Country Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has been in the spotlight since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak first shone a light on proposed welfare reforms for benefits delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) last month.

Bravo to Jessie James Decker!

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.

Kate Middleton has reportedly given into Prince William's plans to have their eldest son Prince George follow in his footsteps and head off to one of the country's most prestigious boarding schools, according to an insider.

SEAL Team has wrapped filming on the show’s upcoming seventh and final season!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to visit Nigeria and have all their security costs covered by the Nigerian government, despite an estimated 87 million people in the country living in poverty.

Fire Country is hot as ever, and it’s getting even bigger.

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer After debuting their joint single at Stagecoach festival on Sunday (April 28), Post Malone and Morgan Wallen have announced that their duet “I Had Some Help” will officially be released on May 10. The two performed the song during Wallen’s headlining set at the event, previewing the drinking-buddies anthem for the evening crowd.

CBS is officially ordering the Fire Country spinoff series!

Ghosts is a hit among fans, and so are the stars of the show.

CBS today became the first broadcast network to present its fall schedule. And, in line with CBS’ new strategy for long-term development and planning, the network announced its schedule for the entire 2024-25 season. It is contingent on IATSE making a new deal with the studios to avoid a strike. At the unveiling of the schedule, George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS, said that they have contingency plans should a work stoppage occur but wouldn’t elaborate further. “If we need to delay, we are ready,” he said.

CBS has ordered its first new series for the 2025-26 broadcast season. The network has given a green light to Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country, headlined by Morena Baccarin. The series order was announced Thursday during CBS’ presentation in Los Angeles.

Anitta reflected on growing up in the Brazilian favelas and breaking the “rules” to achieve her dreams at Variety’s Power of Women Presented by Lifetime event on Thursday, held at New York’s Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The Brazilian superstar accepted her award from Bruna Marquezine, who celebrated Anitta’s “authenticity and fiery passion for music.” “You are an agent of change — a true ambassador of our culture around the world,” Marquezine said.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic One of the buzziest — or should that be tipsiest? — performances at this past weekend’s Stagecoach came from an artist who wasn’t even listed on the poster art. Late-breaking sensation Shaboozey was squeezed into the festival as a performer in the Bud Light Backyard tent, where there was other squeezing going on as Sunday’s festivalgoers stood in line to get a glimpse of the artist whose “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has proven to be a straight-out-of-the-box smash among both country and hip-hop fans. Shaboozey isn’t coming to stardom himself in any kind of overnight way; the 28-year-old, Virginia-born singer-rapper put out his first single 10 years ago, and he’s about to release his third major-label album.

Beyoncé‘s first name will be included in the new edition of the French encyclopaedic dictionary Le Petit Larousse.As Sky News reports, more than 150 new words have been added to the 120th version of the book this year.The ‘Cowboy Carter’ star will appear as an entry alongside celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, French actor Omar Sy, Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, and French rugby captain Antoine Dupont.Many additions “reflect concerns, developments or strong movements” in 2024, Carine Girac-Marinier, director of the dictionaries and encyclopaedias department, told French news magazine Le Point.As Marie Claire notes, “Beyoncé” will be accompanied by the definition “American singer of R&B and pop”.Many fans have responded to the nod on social media, with one writing: “That’s when you know you’ve succeeded.” Another person said: “Beyoncé’s influence knows no bounds!” A third user commented: “Star power.”“Creole French queen,” wrote someone else, referring to Beyoncé’s Louisiana Creole ancestry (via Nola).In 2004, the term “bootylicious” – featured in Destiny’s Child 2001 hit single of the same name – was added to the Oxford English Dictionary with the definition “(of a woman) sexually attractive”.Other new additions to the Le Petit Larousse include the English phrases “fast fashion” and “skate park”, as well as “platisme” (the French term for the Flat Earth theory).In February, Beyoncé made history by becoming the first Black woman to reach Number One on the US country chart with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’.

Universal Orlando revealed new details about one of the most highly-anticipated lands in its upcoming Epic Universe expansion park.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Iranian authorities are exerting heavy pressure on director Mohammad Rasoulof to pull his latest work “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from the Cannes Film Festival by harassing the film’s producers and actors who have been summoned for questioning and banned from leaving the country. Human rights lawyer Babak Paknia, who is Rasoulof’s lawyer, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that several unspecified actors and producers on “Sacred Fig” were summoned and questioned last week by authorities.

Addie Morfoot Contributor The Hot Docs Forum, the festival’s industry centerpiece, wrapped Wednesday with its most lively awards announcements in recent memory—complete with flamenco guitar, song and dance courtesy of Spain, this year’s country in focus—as hundreds of industry delegates assembled under the sun in the courtyard of Toronto’s Hart House. Elaine Epstein’s “Arrest the Midwife”—one of 20 projects presented to key funders and decision-makers as well as filmmakers, producers and other observers at the two-day Forum pitch event—won the First Look first prize of Can $20,000 cash.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has said that he can “rule out” raising the State Pension age to fund the UK Government’s plan to abolish National Insurance (NI) contributions, but added that the policy will take “a number of Parliaments” to achieve. His comments came just hours after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak assured MPs that State Pension payments would not be cut to fund his ambition to scrap NI contributions.

