Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino have reacted to the news Harvey Weinstein was found guilty today on two out of five counts in a landmark rape trial.

Today, 67-year-old Weinstein was found guilty after he went on trial in early January facing five charges of rape and sexual assault, all of which he pleaded not guilty to.

A jury of seven men and five women found the disgraced producer guilty on the fifth day of deliberations.

The former mogul has been convicted on two out of five counts – criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. He was acquitted on others.

Judd had previously accused the Weinstein of sexual harassment in 1998 and for threatening to sabotage her career after she rejected his alleged sexual advances (however a lawsuit was later dismissed in court).

Following his conviction on Monday in New York, Judd posted on Twitter, addressing the women who had testified during the lengthy trial.

She wrote: ‘For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service to girls and women everywhere, thank you.#ConvictWeinstein #Guilty.’

In October 2018, Judd opened up about the allegations for the first time, telling ABC Night Line that she had been invited to a breakfast meeting with Weinstein, but was allegedly pressured into giving him massages and watching him shower.

The actress said: ‘There’s this constant grooming, negotiation going on. I thought no meant no. I fought with this volley of nos, which he ignored.

‘Maybe he heard them as maybe, maybe he heard them as yeses. Maybe they turned him on.’

For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service to girls and women everywhere, thank you.#ConvictWeinstein #Guilty

— ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) February 24, 2020

She added: ‘It’s a very important word, shame, and it’s a very important thing to talk about, so we all do the best we can and our best is good enough. And it’s really okay to have responded however we responded.’

Today Judd also liked a statement from Time’s Up, with the organisation celebrating the conviction on social media.

‘Today is a victory for the #SilenceBreakers who refused to be silent about Weinstein, igniting a global reckoning,’ a tweet read. ‘It’s a victory for survivors everywhere – and for all those who believe in justice.’

Actress Mira Sorvino also shared on Twitter: ‘The beginning of #justice. More to come, my sisters. #weinsteinguilty.’

Sorvino accused Weinstein of sexual harassment and derailing her career throughout the years.

Found guilty for two counts today, the jury found Weinstein not guilty on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault, which could have resulted in a life sentence for the former Hollywood producer.

A judge ordered Weinstein to be jailed immediately after his conviction. He’ll remain in custody until his 11 March sentencing.

Following the conviction, Weinstein was handcuffed and led him out of the courtroom. The judge said he will request that Weinstein be held in the infirmary after his lawyers said he needs medical attention following an unsuccessful back surgery.

Weinstein faced five charges of rape and sexual assault – one count of rape in the first degree, one count of rape in the third degree, one count of a criminal sexual act in the first degree, and two counts of predatory sexual assault – to which he pleaded not guilty.

The charges were in relation to allegations made by two women. Weinstein was accused of raping a woman in a New York hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006.

Weinstein, who denied all allegations of non-consensual sex, did not testify in the trial.

MORE: Harvey Weinstein jurors ask for legal definition of ‘consent’ in deliberations

MORE: Harvey Weinstein rape trial jurors end first day of deliberations without verdict

Kim Kardashian may spend her life on camera and she might have even spoken in front of US president Donald Trump at the White House, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t super shy.

The mum-of-four oozes confidence on the outside, but when it comes to joining Scott Disick at an improv drama class, she’s completely out of her comfort zone.

In a new trailer for Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim heads along to a class to support Scott, but quickly finds herself making excuses to sit and watch instead after feeling all kinds of self-conscious.

We’ve all been there, Kim. Maybe not quite an improv drama class, but the self-consciousness can be known to rear its ugly head.

Introducing herself to the group, Kim admits that she’s only taking part for sister Kourtney’s ex and says: ‘So let me just start by saying, I’m very shy, we’re here for Scott.’

The class then gets stuck into its warm up, which is basically everyone making silly noises and pulling faces at each other and while Kim does give it a go, she bows out after round two.

Scurrying off into the empty auditorium, she jokes: ‘I’ll sit and support now.’

And being Scott’s personal cheerleader is something Kim definitely doesn’t mind.

The scenes are set to air on KUWTK after Kim was recently seen telling sister Khloe Kardashian on the show, that she’d bumped into Khloe’s ex Tristan Thompson in New York.

The NBA star had called Kim after realising they were staying next door to each other, Kim then invited Tristan to dinner and dropped the news to Khloe via FaceTime.

Of course, Khloe was a little shocked – especially as Kim had given Tristan a pretty hard time when it emerged he’d cheated on Khloe with Jordyn Woods – but she told her sister it was ‘more than generous’ of Kim to make plans with her baby daddy.

Khloe shares daughter True, two, with Tristan. She ended her relationship with Tristan last year, after he admitted to being unfaithful again.

The previous year, Khloe had found out Tristan cheated with multiple women while going into labour.

She has since pushed past Tristan’s infidelity to keep up an amicable relationship with him for the sake of their little girl and Kim revealed that she too is willing to forgive (but maybe not forget).

‘I don’t think what Tristan did was obviously right. Like, that’s not my thing and I brutalised him, but I also know that that’s True’s dad,’ Kim said.

‘Mum cheated on dad, you know what I mean?’ she told Khloe. ‘And all of their friends forgave mum.’

