Sophie Kinsella, author of the Shopaholic series of novels, has been hailed as a “graceful” inspiration who left her readers feeling better about themselves, following her death at the age of 55.

The writer, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, revealed last year she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022.

A statement posted to her Instagram account read: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy). She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.

“We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.

“Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received.

“She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking.”

‘Made you feel better about yourself’

Kinsella’s novels have sold more than 45 million copies in more than 60 countries, and have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Speaking to The UK Tonight With Sarah-Jane Mee, fellow author Jojo Moyes, who was friends with Kinsella for decades, described her as a “graceful”, “kind” and “encouraging” mentor.

Those who knew her “will always be grateful to have had her in our lives”, she said.

Her characters “were flawed and messy, but they were also relatable, and you always finished a Sophie Kinsella book feeling better about yourself”.

“If the thing that you are remembered for is joy and grace and kindness, as well as your talent, what more can any of us ask?”

In a post on social media last year, Kinsella revealed she had been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy at London‘s University College Hospital, and had undergone “successful” surgery.

She said she “wanted for a long time to share with you a health update, and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so”.

“At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer,” she said.

“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal’.

“At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired and my memory is even worse than it was before!

“I am so grateful to my family and close friends who have been an incredible support to me, and to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me.”

Kinsella’s most recent book is What Does it Feel Like?, published in October 2024 and which “is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date”, the author wrote on her website.

Other books by the London-born author include The Burnout, released in October 2023, Can You Keep A Secret? and The Undomestic Goddess.

The first two novels in her hit eight-book Shopaholic series, The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic and Shopaholic Abroad, were adapted into the 2009 film Confessions Of A Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.

She is survived by her children, four sons and a daughter, and her husband Henry Wickham.

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Bill Scott-Kerr, publisher at Transworld, the publishing home of Kinsella for the past 30 years, said: “She has been such an unshakeable pillar of our publishing at Transworld for so many years that the thought of a year without a Sophie Kinsella to publish is inconceivable.”

He added: “Maddy leaves behind a glorious and indelible legacy: a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit, a goodness of intent and a body of work that will continue to inspire us to reach higher and be better, just like so many of her characters.

“On a personal level Maddy was the embodiment of joy, an extraordinarily clever, funny, sassy, impish, kind and generous collaborator who brought light into our lives. She was as part of this company as anyone, and we will all truly miss her.”

Tax changes announced in the budget could have “devastating, unintended consequences” on live music venues, including widespread closures and job losses, trade bodies have warned.

The bodies, representing nearly 1,000 live music venues, including grassroots sites as well as arenas such as the OVO Wembley Arena, The O2, and Co-op Live, are calling for an urgent rethink on the chancellor’s changes to the business rates system.

If not, they warn that hundreds of venues could close, ticket prices could increase, and thousands could lose their jobs across the country.

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Business rates, which are a tax on commercial properties in England and Wales, are calculated through a complex formula of the value of the property, assessed by a government agency every three years. That is then combined with a national “multiplier” set by the Treasury, giving a final cash amount.

The chancellor declared in her budget speech that although she is removing the business rates discount for small hospitality businesses, they would benefit from “permanently lower tax rates”. The burden, she said, would instead be shifted onto large companies with big spaces, such as Amazon.

But both small and large companies have seen the assessed values of their properties shoot up, which more than wipes out any discount on the tax rate for small businesses, and will see the bills of arena spaces increase dramatically.

In the letter, coordinated by Live, the trade bodies write that the effect of Rachel Reeves’s changes are “chilling”, saying: “Hundreds of grassroots music venues will close in the coming years as revaluations drive costs up. This will deprive communities of valuable cultural spaces and limit the UK creative sector’s potential. These venues are where artists like Ed Sheeran began their career.

“Ticket prices for consumers attending arena shows will increase as the dramatic rise in arena’s tax costs will likely trickle through to ticket prices, undermining the government’s own efforts to combat the cost of living crisis. Many of these arenas are seeing 100%+ increases in their business rates liability.

“Smaller arenas in towns and cities across the UK will teeter on the edge of closure, potentially resulting in thousands of jobs losses and hollowing out the cultural spaces that keep places thriving.”

They go on to warn that the government will “undermine its own Industrial Strategy and Creative Sector Plan which committed to reducing barriers to growth for live events”, and will also reduce spending in hotels, bars, restaurants and other high street businesses across the country.

To mitigate the impact of the tax changes, they are calling for an immediate 40% discount on business rates for live venues, in line with film studios, as well as “fundamental reform” to the system used to value commercial properties in the UK, and a “rapid inquiry” into how events spaces are valued.

