Category Entertainment News

The Impossible Fortune, Robert Osman’s newest book for the Murder Club, is going to be filled with turns and twists.

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“I love, love, love doing nothing. Doing nothing is, quite absolutely, my state of grace,” says Richard Osman, 54, who, most days, is doing very far from nothing.

He acknowledges that multitasking is not his strong suit. He has just finished recording 110 episodes of Richard Osman’s House of Games, has been hosting The Rest Is Entertainment podcast with Marina Hyde, and has signed 5, 000 copies of his newest book, The Impossible Fortune.

“I do a good job of monotasking.” He wryly replies, “I’m good at focusing on one thing at a time, in extreme depth,” but even when he repeatedly tries to answer questions, he still has an incredible ability to respond quickly, succinctly, without hesitation.

Born in Billericay and growing up in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, for a long time Osman was best known as Alexander Armstrong’s sidekick on BBC One’s Pointless, or for delivering us 8 Out Of 10 Cats on Channel 4. Since 2020 though, he’s the bloke who introduced Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim into our lives. And now the Thursday Murder Club gang are back for a fifth outing.

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I’ve given them a year to recover and rest. Osman fondly refers to his characters as “four of his best friends,” noting that “they went through quite a lot.”

He adds that “for all of them, things have slightly changed.”

A distressed guest approaches the depressed detective Elizabeth and says, “Someone is trying to kill me.” The book opens with a wedding scene. “Can you assist me?”

What comes after a “huge amount of money” and “seemingly uncrackable code” intertwined with themes of friendship and loss.

Osman’s focus on the elderly, a group he describes as “incredibly wise but also invisible,” made them ideal detectives when it first appeared, what made the Thursday Murder Club stand out when it first came out. He is still fascinated by his older.

He says, “You are thinking a little bit more deeply about life and what it means, and what grief is and what the point of it all is” as he points out. He doesn’t worry about getting older, which is surprising given the difficulties of getting older.

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He chuckles, “I’m essentially an 80-year-old woman in everything other than my frame,” he says with a smile. No one wants to experience grief, nor do we want to become ill. But we are exactly at that location… However, I like the idea of being older and being less judgmental about what other people think of me.

A Hollywood adaptation of the Thursday Murder Club novels was inevitable given that there were already more than 10 million copies of the books being sold.

Securing British legends Celia Imrie, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren to portray the foursome in the Netflix film, helmed by Christopher Columbus, represents phenomenal casting, though Osman wasn’t concerned about having the stars influencing his mind whilst penning the next instalment.

No one, not even the mighty Helen Mirren, can knock Elizabeth out of my head, he retorts jovially, “because those characters are so ridiculously real, I know.” The consistently witty and compelling author, Osman, does have a slight resentment toward labels and imitators who frequently lead to success.

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The series’ titles include The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed, The Last Devil to Die, and The Impossible Fortune.

Some people may be off course due to such enormous success, but Osman, a father of two, has a work ethic unwavering. He advises, “Anytime someone has a hit is great, but it mustn’t deter you for longer than, say, five minutes.”

“Everything returns to sitting down and writing again, going back upstairs.” Without you writing the following book, nothing happens. I enjoy grafting. I enjoy getting paid, but I enjoy doing my day’s work.

His “really hard work,” he confesses with a chuckle, “really hard work” when his feline companions start hollering at him while hammered out upstairs at home, with the door firmly closed until they start yelling at him. He continues, “That’s a fairly simple job, I’m going to say.”

However, he claims that writing is “the thing I felt compelled to do.” That’s the thing I started with when I was 15 years old, and it’s what I’ll finish with as well.

The Impossible Fortune, a work by Richard Osman, is now available.

Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards was emotional at a gig following the release of her debut solo album whilst introducing a song said to be about her friendship with Jesy Nelson

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Singer-songwriter Perrie Edwards was emotional whilst introducing a song that’s said to be about the end of her friendship with Jesy Nelson at a gig recently. She spoke about struggling to navigate losing a friend at the concert.

