Category Entertainment News

Conan O’Brien, a late-night talk show host for the 97th Academy Awards, will be hosting the Oscars for the first time just days after a personal tragedy, which will take place on Sunday in Los Angeles.

The comedian, 61, sadly lost both of his parents in December of last year for three days. His father, Dr Thomas O’Brien, died on December 9 at the age of 95, while his 92 year old mother, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, passed away three days later at her home in Massachusetts. Her obituary read: “O’Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O’Brien, M. D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024”.

In a heartfelt Boston Globe interview the same day, Conan defended his father, saying, “Science has said there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong.

He recalled his father’s laughter as the loudest he’d ever heard, especially after seeing Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther film, and said, “For the rest of my time on earth, I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad.” I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I’d think: ‘ Who the hell is this guy? He’s the most interesting person I’ve ever met'”.

Conan previously made up a hilarious story about his mother not recognising Jim Carrey at a Christmas party. Conan stated on Ryan Tubridy’s Virgin Radio show in 2024, “Years and years ago, I had a Christmas party at my house. You know, Jim Carrey was coming off of his fourth major hit movie at the height of his mania. “Everywhere Jim Carrey went, there was a riot,” he said.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother having a long chat with Jim Carrey, and I got nervous. When the party was over, I said: ‘ Mom, what were you talking to that man about? ‘ And she said: ‘ Oh… he told me that he’s a comedian, and I told him: ‘ Well my son’s had his difficulties but he just keeps at it, and eventually made it. So if you just keep at it Jim, you’re gonna make it too’. And I said to her, “Mom, I want you to go home to Boston and tell everyone you told Jim Carrey to keep at it”!

Conan’s parents married in 1958, and dad Thomas trained at Harvard Medical School, becoming the institution’s first director of the infectious diseases division. Before he retired in 2019, at the age of 90, he worked as a doctor and professor for more than 60 years.

Ruth Conan’s mother, one of only four women, was a member of Conan’s mother’s Yale Law School legal team, joining the Boston firm where she previously worked as a partner. The couple had six children including Conan, along with Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke.

Conan took over as Late Night’s host in 1993 after beginning his writing career for programs like Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. Jimmy Kimmel will take over the Emmy Awards and MTV Movie Awards as host of the Oscars on Sunday, replacing him with Jimmy Kimmel, who did so in 2024.

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Ninja has reduced the price of its “compact” air fryer if you haven’t yet jumped on the air fryer bandwagon or need to replace your current kitchen appliance. The good news doesn’t end there, though, as the retailer claims the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK will also save you ‘ up to 55% on your energy bill’.

Some customers have already purchased the air fryer, which has proven to be effective in lowering their electricity bills and lowering fuel costs. The Ninja air fryer is currently available for $78.

With little to no oil, air fryers can cook a wide range of foods quickly and simply. They cook ‘ up to 50% faster than ovens ‘ and produce ‘ up to 75% less fat ‘ than traditional frying methods, making them a healthier alternative.

READ MORE: Ninja’s Foodi Air Fryer praised as it ‘ speeds up cooking ‘ and ‘ has no negatives ‘

READ MORE: Customers are purchasing two kettles with the “fast boil” feature because they are “gorgeous looking.”

The Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK has a 3.8L basket and offers four cooking functions, air fry, roast, dehydrate and reheat. To date, over 1,300 customers have reviewed the product, with a remarkable average of 4.8 out of 5.

One satisfied customer declared, “My first air fryer so far, and I’m pleased with it. Ideal for a small kitchen with limited space because it is compact and doesn’t take up too much room on the worktop. Two people can fit in comfortably. Relatively quiet when in action”.

A second commented: “This is the very first air fryer I have ever used. Because I’m in my 70s, I adore it, and anyone can use it with ease. My son gave it to me as a Christmas present, and I really like how it works. He was more interested in assisting me in lowering my fuel costs, which is both excellent and the food tastes fantastic using my air fryer.

Sadly one Ninja shopper was left unimpressed, as they explained: “No where near as good as the Tefal air fryer, as it doesn’t rotate the food. No matter how much your shake chips/roast potatoes, it doesn’t cook them evenly”.

Someone else, however, was delighted with their purchase, as their five-star review reads: “This is my first air fryer… It’s smaller than I thought but plenty of room for my needs. I started cooking sausages wrapped in foil, salmon fillets wrapped in foil, and jacket potatoes wrapped in foil for only ten minutes before letting the food cook.

I like that the food comes in without having to bake for 15 minutes. This month’s electricity bill will be lower than I’m anticipating. As time goes on, I’ll start cooking more. It’s exciting. “

While the sale is ongoing, you can purchase the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK right here for £78. Tefal’s Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer is currently discounted by £60 if you’re looking for a bigger air fryer. The 8.3L capacity gadget has two baskets and is now £129.99, down from £189.99.

The Russell Hobbs Compact Rapid Digital Air Fryer is currently available for 20% off on Amazon for those looking for a more affordable option. It has a 3.5L capacity drawer and is now £39.99 (RRP £49.99).

