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bitchy | Mail: Duchess Meghan didn’t wear a poppy because they’re not widely available!
Celebrity News

bitchy | Mail: Duchess Meghan didn’t wear a poppy because they’re not widely available!

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Over the weekend, the photos of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party went viral in a big way. You could see, in real time, as the deranged community tested out talking points. Harry and Meghan were “bad” no matter what, obviously, but why were they bad in this particular instance? Something about “how dare they go to a party on the night before Remembrance Sunday.” An abundance of angst about the Sussexes hobnobbing with Kardashians, A-listers and billionaires. A general unhappiness that Harry and Meghan were outside, when they should have their schedules overseen by the palace! Finally, there seemed to be a consensus talking point: Meghan is wrong – “bad” even – for NOT wearing a poppy for Remembrance. There was a sudden uptick on “the missing poppy” on social media and the British tabloids. First off, poppy-wearing isn’t really a thing here in America. And as many have pointed out, when Meghan wore a poppy in a November video last year, she was criticized for that too. It’s almost as if they’re just mad that Meghan exists, and the reasons why are just fill-in-the-blank. In any case, the Daily Mail had a hilarious exclusive about why Meghan didn’t wear a poppy.

Meghan Markle did not wear a poppy to Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party because they are not widely available in America, sources close to the Duchess have told the Daily Mail.

Meghan attended the glitzy James Bond-themed party at Jeff Bezos’s $165million mansion on Remembrance weekend with the commemorative symbol noticeably missing from her glamorous outfit.

Harry, meanwhile, had one pinned to his tuxedo, which he obtained after donating to the appeal during his recent visit to Canada, where he met with some of the country’s oldest veterans.

Sources have told the Daily Mail Meghan was unable to visibly honour the war dead as poppies are not widely available in the States, unlike in Commonwealth countries.

The mother-of-two, 44, has previously been pictured wearing a poppy during Remembrance alongside her veteran husband Harry, who served two Army tours in Afghanistan. Last year, the Sussexes both wore poppies fastened to their lapels as they published a joint video about online violence against children. While in 2023 the Duchess wore a poppy brooch as she and Harry visited United States Navy SEALs in San Diego.

People across the globe can purchase a poppy from the Royal British Legion’s website, but would have to pay £28 for postage to get it sent to Montecito.

[From The Daily Mail]

While it’s true that most American stores don’t have poppies on demand, it’s easy enough to just order one or a dozen online. Amazon literally had hundreds of options, and poppy pins are also for sale on eBay and Etsy. Apparently the American Legion sells them too. My point? Availability wasn’t the issue. Meghan just chose not to wear a poppy, probably because she understands at this point that she’s damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. Imagine the headlines if she had worn a poppy to Kris Jenner’s birthday party – they would be raging about “how dare she wear a poppy to such a superficial event!” Anyway, at least I get to repost the party photos again! They looked great!

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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Pusha T & No Malice Address Critics Who Claim They're Using Kanye & Travis Scott Feuds to Promote Clipse's Comeback
Celebrity News

Pusha T & No Malice Address Critics Who Claim They’re Using Kanye & Travis Scott Feuds to Promote Clipse’s Comeback

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Pusha T & No Malice Address Critics Who Claim They’re Using Kanye & Travis Scott Feuds to Promote Clipse’s Comeback

Pusha T and No Malice are responding to backlash over their recent interviews — including those where Pusha made pointed remarks about Kanye West and Travis Scott — and accusations that the brothers are using controversy to promote their reunion album Let God Sort ’Em Out. When asked, during a GQ interview, if their comments about former collaborators were part of a marketing tactic, No Malice pushed back. “Yeah, but look who’s saying that,” he replied. “Because on the other end of that spectrum, there are people who really see clearly that Pusha don’t lean on that kind of stuff. And look how long he sat on what has been going on. But that’s what they do on the other side. So they think that we play that over here, but nah, we don’t. And we don’t snitch and we don’t tell. Standing on it. Say what I had to say, and that’s it.” Pusha T doubled down, saying he refuses to sugarcoat the truth or “tiptoe around” real issues. “You can’t let the journalism be a main focus of the rollout and you tiptoe around sht,” he said. “I wasn’t going to come in and give you scenarios, and be tiptoeing around the stories. I’ll take the criticism, it’s fine. But never call me a liar. Because I never lie. I never lie. Lemme tell you something: I think lying’s for btches. If you lie about sh*t, that’s because you’re scared of something, and I’m not scared of anything or anybody. So what I say is what I say.”

