Widow’s Bay sunsetted its bonkers summer season with a special stormy goodbye to its guests, who presumably booked their hols after Martha’s Vineyard had already been snapped up.
The tenth and final episode was titled We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time! I did, but Kenny and Ruth probably did not. And neither will eight others, if those tolling church bells are anything to go by.
The Apple TV show has been a sleeper summer hit, with word-of-mouth buzz that, increasingly, feels like a relic of a bygone TV-watching age.
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But that’s the whole point of Widow’s Bay: it’s like stepping back in time. There’s no phone service. Tom Loftis (a towering Matthew Rhys performance) has an actual Rolodex on his desk. The Lovely Bones is still a popular choice at book clubs.
The finale proved the island is even more antiquated than all that. For instance, they didn’t do away with human sacrifice as many years ago as the rest of us did. As a result, the show gifted us the most uncanny training video since Severance’s animated Keanu Reeves cameo.
Patricia and Wyck are trying their damndest to keep a handle on the unruly tourists (Picture: Apple TV)
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Widow’s Bay season two has already been confirmed. Good thing too, since showrunner Katie Dippold and her crack team of creatives/production design geniuses (still not over the Teeth game and/or Patricia’s grimoire) have some loose ends to tie up. So let’s break down that tour de force finale.
RIP Ruth (?)
The penultimate episode set up the finale as a trolley problem over whether or not to kill the sweet, doddering Ruth.
A telltale brooch and Rosemary’s genealogy identified her as the sole surviving descendant of Frances Warren. If she kicks the bucket, so too does the curse on Widow’s Bay.
Because Tom’s chant of ‘cancer, cancer, cancer’ doesn’t manifest the desired results in her medical files, he tries first a pill combination and then a pillow to get the job done. But ultimately, there’s no point.
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After a trip down memory lane through all the guys (and girls) who made a pass at her, Ruth tells Tom the thing she’s never told another soul. She had a child with a married man (‘Pullout method just doesn’t work!’). That daughter went on to marry Tom.
Ruth takes Tom on a trip down memory lane through all the guys (and girls) who made a pass at her (Picture: Robert Clark/Apple TV)
So if you’re one of the ravenous Widow’s Bay fans on Reddit who predicted Tom’s son Evan would be a Warren descendant, take a bow.
The only way he will be able to leave the island is in a coffin, or on his way into one. Tom realises he’ll never go to college/a Red Sox game after all.
But an unknowing Bashir walks in and shoots Ruth to save his child. I gasped.
Ruth is still alive when we last see her, but things don’t look good. If she does live, she might have found a taste for telling people about Evan’s ancestry.
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The shelter and that creepy training video
Surely if your storm shelter has a radioactive symbol by the door, don’t go in, right? That will be the homespun wisdom I’ll take from this episode, alongside ‘Never enter a room that contains a creepy torture chair’.
While Tom is debating whether to kill Ruth before being usurped, back at the shelter, the proverbial is hitting the fan. Patricia and Wyck are trying their damndest to keep a handle on it all, even with food and water supplies that are long past their best-by dates.
It’s not just unruly tourists. Everything about the shelter screams ‘Bad things have happened here! And will again!’ Rosemary was once instructed never to enter. Patricia finds a note that reads, ‘If you can read this, I’m already dead.’
It’s dire stuff. And we haven’t even got to what Dale finds.
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Dale makes a disturbing discovery in the shelter (Picture: Apple TV)
While pursuing the shelter backrooms for some light entertainment to weather the storm, he flicks on a vintage film reel. On it is an instructional video for human sacrifices of yore, as well as the ‘facilitators’ sending them down to their deaths.
We’re told that after a ‘very fair, very rigorous selection process’ the so-called offerings were chosen and had to ‘accept their fate and take pride’. Evidently Widow’s Bay was once upon a time even worse; if you were deemed ‘wanting in some way,’ the town hall was liable to toss you into the shelter to be consumed by whatever in God’s name is beneath that cellar hatch.
