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24th Sep 2019

Lucy Boynton is having quite the year. Although the 25-year-old American-born, London-raised actress had an illustrious start to her acting career, starring alongside Renée Zellweger in 2006’s Miss Potter (Boynton played Young Beatrix to Zellweger’s adult Beatrix), since playing Mary Austin in 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody and with a star turn in Netflix’s highly-anticipated TV show, The Politician, the actress has well and truly arrived.

“It’s been a fun one,” the actress said of the past year to Vogue over the telephone just prior to The Politician’s Netflix debut on September 27. And it sounds like the fun is just getting started. 

The show, from the award-winning creator behind Glee, American Horror Story and Pose, Ryan Murphy, is a sharp noir comedy about a privileged, over-achieving high schooler, Payton Hobart, played by Pitch Perfect’s Ben Platt, who has Oval Office-sized political ambitions, starting with his campaign for student president at his Santa Barbara high school.

The show’s supporting cast is as stellar as its lead, as is the set and the elevated fashion; think Gossip Girl with a weather-appropriate Californian twist. Payton’s mother is played by Gwyneth Paltrow (whose husband, Brad Falchuk, is a co-creator on the show), two-time Oscar-winner Jessica Lange is also on the cast, along with a slew of up-and-comers such as Zoey Deutch, Benjamin Barrett and Rahne Jones. Hollywood legends Bette Midler and Judith Light also make pivotal appearances.

Boynton plays Payton’s icy blonde rival, Astrid, in the show and the references to Reese Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick in 1999’s cult movie, Election, are unmissable. But, Boynton says it was the pull of working with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk that initially sparked her interest in the project, followed by the character of Astrid herself. “I think that Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s stamp on the script is the first thing that gets your attention. And obviously the writing is of a certain level and quality that I really respect… so that was pretty thrilling. And then, with Astrid, I’ve never played a character like her before, and it was really liberating.”

Lucy Boynton in a scene from Netflix's The Politician. Image credit: courtesy of Netflix

“You think you know her,” Boynton continued. Adding: “You kind of underestimate her early on because you think she’s similar to these stereotypes that I think are seen in a lot of movies and TV shows. [But] in as early as episode one… [they kind] of take the floor right from beneath her and take the context from this character she’s built herself, and so we go on this journey; a mixture of this character she’s created of Astrid and then authentic Astrid trying to work out her place in everything.”

The show has the heightened theatricality Murphy is renowned for, which not only makes for a highly entertaining watch but also an incredibly colourful feast for the eyes, thanks in large part to the costume design. Much like Gossip Girl or Sex and the City, the fashion in the show really takes centre stage, Boynton’s Astrid wears looks Blair Waldorf would approve of and Boynton said she would wear pieces from her Politician wardrobe if she could locate them. “I’m still trying to track down my costume and buy it all for myself,” Boynton said.

On the topic of costumes, when asked about one particular costume element on 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody — the prosthetic teeth Boynton’s boyfriend, Rami Malek, wore to play Freddie Mercury — Boynton quipped that kissing him with the teeth “took some getting used to” and that they were “another character unto themselves”. Malek and Boynton met on the set of the Oscar-winning film and confirmed they were a couple in January this year.

Actress Lucy Boynton. Image credit: courtesy of Netflix

Since then, the couple have made a number of red carpet appearances together, notably on the Oscars red carpet and more recently at the Venice Film Festival, but Boynton, who is fairly active on social media, has so far kept her Instagram Malek-free. When asked about social media, the actress said this year — her breakthrough year — she has really had to consider how she “engages” on Instagram.

“I think this year, especially, has been a real turning point in how I engage with it. It used to be much safer engaging with it because it would just be my friend Ellie commenting on all my stuff and now a lot more people are a lot more opinionated. I think… it’s kind of… not really conducive to our job. An actor’s job is to encourage you to suspend your disbelief that we are this or that, and so then to present so heavily on social media doesn’t really make sense to me. So I try and use it in a measured way.”