The Clipse duo made it clear that, despite speculation, their focus remains on authenticity — not controversy. “We’re standing on what we say,” No Malice emphasized, dismissing the idea that honesty about the past equates to provocation.


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Air Traffic Controllers Begin Resigning Amid Government Shutdown: "They're Stretched So Thin for So Long"
Celebrity News

Air Traffic Controllers Begin Resigning Amid Government Shutdown: “They’re Stretched So Thin for So Long”

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Air Traffic Controllers Begin Resigning Amid Government Shutdown: “They’re Stretched So Thin for So Long”

The head of the air traffic controllers’ union says the ongoing government shutdown is driving some controllers to quit as stress and financial strain mount.

“We’re seeing air traffic controllers resign,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, in an interview with CNN. “We are 400 fewer controllers today than during the 2019 shutdown… they’ve been stretched so thin for so long that they’re actually resigning from the profession.”

The shutdown — now in its 37th day — has left federal employees unpaid. Democrats are demanding a deal that maintains Affordable Care Act subsidies, while President Donald Trump and Republicans have refused, leading to stalled negotiations.

The FAA confirmed an increase in sick calls and has slowed air traffic at 40 airports to manage staffing shortages. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the growing fatigue: “They’re working six days a week, 10 hours a day… you’re going to get burned out.”

Daniels said the financial impact is especially hard on new hires. “They’re calling their employer saying, ‘I have no gas today. I cannot pay for my child care,’” he said. “They’re already maxing out credit cards and taking out loans.”


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Kristen Bell’s 2-in-1 Boots Are So Versatile for Winter—and They’re On Sale
Fashion

Kristen Bell’s 2-in-1 Boots Are So Versatile for Winter—and They’re On Sale

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Tall or short, knitted boots like Bell’s are only one of several fall boot trends that Glamour is currently obsessed with. Western-inspired styles, such as the cowboy boots favored by Bella Hadid for all of 2024, continue to be a thing. In particular, we’re seeing a ton of Frye boots, which we like to style with everything from preppy skirts to barrel jeans. We’re also seeing the return of the moto-boot trend, which always adds a touch of edge to an outfit (10 points to you if you kept your Chloe Susanna boots from way back in the 2010s). Oh, and also slouchy boots, and riding boots, and Ugg boots. Basically every boot that was popular in the ’00s and ’10s is popular again now.

But don’t get carried away, now, and start thinking you need every style of boot in your closet. Maybe you actually only need one pair of boots at all. After all, look at Kristen Bell.

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The Free Press
TV & Streaming

CBS News’ Bari Weiss Shocks ’60 Minutes’ Staff With Question About Why Country Thinks They’re ‘Biased’

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Just days after taking over as editor-in-chief of CBS News, Bari Weiss has reportedly already rocked the boat with some of her staffers. The New York Times published a report on Sunday, October 19, about alleged tension between Weiss and the staff of 60 Minutes following a meeting on Tuesday, October 14.

Weiss reportedly asked the staff, “Why does the country think you’re biased?”

“The inquiry was met with stunned awkwardness, according to three people who recounted details from the private session in Midtown Manhattan,” Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin wrote in the New York Times piece. “The staff of 60 Minutes, the nation’s most-watched news program, view their coverage as firmly nonpartisan and reject criticism from President [Donald] Trump and his allies who argue that it has a liberal slant.”

President Trump sued CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, in 2024, claiming 60 Minutes deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris in her favor. Trump and Paramount Global reached a $16 million settlement earlier this year, which has brought the media company under much scrutiny.

Weiss just became the editor-in-chief of CBS News on October 6, but has wasted no time making waves. According to the NYT report, there has been a mixed reaction among CBS News staff to their new leader.

“Some staff members are hopeful that Ms. Weiss will bring some needed energy and ideas to a news division that has struggled to adapt to the digital age,” Grynbaum and Mullin added. “Her interest in big interviews and bigger audiences has buoyed some CBS journalists, who think their network, which has cycled through five presidents in five years, needs a shake-up.”

The journalists also reported that Weiss is “impressing” some top executives at CBS, while “confounding” others. Plus, they noted, she has already been personally involved in some interview bookings with subjects who are right-leaning.

“Ms. Weiss, an ardent supporter of Israel … helped book an interview with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister,” the report said. “She later worked with 60 Minutes producers to land Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the architects of President Trump’s Middle East peace plan, for this Sunday’s episode.”

