‘Oh. Lots of kids,’ he told Entertainment Tonight when asked about their future plans. ‘Maybe less time spent working, more time spent enjoying life.’
Anna Faris offered to marry Chris and Katherine (Picture: Rex)
‘I always want to be that guy that works to live, not lives to work.
‘I think [I want to spend] just a lot of time at the farm and a lot of time catching a lot of fish and seeing lots of sunsets.’
Not a shabby way to spend your time…
Chris and Katherine announced their happy news in January, with the Parks And Recreation actor sharing a sweet photo of himself and the author on Instagram – as she flashed her engagement ring.
‘Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes! I’m thrilled to be marrying you,’ he captioned the upload. ‘Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go!’
And his ex-wife, Anna, was one of the first to congratulate the lovebirds – even offering to officiate their wedding.
She said: ‘Chris texted me this morning and he was like, you know, “I proposed to Katherine last night,” I was like, “Ah! That’s amazing.” And I texted him back, “Just want to remind you, I’m an ordained minister.”
‘I so subscribe to the idea of expanding family and love with Jack, I’m just so happy. We’re all really happy. I knew that it was going to happen, I love her, and I love him, and I’m just so happy that they found each other. They’re both f***ing amazing people, the truth is there isn’t any bitterness.’
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The singer owes $161,000 (£122,000) to his ex and their three kids (Photo: Backgrid, EPA)
R Kelly’s ex-wife Andrea Kelly has accused the singer of deliberately cutting off child support in an attempt to control her even after they divorced.
Andrea and the singer, real name Robert Sylvester Kelly, were married for 13 years and have three children together, daughter Joan, 21, Jay, 19, and Robert Kelly Junior, 17.
This week the singer made headlines once again when he was taken into custody for failing to pay child support. A judge said the 52-year-old would be held until he paid $161,000 (£122,000) to his ex-wife and their kids.
The singer was taken into custody for failing to pay child support (Photo: AP)
Following the judge’s ruling, a representative for Andrea alleged to TMZ that her ex deliberately stopped paying child support after she appeared on a show called Sister Circle Live in June 2018 where she alleged he had been physically and mentally abusive during their marriage.
According to the website, the singer had been sporadically paying support, but he abruptly cut all payments following her TV appearance last summer.
Andrea didn’t work while she was married to the singer because he ‘set strict rules for her and insisted she only work for him’, her team alleges.
The singer broke his silence on the sexual abuse allegations against him for the first time in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King (Photo: Backgrid)
When they split, she had no job and Andrea said the singer was fully aware she couldn’t look after herself and their kids without financial support.
She claims the singer wouldn’t always pay in full, on time, or at all, and this meant she never knew how much money they would have to live on.
Stopping the payments was therefore a ‘form of control’, she claims.
The I Believe I Can Fly singer, who was on bail for 10 criminal charges of sexual abuse, appeared in court on Wednesday after failing to pay the outstanding debt by the Tuesday deadline he was previously set.
A judge has told the singer he needs to pay the child support (Photo: AP)
Less than two hours after arriving at the courthouse, the R&B star was taken into custody from the courtroom, leaving through a different door than the one he entered.
Sophia Ansari, Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, said he would remain in the county jail until the money owed has been paid. His next court hearing is next Wednesday, 13 March.
Earlier this week, the singer broke his silence on the sexual abuse allegations against him for the first time in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King.
During the 80-minute emotionally-charged interview, the 52-year-old claimed the women accusing him of sexual abuse are ‘lying’ about the alleged abuse.
R Kelly was arrested in Chicago last month and charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four women, some of whom were aged under 17 at the time the alleged incidents took place.
The singer denies all of the charges made against him, and his lawyer Steve Greenberg has maintained his innocence – insisting in a statement that the ‘accusers were mistakenly coached into believing they were victims’.
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Kerry Katona opened up about her sex life on Celebs Go Dating (Picture: Rex)
Kerry Katona hasn’t had sex in a ‘long, long time’ as she opens up about her dating life.
Or lack of one, that is…
The mum-of-four made the confession during a stint on Celebs Go Dating, as she discussed her relationship woes with pal Danielle Brown – aka Mel B’s sister.
‘I’ve not had sex in a long, long time … that’s what I need to sort out,’ she explained.
‘I’ve been on three dates, the first one was just a fan but the third one is looking up! His name is Steve.’
Kerry has been through some pretty awkward dates on the show (Picture: E4)
And the Atomic Kitten singer – who has been married three times in the past, to Brian McFadden, Mark Croft and George Kay – isn’t the only one excited about the prospect of love, as Danielle told her: ‘I think this could be brilliant for you.
‘Since I’ve known you, you’ve never actually dated.
‘You meet someone and then the next minute they’re moving in, you’re planning the baby and you’re getting married. You go from one extreme to the other!’