Khloe told Kim that she has to do what she feels is ‘best’ and if that means having a drink with him, then ‘there’s nothing wrong with that’.

You can watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians on Now TV.

MORE: Harvey Weinstein rape trial: Full charges and what he was found guilty of

MORE: Christina Milian steps out with newborn son Isaiah to throw party for daughter Violet

Pop sensation Sam Smith is living their best life after arriving in Sydney, Australia before they perform at Mardi Gras.

The star is about to headline Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Saturday 29 February and they’re clearly getting into the spirit already.

Taking to the hallway and patio of wherever they’re staying, Sam gave a show-stopping performance of Britney Spears’s hit song 3.

We would like an official cover of this please, Sam.

First pictured wearing a bright outfit emblazoned in Kangaroo road signs and posing with a koala bear, Sam captioned their post ‘Mardi Gras ready’.

The 27-year-old English hitmaker later donned a party dress with an incredible thigh-high split and heels for their Britney performance.

We loved watching them as they boogied and belted out the tune.

Sam arrived at Sydney International Airport on Monday ahead of Saturday’s big show.

They posed for a photo in front of music legends George Michael, Cher, and Kylie Minogue, coming up with the best caption.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8709M0goTx/

‘Sydney. I’m home, and I can’t wait for this weekend. I’m a Mardi Gras virgin and I’m ready for my cherry to be popped,’ they gushed.

Sam initially shared the news that they would be playing the Mardi Gras festival on Instagram last month.

‘Hello, everyone! I’m coming to you from LA right now and I just wanted to send a message to all of my beautiful fans and friends in Australia,’ they said.

‘I just wanted to say that I have an announcement to make today which is honestly for me one of the highlights of my career. Australia has meant so much to me as a queer person and I am going to be singing at Mardi Gras this year.

‘I cannot wait to be with you all after such a challenging time and hopefully we can spread that love and celebrate and sing and dance. Mardi Gras, I can’t wait to see you!’

Sam came out as non-binary last year and says they feel they’ll be misgendered for their rest of their life.

‘What’s hard is people changing their vocabulary; that’s very, very difficult,’ they told Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s Beats 1. ‘It takes time. Everyone messes up. I’m going to be misgendered to the day I die.

‘This is going to take a long, long time for people to not use gender in their vocabulary.’

Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival runs from 14 February until 1 March and more information can be found here. 

MORE: Jessie J and Channing Tatum pucker up for kisses as they dance to Sam Smith together

MORE: Sam Smith praises Bond theme successor Billie Eilish’s No Time To Die: ‘I’m really impressed’

A new patent discovery suggests the PS5 DualShock 5 may be checking to see how stressed you are while you play games.

According to Sony, and now Metro Redux developer 4A Games, the PlayStation 5 has a secret. A feature which hasn’t been announced yet and which could be even more important than next gen technology such as ray-tracing.

Nobody knows what it is, or even if Sony and 4A are hinting about the same thing, but the secret could be that the controller… detects your sweat?

A number of patents for what is presumably going to be called the DualShock 5 have appeared already, but they’ve all seemed to describe a controller that’s not that different from the current version, just with maybe new back buttons, no light bar, or new multiplayer features.

But the latest patent describes some unusual biofeedback features that monitor your heart rate and then act to ‘modify’ the ‘user experience’ as a result. Unfortunately, the patent is as vague as that sounds though and there are no examples given of how it might work.

It’s not hard to imagine some of the more obvious applications though, such as working out exactly how scared you are in a horror game or making a game easier or harder depending on how stressed you are.

What the patent does describe though is how the technology works, with everything going through sensors in the controller’s grip. The tech is also mentioned as working in conjunction with PlayStation VR and PlayStation Camera.

The concept isn’t as left field as it sounds, as various companies have been toying with the idea of biofeedback for years, especially Nintendo. They had a version of Tetris that monitors your heart rate back on the N64 and there was also the infamous Wii Vitality Sensor that never made it to market.

However, as with any patent, there’s no guarantee that Sony will actually use any of this in a consumer product.

There’s certainly no way of telling whether this is the secret they’re holding back, but it does show they’re willing to consider relatively outlandish features for the PlayStation 5 and its peripherals.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter

MORE: PS5 secret features hinted at again, this time by Metro Redux developer

MORE: PS5 launch games: confirmed and otherwise – Reader’s Feature

MORE: PS5 won’t sell as well as PlayStation 4, predicts analyst

Beyonce took to the stage at the memorial for the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant at the Staples Centre.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were killed in a helicopter crash last month along with seven others.

The singer, wearing an all yellow suit, opened proceedings with a heartfelt performance of two of her songs, XO and Halo, telling the crowd that XO was one of his favourite songs.

She said: ‘I’m here because I loved Kobe and this was one of his favourite songs. ‘

Ending her performance with Halo, she changed the lyrics to say: ‘He will be your halo. She will be your halo.’

At the end of the performance she blew a kiss upwards and smiled at Kobe’s wife Vanessa who was in the audience.

Among the celebrities in the audience were Jennifer Lopez – who had tears streaming down her face – Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union and Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner.

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel broke down in tears while speaking about the sport star.

He said: ‘This is a sad day but it is also a celebration of life, of their lives, and of life itself in the building where those of us who are fans celebrated so many of the best times of our lives.

