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Penn Jillette says he’s on Donald Trump’s enemies list because the president-elect feels a sense of “betrayal” towards him – and more specifically because of a risqué joke about his hair.

The 69-year-old magician, who’s one-half of the double act Penn & Teller, tells Sky News: “I am reported in the New York Times on his hate list, and he’s promised retribution to everybody on that list.”

He’s referring to “an enemies list of people [Mr Trump] intends to prosecute,” which vice president Kamala Harris has previously warned of.

While Jillette admits he doesn’t know all the reasons he’s reportedly on the list, he thinks a deciding factor may have been a joke he describes as “the best thing I’ve ever said in my life”.

When asked what he thought of Mr Trump by a journalist, Jillette says he responded: “He has hair that looks like cotton candy made of piss”.

And he’s not at all repentant about his past comment, adding: “It’s exactly what it is. Yeah, he didn’t like that one bit.”

Rock stars of magic, Penn & Teller found fame in the mid-1980s, toured with critically acclaimed shows throughout the 1990s and saw TV success on both sides of the pond.

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Appearing on shows including Friends, The Simpsons, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and even popping up in a Katy Perry music video, Jillette’s fame would go on to win him a place alongside Mr Trump on US The Celebrity Apprentice in 2012, returning for an All-Stars season the following year.

It was a role Jillette says he enjoyed – with caveats.

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Penn & Teller in 1998. Pic: AP

‘Showbiz is very different from politics’

“I really liked working with Trump in that environment. The fact that I liked working with him in the show business environment is very different from him in the political context.

“Trump did not understand that he thought that it was some sort of betrayal.”

Not one to mince his words, he describes the man who is set to become America’s leader for a second time in January as “incompetent”, “stupid”, and lacking in “processing power”.

But speaking about the on-set dynamic, he does have regrets about his own behaviour: “He was a laughingstock. We all had to prop him up. And in retrospect, that’s really awful.

“If I had my time back, I would have never once called him Mr Trump, which I did. I thought I was doing it kind of snarkily, but it didn’t read that way on camera.”

Penn & Teller in 2010. Pic: AP
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Penn & Teller in 2010. Pic: AP

‘No affection’ for Teller

In the interest of balance, Mr Trump has been equally vocal in his dislike of Penn, calling him among other things “sad”, a “goofball atheist” and a “boring guy” according to a 2019 New York Times list of people, places and things Mr Trump has insulted on Twitter.

And Mr Trump shouldn’t feel too aggrieved that Jillette isn’t a fan – it turns out the magician wouldn’t vote for Teller to be president either.

Despite performing over 8,000 live shows – more than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis and The Clash put together – and trusting Teller with his life, he admits: “If he ran for president, I wouldn’t support him… it’s a different skill set.”

But he adds: “He’d be a million times better than Trump.”

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Penn & Teller in 2011. Pic: AP

A chalk and cheese mix, with a 6’7″ Jillette towering over a 5’9″ Teller, and with Jillette famously doing all the talking, he says he has “no affection” whatsoever for his comedy partner of nearly 50 years.

He explains: “Teller and I never felt any affection for one another whatsoever. It was totally intellectual. We felt we could do better stuff together than separately. So, our relationship was that of two guys who own a dry cleaner.”

Conceding that after all these years his daughter makes him refer to Teller as his BFF, he concedes: “There is a friendship that’s very, very deep. However, we don’t hang out.”

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Backstage in 2004. Pic: AP

Ditched the gun and flag tricks

An atheist, an unlikely vegan and a peacenik, the former libertarian (Jillette rejected the libertarian movement after he was to lead a rally against masks, a move that saw him “totally, totally out”) says their act has been honed down over the years.

Their famous bullet catch trick is gone, partly Jillette says because “when people see a gun, especially in the hands of an American, the person holding that gun is expected to be making a statement about gun violence”.

And he says: “I don’t have a succinct statement to make about gun violence, except I’m against it.”

Their disappearing flag trick – once performed on an episode of The West Wing – has also been ditched.

Now “a symbol of the right-wing” he says his country’s flag has now been hijacked as “a symbol of part of the country”, a fact he says is “bothersome”.

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Penn & Teller chatting to the king at the Royal Variety Performance. Pic: Reuters

‘I’ve talked to the cat for a while’

As for us Brits, Jillette says he “likes England very much” and is on first-name terms with “the potentate formerly known as Prince” – or King Charles as he’s more commonly known.

Past royal gigs mean he’s laid back about entertaining the monarch at this year’s Royal Variety Performance, explaining: “I’ve talked to the cat for a while. So, it’s kind of like a guy I know coming to the show.”

A controversial career filled with critical acclaim, royal approval and magical disapproval (they were famously barred from the Magic Circle for explaining their tricks to the audience) has kept Penn & Teller in the spotlight for over four decades.

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Receiving their Hollywood Walk Of Fame star in 2013. Pic: Reuters

And with their record-breaking act at The Rio Hotel and Casino – once described by Mr Trump as “the worst show in Las Vegas” – scheduled up to 2026, they’ve no plans of slowing down.

