Category Entertainment News

One of the last surviving children of the beloved film The Wizard of Oz, Elaine Merk Binder, passed away at the age of 94, according to reports.

Elaine Merk Binder, who was amongst the final surviving munchkins from the beloved film The Wizard of Oz, has passed away aged 94.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed by her daughter Annette Phillips to TMZ, though no cause of death was revealed.

In 1938, Binder was chosen as one of eight children in the Munchkin cast who would perform dance and vocal numbers. He was successful in his auditions for the film.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson opens up on ‘disaster’ at Diddly Squat Farm that ‘nobody saw coming’

READ MORE: Angelina Jolie says ‘I’ll be careful’ as she states America is living through ‘heavy times’

The classic film featured Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Frank Morgan as the Wizard of Oz.

Reflecting on her audition experience, Binder had previously recalled: “I tried out for the ‘Wizard of Oz’ Munchkins. For me it was scary. It was my first big call for girls from a major studio”, reports the Mirror US.

When Bud told the dancer, “She’s O. K.,” I didn’t have to perform like the others, I was relieved. And I was chosen out of the eight who would both dance and sing. We later discovered that because they believed the Little People to be athletic, they had added girls to them.

When she shot her scenes on the MGM studios in Culver City, California, she was only eight years old.

Binder was positioned in the second small house as the song “Come Out, Come Out” was playing in the sequence.

Binder appears as one of eight performers in a pavilion at the back while the ensemble switches to “Off to See the Wizard,” wearing a matching dark green frock and hat.

George, Annette, and six grandchildren are left behind by Binder.

Check back frequently to see what’s happening with this story HERE. By registering for our newsletters, you’ll receive email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox.

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name.

Follow The Mirror on Google News by CLICKING HERE and selecting the star.
• Follow The Mirror on Apple News by CLICKING HERE, which is available on Apple devices.
• Follow The Mirror on Flipboard by CLICKING HERE and following the link.

Follow us @DailyMirror for the most recent updates and sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news here @MirrorBreaking_.

One of the last surviving children of the beloved film The Wizard of Oz, Elaine Merk Binder, passed away at the age of 94, according to reports.

Elaine Merk Binder, who was amongst the final surviving munchkins from the beloved film The Wizard of Oz, has passed away aged 94.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed by her daughter Annette Phillips to TMZ, though no cause of death was revealed.

In 1938, Binder was chosen as one of eight children in the Munchkin cast who would perform dance and vocal numbers. He was successful in his auditions for the film.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson opens up on ‘disaster’ at Diddly Squat Farm that ‘nobody saw coming’

READ MORE: Angelina Jolie says ‘I’ll be careful’ as she states America is living through ‘heavy times’

The classic film featured Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Frank Morgan as the Wizard of Oz.

Reflecting on her audition experience, Binder had previously recalled: “I tried out for the ‘Wizard of Oz’ Munchkins. For me it was scary. It was my first big call for girls from a major studio”, reports the Mirror US.

When Bud told the dancer, “She’s O. K.,” I didn’t have to perform like the others, I was relieved. And I was chosen out of the eight who would both dance and sing. We later discovered that because they believed the Little People to be athletic, they had added girls to them.

When she shot her scenes on the MGM studios in Culver City, California, she was only eight years old.

Binder was positioned in the second small house as the song “Come Out, Come Out” was playing in the sequence.

Binder appears as one of eight performers in a pavilion at the back while the ensemble switches to “Off to See the Wizard,” wearing a matching dark green frock and hat.

George, Annette, and six grandchildren are left behind by Binder.

Check back frequently to see what’s happening with this story HERE. By registering for our newsletters, you’ll receive email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox.

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name.

Follow The Mirror on Google News by CLICKING HERE and selecting the star.
• Follow The Mirror on Apple News by CLICKING HERE, which is available on Apple devices.
• Follow The Mirror on Flipboard by CLICKING HERE and following the link.

Follow us @DailyMirror for the most recent updates and sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news here @MirrorBreaking_.

Before this year’s charity appeal show, Tom Fletcher, best known as a McFly member, announced that he has collaborated with BBC Children in Need and publisher Puffin.

A “special collaboration” has been announced this week. It comes ahead of this year’s Children in Need appeal show in less than two months, with a host of celebrities expected to be involved in the televised fundraising event.

It has now been revealed that Tom Fletcher, 40, is teaming up with BBC Children in Need and publisher Puffin for the occasion. The McFly singer has written a new picture book, Pudsey and the Thread of Hope, that features illustrations by Joris Bergmans and is due to be released in November.