‘I’m honoured to have been asked to speak here. Everywhere you go you see his face, his number, Gigi’s face and Gigi’s number.

‘There are hundreds of murals painted by artists who were inspired because Kobe was an artist too, and not just in LA but across the country and Kobe’s home town. In places where he would be booed on the court Kobe is missed.’

He introduced Vanessa to the stage who gave a moving speech about them both.

Talking about Gianna, she told those present: ‘She was always thoughtful, always kissed me good night and good morning.

‘She knew how much her kisses meant to me and she was so thoughtful. She was daddy’s girl but I know she loved her momma. She was one of my very best friends.’

MORE: Sam Smith dances to Britney Spears as they touch down in Sydney for Mardi Gras and it’s a mood

MORE: Kim Kardashian thrown completely out of her comfort zone as she joins Scott Disick at drama class and admits she’s super ‘shy’

It’s time to fire up those saucepans and get those aprons on – because MasterChef is back on our screens.

Yup, Best Home Cook may be over but that doesn’t mean the culinary content is disappearing from our screens, with the 16th series of the ever-popular competition due to kick off on Monday night.

And this year the contestants will face some new challenges in their bid to win themselves a coveted MasterChef apron and proceed further in the contest.

We’re already feeling a bit peckish – but just what time does it kick off and who are the judges?

What time is MasterChef on BBC One?

MasterChef’s new series kicks off on BBC One on Monday night at 9pm

It runs for an hour ahead of the 10 O’Clock News.

In fact you’re getting a whole lot of MasterChef for your money this week, as it’s also airing on Wednesday and Friday at the same time.

If you miss any instalments, you can catch up with them via the BBC iPlayer.

Who are the judges on MasterChef this year?

Regular judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace will once again be returning to the series.

Michelin starred guest chef Tom Kitchin will be joining them for the semi-final, while those who make it to the later stages will also face the judgment of a team of food critics, including Grace Dent, Jay Rayner, Tom Parker Bowles, William Sitwell and Jimi Famurewa.

Who are the contestants on MasterChef 2020?

There are 60 contestants taking part in the series heats, with the first batch having been revealed.

Dev, Karen, Amanda, Becky, and Teddy will compete in Monday night’s show for their chance to make it through to the next stage.

More contestants will be revealed as the heats go on – although it’s been reported that there are hopefuls from all walks of life ranging from farming and music to architecture and hairdressing.

MORE: Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace reveals secret to his weight loss and yes he does eat chocolate

Nicola Roberts has admitted she forgot she won The Masked Singer, after being forced to wait months until the secret was revealed on the televised finale.

The Girls Aloud star took home the crown earlier this month on our TV screens after wowing the judges with her singing chops.

However after filming the programme back in September she was forced to keep shtum, even keeping her beloved gran on read to avoid the news infiltrating her gossip circle.

Now able to speak about the momentous win, she said on The One Show on Monday: ‘I just kind of forgot that it happened. I did it and then I won and obviously no one knew I did it.’

She continued: ‘The next day I remember the whole thing was over and one of the creative ladies called me and asked “how do you feel, you’ve won”, and I was like, nothing.

‘I can’t tell anyone. None of my friends and family know…so my sort of excitement has been delayed, I’m only now really enjoying it.’

Speaking about keeping her family in the dark by not even telling them she was the famous Queen Bee, Nicola said she was forced to ignore them.

Harsh! But understandable.

‘They were messaging me throughout and I was just not replying,’ she laughed. ‘My poor nan every week, just left her on read.’

She added: ‘My nan is the queen in our family, there’s a lot of women, so she filters all the gossip out and I knew if she knew, everyone would know. The whole town would know that I was the Queen Bee.’

We’re also sure some dubious advice will soon be lauding the Masked Singer Diet after Nicola Roberts revealed her Queen Bee costume was so hot she lost weight performing on the ITV show.

‘Under the balaclava and the tape and the rollneck, I lost weight during filming,’ Nicola said.

It’s not the first time Nicola has spoken about the heat in her elaborate costume.

Queen Bee fended off huge competition from Hedgehog (Jason Manford) and Octopus (Katherine Jenkins) during the finale, but getting there was almost dangerous at points.

‘Under the lights it was so hot and it was warm outside too, because we filmed it back in September last year,’ Nicola previously told The Sun.

‘The amount of layers I had on to conceal every part of my skin and hair was unbelievable.

‘I had a balaclava and gloves all the way up my arms then the mask. It was absolutely boiling in the studio, there was no air or ventilation in the mask, so you’re breathing in the air that you’re breathing out. I was gasping throughout the song. I felt like I was a ball of fire.’

The One Show returns 7pm on BBC One. 

MORE: The Masked Singer US unveils legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk as Elephant

MORE: The Masked Singer’s Nicola Roberts stays true to Queen Bee persona with quirky earrings at Brit Awards

Rapper slowthai has opened up on his life with ADHD, following a rather controversial appearance at the NME Awards earlier this month which saw him get into a fight with a punter while also being forced to apologise to host Katherine Ryan.

The 25-year-old English rapper – real name Tyron Frampton – has now opened up on his diagnosis with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder several years ago.

