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Glasgow or Liverpool have been announced as the final two UK cities in the running to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

The two remaining cities had “the strongest overall offer”, with a final decision to be made “within weeks”, the broadcaster said.

The BBC appeared to drop a strong hint earlier in the day, with BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent telling viewers: “This morning – listen very carefully to what I’m saying – ahead of an expected update from our BBC entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson we’re going to be looking at the situation in Manchester.”

After taking a look at how Manchester is hoping to secure the contest, Nugent, 51, said: “As we said earlier, later on today we are expecting an update from the BBC.”

She added: “As soon as we know, you will know.”

Kalush Orchestra sold their Eurovision trophy
Pic:AP
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Kalush Orchestra’s song Stephania has become an anthem in war-torn Ukraine. Pic: AP

Liverpool, which has been a Unesco City of Music since 2015, has a rich music heritage and of course is known worldwide as the birthplace of The Beatles.

Glasgow meanwhile is home to the OVO Hydro arena, which features in the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – with the city previously rumoured to be a favourite location to host the contest for the UK.

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Ukraine won this year’s competition, with Kalush Orchestra taking the top spot.

However, the Eurovision Broadcasting Union (EBU) ruled the event could not be held in the country next year as the risk of Russian air raids and mass casualties was too high.

The UK took second place in Eurovision 2022, with Sam Ryder’s Space Man.

Last month, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester were all shortlisted to host the international contest in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.

Cities were initially judged on criteria including having a venue that can host at least 10,000 people, and access to an international airport.

Eurovision is the world’s biggest live music event – the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest reached a global audience of more than 180 million across TV and digital platforms.

The BBC will air the 2023 competition on behalf of Ukraine’s national broadcaster, UA:PBC.

As winners, Ukraine will get automatic entry into the final next year, alongside what are known as “the big five” nations (the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany), which contribute the most financially to the event.

Ukraine is expected to have a big part in putting the show together.

The 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in May 2023.

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Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash court case due to start in US after man accused her of seriously injuring him in ‘hit-and-run’

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Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash court case due to start in US after man accused her of seriously injuring him in 'hit-and-run'

Gwyneth Paltrow is expected in court in the US over claims she seriously injured a man in a “hit-and-run” skiing crash in 2016.

She is accused of skiing “out of control” and hitting retired optometrist Terry Sanderson at Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

He claimed that Paltrow crashed into him, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries”.

Mr Sanderson first sued Paltrow in 2019, seeking $3.1m (£2.5m) in damages.

He is now seeking $300,000 (£245,000) after that claim was dropped.

The original 2019 claim stated that after hitting him, “Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured”.

It also said a Deer Valley ski instructor who had been training Paltrow saw Mr Sanderson had been injured but made no attempt to help him.

The instructor did not send for help and later accused Mr Sanderson of having caused the crash in a “false report to protect his client”, the claim said.

Read more from Sky News:
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The actress countersued for a symbolic $1, saying it was Mr Sanderson who had caused the crash and delivered a full “body blow”.

Paltrow’s claim said she was shaken by the collision and stopped skiing with her family for the day.

It added that Mr Sanderson apologised to her and said he was fine.

Paltrow is due to attend court today and is expected to testify, according to reports from local media.

The trial is scheduled to last for eight days.

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Sarah Snook: Succession star reveals pregnancy at final season premiere

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Sarah Snook: Succession star reveals pregnancy at final season premiere

Succession star Sarah Snook has revealed she is pregnant with her first child during the red-carpet premiere of the final season of the show.

The 35-year-old Australian actress told reporters she felt “great” about her impending motherhood.

As one quarter of the show’s feuding Roy brood, she plays Shiv, who along with brothers Connor, Kendall and Roman, face a constant battle to impress their demanding father Logan Roy.

Attending the event in New York on Monday in a black fitted jumpsuit and long silver cardigan, she told US outlet Extra that she had brought along “someone I have not met, but am intimate with”.

Asked if she had learned anything about being a parent from Succession, she said: “What not to do.”

“I don’t think the Roy family are a paragon of family values, I don’t think we can really be looking to them for guidance.”