Perrie, 32, has been promoting her self-titled debut solo album at signings and gigs since it was released last week. It’s included the Little Mix member having performed for fans at a concert that was held in Circuit in Kingston on Saturday night.

At the acoustic show, Perrie performed Same Place Different View, which features on her new album. She’s previously mentioned the track whilst discussing her estrangement from former bandmate Jesy, 34, who left Little Mix in 2020 after having been part of the group for almost a decade.

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Videos shared on social media show Perrie becoming emotional whilst introducing the song. She told the audience: “I wrote this next song because I feel like we talk about heartbreak a lot in music, in songs and life, and it’s always romantically.

“And we seem to forget like losing a friend or falling out with a friend or not having them in your life anymore, it’s f***ing hard! And it’s like how do I navigate a life where that person’s been there for years, they’ve seen me cry, they’ve seen my absolute demons, they’ve seen everything, and then poof they’re gone?”

She continued: “It’s like ‘okay’. So I think I really struggled to navigate it.” After appearing to get emotional, Perrie was met with support from the crowd but she said: “Okay, wait! Don’t make me cry because then my vocal chords are gonna go funny and then I’m not gonna sound good.” She then revealed that the song was Same Place Different View.

Perrie has previously spoken about her friendship with Jesy. They were put into Little Mix together on the X Factor in 2011 and it was later announced in 2020 that Jesy was leaving the group.

Jesy said in a statement released at the time: “The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard. There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin the process.”

More recently, on Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend, Perrie said that she was no longer in contact with Jesy. She went on to say on her episode of the BBC show, released in May: “I wrote a song about it. Every time I listen to it, I cry.”

Whilst on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Perrie said about experiencing a loss of friendship: “I wrote a song about it and it’s called Same Place Different View and it’s about a friendship that I had, that I no longer have anymore. I mentioned it in an interview, and so many people reached out to me.”

Perrie added: “It’s not really spoken about. When you hear a heartbreak song, it’s about a relationship or a significant other. […] But when it’s a friend, like you don’t really hear about it that much in music, so I was like ‘I’m gonna write something about it because it’s just as heartbreaking, if not worse’.”

She later added: “It’s really sad, but at the same time, these things sometimes happen and it does makes you think like ‘ahh, do we try and rectify the situation? Do we try this? Do I reach out? It doesn’t feel like I should. I feel like I should just stay away’. It’s a really horrible dynamic to be in.”

Jesy has also spoken about no longer being in contact with her former bandmates. As reported at the time, she said on The Graham Norton Show in 2021: “We’re not talking any more. It is sad but honestly there is no bad blood from my side, and I still love them to pieces and genuinely wish them all the best.”

She added: “I loved my time with them, and we’ve got the most incredible memories together but it’s just one of those things which needs to take time, so who knows. To me they are still the ‘sickest’ girl band in the world.”

More recently, Jesy told the Sun in 2023 that she had no “regrets” about having left Little Mix because it was “right” for her, before saying that she would “always cherish the memories” she made in the group. She then spoke about no longer speaking to her former bandmates.

She said: “No, we haven’t talked since then. Never say never, but I honestly wish them the best on their solo journeys now, which is so exciting.” Jesy said that she was “rooting” for them all, adding: “I honestly do wish them all the success as they are all crazy talented.”

Amanda Holden has appeared on some the country’s most loved TV shows down the years, but she has recently opened up about trying to find the balance between work and family time

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Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has lifted the lid on the latest goings-on in her life as she shared a confession about her home life.

In recent decades, Amanda has been an ever-present on our screens thanks to roles on Britain’s Got Talent and, more recently, on the radio waves co-hosting Heart Breakfast alongside Jamie Theakston.

However, away from the mics and cameras, Amanda has been raising her family of four alongside her husband, Chris Hughes.

During a recent chat with Closer magazine, she opened up on the realities of juggling a busy work life while raising her two daughters, Lexi and Hollie: “I have questioned why (I do it at all)”, she says, adding: “I’ve been knackered”!