Speaking of his struggles with the behavioural condition he said it’s left him with a ‘need to be loved’.

In a lengthy Twitter post he wrote this week: ‘I often laugh when I feel anxious, this awkward laughter only shows how uncomfortable I feel. I’ve always been socially awkward and found it hard to articulate to people how I truly feel, often lie.

‘Sometimes it’s harder to stay quiet than force conversation and it makes my skin crawl.

‘I build myself up from pieces of other people and when I look in the mirror I shiver ’cause I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s skin.’

pic.twitter.com/cbizCMGBRH

— tyron. (@slowthai) February 23, 2020

slowthai continued: ‘I’ve never felt happy being on my own and this has caused me to have a dependency. A need to be loved, maybe I search for all the right things in the wrong places. But am I wrong for wanting to belong.

‘Lazy. I live under a rock clinging on to gratification. I trick myself into liking the things I hate and hating the things I love.

‘I’ve never known what’s best for me. And I never felt content with the life I lead.’

Before signing off, slowthai revealed he is plagued by suicidal thoughts most nights but is ‘too afraid to say goodbye’.

He wrote: ‘I think about the end every night. But I’m too afraid to say goodbye. ADHD all I want is your undivided attention. The what ifs. I’m selfish and I never cared for sharing. If I was gone would they remember me and would they hurt as I hurt.

‘I’m trying to learn to confine [confide] in myself cause I can’t explain why I feel these things. Even though I laugh, I ask what’s funny.’

slowthai’s honest post comes after he made a controversial appearance at the NME Awards on 12 Feb.

He was criticised for making overtly sexual comments to co-host Katherine when on stage at the ceremony and hugging her.

He then got into a verbal altercation with an audience member who called him a ‘misogynist’ for his behaviour towards Katherine as he collected his fan-voted hero of the year which resulted in him jumping from the stage to confront the heckler.

slowthai later took to Twitter to apologise to Katherine for his actions, an apology which she fully accepted – however his actions saw him dropped from his role with Record Store Day.

Tweeting NME, slowthai wrote: ‘please forward my award to @kathbum for she is the hero of the year. what started as a joke between us escalated to a point of shameful actions on my part. i want to unreservedly apologise, there is no excuse and I am sorry. i am not a hero.

‘katherine, you are a master at your craft and next time i’ll take my seat and leave the comedy to you. to any woman or man who saw a reflection of situations they’ve been in in those videos, i am sorry. i promise to do better. let’s talk here.’

Katherine, 36, replied: ‘I knew you were joking and congratulations on your very award-worthy album! I hope you know that a bad day on social media passes so quickly. Everything will be better tomorrow.’

MORE: KSI calls for slowthai to be ‘punished’ after Katherine Ryan comments and brawl at NME Awards

MORE: Laura Whitmore and Courtney Love let their hair down as slowthai brawls at wild NME Awards

Vanessa Bryant struggled to get through her speech in tribute to husband Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were both tragically killed in a helicopter crash last month along with seven others.

After being introduced by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Vanessa remembered her husband and daughter in an incredibly emotional speech.

As she began to speak about her ‘sunshine’ Gianna, Vanessa broke down in tears. The audience broke into applause to encourage her to continue.

Talking about Gigi, she said: ‘She was always thoughtful, always kissed me good night and good morning.

‘She knew how much her kisses meant to me and she was so thoughtful. She was Daddy’s girl but I know she loved her Momma. She was one of my very best friends.

‘Her smile was like sunshine. It took up her entire face like mine. Kobe always said she was me, she had my fire and personality, she was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious, it was pure and genuine.

‘She brightened up my day every day. I miss looking at her beautiful face. She was always so good, I knew I could always count on her to do the right thing.’

Vanessa continued: ‘I won’t be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day. I’ll never get to see my baby girl walk down the aisle, have a father-daughter dance, dance on the dance floor with me or have babies of her own.’

Speaking about her ‘soul mate’ she remembered the last text message she had from him.

‘He was loving, adoring and romantic, he was truly the romantic one in our relationship,’ she said.

‘We were two perfectly imperfect people making a family and raising our sweet and amazing girls.

‘Before he passed he mentioned that he wanted us to spend more time together.

‘We never got the chance to do it. We were busy doing our everyday responsibilities, but I’m thankful I have that recent text. It means so much to me.’

Ending her speech, Vanessa said: ‘God knew they couldn’t be on this Earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together’

‘May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day. We love you both and miss you forever and always; Mommy.’

The memorial, which took place at the Staples Centre, also saw Beyonce perform two songs – Halo and XO, one of Kobe’s favourite songs.

Kimmel acted as host for the event which was attended by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade.

MORE: What time is MasterChef on BBC One, who are the judges and who are the contestants?

MORE: ‘I’m here because I love him’: Beyonce gives moving performance of Kobe Bryant’s favourite song at memorial

Ewan McGregor looked every inch the fashion icon as he took to the streets of New York City to play a famous designer this week.

Ewan is filming scenes as the late Roy Halston Frowick for his new TV show.

And we want everything the 48-year-old is wearing.

With his leather jacket and flared trousers, Ewan looked like a true movie star.