Aka being called out on spending £100,000 on her previous weddings and telling a potential suitor to ‘piss a pineapple out’ when he suggested women overreacted during labour.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, she told us: ‘I would, especially these three [Anna, Paul and receptionist Tom] because I know you’re not gonna get into any harm. I think it’s much safer for them to do that than to go on an app, you should do it Molly.
‘[When] you’re 18, let’s get her on it. You’ll learn so much and what an experience.’
Maybe let the coaches finish working their magic on you first, eh?
Celebs Go Dating airs Sunday – Thursday, at 9pm, on E4.
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Midsomer Murders fans are in for a treat (Picture: ITV)
Midsomer Murders fans are in for a treat, as DCI John Barnaby star Neil Dudgeon has revealed there will be hidden Easter eggs in an upcoming episode.
To celebrate 20 years of the show, producers and writers have placed secret references from past stories into the second episode of series 20, which will air on 17 March.
An Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, hidden message or image, or secret feature of a work.
‘As a special treat for fans of the show there are 20 Easter eggs hidden in the second show which refer back to incidents, locations and murders, things from the past 20 years,’ said Neil.
‘So if you’re a super fan you’ll watch and realise.’
Elaine Paige will make an appearance in the new series of Midsomer Murders (Picture: ITV)
DCI Barnaby is back to solve more crimes with DS Jamie Winters, played by Nick Hendrix, and the first feature-length episode will see them joined by Elaine Paige and Anita Harris.
Famous faces regularly pop up on the ITV show, with Henry Cavill, Olivia Colman and Orlando Bloom all appearing on the show in the past.
‘If I could have anyone, I would love to see Ricky Gervais pop up,’ he confessed. ‘That would be hilarious! Just as a shop owner or something!
‘I absolutely love Ricky Gervais, so probably him. I could also see Tom Hardy coming along!
‘I could see him being quite up for it! He’s probably quite funny like that! He’d play a gnarly butcher or something like that…’
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Ricky Gervais is head over heels with his After Life co-star: Tony’s dog, Brandy.
In fact, the world has fallen madly in love with the pooch this morning with thousands of fans melting over Ricky’s character’s beloved pet Brandy, and honestly, same.
The 57-year-old was joined by the dog on today’s Lorraine and if we can get anyone to talk about us the way he talks about Brandy, we’ll be eternally happy.
‘No one’s going to look or listen to a word we’re saying,’ The Office star told Lorraine, gazing at the pup. ‘I can’t blame them. I can’t keep my eyes off this dog. She is gorgeous.’
Tony’s dog in After Life has already emerged as the star of the show (Picture: Netflix)
And then he said this: ‘She’s my leading lady.’
What a guy.
Ricky’s new series After Life follows Tony in the wake of his wife’s death which leaves him on the brink of suicide. He’s lost everything and subsequently he feels like life isn’t worth living.
But be assured, it’s a hopeful comedy with Ricky’s signature brand of on-the-nose humour, which is often as equally awkward as it is heart-warming.
While it’s subject matter naturally raised concern, Ricky has assured the Netflix drama is ‘joyful’.
This morning, hours after After Life was officially delivered to the world, he tweeted: ‘Can’t wait for you to watch #Afterlife. And even though all the reviews have been glowing so far, I know that some people won’t get it.
‘They’ll think it’s morbid, or mean, or negative. But I hope that you’ll see how positive and ultimately joyful it is. Like life itself.’
‘Maybe people don’t see this kind of story on TV too often, but it is real life,’ explained Ricky. ‘Me and my siblings joked at our Dad’s funeral. That’s the reality.
‘Even in your darkest hour, you have to keep going and if people are offended by what they see on this show then so be it. It is never my intention to offend people and I hope After Life shows that it is worth going on when all seems lost.’
After Life is available to stream on Netflix now.
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Fans left messages of support and condolences in the comments section, while Liam’s sister-in-law Nicole Appleton left a heart emoji beneath the picture.
Keith met Liam in 1989 at a rave, and after Howlett sent the Essex boy a mixtape of his music, he asked Flint to join his band as a dancer.
While the pair had numerous fallings out over the years, they were best friends – with Keith, who was married to DJ Mayumi Kai, saying he loved his bandmate.
In a 2015 interview with Matt Blake, Flint said: ‘I think Liam is the only person I’ve ever loved.
The Prodigy have cancelled their upcoming shows (Picture: Mick Hutson/Redferns)
‘He and Maxim have actually taken time to get to know who I am. It’s probably to do with not having a good family background. The band became my family.’
And as well as people celebrating Keith’s career, there have been countless stories shared about what a funny and kind man he was.
James Blunt’s story about Keith in particular tugged at the heartstrings, as the You’re Beautiful singer highlighted the Breathe singer’s warmth.
