Latest news with #Donte
Metro
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Emmerdale star gutted as ITV show cancelled: ‘I don't know what I did wrong'
Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas has revealed his disappointment after discovering his most recent TV show won't be recommissioned. The star played Adam Barton in Emmerdale between 2009 and 2018, leaving the village after confessing to the murder of Emma Barton (Gillian Kearney) in order to save his mum, Moira (Natalie J. Robb), from going to prison for the killing. More recently, soap fans have seen Adam back in the rebooted Waterloo Road as he reprised his role of Donte Charles. He first appeared as Donte when the character was a pupil at the school in the original series in 2006. Fans were delighted when the series was rebooted in 2023 after an eight year gap, and Adam was announced as one of the stars who would be returning from the original series. Now a parent, his daughter was a pupil at the school, and Donte soon started working there, initially as a caretaker. Adam competed in I'm a Celebrity… in 2016, coming third, and he's also competed in Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered by Luba Mushtuk and lasted six weeks in the show. But it's another show that viewers have seen Adam in most recently. 99 To Beat saw him presenting alongside his brother Ryan, and Adam previously told Metro the show was a 'dream come true' for him. 'I'm very excited to film that very soon,' he said. 'It's called 99 to Beat for ITV. I'm so excited and it's been a long time coming.' The first series aired earlier this year on Saturday evenings and saw 100 contestants competing for the prize. The Thomas brothers were thrilled to be presenting the show together, though the series – compared by some to Squid Game – wasn't without its difficulties after some contestants needed medical attention after a challenge that involved jumping into a haystack and some people suffered an allergic reaction. Despite this the show was generally well received and the Thomas brothers really enjoyed making it, so Adam was sad to reveal the show won't be recommissioned. On an episode of At Home With The Thomas Bros, the podcast Adam makes with brothers Ryan and Scott, Adam said: 'When I am positive about something, it gets cancelled. Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. More Trending 'I did (I'm a Celebrity) Extra Camp presenting. I did one series of that, and it got cancelled. The next presenting job I did was with Ryan, 99 To Beat, and that's got cancelled.' Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! In better news for Adam, Waterloo Road will be back on BBC 1 soon, and Donte will be front and centre of the action as ever. He's also said he would love to go back to Emmerdale one day. 'My mum and my family are still in it and they've left the door open for me… you never know,' he said. View More » 'I'd like to go back one day, it'll always hold a special place in my heart.' If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Coronation Street star reveals 'stressful and crazy' time as she makes a major change MORE: Coronation Street star Jonathan Howard's real-life relationship as on-screen romance heats up MORE: Emmerdale's Marlon is left reeling as he makes big discovery about April and Dylan
Buzz Feed
19-07-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
13 Things Growing Up Poor Teach You That Rich Kids Don't Know
Growing up without having a lot of access to money can really impact how someone views their world. For instance, when I was younger, there were certain things I had to learn how to do on my own that my friends, who were considered middle class, had financial help with. So when I saw Reddit user Donte_writes asked: "What did growing up poor teach you that rich kids will never understand?" I thought I would share some of their responses below: "The satisfaction of repairing something yourself. When you have no other choice, it's amazing what you can do!" —Goddess_BeatrixFDC"I'll add to this: buying something expensive that's broken and getting it working again. I got a MacBook Air recently for $200 that someone sold because some of the keys weren't working. Watched a tutorial on how to remove Mac key caps safely, realized they'd gummed them up eating while using the PC, cleaned them out, and now I have a 2020 MacBook that works like a dream."—tiparium "The deep psychological weight of 'no.'" "How the butter knife is the most universal tool." —Truestorydreams"I feel the spoon is the most versatile utensil there is. I eat my salads with it mainly because my wife chops or slices things so small that eating a salad would otherwise take weeks with a fork. I just scoop it all up, including the dressing resting on the bottom of the bowl or plate. So easy."—AgITGuy"A butter knife is also a screwdriver, pry bar, straight edge, saw, scalpel, and you can whack things that need percussive maintenance. It's how you get bike tires back on the rim. Garbage disposal repair in a pinch. It's the one tool that does it all."