Licence fee freeze to cost BBC £285million, says director general

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong is asking his fans for help. On Saturday morning, the 49-year-old musician took to Twitter revealing that his 1962 Chevy II had been stolen in Costa Mesa, California. "My car was STOLEN 1962 Chevy II," he wrote alongside several photos of the missing classic.

Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has said economic and geographical inequalities have led to a “polarized creative community” within the British TV and film sector.

Manori Ravindran International EditorU.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries opened the virtual Creative Coalition Festival on Tuesday with a rallying speech about the creative industries, but stayed quiet on all matters relating to the future of broadcasters Channel 4 and the BBC.In what appeared to be a pre-recorded segment, Dorries talked up the music sector as examples of the U.K.’s “creative powerhouse,” referencing Coldplay and Adele’s new albums as well as Dua Lipa’s hit song “Levitating.” “It’s our writers and musicians and designers and composers who are the most celebrated around the world today and do the most to sell the U.K.

ITV's Lorraine star Ross King has claimed Adele's cancelled Las Vegas residency could cost the venue Ceasars Palace £111million if she never returns.The Los Angeles correspondent, 59, appeared on the telly to virtually talk to Lorraine Kelly about recent reports that the Easy On Me's relationship with boyfriend Rich Paul is strained. Last week, reports emerged that the Grammy award-winner and American sports agent Rich's current relationship status was the reason behind her cancelling her Las Vegas shows. Since then, it's been reported that the 33 year old has spent the last week at her millionaire boyfriend's Beverly Hills home to "save" their romance.

BBC over Netflix last year, according to a report.A study from media analyst Enders Analysis (via Deadline), which set out to research Netflix’s growth in the country over the last decade, found the proportion of total UK viewing to Netflix was seven per cent in 2021, compared to 22 per cent for the BBC.ITV and YouTube beat Netflix too with 16 and 14 per cent respectively. Channel 4 was level with the streaming giant at seven per cent.According to the report, Netflix’s proportion of UK viewing has risen over the past decade, although it remained broadly flat last year.

Changing and growing. Emma Roberts opened up about finding herself amid news of her split from Garrett Hedlund in a new interview.

The Batman was inspired by Kurt Cobain, directly pointing to the late Nirvana frontman’s struggles with drug addiction.In a new interview with Esquire, Reeves – who wrote, directed and produced the forthcoming superhero film – explained that he was first drawn to Nirvana in the early stages of the film’s development, citing ‘Nevermind’ cut ‘Something In The Way’ (which appears in the first trailer for The Batman) as a particular source of inspiration.He said the track’s thematic basis was “part of the voice of [Batman’s] character”, musing: “When I considered, ‘How do you do Bruce Wayne in a way that hasn’t been seen before?’ I started thinking, ‘What if some tragedy happened [ie: Wayne sees his parents murdered] and this guy becomes so reclusive, we don’t know what he’s doing? Is this guy some kind of wayward, reckless, drug addict?’“And the truth is that he is a kind of drug addict. His drug is his addiction to this drive for revenge.

EXCLUSIVE: “Bringing BBC Three back to linear TV” would have been far down former BBC Director General Tony Hall’s list of predictions for his successor’s first major piece of business.

K.J. Yossman BBC Studios has unveiled the line-up for its annual Showcase and it includes creatives such as “Happy Valley” creator Sally Wainwright and the hosts of “Top Gear.” The three-day event, which will again be virtual for 2022, will be fronted by talent including “Strictly Come Dancing” co-host Claudia Winkleman, Clara Amfo and Anita Rani, as well as BBC Studios execs.BBC Studios is the commercial arm of broadcaster the BBC and among those appearing at the Showcase will be the BBC’s director-general Tim Davie, BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell and BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore.

Sally Wainwright, Daisy May Cooper and the hosts of Top Gear, along with senior BBC execs, will address next month’s BBC Studios Showcase, as the commercial outfit unveils a packed lineup for the online-only event.

Afternoon subscribers, Max Goldbart here. It’s been a busy week but International Insider has you covered. Read on for in-depth analysis of the biggest international headlines of the week.

It turns out, Robert Pattinson was very invested in his “Twilight” audition. In a new interview for “The Big Hit Show”, “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke talked about the struggle to find the franchise’s Edward Cullen.

Robert Pattinson was very invested in his audition. In a new interview for, director Catherine Hardwicke talked about the struggle to find the franchise's Edward Cullen. After seeing many handsome actors, they brought in Pattinson, but Hardwicke said she wasn't convinced at first. «He walked in, his hair was dyed black for some play with these wacky bangs. He was a bit out of shape.

Dan Walker has defended the BBC after it was hinted that the license fee would be scrapped. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted about plans to overhaul the funding model for the BBC, revealing that the next announcement about the fee would "be the last".The annual payment usually changes on April 1 of each year, however, reports suggest that it will be frozen at the rate of £159 for the next two years.