Gwyneth Paltrow was among the stars labelled ‘disgraceful’ by Russell T Davies for dismissing the role of intimacy co-ordinators on set

TV writer Russell T Davies has hit out at “privileged” actors, including Gwyneth Paltrow, for suggesting that intimacy co-ordinators are an unnecessary presence during the filming of sex scenes.

Russell, whose acclaimed dramas include Channel 4’s Queer as Folk, It’s a Sin and the forthcoming Tip Toe, argued that high-profile stars claiming these on-set specialists were hampering creativity were simply mistaken.

Asserting that intimacy co-ordinators have become a vital component of many productions in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, he said: “There’s been a rash recently of very famous actors saying you don’t need intimacy co-ordinators.”

Singling out Paltrow by name, he declared: “They are disgraceful human beings. They have so much power and so much privilege and they have no idea what it is like to be a jobbing actor with no power on a set. Shame on them.”

It emerged last year that the American actress, 53, had instructed the intimacy co-ordinator on her film Marty Supreme to “step back” while working alongside lead actor Timothée Chalamet, reports the Mirror.

She recounted how the production’s co-ordinator had enquired whether she felt comfortable with a particular move during one intimate scene. “I was like, ‘Girl, I’m from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera’s on’,” she explained. “We said, ‘I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back’.”

And Gwyneth added: “I don’t know how it is for kids who are starting out, but, if someone is like, ‘OK, and then he’s going to put his hand here,’ I would feel, as an artist, very stifled by that.”

She has received support from the likes of Kim Basinger and Sean Bean, both of whom have voiced comparable grievances.

Kim, whose credits include the 1986 erotic thriller 9 1/2 Weeks alongside Mickey Rourke, insisted she wouldn’t have employed an intimacy coordinator on set even had they existed at the time.

“I can’t imagine having somebody come up to me and say, ‘Do you mind if they put their hand here?’ That’s just another person in the room. Either we work it out or we don’t,” she explained.

Following his appearance in Game of Thrones, Sean Bean stated he was no admirer of intimacy coordinators as they “spoil the spontaneity” of an intimate scene. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

Yet numerous performers have expressed feeling considerably more at ease with intimate scenes being choreographed in the same manner as a stunt, while others have revealed they wished such specialists had existed when they first entered the industry.

Kate Winslet said in 2024: “I would have benefited from an intimacy coordinator every single time I had to do a love scene or be partially naked or even a kissing scene. It would have been nice to have had someone in my corner, because I always had to stand up for myself.”

Daisy Edgar-Jones, who appeared in the BBC’s acclaimed series Normal People in 2020 at the age of 22, said she believed it was appropriate that actors had “more protection” explaining: “Mentally, it’s a really vulnerable place to put yourself in. You need to feel like you have the control and agency in those moments so that you can feel relaxed and give a better performance.”

Russell’s forthcoming Channel 4 series Tip Toe features scenes of a sexual nature, predominantly involving residents of Manchester’s renowned Canal Street, where the production was shot.

Director Phil Collinson revealed he had come to appreciate the importance of intimacy co-ordinators through his and Russell’s previous critically-lauded series It’s a Sin, which explored the 1980s AIDS crisis. “I’d never done it before – it’s an incredible experience. Before that point, I was just left out there. It was like, go on, make this sexy. And then it’d be me and two actors all looking at each other and lots of people just with their arms folded.”

Tip Toe is an urban thriller examining the escalating hostility towards the LGBTQ community in recent times, featuring real-life friends Alan Cumming as bar proprietor Leo and David Morrissey as his neighbouring electrician, Clive.

Alan, 61, revealed that shooting the demanding storylines proved so exhausting that he lacked the stamina to go out afterwards. “I basically lived like a monk. I was like ‘ooh, months and months in Manchester, I’ll have such a good time’. But I hardly went out. I mean, that’s so unlike me – I just felt I needed to sort of have some time to myself. It was really a lot.”

David suggests his character might appear to be the antagonist, but Clive was multifaceted. “What Russell does brilliantly is he writes a character that is three-dimensional and complex – sometimes you feel for him and sometimes you can’t stand him.”