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bitchy | Royalist: King Charles’s health is in significant decline & they’re covering it up
Celebrity News

bitchy | Royalist: King Charles’s health is in significant decline & they’re covering it up

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Last night in London, King Charles and Prince William stepped out for a rare joint appearance at a pre-COP30 event at the Natural History Museum. I covered it separately, analyzing the messaging being sent and talking about William’s plans to travel to Brazil next month. I mentioned that Charles looked like hell at the event. He seemed perky enough at Windsor Castle last month, when he hosted the Trumps for their state visit. But Charles had a very busy summer overall, and you can tell just by looking at him that he’s not well-rested or in the best of health. Well, in his Royalist Substack, Tom Sykes wrote about Charles’s appearance, weight loss and the palace “coverup” over the king’s health. Some highlights:

Sykes’ horror at Charles’s appearance: I was horrified by photographs that have emerged in the last few hours of the King at a joint engagement with his son, the Prince of Wales, in London for the COP30 climate summit….It’s impossible to look at these images without seeing how much King Charles’s health has declined. The man’s suit is falling off him. The Palace line tonight is that he would have gone to Brazil “if his schedule allowed.” But the truth, as these astonishing new images attest, is that his illness is taking a heavier toll than the institution will admit.

The Orwellian propaganda over the king’s health: Charles has shown extraordinary courage. He has been an example to millions living with cancer, proving that one can keep working, engaging, and enjoying life. In many ways, nothing has animated him more than doing his job of being King. But the attempt to play down the severity of his condition is becoming totally unsustainable. As I have noted before, the BBC and the mainstream British media have been compliant to the Palace’s Orwellian Ministry of Truth-style counter-factual agenda. It’s not just cowardice; they are bound by privacy laws that emerged from the Leveson Inquiry. Under those rules, the media cannot publish details of someone’s health without consent. A senior editor once explained to me that even if they knew the King had bladder cancer—he does not—they could not report it.

Charles tires easily: The intelligence I am getting from sources close to the King is that he remains intellectually sharp and full of enthusiasm, but tires quickly. He is said to sleep far more than he used to. Friends describe him as still “brilliant,” but “exhausted.” The family, especially Camilla, is deeply worried. She herself, I’m told, has had health problems that have made this year especially difficult.

They pump him full of steroids: Still, there has been no question of giving up. The foreign tours to Samoa and Australia went ahead; the grueling domestic day trips, the state dinners, the late-night outings to the ballet and theater appearances, the investitures—he’s done them all. It has been extraordinary (although some have told me that steroids have played a part). But the new images puncture the illusion of inexhaustibility.

Demise-planning: The Palace, meanwhile, is quietly engaged in what it calls “demise planning.” The funeral arrangements have been, as one would expect, refreshed. Those of us whose reading extends beyond the work of the royal rota know, for example, that Harry and Meghan will not be excluded; in fact, they will be invited to play a “prominent” role when the day comes.

Why it’s important to talk about Charles’s health: This all underscores a point I’ve made before: Discussing the death of a king is a legitimate matter of public interest. The hereditary principle demands it; and now that Charles has told us he has cancer, and his aides have admitted it is incurable, it is frankly an insult to intelligence to try and suppress reporting of it. Charles himself—his condition, his mortality—is the key to understanding everything that is happening in the royal family right now: Harry’s urgency to reconcile, William’s resistance to that reconciliation, the tension between the brothers over how their father’s legacy will be managed.

The other royals are thinking about Scooter King’s reign as well: Camilla—tolerated by William for stability, but never loved—faces the classic dowager questions: what house, what purse, what power? That, in turn, helps explain the pressure on Prince Andrew to vacate Royal Lodge. I’m told Andrew aims to “run out the clock,” calculating that evicting a stubborn prince from a crumbling palace will drop down William’s list of priorities when the reign changes.

[From The Royalist Substack]

I actually appreciate that Sykes slipped in those two nuggets of gossip about Camilla. Camilla has been especially quiet for months, and whenever we see her, she also looks like she’s in terrible health. Camilla is likely dealing with her own health issues, but she expects to survive her husband and so she’s also preparing for the Mad Scooter King’s reign and how he’ll deal with her. I imagine Charles has also made some financial preparations for Camilla too, don’t you think? The Dowager Queen Consort is going to shuffle off to Ray Mill and that will be that. I also agree with Sykes that everything being done by Harry, William, Camilla, and the rest of the family should be seen through the prism of Charles’s worsening condition.