‘Your sacrifice will save countless members of our community from suffering,’ says the smiley yuppie on the video. Then they show harrowing images of half-naked offerings with sacks over their heads, being led to their demise.
Next is the key detail. The island has ‘made its needs known’ via the tolling church bell. ‘One soul for each bell toll.’
The tolling bells
We first heard the bells toll at the start of the show’s second episode, Lodgings. The late Reverend Bryce went to check on them and found both bells still locked up, covered in cobwebs.
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The bells are something of a dinner bell for the island, and we now know they’re also of numerical importance.
Evan is the last surviving descendant of Frances Warren (Picture: Apple TV)
PJ presumably had no idea about any of that when he shut Kenny in the creepy cellar. He’s always doing bad things at the worst possible time, such as sneaking into the underground network of tunnels to smoke a joint with Evan and that one mainland girl (who I’m starting to question might be a sinister siren of sorts, because how is she still holidaying on Widow’s Bay?).
Anyway, town hall cog Kenny is the island’s first victim we’ve seen. He gets stuck behind the self-locking door. Then: ‘Something’s happening!’ Before: ‘Oh God! Oh God!’ Whatever it is isn’t good. When Evan goes back in afterwards, the doors to its domain are slightly ajar.
Those bells toll again as the season ends with Tom throwing Ruth’s brooch in the sea (surely that means she’s dead?).
They ring out eight times, which makes sense given that when we last heard them, it was nine.
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So when we return to Widow’s Bay (hopefully soon), the island won’t yet have transformed into Martha’s Vineyard. It’s still hungry!
Bashir and his newborn
Will Bashir face justice for maybe killing Ruth? (Picture: Robert Clark/Apple TV)
We never see Bashir’s very sweet wife give birth, but we can only assume the baby is coming or has come. Their newborn is likely about to be consigned to the same fate as Evan: island entrapment.
But Bashir now knows there is a descendant who could lift the curse on his own child. That is shaping up to be the central quandary of season two, besides the question of which eight suckers are heading into the basement next.
Bashir has shown he’s willing to take matters into his own hands (justice for Ruth) and presumably, won’t see any consequences for it, since the rule of law seems conspicuously absent thus far.
Evan and Tom versus Bashir – who will take it? Or who should take it? We’re back to the trolley problems.
Kalidou Koulibaly has publicly criticised the VISA situation in the USA which has meant that a number of countries, Senegal included, are without the bulk of their fans who are unable to enter the country
10:18, 17 Jun 2026Updated 10:18, 17 Jun 2026
Senegal skipper Kalidou Koulibaly has called out the continue VISA issues that have hampered people getting into the US as he claimed “Africa cannot have their people”.
Senegal began their tournament against France on Tuesday night, losing 3-1 in New York, but a number of people from their country were unable to attend with Senegalese nationals facing a travel ban in America.
In December, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation which imposed partial travel bans on Senegal. The other World Cup participants to suffer similar fates were Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti.
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The proclamation suspended entry into the U.S. for immigrants and non-immigrants, including those travelling under business and tourism category, which is what they would tick in order to attend the World Cup.
Koulibaly, formerly of Chelsea and now playing in Saudi Arabia, told the Athletic: “The federation did the work for us to have parents or our close family with us, but it’s true that some supporters couldn’t fly to America.
“I think that every team can have their people, so I don’t understand why people from Africa cannot have their people. I don’t want to speak about politics or something like this. I just want to speak about football, enjoy football, and I think football is for everybody. I just want to tell this and I hope that the situation will be OK, but for me the most important is that we have to play for our people.”
The travel bans that were brought in before the World Cup include exemptions for athletes, support staff and immediate relatives of those who are playing at the tournament – but not for travelling fans.
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Koulibaly was keen to pay tribute to the fans who were present at the MetLife Stadium. Central Harlem in New York City has a strong community of people with ties to Senegal and the game against France was only a short trip across the Hudson River.
