Amanda Bynes' dramatic new look
Plus Michael Jackson's 'secret family' speak out
Welcome to The Spotlight. I’m Katie Hind, Consultant Editor Showbusiness at the Daily Mail. Here’s what our showbiz team is talking about.
The TOWIE family is in mourning after cast member Jake Hall died from a chest injury on holiday in Majorca, apparently falling through a glass door after a night out. Tributes poured in, including a heart-wrenching one from Misse Beqiri, mother of his eight-year-old daughter River.
My colleague Alison Boshoff reveals how ‘lost and lonely’ Jake had been recently. He had even tried to take his own life in the past, she learned.
Not much shocks me in the world of showbiz, but I was stunned when television royalty Tess Daly and Vernon Kay announced their split after 23 years of marriage. So were the many friends of theirs I spoke to. I did some digging - scroll down to see what I found out.
Here’s what else you’ll find in the newsletter:
Spare a thought for chat show king Graham Norton, whose new ITV reality show The Neighbourhood has been binned from its prime time slot. Here’s his humiliating new billing...
The stars came out for the BAFTA TV awards on Sunday night. Our reporter Dolly Busby was on the red carpet - and witnessed a very awkward moment between Made In Chelsea alumni Spencer Matthews and newly single Millie Mackintosh.
We’re all desperate to know who the new Strictly presenters will be. One rumour? Emma Willis. No confirmation from Strictly HQ, but I’m hearing Emma has been turning down work for the winter months.
I’ll always tell you the unvarnished truth about celebs and the world of showbiz. So, what do you want to know? Email your questions to spotlight@dailymail.co.uk and I’ll report back in a future newsletter.
The Tea: Which Hollywood A-list actors were sued by two Miami cops this week for defamation over their depiction in a Netflix film? Scroll to the end for the answer...
Here’s what Tess and Vernon’s friends told me about their split - and why they’ve been living separate lives
It was the last message I expected to see land in my WhatsApp last Friday, just after 6pm. Tess Daly and Vernon Kay, one of celeb land’s most sturdy couples, had split.
The whole office was stunned. What on earth could have happened? We all know that 15 years ago, Vernon was caught ‘sexting’ Page 3 model Rhian Sugden, but Tess forgave him. As far as I knew, they were still very much in love after almost 23 years of marriage. So I asked around.
Friends of the couple were quick to explain how they’d grown apart, how Vernon still loves to live like a teenager while Tess, five years older than her husband, is ‘much, much more mature.’
‘Tess needs to find a rich older man who has a yacht,’ scoffed one source familiar with the couple. Ouch.
Although I’m assured the divorce won’t turn messy, one of Vernon’s friends did joke that they suspect he will now be inundated with younger women, which could infuriate Tess.
And only yesterday I was told of a juicy reason behind their split which Tess definitely won’t like. Watch this space...
At red carpet events, you’ll usually find celebs on their best behaviour. But at the BAFTA TV Awards on Sunday, basic manners had gone out the window, writes showbiz correspondent Dolly Busby.
On the red carpet, I spotted former Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, 37, queuing for pictures. Behind him in line was co-star Millie Mackintosh. Millie, 36, announced her divorce from Spencer’s friend Hugo Taylor in February.
Cue Spencer rudely greeting everyone but Millie, who was left to stare at her phone to cover up the awkward moment. There was no doubt in my mind he was making a point.
Meanwhile, Rivals co-stars and on-screen love interests Bella Maclean, 28, and Alex Hassell, 45, walked together with the actor’s wife, Emma King. It all felt rather three’s a crowd. At one moment, I witnessed Alex put his hand on his wife’s waist. But his younger co-star hadn’t seen and then grabbed his waist from behind... Cringe!
Sssshhhh!
Which actor has been enjoying a fling with his co-star? Their colleagues have now got wind and it’s only a matter of time until their romance goes public.
Poor Graham Norton. The BBC’s favourite presenter has already lost his prime time slot on The Neighbourhood, the new ITV series he is fronting. A TV insider told me: ‘It’s all pretty embarrassing for Graham. It was all announced with such huge fanfare, ITV bosses were parading him round like he was the King or something.’ How the mighty have fallen...
MOLLY CLAYTON: The truth about the Love Luxury founders, their glamorous Dubai life and their ‘spontaneous’ viral videos
This week I unmasked the truth behind Love Luxury, the high-end resale site which has turned its owners, Emily Abraham, 48, and Maali Abraham, 13, into millionaires.
To the outsider it all looks so organic, but for some time now I’ve wondered whether all is what it seems.
Then, out of the blue, a well-informed contact of mine send me a job advert for a script writer for Love Luxury. They are huge on social media with over seven million followers so it felt like the perfect moment to look more closely.
The mother-daughter duo are well known for their ridiculous ‘staged’ videos. I approached them for comment 24 hours before my piece went live - and they told me the job advert had been posted because Netflix were interested in filming something with them.
Was that true? The whole saga quickly became a topic of furious debate in the influencer world. So read my full story and decide for yourself...
For the record
This week back in 2000, Britney Spears was at the top of the UK chart with her hit, Oops!...I Did It Again. However, that wasn’t all she was in the headlines for. Her romance with fellow Mickey Mouse Club alumni Justin Timberlake had just been revealed, making them pop’s most powerful couple at the age of 18.
What’s your take? Email us at spotlight@dailymail.co.uk and you might be featured in a future newsletter.
The Tea answer: Two Miami policemen are taking legal action against Ben Affleck and Matt Damon over their portrayal in the film The Rip
See you next week!
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