Sykes also went off on the same old tangent about Harry wanting to make a “deal” with Charles before it’s too late (I didn’t include it in these excerpts because it’s stupid). It never occurs to these royalists that Harry simply wants to reconcile with his father because despite everything, Harry just loves his dad and wants to spend time with Charles before the end. Harry is the only one putting a time frame on it too – he seemed to indicate to the Guardian that he believes Charles really only has a year left.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

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Spitting Image team say they're "baffled" by Paddington Bear lawsuit
TV & Streaming

Spitting Image team say they’re ‘baffled’ by Paddington lawsuit – and insist their parody is going nowhere

by jummy84
written by jummy84

The satirical puppet sketch show, which ran from 1984-1996, used to top the TV viewing charts and was beloved for its absurdist caricatures of Britain’s leading figures, from Margaret Thatcher to John Major, even the Queen Mother.

While most politicians and pop culture figures of the time took their puppet parodies (fairly) on the chin, the new revival of the veteran comedy show has ruffled someone’s feathers… or should we say fur.

Created by Al Murray and Matt Forde, the new Spitting Image revival, now available on YouTube, made headlines this week when it was revealed that StudioCanal, the French film and television production company behind the Paddington movies, and the Bond estate have filed a High Court complaint over copyright and design right concerns, following the depiction of the beloved bear.

“We’re baffled by that, to be honest,” says Murray. ‘If we were going to expect anything, it would be a hard stare from Paddington.”

Their radical reimagining of the sweet-natured bear sees Paddington as a foul-mouthed, crazy-eyed Pablo Escobar-esque parody, with a penchant for powder over marmalade sandwiches. He hosts the shows podcast ‘The Rest is Bullsh*t’, a parody of the Goalhanger ‘Rest is’ sphere, alongside an equally caricatured Prince Harry.

“If you’re looking for [podcast] hosts, you need two national treasures. They were the first names on the team sheet,” says Forde.

While his characterisation may be extreme, Forde and Murray insist it is only intended for purely comedic purposes.

“It’s the oldest thing in comedy,” explains Murray. “We’re not saying we’ve done anything particularly original. [Paddington] is normally presented as this very ‘goody-two-shoes’ character and we’ve flipped him over. It’s a very Spitting Image thing to do – to take someone and say ‘Hey, maybe they’re the opposite.’”

“I mean, they’ve fallen into a bear trap of their own making,” says Forde. “We’re getting tons more views as a result of the lawsuits publicity, so more people are watching this depiction of Paddington that they don’t want anyone to see.”

Is it potentially a case of miscommunication involving the ‘British sense of humour’?

“I mean taking the piss is a great British value, as is having a sense of humour about ourselves,” says Murray. “But there obviously has been a drift towards people who want to shut other people’s jokes up – and it’s weird, it seems like an attack on comedy really.”

“In my experience, people find you funny taking the p**s out of things, until you take the p**s out of something they like. Then they don’t find you funny anymore.”

But it’s the fact the call for legal action has come from fellow creatives that really surprises the pair.

“I would imagine that the people at StudioCanal who’ve come to this are the sorts of people who not long ago were pretty outraged by Jimmy Kimmel being pulled off air,” explains Murray. “If they’re sensitive, creative people that’s probably how they felt about it.”

“But they’re trying to do that to our absurdist, ridiculous Paddington and that leaves me scratching my head.”

Whilst they may see a funny side in the call for legal action, (“We are literally talking about a fictional bear and a puppet show!” exclaims Murray at one point) the pair recognise that the dispute over their depiction of Paddington highlights a wider conversation on freedom of speech in our current political climate.

“It’s terrifying that pressure can come from all sorts of different places,” says Forde. “I think the risk is that these kinds of authoritarian instincts exist on left and right.

“They exist in governments; they exist in corporations. We’re living in an era where politicians can get you taken off the air and the consequences of that – and it’s not just comedy – will close people in all sorts of other industries down.

“People need to be careful about thinking. ‘Well, I never liked Jimmy Kimmel anyway, so I’m fine with it’ because eventually, they will get round to you, and they will shut you up.

“Comedy is an easy first target because people don’t like being laughed at, but it’s not comedy that they have an issue with. It’s the freedom of speech.”

Their new YouTube show was born out of the success of their live theatre production – Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical created by Murray and Forde, alongside Sean Foley. It was during this run they realised the new medium of theatre, unlike TV, avoided outsider input in what content their show could cover.

“There was no one between us and the audience,” explains Murray, “That was what was brilliant about it.”

“As stand-ups we’re used to that,” agrees Forde, “You write it, you perform it and there is a purity in that. Once it filters through more layers, it becomes tamer, and I think in the modern era people want comedy like this to really pack a punch.”