Visa issues have marred the World Cup and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who put in a heroic performance as his country claimed a point against Spain, explained that his mother was not present for the game as she had issues entering the US.
“I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there,” he said. “They passed away a few years ago. My mum could not be here either for a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time.”
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Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
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Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
The BBC’s State Department correspondent Tom Bateman looks at US President Donald Trump’s unusually sharp criticism of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israeli strikes on Beirut.
Trump described the strikes as “vicious,” questioned Israel’s use of force, and even suggested Syria could handle Hezbollah with fewer civilian casualties.
The schedule has been shaken up this week, including tonight (June 17) so you might wonder when you can tune in to watch the drama unfold.
Here’s what we know about the changes and which episodes the TV schedule shake-up affects.
Are Emmerdale and Coronation Street on tonight?
There will be no Emmerdale or Coronation Street episodes tonight because ITV will broadcast two football matches back-to-back.
Tonight, the World Cup matches available to watch on ITV1 are England v Croatia with coverage starting at 8pm and kick-off at 9pm.
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Football fans can also watch the Ghana v Panama match from 11.40pm with kick-off 20 minutes later at 12am.
Soap fans will miss out on an episode on Thursday too, however, the longer episodes on Monday and Tuesday made up for the missing slots.
Do you remember these emotional Coronation Street plots?
After a week of disruption, Emmerdale and Corrie are back to their usual 30-minute slots on Friday, June 19 at 8pm and 8.30pm respectively.
EastEnders has also seen some schedule changes throughout the week due to the BBC’s World Cup coverage.
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Tonight, it will air an hour later than usual (at 8.30pm) as it follows BBC coverage of the Portugal v DR Congo match which kicks off at 6pm.
Have you noticed ITV’s new scheduling this year?
From January 2026, the broadcaster introduced a “soaps power hour” on weekdays with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm.
Coronation Street previously aired three hour-long episodes a week, while Emmerdale aired four 30-minute episodes and one hour-long instalment.
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Have you watched the soaps this week? Tell us what you thought of the new episodes in the comments below.
Educators who participate in the charity’s Youth Conversations Hub have consistently raised concerns about school pupils vaping and, more recently, using nicotine pouches during school time.
ASH Scotland is encouraging people who work with children and young people in Lanarkshire to access the charity’s new free e-learning module to increase awareness about the health risks associated with nicotine pouches.
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Educators who participate in ASH Scotland’s Youth Conversations Hub have consistently raised concerns about school pupils vaping and, more recently, using nicotine pouches during school time.
A report on Behaviour in Schools from the teachers union NASUWT shows 46 per cent of teachers in Scotland say pupils are using nicotine pouches during school time.
The new ‘Nicotine Pouches’ e-learning module produced by the charity aims to help teachers and youth workers to understand how nicotine pouches can impact on children and young people’s health, as their popularity grows.
Nicotine addiction can have a greater impact on young people, affecting their brain development and mental health.
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The flavours and colours of these products, combined with marketing tactics such as sponsorship of Formula One races and promotions at concerts and sporting events appeal to under 18s.
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland, said: “Our new e-learning module is designed to provide a resource for educators in Lanarkshire to learn about the negative impacts that nicotine use can have on the lives of children and young people.
“Following the upsurge in youth vaping, a new generation is being attracted into using other addictive and health harming products such as nicotine pouches.
“Drawing in new customers produces huge profits for the tobacco industry, but at a cost to the health and wellbeing of our young people and disruption in the classroom.
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“We trust that our new ‘Nicotine Pouches’ e-learning module will help teachers and youth workers in Lanarkshire to build their knowledge and confidence to start discussions with children and help them make informed choices about protecting their health and wellbeing.”
Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, added: “Teachers know that nicotine pouches are being consumed within schools by pupils and have expressed serious concern that national regulation of nicotine products has failed to keep pace with innovation by the companies selling them.