A major London Overground line is operating with severe delays as swarms of Arsenal fans descend on the capital.

The Gunners suffered a last-minute defeat to PSG last night as the French team emerged victorious on penalties.

But while Arsenal didn’t win the Champion’s League, legions of fans are still flocking to Islington, north London, to watch Arsenal’s Premier League Trophy Parade today.

Kicking off at 2pm, the parade will see the club’s men’s and women’s teams take to the streets around Holloway, Stoke Newington, Seven Sisters and Angel.

Footage taken in the area has shown swathes of fans take to the streets in red shirts.

How is London transport affected?

Fans are already on their way, causing severe delays across the Mildmay Line on the Overground.

Meanwhile a number of tube and train stations will be closed or operating a limited service. 

• Highbury & Islington: the Victoria line will not stop at the station. London Overground services will operate exit only. The station will not be step-free.
• Holloway Road: closed.
• Canonbury: exit only.
• Finsbury Park: queues are expected, particularly after the parade. No Thameslink service through central London to Farringdon due to planned engineering works.
• Caledonian Road: may operate exit only or trains may not stop if it becomes overcrowded.
• Drayton Park: closed.
• Essex Road: closed.

All roads along the parade route, including side roads leading to the main route, will be closed.

The Met had expected a large turnout for today’s celebration, with more than 500 officers deployed to Islington today alongside specialist search and drone teams.

Commander Stuart Bell, leading the Met’s public order operation this weekend, said: ‘The parade is an opportunity for Arsenal supporters to celebrate, and we want everyone attending to enjoy the day safely.

‘There will be a police presence along the route throughout the event, supporting event organisers and stewarding operations. Officers will respond to incidents where necessary.

‘We expect the vast majority of those attending on Sunday to do so safely and responsibly.

‘However, anti-social behaviour, violence or any other type of criminality will not be tolerated. Officers will take action against anyone attempting to cause disruption or harm.’

What’s the big deal anyway?

Arsenal didn’t win yesterday’s Champions League final, so why all the fanfare?

Well, despite the defeat, the club still has to celebrate it’s Premier League victory – its first in 22 years.

The popular women’s team also won the Fifa Women’s Champions Cup earlier this season, so Arsenal have a few things to celebrate today.

Where will the parade go?

The parade will follow a loop roughly five miles long beginning and ending at the Emirates stadium.

From there, the buses will turn onto Holloway Road from Drayton Park, continuing east along Seven Sisters Road before heading down Blackstock Road, Mount Grove Road and Green Lanes.

Continuing south along Petherton Road, Beresford Road and Newington Green Road, the route then heads south along Essex Road before making a turn and heading north at Angel Tube station onto Upper Street.

Once it hits towards Highbury and Islington station the buses then make their way back onto Holloway Road before returning to the stadium.

MORE: Gabriel Magalhaes sends message to Arsenal fans after ‘painful’ penalty miss

MORE: Jamie Carragher identifies the two signings Arsenal must make this summer

MORE: The four signings Arsenal want to make after Champions League heartbreak

The BBC and Netflix crime drama has been praised by critics as “unbeatable” and “unlike anything else on TV” — and it has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Devotees of British crime dramas will be thrilled to discover yet another outstanding thriller available to stream – and chances are it’s completely flown under your radar.

The series has earned extraordinary acclaim from critics and audiences in equal measure, placing it firmly alongside the likes of Line of Duty and Broadchurch, both widely regarded as the pinnacle of British crime television.

This underappreciated gem originally aired on BBC Two in October 2019, before reaching a broader global audience via Netflix in January 2020.

A joint venture between Netflix and the BBC, this crime drama has proven remarkably compelling for viewers across the world, and the widespread admiration it has received speaks volumes.

Giri/Haji, Japanese for ‘Duty/Shame’, is a bilingual production available on Netflix, written and created by Joe Barton, the talent behind Black Doves and The Lazarus Project, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Boasting an exceptional international cast that includes Takehiro Hira, Kelly Macdonald, Will Sharpe, Ysuke Kubozuka, Justin Long, Masahiro Motoki, Anna Sawai and Charlie Creed-Miles, this unmissable series spans both London and Tokyo, weaving dialogue in English and Japanese throughout.