Snook later told Entertainment Tonight that the news was “exciting” adding: “I feel great.”

She married Australian comedian Dave Lawson in 2021.

Written by British screenwriter Jesse Armstrong, the upcoming fourth season of Succession is highly anticipated, not least because it has been confirmed it will be its final series.

(R-L): Jeremy Strong, Snook and Kieran Culkin. Pic: Sky Atlantic
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(R-L): Jeremy Strong, Snook and Kieran Culkin. Pic: Sky Atlantic

Fans have followed the dysfunctional Roy family through three series as they fight for control over a media empire. It stars several household names, including Snook, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen.

Read more:
Gwyneth Paltrow to appear in court accused of injuring man

Bruce Willis celebrates his 68th birthday following dementia diagnosis

Cox, who stars as Logan Roy, said despite its success, ending the show now was the right thing to do.

He said: “I think it’s great… It’s good television, [it] doesn’t try to be infinite as it sometimes does. It repeats itself. Shows go on far too long. The genius is Jesse Armstrong and also the genius of his writers as well.

“They know there is an element of finite, and they finish it because each season has to top the next season. So, you have to make the fourth season the best season so far.”

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The final trailer for the fourth season of Succession was released earlier this month.

The show will pick up after the Roy siblings’ failed coup and their father’s proposal to sell Waystar RoyCo.

This season will again feature Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard, playing tech mogul Lukas Matsson – the man set to take over the media empire.

Season 4 of Succession airs in the UK exclusively on Sky Atlantic from 27 March.

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Bruce Willis sings and blows out candles as he celebrates 68th birthday following dementia diagnosis

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Bruce Willis sings and blows out candles as he celebrates 68th birthday following dementia diagnosis

Bruce Willis has celebrated his 68th birthday with a song and a cake, surrounded by his family, after it was announced he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) earlier this year.

A video shared by his ex-wife Demi Moore showed the Hollywood star singing happy birthday while surrounded by his daughters, Moore and his wife Emma Heming, before blowing out two candles on an apple pie.

Relatives of the Hollywood star said in March 2022 that he would be “stepping away” from his successful career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities.

Moore, 60, wrote alongside the Instagram post: “Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today. Love you and love our family.

“Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes – we all feel them.”

Heming, 44, also shared an emotional post on Instagram, describing the feelings of “sadness” and “grief” she said she experienced as a caregiver to someone with dementia, adding: “I’m really feeling it today on his birthday.”

Becoming tearful as she ended the short video, she thanked fans for their support, saying: “As much as I do it for myself, I do it for you because I know how much you love my husband.”

Starring in more than 100 films over four decades, Willis has appeared in box office hits including Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys and The Sixth Sense, earning him fans worldwide.

Read more:
What is frontotemporal dementia (FTD)?

Bruce Willis’s wife asks paparazzi not to ‘yell’ at him

Hemming also shared a collection of videos and photos of Willis spending time with his family and playing with his children.

She captioned the post: “He is pure love. He is so loved. And I’ll be loving him always. Happy Birthday my sweet.

“My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it.

“Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too.”

Willis has five daughters, sharing his three eldest – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah – with Moore whom he married in 1987, and his younger daughters Mabel and Evelyn with Hemming, who he married in 2009.

Willis and Moore separated in 2000, but remain on good terms.

Rumer marked her father’s birthday by posting the same video of everyone singing happy birthday and wrote: “Happy Birthday Daddio I love you to the moon. You are so cool.”

Scout captioned the video in her post: “Also though, today has been PROFOUNDLY JOYFULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!! HAPPY BW’S BIRTHDAY TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE !!!!”

Tallulah shared a selection of photos of her father from throughout the years on her Instagram, writing: “Happy birthday to my numero uno Bruno !!

“Feeling awash with all the good energies and love headed this Willis way! I love him and he loves me – what a delight!”

FTD is a degenerative brain disorder characterized by deterioration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes, according to the Association of Frontotemporal Deterioration (AFTD).

They list symptoms including uncharacteristic personality changes, apathy, and unexplained struggles with decision-making, speaking or language comprehension are among the most common presenting symptoms.

There are currently no treatments for FTD.

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