“The recently published guidance for schools on how to address substance abuse among pupils was welcomed but this is only a first step.
“We need a greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention at all ages to stop children and young people from being drawn in to nicotine pouch use.
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“NASUWT has, therefore, welcomed the e-learning materials from ASH Scotland as one part of a wider systemic response needed to tackle substance misuse in schools.”
As concerns escalate, teachers are urged to equip themselves with the knowledge available free at www.ashscotlandmoodle.org.uk
If you work with young people in Scotland and want to join the Youth Conversations Hub, visit www.ashscotland.org.uk/hub
*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
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And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
A report highlighted there were 286 casualties in total during 2025, down from 378 in 2024 which is a reduction of 24 per cent.
Road casualties have fallen by nearly a quarter across South Lanarkshire in 2025.
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Councillors on the Roads Safety forum this morning (June 16) heard that there’s been a significant reduction in road accident casualties, with new provisional figures revealing that 92 fewer people were injured on the area’s roads in 2025 compared to the previous year.
A report highlighted there were 286 casualties in total during 2025, down from 378 in 2024 which is a reduction of 24 per cent.
The figures, which remain provisional until final publication by the Scottish Government later this year, also show improvements across several key categories.
Fatalities fell from eight in 2023 to six in 2025, while serious injuries decreased from 134 to 107. Slight injuries also saw a notable decline, dropping from 236 to 173.
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The reduction marks a positive step forward after two consecutive years in which overall casualty numbers had returned closer to 400 following the disruption caused by the pandemic.
Councillor Robert Brown (Rutherglen South), welcomed the report, and said: “I’d just like to make a comment on how good the figures actually are in terms of the general downward trend.”
Council officials said the latest figures demonstrate progress but stressed that further work is required to meet ambitious national road safety targets.
South Lanarkshire continues to contribute to Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030, which aims to halve the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads before ultimately achieving a vision of no deaths or serious injuries by 2050.
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There have been no child fatalities for the seventh consecutive year.
Councillor Julia Marrs (Clydesdale North), said: “Thank you for the report, the fact we have no child fatalities is something that should be valued.”
However, serious injuries among children rose slightly from eight to 11 during 2025, with most involving pedestrians aged between 11 and 15.
The report also highlights that driver behaviour remains the biggest contributing factor in road collisions. The most common causes were failing to look properly, careless or reckless driving, loss of control and failing to judge another road user’s speed or path.
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The council said it will continue working with partners including Police Scotland, the NHS, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to improve road safety.
The couple have dealt with a lot of challenges this year (Picture: ITV)
Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) has been given even more bad news about his health in Emmerdale.
Way back in January, during the crossover event Corriedale, Cain was sent to hospital after being shot. While he was there, he was told that a lump discovered inside of him needed to be tested for cancer.
The drama for the couple hasn’t really stopped, so here’s everything that you need to know about what they’ve faced in 2026 so far, including Cain’s diagnosis, and why Moira was in prison.
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What has happened to Cain and Moira so far this year?
They cannot catch a break! (Picture: ITV)
Following his hospital trip, Cain returned home with Moira and faced an agonising wait for the results of his cancer test.
Focus then turned to Moira, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting Celia with her modern slavery operation.
Moira protested her innocence but as she was unable to explain how the ID cards got in her house, and that she also had history of working with Celia from a farming perspective, she didn’t look innocent.
While she was behind bars, Cain received his cancer diagnosis. He kept it to himself for quite a while, believing that Moira didn’t need to know as she had enough stress to deal with in prison.
Everything changed at the start of March though, when Cain headed to the police station to tell Moira everything.
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Cain’s operation took place last month (Picture: ITV)
It was an emotional episode, as Cain broke down and admitted how terrified he was for the future.
Since then, Cain and his sons have moved into Wishing Well with the rest of the Dingles. Moira is now out of prison as well, following the discovery of some new evidence that ultimately proved her innocence and freed her.