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“Obviously, I’m a mother as well and, no word of a lie, I get calls from my daughter all the time asking about netball club and whether I can sign her up for whatever club is on at school. But I would always rather be busy”.

Amid her struggle to make enough time for her family, she said she was able to take some time out from her busy work schedule this summer to enjoy time abroad with them: “I take the summer off, so I just have that chunk with Chris and the girls, and I always look forward to that”.

However, it seemed somewhat short-lived, as she admitted that filming with Alan Carr got in the way: “Although, I was smashing a house down with Alan this summer, so was technically working”!

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Following her marriage with Les Dennis from 1995 until 2003, she first crossed paths with music producer Chris while in Los Angeles.

After meeting three years earlier, the pair started their family together in 2006 with the birth of Lexi, before tying the knot and having their second daughter in the six years that followed.

While Amanda opened up about her busy work life, one of her latest TV adventures has seen her team up with close friend and presenter Alan Carr for their BBC home renovation series.

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Travelling across some of the most idyllic landscapes in Italy and Spain, over the course of two series, the media personalities have attempted to turn around the fortunes of dilapidated properties in a bid to bring them back to their former glory.

Amanda Holden has appeared on some of the nation’s most beloved TV shows over the years, but she has recently spoken out about attempting to strike a balance between family and work.

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Amanda Holden, a judge for Britain’s Got Talent, revealed the most recent happenings in her life in a confession about her home life.

Amanda has been a constant presence on our screens over the past few decades thanks to her roles on Britain’s Got Talent and, more recently, on radio waves, co-hosting Heart Breakfast alongside Jamie Theakston.

Amanda has raised her family of four with her husband, Chris Hughes, aside from the microphones and cameras.

She discussed the difficulties of juggling her two daughters, Lexi and Hollie, in a recent conversation with Closer magazine: “I have questioned why (I do it at all)” and added, “I’ve been knackered”!

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“Of course, I’m a mother, and no one tells a lie, I get calls from my daughter asking about a netball club and whether I can sign her up for any other club at school.” However, I prefer to be busy.

She claimed she had some free time this summer from her busy work schedule to enjoy time with her family because she had to make time for them. “I take the summer off, so I just have that chunk with Chris and the girls, and I always look forward to that.”

She admitted that filming with Alan Carr got in the way: “Although, I was smashing a house down with Alan this summer, so was technically working.

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Following her marriage with Les Dennis from 1995 until 2003, she first crossed paths with music producer Chris while in Los Angeles.

The pair tied the knot in 2006 and had their second daughter in the six years that followed when they first met three years earlier and started a family in 2006.

While Amanda opened up about her busy work life, one of her latest TV adventures has seen her team up with close friend and presenter Alan Carr for their BBC home renovation series.

View 4 Images

Over the course of two series, the media personalities have attempted to turn around the fortunes of crumbling buildings in an effort to restore them to their former glory. They have traveled across some of Italy’s and Spain’s most idyllic landscapes.

The tartan waterproof jacket from Fearne Cotton is the ideal choice for the rainy autumn weather, and we’ve found locations where all sizes are still available.

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The autumn weather makes a waterproof jacket an essential, and whilst we love nothing more than an ultra-practical pick for things like dog walks, we’ve been on the lookout for something a little more stylish for every day. Thankfully Fearne Cotton has found the perfect option that she shared on Instagram, with fans asking: “Love your jacket. Where is it from?”

Barbour’s Elaine Showerproof Jacket, which you can purchase for $ 320, is Fearne’s exact jacket. However, because it’s almost always out of stock, we had to do some serious digging to locate a location where it’s still available.

Read more: Find Bella Hadid’s exact trench coat in the must-have high street store for autumn.

Shop Claudia Winkleman’s exact menswear-inspired tuxedo pants from Strictly For Men.

