Sweden Showbiz Latest News and Updates

The Eurovision Song Contest is set to be even more fabulous this year, as national treasure Dame Joanna Lumley has been announced as the UK spokesperson.The Absolutely Fabulous icon's role in the grand final was revealed by Eurovision commentator Graham Norton on The One Show on Friday. Joanna, a long-time fan of Eurovision, is already gearing up for her iconic role where she will be broadcasted live into the arena in Malmo, Sweden.The actress, who recently starred in Netflix's Fool Me Once, expressed her excitement saying: "Good evening Malmo, it's Joanna here! "I am delighted to be announcing the jury vote for the UK at this year's Eurovision.

ITV has decided to remove Britain's Got Talent from its schedule next weekend, in an attempt to avoid a 'ratings war' with the Eurovision Song Contest. On Saturday, May 11, the popular talent show will be replaced by the Bond film Casino Royale, with BGT set to return on Sunday night, May 12. OK! has reached out to ITV for comment.The upcoming weekend will see more auditions on BGT, following its return to screens last month.

Eurovision organisers have confirmed that they reserve the right to remove Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols during the contest in Malmö, Sweden next week.The contest’s communications head has said that ticket buyers will only be allowed to display the flags of competing countries – including Israel – and the Pride flag. In a message to the Associated Press, they also said that “clothes, items or posters that can be used as instruments to be shown on television screens” featuring pro-Palestinian symbols may also be banned.Pro-Palestinian demonstrations are expected to take place in protest of Israel’s controversial participation in the contest following the current tensions with Hamas that have been ongoing since October.

Olly Alexander was moved to tears as he addressed the controversy surrounding the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.

EXCLUSIVE: The upcoming ABBA feature, which will air on 14 broadcasters including the BBC and CW, is an attempt to give the global superstars the Asif Kapadia-style doc treatment for the first time while combatting “Anglo-American” snobbery, according to its director.

Olly Alexander made a cameo appearance in last night’s episode of EastEnders (May 2) – watch below.The Years & Years frontman starred in a scene on the BBC One soap ahead of representing the UK at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden next Saturday (May 11).Alexander visited the iconic Queen Victoria pub on Albert Square, where he was introduced as a friend of Johnny Carter (played by Charlie Suff). The latter character explained that the pair “go way back”, adding: “Years and years, in fact.”The singer added: “We met in a bar in Manchester.

Naman Ramachandran Some of the Sony Music Group‘s top European artists are backing a voter participation campaign. Sony has launched what it describes as a “non-partisan campaign,” titled Your Voice, Your Power, Your Vote, to encourage voting in the June European Union elections, with a focus on young people and underrepresented groups.

Ghost have shared details of a debut feature film, titled RITE HERE RITE NOW.Set to arrive in cinemas worldwide next month, the film is the first of its kind from the metal group, and will combine footage of their September 2023 shows at The Forum in Los Angeles with a narrative that picks up plot threads from the band’s long-running webisode series.It has been directed by the masked Swedish collective’s frontman Tobias Forge, alongside American filmmaker and actor Alex Ross Perry, and is set to arrive in cinemas globally on June 20 and 22 only.A full trailer is set to launch next Thursday (May 9), and tickets for screenings will be available then too.

Rylan Clark was left jokingly clapping back at Cat Deeley when he appeared on This Morning to deny he's 'on the run'. The presenter appeared on This Morning on Wednesday (May 1) after an e-fit released by a UK police force was said to look like him.

Alexa Chung is reportedly engaged to Tom Sturridge, her boyfriend of two years..The 40 year old model and TV presenter has apparently been sharing the exciting news with family and close friends, ahead of their big day this summer. Before her relationship with 38 year old actor Tom - known for his roles in films like The Boat That Rocked, Like Minds and Being Julia, and more recently seen in Netflix fantasy series The Sandman - Alexa had several high-profile relationships.

Rylan Clark has denied he is the man wanted by Kent Police - after an e-fit was released that bore an uncanny resemblance to him.The Radio 2 star, 35, shared a post that included a computer-generated image of a man they would like to identify in connection with a robbery, but looked startlingly familiar to Rylan's fans. In the e-fit, the man was shown with dark hair and a well-manicured beard and moustache that looked very similar to Rylan, with police captioning it: "Officers investigating a report of attempted robbery in #Maidstone have released a computer generated image of a man they would like to identify." Rylan saw the funny side of the similarity as he reposted it, writing: "Wasn't me".