He tweeted: ‘At the Q Awards years ago, when @NoelGallagher was saying he was leaving Ibiza because I’d moved there, and @DamonAlbarn refused to be in the same picture as me, and @PaulWellerHQ was saying he’d rather eat his own shit than work with me, Keith Flint came over, gave me a hug, and said how thrilled he was for my success.
‘Keith, I only met you once, but I shed a tear at the news of your death. In our business, there are no prizes for being kind, but if there was, that Grammy would be yours.’
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Alfonso Ribeiro drops his lawsuit against Fortnite (Picture: AP)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Alfonso Ribeiro is no longer in a legal battle with Fortnite creators, according to reports.
Late last year, the Carlton Banks actor filed court papers to have his lawsuit against Epic Games dismissed for using the signature Carlton dance without his permission.
Kids around the world became entranced by his dance, and, frankly, still are, which he has continued to capitalise on in the decades that have passed – including during his stint on US reality show Dancing With The Stars.
However, in February, the U.S. Copyright Office refused the actor’s request to register his character’s famous routine because his claimed ‘choreographic work’ was thought to be a ‘simple dance routine,’ according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Carlton Banks dance is known world wide (Picture: PA)
Alfonso, who played Will Smith’s cousin on the 90s show, dropped the lawsuit and, according to The Blast, the official document stated: ‘This action is dismissed by the Plaintiff(s) in its entirety.’
‘The reaction from many players worldwide was immediate recognition of the emote as embodying The Dance and, in turn, Ribeiro,’ the original lawsuit claimed. ‘Indeed, by naming the emote Fresh, Epic intentionally induced a direct connection between the in-game purchase and the show where The Dance started, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
‘That connection implied an endorsement of that in-game purchase by Ribeiro.’
The Strictly Come Dancing guest judge isn’t the first public figure to take legal action against the developers.
Russell Horning, also known as Backpack Kid, also has lawsuits against Epic Games and Take-Two Interactive Software for allegedly using his dance move, The Floss, without permission in the games.
Rapper 2 Milly is also suing Epic Games for the company’s alleged misappropriation, use and sale of the Milly Rock in Fortnite.
All this Carlton dance talk might make you itch for a Fresh Prince reunion but Jazzy Jeff, who was a recurring cast member, has said fans may have to put that dream to bed.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk Jeff explained: ‘We [Will and I] have never talked about that. We would talk about a Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince reunion before we bring up the Fresh Prince. He’s never said anything to me like, “Oh, this would be cool”.’
‘It’s a little bit different for me as well because of my character so I’m just like, if anybody else wants to do it I’ll be there.’
He stated: ‘I’ve never heard [Will] speak about a potential Fresh Prince reunion. I definitely think with James Avery not being here, that’s probably the icing on the cake.’
Avery, who played the beloved Uncle Phil in the comedy, died in 2013.
Until our dreams of a Fresh Prince reunion – on all fronts – come true, we can keep ourselves busy with the Carlton Banks dance.
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The Spice Girl said there won’t be a wedding any time soon (Photo: Getty)
It looks like we’re all going be waiting a little longer for Emma Bunton and fiance Jade Jones to finally tie the knot.
Last week Spice Girls fans got all kinds of excited after it was reported Emma and the Damage star were actually going to make it down the aisle after 20 years together.
But Baby Spice has now rubbished the rumours. Boo!
The Spice Girl and her partner – who are parents to sons Beau, 11, and seven-year-old Tate – were supposedly set to tie the knot at London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall, but the Baby Please Don’t Stop singer has debunked the claims and insisted there are no plans for them to get hitched anytime soon.
Emma and Jade pictured in 2015 (Photo: Getty)
Speaking on the blue carpet at the Global Awards at London’s Eventim Apollo on Thursday night, Emma was asked about the wedding speculation, and replied: ‘Apparently, but no!
‘Jade and I have been together for so long, we’ve got children, it’s just one of those things.
‘It gets speculated on at least twice a year but no! No plans!’
A newspaper had claimed the 43-year-old star was seen heading into Enfield Register Office in north London, where she and the 40-year-old singer-turned-chef gave notice of intent to marry, meaning they would have 12 months to make things formal.
‘It gets speculated on at least twice a year but no! No plans,’ she said (Photo: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
The couple got engaged in January 2011 and in 2017, the singer admitted it would be ‘nice’ to get married but she and Jade had never been organised enough to plan their big day.
She said: ‘It would be nice, wouldn’t it? I should get round to it. He already calls me his wife and I call him my husband.
‘We’re both Aquarians and a little disorganised, so we never get round to organise anything!
‘I’m sure we’ll be one of those couples that elope somewhere.’
