News about Maggie Smith

Sophia Bush reflected on the overwhelmingly positive response to her coming out as queer in a personal essay for Glamour, in which she also confirms her new romance. The One Tree Hill actress, 41, who has been dating soccer player Ashlyn Harris since the fall following her split from Grant Hughes after 13 months of marriage, shared a quote to Instagram about reclaiming her identity from Maggie Smith's book, You Could Make This Place Beautiful. 'I feel like last summer I had my very first birthday. My own. And last summer Maggie Smith's words helped me begin to understand why,' she captioned a stunning black and white shot of herself in strapless gown with a racy thigh-high slit. She continued: 'From afar, she helped me put myself back together.'

A huge star will be reportedly 'be missing' from the upcoming Downton Abbey film as the period drama undergoes a cast shake-up. According to a new report, the star won't feature in the third and final instalment due to other commitments. The upcoming sequel is said to be beginning filming in summer, set for an international release in 2025.

After her'strong' fashion choices were compared to Princess Diana's'revenge' look, Joely Richardson talked about taking a defiant stance against 'age stereotypes.' At the London premiere of The Gentlemen, the actress, 59, who has appeared on three hit TV shows this year alone, has wore a variety of exciting looks at promotional functions, including wearing fishnets and a black mini dress. The Velvet Gina dress from Taller Marmo stood out against Diana's iconic off-the-shoulder Christina Stambolian number.

In 2024-25, additional funding for schools would mean a cash rise in average student funding per pupil to £7,690, while a cyber criminal crackdown is on the way, as the government promised £34 million to expand the Public Sector Fraud Authority. Ministers are also piloting the use of artificial intelligence to support planning authorities in streamlining their processes, so the executions take longer than the seven-year average.

And if honest mistakes, insurers can argue how much money they pay - and for life insurance that is often only discovered after the policyholder's death. AIG's major life insurer did not pay out the $23,000 after we intervened, so the situation serves as a cautionary tale for policyholders to double check their information carefully.

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.

Put on your festive thinking hat and tackle Egm Hardcastle's Boxing Day Quiz on the stars. We're fried turkey and crackers.

Maggie Smith recalled the moment her husband discovered her husband had left her, and that emptied half of their joint savings account on his way out. In a New York Times essay published Friday, the 46-year-old revealed the cruel way her husband, Jason Beehler, ended their marriage. She expressed her disbearance with learning half of her shared funds had been withdrawn after a tense argument with her husband, who had unexpectedly sought the assistance of a solicitor, but not everyone understood the danger.

Fans of Sister Act may be surprised to learn that the sequel to the hit movie musical, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, was released 30 years ago. Sister Act (1992) was such a hit that it was a sequel to theaters the following year. Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), along with her nun companion Sister Mary Patrick (Kathy Najimy) and Sister Mary Lazarus (Mary Wickes), are reunited in the film to save a struggling school's music department. Mr. Donnell, the administrator, was on alert when Mr. Crisp (James Coburn) threatens to end the service, Deloris comes back to the program and binds the children into a proper choir. Here's a look at what happened to the actresses from Sister Act 2 30 years ago.

Who would have thought it? And here she is, our brilliant Dame Maggie Smith, star of the recent fashion house Loewe's new commercial campaign. In an oversized, shaggy brown shearling jacket clutching Loewe's best-selling Puzzle bag, Dame Maggie poses against a brick wall. In another, she wears a wide-skirted black and white dress, as well as a more traditional high-necked, blue silk shirt. There is no attempt to touch the lines on her face, nor in the bony fingers of old age, according to master-minded creative director Jonathan Anderson and photographer Juergen Teller. And, of course, her age, 88, is the whole point. Witness the public reaction. Four other, less well-known, young faces were photographed for the same cause, but they have received no media attention, while Dame Maggie's appearance has been welcomed with a slew of cheers on social media. It's all part of a recent trend: the use of old age to add a new and unexpected element to fashion photos. Stick a traditionally-attractive young male or female model in a new collection, and what is there to say? It's just so blah. But, fling an octogenarian national treasure into a campaign, and you get a tale.