Elsewhere, while filming another scene, he was seen sharp tailoring and slicked-back hair. We have to say it’s quite a departure from the dusty robes he wore in the late 90s-early 00s Star Wars films!

The Trainspotting icon is top of the call sheet on new Netflix show Simply Halston, airing at some point in 2020.

That’s right – Ewan is joining the Netflix family.

Known by his surname, Halston passed away in 1990 at the age of 57 and was known for his friendships with the dazzling stars of 70s NYC, such as Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol.

Ryan Murphy is serving as an executive producer on the limited series.

He is known for his work on the likes of Glee, Pose and American Horror Story.

McGregor also serves as an executive producer on Halston.

We can’t wait!

Halston rose to fame as a hat-maker – or, to use the formal term, a milliner. In fact, he created the pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore to her husband John F Kennedy’s presidential inauguration.

He went on to become an eponymous fashion force, known for his chic, minimalist designs.

However, he eventually lost control of his fashion house and Halston will chart the designer’s rise and fall, as well as his wild love, sex and social lives.

Sounds like an addictive watch!

Ewan is known for film roles in the likes of Moulin Rouge! and Doctor Strange.

His latest film is the Margot Robbie-starring Birds of Prey.

MORE: Ewan McGregor gets into character as fashion designer Halston as filming begins for new Netflix series

Beyonce and Kim Kardashian were some of the famous faces who attended the memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

The event, called A Celebration of Life, was held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on Monday.

Kobe’s wife Vanessa paid tribute to her late husband and daughter, with talk show presenter and friend Jimmy Kimmel acting as host.

Beyonce, wearing an all yellow suit, took to the stage to perform two of her songs: XO – one of Kobe’s favourite – and Halo, changing the lyrics at the end to ‘He will be your halo/She will be your halo’.

She was later seen comforting Vanessa in the audience as Michael Jordan gave a speech.

Kim attended with husband Kanye West, her sister Khloe Kardashian and their mother Kris Jenner. The famous family, bar Kim, wore sunglasses as they sat in the crowd.

Singer Jennifer Lopez was also in the audience, with tears streaming down her face during Vanessa’s tribute.

Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Steph Curry, Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J and Paula Abdul were also spotted in the crowd, while Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys also performed.

Kobe, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash last month along with seven others.

Talking about Gigi, Vanessa said: ‘She was always thoughtful, always kissed me good night and good morning.

‘She knew how much her kisses meant to me and she was so thoughtful. She was Daddy’s girl but I know she loved her Momma. She was one of my very best friends.

‘Her smile was like sunshine. It took up her entire face like mine. Kobe always said she was me, she had my fire and personality, she was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious, it was pure and genuine.

‘She brightened up my day every day. I miss looking at her beautiful face. She was always so good, I knew I could always count on her to do the right thing.’

Vanessa described Kobe as her ‘soul mate’ and recalled his romantic gestures, including when he bought her the blue dress worn by Rachel McAdams in the film The Notebook.

Vanessa and Kobe also shared daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri.

MORE: Stylish Ewan McGregor takes to the streets of NYC to portray iconic fashion designer Halston for new TV show

MORE: The Masked Singer’s Nicola Roberts forgot she won after being forced to wait five months for televised finale

Laurence Fox has revealed he’s been forced to step back from social media for his own mental health, revealing he’s been plunged into a depression following a controversial few weeks where he’s been attacked for his thoughts on woke culture.

Now the Lewis star feels there is no other option but to take an ‘extended break from social media’ due to the fierce backlash to his appearance on Question Time in January.

What followed was weeks of back and forth and debate which raged on between Laurence and a host of members of the public and celebrities, including Lily Allen and Jameela Jamil.

Sharing his decision to now step back for the sake of his own health, his career and children, Laurence – who has two sons, 11-year-old Winston and Eugene, six, with his ex-wife Billie Piper – shared a lengthy statement to Twitter on Monday.

The actor – who recently spoke about trolls after the death of Caroline Flack – began the thread: ‘I’m going to take an extended break from social media. I’d like to say a couple of things. First of all, a huge thank you to all of you who have followed me throughout my career and travelled vast distances to come and see me on stage, be in acting or singing…

‘Since my appearance on question time and the ensuing hubbub, I have had nothing but support on the street, from people of all backgrounds and political view points. In the weird and lonely days that followed that appearance, your kind words have lifted my spirits. Thank you..

‘But privately I have been becoming more and more depressed. I have been so shocked by some of the things said to me on these platforms and I have found some of it very hard to process. I think it’s important to stand up to bullies and that is why I have continued to do so…’

The actor noted he feared for his future and the impact the backlash could have on his family and career, while backing ‘freedom of speech’ and denouncing ‘cancel culture’.

He added: ‘I think we need to learn to listen to each other better. I am learning this all the time. I believe that pushing people to the edge of their ability to remain emotionally ok through cancel culture can and does have deadly consequences…

‘I know that in order for me to be OK I have to turn this noise off for a while. We all have feelings. We all have hopes and dreams. We don’t have to agree. We just have to respect that we are all different and we all deserve a chance to speak freely.’

He continued: ‘I wish you ALL all the best. I hope the loudest voices are the ones that come from love and truth. I hope that those who feel hate can be encouraged to find the love around them.’

