ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — About 100 U.S. troops plus equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train soldiers in the West African country as the government fights against Islamic militants and other armed groups, the Nigerian military announced Monday.
The arrival followed a request by the Nigerian government to the U.S government for help with training, technical support and intelligence-sharing, the military said in a statement.
The deployment follows an easing of tensions that flared between the U.S. and Nigeria when U.S. President Donald Trump said the country wasn’t protecting Christians from an alleged genocide. The Nigerian government has rejected the accusation, and analysts say it simplifies a very complicated situation in which people are often targeted regardless of their faith.
Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, previously has said that the U.S. troops won’t engage in combat or have a direct operational role, and that Nigerian forces will have complete command authority.
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In December, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on Islamic State group-affiliated militants in northwestern Nigeria. Last month, following discussions with Nigerian authorities in Abuja, the head of U.S. Africa Command confirmed a small team of U.S. military officers were in Nigeria, focused on intelligence support.
Nigeria is facing a protracted fight with dozens of local armed groups increasingly battling for turf, including Islamic sects like the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.
Recently, the crisis has worsened to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year. Several thousand people in Nigeria have been killed, according to data from the United Nations. Analysts say not enough is being done by the government to protect its citizens.
While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts and residents say the majority of victims of the armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated north, where most attacks occur.
Emirates has issued an update on its rebooking policy for passengers with flights booked in the coming weeks
Carrington Walker GAU Writer and Liv Clarke Tourism writer
18:40, 15 Mar 2026
Emirates has issued an update on its rebooking policy for passengers with flights scheduled in the coming weeks. The announcement follows ongoing uncertainty surrounding travel in the region due to the continuing Middle East conflict.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, March 15, Emirates support confirmed: “You can now amend bookings and rebook flights online within 72 hours of your original departure date by visiting the emirat.es/managebooking or “Manage Your Booking” on the Emirates app.
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“If you wish to rebook a flight earlier than 72 hours before departure, please reach out to us for assistance via emirat.es/support or via DM at emirat.es/xdm.”
The carrier confirms it is currently running a reduced flight schedule whilst keeping the situation under review. Passengers scheduled to fly between February 28 and March 31 whose flights have been affected may have been automatically transferred to the next available Emirates service, with the option to modify this through the booking management system or via their travel agent, reports the Manchester Evening News.
On alternative flight arrangements, Emirates advises: “To make changes to your booking, even if your flight has not been disrupted, you can rebook on another flight for travel on or before 30 April. You can make changes on Manage Your Booking or on the Emirates App if your original travel date is within the next 72 hours.
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“If you’re unable to make changes online, please contact us. If you booked with a travel agent, please contact them.
“If you rebook your flight, please check any services you may have booked, including seat selection and dietary meals, and update your Chauffeur-drive details in Manage Your Booking for your new flight.”
Passengers can also request a refund by completing the request form or by contacting their travel agent.
For those with a connecting flight, Emirates states: “If you have a connecting flight in Dubai and any of your flights on the journey are cancelled, please do not come to the airport. You will not be able to board at your point of origin. Please rebook your flights before coming to the airport.”
There was an air of tension inside Anfield and that seemed to extend to Tudor, who appeared to confuse Tottenham’s bald-headed player liaison officer Allan Dixon for Slot on the touchline, greeting the club’s member of staff with a friendly arm around his waist before walking over to the home dugout.
The prevention quiz has been developed by a charity to help people get personalised advice
Amber O’Connor Money and Lifestyle reporter U35s
19:00, 15 Mar 2026
Anyone who can spare 10 minutes could learn how to reduce their risk of breast cancer by taking a free quiz. Breast Cancer UK offers a prevention quiz designed to help people ‘reduce’ their ‘risk of breast cancer’ by offering a personalised action plan based on their risk factors.
While the quiz is not a diagnostic tool, and anyone requiring medical advice should speak to their GP, it could help people understand their risk factors and become aware of changes they can make to improve their health.
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Breast Cancer UK says that around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK. Recommending the quiz, the charity explains: “While some risk factors (like age and genetics) are beyond our control, research shows that many everyday habits can meaningfully affect our breast cancer risk. Understanding those factors is an important first step towards prevention.”
Available online for free, the quiz typically takes about 10 minutes to complete and is aimed at people aged over 18. You need to know your height and weight before starting the questions.