What a strange accent. Those sounds seemed unlikely from the well-known person's. In Litvinenko (ITV1), not David Tennant's guttural Russian vowels, but Mark Bonnar's booming Cockney, inevitably a man with the most familiar Edinburgh brogue since Maggie Smith in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie. Bonnar did it for the most part, but the effect of seeing him do undiluted London was similar to that of a soprano opening her mouth and singing Ol' Man River, basso profundo. So far, we've seen little of him as the head of counterterrorism, though we do expect him to play a more central role in the second episode.

Unrivalled pageantry Day, 1953 - 8,000 dignitaries from around the world crammed into Westminster Abbey to witness Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation. Despite the fact that the event was marred by typical British weather, there was nothing typical about the bejewelled Maids of Honour, international royals displaying all their finery and noble gentry draped in ermine. Glittering crowns, golden carriages, a diamond-encrusted gown, the finest silks - and, of course, the tiaras!

JENNI MURRAY: The A1 and the North Circular, both near me, are always jammed with traffic. However, my son, who lives in leafy Barnet on the north-west edge of London, hasn't been able to return for a long time. He can't be expected to find £12.50 every time his mother is feeling a little lonely.

Whoopi Goldberg, who is scheduled to appear in a new version of the film after 30 years, has begged on her to reprise her role. When she talked about the new film, the actress and TV actress confessed that she 'just can't do it' with someone other than Maggie.

JANET STREET PORTER: For one reason, I believe Marriage, the series, would be a flop: no one wants to be reminded how boring their marriages are, and there's a good reason. It's easy to get around the bend when you live with the same person year in and out. No wonder so many women are keeping their options open, marrying later or not at all. The Archers on Radio 4 provide the indelible dialogue I need week in and out.

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Might Prince Andrew be disappointed that nephew William is moving to Windsor's Adelaide Cottage rather than relieving him of the financial burden of Royal Lodge? He was not charged rent on the basis that he paid a one-off premium to the Crown Estate and spent at least $5 million on renovations as part of the disgraced duke's 75-year lease, which began in 2003. He has actually invested £7.5 million. However, if he completes the deal within 25 years, he will be entitled to compensation for the money he borrowed out. It could be a good lump sum for the cash-trapped monarch. But where could he rest his pampered brow? Windsor Castle is the most convenient option, since Mummy pays the bills.

Over the years, we've seen some spectacular architecture on "Downton Abbey," but "Downton Abbey: A New Era" may have to take the cake. We head to Grantham, Violet Crawley, south of France, in the Dowager Countess film. (Maggie Smith) It gives the characters a new backdrop and a modern setting. You'll no doubt watch the film and be awed by how stunning the villa is, so here's what you need to hear about it. First and foremost, you will stay in the villa. Villa Rocabella can be found in Le Pradet, right on the sea in France's south. The hotel is completely kitted out, with stunning rooms, marble everywhere, a slew of outdoor pursuits, and wellness treatments. Villa Rocabella is a water sports firm that can keep you busy if you're on the sea.

"Downton Abbey" is one of the most popular television shows of the 2010s, according to the critically acclaimed period drama. The series, which premiered in 2010, has six seasons, one feature length film, and a second film starring cinemas on May 20. After the noble Crawley family's homeland, Downton Abbey, is relocated to southern France by the spinoff film "Downton Abbey: New Era," the noble Crawley family embarks on a new journey. (Maggie Smith) Despite the fact that the film relocates to France, Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) accepts a group of aspiring filmmakers to use the home as a backdrop for their latest film. The historic Highclere Castle, which is about 66 miles west of London, is in real life. According to the castle's official website, the original castle traces its roots back to the 700s, but Sir Charles Barry, who was responsible for the construction of London's Houses of Parliament, resigned the building and turned it into the grand structure we see today, but it wasn't until 1842 that it was not until that period. George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon and his Lady Fiona, are the current owners of Highclere Castle.