Going out on a joke, he wrote: ‘I’ll probably be back on in ten minutes taking the piss out of Lily Allen! Thanks for reading. Loz x.’

Fans of the actor stood up for Laurence, as they insisted he was being ‘hounded’ off Twitter for sharing his thoughts.

The 41-year-old actor sparked controversy on the BBC current affairs show last month during a heated debate about Meghan Markle and racism in the UK, during which he insisted ‘it’s so easy to throw the card of racism at everybody and it’s really starting to get boring now’.

He was also met with a wave of backlash after attacking 1917 director Mendes for including a Sikh character in the World War I, claiming it ‘forced diversity’ on viewers – comments he later apologised for.

MORE: Laurence Fox sees famous cousins dragged into controversial comments backlash as Freddie is ‘spat at’ and trolls pick on Emilia

MORE: Laurence Fox still not a fan of Jameela Jamil as he accuses her of ‘dining out on victimhood’

Divina De Campo has thrown her hat in the ring for this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The drag queen was recently a runner up on another high profile BBC talent show – last year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

However, the star was quick to preempt any criticism of her background in contemporary dance and ballet.

‘Doing ballroom is like [speaking] Russian,’ she said in a new interview on Edward Dyson’s United Queendom podcast.

‘It’s like talking a completely different language.

‘You have an understanding of linguistics but not necessarily in the same way.’

Admitting there has been no formal invitation to appear on the show – yet – Divina added: ‘Were I to be asked on it, I would love that. Has it happened yet? No.’

While she would be the first drag queen on Strictly (to our knowledge), she wouldn’t be the first RPDR star – judge Michelle Visage made her mark on the show last year. She was voted out in week nine of the competition.

Divina also spoke about her feud with RPDR UK winner The Vivienne on the podcast – that is to say, there’s no bad blood on her part and she seems to have nothing but respect for her colleague.

‘I knew she was going to win, not for any other reason than she was better,’ said Divina. ‘She was. In terms of delivering drag, what she did in the competition was better.’

The feud kicked off when Divina told QX: ‘I don’t think I fit the model that RuPaul [likes]. He likes people who are cutthroat and will smash your kneecaps in in order to win – that’s not me.’

To this, The Vivienne responded on Twitter: ‘I won that show fair and square. Constantly discrediting my win. GROW UP.’

MORE: Michelle Visage films pilot for own BBC show following success of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

MORE: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Sex Education among nominees at British LGBT Awards

ITV’s brand new drama Flesh And Blood kicked off tonight meaning our brand new obsession has officially begun.

The four-part drama follows three adult siblings Helen, Jake and Natalie – whose lives are thrown into disarray when their recently widowed mother Vivien declares she’s fallen for a new man, retired GP Mark.

The first episode started with a major cliffhanger – that one character had been carted off on a stretcher after being attacked. But just exactly who’s life is in grave danger remains firmly under wraps.

As expected, we’ve got a lot of questions that need answering as the series continues.

Who was attacked and carried out on the stretcher?

Ah, the biggest question of the episode is who on earth was attacked and left for dead.

One character was taken out on a stretcher by paramedics in a body bag (although they’re not actually dead), but we have no idea who and there are a number of possibilities.

Maybe Vivien’s new man Mark attacked her in her own home? Or maybe Jake threw a punch at Mark for ‘replacing’ his dad? Or perhaps, Vivien lashed out at one of her annoying children for tearing into her new relationship?

Is Mark a bad guy?

We’ve already seen Mark acting a bit odd and he’s quite full-on – could his behaviour be a red flag that he’s dodgy?

Scenes that aired tonight also showed the character rifling through Vivien’s drawers and giving her medication following her accident.

And if that wasn’t enough, the retired doctor hasn’t known Vivien for a long time, yet he’s already making incredibly grand gestures such as whisking her off on holiday.

Is Mark just a genuinely nice guy who wants to sweep Vivien off her feet? Or is he someone more sinister that should be wary of? Dramas love throwing a red-herring and only time will tell whether Mark is one.

Is Mark’s former wife really dead and if so, how did she die?

It’s mentioned that Mark is also a widower, but is that really the case?

Or if she is dead, how did she die? Was Mark the one to kill her off? At this point, we wouldn’t trust him as far as we could throw him.

Is Mary plotting to bring down Mark?

It’s clear that nosy neighbour Mary is more than obsessed with Vivien and her family next door and she keeps her beady eye on them 24 hours a day.

For the moment it seems as though she doesn’t have bad intentions and seems fairly harmless, just trying on Vivien’s silk nightie for good measure.

But could she end up being more sinister than she seems?

Flesh And Blood continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV.

The Flesh And Blood showrunner has confirmed that the body bag at the beginning of the first episode isn’t actually a dead character (at this moment in time).

ITV’s brand new four-part drama kicked off tonight with dramatic opening scenes showing someone had been the victim of a domestic attack, with paramedics carting the so-far unknown person off on a stretcher.

Police cordoned off the area with the flashing blue lights from their cars setting a rather ominous tone for the story.

While it might look as though someone has already got the chop, showrunner Sarah Williams confirmed to Metro.co.uk and other press at a screening that the victim isn’t actually dead.

‘It’s not a body bag,’ she said, before adding that someone needed to be carted off looking like they’d had suffrage while their identity was also protected.

