Ireland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Eamonn Holmes has told his fans that his life has changed 'beyond recognition' as he shared a poignant photo with them on social media. The GB News presenter took to Instagram with a sweet snap of himself alongside his late mum, Josie, and two of his brothers.

Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks will unite live onstage in May to co-host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has shared details of a new ‘private beta trial’ for Attendance Allowance claimants. The service is currently only being offered to 60 people each week who start a new claim for the State Pension age disability benefit through certain channels.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International British presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady has died. He was 67. O’Grady’s death was confirmed to the BBC by his partner Andre Portasio, who said the popular TV host died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening. O’Grady was known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, and had been performing as Miss Hannigan (a role he first played 25 years ago) in the touring musical “Annie,” which ran for a week at the Edinburgh Playhouse from March 21 to 25. (The show is scheduled to travel to Southampton in April. ) On his official Instagram page, O’Grady wrote on March 13 that he was “thoroughly enjoying playing Hannigan again after so long, especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast.”

Wigan Athletic footballer James McClean has revealed he has been diagnosed with autism.

Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti will star in an Off Broadway production of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters for a (very) limited run: The production at the Irish Repertory Theatre will run from May 30 to June 4 for eight performances.

Naman Ramachandran Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4” shot its way to the top of the U.K. and Ireland box office with a £5.3 million ($6.5 million) opening weekend, according to numbers released by Comscore. In its second weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” collected £1.09 million in second place for a total of £4.09 million. In third place, Warner Bros.’ “Creed III” earned £731,273 and now has a total of £12.8 million after four weekends. Paramount’s “Scream VI” grossed £597,937 in fourth place in its third weekend for a total of £6.2 million. Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “Allelujah” that took £463,973 in its second weekend for a total of £2.02 million.

The 2023 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland being was unveiled earlier this week, bringing the total number of Scottish restaurants to possess much-coveted Michelin stars to 12.

Naman Ramachandran Village Roadshow Pictures has teamed with Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment for the U.K. release of the live-captured version of hit West End production “Heathers: The Musical.” The live-event style distribution strategy marks a first for both companies and will see a series of events premiering at more than 320 screens across the U.K. and Ireland from March 28 through May 6. In addition to screening the musical, each event will feature a bonus 10-minute special titled “Behind the Scenes at The Other Palace,” named for the London venue where the musical was filmed in 2022 as a Roku original for the North American market. Sky VIP also ran a preview screening on March 21 in 30 Vue cinemas across the U.K.

Police are continuing to investigate the death of a much-loved former teacher and football manager who died after being hit by a lorry. An inquest into the death of John Patrick McCafferty, also known as Paddy, was opened at Rochdale Coroners Court this morning (March 28).

Ed Sheeran surprised a fan who covers his songs on YouTube by inviting him on stage to perform ‘The A Team’ in London last week – check out the footage below.The singer-songwriter was performing at The O2 last Friday (March 24) as part of his current UK/Ireland and European arena tour when he spotted Luke Gittins, 22, in the audience.“Do you know ‘The A Team’?” Sheeran asked. “Do you want to come up and sing ‘The A Team? This isn’t set up, so thank you very much for doing this last-minute.

Lena Headey has landed a new gig.

Steel Panther vocalist Michael Starr has spoken about cancel culture in relation to the band’s music and shows in a new interview.Sitting down with Canada’s the Metal Voice, the vocalist explained that they haven’t had much pushback, adding that people who attend Steel Panther shows know what they’re getting into.“I think everyone is there for the same party,” he said. “So we really, really haven’t experienced any of that [cancel culture].

Sian Brooke stars in new BBC police drama Blue Lights, but her off-screen life is miles away from the action-packed frontline story. Blue Lights begins on Monday evening and is set in Belfast following the journey of a group of rookie recruits working in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the day-to-day risks the job involves.The six-part series was created by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson with Sian the star of the show, playing the role of Grace Ellis.Taking to Instagram to share a preview of Blue Lights the actress wrote: "Here we go!! This was a gift to be part of from start to finish".