Jillette says they will perform “until death”, adding: “We will die in office.”

As he ponders the possibility, his mind returns to his position on Mr Trump’s hate list, linking the two with a wry smile.

He concludes: “When I see King Charles, I may request asylum. You may be seeing a lot of me over in England.”

Penn & Teller come to the West End next year, performing at The London Palladium from Saturday 13 September to Wednesday 24 September.

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Oasis ‘shocked and saddened’ after man dies at Wembley Stadium concert

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Oasis 'shocked and saddened' after man dies at Wembley Stadium concert

Oasis have said they are “shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan” at their Wembley Stadium concert on Saturday.

Together with their bandmates, Liam and Noel Gallagher have offered their “sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved”.

Metropolitan Police said officers on duty at the stadium responded, alongside venue medics and the London Ambulance Service, to reports a person had been injured at around 10.20pm.

The statement continued: “A man – aged in his 40s – was found with injuries consistent with a fall. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”

According to media reports, the man fell from the stadium’s upper tier.

A concertgoer on social media said they saw the incident and described it as “horrific”.

Oasis on stage. Pic: AP
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Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage at their first reunion gig. Pic: AP

Metropolitan Police said: “The stadium was busy, and we believe it is likely a number of people witnessed the incident, or may knowingly or unknowingly have caught it on mobile phone video footage.

“If you have any information that could help us to confirm what happened, please call 101.”

Oasis performed at the venue as planned on Sunday night, delivering the final concert of a five-night run at Wembley.

Addressing fans at the stadium, singer Liam said: “This one’s for all the people who can’t be here tonight, but who are here if you know what I mean, and aren’t they looking lovely. Live Forever.”

The band then played the track of the same name.

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Oasis support act Richard Ashcroft paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “I was shocked to hear of the death of one of the audience last night sending my love to the family and friends.”

A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said: “Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers.”

They will then head to Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States, before returning to Wembley for two more dates in September.

The reunion tour began at the start of July and marks the Gallagher brothers’ first performances together since Oasis split acrimoniously in 2009.

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Soulja Boy arrested on suspected weapons charge during traffic stop

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Soulja Boy arrested on suspected weapons charge during traffic stop

Soulja Boy has been arrested and charged with possession of a firearm during a traffic stop.

The rapper, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was a passenger in the car that was stopped in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles early on Sunday morning, the LAPD said.

“A passenger was detained and police arrested DeAndre Cortez Way for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm,” the statement added.

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a felony.

The 35-year-old was booked into jail in the LAPD’s Wilshire Division shortly after 6am. It is not clear if he has since been released.

Police did not provide information on what prompted the traffic stop and who else was in the vehicle with Way.

Soulja Boy is yet to publicly comment on the incident.

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Soulja Boy is best known for his 2007 hit Crank That, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and landed him a nomination for best rap song at the Grammys.

The rapper was arrested and charged with a felony in 2014 for carrying a loaded gun during a traffic stop in LA.

In April this year, the Chicago hip-hop artist was ordered to pay more than $4m (£3m) in damages to his former assistant after being found liable for sexually assault, as well as physically and emotionally abusing them.

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Strictly Come Dancing: BBC responds as two TV stars accused of taking cocaine

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Strictly Come Dancing: BBC responds as two TV stars accused of taking cocaine

The BBC has responded after it was reported that two Strictly Come Dancing stars have been accused of taking cocaine.

The broadcaster is said to have hired an external law firm to probe the drug-taking allegations, which a source said were “well-known” on the show, The Sun on Sunday reports.

The claims were reportedly made on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans in a legal submission to the BBC in March.

In response, a BBC spokesperson told Sky News: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns.

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”

Sky News understands that it is not unusual for the BBC to engage an external individual to provide additional expert resource to help deliver a BBC-led investigation. In these cases, they would report to an established BBC team.

File photo of BBC Broadcasting House in London.  Pic: PA
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PA file pic

The allegations published in The Sun on Sunday include a source saying that one Strictly star had told another about a third celebrity on the show: “Have you seen their pupils… they’re off their face.”

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“The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them. Now they are taking firm action,” the source reportedly said.

The two individuals accused of drug taking have not been named.

It is the latest crisis to hit the BBC and Strictly.

In July last year, Amanda Abbington accused Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice of “abusive or threatening behaviour”. The actress, who was paired with Pernice, withdrew from the show in 2023.

The BBC upheld “some, but not all” of the allegations, with Abbington describing an apology from the corporation as a “vindication”, while Pernice denied displaying “abusive or threatening behaviour”.

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Also in July 2024, Strictly professional dancer, Graziano Di Prima confirmed he was leaving the show amid reports of alleged misconduct.

Separately, Laura Whitmore alleged “inappropriate behaviour” during her time on the show.

In January this year, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans made “inappropriate and unacceptable” comments at the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch, for which he later apologised.

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