Tom, who has recently written numerous books for children, is backing Tom’s challenge yourself initiative. According to him, he accepted the challenge of producing “something truly special” and working on a story that “embodies the charity’s spirit and its iconic mascot.”

READ MORE: Ed Sheeran and Denise Welch’s husband raise £20k for charity in memory of Jamal EdwardsREAD MORE: Lewis Capaldi’s moving gesture leaves fan in tears just hours before concert

His “magical and moving” new book is said to celebrate 40 years of Pudsey’s legacy as well as the charity’s “vital work supporting children and young people across the UK”. The BBC has shared that for every paperback sold in the UK and Ireland, £1 will be donated to Children in Need.

Jai, a young child who is grieving after his father’s passing, is followed by Pudsey and the Thread of Hope. Along with Pudsey, he is said to be on a “healing and hope” journey. They are introduced to other children who are connected by a “golden thread of kindness,” and they are soon taught the transformative power of friendship, courage, and love.

Tom said, “I was so enthralled to be asked to write this wonderful tale that depicts Pudsey and his wonderful qualities.” Without a resource to turn to, children and young people are facing impossible challenges across the UK.

The musician expressed hope that the project would raise money. He continued, “Everyone needs a thread of hope, and I hope that we can all raise money to support, connect, and care when it matters most,” with the help of this book.

According to Claire Hoyle, Chief Campaigns & Engagement Officer at BBC Children in Need, Pudsey has always been a child’s hope and resilience. The message of what we stand for is beautifully captured in Pudsey and the Thread of Hope: empowering children to feel heard, supported, and empowered. We’re delighted to see Pudsey’s story come to life in such a touching way.

Puffin’s publisher, Joe Marriott, stated, “Puffin is thrilled to be publishing this magical story from the imagination of cherished storyteller Tom Fletcher. We’re delighted to be sharing this heartwarming and upbeat tale while working with Tom to raise awareness of the wonderful and significant work that Children in Need do.

It isn’t the first time that Tom has collaborated with Children in Need. Last year, he designed the official t-shirt for the 2024 appeal with his wife Giovanna Fletcher, with the couple transforming the t-shirt into a “band-style tee”.

When Tom and Gi were asked to design the BBC Children In Need T-shirt for this year, they “jumped at the chance,” Tom said at the time. If we transformed the iconic Pudsey tee into a band-style tee honoring all the “best bits” of this amazing charity, it was so fun to reimagine what the iconic Pudsey tee might look like.

On November 6, Pudsey and the Thread of Hope will be available for pre-order. The appeals program for BBB Children in Need 2025 will then be broadcast on November 14.

A new Thursday Murder Club book is being published by former Pointless star and hit author Richard Osman, who hopes it will spread hope to readers.

According to Richard Osman, loneliness is a “epidemic,” but it never gets old to change your habits.

The TV host and author has created hugely successful characters in Thursday Murder Club books he writes, who are enjoying life in retirement village Cooper’s Chase.

The stories give hope of meeting new people, even in old age, as that is part of the storyline. Osman told Saga magazine : “Well, if there’s one message I want to get out there, it’s the idea of ‘change’.

It’s never too late to change, no matter how old you are. It doesn’t have to be one that solves grisly murders; it could be a change in your daily routine, a change in your way of life, or joining a club.

“I observed my mother go through ten or fifteen years of grief. Loss and loneliness’s pain and grief. I’m delighted that she is where she is because of this.

After raising him and his brother as single parents, his mother Brenda now lives in the retirement community in Sussex, which loosely inspires the books.

He continued, “Loneliness is an epidemic, and it can happen at any time,” adding that. It can be due to a divorce, a partner’s dementia, or the grief of death.

When my dad left us, I was only eight or nine years old, and I was far too young to comprehend what my mother was going through. largely unaware of the difficulty she had maintaining a job, taking care of her two sons, and finding a new way of living.

“We are social animals and yet we seem to have set up a world where it’s far too easy for loneliness to take hold. It’s this current generation that really worries me. Digital communications and social media have taken the place of real people and real conversations, and we’ve ended up with even more loneliness than ever before.”

Recently his first book has been turned into a Netflix film and he has the fifth ‘Murder club’ book being released this week, The Impossible Fortune.

However, he wants to keep the main characters Joyce Meadowcroft, Ibrahim Arif, Ron Ritchie, and Elizabeth West around for some time despite having more adventures as adults.

Osman, 54, said: “I love going to The Thursday Murder Club, but I have no desire to kill them.” As long as the readers are content to suspend their disbelief, I am just as interested in them.