Their YouTube series is not the first revival of the iconic ’80s show. Spitting Image was briefly resurrected in 2021, with both Murray and Forde working on the show as writers and voice actor respectively, parodying a new cast of political and pop culture figures, from Donald Trump to Greta Thunberg. It was cancelled by ITV after just two series.

Hosting their show on YouTube has allowed for this greater freedom when creating the satirical sketches.

“The danger sometimes with television is it becomes very bureaucratic and slow,” says Forde. “The comedy can almost get legislated out of a sketch. I think this smaller team and nimbler production has allowed it to just hit harder.”

And it seems the public would agree. The show’s viewing numbers on YouTube have hit nearly 12 million views and is reaching millions more across other streaming platforms.

The pair believe the media reaction highlights a clear appetite for cutting political satire and hope to bring the beloved classic to the smartphone generation.

“There are different themes, different celebrities, that you want to be lampooning,” says Forde. “To be able to apply that in 2025 when you’ve got TikTok and X and Instagram and make something the younger generation really love – that’s a real thrill.”

It’s not just Paddington viewers can tune into watch; the show parodies a host of recognisable figures, from Taylor Swift to Vladamir Putin. But for Forde, with his spot-on impersonation, his favourite has to be Trump.

“Trump is so much fun,” he says. “The puppet is phenomenal; it’s a grotesque recreation of him. When we’re writing and ad-libbing in the room, you’re inside the mind of this maniac and we have the tools to bring him to life in our own way.”

Parodying figures from all realms of the political spectrum, the pair maintain they never let their personal politics influence their character choices or depictions either.

“They’re all fair game and it’s just so much fun taking the p**s out of them,” says Forde. “But for each one there must be that grain of truth to it. It must be silly and big and daft, but you need to hit upon something that people recognise in those characters.

“In a way, the politics falls away from it. These are characters you’re satirising. They just happen to be political ones.”

“If the impression goes with the puppet,” says Murray, “…it doesn’t need to be laser point accurate because the puppets, after all, aren’t. They’ve got the essence of the person… it’s like, as Matt’s saying, it’s got to have the grain of truth in it. And then you dial it all up.”

The current run of Spitting Image will last for 12 episodes, but what about the show’s future?

“We’re seeing if it’ll work and whether the audience will come to it,” says Murray. “And we haven’t got to wait for someone to say yes, you spend so much time in comedy coming up with things and having to wait for someone to say yes.”

“I mean purely as a viewer, you think, why are these things so rare?” continues Forde. “It’s immensely frustrating that Spitting Image wasn’t around for so long.

“So many of the things we’ve done even in the last two episodes have gone viral, so there is a huge appetite for this sort of comedy. You want it to always be around.”

And what about our furry friend? It looks like he’ll be sticking around – he’s not heading back to Peru just yet.

‘I think if you were to ask our Paddington…” teases Forde. “You know, he’s an energetic guy, wants to work a lot…”

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Spitting Image team say they're "baffled" by Paddington Bear lawsuit
TV & Streaming

Spitting Image team say they’re “baffled” by Paddington Bear lawsuit

by jummy84
written by jummy84

While most politicians and pop culture figures of the time took their puppet parodies (fairly) on the chin, the new revival of the veteran comedy show has ruffled someone’s feathers… or should we say fur.

Created by Al Murray and Matt Forde, the new Spitting Image revival, now available on YouTube, made headlines this week when it was revealed that StudioCanal, the French film and television production company behind the Paddington movies, and the Bond estate have filed a High Court complaint over copyright and design right concerns, following the depiction of the beloved bear.

“We’re baffled by that, to be honest,” says Murray. ‘If we were going to expect anything, it would be a hard stare from Paddington.”

Their radical reimagining of the sweet-natured bear sees Paddington as a foul-mouthed, crazy-eyed Pablo Escobar-esque parody, with a penchant for powder over marmalade sandwiches. He host’s the shows podcast ‘The Rest is Bullsh*t’, a parody of the Goalhanger ‘Rest is’ sphere, alongside an equally caricatured Prince Harry.

“If you’re looking for [podcast] hosts, you need two national treasures. There were the first names on the team sheet,” says Forde.

While his characterisation may be extreme, Forde and Murray insist it is only intended for purely comedic purposes.

“It’s the oldest thing in comedy,” explains Murray. “We’re not saying we’ve done anything particularly original. [Paddington] is normally presented as this very ‘goody-two-shoes’ character and we’ve flipped him over. It’s a very Spitting Image thing to do – to take someone and say ‘Hey, maybe they’re the opposite.’”