Given Boynton’s more considered strategy to social media, it’s ironic that Boynton has unintentionally also found fame in the Instagram world of beauty influencing. Working with make-up artist Jo Baker, Boynton’s boundary-pushing red carpet beauty looks are so ‘Gram-worthy it’s almost as though they were created specifically for the social media platform. From glitter teardrops to extreme eyeliner, nothing is off-limits.

“I think Jo Baker can pretty much convince you to do anything,” Boynton revealed. Adding: “When we [Baker and Boynton] were in Venice together recently for the Venice Film Festival we were walking down the street, we were like, ‘That’s an inspiration, that’s an inspiration’. We always send each other pictures and stuff. It’s always very free and easy and no pressure. And it’s exciting when she’s drawing on my face. Whatever Jo Baker is doing, count me in.”

And it seems whatever Boynton is doing, count audiences and her growing legion of loyal fans in.

The Politician will premiere on Netflix on September 27, 2019.

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The prospect of another Champions League failure has seen Juve linked with Pep, but he insists there is no truth in the rumours

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has categorically denied reports that he would be leaving the Etihad Stadium for Juventus.

Guardiola saw City extend their lead at the top of the Premier League on Saturday thanks to a Raheem Sterling hat-trick as Watford were dispatched 3-1 at the Etihad. 

Liverpool now trail the defending champions by four points, although they can cut the deficit back to one with victory over Burnley on Sunday.

Pep’s name has appeared in connection with the Turin giants in recent days, as the Old Lady face missing out on the Champions League title once more. 

Massimiliano Allegri’s charges will begin the second leg two goals down to Atletico Madrid, with the return match to be played on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the long-term outlook at City is also far from clear. 

On Thursday UEFA announced that they were investigating the club over possible breaches of Financial Fair Play rules. 

The Premier League has now followed suit in looking into the club’s transfer business, while Man City insist that the claims are false.

The Spaniard has now been mooted as a possible successor should Allegri leave Juventus, but he insists there is no truth in such speculation.

“I know that social media has influence but I don’t understand why the big papers say that I’m going to Italy,” he told reporters. 

“I have two more years here and I’m not going anywhere unless they sack me. I hope to be here another two years and maybe another.”

The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach continued to show his solidarity with under-pressure Allegri and reiterate that he had no intention of leaving City.

“I don’t understand why someone says something on social media and everyone says it is happening, when they don’t try to call the club, my agent, Juventus,” he fired.

“I am sorry for Allegri. I have two years and it is impossible for me to move, unless I get sacked. I am not going to Juventus for the next two seasons.”

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City are next in action at home on Tuesday against Schalke, and will look to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals as they hold a 3-2 advantage after the first leg.

The former France international revealed the Ligue 1 club weren’t happy with him following his jubilation at Manchester United’s victory

Patrice Evra has revealed Paris Saint-Germain filed a complaint against him following his celebrations in Manchester United’s victory over the Ligue 1 club on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils pulled off a shock win in Paris to overturn a 0-2 deficit to advance to the last eight of the Champions League.

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Romelu Lukaku hit a brace before Marcus Rashford’s last-minute penalty proved enough to fire the Premier League side into the quarter-final stage of the competition.

It’s the first time the club have qualified for the last eight of the Champions League since 2013-14, with David Moyes’ men eventually eliminated from that year’s tournament by Bayern Munich.

This initiated passionate celebrations on the sideline from supporters, including from the likes of former United full-back Evra.

The 37-year-old attended the game in Paris and he filmed his fanatical celebrations after the full-time whistle alongside the suspended Paul Pogba.

The former Red Devils defender was shouting and screaming in happiness into his iPhone, of which he then published on social media for the world to see.

This appears to have gone down badly with PSG, with the French club allegedly filing a complaint to UEFA about Evra’s over-the-top celebrations.

