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Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean Slate: the seven best shows to stream this week

Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean Slate: the seven best shows to stream this week

The Guardian31-01-2025

The rise and fall of Belle Gibson was a wild story of the early social media age and an early warning about the torrent of anti-science hokum that would soon be heading our way. Gibson was a young Australian who established herself as a 'wellness guru' by falsely claiming to have mitigated multiple cancer pathologies via a range of dietary tricks and alternative medicines. This glossy, pacy dramatisation of Gibson's deadly tissue of lies is distinguished by a fine, nuanced central performance from Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Gibson as corrupted and parasitical but also desperately needy and in denial about the true gravity and consequences of her actions.
Netflix, from Thursday 6 February
Unhappy Alabama teen Desmond moved to New York, became Desiree and started working in a gallery. A couple of decades on, Desiree (Laverne Cox) has run out of money and faces unfinished business at home. Can she return to Alabama and reconnect with her good-hearted but traditional father Harry? This sitcom (executive produced by the late Norman Lear) tracks the tentative rebuilding of Desiree and Harry's relationship via endless gender-based awkwardness and a 'pronoun jar' for any accidental linguistic mishaps. It's broad but underpinned by an abiding warmth.
Prime Video, from Thursday 6 February
This animation is surprisingly straight-faced and earnest for an Adult Swim production – and none the worse for it. It presents as a polemical satire, aimed squarely at the rapacious greed and endemic corruption of big pharma. Schoolmates Marshall and Frances have discovered a natural remedy that could cure any disease known to mankind, but how will the monstrous Reutical Pharmaceuticals Inc react to being given this miracle mushroom? Not quite as positively as you might hope. Beavis and Butt-Head's Mike Judge is among the fine voice cast.
Channel 4, from Monday 3 February
Ever wanted to see Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen slathered in mud and running for his life? Finally, you're in luck thanks to this wild survival show in which celebrities (among them Mel B, Boris Becker, Big Zuu and Shirley Ballas) are taken to a jungle in Costa Rica and tutored in survival techniques by Bear Grylls. They'll then compete in various games – and for the losers, a terrifying fate awaits as they're released into the wild and hunted down by Grylls, with elimination from the contest on the line. Utterly ludicrous but don't pretend you're not tempted.
Netflix, from Wednesday 5 February
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A Spanish romantic drama which employs nuclear levels of contrivance to ripe emotional effect. Raúl (Joan Amargós) is a cautious wallflower of a man who, upon receiving a cancer diagnosis, begins to suspect he might have wasted his life. However, that changes when he meets Marta (Verónica Echegui), a free-spirited and commitment-phobic woman at a party. Soon, the pair are falling in love – but there's a catch, involving the small matter of Marta's newly discovered pregnancy. Never subtle but possessed of a certain open-hearted charm.
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 5 February
When a family moves into a home that has been empty since the 1970s, they're intrigued to find an old-fashioned looking domestic robot in a closet. So much so that they decide to plug it in. What could possibly go wrong? As secrets from the past start to unravel, it's easy to guess where this German sci-fi might be going; it doesn't feel like too much of a spoiler to say that the robot (Cassandra) turns out to have a little more autonomy than is desirable, not to mention a very personal agenda. Even so, it's an amusing slice of techno-fear for AI paranoiacs.
Netflix, from Thursday 6 February
A second series of the anthology drama which takes its format and title from Jimmy McGovern's BBC series in which we met a character in the dock and, via flashbacks, pieced together how they got there. Another strong cast has been assembled: Michael Chiklis, Taylor Schilling, Rhea Perlman, Abigail Breslin and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. The stories range in tone and subject matter to explore everything from negligent driving to accusations of racism. It never carries the weight of McGovern's original but there are some intriguing moral posers all the same.
Paramount+, from Thursday 6 February

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Why Liz Hurley reigns supreme at 60 – from building a £50m business empire to her hilarious quip about Billy Ray romance
Why Liz Hurley reigns supreme at 60 – from building a £50m business empire to her hilarious quip about Billy Ray romance

Scottish Sun

time36 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Why Liz Hurley reigns supreme at 60 – from building a £50m business empire to her hilarious quip about Billy Ray romance

