Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of NY reflects on 'SNL' performance: It’s 'our duty' to 'show the strength' of Ukraine

Hello Insiders, Tom Grater here delivering a newsletter packed full of the week’s most important headlines from across the film and TV world.

Bon Jovi’s hit song “It’s My Life” has inspired Ukrainians to gear up for battle with Russia’s invading forces.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is doing all he can to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing from war.

LL Cool J, the host of the iHeartRadio Music Awards, took time to send love to Ukraine amid the show Tuesday night. "Before we continue, I want to send love and support to the people of Ukraine," LL Cool J said following the announcement of the first two sets of awards. "Our prayers are with the innocent people who have lost their lives as the result of this terrible war and with the Ukrainian citizens.They are all living through this crisis every day and I think it's very important that we send our prayers and our love to them and let them know that we stand with them.

It was contact from one mother to another that TV and radio presenter Amanda Holden has claimed truly brought the harrowing situation in the Ukraine home to her.The actress and telly star, who has just returned home from a Medyka refugee camp in Poland where she spoke with fleeing families for a brand new podcast 'Listening to Hidden Voices of Ukraine', joined Good Morning Britain to share her experience. A snippet from Amanda's podcast was played on the show, and heard the former Britain's Got Talent judge telling listeners: "As a wife and a mum of two daughters, seeing those families fighting to survive, pleading to TV news crews to help them, has been absolutely heartbreaking." The distressed voice of a refugee is then heard announcing: "Nobody is going to break us, we are strong.

Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have never let their political parties stop them from working together — and the two former presidents have once again joined forces to support Ukraine. Bill and George, both 75, made a joint appearance at a Ukrainian church in Chicago, IL on Wednesday, March 16. The Windy City (a nickname for Chicago) is notably known to have one of the largest Ukrainian populations in the United States and has been a “sister city” to Kyiv since 1991.

Dancing with the Stars alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy, 42, fled Ukraine following the horrific invasion by Russia on February 22. And one day after Maksim arrived safely back in the United States to be with his wife Peta Murgatroyd, 35, and 5-year-old son, Shai Aleksander, Maksim’s Ukrainian-born father Aleksandr Chmerkovskiy, started Ukrainian relief charity Baranova27 to help those being affected by the horrific war that is still going on. Since its inception on March 3, the Chmerkovskiy family’s organization has raised nearly $120,000 which is being used to send more than 135,000 pounds of goods to Ukraine!

The British Red Cross is looking for volunteers to help raise funds for the increasing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Ukraine. Alan Carr, Michael McIntyre and Romesh Ranganathan are teaming up as part of a star-studded line-up for a comedy event raising money for the war-torn country. The charity benefit will be held across two nights at London's Eventim Apollo on March 28 and 30 in aid of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Humanitarian Appeal providing aid to those fleeing Ukraine.

Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid are putting their 2022 Fashion Show earnings to great use, donating and providing aid to Ukraine and Palestine.The successful supermodels announced that they would donate to organizations that help provide refugee and medical aid to victims of the conflict, following in the footsteps of fellow Argentinian model Mica Argañaraz.Gigi wrote, “I am pledging to donate my earnings from the Fall 2022 shows to aid those suffering from the war in Ukraine, as well as continuing to support those experiencing the same in Palestine.”The Hadid sisters, who walked in multiple shows in Paris, Milan and New York, stated that they would like to “walk for something,” adding that “Our eyes and hearts must be open to all human injustice.”“We rarely have control of our work schedules and this week has really shown me the strength and perseverance of the people around me who are going through pure terror,” Bella said, declaring that she stands “alongside every person that has been affected by this war and the innocent people who’s lives have been changed forever from the hands of ‘power.’”Gigi stated, “May we all see each other as brothers and sisters, beyond politics, beyond race, beyond religion.”The two models join the list of celebrities helping to provide aid and support to Ukraine, including Hayden Panettiere, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, among others.Fashion designers are also taking a stand against the conflict, including Balenciaga, Giorgio Armani and Christian Siriano.

Famous comedians across the UK are joining forces to put on a special show to raise money for Ukraine.

Belle And Sebastian have shared a new single called ‘If They’re Shooting At You’ alongside an accompanying video in support of those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.The Scottish group enlisted various photographers who are on the ground covering the ongoing crisis to create a powerful “visual collage” set to their latest single, which will appear on their 10th album ‘A Bit Of Previous’.As well as offering a message of solidarity and hope, Belle And Sebastian have pledged to donate all artist income from the song – including streaming, digital sales and publishing royalties – to the Red Cross.Additionally, donations made via Bandcamp until next Friday (March 18) will be matched by the UK government as part of a joint appeal with the Disasters Emergency Committee. An option to donate directly is also available with the song on streaming platforms.“When the situation in Ukraine first started to happen it became clear that the lives of the people there, and probably ‘ours’ too,  were never going to be the same,” said frontman Stuart Murdoch.“The band had just started rolling out tracks for our new album, and it all felt a bit silly to be honest.

LADstudios Behind ‘Lens On Ukraine’

Coffee Stain Studios, the publisher behind hits like Valheim and Satisfactory, is donating £207,000 ($250,000) to charities that are aiming to provide aid to those affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.In a statement posted on both Twitter and Instagram, the studio said that “Right now, millions of innocent people are suffering as a report of the needless, senseless war in Ukraine. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected.”Coffee Stain explained it would be donating the money to support the important work of Save the Children and the Red Cross, which is providing aid to people affected in Ukraine.

Gigi Hadid is helping out Ukrainians as Russia attacks them and her ancestral home of Palestine.