The official synopsis reads: “Translating to Duty/Shame and set in both Tokyo and London, “Giri/Haji” is a thriller about a Tokyo detective named Kenzo Mori, scouring the London underworld to find his allegedly deceased brother, Yuto.

“Yuto was accused of brutally murdering the nephew of a yakuza member, which could lead to the onset of a gang war. Kenzo’s investigation into the disappearance lures him into dangerous elements of the corrupt underworld of London’s criminal circuit.”

Viewers were devastated when BBC Two and Netflix axed the series in September 2020, though not before it had made a significant impression on audiences worldwide.

Achieving a flawless 100% rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Giri/Haji has garnered widespread critical acclaim.

One critic said: “There is simply nothing else like this anywhere on television,” while another, sharing this view, noted: “If you love gangster thrillers, Giri/Haji is unbeatable.”

Advertisement

A third commentator added: “It’s complex but often deadpan funny, and then deeply serious about family matters. Visually startling (created by Joe Barton who also wrote for the series Humans), it’s like no thriller made in the past decade.”

Meanwhile, one critic posted: “[It] cross-pollinates genres – mixing cop show, yakuza thriller, love story, anime and hokey family melodrama, all spiked with bits of offbeat comedy. Giri/Haji is unlike anything else on TV.”

Another viewer said: “The resulting tangle is highly stylised (slipping into black and white, animation and at one point what I can only describe as slow-motion interpretative ballet) and unlike anything else I’ve watched on the BBC.”

Viewers were equally captivated by the British-Japanese collaboration, with one admirer saying: “This is by far one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. It’s artful, creative and existential in all the best ways possible. The fact it isn’t more widely known is a sad indictment on the current state of television.”

Another fan said: “Gripping from the first moment. Intelligent script, stunning cast, brilliantly crafted. Blends thrills and humour.”

Meanwhile, a third fan, describing the crime drama as ‘outstanding’, added: “Just an amazing show with both visual and verbal attributes that are mesmerizing and the duality of the show goes beyond the parallel locations but is intertwined to the depth of the characters. There are some scenes that just surpass anything that I have seen on TV in recent times if not ever. Just outstanding…”

Lamenting the programme’s cancellation, one disappointed viewer said: “This is a very classy, well acted, intelligent and witty show full of drama, action and twists. Things like this don’t come along that often, an absolute gem, please can we have another series?”

The MV Hondius is set to sail again and will take new passengers in just a few days’ time after completing a deep decontamination programme following a deadly hantavirus outbreak

A cruise ship which sparked a global health crisis after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus has been cleared to set sail again after a deep clean.

Three people died and another 10 were infected after the rat-borne virus spread through the MV Hondius earlier this month, sparking fears that human-to-human transmission could spread the illness across the world.

More than 170 passengers and crew were evacuated from the ship, including 30 British nationals. Yesterday the MV Hondius was cleared to sail again after authorities in Rotterdam, where it had docked, ruled it had been fully disinfected and said there were “no obstacles anymore” to it returning to sea. It was subjected to four key checks and a deep clean by workers in hazmat suits during its time in the Netherlands.

After arriving at Port of Rotterdam on May 18, the ship underwent a decontamination programme. A strict cleaning regime lasting several days required crews to wear PPE to ensure the vessel was thoroughly sanitised, and that the cleaners themselves would not require quarantine afterwards.

The 25 crew members and two medical staff who stayed on the ship from the Canary Islands to the Netherlands had to immediately enter quarantine upon arrival to monitor for the virus’s 42-day incubation period. Because hantaviruses are primarily spread by rodents, the ship also had to pass strict rodent inspection procedures to ensure there were no sources of the virus onboard.

Infection control experts and the public health agency in Rotterdam carried out a final inspection of the MV Hondius on May 29, which ruled the ship clean and that the decontamination process had been successful.