Fans of the Gloucester Festival are hoping to find a band who can “nailed on” at Worthy Farm.

Fans have been rumor-tagging each other online about who might make the lineup despite only being confirmed for Neil Young, Rod Stewart, Nile Rodgers, and Chic.

After some people convinced themselves that the band would headline the festival in the next two years, a legendary Sheffield band might be playing this year.

Users on the Reddit thread for the GlastonburyFestival were surprised to learn that Pulp hasn’t performed at the festival since their 2011 reunion, which has raised hopes for a headline slot this time.

One Redditor wrote: “Pulp in the mix? A lot of UK dates in the run-up to Glastonbury, including a big one in Sheffield on the 25th? Over the weekend, I’d like to see them. Make it happen, I say”.

Fans were unwavering in their support for Pulp, the band’s creators of songs like Common People and Do You Remember the First Time. One wrote: “I’d bloody love a bit of Pulp me”.

Another, slightly less certain but still holding out hope, commented: “If it was any other band, I’d think they’re 100% on the lineup, but I thought they’d be nailed on for the last two years as well! Hopefully, they’ll return someday.

Jarvis Cocker and his other band, Jarv Is, last performed on the festival stage in 2022. For their “Evermore” tour that ran through 2023 and 2024, band members Adam Betts, Andrew McKinney, and Emma Smith were present.

Some fans are hoping that the “more” announcement Pulp posted next to their 2018 tour dates makes an appearance at Glastonbury concerts, while others think it might serve as a teaser for a new album. Late last year, the band and Rough Trade Records made several new songs for the North American leg of their tour.

One fan speculated: “Reckon the ‘ More ‘ is an album – but you’d have to believe they’ve been talked to about Glastonbury. None on next year, do it Jarvis”! Another chimed in: “Pulp SO SO GOOD live. A secret gig at Park Stage was the last time I saw them.

One of Pulp’s first reunion performances in 2011 was reportedly a secret gig that one performer admits they sadly slept through.

They shared: “I missed this by minutes. One of my biggest ever Glasto regrets. It was my first one, in fairness, but I’d been awake from 6am Tuesday to 3pm Thursday (bad move! For the next few days, my body and brain were covered in the gaff. had set a alarm before playing Pulp until midnight.

Some people think Pulp are “nailed on” playing the festival, despite having previously performed on the Pyramid Stage twice, once in 1995 as a last-minute replacement for The Stone Roses and once more in 1998.

One wrote: “Yeah I think they are nailed on to be honest. It’s obvious Glasto-goers want to see them, it just didn’t stack the last two years due to other commitments. They will want to be there this year, according to me as the fallow year approaches.

Ellie Warner, the voice behind Gogglebox, has revealed a significant new piece of ink in a remote area.

The reality TV star, 34, shared a couple of snaps of the tattoo on Instagram on Tuesday, revealing that the piece was a work in progress. Ellie recorded a brief clip of herself in front of the mirror in a Leeds tattoo parlor in her first post on her Stories. One of her legs was completely bare, revealing several smaller tats along with the new addition.

Ellie’s new tattoo covered almost her entire thigh, placed next to a piece of two cats. She followed up with a close-up image, showing the partly-done tattoo, with only some of the outlines completed in black. A swan’s head was depicted in her chosen piece of art, which featured an old piece of an eye in the middle of it, along with a flower in its place.

In her subsequent post, the Channel 4 star explained what the eye was doing to reveal that it was soon gone. She jokingly wrote, “Trust the process guys, it’s a cover up,” along with a photo of the finished product that she had digitally modelled on her leg. “I just can’t handle more than this for one sitting”, she added.

As a self-employed small business owner, Ellie tagged her tattoo artist in her first post to support the company. The star owns her own hair salon, Ellie Warner Hair at Tint 70 Leeds. Last year, however, she revealed that she’d suffered a break in at the salon and begged fans for help finding the culprit.

She shared a photo of the burglar in action from the salon in July and that she had been involved in a burglary. “Anybody recognise this man”? she asked on Instagram. “He broke into our salon in Leeds city centre at 4am on Tuesday morning”, she wrote, according to Hello.

“He spent 40 minutes]entering] the salon and stole the most random things. He removed some people’s kit bags, some of which are “of the sentimental value,” and some of which are not very expensive to replace individually.

Ellie added that his choice of stolen items was unusual, and concluded: “The damage he has caused to the building is more than the value of the items he’s taken, it was the most bizarre burglary! The salon is tint on north street in Leeds city centre, any information would be greatly appreciated”.

Alongside being a business owner, Ellie is a proud mum to son Ezra, whom she shares with her boyfriend Nat Eddleston. In 2015, she and her sister Izzi Warner joined the cast, and Ellie revealed his arrival in a Gogglebox episode in 2023.

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Martin Lewis is the go-to expert for all matters of personal finance and money-savings, and his reassurance has been a godsend to countless families trying to navigate the ongoing cost-of-living crisis for many Brits.

