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Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Steven Spielberg admits he was ‘disappointed' by snubbing for his biggest film
Steven Spielberg has shared his surprise over being snubbed at the Oscars for one of his most iconic films. The 78-year-old has been behind huge hits over his decades-long career, including ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report. He has also won the best director statue at the Oscars twice over the years – for Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List – but revealed his disappointment over not even landing a nomination for his efforts on 1975 flick Jaws, almost 50 years ago. In a new documentary to celebrate the legendary shark thriller's 50th anniversary, on June 20, he spoke candidly about the expectation that the movie would sweep awards season. 'When a film is on the cusp of being considered for awards, it's not so much what you want for yourself — it's what everyone else says is going to happen for you,' he declared, via People Magazine. 'So I just understood, 'I guess I'm getting nominated.' 'So when I wasn't, I was surprised. And I was disappointed. 'Because I was believing the noise, and you have to not believe that stuff.' Although Steven wasn't mentioned in the best director category, Jaws did land four nominations at the ceremony in 1976, and took home three of those. Jaws missed out on best picture to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but John Williams took home the trophy for best original score, while the team also nabbed best sound and best film editing. Despite not winning every category that year, the filmmaker conceded: 'Oh yeah, I would've One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for best picture over Jaws. I would've done that.' In Jaws, Steven directed a star-studded cast led by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw, as a team on the hunt for a terrifying great white shark after it attacked beachgoers. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, the film has been dissected for a new National Geographic special, titled Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, which will premiere on July 10. More Trending It has grossed more than $475million worldwide, and has gone down as one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. However, during a 2022 appearance on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Steven explained that he actually fears sharks are still 'mad at him' over the frenzied reaction to the release. 'That's one of the things I still fear,' he told the host. 'Not to get eaten by a shark, but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sports fishermen that happened after 1975. 'I truly and to this day regret the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film. I really, truly regret that.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Monty Python star, 82, reveals he went to hospital 'twice in three days' MORE: Disappointed fans fume star-studded new rom-com is 'not what was advertised' MORE: M3GAN 2.0 risks crossing 'really fine line' with explicit jokes
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK grooming gangs inquiry ‘must confront uncomfortable truths'
The national inquiry into grooming gangs 'must be fearless in confronting uncomfortable truths' after too many girls 'were failed by the very institutions charged with their protection', the victims' commissioner for England and Wales has said. The government confirmed on Monday that it would set up a statutory inquiry and accept all 12 recommendations of Lady Casey's rapid review of the issue. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told the Commons: 'We cannot and must not shy away from these findings.' The victims' commissioner, Helen Newlove, said: 'This inquiry must be fearless in confronting uncomfortable truths. 'Too many girls were failed by the very institutions charged with their protection. This is our chance to lift the stone, expose those failures, and ensure they are never repeated. 'Victims must remain at the heart of this work. Sharing experiences of child sexual abuse is deeply personal and often retraumatising. Thousands came forward to the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse – often for the first time – yet years on, too little has changed. We must not repeat those mistakes.' The children's commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, said the girls at the heart of this scandal 'have been failed by every professional in their lives'. She added: 'They, and the institutions that were intended to protect them, ignored their voices and sidelined their experiences. They must be held accountable for turning a blind eye to a sustained campaign of violence against young girls by predatory men. 'This is a source of national shame – I've been clear nothing can be off the table in pursuing justice for the victims.' In the House of Commons on Monday, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said the announcement of the inquiry was 'another U-turn' by the government and an 'extraordinary failure of leadership'. She said: 'After months of pressure the prime minister has finally accepted our calls for a full statutory national inquiry into the grooming gangs. 'I welcome that we have finally reached this point. This is a victory for the survivors who have been calling for this for years.' The Metropolitan police deputy assistant commissioner Helen Millichap, who is also the director of the national centre for violence against women and girls and public protection, said Casey's report included several recommendations with implications for policing that would now be considered. 'We are sorry to all those who have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation,' she said. 'The pain, trauma, and long-lasting impact experienced by victims and survivors is immeasurable. 'We recognise that for too long, your voices went unheard, and opportunities to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities were missed.' Nazir Afzal, the chief crown prosecutor for the north-west from 2011 to 2015, questioned the efficacy of national inquiries. He told BBC Radio 4: 'Only criminal investigations can bring real accountability. That's what needs to happen. Not just for those who offended, but also those who stood by and didn't do what they were meant to do. 'Unfortunately my experience with national inquiries is that they take for ever and don't deliver accountability.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Is Stella Creasy the worst politician in Britain?