The quiz has five sections to complete and covers a broad range of topics, including your family history of breast cancer, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors. As you complete the quiz, you will be offered advice about each topic, based on the answer you select, reports the Mirror.
For instance, when the quiz asks participants to share their age, the charity clarifies that the older you are, the higher your risk, but it is ‘never too soon and never too late to reduce your risk’.
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Further into the quiz, the charity asks if people are aware that some everyday products, including cosmetics and cleaning products, contain chemicals that may be linked with breast cancer. If you select ‘no’, the answer names chemicals that could affect hormones and may increase breast cancer risk.
A further question asks participants whether they spend time outside in the sunlight year-round. The charity explains: “Sunlight is the best way for you to take in Vitamin D, which is good for your overall health and has been shown in some studies to reduce breast cancer risk.”
The guidance continues: “It is also good for you to be outside and active, even in the colder months, but always take care to not spend too long in the sun to protect your skin.”
Once completed, the quiz highlights key areas to consider before building a personalised prevention plan with specific recommendations, such as adding more fruit and vegetables to your diet or cutting down on processed meats. The results are then shared by email, with additional guidance available on the Breast Cancer UK website.
Who would be Tottenham Hotspur boss, eh? Four matches as manager, four losses and 14 goals conceded for Igor Tudor.
From the Madrid frying pan and into the Anfield fire: he probably would have wished for an easier test than a trip up north to visit the reigning Premier League champions.
Okay, in the current campaign Arne Slot’s side have only occasionally looked like the free-wheeling insouciants who lifted the trophy a little over 12 months ago, but they look closer to their best and have a lot to play for.
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Victory could move Liverpool within a point of third-placed Manchester United or Aston Villa.
While another defeat will bring the short-lived Tudor dynasty into even greater peril, the Croatian still believes he can turn around the club’s fortunes. “You can stay and cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can say I can change something,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
By the time the match kicks off at 4.30pm GMT, his side may already be in the relegation zone, depending how Nottingham Forest vs Fulham pans out.
Making an arduous task even harder, Tottenham have numerous absentees in defence and midfield: Micky van de Ven is suspended after seeing red against Crystal Palace, Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero and João Palhinha after a clash of heads against Atlético Madrid, with Conor Gallagher overcoming a fever to have a chance of starting.
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There are many more reasons to be fearful than cheerful for Spurs spectators, but at least Vicario will surely be back as starting goalkeeper. He will be busy this afternoon.
While Liverpool slumped to a surprising defeat against Wolves in their last league outing, they put five past West Ham United at Anfield before that. It could be a similar mauling this afternoon.
Even if Slot decides to rest a few star players for Wednesday’s pivotal Champions League match against Galatasaray, it is difficult to see how Tottenham, who had a 5-1 whooping in this fixture last season, can arrest their slump and come away with anything.
It may seem that the US and the Middle East are currently embarking on yet another forever war. But the truth is that this is just the latest instalment of an undeclared military conflict between the two nations that has been ongoing since the 1980s.
For Americans, the war began in 1979, when Iranian students seized the US embassy in Tehran and held 52 diplomats hostage for 444 days. For Iranians, it began with US support for the Shah and its subsequent backing of Iraq throughout the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
The conflict has claimed many civilian lives. On July 3 1988, the US warship Vincennes downed Iran Air Flight 655, a civilian flight bound for Dubai. The USS Vincennes misidentified the Airbus as a military aircraft and shot it down, killing all 290 people on board. More recently, on 28 February 2026, a US-Israeli missile hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, killing over 150 civilians, most of them children.
Iran also shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 on January 8, 2020. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mistook the civilian plane for a US military flight, and fired two surface-to-air missiles that killed all 176 passengers, mostly Iranian civilians.
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Each side has, at different moments, made catastrophic errors under conditions of escalation. But these tragic incidents are not just history. For Iranians and Americans alike, they have deeply reinforced the popular and institutional view that peace can never really be achieved between the two nations.
The 1980s: tanker war
In 1984, Iraq initiated the “tanker war” with Iran when its air force attacked oil tankers bound for Iranian ports. The tanker war continued for years, and eventually involved the US Navy when, on May 17 1987, an Iraqi plane accidentally struck the American frigate The Stark, killing 37 crew members.
The US chose to refocus attention away from Iraq and on Iran, arguing that the Islamic Republic was responsible as it had failed to agree to negotiate an end to the war.