Mel B, Mel C, Emma and Geri pose for a snap (Photo: PA)
And the blonde star doesn’t even know what kind of wedding dress she’d like to walk down the aisle in.
She shared: ‘I haven’t even got a picture in my head of a wedding dress. You know some girls know what they want but I haven’t a clue. I think other people’s weddings are fun – It’s always nice to dress up.’
Although wedding bells aren’t calling just yet, the couple could be planning another baby as the 2 Become 1 singer recently admitted it would be ‘wonderful’ to add to their brood.
She said: “Never say never. I’ve always been very maternal and I love being around children.
‘I think if I’m lucky enough that would be something wonderful.’
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Julianne Moore has revealed she was fired from the movie Can You Ever Forgive Me.
Melissa McCarthy ultimately ended up nominated for an Oscar for her role as Lee Israel but speaking on Watch What Happens Live, Julianne revealed that she never left the production but was in fact, fired.
‘I didn’t leave the movie, I was fired, Nicole fired me,’ she said of writer Nicole Holofcener.
‘I don’t think she liked what I was doing. We had been rehearsing and doing pre-production but her idea of where the character was was different to where my idea of the character was.’
Julianne Moore revealed she was fired (Picture: Backgrid)
Julianne then revealed that she has not watched the film as it is ‘still painful’ for her to think about the movie.
Can You Ever Forgive Me was nominated for three Oscars; best actress for Melissa, best supporting actor for Richard E. Grant and best adapted screenplay for Nicole.
Melissa McCarthy, left, and Richard E. Grant in a scene from Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Picture: Fox)
Chris O’Dowd was originally due to play the role of Jack Hock, which Richard played, and he admitted it was ‘heartbreak’ to watch Richard’s acclaim roll in.
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Emma Watson for Black Widow the movie? (Picture: Rex Features)
Emma Watson is being eyed up for a part in Marvel’s standalone Black Widow film.
The Harry Potter star is being considered for a major role in the superhero movie which is set to focus on Scarlett Johansson as she reprises her role as Shield spy Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.
According to website That Hashtag Show, 28-year-old Emma is wanted for an undisclosed role in the adventure about the first female Avenger, and the second Marvel film that is not focused on a man, after Captain Marvel.
Film bosses are being very tight-lipped about the film but the Beauty And The Beats star’s potential part is being been described as a ‘kick-ass female Bond’, and Marvel is said to be looking for an actress to be able to cope with a physically demanding role who also ‘feels similar’ to 34-year-old Scarlett.
Emma is said to be considered for a co-lead role (Picture: Getty Images)
Alice Englert and Dar Zuzovsky are said to have auditioned for the lead role, with Florence Pugh being listed as a contender as well.
Black Widow is set to start production in June, according to the reports, and will continue to document Scarlett’s character, who was first introduced into the MCU in 2010 in Iron Man 2.
The 2020 film has already had tongues wagging, as Marvel had previously been reported to be toying with the option of making future projects in Phase 4 rated-R, with Black Widow potentially kickstarting the trend.
Scarlett Johansson will be reprising her role for the solo movie (Picture: Rex Features)
Teasing the possibility, The Hashtag Show’s Charles Murphy tweeted: ‘When I first heard they were developing the Black Widow film, I also heard they were discussing whether or not to make it Marvel Studios first R-rated film.
‘I’m not saying it will be for sure (no way to know what they will settle on at this point), but they have recently said that R-rated MCU films ARE a possibility, so it is a possibility. So if BW ends up R-rated don’t be shocked. [sic]’
It would mean that millions of young children who love the superheroine wouldn’t be able to watch the movie in cinemas.
While it would be a first for Marvel, many other superhero movies have received an R-rating, including Deadpool 2, while the upcoming Suicide Squad spin-off Birds Of Prey and Joker movies are also expected to receive the adult certificate.
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Everybody is speculating about who will end up sitting on the Iron Throne when Game Of Thrones ends this year after eight seasons.
Could it be Jon Snow, who doesn’t yet know he’s the rightful heir? Could Gendry Baratheon govern the seven kingdoms? Could the Night King beat the principal cast to the throne?
Or, could it be any one of the badass women that populate Westeros?
It is likely that Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark or Brienne of Tarth could be the last person standing when the series finale comes, and the ladies behind these characters are all for it.
The women are key players this season (Picture: Vogue)
Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Gwendoline Christie and Sophie Turner have united for a gorgeous shoot and interview with Vogue ahead of the season eight premiere, and hinted that the patriarchy will be upended in the final series.
Referencing the backlash to Sansa being raped by Ramsay Bolton, Sophie, 23, said: ‘There are some people who make comments like, “It’s a misogynistic show because all these women are getting raped”. [But] most of the people coming out on top are women.’
Maisie, 21, who plays Arya, added: ‘I’d say the key players this season are all female, which is why it’s so amazing we’re doing this shoot today.’