For all my adult life I have been an advocate of the 'Jenkins' Law', a guide to public policy based on the writings of the commentator Sir Simon Jenkins. Jenkins' Law is simple, useful and infallible: whatever he writes, the opposite is correct. In recent years, however, a variant of this law has emerged. Not so much a variant as a complementary alternative: Creasy's Law. The principle is similar. Whatever Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow since 2010, says or writes, the opposite is correct. This week Creasy's Law has, once again, proved its utility. Ms Creasy is behind an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which would remove all legal prohibitions on abortion up to and including during birth, even if the baby is fully capable of surviving outside the womb. It is widely accepted that the law surrounding abortion requires modernisation, not least because of advances in medical technology; and, from the other perspective, what many see as the unjust prosecution of women such as Nicola Packer, who was cleared by a jury last month of illegally terminating a pregnancy after taking abortion pills during lockdown. But Creasy's amendment goes far beyond modernisation; it is about removing any bar to abortion, no matter how near to birth – or even during birth – by scrapping the crime of intentional destruction of a child 'capable of being born alive', as well as removing all other legal bars on late-term abortions. Creasy says all she wants to do is remove criminal sanctions, but in reality her amendments would simply remove the current 24-week limit with no replacement. In addition, she wants abortion to be classed as a 'basic human right'. The usefulness of Creasy's Law is especially clear here. Even amongst the country's abortion clinics her proposals are regarded as wrong-headed. Rachael Clarke of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service told BBC Radio 4's Today programme last week that Creasy's plan 'is not the right way' to overhaul abortion laws. 'We are not supporting NC20 [Creasy's amendments], and neither are any of the abortion providers in the country,' Clarke said. Nor does it seem the public supports Creasy. A ComRes poll from several years ago found only 1 per cent of women supporting abortion up to birth – a clear example of Creasy's Law in action. Creasy is such a useful figure to have in public life because her interests roam over many areas, and she is thus able to help the rest of us pinpoint immediately what to think by thinking the exact opposite. Probably her most notorious comment was in 2022, when she weighed in on one of her favourite issues: 'Do I think some women were born with penises? Yes'. Creasy has been a long-term advocate of ignoring biology and allowing men who pretend to be women to claim all the rights under law that they would have if they were actually women. It's a shame so much time – and money – was spent clarifying the law around sex. There need never have been a Supreme Court ruling. A few years ago Creasy wrote: 'As I walk past everyone going to Christmas parties and drinks on my way to get the kids from nursery, yet again acutely aware the motherhood penalty is just a gift that keeps giving…. Not just flexible working we need but flexible networking too.' For Creasy, it seems, having children should not impact one's life. Creasy's Law is helpful here, too, showing that parenting involves a trade-off between the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, and the needs arising from being a parent. Creasy has advocated for aggravated criminal sentences as a hate crime for men who hold what she considers to be 'misogynistic' beliefs. No need to go through a debate on this or look at the ideas underlying it; just apply Creasy's Law to know it would be wrong. It's easy to look disapprovingly at Stella Creasy, who is not only wrong about everything, but compounds that with a patronising manner which seems to treat anyone who disagrees with her as some kind of bigoted fool. Instead, we should see how useful she really is and turn more often to Creasy's Law for guidance.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
13-week PIP transition period due to be confirmed
Details about how recipients will be transitioned to the new criteria for PIP is slowly being revealed An MP has shed light on the government's Green Paper proposals for Welfare Reform, with the Department for Work and Pensions poised to unveil further details about the Welfare Reform Bill, including a "transitional period". This interim phase is designed to for people set to lose their Personal Independence Payments due to the reforms. Dr Simon Opher, a GP and the MP for Stroud, disclosed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, as reported by Daily Record, that a transitional phase will be introduced, allowing recipients to continue receiving payments for 13 weeks before their benefit is terminated. This means that those affected by the benefit cuts will still receive their entitlements for 13 weeks beyond the initial cut-off date, offering them time to prepare and budget for the end of their benefits. Carers, who are at risk of losing their Carer's Allowance when the person they care for loses PIP, will also continue to receive their allowance throughout the 13-week transition, until the PIP award ends. Dr Opher expressed his intention "to rebel" against these proposals in an imminent vote, marking the first occasion he plans to oppose the Government. He indicated that several of his colleagues are contemplating similar actions. He acknowledged that the proposed transitional period has been extended from an initial four weeks. But he remains critical of the planned changes, describing it as nothing more than "a slight delay in the disability cuts". Explaining further, he added "It doesn't change the basic fact that they're planning to cut disability payments to quite a lot of people really. So not terribly impressed, but it's something at least." Since Liz Kendall confirmed the reform in March, there's been widespread outcry from MPs, disability charities, and PIP recipients against the upcoming changes set for November 2026. The Green Paper has launched a consultation period, urging