Former Raiders President Dan Ventrelle Joins WWE as Executive Vice President of Talent

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Orlando Wharton has been named executive vice president of Capitol Music Group and president of Priority Records. The announcement was made by CMG chair & CEO Michelle Jubelirer, to whom Wharton will report.  According to the announcement, in his new position, Wharton will sign and guide artists across CMG’s portfolio of labels, and will relaunch the legendary Priority Records label as a dedicated home for new, developing and established hip hop artists.  Wharton will assume his positions at CMG early next year, and will be based at the company’s offices in New York. The announcement closely follows the company’s hiring of Doja Cat co-manager Gordan Dillard as EVP of A&R and artist development.

Rylan revealed he was "excited" on Monday's It Takes Two as he announced a new former Strictly Come Dancing pro joining him and co-host Janette Manrara on the BBC show. During the instalment, the presenter, 33, revealed that Choreography Corner was back and pro Joanne Clifton, who announced she was leaving Strictly in 2017, would be permanently hosting the segment now called Clifton's Choreography Corner.

The former Vicar of Rochdale was jailed after taking part in a blockade of an oil terminal. The Rev Mark Coleman was one of 56 Just Stop Oil protesters who were sent to prison after refusing to comply with court proceedings.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Columbia Pictures and local developer Amazon Falls have confirmed that their Aquaverse theme park will open in Pattaya, Thailand on Oct 12, 2022. The development is the Sony Group’s first theme and water park and was delayed for roughly a year by the COVID-19 pandemic. With Thai authorities having already dismantled most of their pandemic-era measures and poised to soon drop COVID from its list of notifiable diseases (expected to happen on Oct. 1) multiple large entertainment projects are now rushing to open. Carnival Magic opened in Phuket earlier this week, while another, Bangkok World, is expected to open adjacent to the Siam Amazing Park on the outskirts of the Thai capital on Nov. 25, 2022.

“Days of Our Lives” has promoted publicist Lia Maiuri to Vice President of Communications. The new role will have her tasked with overseeing publicity, talent relations, social and promotional marketing for “Days of Our Lives” and any spin-offs or movies, the show’s creator and executive producer Ken Corday announced Wednesday.“As we have embarked on a new venture of transitioning from NBC after 57 years to Peacock, Lia has handled the move with grace and passion,” Corday told TheWrap.

Manori Ravindran International Editor Vice Studios global president Kate Ward is joining BBC Studios to oversee its factual portfolio, Variety can reveal. Ward has been appointed to the role of managing director for factual at BBC Studios Productions, where she replaces Tom McDonald, who left the company earlier this year to join National Geographic. With her new role, the well-respected executive — who most recently served as president of global studios and Pulse Films for Vice Media Group — will take on one of the most significant production portfolios in the U.K. industry, spanning the BBC’s Natural History Unit, Documentary Unit and Science Unit. She will also oversee relationships with BBC Studios’ roster of production companies, including Louis Theroux’s Mindhouse Productions, David Olusoga’s Uplands TV and James and Soleta Rogan’s Rogan Productions.

Selome Hailu Albert Cheng has been promoted to vice president of Amazon Prime Video U.S. He most recently served as chief operating officer of Amazon Studios. The news came Wednesday in a staff memo written by Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Cheng enters the newly created position effective immediately and will report to Hopkins. 2022 has been a banner year for Amazon’s studio and streaming service, especially with the launch of “The Rings of Power,” the latest entry into the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. According to Hopkins, responsibilities under Cheng’s purview will include revenue growth, brand strategy, marketing operations and customer acquisition.

Former UCLA basketball player Jalen Hill tragically died at the age of 22.

Jeanick Fournier captured the hearts (and ears!) of audiences when she was declared the winner of the 2022 season of “Canada’s Got Talent”; now, the Quebec-born singer is unveiling her major-label debut album.

As part of the restructuring, the WGA East Council now consists of 20 members: 12 writers who work in film, television and streaming; five writers from online media, and three from broadcast and cable news media. In addition, each of these three sectors will have a vice president representing them in leadership.

Sara David, running unopposed, has been elected vice president of the WGA East representing online media members, and Kathy McGee beat two other candidates to become vice president representing members working in the broadcast/cable/streaming news sector.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Spanish indie production shingle Nadie es Perfecto, producer of Alex de la Iglesia’s hit comedy “Perfectos Desconocidos,” has tapped former Netflix exec Juan Mayne to join the company as it revs up its slate with a slew of new projects. These include two pics in pre-production: “La navidad en sus manos,” in co-production with Bowfinger and Esto También Pasará, directed by Joaquín Mazón, starring Ernesto Sevilla and with a special collaboration from actor-filmmaker Santiago Segura, who has worked with de la Iglesia and Guillermo del Toro; and “Locomía,” directed by Kike Maillo, starring Jaime Lorente (“Money Heist,” “Elite”) and Alberto Ammann (“Lope,” “El silencio del cazador”).

EXCLUSIVE: UTA’s unscripted television department is getting a new agent.

Former Stockport council leader Elise Wilson has announced she will not be standing for re-election next year. Coun Wilson, who still heads up the Labour group, plans to step down in May after completing nine years at the town hall - including three as leader of the council.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Bob Iger, former CEO of the Walt Disney Co., is joining venture-capital firm Thrive Capital as a venture partner, the company announced Tuesday. Iger stepped down as Disney’s CEO in 2020 after a 15-year run, succeeded by Bob Chapek. Iger’s tenure as as executive chairman ended at the end of last year. New York-based Thrive Capital was founded in 2009 by Josh Kushner, the younger brother of former Trump adviser Jared Kushner. “Bob is widely recognized as one of the most visionary, innovative, and successful CEOs in history, and epitomizes daring leadership,” the VC firm said in a blog post. “Bob will bring his experience and expertise to bear in mentoring our founders as they build iconic companies spanning multiple industries, including healthcare, consumer technology, financial services, enterprise software, and more. Today’s complex and dynamic times require bold leadership, and we can think of no one better suited than him to mentor Thrive companies as they forge new ground.”

The ongoing R Kelly trial was dominated last week by the testimony of the star’s former business manager Derrel McDavid, who is a co-defendant in the case. He is accused of helping Kelly cover up the star’s sexual abuse of minors in the 2000s, but – he repeatedly insisted on the witness stand last week – at the time he genuinely believed that all of the musician’s various accusers were lying.For that claim to be credible, McDavid needed to convince jurors that he had never closely scrutinised the various sex tapes involving Kelly that were leaked and then retrieved during the 2000s, including the one that was at the centre of the musician’s 2008 trial.

CLC singer Sorn has unveiled the first teaser for her upcoming fourth digital single.The Thai K-pop idol took to her personal Instagram page yesterday (September 6) to post a cryptic teaser image for her upcoming digital single. The image takes the form of a word search puzzle, presented alongside its release date of September 15 at midnight KST.Within the word search puzzle, the words “Seungyeon”, “Yeeun“, “Reunion” and “Nirvana Girl” can be spotted, potentially signalling the featuring artists and title of the new single.

Michelle Donelan, a former WWE marketing manager who was Boris Johnson’s Education Secretary for just 48 hours, is to replace Nadine Dorries as Culture Secretary in UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’ first cabinet.