Don’t get me wrong, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Joyce, and Ron will continue to put themselves through regrettable circumstances. They will experience severe harm. But I’ll make sure to keep them going as long as possible. That’s a promise.

* The full interview with Richard is in October’s Saga Magazine out now.

When she spoke about the right to free speech in the US at a press conference held at the San Sebastian Film Festival, Angelina Jolie said she loves her country but does not “recognise it.”

Angelina Jolie, a Hollywood star, expressed her concern over how her country is currently treating her country, saying that she “loves it” but does not “recognise it because she believes that the country is in “very heavy times.”

Speaking at a press conference during the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sunday, the Los Angeles-born actress, 50, discussed the importance of freedom of expression in the US.

Her comments come in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the subsequent backlash and allegations of government censorship following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show due to his remarks about reactions to Kirk’s death.

READ MORE: Mum slams school for ‘ridiculous’ response to 14-year-old daughter’s piercings

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson opens up on ‘disaster’ at Diddly Squat Farm that ‘nobody saw coming’

Jolie said, “I love my country, but I don’t recognize my country at this time.”

She added: “I’ve always lived internationally. My family’s international, my friends, my life, my world view is equal, united, international. So anything anywhere that divides or, of course, limits personal expressions and freedoms, and from anyone, I think is very dangerous.

We must be careful not to say things insincere because these are such serious times, in my opinion. I’ll be careful when I speak at a press conference, but I must admit that these are very, very heavy times, just like everyone else watching. We are all a part of a cohesive society.

Conservative activist Mr Kirk was a close associate of US President Donald Trump, who has pointed the finger at the “radical left” for his death and threatened to target liberal organisations and donors or others whom he feels are defaming or celebrating the killing, and TV networks who only give him negative coverage.

ABC’s decision to yank Jimmy Kimmel Live! was a wry response. Hollywood stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and Ben Stiller have voiced their opposition in a backlash on the air.

Jolie spoke at the conference on Sunday to talk about her most recent film, Couture, about three women who meet in Paris to shoot a video for a fashion show and are diagnosed with a serious illness.

Bride Sarah spoke about the loss of her late mother as she walked down the aisle on E4 and was married at First Sight UK again tonight.

One of the brides on the new series of Married at First Sight UK was seen emotional just minutes into the launch episode whilst discussing her life. Sarah spoke about losing her late mother Julie ahead of walking down the aisle.

Sarah, 31, from Aberdeen, was introduced on the E4 show tonight in the first episode of the latest series. She brought up the loss at her joint hen do with some of her co-stars ahead of her match in the experiment being unveiled.

Her father, who the recruitment consultant described as her “rock,” would walk her down the aisle, according to the consultant. Then, Sarah said, “I lost my mother when I was 22,” referring to Julie and her mother. She passed away. She won’t be there, therefore.

READ MORE: MAFs behind-the-scenes truths – Wedding planning details and how contestants are matchedREAD MORE: Married At First Sight UK hit with major scheduling shake-up for tenth series

My mother was my hero, but I later learned that she had a problem with alcohol in a confessional on the program. I would arrive home from school and discover her drowsy on the couch, forcing me to assume a caretaker position essentially at a very young age.

As they contemplated the past, Sarah was spotted peering through a photo album with her father. In a confessional that was broadcast amid the hen party scenes, she was later seen crying as she explained the death of her mother.

She explained to viewers in the scene that was broadcast earlier this evening that, “By the time I was 22, she had been admitted to the hospital for the final time.” Bride Sarah then added, “She passed away three days later,” in a visibly emotional manner.

Sarah claimed she took “comfort” from her mother’s “at peace” as she wiped tears from her eyes. She said, “We went back to see her, and she was so at peace, and I miss her a lot. “

Sarah said at the party with her co-stars, “I kind of haven’t had my mother for most of my adult life.” She stated that having her there is “quite hard” for her especially in the midst of life’s events.

Sarah later made the suggestion that she didn’t want to feel “upset” at the party, saying, “One of those things that never really feels like the same but you just get on with it.” The group was then informed that she and her mother will be “so proud” of her.

She would be buzzing and I know she’ll be watching this with the tagline “go on Saz!”, according to the bride. She’ll be so proud of me because you’ve got this girl, she says. The group then lowered a glass at the scene to honor Julie, the deceased’s mother.

Alcoholchange offers support and guidance if you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction. org. uk.

Tomorrow night on E4 at 9 p.m., the new MAFS UK series will continue. On demand, you can watch the first episode.