Where: The Slade Rooms, Broad Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1HP
What: A concert featuring the acclaimed multicultural soul band that reboots Bollywood classics with a shot of late 1960s soul and funk, taking audiences on a musical trip from Memphis to Mumbai.
www.fatsoma.com
KISHORE KUMAR TRIBUTE
When: Sunday December 12
Where: Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane, Pinner HA5 1AA
What: The charity event in aid of Wiping Tears sees talented British singer Zaheer Abbas Khan pay tribute to late great Bollywood legend Kishore by performing his songs, accompanied by live musicians.
www.eventbrite.com
A COLLABORATIVE TOUR 2021
When: Sunday December 12; Thursday December 16
Where: Indigo at The O2, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES; St George’s Hall, Bridge Street, Bradford BD1 1JT
What: A concert headlined by music talents Farhan Saeed, Aima Baig and Leo Twins. The live show featuring a full band will see the artists performing the hits and familiar favourites.
www.eventbrite.com
INDIAN MUSIC AND FLAMENCO
When: Friday December 17
Where: Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London N6 5HG
What: A special concert with renowned multi-instrumentalist Baluji Shrivastav OBE on sitar and virtuoso flamenco guitarist Ignacio Monteverde. The musical styles will be played separately and then will be intertwined by the two great musical masters.
www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk
QAWWALI FAMILY NIGHT
When: Saturday December 18
Where: The Diamond Suite, 192 Adderley Road, Birmingham B8 1EG
What: Family-friendly qawwali night headlined by Saleem Sabri and party, performing all-time classics, including some of Pakistani music maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s greatest hits. There will be a food stall and a chance to meet the performers.
www.eventbrite.com
EVENTS
MY HOUSE MY BARI 1971
When: Until Tuesday December 14
Where: Kobi Nazrul Centre, 30 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
What: A free exhibition celebrating the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence. Acclaimed artist Rahemur Rahman and young people from ‘A’ Team Arts, and Tower Hamlets schools, recreate a living space depicting the homes of the British Bangladeshi community in 1971.
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
BOLLYX – THE BOLLYWOOD WORKOUT
When: Saturday December 11 and Saturday December 18
Where: Frederick Bremer School, Siddeley Road, London E17 4EY
What: A ladies-only Bollywood fitness inspired workout, where participants will be exercising to some of the latest Bollywood and bhangra tracks.
What: An end-of-the-year party featuring performances by Muki, Haseeb Haze, Sparkaman, Bhangra Smash up and DJ SNYPER.
www.fatsoma.co
THEATRE
LIFE OF PI
When: Until Sunday February 27, 2022
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
What: A theatre play based on Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, which revolves around the sole human survivor of a shipwreck stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, as they battle to survive an epic voyage across the ocean. The cast includes Hiran Abeysekera, Mina Anwar, Nicholas Khan, Payal Mistry and Raj Ghatak.
www.londontheatre.co.uk
SLEEPING BEAUTY
When: Saturday December 11-Sunday January 16, 2022
Where: The Alhambra Theatre, Morley Street, Bradford BD7 1AJ
What: A pantomime headlined by popular TV personality Dr Ranj Singh and comedian Billy Pearce. The familiar fairy tale is given an interesting twist in the family friendly show filled with laughs.
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
DAWAAT
When: Tuesday December 14-Thursday December 16
Where: Tara Theatre, 356 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, London SW18 4ES
What: An inter-generational theatre piece that brings together food, poetry, live music, spoken word performances and contemporary south Asian dance, with female voices firmly at the heart of the production.
www.taratheatre.com
QUEEN OF HEARTS
When: Friday December 17-Saturday December 18
Where: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
What: A story of a fading Bollywood star struggling to reconcile how she sees herself with how the world perceives her, and the dialogue she has with her younger self. The production features musical interludes and the screening of two shorts from the Birmingham Indian Film Festival.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk
COMEDY
PAUL CHOWDHRY – FAMILYFRIENDLY COMEDIAN
When: Friday December 10; Saturday December 11; Thursday December 16
Where: O2 Apollo, Stockport Road, Manchester M12 6AP; Corn Exchange, King Street, Ipswich IP1 1DH; Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND
What: The popular comedian returns with a brand-new stand-up show about the UK’s handling of the pandemic, why the rules of six only worked for white people, fame, England football fans and Tom Cruise landing his helicopter in someone’s garden.
