 10.27pm local time (8.27pm BST) – roughly one hour and 45 minutes behind its planned arrival time of 8.40pm local time.

On its website, Jet2 stated: “Due to a medical incident on board, we wanted to let you know that flight LS1413 London Stansted to Bourgas will need to make a fuel stop in Frankfurt.”

“Once the plane has refuelled, it will then continue to Bourgas Airport. This is an unscheduled change, so we’re doing everything we can to minimise any disruption to your onward journey.

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“Thanks in advance for your understanding and patience during this time – we’ll have you on your way as quickly as we can.”

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Will there be a Vigil season 4? BBC viewers all say same thing as series 3 ends

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Daily Mirror

Vigil aired its explosive finale on Monday night as series three came to an end

Vigil viewers were all quick to make the same demand on Monday as series three came to an end.

The hit BBC detective drama sees Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva and Rose Leslie as DI Kirsten Longacre. Series three has seen the murder of a British citizen in the Arctic, leading to DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre investigating the case.

It wasn’t long until Amy looked into a possible conspiracy on Scottish soil while Kirsten came up against uncooperative Russian inhabitants, who claimed foul play and obstructed her at every turn. As expected with Vigil, soon many twists came about, including the discovery of a missing person…

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After five episodes full of suspense, Monday night saw the series finale as Amy and Kirsten returned to Scotland, only for danger to follow them there.

Meanwhile, Amy found herself on the wrong side of the law, and Kirsten put herself in danger to keep Amy safe and to get to the truth while under immense political pressure and personal jeopardy. The duo were faced with the hardest choice of their careers yet…

After Sir Ian Downing was arrested and politician Gordon Laity, Shen Jia was finally safe and able to share her research with the world. However, it was heartbreaking news for Amy as she faced severe action for refusing to hand Shen Jia over to the authorities.

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Speaking to her boss, Amy asked: “Are you going to arrest me now?” to which he responded: “No, I don’t think there’ll be an appetite to bring charges… provided…”

With Amy answering: “Provided I resign?” to which her boss emotionally confirmed her question, saying he doesn’t like the idea but he doesn’t want to see her in prison either.

Amy then declared: “It’s been a privilege to work with you, sir” as she shook his hand. Meanwhile, emotional partner Kirsten said: “A wise colleague of mine once told me to never make this job personal” to which Amy insisted she has no regrets before walking off hand-in-hand with Kirsten.

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Following the finale, viewers were quick to take to Twitter, now X, to share their thoughts, demanding a series four. One person said: “brilliant series enjoyed every episode more please #Vigil.”

A different account wrote: “End of the series. A fantastic series! #Vigil” while another fan put: “#vigil What a brilliant series.”

Elsewhere, another show watcher commented: “Vigil with the wildly talented Suranne Jones is a terrific tension filled mystery. The gripping drama, Line of Duty meets 24 with a hint of Chain Reaction, is f***in awesome. Support includes Rose Leslie as Detective Inspector Kirsten Longacre. Season 4? #Vigil.”

Will there be a Vigil season 4?

Only recently, creator Tom Edge teased whether viewers could see the duo return for a fourth series. Speaking exclusively to Radio Times, the writer said: “Regrettably, the world remains complicated and finds new ways to evolve towards instability, danger and the rest. So I don’t think we would ever find ourselves short of stories.”

He added: “I think certainly this time around, we put the show in a place where we feel that this arc across three seasons has been settled.

“I think we will see how it goes. But one of the pleasures of the show is it doesn’t feel like it is a show that has to return on an annual ticking clock basis. So I think we can leave it open, but certainly for this season, it felt like it was the culmination of a bunch of questions that we’ve asked across three seasons. I was happy to take it to that point.”

Vigil is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

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