Entertainment

Lucy Hockings announced the death of her colleague and fellow presenter George Alagiah on the BBC’s midday news bulletin on Wednesday. As well noting he won many awards in his hugely successful career, she said those who worked with him would remember him as “thoroughly decent”, “unfailingly kind-hearted and always so, so generous”. Alagiah was

George Alagiah, one of the BBC’s longest-serving and most respected journalists, has died at 67, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer. Alagiah won awards for reports on the famine and war in Somalia in the early 1990s, and was nominated for a Bafta in 1994 for covering Saddam Hussein’s genocidal campaign against the Kurds

Samuel Mariño is a rare talent in opera. The 29-year-old is one of only a few male sopranos singing in the world today. He’ll be making his Glyndebourne debut this weekend in Handel’s Semele, as part of the famous English venue’s summer programme. But it’s not just Mariño’s distinctive style which is thrilling the opera

Ever wanted to have a peek inside a real-life house resembling Barbie’s all-pink Dreamhouse? The BBC’s Colin Paterson has done just that ahead of the release of the new Barbie film. Eaton House Studio in Essex, locally known as The Pink House, is often used for fashion shoots and music videos in the UK. Video

BBC Breakfast presenter Ben Thompson attempted to play the flute but struggled to get a note out on this morning’s show. The comedic moment came during a discussion on the rising popularity of the flute, as young people are inspired to emulate Lizzo, the American rapper, who is also a classically trained flautist. Ben attempted

Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean entertained people around London during the pandemic in her bright yellow van, but now she’s playing shows like Glastonbury. Elton John is a fan and thinks she is going to be a big star. BBC London’s Mike McKenzie caught up with her when she played Somerset House for this year’s Summer Series.

Organisers of a two-day folk music festival in the Black Country believe the area is “blessed with a wealth of talent”. The Black Country Folk Festival takes place at Himley Hall, Dudley, from 29-30 July. Nearly 1,000 tickets have been sold so far for the event, which includes overnight camping for the first time. Organiser

Happy Valley actor James Norton has said he is “proud” to have overcome the challenge of managing diabetes while performing in his new play, A Little Life. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Norton said he had glucose shots and food hidden on stage to allow him to control his blood sugar levels during the three-and-a-half

Thousands have come together to dance to the song ‘Nutbush City Limits’ in tribute to late singer Tina Turner, at Australia’s most remote music festival, the Big Red Bash. 5,838 participants danced for five minutes to set a new record for the largest Nutbush dance in the world, as adjudicated by the Australian Book of

BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has been pulled over by a dog during a live segment on BBC Breakfast for the second time. She had just finished a weather forecast at Wimbledon with search dog Wraith by her side, before he ran away off screen, taking the presenter with him. A nearly identical incident happened

Samuel Smith was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago at the age of 44. His diagnosis fuelled his determination to pursue his passion for making music. He has now recorded a new album with help from some of his music heroes. Mr Smith said he was blessed to hear Nashville Grammy award-winning Pianist Matt

Bob Mackie has designed costumes for many divas, including Tina Turner and Cher. The exuberant outfits have gone on display at London’s V&A museum, exploring the role of the diva. BBC London’s Michael McKenzie went to meet the man behind the feathers and sequins. Edited by Claudia Redmond

This year’s Glastonbury festival is off to a rocking start as thousands of festival-goers party in the summer sun. Arctic Monkeys are headlining the iconic Pyramid stage on Friday night, mystery act the ChurnUps have been revealed as Foo Fighters to the delight of crowds and elsewhere Worthy Farm’s visitors have been entertained by Texas,

Guardians of the Galaxy actor Will Poulter has paid a surprise visit to a school classroom for Thank a Teacher Day. The children’s teaching assistant is his younger sister Charlie, who he described as an unsung hero for her work. “She cares deeply about this job,” he said. “I am so proud of you” he

Sir Mark Rylance has said acting used to be more accepting of “oddballs” like him. Reflecting on today’s arts industry, he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that theatre directors “understandably” want actors who are “easy to work with.” Sir Mark, who was knighted for his services to theatre in 2017, described his younger self as

What is the definition of a world tour in the entertainment industry? Are concerts only about profit-making and does Africa have the infrastructure to host multi-city tours? The BBC’s Irenitemi Somuyiwa breaks down what goes into the process of deciding where an artist tours and why Africa seems not to be the go-to place for