It started with a dress held together with safety pins. And three decades on, as she prepares to turn 60, Liz Hurley is still front-page news — and still redefining beauty rules for women. 18 Stunning actress Liz Hurley reigns supreme at 60 Credit: GETTY 18 Loved-up with boyfriend Billy Ray Cyrus Credit: GETTY On Tuesday, flanked by her latest love, Billy Ray Cyrus, 63, and her beloved lookalike son, Damian, 23, she will no doubt be blowing out her candles wearing a fabulous skimpy bikini – from her own multimillion pound Elizabeth Hurley Beach collection, of course. Decades before the It girls, influencers and YouTube fashionistas, there was Liz – the OG posh girl pin-up. 'I promise I didn't mean to steal the show' A woman responsible for white jeans, plunging necklines, leopard-print knickers, Jilly-Cooper-style high-octane romances, jet-set friends and an ability to pick herself up by her crystal-encrusted slingbacks and glide through any scandal with the grace of a swan. A woman who is never stuck for words and who, when asked on the red carpet what on earth she had in common with three-times-divorced Billy Ray (father of Miley Cyrus), quipped: 'Well, isn't it obvious? We have the same hair.' She originally met the country star on the set of the 2021 movie Christmas In Paradise, and Billy Ray – who is flying into the UK for her birthday celebrations – has described her as 'a great human being' who just makes him laugh. The OG posh girl pin-up As unlikely romances go, it's certainly compelling. Liz – or Elizabeth as she insists on being called today – and I go back a long way, before that Versace dress that catapulted her into global sex symbol status overnight, before the high-profile romances and break-ups or the paternity scandal surrounding Damian (more on these later). When I first met her at the 1988 launch of BBC drama Christabel – in which she was playing the title role – she was a little-known actress, who'd previously appeared in detective series Inspector Morse. The former dancer from a middle-class army family in Hampshire, Liz – sorry Elizabeth (she was a lot less grand back then) – was ambitious, smart, beautiful and a lot of fun, with a fruity sense of humour and an equally good-looking, up-and-coming actor boyfriend called Hugh Grant, who she'd met on the set of a Spanish movie the previous year. Elizabeth Hurley shares loved-up new video with Billy Ray Cyrus hinting at MARRIAGE after revealing secret romance In order to make it as an actress, she'd transformed from a rebel punk with a nose ring and pink, spiky hair into a classic English rose, all fresh-faced, dewy-skinned and with those sleek brunette locks. 'It's all about luck, timing, right place, right time, right look and a really great part to get that breakthrough,' the then 23 year old told me over several glasses of warm white wine. She wasn't totally wrong. Six years later, at the London premiere of Four Weddings And A Funeral in 1994, it was that low-cut, thigh-split, floor-length black dress that got everyone talking. She didn't even have a minor role in the movie, and was only there as a plus-one to Hugh. It's all about luck, timing, right place, right time, right look and a really great part to get that breakthrough Liz Hurley As blinding cameras flashed wherever she moved at the film's after-party in London's In & Out club, she laughed: 'I promise I didn't mean to steal the show!' But she did. Overnight, Liz Hurley became as big a star as her boyfriend, and certainly it's still the one thing everyone remembers about that night. Just shy of her 30th birthday, after a decade trying to make it as a serious actress, Liz got her chance to become a global star – and there was no way she was going to let it slip through her elegantly manicured fingers. 'What sets Liz apart is not actually her beauty but her brains,' says a friend who worked with her when she and Hugh set up the film company Simian Productions in 1994. 18 Showing off her amazing bikini bod Credit: INSTAGRAM 'She's smart. That Versace dress was her light-bulb moment. She immediately saw how she could make a great future for herself. It wasn't about her acting. It was about her. She was the brand, the product, the look. The English rose dripping with sex appeal. Or 'the Posh Totty' as her friends would joke. She never took herself too seriously, but she did realise she had something way beyond being an actress. 'Liz totally understands that beauty, style and fashion are so much more than how you look and what you wear. If you meet her at a party, she can talk about everything from the Kardashians to Sigmund Freud. Her taste in men is equally eclectic – she doesn't have a type, so her choices are always unexpected.' In her six decades, she's built an empire and is now worth over £50million. Eclectic taste in men As well as breaking Hollywood in iconic roles in Austin Powers, Gossip Girl and The Royals, she has a hugely successful bikini business (she is the flagship model) and has been the face and global ambassador for Estée Lauder for more than 30 years. She returns to our screens later this year on Channel 4's reality show The Inheritance, alongside Rob Rinder. Meanwhile, home is a £6million Georgian house in Herefordshire, where she lives with Damian and her black Labradors. There you'll find a beautifully kept English country garden (she is a keen gardener with a vast array of her own secateurs, shovels, hoes and pruning equipment), which is said to be one of the settings for her big 60th birthday celebrations. Figure defies