Olivia Colman is not on social media – or at least the real Olivia Colman isn’t.
The Oscar-winning star tells Sky News: “Apparently there are people who are [pretending] to be me, but I don’t have it, so I can’t see it.”
Image: (L-R) Jessie Buckley and Colman. Pic: StudioCanal
Despite an impressive three-decade career (and counting), and a reputation teetering on national treasure, it’s the fear of negative comments that keeps her offline.
She explains: “I’m not brave enough. I know it would hurt. I’m not very thick skinned, and so I don’t want to know. I would rather pretend that no one ever sees a film that we make, actually.
“We’ve had a lovely time. We really hope to do something to make people enjoy it. So, when people go, ‘Oh, I don’t like it’, it does hurt, because a lot of effort goes into something.
“Constructive criticism [is] fine. But [not] when someone just goes, ‘I don’t like it’…”
From earning her TV stripes back in the early noughties in point of view comedy Peep Show, to playing Queen Anne in The Favourite, which saw her successfully break America and bag an Academy Award in 2018, her CV would seem to offer very little for even the harshest viewer to pick holes in.
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Guest appearances in critically acclaimed shows including Fleabag and more recently The Bear further commend her judicious career choices.
She’s currently starring in Wicked Little Letters, a comedy drama based on a stranger-than-life true story of a poison pen letter scandal which ran wild in rural Sussex in the 1920s.
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It was a sensation that found its way from the small seaside town of Littlehampton to the Houses of Parliament and was consulted upon with the home secretary of the time.
‘She does something weird with her face’
Colman’s co-star Jessie Buckley shares in the frustration of unsolicited, and unhelpful feedback from onlookers.
After much time spent preparing for a role, she says such comments as, “Oh, she does something weird with her face,” can grate.
In an age where everyone has an opinion – and feels entitled to share it – the movie has clear parallels to be drawn with the modern-day phenomenon of online trolling.
It’s a behaviour Colman largely puts down to repression.
‘Sticks and stones…’
“I can only assume [the people who do it] are not happy in their lives because it’s a very cruel thing, maybe they don’t understand the hurt they might be causing.
“When there have been people who have confronted their online trolls, and they’ve gone, ‘Oh!’ and burst into tears, and gone ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you’…
“That’s fascinating that often they are people who have something that they can’t deal with or can’t get out.
“It’s a little bit of power they have, but it’s awful the effect it can have. We know that. We know people who’ve really been so hurt by it and done terrible things to themselves.
“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh words can’t hurt you’. But words are the worst.
“That old adage, sticks and stones may break my bones… But it’s not true. You never get can delete them if someone’s been cruel.”
‘We’d be brilliant together’
Colman describes it as “eternally startling” to see women failing to support each another, and even attacking one other, adding, “women should big each other up and protect each other and love each other”.
Buckley agrees: “People do these things because they want to be seen ultimately. But if you have something to say, say it to my face.
“We women have so much amazing life force inside. If we stopped all that s****, we’d be brilliant. We’d be brilliant together. [Women are] much bigger than the space that we’re often contained within.”
Wicked Little Letters, also starring Timothy Spall, Anjana Vasan and Joanna Scanlan, is in cinemas now.
Austria has won Eurovision 2025, with Austrian-Filipino singer-songwriter JJ taking the glass microphone.
The 24-year-old singer, who originally trained as a countertenor, represented his country with his operatic ballad Wasted Love, staged on a storm-tossed ship.
The song, which was not dissimilar to that of last year’s winner Nemo, told the story of unrequited love, with a techno breakdown near the end. Austria has won Eurovision twice before, the last time in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s pop hit Rise Like A Phoenix.
Image: JJ singing Wasted Love for Austria. Pic: Reuters
Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who survived the October 7, 2023, attacks which were the catalyst for Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, was the runner-up with piano ballad New Day Will Rise, performed in Hebrew, French and English.