www.paulchowdhry.com
THE INDIANS ARE COMING
When: Saturday December 11
Where: The Hawth Theatre, Hawth Avenue, Crawley RH10 6YZ
What: A laughter-filled stand-up comedy event featuring popular talents Sukh Ojla, Hyde Panaser, Jay Sodagar and Rahul Kohli.
www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk
SUKH OJLA: LIFE SUKHS
When: Sunday December 12
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD
What: Acclaimed stand-up comedian Sukh Ojla continues her solo tour of the UK with her show where she talks about subjects including mental illness, moving back in with her parents, identity and living a double life.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
When: Tuesday December 14; Sunday December 19
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD; The Assembly, Spencer Street, Royal Leamington Spa CV31 3NF
What: The entertaining comedy tour continues with Christmas specials featuring leading stand-up talent delivering plenty of laughs. Check the website for the full line-up.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
COBO: KINGS OF COMEDY
When: Monday December 27
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD
What: An end-of-the-year stand-up comedy special headlined by top talents Kane Brown, Nabil Abdulrashid, Guz Khan and Babatunde Aleshe. Expect lots of jokes and laughter.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
CLASSES
SHAKTI DIVAS BHANGRA FUSION 2021
When: Until Tuesday December 14
Where: Heston Community School, Heston Road, Heston, Hounslow TW5 0QR
What: A weekly bhangra-Bollywood dance class led by renowned choreographer Rakhi Sood, which is designed to keep participants fit in a fun and friendly environment.
www.watermans.org.uk
DANCE DOSTI
When: Saturday December 11 and Saturday December 18
Where: Southall Sports Centre, Beaconsfield Road, Southall UB1 1DP
What: A free dance class for people with any form of sight impairment, with their friends and family welcome to join. Learn Bollywood, bhangra, and other styles in a fun, supportive environment. Classes are for all abilities.
NETFLIX has expanded its cast for Best of the Best, a coming-of-age film set around competitive Bollywood dancing, with comedian Lilly Singh joining in.
Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam have penned the story, about what happens when two childhood friends join the Bollywood dance team at their college. Minhaj will also act.
Never Have I Ever star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Priyanka Kedia, Ankur Rathee, who acted in Four More Shots Please and Chaneil Kular from the streamer’s original Sex Education are in the movie along with Shreya Navile, Becky Alex, Janina Gavankar, Nihar Duvvuri, Nico Greetham, Saara Chaudry, Amryn Khurana, Tanishq Joshi and Sasha Bhasin.
The film will be directed by Lena Khan, who has previously worked as a director on Never Have I Ever.
It will be produced by Minhaj and Venkataramanujam under 186k films.
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John Alford, 53, is accused of sexually abusing two girls aged 14 and 15 at a Hertfordshire party in 2022.
Charges include sexual activity with a child, sexual assault and assault by penetration.
Prosecutors allege both girls were drunk when the incidents occurred.
Alford, whose real name is John Shannon, denies all allegations.
The trial is taking place at St Albans Crown Court.
Former London’s Burning actor John Alford is on trial accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls at a house party in Hertfordshire on 9 April 2022.
The 53-year-old, from Holloway, north London, faces four counts of sexual activity with a 14-year-old and two charges involving a 15-year-old girl, including sexual assault and assault by penetration. He has denied all the charges.
Opening the case at St Albans Crown Court, prosecutor Julie Whitby told jurors that Alford, charged under his real name John Shannon, was “in no doubt” both girls were under 16.
Jurors heard that Alford and another man, the father of a third girl, arrived at the house in the early hours of the morning. Alford later returned from a petrol station with a bottle of vodka.
The prosecution said he asked the 14-year-old to sit on his lap, behaviour she described as “a bit strange”, before the alleged assaults took place in the garden and later in a toilet.
In a police interview played to the court, the girl said: “He raped me”, claiming she asked him to stop several times. She also told officers it was the first time she had had sex.
A 15-year-old girl also accused Alford of sexual assault. The court heard that both alleged victims had consumed “a fair amount of vodka” on the night in question and did not immediately disclose the incidents.