gravity Best friends with Elton John and the Beckhams, she is godmother to Brooklyn and Romeo, plus Elton's sons Zachary and Elijah, as well as her close friend Patsy Kensit's son with Liam Gallagher, Lennon. Entering her seventh decade, she still looks insanely fabulous, with those glossy highlighted locks, the same dewy skin, expertly plucked brows and fresh, minimal make-up. Last year, she was voted by men's magazine Maxim as the World's Sexiest Woman – beating off women half her age including Sabrina Carpenter, as well as Margot Robbie, Jennifer Aniston, and Beyoncé – and celebrated her 59th birthday by showing off her perfect body in a bright-blue skimpy bikini. Her figure defies gravity – not that she'd ever admit to hours sweating in a gym. Three years after the birth of Damian, she told me during an interview that the best thing about motherhood was nibbling on kids' party foods. World's sexiest woman 'I've discovered a passion for pink fondant fancies and those chocolate mini rolls – oh, and egg mayonnaise sandwiches with the crusts cut off.' I had to laugh. Not that I'm cynical, but Mr Kipling just doesn't make exceedingly good bodies like that. But as much as Liz Hurley has redefined a carefully curated beauty look – think English aristocrat meets sexy Hollywood glamour – her life has not been without scandal, humiliation, disappointment and grief. 18 With pal Elton John Credit: GETTY The real measure of Liz's everlasting appeal is the grit and grace she has shown in the face of a series of highly public messy affairs, which have threatened to destroy her image. In fact, it was this that brought her and Billy Ray together. In April, he revealed Liz had reached out to him after his marriage to fellow singer Firerose (AKA Johanna Hodges) collapsed last year, amid tabloid reports of an ongoing feud with his daughter, and a disastrous performance of epic proportions at Donald Trump's inaugural ball. 'Hugh was always there for her. Their bond is truly remarkable' On The Ty Bentli Show in April, Billy Ray said: 'I felt like: 'Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?' For me, at a certain point, it was like, you can't get knocked down any flatter than laying on your back when life is kicking you.' And at this moment, a friend reached out to say: 'I'm in your corner.'' There are few people who understand how hard it is to go through a public disgrace more than Liz Hurley. In 1995, a year after her triumphant breakthrough, her 'perfect relationship' with Hugh was destroyed after he was arrested following an incident with sex worker Divine Brown in Los Angeles. Giving the outward appearance she was unshaken by the scandal, which dominated the tabloids, Liz stood firmly by her partner's side, explaining afterwards on an American news show that that although she felt 'like I had been shot' when she heard the news, 'you don't kick someone when they're down.' Their relationship lasted for five more years before ending in 2000 after 13 years together. She still refers to Hugh as her 'closest friend', and their strong bond has baffled many and infuriated some. It was Hugh who stepped up after her brief relationship with multimillionaire Steve Bing in 2001 hit the skids. The businessman refused to acknowledge that Liz was pregnant with his child, until a DNA test proved it shortly after Damian's birth in 2002. Their acrimonious court battle and his initial refusal to be involved in his son's life was intensely difficult for Liz, and Hugh's advice and support according to friends was 'everything to her'. At the time, she had begun dating her future husband, Indian businessman Arun Nayar – who she would marry in 2007 – but, says one friend: 'Hugh knew exactly what it was like to be dragged through the mud in public. Liz had been by his side throughout the worst months of his life and he just knew what to say, what to do, and how to be there for her. 'She was pregnant, desperately sad that Steve was refusing to acknowledge the baby she was carrying – but there was Hugh, always there for her. Their bond is truly remarkable.' Hugh – along with Elton John, his partner, David Furnish, actor Denis Leary, multimillionaire Teddy Forstmann and aristocrat Henry Dent-Brocklehurst – is Damian's godfather ('Godfather Number One,' as friends describe him). He was there to lend support again when, in June 2020, Damian's estranged father jumped from the 27th floor of his luxury Los Angeles building and fell to his death. In the traumatic weeks that followed, Liz, as she had always done, showed grace under fire. Despite the conflict over Damian's parentage and the fact Bing did not include him in his will, she revealed that he had in fact sent a text to Damian on his 18th birthday and left a note for him before he took his life. 'Damian adores her, and she can't go a day without talking to him' She put up pics of her ex on Instagram, and told her 3 million followers that he was a 'sweet, kind man' and 'our time together was very happy'. Liz has never been one to dish the dirt – when her four-year marriage to Arun came to an end in 2011 and she began divorce proceedings citing his 'unreasonable behaviour', she never once hinted what that behaviour was. Three months after her divorce, she began dating Australian cricketer Shane Warne, and within the year they were engaged. Again, it seemed an unlikely match: the classic English beauty Liz with the hard-drinking, partying, bad boy. After two years, the relationship – which he described as 'the happiest of his life' – came to an end. 18 Elizabeth with lookalike son Damian Credit: GETTY They remained close friends and when he died suddenly of a heart attack in Thailand in 2022, she spoke of her deep grief at his loss. In an interview last year, she said: 'It was appalling losing Shane, it was a terrible thing. And it's a sadness, you know, that stays with you a long time.' Elizabeth also acknowledged the impact on her son. 