the public to contribute their opinions on the undecided aspects of these reforms, pivotal among them being how benefits will be transitionally protected for those affected. In a bid to reduce costs while maintaining support through PIP for future claimants, the Government aims to save £5 billion each year by the end of this decade. Government impact assessments have indicated that approximately 250,000 people, 50,000 of whom are children throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, are at risk of slipping into relative poverty after housing expenses as a result of these policy shifts. This reformation will influence new applicants and current recipients undergoing reassessment for the daily living component of PIP. Under the new rules, claimants need to accumulate four points in any one of the categories to qualify during the assessment process. The assessments comprise ten categories with scoring based on the type of help, supervision, or equipment individuals necessitate to perform activities promptly, effectively, and safely. For instance, being able to prepare and cook a simple meal unaided is worth no points. But if you cannot prepare or cook food at all you could score up to eight points in that category. The reform proposes several other changes including:. Ending reassessments for disabled individuals who will never be able to work Abolishing the Work Capability Assessment Offering improved employment support to eliminate the barriers preventing disabled people from working Introducing legislation to protect those on health and disability benefits from reassessment or losing their payments if they take a chance on work
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Danny Dyer reveals moment he realised drugs were 'destroying his life'
Actor Danny Dyer has opened up about the moment he realised that he needed to give up drugs. The former EastEnders star, 47, has admitted that he could not work out how to put his trousers on following a night of partying, which caused him to change his ways. Appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast, the London-born star described the moment he knew he was 'destroying' his life after celebrating a win at the National Television Awards. He recalled frankly: 'I just could not work out how to get my jeans on. 'I was just sitting on my en-suite toilet trying to work out what leg goes in what.' He added to the host: 'I've sort of had many of them moments over the years of me being completely off my head. 'But that one really resonated with me. 'It was more because I looked up, my wife was just watching me, and she looked shattered, and she looked ill.' Danny, who has spoken before about his drug abuse, said he knew it was having a bad effect on his wife, Jo, whom he wed in 2016, as well as their children, Dani, 28, Sunnie, 18, and son Arty, 11. He added: 'It was just this moment; I thought, 'S**t, you're going to die. You're going to kill yourself. You're not happy. You're spanking all your money on drugs. You're destroying everything around you'.' Indeed, at one point in their marriage, Jo took control of 'everything', previously 'kicking Danny out', which he acknowledged she had 'every right to do', given that he'd disappear on drug benders for days at a time. Danny, who has been filming the second series of hit drama Rivals, has spoken on several occasions about his fame and how it's led to him making 'bad decisions'. Having shot to fame in the 1999 film Human Traffic, Danny is now one of the most recognisable faces on British television. However, he admits that there's a downside to glitzy parties, talk show appearances, and scooping trophies. Speaking previously on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, he recounted going to nightclubs and watching DJ sets in his younger days, where fans would meet him, but, mostly, he'd 'just wave off balconies and get paid quite a lot of money to do it'. Looking back, he said his days of 'hedonism' and 'mad behaviour' were 'awful'. In 2013, things started looking up when he was offered the role of Mick Carter in EastEnders, although he later revealed that he was addicted to taking Valium and diazepam before scenes. 'I had bailiffs [coming round], no one would hire me, and the more I'm doing these club appearances, the more drugs I'm taking, and drink, so I'm in this weird spiral,' he recalled. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Also in recent years, Danny has voiced his views on making cocaine use legal, claiming that banning it 'hasn't worked'. At the time, he made a controversial point that cigarettes and alcohol kill more people than the class A drug. Writing in his 2015 book Life Lessons from the East End, he said: 'Cocaine, it seems to me, is easier to get than a part for your boiler in this country. 'When they're detecting cocaine in tap water because of the number of people taking it, I'd say it was time for a different approach. Don't get me wrong, I think cocaine is dangerous. It killed 200-odd people in the UK last year. 'You can't dismiss that. It's a powerful, addictive drug which has the potential to f**k you up.' He added: 'Banning drugs hasn't worked. Ain't it about time to try something different?' Ultimately, Danny admitted himself to rehab in 2017 in Cape Town, having started to understand that his addiction affected so many people around him, not just himself. While he was seeking treatment in South Africa, Danny reached a point of feeling like he'd 'had enough' and was contemplating leaving. 'Then they read a letter out from home, from my daughter Dani, and it made me sit back down in that seat,' he told presenter Lauren Laverne. More Trending Without divulging details of the note written by his eldest child, Danny added that his then-20-year-old daughter helped him to realise how 'toxic' fame can be. Alongside Rivals, Danny's recent work includes Mr Bigstuff, for which he won a Bafta earlier this year. He also took the lead in Marching Powder, a film about a middle-aged man named Jack who is arrested for drug use before his life spirals out of control when he attempts to rebuild his marriage and relationships. The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify and all podcast platforms.
