Latest news with #Alastair
ITV News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Young actor only credited with Jersey potatoes advert lands major role in Harry Potter series
A young actor whose only previous professional credit is for an advert about Jersey Royal potatoes has landed a major part in the new Harry Potter series. Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley with the trademark ginger hair - he was chosen from around 32,000 children who auditioned for the three lead roles in the HBO TV drama. He will be joined by Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter and Arabella Stanton, who will play Hermione Granger. Alastair's CV on his management's website currently only has one entry, listing his part as "Son at Dinner" in Albert Bartlett's 'Roll On Jersey Royal Season' commercial. His talent agency says this breakout role in the Harry Potter revival will showcase "his dedication, impeccable humour and natural talent that will win the hearts of many". The director of that advert, Martin Aamund, adds: "Good for him, I'm just so happy when I hear people that I've been working with make it to the big stage and take that huge leap up. "They've been on set in the lights and know what it's all about, which is a good exercise because it's not that different. When he goes to Harry Potter, it's still just a set but of course, it requires much more of him as an actor. I'm happy he tried it with me first." Alastair's casting is likely to keep him busy for many years as HBO expects the drama could run for a decade, with a series intended to focus on each of the seven books. Executive producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod said: "We are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen." They will star alongside established actors such as John Lithgow as Professor Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. A official release date for the new series is yet to be announced.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rod Stewart's Sons Alastair & Aiden Make Super Rare Red Carpet Appearance
, the rock legend with the instantly recognizable raspy voice and equally famous hair, turned the global premiere of into a fab family affair on May 15, 2025. Forget the spy gadgets and death-defying stunts for a moment; all eyes were on Rod, his ever-glamorous wife , and their two sons, 19-year-old Alastair and 14=year-old Aiden, as they brought a dose of Stewart charm to the London's Leicester Square red carpet. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 At 80 years young, Rod the Mod still knows how to make an entrance. He rocked a typically distinctive ensemble that was pure Stewart swagger—think sharp, a little flamboyant, and undeniably cool. Beside him, Penny Lancaster, 54, a star in her own right, donned a sunny yellow dress, topped with a white blazer. And the handsome young men of the hour? That would be Alastair Wallace, looking every bit the cool young adult, and his younger brother Aiden Patrick, who's clearly growing up fast. Together, they made a picture-perfect—and rather stylish—family unit ready to enjoy Tom Cruise's latest blockbuster. Sir Rod is a dad to a grand total of eight children, a big, bustling, blended family that spans the decades. There's Sarah Streeter, 61; then Kimberly Stewart, 45, and Sean Stewart, 44, from his marriage to Alana Stewart. Next up is Ruby Stewart, 37, his daughter with Kelly Emberg; followed by Renee Stewart, 32, and Liam Stewart, 30, from his marriage to Rachel Hunter. And completing the eight are Alastair and Aiden, his sons with Penny, whom he married back in 2007. While Rod's a very involved dad, getting the whole crew together is a feat, so seeing Alastair and Aiden step out for a big Hollywood premiere like this is definitely something fans and photographers can get excited about. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 The Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning premiere was, as expected, an A-list magnet. Tom Cruise himself was there, naturally, along with his co-stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, and Angela Bassett. Rod has always been open about family life. He once shared with PEOPLE his philosophy on raising his diverse brood, emphasizing the importance of treating each of his children as the individuals they are, with their own personalities and paths. Alastair, is reportedly exploring a career in film, no doubt with plenty of inspiration around him. And young Aiden, who's known to be a big football fan just like his dad, looked more than ready for a big night out in the city.
