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After appearing on screen with neo-Nazis, violent prisoners, drug addicts and Jimmy Savile, Louis Theroux says he doesn’t shy away from “the troubling side of life”.

But for his latest project, the documentary maker has stepped away from the camera to delve into one of the UK’s most notorious murder cases.

Jeremy Bamber has spent more than three decades in jail after being convicted of fatally shooting his adoptive parents Nevill and June, his sister Sheila Caffell and her six-year-old twin sons, Daniel and Nicholas, in 1985.

White House Farm near Maldon, Essex, where the murders took place
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White House Farm near Maldon, Essex, where the murders took place
Crime murder victims of Jeremy Bamber his adoptive June Bamber his sister mother Sheila Caffell and her sons Nicholas Caffell and Daniel Caffell
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June Bamber (L), her daughter Sheila Caffell and grandchildren Nicholas and Daniel were all killed

He has always protested his innocence and insists the murders at the family’s farmhouse in Essex were committed by Ms Caffell – a model nicknamed “Bambi” who was diagnosed with schizophrenia – before she turned the gun on herself.

It is a version of events that police initially believed, and Theroux says there are “legit” people who think Bamber is serving a whole-life prison term for a crime he didn’t carry out.

“Across the board you’ll find people who believe there were serious problems with the case, in terms of how it was investigated and how it was prosecuted,” he tells Sky News.

“There are things that are quite hard to explain on both sides.

“There was no forensic evidence of his presence at the farm, which is kind of extraordinary.”

Jeremy Bamber is escorted by police: Pic: Anglia Press Agency/Sky UK
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Jeremy Bamber was convicted of murdering five members of his family: Pic: Anglia Press Agency/Sky UK

Theroux says former detective Mark Williams-Thomas – who helped expose Savile’s sexual abuse – is one of those who believes Bamber “didn’t do it”.

He explains: “There’s a lot that’s positive about people attempting to find cases of historic crime in which there may have been an error.

“A lot of them are legit people. There are a lot of prominent journalists who would say they would feel Bamber is innocent.

“It’s not by any means a kind of fringe belief.”

While viewers are used to seeing Theroux feature in his documentaries, he is executive producer of The Bambers: Murder At The Farm, a new four-part series which re-examines the case and explores evidence that has emerged since the original trial.

It features first-hand testimony and previously unseen archive footage, as well as recordings of Bamber talking to a journalist while in jail.

Jeremy Bamber, who has spent 33 years in jail for killing his family
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Bamber, who is serving a whole life prison term, continues to protest his innocence

So does Theroux himself believe Bamber committed the murders?

He remains tight-lipped on that, apologising for being “coy”, but admits the documentary has made him ask questions about who was responsible.

Theroux says: “Whether you think Jeremy Bamber did it or whether you think Sheila did it, both scenarios have anomalies, or at least require one to accept… surprising and in some cases seemingly anomalous details.

“The journey I went on was hearing something and going ‘If Jeremy Bamber did it, how did they explain that?’ – or ‘If Sheila did it, how would they explain that?'”

He adds: “Because of the nature of the case, we’re not in the realm of absolute certainty.”

The Bambers - Murder At The Farm. Pic: Sky UK
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Bamber (R) was branded ‘warped and evil beyond belief’ by a judge. Pic: Sky UK

The documentary’s makers had hoped to interview Bamber, but director Lottie Gammon says the Ministry of Justice refused to allow it.

She says some of those campaigning for Bamber’s release have “legitimate” concerns, including how police treated the murder scene.

“There’s a lot of question marks over their behaviour,” she says.

“No one really clearly explains – because they didn’t really have to during the trial – how did he do this crime? That’s not something that was nailed down.

“Because there are these loose threads, many loose threads, it’s easy for people to look at it and have questions.

“I think this case is quite suited to the online world now of deep diving into these cases – especially over lockdown, these groups have really proliferated.”

Jeremy Bamber (L) is escorted by police. Pic: Anglia Press Agency/Sky UK
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Bamber (L) pictured being escorted by an officer. Pic: Anglia Press Agency/Sky UK

What happened in the White House Farm murders?