“I mean, they’ve fallen into a bear trap of their own making,” says Forde. “We’re getting tons more views as a result of the lawsuits publicity, so more people are watching this depiction of Paddington that they don’t want anyone to see.”

Is it potentially a case of miscommunication involving the ‘British sense of humour’?

“I mean taking the piss is a great British value, as is having a sense of humour about ourselves,” says Murray. “But there obviously has been a drift towards people who want to shut other people’s jokes up – and it’s weird, it seems like an attack on comedy really.”

“In my experience, people find you funny taking the p**s out of things, until you take the p**s out of something they like. Then they don’t find you funny anymore.”

But it’s the fact the call for legal action has come from fellow creatives that really surprises the pair.

“I would imagine that the people at StudioCanal who’ve come to this are the sorts of people who not long ago were pretty outraged by Jimmy Kimmel being pulled off air,” explains Murray. “If they’re sensitive, creative people that’s probably how they felt about it.”

“But they’re trying to do that to our absurdist, ridiculous Paddington and that leaves me scratching my head.”

Whilst they may see a funny side in the call for legal action, (“We are literally talking about a fictional bear and a puppet show!” exclaims Murray at one point) the pair recognise that the dispute over their depiction of Paddington highlights a wider conversation on freedom of speech in our current political climate.

“It’s terrifying that pressure can come from all sorts of different places,” says Forde. “I think the risk is that these kinds of authoritarian instincts exist on left and right.

“They exist in governments; they exist in corporations. We’re living in an era where politicians can get you taken off the air and the consequences of that – and it’s not just comedy – will close people in all sorts of other industries down.

“People need to be careful about thinking. ‘Well, I never liked Jimmy Kimmel anyway, so I’m fine with it’ because eventually, they will get round to you, and they will shut you up.

“Comedy is an easy first target because people don’t like being laughed at, but it’s not comedy that they have an issue with. It’s the freedom of speech.”

Their new YouTube show was born out of the success of their live theatre production – Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical created by Murray and Forde, alongside Sean Foley. It was during this run they realised the new medium of theatre, unlike TV, avoided outsider input in what content their show could cover.

“There was no one between us and the audience,” explains Murray, “That was what was brilliant about it.”

“As stand-ups we’re used to that,” agrees Forde, “You write it, you perform it and there is a purity in that. Once it filters through more layers, it becomes tamer, and I think in the modern era people want comedy like this to really pack a punch.”

Read more: Spitting Image 2025 is funny, filthy, forensic and, on YouTube, a force for good

Their YouTube series is not the first revival of the iconic ’80s show. Spitting Image was briefly resurrected in 2021, with both Murray and Forde working on the show as writers and voice actor respectively, parodying a new cast of political and pop culture figures, from Donald Trump to Greta Thunberg. It was cancelled by ITV after just two series.

Hosting their show on YouTube has allowed for this greater freedom when creating the satirical sketches.

“The danger sometimes with television is it becomes very bureaucratic and slow,” says Forde. “The comedy can almost get legislated out of a sketch. I think this smaller team and nimbler production has allowed it to just hit harder.”

And it seems the public would agree. The show’s viewing numbers on YouTube have hit nearly 12 million views and is reaching millions more across other streaming platforms.

The pair believe the media reaction highlights a clear appetite for cutting political satire and hope to bring the beloved classic to the smartphone generation.

“There are different themes, different celebrities, that you want to be lampooning,” says Forde. “To be able to apply that in 2025 when you’ve got TikTok and X and Instagram and make something the younger generation really love – that’s a real thrill.”

It’s not just Paddington viewers can tune into watch; the show parodies a host of recognisable figures faces, from Taylor Swift to Vladamir Putin. But for Forde, with his spot-on impersonation, his favourite has to be Trump.

“Trump is so much fun,” he says. “The puppet is phenomenal; it’s a grotesque recreation of him. When we’re writing and ad-libbing in the room, you’re inside the mind of this maniac and we have the tools to bring him to life in our own way.”

Parodying figures from all reals of the political spectrum, the pair maintain they never let their personal politics influence their character choices or depictions either.

“They’re all fair game and it’s just so much fun taking the p**s out of them,” says Forde. “But for each one there must be that grain of truth to it. It must be silly and big and daft, but you need to hit upon something that people recognise in those characters.

“In a way, the politics falls away from it. These are characters you’re satirising. They just happen to be political ones.”