In response, a Treasury spokesperson told Sky News: “With Covid support ending and valuations rising, some music venues may face higher costs – so we have stepped in to cap bills with a £4.3bn support package and by keeping corporation tax at 25% – the lowest rate in the G7.

“For the music sector, we are also relaxing temporary admission rules to cut the cost of bringing in equipment for gigs, providing 40% orchestra tax relief for live concerts, and investing up to £10m to support venues and live music.”

But Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith told Sky News: “The government has failed to deliver the reform to business rates they promised, and need to change course before more jobs and venues are lost forever.”

The warning from the live music industry comes after small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses warned of the potential for widespread closures due to the changes to the business rates system.

Sky News reported after the budget that the increase in business rates over the next three years following vast increases in the assessed values of commercial properties has left small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses questioning whether their businesses will be viable beyond April next year.

Analysis by UK Hospitality, the trade body that represents hospitality businesses, has found that over the next three years, the average pub will pay an extra £12,900 in business rates, even with the transitional arrangements, while an average hotel will see its bill soar by £205,200.

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A Treasury spokesperson said their cap for small businesses will see “a typical independent pub pay around £4,800 less next year than they otherwise would have”.

“This comes on top of cutting licensing costs to help more venues offer pavement drinks and al fresco dining, maintaining our cut to alcohol duty on draught pints, and capping corporation tax,” they added.

Iceland has announced it is boycotting next year’s Eurovision over Israel’s participation in the competition, saying taking part would “neither be a source of joy nor peace”.

The announcement from Iceland‘s RUV follows withdrawals by broadcasters from the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia.

In a statement, RUV said participation of Israeli national broadcaster KAN had “created disunity” among members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, and the general public.

Israel‘s place in the contest was confirmed at the EBU’s general assembly last week.

The past two events have attracted protests and fan boycotts over Israel’s inclusion amid the country’s military action in Gaza. This year, there were also allegations that voting had been manipulated in favour of their contestant.

After growing criticism, members were asked to vote in a secret ballot last week on whether they were happy with tougher new rules introduced in November, or whether they wanted a second vote on participation for 2026.

The majority agreed the changes were enough, although Sky News understands 11 countries were against accepting these without a further vote.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, Spain’s RTVE, Ireland’s RTE and Slovenia’s RTV immediately issued statements announcing their withdrawal.

Becoming the fifth broadcaster to pull out, RUV made the announcement following a board meeting. It said that while the new rules address many of the concerns it has raised, it believes there are “still doubts” about whether the changes are enough.

Has issue damaged Eurovision?

“RUV has repeadly raised concerns that various Icelandic stakeholders, such as artist associations and the general public, were opposed to participation in the contest,” the statement said. “Furthermore, RUV had requested the EBU to exclude KAN from the contest in accordance to precedents.

“It is a complex matter which has already damaged the contest’s reputation and EBU, emphasising the necessity of a solution for all concerned parties.”

Austria, which will host next year’s show, last week said it was pleased to see Israel allowed to participate. Roland Weissmann, director-general for Austrian broadcaster ORF, said the contest was a “competition for broadcasters, not governments”.

KAN chief executive Golan Yochpaz has said attempts to remove them from the contest could “only be understood as a cultural boycott”.

What have other broadcasters said?

The BBC, which broadcasts Eurovision in the UK, also said it supported the decision.

Earlier on Wednesday, Poland’s TVP confirmed its participation.

In a statement, the broadcaster said it was aware of the scale of the tension surrounding the competition and understood the emotions and concerns raised.

“However, we believe that Eurovision still has a chance to once again become a space filled with music. And only music,” a TVP statement said.

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Despite some pressure from the cultural union in Belgium for a boycott, broadcaster RTBF also confirmed its participation last week.

But the walkouts cast a shadow over what is meant to be a celebration of the unifying power of music.

Countries have pulled out or been banned in previous years – most notably Russia in 2022, just days after the invasion of Ukraine – but this is perhap’s Eurovision’s biggest political crisis.

Noa Kirel, who represented Israel in 2023, told Sky News in an interview in October that while the situation now is “very different” from when she took part in May of that year, she believes it should not be about politics and must “focus on the music”.

Today was the deadline for broadcasters to confirm participation. A final list of competing nations will be published early next week, the EBU said.

In response to RUV’s decision, Eurovision director Martin Green said: “We respect the decision of all broadcasters who have chosen not to participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest and hope to welcome them back soon…

“We look forward to welcoming around 35 broadcasters and their artists to Vienna next May.”