'I know as we get older we're going to experience more and more loss, but Damian as a young man has experienced probably more than most.' In tabloid terms, it may be Liz's latest romance that keeps her in the news, but those closest to her know that there is really only one man who will forever remain in her heart – her beloved film-producer son Damian. 'They are a unit,' says her friend. 'He adores her, she is his muse and she can't go a day without talking to him. They collaborate on everything, including her modelling shots for her bikini business. She has appeared in his films, they laugh together, cook together, go out together. He is completely her world. 'Her greatest sadness was he didn't get to have a father, which is why he has six godfathers, and Liz has always made sure that any man in her life knows he comes first. On her 60th birthday, of everything she has done, Damian remains her greatest achievement.' Like that dress fastened only with golden safety pins, Elizabeth Hurley has tenaciously held her world and her family together in the face of circumstances which could have floored a lesser mortal. At 60, she has emerged as a true woman of substance. Happy birthday, Elizabeth. The Ex Factor She may be loved-up with Billy Ray Cyrus, but there's been no end of drama when it comes to Liz's love life. Hugh Grant 18 Liz met Hugh Grant when she was 22 Credit: GETTY The pair met when he was 27 and she was 22 on the set of 1987 movie Rowing With The Wind. They have remained firm friends ever since. Steve Bing 18 Liz dated The Polar Express producer Steve Bing for 18 months in the early 2000s Credit: MEGA Liz dated The Polar Express producer for 18 months on and off in the early 2000s, before giving birth to their son Damian. Steve Nash 18 Basketballer Steve Nash dated Liz briefly in 2001 Credit: GETTY The Canadian basketball player dated Liz briefly in 2001. At the time, a representative for Steve described the duo as having 'just vibed'. Arun Nayar 18 The actress and Arun Nayar had two wedding ceremonies in 2007 Credit: GETTY The actress and the Indian heir had not one but two wedding ceremonies in 2007. Three years later, Liz announced their divorce. Shane Warne 18 Liz and Australian cricketer Shane Warne got engaged in 2011 Credit: GETTY Liz and the Australian cricketer got engaged in 2011, but split in December 2013. After his death, she called him her 'beloved lionheart'. Justin Theroux 18 Liz denied any romance with Justin Theroux Credit: GETTY Paparazzi pics with the actor sparked rumours of a relationship. However, Liz denied any romance between them. She's forever in fashion Ever since that Versace dress, Liz has barely put a foot wrong when it comes to her style choices Put a pin in it 18 This Versace gold safety-pin dress catapulted relatively unknown Liz into the limelight in 1994 Credit: GETTY It was the Versace gold safety-pin dress that catapulted the relatively unknown Liz into the limelight in 1994. Her gravity-defying outfit, which cost £3,000 at the time was, she said: 'The first incredibly expensive dress I'd ever put on in my life.' Pretty in pink 18 Stunning Hurley dazzling in a hot pink sequin dress in 1995 Credit: GETTY Liz dazzled again in this hot-pink, sequin, maxi-dress she wore to the 1995 César Awards in Paris. Pared-back make-up and coiffed hair completed the look. Mellow yellow 18 Liz looked vibrant as she was unveiled as the new face of Estée Lauder in a £2million deal in March 1995 Credit: GETTY This vibrant yellow Versace blazer and matching skirt marked a very different look for Liz as she was unveiled as the new face of Estée Lauder in a £2million deal in March 1995 – a role she still holds 30 years on. Animal magic 18 All eyes were on Elizabeth when she flashed her leopard print knickers while wearing a red Versace dress in 1998 Credit: G4BYTB All eyes were on Elizabeth when she flashed her leopard print knickers while wearing a red Versace dress with a thigh-high split to the wedding of millionaire film producer Henry Dent-Brocklehurst and model Lilikoi Maltese in 1998. All white on the night 18 Hurley donned in white at the Rocketman premiere in May 2019 Credit: GETTY Attending the Rocketman premiere in London in May 2019, the actress showed she was out of this world as she posed in a sequined white Versace suit paired with silver heels. Her marble-effect clutch bag added a pop of colour. Barely there 18 Earlier this year, Elizabeth showed off her incredible figure in a Celia Kritharioti form-fitting optical illusion gown Credit: GETTY Stepping out at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March, Elizabeth showed off her incredible figure in a Celia Kritharioti form-fitting optical illusion gown that was covered in crystals and made it look like she wasn't wearing a dress at all. Beach babe 18 Liz showed off her enviable shape in a skimpy red two-piece Credit: INSTAGRAM The actress showed off her enviable figure in a skimpy red two-piece from her hugely successful Elizabeth Hurley Beach in a collection of shots taken in Baglioni, in the Maldives, last month. If we looked this good in a bikini at almost 60, we would too!

