Morocco Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Former X Factor star Chico Slimani looked completely different from his days on the singing contest as he appeared on Good Morning Britain with a new hairstyle. The 52-year-old singer, who now works as a fitness influencer, wore his hair in long black braids with a black hat as he was invited on the ITV show on Friday.

Coronation Street's Deirdre Barlow's former flame, Samir, is barely recognisable in a new Netflix role, almost 30 years after his tragic departure from the soap. Before becoming a Barlow, Deirdre, played by Anne Kirkbride, was known as Deirdre Rachid, having married her younger beau, Samir Rachid. Samir, portrayed by Al Nedjari, met Deirdre while she was holidaying in Morocco in 1994.They got hitched and he later joined her on the famous cobbles.

Holyrood bosses have been called on to investigate an £11,000 data roaming bill racked up by the Health Secretary.

Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour and family drama Mother Couch, starring Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, are headed to the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ridley Scott revealed in a recent New Yorker profile that he has been editing the 90 minutes of footage he was able to capture for “Gladiator 2” before the Hollywood strikes shut down production. Scott was shooting the long-awaited “Gladiator” sequel in Morocco when filming stopped indefinitely. He can’t resume production until the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Casino Royale” Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen and Moroccan actor-director Faouzi Bensaïdi will be celebrated with career achievement awards at the upcoming 20th Marrakech International Film Festival that will run Nov. 24- Dec.

The Marrakech International Film Festival has unveiled the 10 cinema figures who will participate in its In Conversation With program at its 20th edition running from November 24 to December 2.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced the bulk of its lineup from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), signaling that the event is forging ahead with its third edition despite the Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world. The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled it 2023 line-up and theme as it maintains its third edition against the backdrop of the escalating Israel-Gaza Conflict. (scroll down for full list)

The Green Brigade have been offered support by four ultras groups around the world after their banning by the Celtic hiearchy.

Andy Cohen really wants a certain duchess in Montecito to become a housewife!

Manchester United are back in Premier League action this afternoon as they head to Fulham and supporters have called for Kobbie Mainoo to get his first start of the season.

The consequences keep on coming for Ramona Singer! And Andy Cohen could be facing some of his own next if he’s seen as trying to sweep it under the rug!

Bre Tiesi won’t let anyone tell her how to live her life, not even Nick Cannon!

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Tunisian Youssef Chebbi’s “Plague,” Moroccan Adnane Baraka’s “We Don’t Forget” and Meryam Joobeur’s “Motherhood” feature among buzz titles at this year’s Marrakech Festival Atlas Workshops, which will have Martin Scorsese as their official patron. Consolidated as a key platform for Moroccan, Arab and African projects and pix in production made by a new generation of filmmakers and created by Marrakech Festival artistic director Remi Bonhomme, the Atlas Workshops unspool Nov. 27-30.

The season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco may never see the light of day following those sexual assault allegations!

The Marrakech International Film Festival has unveiled the 25 projects selected for the sixth edition of its industry-focused Atlas Workshops, aimed at nurturing emerging Moroccan, Arab and African talent.

The 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival has announced its selection, opening with Richard Linklater’s comedy Hit Man. (scroll down for full list of films)

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Richard Linklater’s action comedy “Hit Man” is set to open the Marrakech International Film Festival, which has announced its lineup of more than 70 films mixing known titles and fresh fare. The fest is forging ahead with its 20th edition, which will run Nov.

Mariah Carey fast-forwarded to Christmas at midnight Wednesday - ‘Mimi’ was defrosted for Christmas! “It’s time!” the singer said. This is her yearly announcement where Carey carefully draft a creative way to ring in the holiday season.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Bringing one of Spain’s biggest potential box office hits onto the market at the AFM, Filmax has secured international sales to “A Moroccan Affair,” the third installment in the most successful Spanish movie franchise in history. “Moroccan Affair” is produced by Telecinco Cinema and Lazona, the duo behind comedies “Spanish Affair” (2014) and “Spanish Affair 2” (2015), which still rank as the biggest, and third-biggest, respectively, Spanish-produced box office hits of all time at Spain’s box office, grossing a combined €90.9 million ($96.3 million).

