Entertainment

The Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, is getting under way, and the conflict in Gaza seems to be feeding into what's happening.From shows cancelled to artists divided, it's no joke. Rachel Creeger has had a distressing start to her stand-up run.Two weeks ago, out of the blue, she says the venue Whistle Binkies rang her and fellow Jewish comedian Philip Simon to cancel their slots. Image: Rachel Creeger […]

For years now, many performers at Edinburgh Fringe have spoken about their struggles to afford the sky-high prices for their accommodation each August.This year, with Oasis's reunion tour coming to the city for three nights, the cost of securing a room for a month at the biggest arts festival in the world is even higher. Comedian Marc Borrows says "the 'Oasis effect' on the Fringe economy has been catastrophic".Rather fittingly, […]

Andrew Flintoff has praised the "love and compassion" of "superhero" staff in a visit to the hospital that treated him after his crash.The cricket legend was seriously injured during the incident on the Top Gear track in Surrey in December 2022. He was airlifted to St George's in Tooting, with a surgeon calling Flintoff's injuries some of the most complex he's seen."I just want to say a massive thank you […]

Legendary WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack, according to a Florida medical examiner's report.Hogan, 71, was pronounced dead in hospital last week, less than 90 minutes after medics arrived at his home in Clearwater, Florida, in response to a call about a "cardiac arrest". The report released on Thursday noted his death was from a "natural" cause and formally listed as "acute myocardial infarction", a technical term […]

Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs have called for him to be acquitted of prostitution-related offences, or given a new trial on the same charges.Combs, 55, was found guilty of two counts of transportation for engagement in prostitution at the end of his high-profile trial in New York earlier this month - for flying girlfriends and male sex workers around the US and abroad for sexual encounters referred to as "freak […]

Ozzy Osbourne has taken his final tour of Birmingham - with his family experiencing the love of thousands of fans who turned out to see the heavy metal star come home."We love you, Ozzy!" came the shouts from the crowd as his cortege stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge in the city, a site that has become a shrine to the performer since his death at 76 last week. His family […]

Disgraced hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has asked a judge to release him on a $50m bond as he waits to be sentenced for prostitution-related offences.Combs's lawyer has argued that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn are dangerous and noted that others convicted of similar offences were typically released before sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Marc Agnifilo said in a court […]

The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has warned of a musical "silence" that would come without the pubs and bars that give UK artists their first chance to perform.Fresh from headlining Glastonbury in June, Healy is backing a new UK-wide festival which will see more than 2,000 gigs taking place across more than 1,000 "seed" venues in September. The Seed Sounds Weekender aims to celebrate the hospitality sector hosting bands and […]

The actor who played PC Reg Hollis in hit TV series The Bill has been praised by officers after helping them arrest a shoplifter.Jeff Stewart stepped in when a thief attempted to escape on a bicycle in Southampton on Wednesday. In a statement, a Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: "The thief, 29-year-old Mohamed Diallo, fell off the bike during his attempts to flee, before officers pounced to make their arrest."To their […]