He addressed the complaint on his social media again, while singing along to Edith Piaf’s ‘I Regret Nothing’ tune.

“Thanks Edith, I will now lower the volume because it’s a great moment in the history of football,” Evra said jokingly on his Instagram.

“PSG filed a complaint against me to UEFA for my celebration during PSG-Manchester. 

“And people ask me: ‘Patrice, what do you risk?’ I don’t know man… Maybe they’ll change the code on my iPhone so it will be stuck?”

Evra played 379 times for United over nine seasons in which he helped the club win the Premier League five times along with a Champions League triumph.

The former France international left the side back in 2014, before going on to play for Juventus, Marseille and West Ham.

Manchester United are yet to find out their opponent in the last eight of the Champions League, but they have qualified alongside Tottenham, Ajax and Porto.

The Barcelona loanee has found regular playing time hard to come by at the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners boss has been impressed with his progress

Denis Suarez is ready to make an impact in Arsenal’s starting XI after a slow start to life at the club, says manager Unai Emery.

The 25-year-old joined the Gunners on a six-month loan deal from Barcelona in January, but he has since only managed to appear in four Premier League matches.

The Spaniard is still awaiting his first start at the Emirates, but he has had the chance to prove himself during the international break.

Suarez played the full 90 minutes during Arsenal’s 3-2 friendly victory over Al Nasr, providing Carl Jenkinson with an assist.

Emery has been impressed by the Barca star’s application during the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai and he has hinted he could be in line to feature against Newcastle on Monday.

The 47-year-old stated in a press conference on Friday: “He is okay for starting in the first XI, to give us this impact.

“We are going to need everybody, every player for the next matches.

“We decided to go away to train for four days and play a match in Dubai. But it’s the same idea, the same spirit.

When asked why it has taken so long for Suarez to settle into his new surroundings, Emery said: “It’s normal. Now we have a lot of players ready, with a big mentality and with a big performance to play and help us.”

A home win for the Gunners over Newcastle will ensure they remain in the Champions League qualifying spots and they could even move into third if Tottenham drop points at Liverpool on Sunday.

Arsenal can also still qualify for next year’s competition outright if they win the Europa League, with a quarter-final tie against Napoli on the horizon in April.

Emery can also earn himself a place in the club’s record books if his side secure three points against the Magpies, with nine successive home wins under their belt since early December.

A tenth would see the Spanish coach equal the record Arsene Wenger set during his first campaign with Arsenal in the 1997-98 season and set them up perfectly for a strong finish this time around.

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All three of the 2014 World Cup winners saw their international careers abruptly ended by Joachim Low earlier this month

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Germany fans have paid tribute to Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller, who were all axed from the national team earlier this month. 

Joachim Low controversially announced two weeks ago that the decorated trio will no longer be considered for international selection.

All three players were vital members of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning side, but Low decided to turn the page on the Bayern Munich stars. 

“I thank Mats, Jerome and Thomas for the many successful, extraordinary and unique years together,” Low told Bild of his decision at the time. 

“In the national team, however, it is now important to set the course for the future.”

Germany played their first match since Low’s announcement on Wednesday, hosting Serbia in a friendly at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg.

And fans took the chance to make their voices heard, unveiling a large display before the game that read: “Danke 5-13-17” which referred to the numbers the three players wore with Germany. 

All three players have hit out at Low’s decision, with Muller saying he was “dumbfounded” and Hummels calling it “incomprehensible.”

Germany have struggled to match their success in Brazil following their triumph at the 2014 World Cup. 

They were beaten by hosts France in the semi-final of Euro 2016, before losing to Mexico and South Korea last summer to shockingly crash out at the 2018 World Cup group stage. 

Low’s side followed that up with a dismal UEFA Nations League campaign that saw them relegated from the top tier of the competition. 

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23rd Sep 2019

You know what they say: the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and never has that saying rung more true in the context of Hollywood couples than in reference to the relationship between Miley Cyrus and her rumoured girlfriend, Kaitlynn Carter.