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Marrakech International Film Festival has announced its full jury, signaling that the event is forging ahead with its 20th edition despite the Israel-Hamas conflict — which has caused cancellations of several other fests in the region — and the earthquake that hit the country in September. Joining Jessica Chastain – who is the fest’s previously announced jury president – will be Iranian actor Zar Amir; French actor Camille Cottin; Australian actor and director Joel Edgerton; British director Joanna Hogg; U.S. director Dee Rees; Swedish-Egyptian director Tarek Saleh; Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård and French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani.

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based genre special WTFilms has boarded Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s horror thriller ‘The Soul Eater’ ahead of the AFM.

Alex Beresford and his dad, Noel embarked on the once-in-a-lifetime trip at the end of September as they began filming for BBC One's Celebrity Race Across the World.

Married At First Sight's Shona Manderson has been turning heads with her latest holiday snaps. The blonde beauty, who recently split from husband Brad Skelly on the E4 show, is currently soaking up the sun in Morocco and shared a photo of herself in a daring white bikini.The two-piece, adorned with sequins and featuring ribbon tie sides, showed off Shona's figure as she posed on a white lounger against a desert backdrop.

You can’t ignore the signs that winter is on its way: big coats have been fetched from the depths of the wardrobe, evenings are growing darker and de-misting the car windscreen is becoming a daily habit. After the glorious long and sunny (well sometimes sunny) days of summer, it can all feel rather depressing.

Dragon’s Den star Hilary Devey reportedly left no money in her will, despite having an estimated £80 million fortune. The businesswoman passed away aged 65 in June 2022 at her holiday home in Marrakesh, Morocco, after battling a long illness. Over 12 months after her death, the contents of Hilary's will has now been released and it appears that the TV star only left material objects for her loved ones, despite her huge fortune.

Hilary Devey CBE reportedly left no money in her will, despite accruing an estimated fortune of £80 million throughout her life.

Emmanuelle Chriqui I was born in Montreal and raised in Toronto to a traditional French, Jewish and Moroccan family. My parents emigrated from Morocco with my older brother in tow in the mid- to late- 1960s.

Wei Shujun’s Only The River Flows was presented with Best Film in the Fei Mu Awards at this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF), while Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell, directed by Vietnam’s Pham Thien An, won Best Film in the festival’s Roberto Rossellini Awards.

Emiliano De Pablos Spain’s TV fiction industry is exercising some caution after high-end Spanish-language series lifted off in 2018. “We all wanted to launch so many projects, so many new platforms arrived that there was no time for analysis,” says Bambú co-founder Ramón Campos. As streamers scale back on originals and sales cycles slow, the industry has time for larger re-calculation.

Manchester United are not in action this week due to the ongoing international break - but that does not mean the news cycle grinds to a halt.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Tallinn Black Nights, one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe, has revealed the full lineup of its Official Selection Competition, with films by Emma Dante, Călin Peter Netzer, Gust Van den Berghe and Rezo Gigineishvili in the running. There are seven international premieres and 13 world premieres. The festival’s 27th edition runs Nov.

When it comes to hair straighteners, GHD, £99.99 here (was £129.99), have long been the go-to choice for creating sleek, smooth styles. However, there's another hair straightener on the market that’s giving them a run for their money, with some shoppers saying they’d actually ‘stopped using their GHDs’ after purchasing – and it’s now got a whopping 70% off in the Prime Day sale.The Remington Shine Therapy Straightener is now down from £79.99 to £24.99 - the cheapest price you'll find anywhere.

Nick Cannon had a very happy birthday this year alongside his loved ones!

Ben Croll Introduced last year, MIA’s dedicated animation program heads into its sophomore edition with a more firmly entrenched industry position and a resoundingly global outlook. With the program scaffolding already in place, MIA curators spent the past year shoring up support and scouting for projects at key markets in Berlin, Cannes and Annecy, resulting in a program of roughly 30 co-production pitch projects and works-on-progress that altogether spans more than 40 countries.