It comes after the World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus appeared to have been contained, telling reporters in an briefing on Friday: “The situation is stable for now. ^{We continue to remain vigilant and in close contact with all relevant governments… All passengers and crew remain in quarantine and under close monitoring to ensure they receive care if needed.”}

Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates the MV Hondius, expects to put the ship back into service as soon as June 13 for its next scheduled journey. This voyage would see it sail through the Arctic, including stops in Svalbard in Norway.

PARIS (AP) — French police detained 780 people involved in violent clashes in Paris and other French cities that erupted Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League title.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 57 officers were wounded, with most suffering minor injuries, as football fans set off fires and vandalized shops. One small group even tried to storm a Paris police station.

Nuñez said at a news conference Sunday that “the situation has been largely brought under control.”

“Most of the celebrations took place peacefully” across the French capital, he said, noting most incidents happened in the Champs Elysees neighborhood and close to the Parc des Princes stadium in western Paris where fans had gathered to watch the match.

Police also intervened five times overnight to prevent people from blocking traffic on the main ring road around Paris, he said.

Nuñez said incidents took place in about 15 cities in France, describing “one to two” shops vandalized in each other than Paris. He said 780 people were detained in all, with 480 of them in the Paris area alone.

The Paris prosecutors’ office said 277 people have been formally placed in police custody, including 82 minors, for alleged offences. Most were for assault of police officers while other allegations include theft, vandalism and disturbing the public order.

One serious accident involved a driver losing control of a car that rammed into a restaurant’s terrace, leaving two people wounded including one seriously, Nuñez said.

But Nuñez said that planned celebrations for the team’s win on Sunday afternoon at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, would go ahead as scheduled. He warned that police would respond with “firmness and determination” to any potential violence.

The PSG team will then be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee presidential palace.

Fans began celebrating in Paris after the final whistle Saturday evening in Budapest, Hungary, where Paris Saint-Germain won by beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final.

Fans marched along the avenues near Paris’ Arc de Triomphe monument, with some setting off flares and blaring car horns. Around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees, where police worked to contain the crowd.

The Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, with some vandalizing shops and setting fires to garbage and self-service bicycles in the streets. Cars were also set ablaze. Those who attempted to storm a police station in the posh 8th Arrondissement neighborhood were dispersed, police said.

In May last year following PSG’s first title, 201 people were injured in the French capital and police made more than 500 arrests across France.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Peter Corley, 62, was working as a train conductor on a Northern Trains service when he was punched in the mouth by a passenger who had no ticket

A Northern train conductor had a tooth knocked out after being punched in the face by a passenger travelling without a ticket.

Peter Corley, 62, had instructed Finley Seggie, 21, to get off from the York-bound service from Leeds at the following station after he and a companion were unable to produce valid tickets. Seggie hurled verbal abuse at Peter before advancing towards him and punching him in the mouth on December 14, 2024.

Peter lost his top-right incisor, needed £3,000 worth of dental work covered by Northern Trains, and ultimately had to leave his job due to mental health difficulties stemming from the attack.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

He said: “It was very shocking. It was a very hard punch. I’m sure he’s done some boxing training, but he hasn’t learned the responsibility that goes with it.

“As a ticket inspector you know there are 2%of passengers who would deck you, but I really didn’t see it coming. I saw him walking towards me with a crooked unpleasant grin on his face, then it all happened so fast.”

“I just remember watching my tooth fly out of my mouth. It happened so fast I had real difficulty processing it.”

The grandfather-of-one, from York, had stepped down from West Yorkshire Police as a custody inspector in 2015 before taking up a role with Northern Trains in 2018, reports Yorkshire Live.

His voice was even featured in the automated announcements broadcast across the network.

Peter described the train as having a good “pre-Christmas vibe” before asking Seggie and his friend for their tickets. After being told they had none, Seggie verbally abused Peter, who then asked them to leave at East Garforth, the next station.

Peter, who shared the story on Talk to The Press, said: “He grinned, then punched me, I fell back, and he ran. My glasses flew off, and as I bent to pick them up my knees just went from under me. People on the train were very shocked. I was covered in blood.”

A passenger helped Peter and called police. He conducted the remainder of the journey to York before meeting British Transport Police and travelling to York Royal Infirmary.

Seggie was identified from CCTV and arrested in February before pleading guilty to ABH. He was handed a 16-month suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court on May 5. He had claimed the punch was in self-defence but later admitted the charge.