The jacket is completely out of stock on the Barbour website, whereas the sizes six and ten are still available at Anthropologie and Liberty. Fear not, because the Elaine Showerproof Jacket is still on sale at Net-a-Porter in all eight to 18-inch sizes, making it easy to purchase from there.

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The jacket itself has a waterproof waxed cotton finish that prevents rain while maintaining its boxy, oversized silhouette. It is ideal for the fall weather. Additionally, it has a detachable hood and flap pockets that are prepared for the drizzly weather, along with a contrast corduroy collar, one of Barbour’s signature details.

The green and navy colorway of the Elaine Showerproof Jacket is ideal for both the city and the countryside. It also has a slightly cropped length, which gives it a more chic, stylish twist than what it would normally be, and it has been designed with an slightly oversized fit, making it ideal for layering knitwear underneath in the colder months.

3 images to be seen

At Damson Madder, we also purchased the Liu Shower Resistant Raincoat, which is available for £135. It is available in six to twenty sizes, but it also has an oversized hood and drawstring fastenings around the waist for a more flattering hourglass silhouette.

For a more traditional waxed jacket style, Per Una’s Waxed Pure Cotton Utility Jacket is £130 at Marks & Spencer and comes in a dark olive colour with contrasting corduroy details. For something longer, the Penweathers Waterproof Trench Coat is £170 at Seasalt Cornwall and has a much longer length which comes past your knees, with a tartan print and removable hood.

However, Barbour’s Elaine Showerproof Jacket is currently on sale at Net-a-Porter in all sizes, but we advise getting it in quick because it probably won’t be long before it sells out there as well!

The tartan waterproof jacket from Fearne Cotton is the ideal choice for the rainy autumn weather, and we’ve found locations where all sizes are still available.

3 images to be seen

The autumn weather makes a waterproof jacket an essential, and whilst we love nothing more than an ultra-practical pick for things like dog walks, we’ve been on the lookout for something a little more stylish for every day. Thankfully Fearne Cotton has found the perfect option that she shared on Instagram, with fans asking: “Love your jacket. Where is it from?”

Barbour’s Elaine Showerproof Jacket, which you can purchase for $ 320, is Fearne’s exact jacket. However, because it’s almost always out of stock, we had to do some serious digging to locate a location where it’s still available.

Read more: Find Bella Hadid’s exact trench coat in the must-have high street store for autumn.

Shop Claudia Winkleman’s exact menswear-inspired tuxedo pants from Strictly For Men.

The jacket is completely out of stock on the Barbour website, whereas the sizes six and ten are still available at Anthropologie and Liberty. Fear not, because the Elaine Showerproof Jacket is still on sale at Net-a-Porter in all eight to 18-inch sizes, making it easy to purchase from there.

3 images to be seen

The jacket itself has a waterproof waxed cotton finish that prevents rain while maintaining its boxy, oversized silhouette. It is ideal for the fall weather. Additionally, it has a detachable hood and flap pockets that are prepared for the drizzly weather, along with a contrast corduroy collar, one of Barbour’s signature details.

The green and navy colorway of the Elaine Showerproof Jacket is ideal for both the city and the countryside. It also has a slightly cropped length, which gives it a more chic, stylish twist than what it would normally be, and it has been designed with an slightly oversized fit, making it ideal for layering knitwear underneath in the colder months.

3 images to be seen

At Damson Madder, we also purchased the Liu Shower Resistant Raincoat, which is available for £135. It is available in six to twenty sizes, but it also has an oversized hood and drawstring fastenings around the waist for a more flattering hourglass silhouette.

For a more traditional waxed jacket style, Per Una’s Waxed Pure Cotton Utility Jacket is £130 at Marks & Spencer and comes in a dark olive colour with contrasting corduroy details. For something longer, the Penweathers Waterproof Trench Coat is £170 at Seasalt Cornwall and has a much longer length which comes past your knees, with a tartan print and removable hood.

However, Barbour’s Elaine Showerproof Jacket is currently on sale at Net-a-Porter in all sizes, but we advise getting it in quick because it probably won’t be long before it sells out there as well!