  • On 7 August 1985, Jeremy Bamber rings police claiming his father had called him to say his sister Sheila Caffell had ‘gone crazy’ and had a gun
  • Police attend White House Farm and find the bodies of Bamber’s parents Nevill and June, Ms Caffell and her twin sons Nicholas and Daniel
  • Officers initially treat the case as a murder-suicide after Ms Caffell is found with her fingers around the rifle used in the shootings
  • A silencer which allegedly had traces of Ms Caffell’s blood on it is found in a cupboard three days after the murders
  • A month after the killings, Bamber’s then girlfriend, Julie Mugford, tells police he plotted to kill his parents for £436,000 inheritance
  • Bamber is charged with the murders and stands trial in 1986
  • The trial hears expert evidence that Ms Caffell – who had two gunshot wounds – could not have placed the silencer in the cupboard given her injuries from the first shot
  • A jury finds Bamber guilty by majority verdict and he is sentenced to five life prison terms
  • The judge, Mr Justice Drake, calls Bamber ‘warped and evil beyond belief’

Bamber has lost several legal challenges over his conviction since the original trial, including an appeal which was dismissed in 2002.

At the time, the Court of Appeal judges said the more they examined the detail of the case, the more likely they thought that “the jury were right”.

They also concluded there was no conduct by the police or prosecution which would have “adversely affected the jury’s verdict”.

In 2011, Bamber contacted Ofcom over a documentary about him which he claimed invaded his privacy – but the complaint was rejected.

Theroux believes the convicted killer will “probably take issue with parts” of his latest series.

“Whether or not you believe he did it, he’s on a campaign to have himself freed,” he says.

“I think he’d appreciate the fact we’ve done a nuanced and forensic view, but we’ve clearly included material that undermines or disputes that (campaign).”

Jeremy Bamber pictured in October 1985
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Bamber has lost several legal challenges over his conviction

The four-part series, airing on Sky Crime, has been made by Theroux’s production company Mindhouse, which he founded with his wife, producer Nancy Strang, and fellow documentary maker Aaron Fellows.

Now aged 51, Theroux says he intends to keep making documentaries for another “good 25 to 30 years”.

“You could either say that’s a lot or a little,” he adds.

“The stories I most enjoy are not overly cuddly. I think there’s a reason I’ve been on BBC2 for 25 years, as opposed to BBC1.

“I’m interested in stories that have a dimension to them that is in some ways troubling.

“I don’t think you should shy away from the troubling side of life – that’s sort of my bread and butter.”

Louis Theroux is the executive producer of The Bambers: Murder At The Farm. Pic: Freddie Claire
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Louis Theroux is the executive producer of The Bambers: Murder At The Farm. Pic: Freddie Claire

But despite the recent success of his celebrity interview podcast Grounded, a reboot of Theroux’s TV show When Louis Met… – when he famously spent time with the likes of Savile, Max Clifford and Neil and Christine Hamilton – isn’t on the cards.

“I’ve got a lot older. Times have changed, TV’s changed,” he says.

“It would be like doing Weird Weekends again. It would be quite weird, wouldn’t it?

“I would never rule out doing programmes that feature celebrities in… a single person profile, or go on a journey with someone and I’m on camera. I could see that happening and that would be fun.”

The documentary begins airing on Sunday 29 September. Pic: Sky UK

The Bambers: Murder At The Farm will premiere on Sky Crime and NOW on Sunday 26 September at 9pm.

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Oasis tour: What you need to know – and why Cardiff is the first stop

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Oasis tour: What you need to know - and why Cardiff is the first stop

Oasis are set to kick off their reunion tour in Cardiff this weekend, with thousands expected to descend on the Welsh capital.

The 41-date Oasis Live 25 tour begins in the city on Friday and Saturday, amid warnings for people to plan ahead before they travel.

The Gallagher brothers’ last performance together was in 2009, and the tour sold out within hours of its announcement last August, with fans eager to catch a glimpse of the reunion.

But where is the tour heading – and why was Cardiff chosen as the city where the brothers will perform for the first time together in almost 16 years?

When does the tour start and where is it heading?