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Adjusting to life in the village has been difficult for Moira, as she’s had to get her head around the fact she no longer lives at Butler’s Farm.
Reconnecting with Cain was also a challenge, as he was quietly worrying about how his cancer operation would impact his marriage.
In yesterday’s episode, Cain and Moira arrived at the hospital for a meeting with Ms Rhodes. They discovered from the consultant that – while Cain’s surgery was in fact a success – she suspects the cancer has spread and thus further tests will need carried out.
It was absolutely devastating news for the couple, but at the moment, there hasn’t been any confirmation stating Jeff Hordley is leaving his role as Cain Dingle.
It certainly gives us hope for the future…but anything is possible in the world of soap.
Earlier this year, Jeff told us that the prostate cancer storyline was conceived as ‘The story of a man who doesn’t normally talk about his feelings. It’s bad enough having cancer but the possible side effects of this particular illness are really damaging to males and their egos. Having to talk about that and confront it is, I think, where we want to go down.’
He insisted that, alongside this, the entire situation is ‘a big love story’ between Moira and Cain.
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‘That was underpinning all this. How they get all these adverse challenges and how they deal with them – Moira being inside prison, Cain being told he’s got this illness and how bad it is.’
When asked whether their current ordeals could break Cain and Moira’s marriage apart or make them stronger, Jeff said he genuinely didn’t know – and it could go either way.
‘I think that’s what’s good about this story, for Cain and Moira,’ he reflected. ‘There’s a series of obstacles and hurdles that lay in front of them that I think are really going to challenge them as a couple.
‘As to whether it makes or breaks them, I don’t think I even know just yet but it’s going to be really interesting to see.’
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This article was originally published on February 17, 2026 and has been updated.
Gemma Smith, a consultant in elderly care and stroke, and Lesley Charman, a physiotherapist, completed the one-mile Great North Swim in Windermere on Sunday, June 14, to raise funds for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
The pair are aiming to raise at least £1,000 to help furnish a comfortable hospital quiet room for patients and their families.
Gemma and Lesley before the swim (Image: Supplied)
Dr Smith said: “We bring them into a room to talk but it needs much more comfortable surroundings, perhaps artwork for the walls, to improve conditions at one of the most difficult times of their lives.
“Stroke is a devastating thing, life-limiting, often brings profound disabilities, and leads to some very difficult conversations with relatives.”
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Funds raised will support enhancements on Ward 4 at Bishop Auckland Hospital and Ward 2 at University Hospital of North Durham.
Gemma (Image: Supplied)
Dr Smith, who has worked with the NHS trust since 2017 and trained in the North East, said the idea for the swim came from her colleague, who encouraged her to try outdoor swimming.
She said: “Lesley does a lot of outdoor activities and got me into swimming.
“I saw a sign for the Great North Swim and am really excited about it.
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“I did the Great North Run in 2003, and I remember how fantastic the camaraderie was.
“So, we will see how much money we can raise.”
Left, Gemma at work (Image: Supplied)
Although she has swum since childhood, Dr Smith admitted she’s not the fastest in the water.
She said: “My husband Andrew is a keen swimmer, he used to swim for county, but he laughs at my technique.
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“I am very slow; in fact, I was once asked to move from the medium to the slow lane by a lifeguard.
“One time when I was swimming outdoors, I was overtaken by my own tow float.”
Despite this, after a 12-week training plan, she completed the swim in one hour and six minutes, while Ms Charman finished in 51 minutes.
Dr Smith said: “It was a great event, such a lovely atmosphere.
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“Our fundraising is sitting around £1,600 at the moment, which is fantastic.”
She also praised the support from colleagues, former staff, patients, and the Stroke Association.
Dr Smith said: “Stroke is so multi-disciplinary, and the support has come from right across the trust, even staff who have left and some patients, and the Stroke Association, which is amazing.