Following what looks to have been one of the most highly-publicised, whirlwind romances of the year, Cyrus and Carter have reportedly split after just a few months of dating. Yes, just like ‘hot girl summer’—an Instagram movement that was birthed around the same time the pair first got together—their romance, like the change of season, is over.

“Miley doesn’t want a serious relationship,” a source told People, who continued to say that their high frequency of dates and get-togethers may have been to blame. “She and Kaitlynn spent every day together and it just wasn’t anything that Miley wanted to continue doing… She wants to focus on her career.”

Reportedly splitting just days ago, the pair, despite their break up, are said to be on great terms. “They’re still friends,” a separate insider told the same publication. “They’ve been friends forever and were there for each other when they were both getting separated, but they’re just not in a romantic relationship anymore.”

For some, the end of their relationship has come as a bit of a shock, as Carter stepped out just over a week ago wearing a ring dedicated to Cyrus. However, given the singer’s past few months—namely her split with husband Liam Hemsworth after a relationship that spanned 10 years—it’s understandable that Cyrus would want to take a break from relationships, particularly public ones, all together.

Cyrus and Carter’s relationship had been followed by controversy from the moment it became public knowledge. Spotted kissing while holidaying in Italy together before any news of Cyrus or Hemsworth’s split had made headlines, many were eventually led to think that an apparent cheating scandal on the singer’s part was to blame for the then-married couple’s separation.

Following statements from both the singer and actor—both joint, and once rumours became rampant, separately—Cyrus and Carter’s relationship went from low-key to overt, spotted stepping out hand-in-hand, and sometimes even in twinning outfits, every few days. Carter even met the parents, stepping out with the singer and her mother, Tish Cyrus, on a number of occasions.

Carter herself had gone through her own share of relationship turmoil before her romance with Cyrus was sparked, splitting from her husband Brody Jenner, who she had been with since 2014.

Jenner—who has been romantically linked to 22-year-old model Josie Canseco since his own split with Carter—immediately came out in defence of his ex’s new relationship shortly after news of it broke, taking to Twitter to set the record straight.

“Kaitlynn is a wonderful person, beautiful and fun to be with, always a positive force in my life,” said Jenner. “We decided the best move for both of us was to keep our love for each other strong but move forward separately with our lives. I respect Kaitlynn and care deeply about her. She deserves to be able to move forward in her life with respect and happiness.”

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23rd Sep 2019

Just hours ago, Sophie Turner stepped out on the 71st annual Emmy Awards red carpet as a nominee for her long-running HBO series, Game of Thrones.

To commemorate her final time stepping out to accept an award for the show which kick-started her career in Hollywood—the already-award winning series being nominated a record-breaking 32 times at this year’s ceremony—Turner made sure her ensemble for the evening reflected the importance of the moment.

Selecting a custom blush pink, belted Louis Vuitton dress designed by Nicolas Ghesquière himself for the landmark evening, the actress kept her accessories to a minimum, pairing the column gown with simple strappy silver heels, a few rings and bare ears—oh, and a rather sizeable diamond necklace.

The sparkling accessory, which was also designed by the very same French fashion house, features in its latest high jewellery collection names ‘Riders of the Knights’, a rather fitting name considering the noble family-heavy, fantasy-focused show that the actress has harked from until recently.

But immediate beauty aside, the origin story behind the special piece (dubbed the ‘l’Armure’ necklace) is even more awe-striking. Reportedly made with an impressive combination of white gold, 640 diamonds and 305 baguette-cut diamonds (FYI, its total diamond count is 945), the one-of-a-kind piece took over 1,175 hours of work to complete.

A close look at Turner's diamond-encrusted ‘l’Armure’ necklace. Image credit: Getty Images

“The design is inspired by medieval armour,” Louis Vuitton’s jewellery designer, Francesca Amfitheatrof, told Vogue US. Again, the accessory’s inspiration was extremely fitting to its wearer. She continued: “It is a flexible necklace that moves with the body. The round diamonds and custom-cut baguette diamonds accentuate its subtle elegance.”