Lena, 45, also defended the producers of the show, claiming it was always the plan for the women to end up on top.
Maisie, Sophie, Lena and Gwendoline teased the final season (Picture: Vogue
The actress, who plays current queen Cersei, said: ‘That’s why they could shoulder all of the criticism – they knew what was coming and what they had in store for these women.’
And Gwendoline, 40, teased big things for Brienne, saying: ‘What I will say is, I’m happy to see more of Brienne of Tarth the woman explored this season.’
So could it be that one of the women of Westeros ends up in the Iron Throne?
Well, Paddy Power has any child of Jon Snow, Prince Aegon Targaryen himself or Bran Stark as the favourites to end up on top, with Dany close behind them.
The Mother of Dragons did declare she would take the Iron Throne years ago, and she’s a woman of her word – but still, we don’t think that would be shocking enough for GOT.
Arya is a bit too murdery and wild to rule, we think, and although we’d love to see Brienne rule, we’re guessing she’d surrender the throne to her beloved Jaime Lannister.
Cersei is a bit too perfectly evil to succeed, while Sansa’s victory would be a triumph, considering all of the horror she’s had to endure.
Game Of Thrones season eight begins on 14 April on HBO and Sky Atlantic.
The full interview is available to read in the April edition of Vogue.
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MBB has been plotting for season three (Picture: Paul Zimmerman/WireImage)
There’s plenty about the July return of Stranger Things to get excited about, with one such facet being the promise of a focused and determined Eleven – and that’s thanks, in large part, to the endeavour of Millie Bobby Brown.
The return of the Duffer Brothers’ Netflix hit on 4 July is being eagerly anticipated by fans all over the world, and we’re learning more and more about the new season.
Brown has now spoken about the development of Eleven in the upcoming block of episodes, revealing in a new interview that she called a meeting with the directors and producers of the show during the filming of season three in order to devise ‘a really great game plan’ for her character.
‘The thing I like about Eleven is how there’s no definition to her, like she doesn’t have a personality yet,’ she told Elle.
‘She’s constantly trying to figure herself out and season three definitely lets her do that, in a good way.’
What challenges will Eleven encounter in season three? (Picture: Netflix)
Brown added that Eleven ‘definitely evolves’ in season three as she ‘tries to find herself’ – a developmental arc that Brown herself made sure she was keenly involved in during production.
‘I pulled the directors aside and the producers aside we all came up with a really great game plan for Eleven,’ she said. ‘She is like my baby!’
The actress also told the publication about how she feared for Eleven’s continued presence in Stranger Things in the early days, revealing that she cried after filming on the first season had finished.
‘My character was supposed to be killed off at the end of season one. I really didn’t think Eleven would play a big role in the show,’ she recalled.
‘When everybody started following me and started saying “my favourite character is Eleven,” I was like: “Wait, what do you mean? I don’t understand. My favourite character is Dustin!”‘
Us too, Millie. Us too.
Stranger Things season three premieres on Netflix on 4 July.
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There are lots of reasons a video game can end up being classified as ‘bad’. Sometimes it’s mostly technical problems, other times it’s a design or gameplay issue, and occasionally it’s simply that it’s a disappointment rather than something that’s outright terrible. The most unfortunate examples though are the noble failures, who are filled with interesting ideas but fail to make the most of them. At the end of the day they’re still bad games but you can’t help but feel sorry for them and imagine what might have been. Welcome to Left Alive.
Perhaps the most peculiar thing about Left Alive is what a bizarre relic of the past it comes across as. Back in the early Xbox 360 era Japanese companies were having a terrible time adapting to the new generation of consoles, both in terms of keeping up technically and coping with the sudden popularity of first and third person shooters. They attempted to create their own equivalents, but the end results were almost always a clunky, graphically inferior disaster. And that’s exactly what Left Alive feels like.
In many case publishers used third rate Western developers to make the games but in this case it’s Japanese developer Ilinx, who we’ve never heard of before but whose gameography seems to consist solely of licensed games and the PC port of Disgaea 2. Where Square Enix got the notion to use them from we don’t know, but if this was all their idea then at least we can say they’ve got a great sense of ambition.
Another odd thing about Left Alive is that it takes place in the Front Mission universe, a series of strategy role-playing games involving giant mechs that stretches all the way back to the SNES era, but which have only rarely been released in Europe. You’d think the sensible thing to do with the franchise is reinvent it in the manner of Fire Emblem, but with the 3DS on its last legs that boat has sailed. This isn’t the first time Square Enix has tried to make a straight action game out of the series, but despite having Armored Core director Toshifumi Nabeshima on board this isn’t the game you might now be imagining.