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor European Film Promotion has revealed the participants for its Producers on the Move program, which runs before and during the Cannes Film Festival. The promotion and networking program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, brings together 20 of Europe’s most promising producers.

Russ has added new UK and European dates to his ‘It Was You All Along’ world tour. Check them out along with ticket details below.Back in March, the New Jersey rapper first announced his upcoming ‘It Was You All Along’ tour in North American with 6LACK and Melii as support acts.

Chase & Status and Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz were booked to headline, and other performers included Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, LF System, Dennis Ferrer, Hannah Wants, Groove Armada (DJ Set) and Low Steppa.Now, the organisers of the Dagenham festival have confirmed that the event has been forced to be cancelled due to the weather conditions, and set to return in 2025 instead.Taking to Facebook this afternoon (April 29), the official page shared an update, explaining that the decision was made by the local council and organisers were left “devastated” by the news.“Last year, when we were looking for a new home, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham offered us the beautiful Central Park and we worked with them to create detailed plans for how the Festival would work this year and be better than ever before,” the update read.“We had invested time and money into the new site, new stages and brought in a new Creative Team to bring the weekend to life with immersive experiences and large art installations, alongside the already fantastic lineup, which we couldn’t wait to share with you.An Important Update Regarding We Are FSTVL 2024.Posted by We Are FSTVL on Monday, April 29, 2024“Sadly, and just days before we were due to attend on-site to start the build, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham accepted that they could not deliver a safe event space that was fit for the purpose of allowing us to stage We Are FSTVL 2024.”The post continued, adding how it was forced to cancel the event due to putting punters’ health at the forefront: “London Borough of Barking and Dagenham say that the difficult decision to cancel has been made for health and safety reasons after record levels of rainfall this year.“We are heartbroken

Billie Eilish has accomplished more than most recording artists will in their entire lives.Over the past decade, the “Bad Guy” singer released two number one albums, hosted “Saturday Night Live” and collected nine Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards to name just a few of her many impressive achievements.This year, she’s going back for more.Eilish just announced she is embarking on the worldwide ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR’ in support of her upcoming album with the same name, due out May 17.The worldwide tour includes a stop at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on Wednesday, Oct. 9 as well a trio of back-to-back-to-back gigs at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Oct.

Spotify has announced record profits of over €1billion (£860m), following staff being laid off, subscription prices rising and costs being cut across the board.The growth of the company comes as streaming continues to dominate the music industry, and the platform has gone on to offer its subscribers access to podcasts and audiobooks too.Currently, the Swedish company has around 615million users across the globe, and has invested a huge amount of money in growing the brand since its initial launch back in 2006. However, reports of the profit come following a year of the brand cutting costs and laying off staff.Late last year, Spotify announced that it was cutting down 17 per cent of its workforce in order to save costs.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Memento International has boarded “The Ugly Stepsister,” the ambitious feature debut of Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt. The company will kick off sales at this year’s Cannes. Combining comedy and horror, the film is a daring and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of the Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira.

David Gilmour has said he would agree to an ABBA Voyage-style Pink Floyd hologram show, subject to “a series of very, very difficult and onerous conditions”.Gilmour revealed in a new interview with Uncut that he’d been invited to watch the show alongside his wife, the writer Polly Samson.“If you were a determined ABBA fan, you might enjoy it,” he said. “I thought the images of them were sort of OK, but they weren’t ever going to convince me it was real.

Incoming Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin insists he has no intention of moving to Pittodrie earlier than June despite his Elfsborg side crashing to their third defeat in a row.

Eurovision Song Contest has been unveiled ahead of the grand final next month.Lighting and Screen Content designer Fredrik Stormby from Green Wall Designs and production designer Florian Wieder are the creative masterminds who helped create, design, and deliver a large-scale and spectacular show to a global audience of over 160million for the 2024 Eurovision final in Malmö, Sweden on May 11.This year’s stage and lighting design for Eurovision will focus on the audience more than ever by having the stage placed in the centre of the arena. By doing so, viewers will be able to experience the unique 360 degree view in the Malmö Arena.The stage will also be shaped like a cross with movable LED cubes and LED floors.

Eurovision Song Contest 2024.According to Eurovision World, the favourites to win the competition have been revealed. Coming in first place is Switzerland’s NEMO, who currently has a 25 per cent chance at snagging the crown this year with their song ‘The Code’.Behind Switzerland in second place is Croatia, whose entry Baby Lasagna is predicted to have a 17 per cent chance of winning with his song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’.

The Swifts and the Kelces are headed across the pond! Together!