During the opening scenes of the episode, nosy neighbour Mary (played by Imelda Staunton) recounted her version of events of the night to the police.

‘Of course, I’ve known the family for years,’ Mary revealed. ‘I watched the children grow up and I could honestly say they’d been the perfect neighbours, they’d been no trouble at all.

‘So I can’t believe a thing like this could happen, right on our doorstep.’

She continued: ‘Listen, they’ve had their ups and downs. Who hasn’t? But I never, ever dreamt it would end like this.’

Flesh And Blood’s debut was totally gripping and we’ve got a load of questions that need to be answered in the second episode – namely who was attacked in the incident.

Roll on episode two.

Flesh And Blood continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV.

Actress, author and activist Rose McGowan has celebrated Harvey Weinstein’s conviction after the disgraced Hollywood mogul was found guilty on two counts in a landmark rape trial today in New York City.

McGowan – who had previously accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in the 90s – said he will finally know how it feels to have ‘power wrapped around his neck’ as she joined other accusers in sharing messages on social media.

The 67-year-old went on trial in early January facing five charges of rape and sexual assault, all of which he pleaded not guilty to.

And today, a jury of seven men and five women found the disgraced producer guilty on the fifth day of deliberations.

The disgraced mogul has been convicted on two out of five counts – criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree.

The jury found Weinstein not guilty on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault, which could have resulted in a life sentence for the former Hollywood producer.

A judge ordered Weinstein to be jailed immediately after his conviction. He’ll remain in custody until his 11 March sentencing. He faces up to 29 years in prison.

McGowan, who one of the earliest – and most prominent – of Weinstein’s accusers, wrote on social media: ‘Today is a powerful day.

‘And a huge step forward in collective healing.’

She added in a conference call, alongside more than 20 women known as the ‘silence breakers’ amid the Weinstein allegations: ‘20 years ago I decided to come after Weinstein because I’d heard about him doing this to someone else, and then I heard him doing it to someone else, and someone else.

Today is a powerful day & a huge step forward in our collective healing

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) February 24, 2020

‘Every one of us who has come forward, we have a name, we have a history, we have a life, we are more than Weinstein. But today, because of the brave women, who bared their deepest hurt for the world to see, he’s in Rikers Island.

‘For once he won’t be sitting comfortably. For once he will know what it’s like to have power wrapped around his neck. Today is not a referendum on #MeToo, this is taking out the trash.’

Mira Sorvino, who had earlier posted on social media, added: ‘The era of impunity for powerful men who rape people is over.

‘He will rot in jail as he deserves and we will begin to have some closure.’

The beginning of #justice. More to come, my sisters. #weinsteinguilty

— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) February 24, 2020

Weinstein was convicted on charges stemming from a 2006 sexual assault and a 2013 rape. However the jury found Weinstein not guilty on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault, that could have resulted in a life sentence.

Weinstein faces between five and 25 years in prison, the Manhattan District Attorney said, with sentencing on 11 March

McGowan, who alleges she was assaulted by Weinstein in the 1990s, praised the other women who came forward and said she wanted to cause a ‘massive cultural reset’.

She said: ‘We achieved that already with what happened but today the trashman came.

‘He said to all the little girls and little boys who get hurt in this world, some day maybe you too can have a voice.’

She added: ‘I believe we can be better as a world, as people, as humans. Today is one more step forward in that direction.’

MORE: Harvey Weinstein jurors ask for legal definition of ‘consent’ in deliberations

MORE: Harvey Weinstein ‘confident’ about rape trial as it reaches closer to verdict

Vanessa Bryant, the widow of basketball icon Kobe Bryant, is to sue the owner of the helicopter he died in, according to reports.

Kobe lost his life after being involved in a helicopter crash on 26 January 2020 at the age of 41.

He and Vanessa’s daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board and tragically died.

The helicopter had been flying through foggy weather in Calabasas, California when the incident occurred and all nine people on board were killed.

According to AP, 37-year-old Vanessa has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company in question.

The lawsuit named Island Express Helicopters Inc and was filed at Los Angeles Superior Court, and claimed the pilot was careless and negligent in eight different ways.

The pilot was named Ara Zobayan, and the lawsuit targets an unnamed representative for him.

The National Transportation Safety Board is yet to determine the cause of the crash, but has said it was not a mechanical failure.

The news comes as Vanessa spoke at a public ceremony today in honour of her husband and daughter.

Speaking about Gianna, Vanessa said: ‘She was always thoughtful, always kissed me good night and good morning.

‘She knew how much her kisses meant to me and she was so thoughtful.

‘She was Daddy’s girl but I know she loved her Momma. She was one of my very best friends.’

Beautiful words.

The emotional event at the Staples Center in LA also saw a performance from superstar Beyonce, who sang her classic songs XO and Halo.

Kobe and Gianna are survived by Vanessa and her kids Natalia Bryant, 17, Bianka, three, and eight-month-old Capri.

RIP.

Metro.co.uk contacted reps of Kobe’s estate for comment.