The game’s story begins with a war between two fictional European states in which your side is the loser. You end up playing the game as one of three different characters but start as a pilot whose mech (which are, slightly hilariously, referred to as wanzers) has been downed and is left alone in an enemy-occupied city with no supplies or weapons. The game is clearly going for a Second World War style atmosphere, as patrolling enemy soldiers coldly execute civilians and plucky survivors whisper you into dark alleyways.
Adding giant robots to that mix is a really interesting idea, as it keeps the whole mech angle grounded and helps you to appreciate their size and power when you do eventually get to have a go inside one. The only problem, as we alluded to earlier, is that the game’s completely rubbish.
The controls are hopelessly awful in a way we wouldn’t have thought possible for a modern game. Movement (and animation) is absurdly stiff and unresponsive, and the gunplay is so sloppy and imprecise, with absolutely no feedback, that we genuinely thought there was something wrong with our controller at first.
Because you’re always underequipped, compared to the enemy, there’s also a strong stealth element to the game. At which point you realise, as you desperately try to ignore the incoherent story, that one of the main influences here is Metal Gear. But the stealth is ruined not just by the controls but the x-ray vision that every enemy seems to possess and the fact that there’s no such thing as stealth kills.
Left Alive (PS4) – nice idea, shame about the game
Perhaps the most frustrating part of Left Alive is that it uses all these familiar elements in unusually imaginative ways. Desperately picking up crafting resources along the way, you’re able to create your own hand-made explosives and traps, surprising enemy patrols and trying to take down the seemingly impregnable mechs. Having to skirt round large concentrations of troops and make difficult moral decisions when interacting with fellow survivors and civilians only adds to the, sadly squandered, potential.
Not only are the controls terrible but the pacing is dreadful, with non-existent signposting that leaves you with no clue where to go even in very small areas. There’s also some massive difficultly spikes that come out of nowhere and checkpoints that will happily wipe out 20 minutes of progress if you happen to die just before reaching the next one; something that becomes even more frustrating when you fail solely because of the poor artificial intelligence during one of the many escort missions.
Graphically the game is just as outdated as the gameplay, with animation that is robotic in all the wrong ways. Which is a shame because both Metal Gear Solid character designer Yoji Shinkawa and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 mech designer Takayuki Yanase have contributed to the game, leading to some really wonderful robot designs. Occasionally getting the chance to pilot them yourself is a great way to break up the action but there’s few people that would buy a game just for that, so it all largely goes to waste.
Sometimes it can be enjoyable writing a negative review of a truly bad game, if you feeling you’re visiting righteous justice upon something that’s trying to con unwitting customers. But with Left Alive we just feel slightly guilty that there’s no way we can really recommend it to anyone. Its unusual premise and daring ambition is endearing but the end result is barely playable and constantly frustrating. It’s an A for effort but an F for the final result.
Left Alive
In Short: A game bursting with interesting ideas but dragged down by a lack of technical competence and some very outdated ideas about game design and controls.
Pros: The premise is excellent and despite the weak graphics the atmosphere can be impressively oppressive. Mixture of stealth, action, and survival gameplay has great potential.
Cons: The controls are atrocious, ruining both the combat and the stealth sections. Low-tech, unpredictable AI, horribly infrequent checkpoints, and multiple difficulty spikes.
Score: 3/10
Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed) and PC Price: £49.99 Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Ilinx Release Date: 5th March 2019 Age Rating: 18
While it’s thought that new music could emerge as soon as next month, the speculation about the imminent arrival of Chen’s solo material has been enough to prompt a response from SM Entertainment, who have moved to clarify the situation.
Chen and his EXO bandmates (Picture: Imagine China/REX/Shutterstock)
‘Chen is preparing a solo album,’ a statement issued by the entertainment group reads. ‘The exact schedule will be revealed once it is confirmed.’
Chen has shone in solo spots on a number of soundtracks in recent years, having recorded tracks for such TV shows as 100 Days My Prince, Missing 9 and Touch Your Heart.
Fans should watch this space, then, for further updates on Chen’s upcoming solo album.
Thumbs up all round (Picture: Imaginechina/REX/Shutterstock)
When it does finally materialise, we’re pretty certain that there’s going to be a sizable demand from fans for Chen’s debut album.
Those are some pretty sizable numbers – and they’re surely only going to get bigger with each and every release from the group.
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And, marking International Women’s Day, Malin urged her followers to embrace their bodies, as ‘all bodies have a story to tell’.
The 26-year-old shared a poolside picture from Dubai, where she is holidaying, wearing a brown bikini.
Malin showed off her c-section scar (Picture: Instagram)
Malin wrote: ‘Happy International Woman’s Day.. I’m out here in Dubai, and thought I’d share a pic of my postpartum body with you. Here you can see my loose skin and pouch where my scar is from my emergency c-section. My saggy boobs also which had milk in them!
