News about Judi Dench

An actress has declared that she will chain herself to a tree to prevent Wimbledon Tennis Championship carrying out a £200million expansion. Thelma Ruby, who has appeared in Coronation Street and on stage alongside Orson Welles and Judi Dench , has lived in a penthouse flat on Wimbledon Hill Road for over three decades. But now approved plans by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) to build 39 new courts and a 8,000-seater stadium in the park outside her home, has the 99-year-old claiming that she will 'chain' herself to a tree in protest. Speaking to BBC London she said: 'I have chosen the tree and I am going to chain myself to a tree so that one of those 800 trees maybe I can save.

Dame Judi Dench choked up on stage today at the Cheltenham Literature Festival after she was asked about her late friends Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt. Dench, who shared personal anecdotes during her presentation at the literature festival, got emotional after interviewer Brendan O'Hea asked brough up her beloved friends who both passed away in the last month, and asked her what she meant when she had once compared grief to petrol.  'I suppose the energy that's created by grief...' she said, before breaking down in tears

Jay Blades has reportedly been hosting bizarre late night DJ sessions online after being axed from The Repair Shop.  The presenter, 54, was charged in September with the physical and emotional abuse of his wife, Lisa Zbozen, over a 20-month period. According to The Mirror, Jay has since been broadcasting live streams at midnight where he chats with a small number of viewers who tune in.

Fans of the late Maggie Smith have been paying tribute to the star, who died today aged 89, by posting their favourite clips of her on social media, including one where she teams up with Joan Plowright to tease Judi Dench. The Oscar-winning actress, best known for her roles in Downtown Abbey and Harry Potter, died in hospital this morning after an incredible 70-year acting career. One grieving fan posted the heart warming video of the three actress's teasing each other over who lands the most roles with a caption that said: 'One of my favorite videos of Maggie Smith with Judi Dench and Joan Plowright. RIP Maggie.'

From starring in Netflix hit Heartstopper while still in drama school to playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret and now modelling Armani for our fashion special, life is sweet for 23-year-old Rhea Norwood. If only people would stop recognising her in spin class…

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: Make a note of the date. BBC1's family history show Who Do You Think You Are? returns on Thursday, and for actress Vicky McClure, making accurate notes of dates turns out to be quite important. In the opening episode of the new series, the Line Of Duty star is learning about her great-grandad Thomas. He was a sailor who went to Canada almost a century ago, before Vicky's much-loved 'Nonna' was born. In one of the painstaking scenes of archive detective work that make this show such a popular format, Vicky pores over shipping charts with an expert. She deduces that the old boy set sail in January 1925, came home to his wife Ruby the following July... and Nonna was born in December.

As the much-loved children's book turns 25, author JULIA DONALDSON tells Hattie Crisell why performing her stories is just as important to her as writing them

He was the strapping Highlander with a face 'hewn from granite', and she was the grieving monarch in the depths of misery. The relationship between Queen Victoria and John Brown (left, depicted by Judi Dench and Billy Connolly in 1998 film Mrs Brown), who was her close companion after the death of her husband Prince Albert, has been the subject of intrigue for well over a century. In the Mail's new podcast, columnist and royal biographer Robert Hardman and historian Professor Kate Williams examine how Brown's relationship with Victoria blossomed over more than two decades. They are rumoured to have slept in adjoining rooms, and the Queen referred to him as 'darling' in letters. And when the Queen died in 1901, she was buried wearing the wedding ring that once belonged to Brown's mother. But did she really marry the 6ft, kilt-wearing Scot in a secret ceremony near Balmoral, her beloved estate in Scotland? That is the key question explored in the second episode of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things, released today.

From blood-spattered whodunnits to furtive romances or theft on the grandest scale, these are all true stories with three things in common. They all involve royalty. They all involve great scandal. And they all continue to throw up intriguing, unanswered questions. And, from today, everyone is very welcome to throw in an opinion of their own, as the Daily Mail launches the new podcast series: Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things.

Cate Blanchett was a vision of style as she arrived to Good Morning America on Monday. The actress, 55, worked her magic in a full-on blue suit paired with a statement-making belt and classic high heels. She added a smart touch with her large black glasses while opting for a feathered, voluminous hairstyle. 

It might be the view - looking across the surface of a shimmering sea - or the location in an iconic city. It may be the decor: grand chandeliers, works of art, designer furniture. Or a wonderful pool or terrace for cocktails at sunset. Or perhaps it's an unusual history - an ambiance of famous guests gone by. Maybe you even fell in love there. Most people have a favourite hotel - one that brings back some of our fondest, most treasured memories. So we've asked some of the best-travelled people in Britain, from broadcasters to writers, explorers and some of the most senior industry figures, to reveal their favourite hotels in the world.

I doubt there's a mother of teenage boys in the land whose heart didn't plummet as she read that Loaded magazine is to return to reassure men they can 'ogle beautiful women'. Give us a break. What reassurance do poor, downtrodden men need when they can ogle (virtually) naked beautiful women on every red carpet? Or, at the flick of a switch, watch endless online porn? After a nine-year hiatus, the rebranded Loaded World will return with the stated aim of recreating the nostalgic - or retrograde, in my opinion - feel of the title which folded in 2015 as competition from the internet and changing tastes sounded the death knell for so-called 'lads' mags'.

