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TV star and comedian Barry Humphries is being treated in hospital after being readmitted following treatment for a fall, according to media reports.

The 89-year-old Australian star, who is best known for portraying his purple-haired alter-ego Dame Edna Everage, is said to have suffered complications after tripping earlier in the year and having a hip replacement.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald from a rehabilitation centre in March, Humphries said he had been in “agony” following the incident.

Australian entertainer Barry Humphries poses for pictures after he received his Most Excellent Order of the British Empire from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Steve Parsons/pool)
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Pic: AP/Steve Parsons

“It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are,” the entertainer told the newspaper.

“I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something, and down I went.”

He added that he was determined to get back on his feet.

“The result of my broken hip means I now have a titanium hip… you can call me ‘Bionic Bazza’,” he joked.

Reports from Australia say he is back in hospital in Sydney, although with differing accounts of his condition.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Humphries answered a call from the newspaper, before friends and family took the phone. “He’s fine,” his wife Lizzie Spender is quoted as saying.

In a statement sent to the newspaper, his family said: “Barry Humphries is currently in hospital receiving treatment for health issues. Barry would like to thank everybody for the support and good wishes he has received but would like more and more. He would also like to thank the wonderful doctors, nurses and staff at St Vincent’s Hospital.”

However, showbiz reporter Peter Ford told Australian breakfast show Sunrise that Humphries’ health had “worsened in the last week”.

“At this moment Barry is [in] a serious condition but being kept comfortable. He’s surrounded by family,” he tweeted.

Barry Humphries alter ego Dame Edna Everage arrives at the London Palladium to launch the Barry HumphriesÕ Farewell Tour.

Speaking on Sunrise, Ford said: “Barry won’t give up easily. Barry has something marked on his calendar, and that is to say he’ll be back on stage before the end of this year…

“Things are tough and all we can do at this point in time is to basically give a big shout out to Barry Humphries and say, ‘Australia loves you and we will always be grateful for everything you have given us’. And I reckon Barry has a fighting spirit and he’s not going to give up easily.”

Humphries is known for characters including Sir Les Patterson, Sandy Stone and Barry McKenzie, and for starring in films and appearing in the West End.

Last year, he toured his show, The Man Behind The Mask, an “intimate” performance in which Humphries himself was the “principal character”.

He is best known and loved as Dame Edna, the household favourite with the cat-eye glasses, the love of gladioli, and the famous catchphrase: “Hello, possums!”

Her shows have included The Dame Edna Experience and Dame Edna’s Neighbourhood Watch, and she has also appeared on Broadway.

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Davina McCall makes ‘enormous leap forward’ and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

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Davina McCall makes 'enormous leap forward' and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

Davina McCall has made an “enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours”, her partner has said on her Instagram.

In an update, her partner Michael Douglas, said: “Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU She is ‘loving awareness’. Thank you xx Michael.”

The post also featured a bright pink text image, which said, “massive relief to see some light breaking through,” followed by four heart emojis.

“Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and up,” it added.

Friends and fellow celebrities were quick to comment on the update, with actress Patsy Palmer writing, “sending healing,” Dame Kelly Holmes commenting “awesome news Michael” and Jools Oliver adding three heart emojis.

The 57-year-old television presenter had revealed in a video posted on Instagram earlier on Friday she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.

Speaking in the short video ahead of her operation, McCall had explained to her followers the benign tumour was around 14mm wide and “needed to come out, because if it grows it would be bad” .

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She said a surgeon would remove the cyst through the top of her head in a procedure called a craniotomy.

In her video post the former Big Brother host had said she was “in good spirits,” and would be in hospital “for around nine days” following the procedure.

According to the NHS, non-cancerous brain tumours are slow-growing and unlikely to spread, but are still serious and can be life-threatening.

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Davina McCall asked fans to ‘say a prayer’

McCall’s current partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, is sharing updates from McCall’s account while she is recovering. This is his second update since her operation.

McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.

She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, and currently presents ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.

Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

Davina McCall  with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Pic: PA
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McCall was made an MBE last year, pictured with Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA

In recent years, McCall has spoken regularly on women’s health and the effects of menopause in a bid to break taboos around the subject. Her 2022 book, Menopausing, won book of the year at the British Book Awards.

The same year, McCall fronted the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause, and told the BBC that the perimenopausal symptoms caused her difficulties multi-tasking and she considered that she had a brain tumour or Alzheimer’s disease at the time.

Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.

She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.