Addie Morfoot Contributor In “Streets Loud With Echoes” filmmaker Katerina Suvorova captures a youth-powered civil movement sparked by the shocking murder of Denis Ten, who made history when he became the first ever Kazakhstani figure skater to win an Olympic medal. The doc follows Kazakhstan citizens who want to challenge the political regime and make them take notice of their citizenry. The 95-minute docu made its world premiere at Hot Docs earlier this week.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Paris-based international sales and production company Totem Films has revealed its production slate, with projects by Nastia Korkia, Vytautas Katkus, Ernst de Geer and Anna Roller. Totem brought together the directors and writers of the projects they are developing to take part in a Script Circle in Berlin, led by consultants Françoise von Roy and Franz Rodenkirchen. Totem partners Bérénice Vincent and Laure Parleani said that the production companies they are working with, Garagefilm, TamTam and Kalekone, were “enthusiastic about this collaborative idea, so were the directors and scriptwriters.” They added: “It is very nurturing to have a mix of different personalities, countries and backgrounds.

Voters across England, including the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, will be heading to the polls for local council elections on Thursday, May 2.

Kelly Clarkson showed her former stepmother-in-law Reba McEntire some love during a recent episode of her talk show.

Naman Ramachandran Indian streamer SonyLIV has unveiled the cast and a first look for its magnum opus series “Freedom at Midnight.” Based on the 1975 non-fiction book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, the political drama delves into India’s independence movement, weaving together untold tales and critical moments from the era when the country’s then British colonial rulers partitioned the country into India and Pakistan. Sidhant Gupta (Prime Video series “Jubilee”) plays Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first Prime Minister of independent India, Chirag Vohra (SonyLIV series “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”) Mahatma Gandhi and Rajendra Chawla (Netflix film “Looop Lapeta”) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who became the first deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro’s former flame Jenn Harley is fighting for custody with her boyfriend Joe Ambrosole after a nasty alleged domestic violence incident! According to court documents obtained by Pa

Colt Ford has no recollection of the night in April when he had a heart attack after a performance in Phoenix, Arizona. The country musician detailed what he could remember of the "traumatic, crazy experience" in an interview on the "Big D & Bubba" show, where he revealed he died twice before reaching the hospital. "I didn't even remember coming out here to do a show in Phoenix, and apparently we played this great, sold-out show and it was incredible," Ford said in a phone interview.

Shaboozey is a newcomer who is acheiving major success on the country music charts with his new song “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Selena Kuznikov Paul Auster, the acclaimed novelist who also wrote and directed films, died at his home in New York City on April 30. He was 77. Auster’s novels centered around questions of identity, language and personal meaning.

Chris Morris Music Reporter Duane Eddy, who became the first stand-alone rock ‘n’ roll guitar star with a string of instrumental hits in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s including the theme to TV series “Peter Gunn” and “Rebel Rouser,” died April 30 in Franklin, Tenn., He was 86. A rep for the guitarist said he was surrounded by his devoted wife Deed and his family. “Duane inspired a generation of guitarists the world over with his unmistakeable signature ‘Twang’ sound.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Live Nation‘s highly anticipated Concert Week is back for its 10th go-around this year, offering $25 tickets to hundreds of concerts across the country. Plus, in honor of its 10th anniversary, Live Nation has announced that eligibility for discounted tickets has now expanded to over 20 countries in addition to North America this year, including those in Australia, Asia, Europe, the UK and the Middle East.

When looking for a pretty duvet set, normally, Dunelm is always my first choice. But trying to find something different, while just as budget friendly, I took to Amazon for a browse, and found the dreamiest spring and summer bedding set.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Crunchyroll, the Sony-owned anime streaming service, is raising prices for its two top tier packages in select countries — the first pricing hike in five years. The pricing is increasing for Crunchyroll’s Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan subscription tiers in select countries. “The price change reflects the increase in content on Crunchyroll in recent years, expanding its catalog to more than 45,000 episodes via 1,400 series and films,” the company said in a blog post.

Oti Mabuse gave fellow mums a relatable update after she admitted to breathing a 'sigh of relief' during return to the UK. The former Strictly Come Dancing star and her husband Marius Lepure recently headed to South Africa.

Voters all across the country will have to bring proof of ID if they plan to vote at a polling station for the local election. Without the correct form of ID, they won't be able to vote.

The Asunta Case is a crime thriller series based on the true story of Asunta Basterra’s murder.Created by Ramón Campos, Gema R. Neira, Jon de la Cuesta and David Orea Arribas, the Netflix series follows the investigation into the death of 12-year-old Asunta Basterra, who was found dead on September 22, 2013 on a road in Galicia, Spain.Her body was discovered shortly after her adoptive parents, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra, reported her missing to police hours prior.