Minister says £15 rise in BBC licence fee would be 'high'

Abby Lee Miller has a HOT TAKE on Taylor Swift!

Rap superstar Aitch had a go at playing Father Christmas during a surprise toy giveaway for struggling families in Trafford. Lucky fans were treated to clothes and state of the art games consoles for this year's '‘Big Drama Call Christmas Giveback’ supported by the rapper on Tuesday night (December 19).

Matthew Perry‘s death is the tragedy that keeps on taking.

Thanks to the long, drawn out process of bringing “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” to the screen, people are now obsessed with the idea of Zack Snyder doing director’s cuts of his films. So, even before anyone saw one frame of his new film, “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire,” there was already extensive discussion about his R-rated director’s cut.

NME about how her campaign is about “how climate change affects us all”.Louise Harris released the stirring ‘We Tried’ in November, with the track already having topped the UK iTunes singles chart. Broadcaster Chris Packham has got behind her bid for a Christmas hit, while iconic musician and producer Brian Eno describing the song as “a powerful weapon”.Harris, 25, from Hertfordshire, was arrested after performing the track at a peaceful protest outside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s home at the end of November.

Chanel's huge fashion show which was held in Manchester earlier this month is believed to have brought around £8m to the city, according to the council. The exclusive Métiers d'Art event which took place in the Northern Quarter on December 7 saw celebrities stay in the city's top hotels to attend the luxury fashion brand's outdoor catwalk before heading to Victoria Baths for an after party.

Julia Roberts has suggested Richard Gere’s character from Pretty Woman would have died by now following the film’s ending.The 1990 romantic comedy follows sex worker Vivian (Roberts) who is paid to masquerade as the girlfriend of wealthy businessman Edward (Gere) over the course of a week, only for the pair to fall in love.In an interview with CBS Mornings, Roberts was asked where she thought several of her most famous characters would be today – with the situation in Pretty Woman taking a bleak turn.“I think he passed away peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack, smiling,” Roberts said. “And now she runs his business.”Gere’s character in 1999 film Runaway Bride, however, manages to survive Roberts’ hypothetical future.

Dennis Ruh, whose departure as head of the Berlinale‘s European Film Market after the 2024 edition was announced today, has expressed surprise that his contract has not been renewed and also questioned the festival’s new hiring protocols.

A mum whose baby couldn't keep down his milk says her son would have died within days if she didn’t trust her gut.

Director Denis Villeneuve has high hopes for Dune: Part Two, which is currently scheduled for release on March 1, 2024, after bouncing through several potential dates.

Good afternoon Insiders, here we go again with a busy old week in TV and film. Max Goldbart penning the newsletter. Read on and sign up here.

A warning has been issued about a highly contagious infection known as 'the 100 day cough' which is said to be currently spreading across the country.

Naman Ramachandran The annual license fee for the BBC will rise by £10.50 ($13.20) to £169.50 ($213.35), lower than what the corporation expected, causing a funding gap of £90 million ($113 million). As revealed in the BBC’s annual report, the bulk of its income was from the license fee paid for by the public, which accounted for £3.74 billion, £60 million down from last year. The licence fee was been frozen for two years at £159.50.

Prince Harry is continuing to fight for his family’s safety!

A statement from Prince Harry was read aloud in court today as he fights to have UK protection restored for him and his family.

EXCLUSIVE: BBC insiders have voiced alarm over a funding deal that has blown a £90M ($113M) hole in the UK broadcaster’s finances and sources say potentially threatens its independence.

BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has said sorry for showing her middle finger on live TV. She said she didn't mean to "offend or upset anyone".

The BBC‘s licence fee will not rise by as much as previously promised, the UK government has confirmed, condemning the corporation to a difficult year that could see more cuts and less shows commissioned. The government has, meanwhile, launched a review into the BBC’s funding model.

Robert Jenrick has said in a letter to the Prime Minister that he had to resign as immigration minister because he has “such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government’s policy on immigration”. The Newark, Nottinghamshire MP had been pushing for the UK to reject some European human rights laws to facilitate the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has tonight (Wednesday) resigned after a row over sending immigrants to Rwanda. The Home Secretary James Cleverly confirmed to the House of Commons this evening that Mr Jenrick has left the Government.