“I fell in love with working with stroke patients after being on a placement.
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“It is very fast paced as it’s time-dependent.
“The quicker we can act the more we can prevent disability.
“Then it moves into a phase similar to elderly care and it is lovely to see patients come out of the other end and hear about their little triumphs.
“We are there to help people, so it doesn’t take over their lives.”
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Rich Jones, charity manager at the trust, said the funds would make a meaningful difference to patient care.
Mr Jones said: “We are incredibly grateful to Gemma and Lesley for taking on the Great North Swim in support of our stroke services.
“As a consultant and physio working closely with patients and their families every day, they understand how important it is to provide comfortable, welcoming spaces during some of the most difficult moments people face.
“The funds Gemma and Lesley raise will help us improve facilities on our stroke wards, creating environments that offer greater comfort, privacy, and dignity for patients and their loved ones.
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“We’d also like to thank everyone who has supported their fundraising efforts so far.”
The eco-friendly characters, created in 1968 by children’s author Elisabeth Beresford, will relaunch this summer as part of a full-scale global revival that includes new YouTube content blending original 1970s episodes with contemporary live-action and influencer-led shows.
Originally made famous by the BBC’s 1973 stop-motion series, the loveable Wimbledon Common dwellers became cultural icons for their environmental message about reusing and recycling objects they found.
Neil Blair, founding partner and agent at The Blair Partnership, which now manages The Wombles’ rights, said: “The Wombles is an iconic British brand with strong cultural appeal, distinctive characters with core values that translate and resonate globally.
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“It is a rich content opportunity and, with rights now aligned plus a clear development pipeline in place, the property is ideally positioned for expansion across multiple platforms and categories.
“We see significant potential to build The Wombles into a multiplatform international franchise for a new generation of audiences.”
The relaunch will see the original 1970s episodes made available on a new official YouTube channel, alongside fresh content in live-action and digital formats.
This will include collaborations with social media influencers and young presenters, who will explore themes of reuse and sustainability through arts, crafts, cooking, and gardening.
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The Wombles are coming back!
If they emerged from Wimbledon Common this morning, what piece of rubbish do you think they’d be most shocked to find?
A first-look image from the new content reveals updated versions of some of the most familiar characters.
These include Orinoco in his trademark red hat, Wellington the scientist, and Alderney, named after the Channel Island where Beresford spent her later years.
Unlike the classic stop-motion series narrated by Bernard Cribbins, the new Wombles will be brought to life using digital animation.
Plans for the franchise go well beyond YouTube.
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The Blair Partnership has consolidated all intellectual property rights for The Wombles and is developing an interactive digital game, audio productions featuring celebrity casts, new storybooks, and expanded merchandise.
There are also opportunities for television, film, theatre, live events, and mobile apps.
This is not the first attempt to modernise The Wombles.
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In 2020, the characters were redesigned to reflect greater diversity, including a darker-skinned Wellington and a social media presence that promoted International Women’s Day and climate action.
The reboot was dubbed the “Woke Wombles” by some.
At the time, Beresford’s son Marcus Robertson criticised the changes, calling them “insulting to her memory.”
Despite previous efforts, including a series announced in 2023 that never materialised, the latest relaunch has the backing of a unified rights structure and a comprehensive content pipeline.
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The original series ran on the BBC from 1973 to 1976.
In the new programmes, influencers will join the Wombles to demonstrate how to reuse everyday objects through arts and crafts, cooking, and gardening.
Are you happy to see the return of The Wombles? Let us know in the comments
The U.S. military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, killing one man and leaving two survivors, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 208 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.
As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a boat traveling in the water before being hit by the strike and bursting into flames.
Southern Command said it “immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.”
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President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”
Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.
The strikes have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars. The U.S. military’s first strike in early September drew particular concern from some lawmakers and those who study military law.
Two men on the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.
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But some legal scholars said a second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.
The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes.
However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.
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