In addition to her engagement and wedding bands on her left hand, Turner wore yet another accessory from the very same collection, the ‘l’Armure’ ring she wore on her right hand mimicking the necklace of the same name’s impressive precious stone count.

According to the publication, the ring too featured white gold as its primary material, and boasted 64 diamonds, and 25 baguette-cut diamonds encrusted within its band.

Speaking about the label’s left-of-field move in straying from its typically subdued aesthetic when it came to jewellery, Amfitheatrof said that the pieces’s seemingly over-the-top diamond count, as well as Louis Vuitton’s foray into slightly louder accessories, was fitting of its celebrity-worn debut.

“I wanted to create a modern piece with a surprising design, which breaks with tradition,” she said. The result gave Turner’s look a special finishing touch that helped make her one of the night’s best-dressed stars.

For the newly-minted Queen of the North, we’d expect no less.

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23rd Sep 2019

The 2019 Emmy Awards had no shortage of powerful acceptance speeches, from Patricia Arquette’s plea for trans rights in the wake of her sister Alexis’s death to When They See Us star Jharrel Jerome’s acknowledgment of the real-life Exonerated Five.

One of the most bracing moments of the night, though, was Michelle Wiliams’s acceptance speech for her Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series–winning performance as Gwen Verdon in the FX series Fosse/Verdon.

Flanked, as usual, by her best friend Busy Philipps, Williams took the stage and delivered a powerful speech about the scourge of pay inequity. In an industry still reckoning with the effects of #MeToo and plagued with a systemic history of abuse, Williams’s speech felt particularly relevant, not least because the actress has faced her own struggles with pay inequity (she earned just 0.07 per cent of what costar Mark Wahlberg did for reshoots on the 2017 film All the Money in the World).

Williams took care to note that pay inequity is a burden disproportionately shouldered by women of colour—who, she noted, earn just 52 cents on their white male counterparts’ dollar—and gave Hollywood a new motto for how to interact with women: “Listen to her. Believe her.” Read the full speech, which may have been partly inspired by last week’s #NotWorthLess movement, below:

“Thank you so much to the Television Academy for this, and to the incredible cast and crew who worked so hard to make this TV show, especially you, Sammy Rockwell. I know how hard you worked. I see this as an acknowledgement of what is possible when a woman is trusted to discern her own needs, feel safe enough to voice them, and respected enough that they’ll be heard. When I asked for more dance lessons I heard ‘Yes,’ more voice lessons, ‘Yes,’ a different wig, a pair of fake teeth not made out of rubber, ‘Yes.’ And all of these things, they require effort and they cost more money, but my bosses never presumed to know better than I did about what I needed in order to do my job and honour Gwen Verdon. And so I want to say thank you so much to FX and to Fox 21 Studios for supporting me completely and for paying me equally, because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value and then where do they put that value? They put it into their work.

And so the next time a woman, and especially a woman of colour—because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white male counterpart—tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her, believe her. Because one day she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment, and not in spite of it. Thank you. Matilda, this is for you, like everything else.”

This story originally appeared on Vogue.com.

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This week, the former White House press secretary Sean Spicer returned to TV screens as a contestant on ABC’s reality show . Since resigning from the Trump administration two years ago, the political aide who peddled “alternative facts” had kept a low profile. But when he shimmied onto the dance floor on Monday night wearing a lime green ruffled shirt, he embodied reality TV’s current identity crisis. 

’ ratings, like those of , and several global editions of , have fallen sharply in recent years. Reality TV’s stock formats – the talent contest, the dating show, the cooking competition, 24/7 surveillance – have remained largely unchanged since its inception, and for , the stunt casting couldn’t combat the sense of stagnation (the show premiered with just under 8 million viewers, compared to 7.7 million last year). It also sparked criticism. Could Spicer’s inclusion politicise the show? Would it trivialise his failings while in The White House? And was he psychologically well enough to participate? 