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Ayatollah Khamenei was Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in 2026 by US and Israeli forces (AFP/Getty)
The US then provided naval protection for Kuwaiti oil tankers moving through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz by requiring them to hoist an American flag. But violence only escalated. Iran targeted the American-reflagged ships, and the US retaliated by striking Iranian offshore platforms and speedboats used by the Revolutionary Guards. It also sank two Iranian frigates, eliminating half of Iran’s navy.
It was amid these hostilities that Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down. How this incident occurred during the fog of war is still the subject of intense debate. For Iranians, the attack confirmed they were in a de facto war with the US, who they saw as lashing out in vicarious vengeance for the 1979 hostage crisis.
Ultimately, the downing of its airliner brought Iran to accept the ceasefire that ended the Iran-Iraq War. Iran’s conflict with Iraq ended, but its war with the US did not.
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The 2000s: proxies and ground war
The 1980s episode of this war was fought by naval vessels in the Gulf, but the second phase was a proxy conflict fought on the ground.
After 2001, George W. Bush included the Islamic Republic in an “axis of evil”, alongside Iraq and North Korea.
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After 2001, George W. Bush included the Islamic Republic, Iraq and North Korea in an ‘axis of evil’ (AFP/Getty)
In March 2003, after the invasion of Iraq under Bush, Iran suddenly found US troops on two borders (Iraq and Afghanistan). Tehran feared that the Bush administration would seek regime change, and that the US or Israel would bomb its nuclear facilities.
One tool at Iran’s disposal was its support of a variety of Iraqi insurgents to target American forces. One of its Iraqi proxies, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, formed in 2006, targeted US military vehicles with improvised explosive devices, challenging American control of the motorways.
This low-intensity conflict only wound down when American forces left Iraq in 2011.
The 2010s and 2020s: air war over Iraq
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During the 2010s, the Obama administration entered a de facto alliance with the Islamic Republic to combat ISIS. The US provided air cover while Iran fought alongside Iraqi Shi’a militias on the ground.
In October 2017, two months before ISIS officially lost the vast majority of its territories in Iraq and Syria, Donald Trump announced the US’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Relations quickly soured, as Tehran retaliated by targeting US forces in Iraq, ushering in an air war. Rockets were fired at American targets in Iraq by Kataib Hizballah, an Iran-allied militia, and the US retaliated with air strikes.
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During the 2010s, the Obama administration entered a de facto alliance with the Islamic Republic to combat ISIS (Getty)
Violence spiralled further on December 27 2019, when the same militia attacked the al-Taji base, an Iraqi military facility housing US forces, killing an American contractor. Two days later, the US responded with an air raid on several targets related to the Iraqi militia, killing at least 25 of its members.
On December 31 2019, the US embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone was stormed by Iraqi demonstrators affiliated with the militia.
Trump, faced with optics reminiscent of the 1979 hostage crisis, ordered a drone strike on January 3 2020 that killed General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, as well as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, leader of the militia. Iran retaliated by launching 22 Fateh ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing American forces on January 8.
Soleimani’s death was the first time the US had directly killed a senior Iranian state official. It crossed the threshold from proxy war to direct state-on-state targeting.
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About the author
Ibrahim Al-Marashi is an Adjunct Professor, IE School of Humanities, IE University; California State University San Marcos.
In the aftermath, Iran’s military accidentally shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 outside of Tehran, mistaking it for US retaliation. It was a tragic echo of the Vincennes incident.
During this period, Iran generally showed restraint in its air attacks on the US. During the 2025 12-Day Israel-Iran War, for instance, it launched a single, choreographed military strike against the al-Udeid Airbase in Qatar which was housing US forces, very similar to its carefully orchestrated 2020 missile strikes.
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Today, that restraint is no longer in place. What we are seeing now is widespread Iranian retaliation throughout the entire region.
A long, undeclared war
For Iranians, the circumstances that led to the downing of its airliner in 1988 resonate with the present: the direct military action of June 2025, Trump ordering the assassination of Soleimani in January 2020, and economic warfare through sanctions.
The 2015 Iran deal was the first attempt to end the conflict between the two nations that began in the 1980s. The deal was Barack Obama’s major diplomatic triumph, and Trump has been fixated on undoing the policies of his predecessor.
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However, the recent escalation between the US and Iran was also a legacy of the Biden administration, which had the chance to de-escalate the long war between Iran and the US after winning the November 2020 elections.