Bianca Censori's huge move as she launches self-named business away from Kanye
Bianca Censori's huge move as she launches self-named business away from Kanye

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Bianca Censori's huge move as she launches self-named business away from Kanye

Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori has made a big career move with the news coming just days after she once again caused an outcry due to her racy outfit choices Bianca Censori has returned to social media in recent days, and the reason could soon be clear. The 30-year-old architect and wife of Kanye West had steered clear from public attention in recent weeks but is back with yet more controversial looks. And while her posts haven't stated any reason for the uploads, it's been revealed she has branched out with a career path away from her hubby. The Australian beauty was an architect at Yeeze in 2020, but has moved away from her usual role in recent years as she stayed by her man's side. ‌ She has continued to turn heads and create chaos with her barely-there outfits alongside the rapper, 47, but her recent uploads have shown her alone. And now it's been revealed she has set up her first U.S. company, Bianca Censori Inc, which was registered last month with the state of California. ‌ According to the Sun, Bianca has also registered her full name as an Australian firm, based in Alphington. The affluent Melbourne suburb is currently the home of her parents. The publication hints the firm could be in the cosmetic industry. It revealed the chief financial officer is listed as Hussein Lalani, a person who specialises in selling cosmetic treatments. Her latest outing saw her risk arrest for her continuous indecent public exposure. She once again wore an x-rated outfit with intention to shock fans. She left very little to the imagination in a pair of sheer pantyhose and a see-through black fishnet top. She shared three separate images of herself standing in the street in the fully see-through ensemble to her Instagram page. The Australian model and architect styled her black locks in a an edgy wolfe-cut and topped off the head-turning look with a pair of oversized sunglasses as she posed with her hands behind her back and her legs spread apart. Naturally, after sharing the three snaps, fans flocked to the comment section to discuss her latest outfit - or lack thereof. One user gawped: "God, I've just opened the Instagram app to see this," while another joked: "Sometimes less really isn't more." ‌ A third complained: "This girl needs to realise that there's much more to women than showing off every inch of your body in such a vulgar way. Where is the class and decorum? Not a good look." It's far from the first time Bianca had sparked outrage with her outfit choices. At the Grammy Awards ceremony back in February alongside Kanye, she shocked photographers on the red carpet. As she dropped her fur coat to reveal the naked dress. The stunt caused a mass reaction among fans. Some shared their concern for Bianca's welfare, claiming Kayne had forced her to do it.