After Cardiff, Oasis will go on to perform at Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin on their UK and Ireland leg of the tour.

See below for a full list of tour dates:

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Oasis tour dates

  • Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales – Friday 4 July
  • Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales – Saturday 5 July
  • Heaton Park, Manchester, England – Friday 11 July
  • Heaton Park, Manchester, England – Saturday 12 July
  • Heaton Park, Manchester, England – Wednesday 16 July
  • Heaton Park, Manchester, England – Saturday 19 July
  • Heaton Park, Manchester, England – Sunday 20 July
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Friday 25 July
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Saturday 26 July
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Wednesday 30 July
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Saturday 2 August
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Sunday 3 August
  • Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland – Friday 8 August
  • Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland – Saturday 9 August
  • Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland – Tuesday 12 August
  • Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland – Saturday 16 August
  • Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland – Sunday 17 August
  • Toronto, Canada – Sunday 24 August
  • Toronto, Canada – Monday 25 August
  • Chicago, USA – Thursday 28 August
  • East Rutherford, USA – Sunday 31 August
  • East Rutherford, USA – Monday 1 September
  • Los Angeles, USA – Saturday 6 September
  • Los Angeles, USA – Sunday 7 September
  • Mexico City, Mexico – Friday 12 September
  • Mexico City, Mexico – Saturday 13 September
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Saturday 27 September
  • Wembley Stadium, London, England – Sunday 28 September
  • Seoul, South Korea – Tuesday 21 October
  • Tokyo, Japan – Saturday 25 October
  • Tokyo, Japan – Sunday 26 October
  • Melbourne, Australia – Friday 31 October
  • Melbourne, Australia – Saturday 1 November
  • Melbourne, Australia – Tuesday 4 November
  • Sydney, Australia – Friday 7 November
  • Sydney, Australia – Saturday 8 November
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina – Saturday 15 November
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina – Sunday 16 November
  • Santiago, Chile – Wednesday 19 November
  • São Paulo, Brazil – Saturday 22 November
  • São Paulo, Brazil – Sunday 23 November
Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Pic: PA
Image:
Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Pic: PA

Why was Cardiff picked as the first stop?

Asked on X in May why Cardiff was chosen as the location for the opening leg, Liam Gallagher said “because Cardiff is the bollox”.

Principality Stadium is a 74,500-seat venue, known as the home of Welsh rugby, which played host to Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift concerts last year.

Businesses in the area are hoping the arrival of Oasis will bring an influx of trade to the city.

Gary Corp, manager of the City Arms, told Sky News that he was expecting the concert would “treble if not quadruple the footfall on the street”.

Meanwhile, Ethan John, events manager at Tiny Rebel, said Oasis choosing Cardiff to kick off their tour was “surreal” and that previous events such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour had a “massive impact” on footfall.

What travel advice is there in Cardiff?

Train operators say trains will be busy and people should allow plenty of time for their journey home.

Georgie Wills, from Transport for Wales, said the company was “thrilled to welcome thousands to Cardiff this summer”.

“Look out for our queuing systems and travel tips – and let’s make it a safe and smooth experience for everyone,” she added.

Cardiff Council has confirmed that roads around the stadium will close from 12pm until 12am on both Friday and Saturday.

The road closures come into force three hours earlier than is planned for upcoming Stereophonics, Kendrick Lamar and Catfish and the Bottlemen concerts later this summer.

The Cardiff Bus Interchange will close at 3pm and Cardiff Queen Street railway station will close at 10pm (apart from accessible travel or journeys to Cardiff Bay).

Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher (right). Pic: PA.
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Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher (right). Pic: PA

What time does the show start and who are the support acts?

Principality Stadium’s doors open at 5pm on both Friday and Saturday.

The band will be supported by indie rock band Cast and Richard Ashcroft (who formed alternative rock band the Verve) in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Cast start their Cardiff set at 6pm, followed by Richard Ashcroft at 7pm.

Oasis will take to the stage at 8.15pm, and should finish by 10.30pm.

American rock band Cage the Elephant will support Oasis in Canada, Mexico and at the Chicago gig.

They will be joined again by Cast for the East Rutherford and Pasadena dates.

