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Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stone’s long-time drummer and lover of all things jazz, passed away this week.

He was 80 years old.

Watts, who had celebrated his birthday in June, joined the Rolling Stones in 1963.

He had grown up in Wembley, north London, and met fellow Stone, Mick Jagger, as a teenager.

Sky News has dug through archives to show Watts’ extraordinary life in pictures.

Charlie Watts in 1964
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1964: Charlie Watts – a year after joining the Rolling Stones
Charlie Watts with his wife Shirley in 1964. Pic: John Schute/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
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1964: Charlie Watts with his wife Shirley, who he married in that year – they had met before he joined the Stones. Pic: John Schute/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
The Rolling Stones performing in 1964. Pic: Bill Orchard/Shutterstock
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1964: The Rolling Stones performing, with Watts on the drums at the back. Pic: Bill Orchard/Shutterstock
The Rolling Stones perform on Frost On Saturday in 1968. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
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1968: Watts performing with The Rolling Stones on the short-lived Frost On Saturday. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
Rock And Roll Circus in 1968. Pic: David Magnus/Shutterstock
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1968: The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus – where the group organised a show featuring Jethro Tull, The Who and John Lennon in a circus tent. Pic: David Magnus/Shutterstock
1969
New member Mick Taylor (c) joins the Rolling Stones to replace lead guitarist Brian Jones, pictured in Hyde Park, London. (l-r) Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.
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1969: Watts is on the right here, as new member Mick Taylor (middle) joins The Rolling Stones, replacing Brian Jones who the band fired, shortly before his death the same year
Elton John and Charlie Watts in 1975. Pic: Dezo Hoffman/Shutterstock
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1975: Elton John paid tribute to Charlie Watts following the announcement of his death – here they are together in the 70s. Pic: Dezo Hoffman/Shutterstock
Charlie Watts's Jazz Band playing at Ronnie Scott's club in 1985. Pic: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
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1985: He wasn’t just the Stone’s drummer though – here he is with his jazz band playing at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s club. Pic: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
1986 Grammy Awards Presentation at the Kensington Roof Gardens Charlie Watts with His Wife Shirley and Daughter Seraphina. Pic: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
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1986: Watts with his family at the Grammy Awards Presentation at the Kensington Roof Gardens. Pic: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
1990: Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts blowing out the candles on Ronnie and Charlie's birthday cake. Ronnie is 43 years old and Charlie is 49 years old. Pic: Eugene Adebari/Shutterstock
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1990: Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts blowing out the candles on Ronnie and Charlie’s birthday cake. Ronnie is 43 years old and Charlie is 49. Pic: Eugene Adebari/Shutterstock
Watts and his jazz group "The Tentet" performing in Barcelona in 2001.
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2001: Watts and jazz group The Tentet performing in Barcelona
New York, 2002. Pic: Richard Young/Shutterstock
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2002: The Rolling Stones in New York promoting their tour – they had been together for an incredible 40 years that year. Pic: Richard Young/Shutterstock
Charlie Watts performing with the band 'The ABC & D of Boogie Woogie' at the Casino in Herisau Switzerland. Pic: Ennio Leanza/EPA/Shutterstock
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2010: Watts performing with the band ‘The ABC & D of Boogie Woogie’ at the Casino in Herisau Switzerland. Pic: Ennio Leanza/EPA/Shutterstock
"To Michael, I was wrong it was a great day". Pic courtesy of Emily Eavis
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2013: An apparent festival cynic, he sent this photo to the Eavis family after playing Glastonbury – “To Michael, I was wrong – it was a great day”. Pic courtesy of Emily Eavis
2013 - Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones perform on stage during Barclaycard British Summer Time in Hyde Park, London.
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2013: Still going strong – The Rolling Stones performing on stage during Barclaycard British Summer Time in Hyde Park after headlining Glastonbury the same year.
The Rolling Stones arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel in 2014. Pic: Israel Sun/Shutterstock
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2014: The Rolling Stones arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel – still clocking up the air miles. Pic: Israel Sun/Shutterstock
2018: Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones during their gig at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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2018: Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts during a Rolling Stones gig at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland

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Comedian Milton Jones reveals he’s cancer free

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Comedian Milton Jones reveals he's cancer free

Comedian Milton Jones has revealed he is cancer free after being treated for prostate cancer.