The centuries-old landmark, situated next to Hadrian's Wall, was chopped down by vandals last year. At the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, the veteran actress wiped her eye as she received the seedling from seven-year-old Charlotte Crowe of Henshaw CE Primary School in Northumberland. Of the seedling, she said: 'I'll be naming him Antoninus, the adopted son of the Emperor Hadrian.' The National Trust said Dame Judi is 'passionate about trees' and had been 'very concerned by the news of the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree'. The seedling - grown from seeds taken from the tree felled last September - will be planted in the Octavia Hill garden at the show, commemorating the founder of the National Trust.

The King has been building friendships with some of the UK's most-loved national treasures for decades; from Judi Dench and Lionel Richie to Alan Titchmarsh and Jay Blades. Since his cancer diagnosis, he has enjoyed the support of firm friends such as Sir Rod Stewart , as well as Richard E Grant whose heart he touched with a surprise visit during Grant's wife's cancer battle in 2021. A garden party held at Buckingham Palace this week provided a who's who of some of the previous few who make up the King's inner circle. But far more famous faces are close to the King and his family than the British public may realise.

Reader's Digest has been forced to close its door after 86 years in operations, due to ongoing 'financial pressures'. Eva Mackevic, the current editor-in-chief, heart wrenchingly made the announcement on LinkedIn yesterday evening that the British edition has 'come to an end' due to the 'unforgiving magazine publishing landscape'. The iconic magazine, which amassed interviews with world leaders, acting legends and music icons in its almost 1,200 issues, will 'cease trading immediately'. She wrote: 'Unfortunately, the company just couldn't withstand the financial pressures of today's unforgiving magazine publishing landscape and has ceased to trade.'

The title, which in its heyday in the 1950s took on the tobacco companies about the links between smoking and lung cancer, has now ceased to trade in Britain. In an honest and heartfelt tribute, the iconic magazine's editor-in-chief Eva Mackevic said 'the company just couldn't withstand the financial pressures of today's unforgiving magazine publishing landscape'. The closure comes 14 years after it fell into administration because of a £125m pension fund deficit. The struggling magazine was rescued by Better Captiol before it was sold again in 2014 to venture capitalist Mike Luckwell, who made millions from the TV company behind Bob the Builder.

In our analysts' list of the best movies to watch On Demand right now, we have a slew of thrillers, exciting romances, and comedies. The experts have selected their top 30 films to watch over the Easter weekend, sifting through thousands of choices so you don't have to. To give you the most up-to-date on the latest movie offerings, they've also reviewed recent launches. To find out what to watch this weekend, scroll down to find out what to watch this weekend.

The Royal Family is no secret that at the glittering galas and premieres that they attend, they rub shoulders with Hollywood actors and fashion celebrities. However, with reports of Prince Harry's ski trip with Kris Jenner's boyfriend, Corey Gamble, it may be surprising that British royals have developed lasting relationships with a select group of A-listers. These unlikely friendships go back as far as their school days for some royals, while Michael Jackson recalled late-night phone calls with Princess Diana. Celebrities and royals have even been seen together on vacation, while others have developed close bonds over a particular charity or cause. FEMAIL reveals the most surprising friendships, as well as how they came to be.

A dramatic mixture of tension, passion, and intrigue can be obtained during period dramas. But with so many options across so many streaming services, where should you start? Well, our reporters have done the hard work for you by sifting through copies to bring you an unbeatable selection of 30 options that will take you back to the excitement and passion of long-past eras.

I was a White Musket. Not that I was terribly irritable. I liberally applied - or, more accurately, doused myself in - them all. We were all at it in the early Nineties. Every class in my Glasgow girls' school smelt - no, reeked - of The Body Shop.

The King's wish was for the Shakespeare anniversary shindig, with Queen Camilla posing with 11 actors. Despite appearing in Macbeth at the age of 17, he is a huge fan of all things Shakespeare. His father said, 'Funniest thing I've ever seen.' Charles' other stage passion was for radio comedy The Goon Show. He loved doing some of their Dadaesque skits. During a Clarence House lunch, the Queen Mother's overlong interpretation of their Ying Tong song prompted him to throw a mango at him. He's probably glad he was spared from the big luvvie photocall.

Camilla, 76, was welcomed by Gyles Brandreth as she welcomed visitors of the playwright's career, including actors of stage and screen, writers, producers, and representatives of the National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company. The Queen is dressed in a green velvet shirt dress The Queen is calming and going on amid the King's health war. Portrait: The Queen spent an evening at Grosvenor House with some of Britain's finest Shakespearean actors. Camilla, from left, smiles as she poses with Dames from left, back row, Joanna Lumley, Twiggy Lawson, Harriet Walter, Penelope Wilton, Maulton, left. front row, Virginia McKenna, Sian Phillips, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Penelope Keith and Patricia Routledge

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a vivacious curvy, has made no apology that her big Hollywood break took years because she does not fit the mould of what a leading lady should look like. People on screen don't necessarily look like me,' she says. I've had to fight to bring fully developed characters with complexities.' She was asked which actors she admired when applying for drama school. The interviewer told Meryl Staep, Judi Dench, and Cate Blanchett: "I must make you aware that the people you gave are 60-year-old white people, one from the United Kingdom." But when this year's Oscar nominations are revealed on Tuesday, she is expected to be the naysayers wrong, as the 37-year-old is a shoe-in for the Best Supporting Actress category. She has already won a Golden Globe and is a favorite for a Bafta and an Academy Award for her role as a bereaved cook in The Holdovers.

Nigel Havers has opened up about his suprising link to Jack Whitehall - he is the comedian's godfather. On Thursday's episode of This Morning, the Chariots of Fire actor, 72, appeared in a discussion about his ties to the Whitehall family. Michael Dench, Jack's father, appeared as Nigel's agent alongside a number of other famous actors, including Colin Firth and Judi Dench.