The singer was left “shaken and upset,” after two pro-Palestinian protesters rushed towards her during her grand final performance.
Organisers confirmed a backstage crew member was hit with paint but was not hurt.
A spokesman for SRG SSR said: “At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage.
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“They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.”
Israel has won Eurovision four times, and last year finished in fifth place with Eden Golan’s Hurricane.
Image: Yuval Raphael performs New Day Will Rise for Israel. Pic:AP
Just as the grand final began broadcasting, Spanish broadcaster shared a message of Palestinian support which read: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.”
The broadcaster had already received a warning from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) over political statements reported by Israeli broadcaster Kan.
The EBU said in response to the latter incident: “We can confirm that we have spoken to RTVE regarding this matter and made it clear that commentators are expected to maintain neutrality within the broadcasts of the Eurovision Song Contest.”
During the evening, there were also pro-Palestinian protests near the centre of Basel, as well as a small group nearby protesting with Israeli flags.
Israeli National Security Council had issued a warning to Israeli civilians in the city to keep a low profile during the competition.
In a change from last year’s contest in Malmo, Sweden, the ban on certain flags being waved by the audience was relaxed which meant Palestinian symbols could be seen in the arena.
Image: Remember Monday perform What The Hell Just Happened for the UK. Pic: AP
The UK’s act – country pop trio Remember Monday – who performed in colourful Bridgerton-style outfits – avoided the dreaded “nul points”, coming in at 19th place with song What The Hell Just Happened?
However, for the second year running, the UK received no points in the public score.
The UK has had five wins at Eurovision, but in recent years have struggled to rank, with the exception being Sam Ryder with Space Man in 2022, who came second.
Last year, Olly Alexander placed 18th at Malmo, and Mae Muller was second to last the previous year in Liverpool.
The Eurovision grand final took place in the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, with the winner from among the 26 performing nations decided by a mix of public voting and points from national juries.
The four-hour-long show was presented by an all-female team – stand-up comedian Hazel Brugger, TV presenter Michelle Hunziker and Eurovision veteran Sandra Studer.
There were performances by previous Eurovision runners-up Croatia’s Baby Lasagna and Finland’s Kaarija, as well as last year’s winner Nemo during the night.
Image: KAJ perform Bara Bada Bastu for Sweden. Pic: AP
Sweden had been widely tipped to win with their sauna-themed entry Bara Bada Bastu (Just Sauna), but ended up coming fourth.
Ukraine, who have made a strong showing each since they first entered the competition in 2003, and who won in 2023, came ninth.
Last year protests and politics overshadowed the singing event amid the outbreak of war in Gaza, with some calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest.
Last year also saw Dutch singer Joost Klein kicked out of the competition by the EBU over alleged verbal threats to a female production worker, which he denied.
Next year’s competition, Eurovision’s 70th, will be held in Austria.
A second man has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after an incident at a London nightclub that allegedly involved US singer Chris Brown.
The Metropolitan Police said Omololu Akinlolu, 38, will appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Better known by his stage name HoodyBaby, the American rapper has been charged in connection with an alleged assault at the Tape nightclub in central London in February 2023.
Brown, 36, was charged on Thursday with grievous bodily harm with intent and was remanded in custody by judge in Manchester until 13 June.
He is accused of attacking music producer Abraham Diaw with a bottle during the incident in February.
During a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Brown watched intently as brief details of the case against him were outlined by prosecutor Hannah Nicholls.
She accused Brown of committing “an unprovoked attack with a weapon in a nightclub full of people”.
Brown spoke to confirm his name and date of birth, but did not enter a plea.
He will appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing in London on 13 June.
Brown – known for hits such as “Loyal”, “Run It” and “Under the Influence” – was arrested at a hotel in Manchester in the early hours of Thursday by detectives from the Metropolitan Police.
The Grammy Award-winning singer was due to tour the UK in June and July, with dates in Manchester, Cardiff, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.