Edinburgh Live
15-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Scottish grandad who thought he had verruca diagnosed with stage four cancer
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A retired Scottish doctor received a shock diagnosis when he was told what he thought was a verruca was actually skin cancer- which has now progressed to stage four. Alastair Muir, 63, first noticed the skin coloured lesion on his heel in 2018 but thought it was a wart or verruca and went to have it frozen off. The grandad-of-one said he had never even considered the lump could have been melanoma because it didn't present any of the normal symptoms, reports The Daily Record. But, later that year, a dermatologist biopsied the lesion and revealed what Alastair thought was a harmless little wart, was in fact cancer. He went through numerous surgeries to remove the lesion and spent a total of three months on crutches. He said: "I thought it was a verruca, and a colleague agreed and froze it off for me. I had never even considered that it was a potential melanoma. "When the biopsy results came back everyone was surprised. I was very shocked. It really wasn't something that I had expected." (Image: Alastair Muir / SWNS) In 2023, things took a turn for the worse when Alastair began to have problems with his vision including night blindness. Doctors originally suspected this was multiple sclerosis, but it turned out to be the rare condition melanoma associated retinopathy. This is an autoimmune response where antiretinal antibodies attack the eyes, which can lead to permanent blindness. Alastair added: "It is something that I had never heard of even as a doctor. Being told I could go blind was a bigger and more frightening experience than being diagnosed with cancer." He then began on plasma exchange treatment, where blood is filtered to remove the antibodies, which is still being administered alongside steroids. So far, the treatment has been working well, and Alastair says it is "almost as if I was back to normal." Unfortunately, later that year, the cancer spread to his lymph nodes at the top of his leg and pelvis - so further surgeries were required to remove them. The cancer continued to spread, and it was later revealed it was stage four - with Alastair being told he may only live for up to five years. The dad-of-two said: "It was essentially a death sentence. "It is fascinating going from being a doctor to a patient. You can never imagine what it is like to be told that you have got cancer which is spreading, and you might go blind. "It gave everybody a bit of a fright, I think. It becomes all consuming. It is all you can think about but at the same time you don't want to talk about it. "All of a sudden people drop out of your life. It can be very lonely and quite difficult." (Image: Alastair Muir / SWNS) But, things are starting to look up as Alastair has been started on immunotherapy, which studies suggest could double his chances of survival to ten years. The treatment is not without risk, as it may undo the progress on his eyes and cause him to go blind, but he says that so far it is going really well. Alastair also said he has had great support from his wife Moira, as well as his neighbours who often help drive him to appointments. Now, the grandad is trying to give back to those who helped him by participating in Scottish cyclist Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity cycle event on Sunday, September 7th in Glasgow. He will be doing his cycle on a fixed bike in the centre of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, due to his impaired eyesight, for up to 20 minutes depending on his health. The sponsored cycle will be raising money for the Melanoma-Me Foundation, which he says really supported him through tough times. He also hopes to raise awareness for the strange ways in which skin cancer can present itself- encouraging others to go get checked. So far, the GoFundMe page has raised £270. Alastair added: "I think the presentation was quite unusual. Most people associate melanoma with pigmented moles that change or grow. It is important for people to know that it doesn't always present that way. "I think people need to be aware that if you have anything on your skin that is different or changing then it is very worthwhile getting it checked out. "When Chris Hoy spoke about his cancer, I was very shocked because he is the greatest ever Olympian- clearly a sporting hero. He has a lifestyle that you wouldn't associate with ill health of any kind. It touched most people's hearts. It was inspiring that he reached out to help others. I wanted to be able to do the same." The event host and six-time gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy announced in February last year that he had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer which is terminal. The sports star says that his charity cycle is to change perceptions around stage four cancer, as well as raise money for vital charities.
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rod Stewart dwarfed by teenage son as he is forced to rest his voice on tour
Sir Rod Steward appeared in high spirits, despite being banned from speaking, as he was joined by his family in Italy while on the road as part of his One Last Time Tour Sir Rod Stewart was in good spirits while surrounded by his family - including towering son Alastair - despite being unable to speak. The 80-year-old rock icon is in the midst of his epic One Last Time Tour - which is outlining an end of an era for the star. On Saturday night, he thrilled fans in Milan, Italy, where he performed as part of the string of concert dates. He was joined by members of his family including devoted wife Lady Penny Lancaster, 54, and their son Alastair, 19. With many dates still to go before the tour ends in December - with dates in North America, South America, Europe and the United Arab Emirates - the star is clearly planning to take care of his voice so he can ensure fans get the best performance possible. This was made clear on Saturday, as Rod was spotted in Lake