Love Island star has flirty link to Justin Bieber and Gary Lineker's son
Love Island star has flirty link to Justin Bieber and Gary Lineker's son

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Love Island star has flirty link to Justin Bieber and Gary Lineker's son

EXCLUSIVE: Helena Ford is set to make her Love Island debut when the new series starts on June 9 and the Londoner is already well connected in the world of showbiz Love Island's latest series is already heating up and it hasn't even started yet as the line up includes a footballer's son, someone whose mum owns a sex shop, a former fire breather and now someone who Justin Bieber follows. Helena Ford is bringing more than just stunning looks and cabin crew charm to the villa. The 29-year-old Londoner is already well connected in celebrity circles, counting Zara McDermott, Justin Bieber, and the sons of British TV royalty among her friends. And as she gears up to find love under the Spanish sun, she's not ruling anything out - even sex on national television. ‌ Helena, who previously worked as a flight attendant before entering the villa, is no stranger to the jet-set lifestyle. But her social circle might come as a surprise to some. In an exclusive interview ahead of her casting her sights on some guys under the Mallorcan sun, she opened up about her links to Love Island alumni, pop royalty, and the children of some of the UK's biggest media names. ‌ 'I know Zara [McDermott] through one of my best friends who managed her after she left Love Island,' Helena revealed. 'I didn't actually speak to her before going in — she's super busy filming documentaries at the moment.' Despite the lack of last-minute advice from Zara, Helena's no stranger to reality TV culture. She's also familiar with some famous faces off-screen, including the sons of Piers Morgan and Gary Lineker. 'I haven't actually told them!' she laughed. 'So they'll find out with everyone else. I imagine their reaction will be positive, though.' ‌ As for how she met them? 'Just nights out in London,' Helena explained casually — proving that the capital's social scene can bring together just about anyone. Perhaps the most surprising revelation? Helena is followed by none other than Justin Bieber. 'He does! It's from an old account I had when I was like 12,' she admitted. 'I used to post about him constantly [on X], total Belieber.' ‌ Now, Helena's stepping into the spotlight in her own right as one of the standout contestants on Love Island 2025, Series 12. This season, Love Island is lifting its five-year ban on airing intimate scenes, including those in the villa's Hideaway. Executive producer Mike Spencer confirmed that such footage will be broadcast to keep the show "fresh and exciting" in its 10th year. It's a controversial move, but Helena's taking a measured approach. When asked about potentially having sex on the show, she admitted it's something she has discussed with family. ‌ 'Yes – especially my mum,' she said. 'She's clued up and said she'd just leave the room or put the TV on mute. I don't know if I'd do it, but never say never.' Helena's honest, laid-back attitude is already making her a fan favourite. With her girl-next-door energy mixed with an enviable A-list social circle, she could be one to watch this season. Describing herself as, 'definitely a lover girl,' Helena says she's finally ready for a boyfriend. ‌ This isn't Helena's first or second brush with Love Island fame either - she first applied at 19, a decade ago. 'I only had one audition and didn't get through. Definitely for the best,' she admits. 'I wasn't ready back then.' Now, at 29, she's confident it's finally her moment. A whole host of new singles have been chosen to go into the villa to try and find love while also navigating the twists and turns of the show. The series will be filmed in its usual Majorcan villa but it has been given a spruce up since last year. Love Island returns Monday, June 9 at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

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