Pet Shop Boys have responded to the recent comparisons of their classic single ‘It’s A Sin’ to Olly Alexander’s Eurovision entry ‘Dizzy’.Alexander released the track last month ahead of the Years & Years singer representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden next month.‘Dizzy’ was co-written by Alexander and electronic producer Danny L Harle (Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek). Upon the track’s release, the former explained that it was “inspired by a lot of music we love from the ’80s like Erasure, Adamski and of course Pet Shop Boys”.Some listeners have pointed out similarities to Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s 1987 hit specifically.

Interpol have added four extra European shows to their ‘Antics’ 20th-anniversary tour, which will take place later this year.The album, released in 2004, was the band’s second studio album and peaked at Number 15 on the Billboard 200 and at Number 21 in the UK Albums Chart. The album’s singles included indie disco staples ‘Slow Hands’, ‘Evil’, alongside fan favourites ‘C’mere’ and ‘Narc’.The record cemented the band’s success after the seminal debut ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’ and went on to become a classic of the era.

EXCLUSIVE: Picture Tree International (PTI) has acquired world sales rights for A Quiet Resilience, the debut feature of rising Swedish, fraternal directorial duo Gustav and David Bengtsson.

Lord of the Rings” owner Embracer is separating the group into three games and entertainment companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends. Asmodee is a tabletop games publisher and distributor with a studio network and IP catalogue.

What’s Keanu Reeves up to in his post-“John Wick” period?  Well, he’s not quite done with the character yet; he’ll reprise it briefly in the upcoming spin-off “Ballerina,” in theaters next summer.  But Variety reports the actor is in talks to star in a project that’s sure to be an eyebrow-raiser: Ruben Östlund‘s follow-up to his second Palme d’Or winner “Triangle Of Sadness.” READ MORE: ‘Barbie’: Ruben Östlund Says “Mattel Bought Off An American Auteur” & Updates Next ‘Entertainment Down’ Satire Östlund has been teasing “The Entertainment System Is Down” for a while now, but it sounds like he’s finally gearing up to film it. It’s another social satire for the Swedish auteur, about a long-haul flight where the entertainment system stops working, leading passengers to fly into rages.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Netflix launched four new movie titles into the Luminate streaming originals top 10 movies list for the April 12-18 frame, led by “Woody Woodpecker Goes to College” and Swedish drama “Stolen.” Among streaming original TV series, Amazon Prime Video saw “Fallout” spike to more than 5 million views in its first full week in release. Netflix had sleeper successes with true-crime drama “Baby Reindeer” and docu-series “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment.” Documentary film “What Jennifer Did” saw a 696% week-to-week bounce in its first full week in release to 674.2 million minutes watched, or about 7.7 million views. “Woody Woodpecker” was a distant second with 290.8 million minutes watched, or about 2.9 million views.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Keanu Reeves is in talks to star in two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s highly anticipated next feature “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has learned. While the exact plot of the movie remains under wraps, Östlund has teased it several times as a social satire set on a long-haul flight on which the entertainment system isn’t working, sparking chaos and rages among passengers.

Keanu Reeves is reportedly eying a role in director Ruben Ostlund‘s new movie The Entertainment System is Down.

Surprise – Tom Payne and his wife Jennifer Akerman have welcomed twins!

Viaplay shut its direct-to-consumer service in February, but the Scandi streamer is still active in the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor TikTok inked a partnership with ticketing provider AXS to let users of the popular video app discover and buy tickets to live events. The feature is going live initially in the U.S., U.K., Sweden and Australia, with additional markets to follow at an undetermined date. Now, any certified artist on TikTok can use the in-app ticketing feature to promote their AXS live dates, according to the company.

Manchester United will have to check on several players before their impending FA Cup semi-final showdown vs Coventry City on Sunday afternoon (3.30pm).

Say Lou Lou have released their sultry new single and EP ‘Dust’.The Swedish/Australian twins shared their latest music on Friday (April 12), where they released the video for its title track ‘Dust’. It is the first part of an unknown series of EPs.The steamy video sees the twins dancing seductively with a model, as they sing: “I think you’re not what I want or craving / I think you’re not what I want at all / You don’t hear any words I’m saying / Is it all gonna fall and turn into dust?”Speaking about their new EP, Say Lou Lou describe ‘Dust’ as “a candid collection of songs that chronicle various steps of a break up; mourning, anger, remorse and forgiveness.

Filming begins next week on a big-budget family drama, which producers hope will herald a new era in non-English language shows within the British Isles.