Como ahead of his performance with a sign hanging around his neck saying that he was unable to speak. The simple message stated: "Sorry. Cannot talk. Having vocal rest." The music legend looked happy as he wandered around with wife Penny chatting animatedly at his side. While teenage son Alastair towered above his parents as he joined them in the Italian sunshine. The aspiring filmmaker was in the middle of the crowds at the Unipol Forum in Milan on Saturday night. Taking to Instagram Stories, Alastair panned the camera around to show the stadium packed to the rafters while his dad belted out tunes on stage. In recent weeks, the teenager has opened up about his plans for the future - and hinted he hopes to pivot away from a career in fashion after enrolling at the JCA London Fashion Academy last year. He told the Daily Mail: "I was attending that fashion college, but I've left now. I'm in a bit of a transitional period at the moment." Sharing his future ambitions, he continued: "I'm trying to get into the film industry, and I want to follow my passion, I want to be behind the camera, that's my real passion." And highlighting his talents further, he said: "I've made a few short plays, I write a lot of scripts, and I write a lot of screenplays." Meanwhile, music fans have a last chance to see Sir Rod on the road as part of a huge world tour as he has signalled his One Last Time Tour will be the last of it's kind. In November last year he made it clear he wanted to scale back his performing - while also reiterating that he is not planning to retire. He said: '[This is] the end of large-scale world tours for me... [But I have] no desire to retire." Fans in the UK will see the Hot Legs singer take to the stage at Glastonbury. Rod is set to hit the Pyramid Stage for the Sunday legend slot over the festival weekend at the end of June. Earlier this year he also revealed he is expanding his string of performances in Las Vegas. He has been playing at The Colosseum in Sin City and added new residency dates in September and October after selling seats during the months of March, May and June. Titled The Encore Shows, Sir Rod will enjoy a busy Autumn in the gambling capital. Announcing the new dates back in March, he wrote on Instagram: "Las Vegas! You wanted more, so here we go—I've added more shows! I'll be back at @colosseumatcp this September and October, Can't wait to see you all for another round of unforgettable nights."
NZ Herald
10-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Jessica Cameron's journey to shepherd on Waikato farm
'I spent a few days on my uncle's Helensville sheep and beef farm through the Gateway programme at school, and found I really liked farming.' Getting into farming 'When I was looking at how to get into farming in 2022, I realised it was quite hard if you weren't born into a farming family,' Cameron said. 'My uncle had a student from GFF, and it looked like a really good way to enter the industry and be well-trained and come out with NZQA unit standards.' Growing Future Farmers is New Zealand's largest farmer-led vocational workforce training programme. It spans two years and is fee-free within the sheep, beef and deer sector. After being matched with Alastair and Ann Reeves of Waimai Romney Stud in Te Akau as possible farmer trainers for her two-year placement, Cameron visited the farm and was offered a place. 'Waimai is a ram stud, and they also have their own breed, Chara Blacks,' she said. 'They are all about genetics, testing and selection, and that really makes your brain work, and I enjoyed being part of that.' Alastair and Ann are very supportive of sport at high levels and willingly gave Cameron the time off to continue with waka ama. She competed with the Aotearoa Waka Ama Team at the 2024 World Championships in Hawaii, and she manages her training using a machine in her room. Farm life Cameron lived with three other students from Growing Future Farmers who were on other farms in the area. Students are allocated to a student success adviser, and she described her SSA, Morgan Lilley, as her second mum, saying 'she was great'. Four days a week (32 hours), Cameron worked on the farm and also attended courses once a week covering shearing, fencing, tractor driving, equine care, ATV driving, chainsaw and dog training. She said the curriculum covered an extensive list of courses and skills. Advertise with NZME. 'At the beginning of the first year, we get a heading dog pup to train, and we get a huntaway pup halfway through the first year. 'I was fortunate enough to be trained by one of New Zealand's top dog triallists, Leo Jecentho, who also hand-picked my pups. 'My heading dog, Smoke, has the genetics of Leo's champion dogs, and I get to keep both my dogs when I graduate the programme.' Fridays also included a Zoom call with Eastern Institute of Technology tutors, and completing her assessments, which Cameron admitted she sometimes had to focus on. The programme covers costs for 'our house, Wi-Fi, power and meat, and we get around $200 a week from our sponsorship money for food and anything else. 'I've got really good at budgeting, and we did a financial literacy course on budgeting with Rabobank.' A future farmer Cameron's new role won't take her out of the area where she has just spent the last two years, and she will still be close to two of her former housemates who also have their first jobs in the Te Akau area. 'I'll be on a 1000-ha effective sheep and beef farm carrying 10,000 stock units with a 50/50 split between Romney breeding sheep and Angus steers.' She is looking forward to starting work and applying her skills to a real farming job. 'Because of the GFF programme, I've got qualifications and two years of industry experience, allowing me to enter farming at a more senior level. 'I'm going to be working with a GFF student myself, so that will be really good.' Cameron said she found the whole GFF experience supportive and enjoyable. She is grateful to her farmer trainers, Alastair and Ann, but also to their farm manager, Tom Lilley, whom she shadowed for the two years.