“If the impression goes with the puppet,” says Murray, “…it doesn’t need to be laser point accurate because the puppets, after all, aren’t. They’ve got the essence of the person… it’s like, as Matt’s saying, it’s got to have the grain of truth in it. And then you dial it all up.”

The current run of Spitting Image will last for 12 episodes, but what about the show’s future?

“We’re seeing if it’ll work and whether the audience will come to it,” says Murray. “And we haven’t got to wait for someone to say yes, you spend so much time in comedy coming up with things and having to wait for someone to say yes.”

“I mean purely as a viewer, you think, why are these things so rare?” continues Forde. “It’s immensely frustrating that Spitting Image wasn’t around for so long.

“So many of the things we’ve done even in the last two episodes have gone viral, so there is a huge appetite for this sort of comedy. You want it to always be around.”

And what about our furry friend? It looks like he’ll be sticking around – he’s not heading back to Peru just yet.

‘I think if you were to ask our Paddington…” teases Forde. “You know, he’s an energetic guy, wants to work a lot…”

Spitting Image is available now on YouTube.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

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Bill Burr Defends Appearance at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival: "They're Just Like Us"
Music

Bill Burr Defends Appearance at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival: “They’re Just Like Us”

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Bill Burr has defended his decision to perform at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. On the latest episode of his podcast, the comedian gushed about his “great” experience in the Middle East, concluding that the people there are “just like us.”

Burr explained how a warm-up gig in Bahrain helped him gauge what would be acceptable for his set at the Saudi festival, whose lineup also features Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, and Pete Davidson.

“Standup is new to this part of the world, so they always have fucking restrictions and shit when you go over there,” he stated. “So the first time you do a new country in the Middle East, it’s fucking hilarious. You go on stage and you’re sitting there going like, ‘Am I going to get arrested?’”

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According to Burr, security guards at the Bahrain show reassured him that all his material was “fine here” and would also be acceptable in Saudi Arabia. He then went to a bar where he was “observing all the people” and their interactions, only to realize, “These guys, they’re just like us… I don’t speak the language, but I get it.”

When he flew into Saudi Arabia, Burr felt a renewed nervousness, but relaxed after seeing that they had the same fast food restaurants.

“I literally think I’m going to land, you know, and everybody’s going to be screaming, ‘Death to America,’ and they’re going to have like fucking machetes and want to like chop my head off, right?” he recalled. “‘Cause this is what I’ve been fed about that part of the world. I thought this place was going to be really tense. And I’m thinking, ‘Is that a Starbucks next to a Pete’s Coffee next to a Burger King next to a McDonald’s… They got a fucking Chili’s over here.’”

Burr then addressed the initial restrictions for the festival, which were eventually negotiated down to avoiding jokes about religion and not making fun of the royals.

“When they first went to set it up over there, the rules on what they had about what you could and couldn’t say in Saudi Arabia, [organizers were told], ‘If you want some good comedians, this isn’t going to work,’” he said. “And, to their credit, they said, ‘Alright, what do we got to do?’ And they just negotiated it all the way down to just a couple things.”

Even with those rules in mind, Burr was hesitant to do his bit about going to a gym with “a bunch of gay guys there.” Once the crowd started laughing, however, he decided to push the envelope.

“I’m checking out the diplomats as I’m doing this stuff, and they’re all fucking laughing,” he said. “All of a sudden, I start getting in the zone. Ol’ Billy’s feeling loose up there. My brain just goes, ‘Gay gym.’ And then the other part of my brain says, ‘Don’t do that.’ And then I said, ‘Fuck it. I’m going to do it.’ So I started doing the joke and it fucking murdered. They all loved it. And at that point, I was just like, ‘Ah, fuck it. I’m just doing my act.’ So I did my act. Did the whole thing.”

Unsurprisingly, Burr came away from the experience with a sense of optimism. “It was great to experience that part of the world and to be a part of the first comedy festival over there in Saudi Arabia. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of positive things,” he concluded. “The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people who were doing the festival were thrilled… The comedians that I’ve been talking to were just saying, ‘Dude, you can feel [the audience] wanted it. They want to see real stand-up comedy.’ It was a mind-blowing experience. Definitely top three experiences I’ve had.”

Burr’s defense comes as fellow comedians David Cross, Marc Maron, and Shane Gillis have spoken out against Saudi Arabia’s latest effort to whitewash its reputation for human rights abuses and restrictions on free speech.

In an open letter, Cross wrote, “I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing… We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it’s complaining that we don’t support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBTQ peace activists here in the states, or that we don’t terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings).”