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Lena Headey is set to star in Kurt Sutter’s upcoming Netflix series “The Abandons,” Variety has learned. The Western series was ordered at the streamer in October 2022. The official series description states: “As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, ‘justice’ is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law.” Headey will play Fiona, described as “a strong, devout matriarch who, unable to have her own children, took in four orphans to create her own family. Driven by a higher purpose – and a strong-willed Irish temper – her faith and love for her family trump all.”

's season 48 is still going strong! The NBC mainstay recently announced the latest round of celebs they've tapped to host the celebrated sketch comedy series.First up,star and creator Quinta Brunson! The acclaimed comedic actress is set to host April 1.Then, alum Molly Shannon returns for the April 8 episode, accompanied by the Jonas Brothers, who are making their first appearance on the show since 2009. For the show's third April installment, Ana de Armas and Karol G will be on hand to head up the April 15 episode.This season, the new cast has looked quite a bit different, with four fresh new faces after a surprising exodus of long-time cast members — including veteran castmember Cecily Strong, who departed the show mid-season during the last episode of 2022.

Game of Thrones alumna Lena Headey has been tapped to headline Kurt Sutter’s Western action drama series The Abandons at Netflix.

U2 guitarist The Edge has said that he wants to be “the vanguard of this resurgence of guitars”.In an interview for the latest issue of MOJO, The Edge spoke about how he has a lot of “great material waiting” and that he hopes Bono‘s “noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album” will be their next project.“Well, I would love that to be the next U2 record!” He said. “The lockdown was a very creative period for me, just in composing music. I don’t want to jinx ourselves… but there’s a lot of great material waiting.

Christine & The Queens has announced a UK and European ‘PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE’ tour for 2023 – find the details below and purchase tickets here.The French singer-songwriter’s new album ‘PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE’ is due for release June 9 and will follow-up last year’s ‘Redcar les adorables étoiles’.

Britain's Got Talent legend Susan Boyle was unrecognisable as she was spotted on low-key outing in Ireland.The 61 year old singer, who shot to fame on BGT in 2009, returned to the Knock House Hotel in Mayo, West Ireland, where she's stayed before.The hotel's owners were thrilled to have the Scottish singing sensation back at their hotel, as they excitedly posted a snap of Susan graciously posing with a fan to their official Facebook page. Susan was dressed in a cream knitted cardigan with a yellow raincoat over the top, and she looked in a brilliant mood as she beamed for the camera, whilst showing off a makeup free face and straightened hair.

The Chemical Brothers have announced a 2023 UK arena tour – find out the details below and purchase tickets here.The electronic music duo – comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons – will be performing six shows across the UK and Ireland, kicking off at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on October 26, with stops in Manchester, Leeds, Dublin and Birmingham, before wrapping up at London’s O2 on November 4.The announcement comes after The Chemical Brothers’ recently unveiled their new single ‘No Reason’, marking the first new material from the duo since their 2021 two-song release ‘The Darkness That You Fear’.The Chemical Brothers will be performing live in the UK this autumn! Tickets on sale Friday 31st March at 9:30 AM: https://t.co/jegOzYhAqr

Susan Boyle has been enjoying a peaceful getaway in Ireland, with the former Britain’s Got Talent star delighting fans with her surprise visit to the Emerald Isle.

Britain's Got Talent legend Susan Boyle has been enjoying a peaceful getaway in Ireland this week.

After beating Manchester United 6-0 last week, Manchester City under-21 coach Brian Barry-Murphy pointed to the number of international call-ups for the club's academy players as an indicator of their progress this season.

A Scottish terrorism expert is convinced Russian leader Vladimir Putin is using a body double on public appearances. The warmonger was accused by the Ukrainians of using a stand in on a surprise visit to occupied Mariupol last Sunday - to protect himself from assassination.

Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers have been found for sale in their most remote location yet – a tiny village shop accessible only by a dirt road deep in a South American savannah.

Police have seized thousands of suspected illegal vapes in Bolton after a number of 'concerning' medical incidents at a local school, which are believed to be linked to the use of illegal vapes.

Kele has shared the latest single from his new album ‘The Flames Pt. 2’ – listen to ‘And He Never Was The Same Again’ below.The Bloc Party frontman’s sixth solo studio album was released yesterday (March 24) via KOLA Records / !K7.‘And He Never Was The Same Again’ is an ominous and discordant track, which gently builds tension to the point of claustrophobia.

U2 secure their 11th UK Number 1 album with Songs of Surrender.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Neon has purchased North American rights to “Eileen,” an adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s acclaimed novel of the same title. The movie debuted to strong reviews at Sundance, but its high price tag, said by sources to be in the range of $15 million, made it difficult for the film to score a distribution deal. It languished on the market for roughly two months as several studios kicked the tires. This despite the combined star wattage of “Jojo Rabbit’s” Thomasin McKenzie and Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway and a twisty plot. The rest of the ensemble includes Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland, and Owen Teague. William Oldroyd (“Lady Macbeth”) directs from a script by Moshfegh who adapted “Eileen” with Luke Goebel. Neon will release the film theatrically this fall. 

NEON has taken the North American rights to the Anne Hathaway starring Sundance Film Festival premiere, Eileen from director William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth). The distributor is eyeing a fall theatrical release for the film.

Nell Mescal has shared a new single – check out the uptempo ‘In My Head’ below.The soaring pop track arrives with a video directed by Dora Paphides, and is the second new release from the Irish singer-songwriter this year, following January’s ‘Homesick’.“‘In My Head’ is a song about searching for a love you had in the past, a feeling you’re never sure you’ll find again so you seek comfort in relationships that are emotionally draining and one sided,” Mescal said.“It’s about thinking that it must always be your fault and eventually leading to resentment towards the other person. We all have that person we look back on and miss, this track captures the moment they slip into your head.”The 19-year-old kicked off her 2023 with a spot in the NME 100.

Following their bitter fall out back in 2020, Big Brother's former hosts Davina McCall and Brian Dowling seem to be putting their turbulent past behind them. Years after their feud kicked off, the reality show's much-loved presenters have been spotted reuniting in a series of sweet snaps posted to Instagram. Original presenter of the hit series Davina, 55, shared a sentimental photo of her cosying up to the Irish TV star, 44, who took over her role as host back in 2010.

NME is set to launch the second instalment of its new NME Screen series – hosting an advanced screening of Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. Find out how to get tickets below.The series – which creates exclusive film and TV experiences for NME‘s millions of entertainment fans – was launched earlier this month, kicking off with a celebration of ’00s NYC indie documentary Meet Me In The Bathroom.Next, the series will host a special screening of the upcoming fantasy film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves – starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant and more.Taking place at London’s Finsbury Park Picturehouse on Thursday March 30, the screening comes ahead of the film’s release the following day.

Naman Ramachandran BAFTA-winning producer Patrick Spence is leaving ITV Studios after three years, Variety has confirmed. Spence, who serves as creative director, will leave at the end of March, ITV Studios managing director Julian Bellamy told staff via an internal memo on Thursday. Spence will continue to partner with ITV Studios on upcoming projects including “People vs. Post Office” (working title). Spence joined ITV Studios in 2020 and secured several acclaimed commissions, including the BBC’s drama-romance “Ralph & Katie,” a spin-off of “The A Word,” about the lives of a couple with Down syndrome; ITVX’s “Litvinenko,” about the investigation into the death of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko; the BAFTA-nominated Cold War spy drama “A Spy Among Friends,” also for ITVX; and post-pandemic frontline medical drama “Maternal” for ITV.  

Ben Whishaw and Ambika Mod, the stars of This is Going to Hurt, have scooped the top acting prizes at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, while Derry Girls picked up a double.