‘I’m so proud to say my beautiful baby came out of me, and this is what I’m left with. No baby, just this beautiful scar to remind me.’
She continued: ‘Every body is beautiful. No matter what you look like. All our body’s have a story to tell. Wearing @nunude_official .. promoting positive body image [sic].’
Malin’s daughter arrived seven weeks early (Picture: Instagram)
The reality star’s fans shared messages of support, with Amy Willerton commenting ‘Malin you are beautiful’ and Nicole McLean writing ‘You’re amazing’.
Sadly, she died on 22 January, with Malin breaking the devastating news on Instagram.
She wrote: ‘Completely in love with you.. and my Mum just wanted you to be with her. Your time wasn’t ready yet. Mummy loves you. I stayed with you each day.. you opened your eyes one last time for me and I saw those beautiful big brown eyes.
‘I’m so sorry I couldn’t do anymore. Go be with grandma Consy. ❤️😞 My angel. Rest in peace CONSY GLORIA EMMA ANDERSSON-KEMP 🙏🏽 23/12/18-22/01/19.’
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Kareena Kapoor has taken down her cruel trolls in the best way possible (Picture: Getty)
Kareena Kapoor has absolutely no time for being trolled, especially about her age.
The 38-year-old is one of the biggest stars to come from Bollywood, after starring in a string of hits, including Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Dev.
So when someone on social media told her to ‘act her age’, she was having absolutely none of it.
During an appearance on Arbaaz Khan’s new show, Pinch, she found a tweet which read: ‘U r aunty now don’t act like teenager.’
Kareena blasted trolls for telling her to ‘stop acting like a teenager’ (Picture: Getty)
To which she replied: ‘People are just so ignorant towards a celebrity’s feelings.
‘As though celebrities, actors, actresses, don’t have any feelings. We have to just take everything.’
Which basically translates to ‘I’m not going to stand for your BS anymore’, and we love her for it.
Kareena isn’t active on any social media platforms, shunning Twitter, Instagram and Facebook while her Bollywood counterparts rack up likes and followers in the millions.
But her response to the troll suggests she’s seen a few nasty posts directed at her online.
Kareena’s step-daughter, Sara Ali Khan, opened up about their close bond (Picture: Getty)
The star’s appearance on Pinch comes after step-daughter Sara Ali Khan opened up about their relationship in a candid interview.
And the 25-year-old was full of compliments, admitting she is always surprised when remembering that ‘Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ is now her step-mum.
Discussing their family bond, she said: ‘I’ve been an avid Kareena Kapoor fan. So even today there’s an element of surprise that Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is my stepmother.
‘People say I willed it to happen. I must have.
‘As far as our personal equation is concerned, I was clear from the beginning that anyone who makes my father happy – not specifically Kareena – makes me happy. Anyone, he loves, I love. I don’t need to know who that person is. It’s about my father.
‘Having said that, Kareena and I became friends and have a healthy equation regardless of the fact that we’ve conducted ourselves with dignity. It’s also easy for me to love and accept Kareena because I have a mum who makes me feel everything’s fine.
‘If that’s the vibe at home, then you’re comfortable enough to take anything on.’
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Things got very heated on Loose Women today as the panelists butted heads over child obesity, with Andrea McLean being forced to intervene during a blazing row between Kaye Adams and Jane Moore.
The women on the ITV lunchtime show attempted to discuss the national crisis when their opposing opinions saw two good friends bicker on live TV.
Jane said: ‘If you have a severely obese four-year-old, it is because you as a parent have fed them rubbish.’
Jane argued that parents in the UK are able to find information anywhere and everywhere about healthy options for their kids.
Jane (L) accused Kaye of calling parents ‘stupid (Picture: ITV)
Kaye, however, did not like Jane’s approach and said: ‘I just think that is so unfair, Jane. It really is. It’s so unfair. We have fetishised food.
‘Yes, we have Jamie Oliver and all these people and the lovely beautiful kitchens but a lot of people don’t live life like that, they don’t live in these beautiful kitchens, they work shifts, they work long hours.’
Jane interjected to tell Kaye that she was suggesting they are ‘so stupid that they don’t know a burger is not good for your health’.
Andrea (L) was forced to intervene (Picture: ITV)
Kaye was left infuriated with the accusations and repeatedly shouted ‘stop’ at Jane, her friend of over 20 years, who was sitting right next to her.
Andrea McLean was forced to play referee as she defended Kaye, pointing out that she did not use the word ‘stupid’ at any point during their debate.
‘I really take offense to that Jane,’ Kaye told her while raising her hands to her friend’s face.
Co-panelist Brenda Edwards was forced to sit by awkwardly as the pair carried on bickering, while Andrea repeatedly begged the pair to not talk over each other – they didn’t hear her.