The matter came to light after the 15-year-old’s mother made a report to police two days later.
In a statement given to police, Alford denied the allegations, claiming one of the girls had told him she was 17 and had tried to kiss him. He insisted: “At no point did I touch her in any sexual way whatsoever.”
He also alleged that the two girls were attempting to extort money from him, but prosecutors said no evidence to support this claim was found on phones seized from either the complainants or the defendant.
The case continues at St Albans Crown Court, where jurors will hear further evidence in the coming days.
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Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone have been listed in the complaint as brand ambassadors of Hyundai
An FIR has been registered in Bharatpur against Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Hyundai officials.
A local resident alleges his Hyundai Alcazar SUV, bought in 2022, developed major defects.
The case includes fraud and conspiracy charges under IPC and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Both actors, Hyundai brand ambassadors, are accused of misleading consumers.
Neither Shah Rukh Khan nor Deepika Padukone’s teams have responded yet.
Legal case filed in Bharatpur
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are facing legal trouble after an FIR was filed against them in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The complaint, registered on 25 August at Mathura Gate police station, also names six Hyundai officials.
The case stems from allegations made by Kirti Singh, a Bharatpur resident, who claimed his Hyundai Alcazar SUV, purchased in 2022 for more than ₹23 lakh, developed serious technical issues within months. He further alleged that repeated attempts to get the company to address the problems were unsuccessful.
Court intervention leads to FIR
Singh initially approached police but his grievance was not registered. He then moved the court, which directed police to take action. Following this, an FIR was lodged under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The named Hyundai officials include Managing Director Anso Kim, COO Tarun Garg, Malwa Auto Sales Pvt Ltd Managing Director Nitin Sharma and Director Priyanka Sharma.
Brand ambassadors named in complaint
In addition to Hyundai executives, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone have been listed in the complaint as brand ambassadors of Hyundai. The petitioner argued that by endorsing the brand, the actors promoted a defective product and misled consumers.
As of now, neither Khan nor Padukone’s representatives have issued a statement regarding the FIR.
Upcoming projects for the actors
Away from the controversy, both stars have busy film schedules. Shah Rukh Khan will next appear in King alongside his daughter Suhana Khan, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film reportedly features a large ensemble cast including Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji and Deepika Padukone.
Padukone was most recently seen in Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again. She will next star in Atlee’s sci-fi action project AA22xA6, alongside Allu Arjun.
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Swift’s choice of So High School—widely believed to be inspired by Kelce—added a personal touch
Taylor Swift announced engagement to American footballer Travis Kelce via Instagram.
Kelce proposed in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, surrounded by floral displays.
Swift showcased a cushion-cut diamond ring from Artifex Fine Jewellery.
Fans and celebrities, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, reacted with excitement.
Taylor Swift confirms engagement with Instagram Post
Taylor Swift has announced her engagement to American football player Travis Kelce, sharing the news on Instagram with a carousel of images and the caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” The post, accompanied by her ballad So High School, quickly went viral, gaining more than 18 million likes within hours.
The photos show Kelce on one knee, Swift wearing a Ralph Lauren halter-neck dress and a Cartier watch, and the singer flashing her cushion-cut diamond engagement ring. According to reports, the ring was purchased from Artifex Fine Jewellery, with prices beginning at around $29,000 (£21,500).
A garden proposal in Missouri
Kelce’s father, Ed, revealed to ABC’s News 5 Cleveland that the proposal had taken place nearly two weeks earlier in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He explained that his son arranged a private moment in a garden before dinner, where he asked Swift to marry him.
The setting featured roses, hydrangeas, delphiniums and anemones, styled to evoke a “hidden secret garden” according to celebrity florist Jeff Leatham.
A nod to fans through music and captions
Swift’s choice of So High School—widely believed to be inspired by Kelce—added a personal touch. Fans noted that the caption itself echoed an inside joke from the Swiftie community, where the couple have been affectionately likened to an English teacher and a gym teacher.
Dr Iona Murphy, an English literature lecturer and Swift fan, described the post as a “full-circle moment”, noting the lyrical reference and nod to fandom culture.