The tide may be turning against reality TV, but there is no doubting its global impact. Over the past three decades, it has seeped into our everyday lives. We can now wear clothes from fast-fashion brands endorsed by contestants, use beauty products from Kylie Jenner’s cosmetics line, follow recipes from star Antoni Porowski’s cookbook and buy furniture from winners Sean and Catherine Lowe’s homeware collection. Some of the fashion industry’s highest-paid models (Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid) first found fame on reality TV and even the current US president (previously employed by Spicer), Donald Trump, is a former reality star who developed his domineering, deal-making persona on

It’s a far cry from the early successes of shows like and . Though voyeuristic in their intimacy, they provided escapism, giving us insights into how others live or handle difficult situations. In the late 2000s, this was complicated by the influx of social media. Twitter and Instagram created an immediate feedback loop that allowed you to follow reality stars in real time and comment on their behaviour. These messages could, in turn, influence their actions and have proven to affect their mental health. As we become more conscious of the dangers of social comparison and online abuse, reality shows face mounting pressure to take better care of their participants. 

In Australia, the conversation coalesced around the death of Charlotte Dawson, the host of and a judge on , who became a high-profile victim of cyberbullying and took her own life in 2014. Meanwhile, in the UK earlier this year, the reality TV reckoning came with the cancellation of following the death of a guest. Steve Dymond, who took his own life after failing a lie detector test, ignited a national conversation around the public humiliation of vulnerable people. This came months after the deaths of two former contestants, Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, leading media regulator Ofcom to propose new rules to safeguard the “wellbeing and dignity of participants”.

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has avoided cancellation, with broadcaster ITV pledging to increase the level of support offered to participants. One of its latest recipients is Molly-Mae Hague, who became a victim of online abuse while taking part in the fifth series of the British edition. “I felt like I was being targeted by the public,” she tells , of the challenge where contestants are shown negative tweets about them“I get that they’re trying to make a TV show and they do it to spark emotion, but it is hard to deal with.” 

Hague insists, however, that has amped up its pre- and post-show care. “You meet with a psychologist before you go in, and when you’re on the show people note down how much water you’re drinking, how much sleep you’re getting and if you’re struggling with anything.” After the show wrapped, she reports having social media training, financial training and a debrief about any negative publicity she received. “They’re extremely thorough,” she adds. “To the point where even today I had two missed calls from the therapy people and a message from the welfare lady just to check that I’m doing OK. It almost gets annoying at times, but it is very important.”  

Other shows have been less responsive to the pressure to evolve. Silky Nutmeg Ganache, who appeared on the 11th season of , said that when she asked for support she was told not to read the comments. “We need someone to help us, especially while the show is going on,” she says. “A week after we stopped filming, I had a call with the psychologist who assessed us before the show. He asked if I was suicidal and when I said no, he said, ‘You’re fine.’ And that was the end.” She admits that it hasn’t been easy to adjust to the real world again. “These shows change people’s lives overnight and we don’t always know how to cope with that,” she says. “When someone on social media tells you they’re going to kill you, what do you do? The thing about reality TV is that we love to put people on a pedestal, but we also love to tear them down.”

And viewers’ changing tastes are having an impact too, heralding a new wave of kinder, more celebratory reality TV. Netflix’s , and have all perfected the gentler formula, while Japanese cult hit is virtually drama-free. There are exceptions, of course: despite recent controversies, attracted a record six million viewers in the UK this year and is due to return for a South Africa-set winter edition in 2020. Jeremy Kyle is also poised to return to ITV and many broadcasters, still determined to up the ante, are proposing increasingly outlandish concepts (a show following Jacob Zuma’s family being one recent example). The seeds may have been sown for a more positive future for reality TV, but what happens next is up to viewers. The only way to vote? With your eyeballs.