Maron posted a social media clip captioned, “Selling out in Riyadh,” in which he referenced Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in 9/11 and the assassination of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Gillis claimed he turned down a “significant bag” to perform at the festival to take “a principled stand,” even after the offer was doubled.

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"I’ve got 12 songs and they’re all bangers"
Music

I’ve got 12 songs and they’re all bangers

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Oli Sykes has spoken about emptying the “archives” for a ‘Director’s Cut’ of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Next Gen’ album – sharing that there are 12 songs that could be arriving soon.

Hope for more music from the Sheffield metal icons arose last year, when the frontman said that he had some unreleased material from the writing sessions for their 2024 album ‘Post Human: Nex Gen’ waiting to be shared – hoping to release a “‘director’s cut’ version of the record”.

Now, Sykes has shared another update, catching up with NME backstage at Reading & Leeds last week and revealing that there could be as many as 12 songs on the way from the ‘Next Gen’ writing sessions.

Bring Me The Horizon live at Reading 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME

When asked if becoming a father had impacted his approach to making music, Sykes said that while it was “a little too early to tell”, he has felt “a renewed sense of the pressure being off”.

“I had to have that as we were leading up to the birth, because I wanted new music out this year,” he added. “I’ve got so much from the ‘Nex Gen’ archive that I want the world to hear. I literally phoned my label and management and said, ‘It’s nearly here, I’ve got 12 songs and they’re all bangers. They’re so close, we’re going to get the first single out before Rock Am Ring and the second before Reading & Leeds.’”

He added that his focus shifted towards being there for his wife, Alissic – who gave birth to twins in July – and that the songs might take a little longer than expected.

“The music will come, but it’s just not the be-all and end-all,” he said. “We’re realising that we don’t have to put another record out; we just put one out. Most bands would go away for two years, have an actual break,” he shared. “You don’t have to do this, but I want to and I enjoy it. If it doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen.”

He then said that while he feels like he owes it to the fans to share new music, he has started to realise that “there are other things that are important in my life now and I’ve got to make sure that they come first”.

“Ultimately, that’s going to help the process and help us make some really good music,” he affirmed. “I can already feel that. I feel comfortable that the band is fine and we’re doing alright. We don’t need to do better. That will help with the output.”

When asked if the new material would be the ‘Director’s Cut’ he hinted towards in December, Sykes said: “Yes. I’m already craving a fresh sound and making stuff like, ‘Oh, that’s sick but not now – that needs to be honed and crafted’. There are songs I’m sitting on that are so sick, but it’s not ‘Nex Gen’, it’s something else. I still don’t know what that’s going to be.”

“I know for a fact that I can’t write that now,” he continued. “I have to write that in a year when I’ve been away, and let my mind decompress and go, ‘What is the theme? What is the world? What is the sound?’ We need that, definitely, but in terms of a strategic play, I just can’t see it happening because I just love it too much. Just accepting that it is what it is feels really good.”

‘Nex Gen’ was the second in the ‘Post Human’ series, following from ‘Survival Horror‘ as the first in a string of records launched in 2020, originally intended to be released in quick succession but now with the narrative arc to follow on future albums in years to come.

Check out the full interview with Sykes here, where he also spoke about the chances of Bring Me The Horizon playing at Glastonbury, what’s next in the ‘Post Human’ series, how fatherhood has shaped his approach to playing live, and if he can imagine the band following in The Rolling Stones’ footsteps and touring into their 80s. You can also watch the interview in full in the video above.

Bring Me The Horizon live at Reading 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME
Bring Me The Horizon live at Reading 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME

While at Reading & Leeds, Bring Me The Horizon brought their immersive set to the main stages at Little John’s Farm and Bramham Park. It marked the second time that the band have headlined the dual festival, following on from a co-headline slot with fellow Sheffield rock giants Arctic Monkeys back in 2022.

Their set at Reading 2025 was given a five-star review by NME, which read: “The sci-fi blockbuster cinematography and immersive graphics of the show (peaking with Sykes turning into a demon in real-time) are overwhelming enough, not to mention that each song is delivered with enough pyro and energy that they all feel like a finale most other bands would kill for.

“Those scrappy skinny-jeaned metalcore brats from way back then are unrecognisable from this tour-de-force before us tonight. In terms of spectacle, they out-pomp Muse. For performance, they couldn’t give more. A hiatus and long wait to the follow-up to ‘Post Human: Nex Gen’ awaits, but what a parting gift that was.”

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