Australian indie rock band Ball Park Music will support in Australia.

Are tickets still available for the shows?

The tour is sold out, but the band has said it is possible some additional tickets may be released.

In an Instagram post on 25 June, the band advised members of Oasismynet to “keep an eye” on their inbox.

The final releases would come “over the coming days” once production was “fine tuned”, the band said.

Read more from Sky News:
The Gallagher brothers back together
The story of the rock ‘n’ roll brothers so far

What’s the weather going to be like?

Cardiff is set to be cloudy with sunny intervals on Friday afternoon, with highs of 21C and lows of 15C.

On Saturday, however, it will be slightly cooler with light rain during the afternoon, before clearing up in the evening.

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Oasis reunion: It felt like it might never happen – but the Gallagher brothers are finally back

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Oasis reunion: It felt like it might never happen - but the Gallagher brothers are finally back

Listening to Noel Gallagher over the years, for a long time it didn’t feel like this was part of the masterplan.

He has spoken several times of the difficult decision he made to quit Oasis in 2009. The band was his life and the choice not made lightly, but ending things then was the best thing for everyone, he told Sky Arts a few years ago. The fact they didn’t continue was a big part of the reason they are now “up there with all the greats”.

The older Gallagher brother was well aware that the years apart – the brothers’ often funny but frustrating feud, the unanswered question of whether they would ever bury the hatchet and the hope that maybe, one day, it might just happen – all amplified their legend.

Liam and Noel Gallagher. Pic: Simon Emmett
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The Gallagher brothers got together for this picture in July, their first photograph together in years. Pic: Simon Emmett

Rumours have come and gone over the years, propelled in no small part by messages from Liam Gallagher on social media. He often teased, but never made any secret of wanting to bring Oasis back. The sticking point seemed to be Noel.

But in 2022, Liam played gigs at Knebworth – the site of Oasis’s most famous, history-making gigs. Last year, he got in early to mark the anniversary of their debut album Definitely Maybe with his own solo tour, no sign of the man who wrote the songs.

Noel created the music; Liam brings it snarlingly, viscerally alive. Him doing those shows alone felt like it could be a death knell for a reunion. When asked about Liam by a fan during one of his shows with his current band, the High Flying Birds, last summer, Noel reportedly said his younger brother should be “thankful for my genius” and told the crowd: “Just remember who wrote all the f***ing songs.”

The Definitely Maybe cover has been reworked to mark the 30th anniversary of the album, with the band now removed from the image. Pic: Oasis/Michael Spencer Jones/ Microdot
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Pic: Oasis/Michael Spencer Jones

‘They hadn’t spoken in goodness knows how long’

Even last year’s new artwork for Definitely Maybe (pictured above), released for the 30th anniversary, showed a reworking of that famous album cover – shot at guitarist Bonehead’s house in Manchester – this time with the band members absent from the room. With no Liam on the floorboards, no Noel staring up at the spinning globe, it felt like a statement: Oasis really had left the building.

Designer Brian Cannon, who worked on the artwork for all of Oasis’s early music and now runs the Microdot memorabilia stores, says he was as surprised as anyone by the reunion announcement.

“A lot of people say to me, it’s all a big marketing ploy,” he says, of the brothers’ fall-out. “No, it isn’t, they genuinely hadn’t spoken to each other for goodness knows how long. And Noel’s got a very successful solo career that he’s very content with and doing very well. I didn’t see this coming, I really didn’t.”

Photographer Michael Spencer Jones, who captured the images for all the Oasis albums and singles in the band’s heyday, says the sibling rivalry was always there. “It’s such a major part of the potion that was Oasis.”

Read more:
Cool Britannia: Life in the UK in the ’90s
A timeline of Britpop’s most successful band

Noel Gallagher sings as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds perform, at Twickenham Stadium, London, Britain, July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
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Noel Gallagher has had success with the High Flying Birds. Pic: Reuters/Dylan Martinez

But there had been whispers for months, reports from industry insiders saying it was only a matter of time. In January 2023, Noel announced his separation from his now ex-wife Sara MacDonald, who did not get on with Liam, leading to speculation he might become more open to making amends.