MORE: ‘I’m here because I love him’: Beyonce gives moving performance of Kobe Bryant’s favourite song at memorial

MORE: Shaquille O’Neal opens up on Kobe Bryant ‘special’ bond with his children

Michael Jordan joked about his famous ‘crying’ internet meme during his tribute at a memorial for Kobe and Gianna Bryant.

Famous faces and friends of the Bryant family came together at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on Monday to remember the sports star and his daughter, who were both killed in a helicopter crash last month.

The former basketball player was in floods of tears as she spoke about his close friend, describing himself as Kobe’s ‘big brother’.

During his tribute the 57-year-old joked about the popular meme used on the internet of his crying face during his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech in 2009.

Jordan, speaking to an audience that included Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Steph Curry and Jennifer Lopez, said: ‘He was just trying to be a better person, a better basketball player.

‘We talked about business, we talked about family, we talked about everything and he was just trying to be a better person.’

As he struggled to speak, he added: ‘Now he’s got me, I have to look at another crying meme for the next…’

As the Staples Centre audience burst into applause and laughter Jordan continued: ‘I told my wife I wasn’t gonna do this because I didn’t wanna see that [meme] for the next three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me.

‘I’m pretty sure Vanessa and his friends can all say the same thing, he knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally. Even if he’s being a pain in the a**.’

Jordan also said in his tribute: ‘If you love something, if you have a strong passion for something, you would go to the extreme to try to get it. Either ice cream, cokes, hamburgers, whatever you have a love for.

‘What Kobe Bryant was to me was the inspiration that someone truly cared about the way that I play the game or the way that he wanted to play the game. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be.

‘As I got to know him I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.’

The emotional memorial service included performances from Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera, and speeches from Vanessa, Jimmy Kimmel and Shaquille O’Neal.

Vanessa and Kobe also share daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri.

MORE: Rose McGowan celebrates Harvey Weinstein conviction as mogul is found guilty in landmark rape trial

MORE: Flesh And Blood showrunner confirms body bag in episode 1 isn’t actually a dead character

BTS aren’t sure if they’re after an eighth member as they join James Corden for Carpool Karaoke.

The K-pop group join the host of The Late Late Show for a brand new episode of the viral series, in which James drives around – or not – with a musician while they singalong to their hits.

BTS are up next and in a teaser for their episode, things get awkward when the presenter asks rapper RM if he’s making him an offer he can’t refuse.

‘Is this your way of asking me to join the band?’ James says.

As the other six members – Jin, Jimin, J-hope, Suga, V and Jungkook – make a collective ‘Oh’ noise that definitely ain’t a yes, the host jokes: ‘That didn’t sound good.’

Maybe just enjoy being a fan, James?

Also in the teaser, RM, sat in the front passenger seat, tells the presenter that it is their ‘pleasure’ to help him get to work, and James enjoys makes Jimin and Jin laugh.

And of course there’s a whole lot of singing going on as they belt out BTS’ comeback title track ON, released just last week.

The full video of BTS’ Carpool Karaoke drops 25 February.

It’s not their only US telly appearance this week, as the members are set to do their thing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with a very special performance.

ON comes from their new album Map Of The Soul: 7 which they will take on the road for their world tour later this year, stopping around the US and Europe including two dates at London’s Twickenham Stadium in July.

The south Korean group are on course for their second UK number one album which is outselling new releases from competitors Ozzy Osbourne, Lewis Capaldi and Stormzy combined.

The boys previously made chart history with their UK number one album Map Of The Soul: Persona in 2019.

MORE: Michael Jordan jokes he will start another ‘crying meme’ as he breaks down at Kobe Bryant memorial

MORE: Flesh And Blood episode 1 questions: Who was attacked and carried out on a stretcher?

The Chase’s Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett lived up to his nickname on the popular quiz show today.

The 54-year-old went full-on Marvel’s Hulk when he reacted to losing a round to contestants Ian and Lynn.

His response was to growl, storm off set and hit the wall as he did so, living up to his moniker of The Beast.

It’s only a game show, Mark!

The star did at least – through gritted teeth – tell his competitors: ‘Well played team, you deserve it!’

The dramatic – and definitely all for the cameras – moment occurs at the 13-minute mark in the above video.

Host Bradley Walsh tried to diffuse the awkwardness by commenting: ‘Oops. I think he’s upset.’

Ya think?!

Mark’s latest defeat follows his comments last month about the addition of a new Chaser to the hit TV show – and it ultimately meaning less work for him, and him having to teach to fill the gap.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: ‘I’m gutted about it, to be honest. We only get paid for when we work so a new Chaser means less work.’

He continued: ‘Last year we only filmed half as Bradley Walsh was on Doctor Who and if I didn’t have other work it would be really tough.’

If Mark has his way, he might soon be moonlighting on an upcoming series of The Masked Singer, anyway.

Recently confirming to Metro.co.uk that he’d be up for competing on the singing show, he said: ‘I’d love to do series two or three but how would they hide me?’

Saying he wants to be Monster, Mark added: ‘You might notice I’m quite a distinctive shape. I’d love to do it but I suspect they’d go, “he’s a gorilla in a suit, he’d stand out a bit…”’

MORE: The Chase team walk away with £21k after Anne Hegerty has a ‘nightmare’ of a game

MORE: The Chase viewers in hysterics as excited contestant leaves Bradley Walsh hanging