In April, the 61-year-old, who is known for his appearances on Mock The Week, announced he was cancelling a number of UK tour dates to undergo surgery.

Jones said in a statement: “A few months ago, I had to stop my tour HA!MILTON because I needed treatment for prostate cancer. I’m glad to say I’ve had that treatment and am now cancer-free!

“So, many thanks to all the doctors and nurses who helped me get better – I couldn’t do their job (I tried, but apparently you have to be qualified).”

Thanking his family, friends and fans, he went on to joke: “I have to admit there were a few dark moments when I wondered if anyone would ever see me again, but then I realised that I was leaning against the light switch.

“Thankfully, I’m now in a completely different place, and if you look at my website, you’ll see that very soon I’ll be in lots of other different places on tour too”.

Jones picks up his tour on 15 September in Stafford, touring until the end of November 2025.

The show, whose name is a play on the title of the hit musical Hamilton, promises laughter and unforgettable comedy moments, as well as jokes about giraffes and tomatoes.

The Richmond-born comedian has been hailed as the king of the one-liner, basing his jokes on clever wordplay and surreal humour.

He has performed on Live At The Apollo, Lee Mack’s All Star Cast, and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

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Entertainment

Taylor Swift reveals release date for new album

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Taylor Swift reveals release date for new album

Taylor Swift has revealed the release date for her new album, The Life Of A Showgirl.

The pop megastar announced her 12th studio album earlier this week but didn’t give many details.

Now, in social media posts and an appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s sports podcast, Swift revealed just what fans can expect from the new album.

Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast. Pic: New Heights
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Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast. Pic: New Heights

The Life of Showgirl, written during the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour, will be released on 3 October.

It consists of 12 songs, including the title track that features pop star Sabrina Carpenter.

The full track list is:

1. The Fate Of Ophelia
2. Elizabeth Taylor
3. Opalite
4. Father Figure
5. Eldest Daughter
6. Ruin The Friendship
7. Actually Romantic
8. Wi$h Li$t
9. Wood
10. Cancelled!
11. Honey
12. The Life Of A Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)

Long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, two Swedish producers who worked with Swift on some of her biggest hits, joined the pop star for this album.

Within four hours of posting the full podcast episode on YouTube, it had already gathered 4.7m views.

The cover of Taylor Swift's newly announced album. Pic: Republic Records
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The cover of Taylor Swift’s newly announced album. Pic: Republic Records

The back cover of Taylor Swift's 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl. Pic: 	Republic Records
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The back cover of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl. Pic: Republic Records

‘The hardest-working star in pop’

The album follows last year’s The Tortured Poets Department, which was released during the Eras tour.

That tour, with shows on five continents and in 51 cities, raked in more than $2.2bn (£1.62bn) and was the highest-grossing tour of all time.

Read more about Taylor Swift:
Swift’s final London show was the ‘best’
The impact of the ‘excruciating’ Era’s tour
Her new chart record

“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said during her podcast appearance.

Sky News culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow said after her globe-trotting tour and a swathe of re-releases over recent years, the new album cemented Swift’s reputation “as the hardest-working star in pop”.

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Harvey Weinstein to be tried for third time in New York after mistrial on rape charge

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Harvey Weinstein to be tried for third time in New York after mistrial on rape charge

Disgraced US film producer Harvey Weinstein is to be tried for a third time in a sexual assault case.

A jury in New York could not reach a verdict in June against the 73-year-old who was accused of raping actress Jessica Mann, and a mistrial was declared.

Judge Curtis Farber has said he wants the new trial to happen before the end of this year.

The same jury found Weinstein guilty in June of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and not guilty of assaulting Polish former runway model Kaja Sokola the same year.

Weinstein will be sentenced for the guilty verdict in Ms Haley’s case on 30 September.

He denied all of the charges. Throughout the retrial, his lawyers insisted the sexual encounters with his three accusers were “transactional” and “consensual,” and labelled the women as opportunists.

Weinstein was originally convicted of rape and criminal sexual act by the same court in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for the crimes.

Last year, however, New York’s highest court overturned the conviction, prompting Weinstein’s retrial this summer.

Weinstein was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood – the co-founder of film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company, who produced films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game.

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In 2017, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him propelled the #MeToo movement.

Some of those accusations later led to criminal charges and his convictions in New York and California.

Before the retrial, Weinstein was also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape in California in December 2022. He has also denied this charge.

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