US deployment to the Gulf in the 1980s was disproportionate to the threat to shipping, and was seen by many as a flimsy pretext to seek out war with Iran. A similarly dubious justification – that Iran was just weeks away from a nuclear weapon – was made by Israel to justify its 12-Day War in June 2025.
As of February 2026, the US has initiated the latest round in this conflict. To date, both states managed to escalate without crossing into total war, but that equilibrium may now be breaking down.
The Other Bennet Sister has finally arrived and Jane Austen fans can’t wait to watch
Hayley Anderson TV Reporter
19:00, 15 Mar 2026
The Other Bennet Sister, inspired by Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice, has finally arrived on screen.
Adapted from Janice Hadlow’s bestselling novel of the same title, The Other Bennet Sister places Mary Bennet centre stage – the often-overlooked middle sister from Pride and Prejudice.
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Its official synopsis playfully observes that “whilst we dream of being Lizzy, in reality most of us are more like Mary..”
As BBC viewers prepare for this highly anticipated period drama’s debut, here’s everything you need to know before The Other Bennet Sister launches.
The Other Bennet Sister start time
The Other Bennet Sister will be available to watch on Sunday, March 15, from 8pm on BBC One.
Even better news is that the BBC will broadcast a double bill, with the half-hour episodes shown consecutively, reports the Mirror.
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The Other Bennet Sister episode count
The Other Bennet Sister comprises 10 episodes altogether, with the drama returning each Sunday at 8pm for a double bill.
This means the concluding two episodes will air on Sunday, April 12, provided there are no scheduling changes.
For those unwilling to wait that long to discover how events unfold, there is another option.
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At 6am on Sunday, March 15, the opening five episodes were made available on BBC iPlayer, allowing audiences to watch ahead of schedule.
However, episodes six through 10 won’t be accessible on BBC iPlayer until their broadcast on Sunday, March 29.
What’s The Other Bennet Sister about?
As previously noted, The Other Bennet Sister is a television adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel, centring on Mary Bennet, the middle sister from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
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Set in Regency England during the early 19th Century, the official synopsis hints: “The series follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose, finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way.
“Her journey will see her leave her family home in Meryton for the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love, and reinvention.”
Police have released a pictured of Rayan Otthman Mohammed, 25, hasn’t been seen since early February.
He was potentially last seen near Redcar, with a possible sighting reported at a church on Wednesday, February 18, Cleveland Police said.
The force has released a picture of Ryana, described as around 5’9″ tall, with a slim build, black hair, and possibly a moustache.
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He is known to wear a woolly hat and typically dresses in dark clothing; however, it is unknown exactly what he was wearing when he was last seen.
A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: “Police are concerned for his wellbeing and are asking anyone who has seen him or knows where he is to get in touch.”
Members of the public are advised to ring 101 quoting reference SE26046422 if they have any information about Rayan.
Since he was named head coach for the remainder of the season in January, Carrick has guided his side to seven wins in nine games.
Across his two spells in charge, only Sven Goran Eriksson, Carlo Ancelotti and Manuel Pellegrini have eclipsed his record of six straight home wins at the start of their first Premier League job.
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United chiefs want to assess all options before making a decision in the summer and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe refused to be drawn on Carrick’s future when he was asked about it in Shanghai before this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Ratcliffe did say Carrick was doing a good job and Rooney – who was on holiday with his former United and England team-mate when Ruben Amorim was sacked – has no doubts what should happen next.
“100% he should [get the job],” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I knew this was going to happen with Michael Carrick. I know him very well. I know his character and his personality.
“It needed a calm head, but someone who knows the place. The players needed some love, and he has given them that.
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“We have seen the players play with more quality, more together as a team, and they look like a very strong team. Why would you change?”
Typically, Carrick would not be drawn on Rooney’s comments. Neither is he getting distracted by the “noise” around his time in charge.
“There’s not that much noise, is there?” he said. “I don’t mean Wayne. I just mean in general.
“It’s only noise if you listen to it. It doesn’t affect me one bit, to be honest.”
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Carrick confirmed he had spoken to chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox after the Villa win, but says his sole focus is Friday’s trip to Bournemouth.
“I’m in this position at the moment, doing the best I can, and I’m loving it, obviously,” Carrick said.
“But whatever’s going to happen is going happen. It’s all pretty calm.
“We can definitely enjoy the win and look forward to Friday night. But other than that, that’s all I’m thinking about really.”