Global reaction from fans and public figures
Fans around the world reacted with delight, sharing videos of themselves screaming, crying, or celebrating in disbelief. Many described Swift’s announcement as a “pop emergency”, with some joking that they were celebrating their “close friend’s” engagement.
Public figures also joined in: the Prince and Princess of Wales liked the post, while US President Donald Trump wished the couple well despite past criticism of Swift. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay playfully congratulated the pair on Instagram, writing, “From one ring to the next… congrats @killatrav & @taylorswift !”
Swift’s love life has long fascinated both fans and the media, often reflected in her music. This engagement feels different, according to fans, because Kelce is seen as a partner who embraces her success rather than being intimidated by it.
One fan account holder told the BBC: “We’ve seen a lot of boyfriends over the years, some we liked and some we didn’t. Travis loves her proudly, and that’s what makes fans so happy.”
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Emma Heming Willis shares emotional insight into Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia
Emma Heming Willis says Bruce Willis’ frontotemporal dementia symptoms first appeared like a “whisper.”
The actor remains physically strong but struggles with language and communication.
Heming Willis has written a new book, The Unexpected Journey, on caregiving.
She is now advocating for more support for families living with dementia.
Emma Heming Willis has shared a moving update on husband Bruce Willis’ health, describing how his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) first appeared as a “whisper” through subtle changes in his behaviour. Speaking in a new ABC News special, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, she revealed that while the Die Hard star remains physically healthy, it is his mind that is deteriorating. Heming Willis also discussed her new book on caregiving and her mission to support other families navigating dementia.
Emma Heming Willis shares emotional insight into Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia Getty Images
What happened to Bruce Willis’ health?
Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, a rare brain condition that impacts behaviour, personality, and communication. Unlike Alzheimer’s, which often begins with memory loss, FTD frequently shows up through changes in how a person behaves or expresses themselves.
For Willis, best known for his action hero roles in Die Hard and Armageddon, the primary symptom has been the loss of language. “The language is going, and we’ve learned to adapt,” Heming Willis said, explaining that the family now communicates with him in different ways.
She described the condition as “his brain failing him,” even as his physical strength and mobility remain intact.
Bruce Willis continues to show strength despite dementia affecting his language and communicationGetty Images
What were Bruce Willis’ first dementia symptoms?
Heming Willis explained that the earliest signs of FTD were difficult to spot and easy to dismiss. The actor, who was once warm and affectionate, began to withdraw emotionally and drift away from family activities he had always enjoyed.
“It felt a little removed, very cold, not like Bruce,” she recalled. “To go the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary.” These early changes, which she called a “whisper,” later developed into clearer symptoms of dementia.
Doctors confirmed the diagnosis of FTD in 2023, but Heming Willis said she was handed only a pamphlet and told there was no available treatment. She described the experience as feeling like she was “free falling.”
Emma Heming Willis and Bruce Willis arrive for the annual "Room To Grow" Spring benefit in 2017Getty Images
How is Bruce Willis’ family coping?
The Willis family has adjusted their lives around his illness. Emma admitted that, in the beginning, she tried to manage caregiving alone, staying awake at night to ensure his safety and withdrawing from social gatherings to make his life more comfortable.
Over time, she realised the importance of building support and sharing the responsibility. Today, the couple’s daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, continue to see glimpses of their father’s old self. “Not days, but we get moments,” she told Diane Sawyer. “It’s his laugh, his smirk, that twinkle in his eye. As quickly as those moments appear, they go. But I’m grateful he’s still here.”
His older daughters with Demi Moore, Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, also remain close and united around him. Rumer recently said the family is “doing great” and cherishing their togetherness.
Bruce Willis’ dementia started as a whisper, Emma Heming reveals in emotional family confessionGetty Images
Why is Emma Heming Willis speaking out?
The diagnosis pushed Heming Willis, a model and entrepreneur who had preferred to avoid the spotlight, into advocacy. She is using her platform to raise awareness about dementia and call for greater support for caregivers, who are often overlooked in healthcare conversations.
Her new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, will be released on 9 September. It documents her experience and aims to serve as a guide for others navigating similar challenges. “Born from grief, shaped by love, and guided by purpose, this is the book I needed back when Bruce was first diagnosed,” she said.