Peter, who now works as a supermarket customer team member and delivery driver, said he bears no grudge towards Seggie.

He said: “Most people operating outside the law are perfectly ordinary good people, who, for a variety of reasons, have chosen a wrong path. I bear no grudge towards him. I am satisfied with the outcome, but I would have preferred to meet him face to face as restorative justice, to look him in the eye and ask why he did this.”

He added: “They were a very kind and responsible employer. I really miss that job. Being a ticket inspector is a very difficult job – there’s a lot to do and you’re really focussed on helping people.”

“The road which was closed for a time has now fully reopened to road users”

Two young men remain in hospital with serious injuries after a collision on Saturday.

Police are appealing for information and witnesses following the crash in Kinallen. At approximately 12.40pm on Saturday, May 30, police responded to a collision involving a red Volkswagen Jetta in the Katesbridge Road area.

Inspector Lawson said: “Colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attended, and the driver and passenger, two men aged 19 and 22, were both taken onward to hospital for treatment to injuries which are believed to be serious.

“The road which was closed for a time has now fully reopened to road users.

“Our investigation is continuing, and anyone who was in the area and witnessed what happened, or who may have captured any mobile or dash-cam footage, can contact 101, quoting reference number 729 of 30/05/2026.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Scottish Labour warned the Peter Murrell scandal was “not story of domestic deception that can be brushed under the carpet”.

Tearful Nicola Sturgeon has flatly denied any knowledge or responsibility for Peter Murrell’s crimes – and claimed she couldn’t have seen his most infamous purchase as part of a £400,000 embezzlement as it was parked “round the side of the house”.

The defiant former first minister used a set-piece interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg today to refuse to apologise for the failure to stop the party being fleeced by its own chief executive for more than 10 years.

Sturgeon, SNP leader until 2023, had a responsibility to sign-off the annual accounts during a time Murrell was routinely using members’ donations to buy a string of luxury purchases including an £80,000 Jaguar car, a £100,000 motorhome and a £3,000 lawnmower.

Speaking in her first interview since her estranged husband’s guilty plea, the ex-MSP claimed she felt like she had been “sentenced for a crime I did not commit”.

She added: “I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I’m not going to apologise for somebody else’s crimes.”

Sturgeon also refused to accept internal whistleblowers were blocked from trying to raise issues with the party’s accounts in the early 2020s.

But opposition parties warned the Murrell scandal would not disappear through “carefully managed interviews” as calls grow for a parliamentary inquiry into the affair.

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour deputy leader, said: “I have no doubt that the tears Nicola Sturgeon has shed over her own predicament are genuine, but this interview leaves the public with more questions than answers.

“But this isn’t a story of domestic deception that can be brushed under the carpet – at the height of this scandal it was Nicola Sturgeon who attempted to shame senior party figures demanding answers into silence.

“As First Minister and leader of the SNP, she was ultimately responsible for signing off the party accounts in which Peter Murrell concealed his vast embezzlement.

“For years Nicola Sturgeon cultivated an image of being a leader who missed nothing and was across every detail.

“Now she asks the public to believe she had neither knowledge of nor curiosity about how these luxury purchases were being funded.

“While Nicola Sturgeon feels sorry for herself, my sympathy lies with the people of Scotland and SNP members who were deceived.

“They placed their trust in the SNP leadership and have every right to feel let down by a party that has become synonymous with secrecy, evasion and unanswered questions.

“This scandal will not disappear through carefully managed interviews. Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney and the SNP must finally come clean to a parliamentary inquiry that can get the answers Scotland deserves.”

Russell Findlay, Scottish Conservatives leader, said: “If this was Nicola Sturgeon’s attempt to shut down scrutiny then her wholly unconvincing performance failed on all counts.

“She failed to provide credible answers about her infamous police ‘no comment’ interview or about her aggressive attempts to shut down legitimate concerns about the SNP’s finances.

“Her inability to suspect anything untoward about her husband’s rampant spending that bankrolled a luxury campervan, a Jaguar and her lavish lifestyle also lacks credibility.