Then last year, following reports of shows booked for Wembley, fans once again pointed to teases from Liam on social media – “I never did like that word FORMER” he posted in the days before the announcement – and an interview given by Noel in which he spoke in complimentary terms about his little brother’s voice: “When I’d sing a song it would sound good. When he’d sing it, it would sound great.”

Neither of these things made a reunion a certainty. While Noel may not have liked his brother at times, he never underestimated the shared power their bristling sibling rivalry brought to Oasis. “I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without him, he wouldn’t have got anywhere without me,” he told journalists at an awards ceremony in 2019.

File photo dated 29/06/19 of Liam Gallagher, who along with pop band Haim and electronic duo The Chemical Brothers, will headline the next Latitude music festival, it has been announced.
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Liam Gallagher has been performing as a solo artist for several years. Pic: PA

‘The stars have aligned’ – but statement gives little away

Oasis in their heyday were like no other live band. The shows were electrifying, the energy raw, in an era of optimism and fun in the 1990s that the Gallagher brothers defined. In later years, Noel may not have been a fan of the Cool Britannia tag, but that’s exactly what it was.

So now, will this reunion just be about the gigs? Will there be new music? Could the Gallagher brothers even be friends again?

The reunion statement gave little away. “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.” Further details said there was “no great revelatory moment”, but rather “the gradual realisation that the time is right” – but the Gallaghers have still not really addressed the small matter of not being on speaking terms for years. We want to know who reached out first? How did they finally come to an agreement? And what did their mum, Peggy, say about her sons finally getting their acts together?

Whatever has happened behind the scenes, the frost has definitely thawed. In 2020, Liam said Oasis had been offered £100m to reform – a claim quickly denied by Noel, who suggested the remark was a publicity move to promote a single. The deal they have signed now is worth millions. But even before the announcement was made, Liam was quick to put anyone suggesting this was only about the money in their place.

“Your attitude stinks” was his reply to anyone questioning their motives. Positivity received a different response: “Your attitude is BIBLICAL.”

Read more:
‘Everyone was out of control in the ’90s’
The ‘unsolvable conundrum’ of Oasis’s biggest album

You only have to look at the crowds at Liam’s solo shows – full of teenagers, as well as those of us who were there the first time round – to see how the music has filtered through generations. The singer has said several times he would like younger fans to see the full Oasis live experience.

Now, they just have to deliver.

“There’s two schools of thoughts on this and at one time I would have fallen into the latter,” says Cannon. “One being: great, yes, fantastic. The second: no, leave it be, let it lie, it’s gone, you might tarnish the past.

“But. We’re living through strange times in this country at the minute, globally as well. There’s a lot of division, recent events have been quite shocking. [A reunion] will undoubtedly bring a lot of happiness to a lot of people and I’m all in favour of a lot of people being happy. So, yeah, it’s got to be a good thing.”

“There should be an album, I think,” says Spencer Jones. “It would be great if there was more music to come.”

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of their second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Both Noel and Liam will be well aware of the expectation, how much these shows mean to fans.

Get them wrong, and there’s the potential for the legacy, the memories, to be spoiled.

Get them right, and Oasis live forever – all over again.

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Michael Madsen, who starred in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies aged 67

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Michael Madsen, who starred in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies aged 67

Actor Michael Madsen, who starred in a number of Quentin Tarantino films, has died at the age of 67, according to Sky’s US partner NBC News.

Chicago-born Madsen died on Thursday morning from cardiac arrest, his manager, Ron Smith said.

He appeared in dozens of films during a career that spanned more than 40 years, with screen credits including Thelma and Louise, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco and Sin City.

But he was well known for his collaborations with Tarantino, who cast him in Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Tributes poured in for Madsen, whose career started in the 80s.

Captain America co-director Joe Russo posted a picture of Madsen in Reservoir Dogs and said on X: “Michael Madsen ALWAYS had bite. RIP.”

“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.

More from Ents & Arts

“Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently being edited. Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”

Michael Madsen played Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. Pic: THA/Shutterstock
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Michael Madsen played Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. Pic: THA/Shutterstock

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