American TV host, comedian and writer Conan O’Brien, 62, is hosting the Oscars, for the second year running, after his return was announced just two days after last year’s event
18:37, 15 Mar 2026Updated 18:37, 15 Mar 2026
The biggest night of the year for Hollywood is upon us, and the host of this evening’s 98th Academy Awards is American TV host, comedian and writer Conan O’Brien. Conan, 62, is at the helm of this year’s Oscars, for the second year running, after his return was announced just two days after his success of the 2025 ceremony.
Over the past 20 years, the likes of Chris Rock, Regina Hall, Jimmy Kimmel and Amy Schumer have secured themselves the top job. Here we look at this year’s Oscars host, Conan, who previously hosted the Emmys in 2002 and 2006.
Just two days after he hosted last year’s Oscars, Conan was announced to be returning in 2026. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and its president, Janey Yang, said it was an “honour” to work with Conan in 2025, saying that he was “the perfect host – skilfully guiding us through the evening with humour, warmth and reverence.”
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Conan joked at the time: “The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” taking a jab at The Brutalist star’s speech after he won Best Actor.
Outside of his Oscars hosting, Conan has been involved in pretty much every section of the media. At the moment, he has been working on his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, since 2018, where he chats with celebrities.
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He has also been working on Conan O’Brien Must Go, a travel series where he visits fans he met through his spin-off podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan. He also founded Team Coco, a media brand that produces his content – it was acquired in 2022 by SiriusXM.
Conan is also set to make his film debut in the movie If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, so who knows – he may be a future nominee at the Academy Awards. Previously, he cut his teeth as a writer in the late 1980s, writing for Saturday Night Live and then The Simpsons.
He is best known State-side for hosting Late Night with Conan O’Brien between 1993 and 2009, The Tonight Show from 2009 to 2010 and Conan from 2010 to 2021. Conan spoke before the 2026 Oscar nominees were announced in January, telling fans they could expect “a lot of magic” from tonight’s show.
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He said: “We have a lot of possibilities. Early on, you just generate possibilities for the show: ‘What might we do?; You have to wait and see which movies are nominated, what’s in the zeitgeist, so there’ll be a lot of ideas that come in late. Sometimes those are the best ideas.”
He added: “There’ll be some explosions, CGI will be used. I see this second Oscars as an opportunity to take things up a notch.”
Who is Conan O’Brien’s wife?
Conan married his wife, Elizabeth Ann ‘Liza’ Powel in 2002, after they met in 1999, when she was a copywriter at ad agency Foote, Cone & Belding. She appeared in a sketch on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, with the pair hitting it off, and dating for almost 18 months.
The couple tied the knot in Liza’s home city of Seattle, and had two children, daughter, Neve, 22, and son Beckett, 20. The couple fought to raise their children out of the public eye, with Conan explaining in 2014: “I don’t take my children to premieres. I don’t want my kids living in a zero-gravity environment just because I happened to get lucky. I think I’m a good dad, but I don’t want them around show business.”
How much is Conan O’Brien paid for the Oscars?
Although no official amount has been revealed about a fee for the Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel previously claimed he was paid $15,000 to host the awards – so it’s likely Conan will be receiving similar. Wanda Sykes, who hosted the Oscars in 2022 with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March 2022.
They were discussing their roles, with Jimmy saying: “I got paid $15,000 to host the Oscars. And there was one of me! You know it probably sounds like a lot for one night, but it’s months of work leading up to it. You’re getting robbed.”
Jimmy also revealed in August 2024 that he turned down the Oscars job for 2025, telling Entertainment Weekly: “It’s hard and it’s a lot of work and the show suffers a little bit to be honest.
“When I’m focused on the Oscars, I’m less focused on the show. And I just decided I didn’t want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year. You wind up pushing everything off till after the Oscars, then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars after the Oscars.”
Conan O’Brien’s net worth
It seems the fee for the job of hosting the Oscars would be of little interest to Conan, who is worth an eye-watering $200 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com. After his years of presenting, podcasts, media brand and now acting – he is not short of cash.
His wise move of selling Team Coco to SiriusXM in 2022 reportedly earned him a tidy $150 million, and he reportedly receievd a $32.5 million settlement form NBC after leaving The Tonight Show in 2010. Outside of his media money-making, Conan has made a fortune from real estate, after investing in various properties in New York and California.
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The Oscars will air on ITV1 and ITVX tonight at 10.15pm