At one point Kaye adopted a sarcastic tone and said: ‘I’m so glad you are here to tell me what I’m saying here Jane.’
Elsewhere in the show Kaye and Jane joked about their disagreement happening on International Women’s Day and highlighted the strength of their friendship.
Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV at 12:30 pm
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It’s been a big week for the BTS Army, with the boys getting together with their label-mates TXT.
One of the main things that gave us all the feels was the two bands getting a group picture with their younger K-Pop counterparts.
Another – and this is pretty huge – is that Jungkook has started calling himself as hyung, cementing the fact he no longer is the maknae of his label Big Hit Entertainment.
If you’re not familiar with these terms (and, in that case, don’t know about what a big deal this is for fans) we’ve got you covered.
What is a maknae?
Maknae is a Korean term used to refer to the youngest person in any given group.
It’s commonly used by in groups of friends, and they’d call the youngest person maknae instead of their name.
Jungkook has passed on his title (Picture: Twitter)
In terms of idols, the youngest person in the band would be the maknae – for example Jungkook in BTS or Lisa in Blackpink.
Jungkook was actually referred to as the golden maknae.
With TXT debuting – and sharing a label with – BTS, it was somewhat understood that the youngest member of any Big Hit Entertainment band would become the maknae. This would be 16-year-old Hueningkai in this case.
However, it was a big deal for Jungkook to call himself hyung, as this loosely means ‘older brother’ and shows he’s not only passed the maknae title down, but will also be considering himself a brother of the new bandmates.
Many followers of BTS felt that it was a shock to the system, not being able to think of Jungkook as the baby anymore, while others felt proud that he’d graduated to a new level like that.
Either way, he’s still technically the BTS maknae, so you don’t have to mourn the loss of your Bangtan Baby just yet.
Female representation in video games has always been a problem in the industry, but if there’s one company that can be justifiably proud of their track record it’s Sony.
It would be impossible for Microsoft or Nintendo to try and match a line-up such as this, featuring so many lead characters from big name games, and that’s entirely to Sony’s credit.
The women are, from left to right: Freya from God Of War, Chloe and Nadine from Uncharted, Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, Atoi from Teraway, Lady Maria from Bloodborne, Ellie from The Last Of Us, Kara from Detroit: Become Human, and Kat from Gravity Rush.
There’s also Sackgirl from LittleBigPlanet on the far right and we think the various fairy-like creatures are from Dreams, also by Media Molecule.
The image has been created by Guerrilla Games concept artist Choro Choi, who worked on Horizon Zero Dawn.
Although you can’t help but notice that a lot of the characters are drawn considerably younger than they actually appear in their respective games.
Chloe and Nadine are grown women in Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, not the teenagers they appear here, and we almost didn’t recognise Freya at all.
Still, it’s a nice gesture and can be downloaded for free via the PlayStation Store or by using this link.
Spare a thought for Vladimir Furdik, who can’t blink as The Night King n Game of Thrones (Picture: HBO
Game of Thrones star Vladimir Furdik has opened up about playing The Night King and it actually sounds really tough.
Right now, the leader of the army of the dead is the most feared character on the box, and steering into season eight we’ve been promised blood will be shed and plenty of heroes we’ve come to love over the best part of a decade will fall on his sword.
But spare a thought for the man behind the mask, who isn’t allowed to blink.
‘Every director has a different vision of how to play him,’ Furdik told Entertainment Weekly. ‘Dan Weiss and David Benioff want him to be like a cold man, some of the directors want to show that there’s some human in him.
The Night King has a target and he’s out to kill them in Game of Thrones season 8
‘Yes, many times they ask me don’t try to blink your eyes. This is very difficult.’
Yuk!
The Slovakian-born star has only actually starred as the ghostly enemy of the living since season six, replacing former The Night King star Richard Brake.
‘I don’t really know why they cast me,’ the 48-year-old added. ‘When we did season five, I was the White Walker who fought Jon Snow (played by Kit Harington) [in “Hardhome”] — the first time Jon Snow killed a White Walker, that was me.
‘After that, David and Dan asked if I’d play the Night King for seasons six through eight; I never asked why. Maybe they were happy with what I did in season five.’
The Night King, while present throughout Game of Thrones, is still a mystery. We’ve known nothing about his history or motivation. He just freaks us the F out.
However, Furdik revealed that actually his beast has a specific target – and he’s out to kill.
‘He never wanted to be the Night King. I think he wants revenge. Everybody in this story has two sides — a bad side and a good side,’ the actor teased. ‘The Night King only has one side, a bad side.’
Game of Thrones finally released the first official trailer for season eight this week which saw Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) running for her life. Could she be The Night King’s target?
Game of Thrones returns to HBO and Sky Atlantic on April 14.
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