Following a five-minute comparison online, the 52-year-old money whizz helped one grateful household save £454 on their annual energy bill just this week during an energy special of his Martin Lewis Money Show Live on ITV.

Money Saving Expert Martin, whose OBE was upgraded to a CBE in 2022, has undoubtedly assisted thousands of people with his specialized charity work and financial expertise, which have previously enabled him to raise an astonishing £4 million for the Coronavirus Poverty Emergency Fund.

Behind the scenes, Manchester-born Martin knows the ups and downs of life all too well. He’s now happily married to television presenter Lara Lewington, 45, with whom he shares his ‘ mini MSE ‘ daughter, Sapphire Susan Lewis, born in 2012.

However, his family life was once far from idyllic, with a terrible tragedy casting a dark shadow over his teenage years. Despite everything, Martin, a determined man, has succeeded in living a life of success and a successful career…

Before pursuing a postgraduate degree in broadcast journalism at Cardiff University, Martin studied law and government at the London School of Economics as a teenager.

His first media role was producing for the BBC’s business unit, but he introduced himself as a Money Saving Expert on the digital start-up channel Simply Money. He was hired as a Money Saving Expert on Open House with Gloria Hunniford in 2001 after the channel went bust, and it is said that he started e-mailing friends with the title Martin’s Money Tips.

According to BBC Radio 4’s Profiles segment, his friends started passing it on to their friends, and as demand grew, he decided to set up his own platform. In 2003, he launched his hugely successful website, MoneySavingExpert.com, for just £100 with only himself as staff. In 2012 he sold it to the Money Supermarket Group for £87million, £10million of which he set aside for charity.

He remained as editor-in-chief and later as executive chair, and according to The Sunday Times rich list 2021, he now has a net worth of a staggering £123million. Given the terrible tragedy that occurred to Martin and his family when he was just 11 years old, his accomplishments are astounding.

He recounted the world-changing event on Radio 4: “Three days before my 12th birthday, I went to Sunday school – or Jewish Sunday school as it was. I was told that my sister and I had been horse-riding and that there had been an accident involving a lorry, and I was picked up by a strange person. My father informed me that she had passed away the following day, which marked the end of my childhood. Up until I was 15 years old, I cried every day.

Martin spent the majority of his adolescence in isolation, and his best friend Kerry Perkins, who he met at university, predicted that he would never be the same again. She said, “But I think he would be the first to acknowledge that it was the making of him in many ways because he has that desire to prove to himself that he could do everything for her.” Even though she is no longer physically present in his life, “I know she’s always with him.”

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When Will Smith and a Spanish pop star performed live, Smith’s behavior shocked the audience.

The Men in Black actor, 56, joined India Martinez, 39, during a very flashy show at the Premio Lo Nuestro award show in Miami on February 20. First Love, the duo’s new song, appeared to them to enjoy getting into character for it. India showed off her figure in a sheer black catsuit covered in black rhinestones, and paired with knee-high boots. Will, meanwhile, kept things more simple in a dark suit and white shirt.

The flamenco singer teasingly strutted right up to Will as he rapped before quickly moving away as Will turned his head and followed her during their performance. Later, the duo got close enough that they appeared to be kissing. On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans were quick to voice their fury with Will – who’s still married to Jada Pinkett Smith, 53.

One person remarked, “Lost all respect for this guy when he slapped Chris Rock; this just adds to that disgust,” while another inquired, “Is there a bigger piece of s**t on planet Earth than Will Smith”?

Does anyone else find this to be spooky old man? Gross”, a third fan asked, with another echoing: “Gross. If you’re with someone, there must be boundaries, and he must also be considerate of his children, who will likely see and/or read about this inappropriate behavior.

Some fans, however, defended the I Am Legend actor, with one saying: “Since when fans get mad over staged kisses from actors? Did I miss something”? Another asked of his marriage: “I thought they had an open relationship”?

Fans have been fascinated by Will and Jada’s relationship ever since it was revealed in 2020 that she had an “entanglement” with her son, Jaden Smith, at the age of 23, and she was 46, but it turned out that she and Will were at the time were on the rocks.

Speaking about their relationship in 2023, Jada said: “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We are just going to figure out what that will look like for us because we have a deep love for one another.

During an appearance on the Today Show, Jada said: “I think by the time we got to 2016 we were just exhausted with trying. I believe both of us were essentially trapped in our fantasy of the other person’s role. She previously stated that although their separation was similar to a divorce, neither party was legally married and would continue to live together.

Will has previously said that he and Jada had given one another “trust and freedom” after they both became “miserable” during their marriage. “Call it what you want. They are living their own lives”, a source told People. They also mysteriously added: “But]they] haven’t completely severed ties”. Will and Jada “are still together,” according to another insider, but “have had separate homes for years.”

Fans have taken a dislike for married Will since he slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022, along with slamming his flirtatious behavior. Will, whether separated or not, took to the stage to slap Chris in the face after Chris joked about Jada.

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