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David Jason has been forced to postpone an Only Fools And Horses convention due to health issues, telling fans it’s “not a decision I took at all lightly”.

The event was due to have taken place over the weekend, but has now been pushed back to early next year.

Jason‘s agent confirmed to Sky News the 83-year-old star will be undergoing hip replacement surgery.

Jason – who became a household name playing one of TV’s most beloved comedy characters – Del Boy – for nearly 30 years shared a Facebook message with fans, apologising for the postponement.

He wrote: “I am so very sorry for the disappointment and all the inconvenience it may cause but we are having to change the date of the forthcoming Only Fools and Horses Convention.

“Unfortunately, I have just been advised I need a new bionic body part fitted. I won’t tell you which part it is, or you will all want one!

“And don’t worry it’s not being supplied by Monkey Harris, it’ll be the pukka gear”.

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Monkey Harris was an unseen business associate of Del Boy’s in Only Fools And Horses.

“I really hope everyone will be able to make the new date (January 13th and 14th) and we can all have something cushty to look forward to!”

Calling the convention “such an enjoyable celebration,” he said it was a “privilege” to meet fans, but said “I want to do it with the smile on my face I always have had”.

He went on to say “it was not a decision I took at all lightly,” adding that he hoped fans “understand my situation”.

He signed off his note by saying, “Hoping to be lovely jubbly when I meet you in the new year. All cushty wishes until then”.

Jason’s operation follows a fall in his home in Buckinghamshire in 2022, which happened after the star contracted COVID.

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It’s not yet known which other stars will appear at the convention, which will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Milton Keynes.

Created by writer John Sullivan, Only Fools And Horses ran from 1981 to 2003, with Jason appearing in every one of the 64 episodes alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played his younger brother Rodney.

Jason has starred in numerous TV shows outside of Only Fools And Horses, including Open All Hours, Porridge, A Touch Of Frost, The Darling Buds Of May, several Terry Pratchett TV adaptations and voice work on children’s shows including Danger Mouse and Count Duckula.

He was knighted in 2005 for services to acting and comedy.

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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
Image:
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
Image:
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
Image:
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.

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“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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TV presenter Jay Blades appears in court charged with two counts of rape

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TV presenter Jay Blades appears in court charged with two counts of rape

TV presenter Jay Blades has appeared in court charged with two counts of rape.

The 55-year-old appeared via video link at Telford Magistrates’ Court and spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth at the six-minute hearing on Wednesday.

Blades, from Claverley in Shropshire, was granted conditional bail to appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 10 September.

He was not required to enter pleas during his first appearance.

The presenter found fame on the furniture restoration programme The Repair Shop after he started presenting in 2017.

A furniture restorer, he was the face of the popular BBC show that featured people having their treasured objects repaired and rejuvenated until he stepped back from presenting the programme last year.

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Blades was also the presenter of the BBC’s Money For Nothing until 2020 and took part in Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity Bake Off, and Comic Relief.

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