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Ed Sheeran says his didn’t give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals

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Ed Sheeran says he didn't give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals

Ed Sheeran says Band Aid 40 organisers did not seek his approval to use his vocals in the new version of the charity hit Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The Shape Of You star said he would have “respectively declined” any permission, going on to share another post criticising foreign aid in Africa.

Undated handout photo issued by Band Aid of (left to right) Sting, Bono and Simon Le Bon during the recording of the first ever Band Aid single, Do They Know It's Christmas. A new 40th anniversary mix of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? will see the young and old voices of the charity single's artists come together to create an "ultimate" version. Issue date: Wednesday November 13, 2024. PA Photo. Do They Know It's Christmas? - 2024 Ultimate Mix will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming on November 25, the 40th anniversary of the recording of the original song, and will be released physically on the Band Aid Compilation on November 29 on CD and vinyl. The new version of the song will feature voices from three previous editions of the song, Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004) and Band Aid 30 (2014), including Harry Styles, George Michael and Chris Martin, and will see young and old voices of the likes of Bono singing together. See PA story SHOWBIZ BandAid . Photo credit should read: Brian Aris/Band Aid/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
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Sting, Bono and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon during the recording of the first Band Aid single in November 1984. Pic: Brian Aris/ Band Aid

The new version of the festive hit blends previous recordings to create an “ultimate” mix from Band Aid 1984 including the voices of George Michael, Sting and Boy George, alongside the likes of Harry Styles, Chris Martin and the Sugababes, who appeared on the Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 versions in 2004 and 2014.

Sheeran had previously sung on Band Aid 30 alongside One Direction, Sam Smith and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

The 33-year-old singer wrote in an Instagram story: “My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.

“A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x.”

Sheeran referenced a post by Ghanaian-English singer, songwriter and rapper Fuse ODG, who worked with him on the track Boa Me.

Fuse ODG said that a decade earlier he “refused” to be part of the Band Aid 30 song as he feels that while the charity helps get “sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism, and investment”.

The rapper added: “By showcasing dehumanising imagery, these initiatives fuel pity rather than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement.

“My mission has been to reclaim the narrative, empowering Africans to tell their own stories, redefine their identity, and position Africa as a thriving hub for investment and tourism.

“Today, the diaspora drives the largest flow of funds back into the continent, not Band Aid or foreign aid proving that Africa’s solutions and progress lies in its own hands.”

Sheeran has also worked with other African artists including Nigerian singers Fireboy DML and Burna Boy.

Pic: PA
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Sir Bob Geldof alongside the other artists involved in the original version of charity hit Do They Know It’s Christmas? Pic: PA

The original Band Aid single released in 1984 featured artists led by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure to help charities working with starving children in Ethiopia. It sold a million copies in the first week alone.

For the new version, the singers will be backed by the Band Aid house band of Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Phil Collins, Queen’s Roger Taylor, Supergrass’s Danny Goffey, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Ure, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins.

Premiering on 25 November, the song will be physically released too on 29 November, with a minimum of £5 donated to the Band Aid Trust when the single is sold on vinyl, a minimum of £1.50 donated when the single is sold on CD, and a minimum 50p donated when the single is digitally downloaded.

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Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

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Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

Standard Glastonbury Festival tickets for 2025 sold out in less than 40 minutes after organisers adopted a new booking system.

The new system saw Glastonbury hopefuls get “randomly assigned a place in a queue” instead of having to refresh the holding page once they went live.

Organisers said: “Thanks to everyone who bought one and sorry to those who missed out, on a morning when demand was much higher than supply. There will be a resale of any cancelled or returned tickets in spring 2025.”

Earlier in the week coach tickets sold out within half an hour for the famous festival in Somerset, which is set to take place between 25 and 29 June next year.

Tickets for the annual event at Worthy Farm sold quicker this year than last year when it took around an hour for all of them to go.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee this year, up £18.50 from the price last year, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

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Ticket sale methods and prices for events have been a controversial topic this year, particularly due to Oasis fans’ experience trying to get tickets to their reunion shows in August.

Fans were left outraged after spending hours queueing for tickets only to find some had more than doubled in price from around £148 to £355.

The band’s long-awaited reunion has led to much speculation that Noel and Liam Gallagher will headline Glastonbury, but they denied this while their tickets were up for sale.

“Despite media speculation, Oasis will not be playing Glastonbury 2025 or any other festivals next year,” they said in a statement. “The only way to see the band perform will be on their Oasis Live ’25 World Tour.”

The headliners this summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

The crowd at Coldplay's headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA
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The crowd at Coldplay’s headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

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