—TenderDiatribe "Your socioeconomic status can and will affect who you grow up to be." "That graduating from high school or college is a big deal for most of us." —Weekly-Inspection247"I remember in high school, I shared with my classmates that I was excited to get my acceptance letter from my local community college. I went to a pretty wealthy school district, and the standard was to go to a university or a large college after high didn't understand that getting an acceptance letter to a community college is a big deal for someone like me who came from a family of high school dropouts who struggled later on to get their GED."—MidwestCherry "The difference between 'want' and 'need.'" "Second-hand clothes that your mom got from a friend or coworker, that she brings home in a big trash bag. I got my best clothes from those bags." —salvagemania"Lol, these days, even the rich kids love second-hand clothes."—badgyal876 "What actual hunger is. They don't understand that kind of hunger. The one where you are hungry, but there is no food in the pantry, and no money for it. It's hunger, not by choice, and it changes you. Profoundly." "In a pinch, you can eat cereal with no milk. Saltines with jelly were a treat." —1969quacky"Yes! We would have a spoonful of peanut butter as a snack."—byfar82 "I only ever had one pillow, and it was never replaced. I was well into adulthood before I allowed myself to purchase a second pillow. The luxury of replacing my pillows every few years and having more than one has never gotten old. There are many other things I did without as a kid that I have never gotten to the point of being 'normal,' it always feels excessive or that I am being extra to have the 'luxuries.'" "Without money, some consequences hurt a lot more (i.e., traffic ticket, making a mistake on a purchase, missing a bill payment, etc.)." —twoDuckNight "Patience. Saving a little money each week until I can buy a big item, instead of just buying it when I need it." "Nothing is ever given. One year, as kids, my siblings and I had zero toys for Christmas. Our parents did their best, but it just didn't work out for us on the big day. The Boy Scouts came to our house on Christmas Eve and gave us presents as kids. I was so happy to get a low-quality basketball under the tree. It meant the world to me because somebody gave me something, and it felt like I mattered. So, this Christmas, go to a store or mall, take a tag off the tree for an angel gift, and make a kid's entire Christmas with your donation. It really does make a difference!" —Pandemonium1x Is there anything else you would like to add to this list if it resonated with you? If so, tell us in the comments or anonymously in the Google Form below.
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Man raised in UK says his life is in 'limbo' after being denied citizenship
American Donte Ragan, 28, who was raised in Cornwall and has lived in the UK since the age of three, has had his British citizenship denied as his adoption was not registered correctly A man raised in the UK says his life is in limbo after his application for British citizenship was denied. Donte Ragan, previously Spillane, has lived in the UK since the age of three after being adopted by a British couple in Bedfordshire. He was then raised in Cornwall and attended school in Camelford until Year 11, when he had to move out of his family home due to the breakdown of his relationship with his adoptive parents. However, Donte, 28, who now lives in Redruth but is originally from the United States, says he does not have the correct paperwork to support his application because his adoption was not registered correctly. This has resulted in a years-long battle for him to get immigration status in the UK and meant he struggled to secure long-term work as he could not provide evidence of his right to live and work here. While Donte had previously been granted 'leave to remain' status, he applied for British citizenship in October 2024, under exceptional circumstances as, if approved, it would allow him to live and work in the UK without immigration restrictions and provide him access to a British passport. After waiting nearly eight nail-biting months for the outcome of his citizenship application, Donte said he received an email from the Home Office last week informing him it had been denied as his particular circumstances are not deemed to be exceptional under section 4L the British Nationality Act 1981. This is because a parent's failure to register a child while they are a minor is not considered to meet the exceptional circumstances requirement. The refusal of his citizenship application has left Donte uncertain about his ability to remain in the UK. 'I have no [immigration] status at the moment but I'm trying to raise money so I can reapply for citizenship,' he told CornwallLive. '[The Home Office] has not confirmed if I can stay or if I am being kicked out, so I'm kind of just in limbo at the moment. 'I don't think it's fair that I should be put on a leave to remain visa as that's what I was on for 10 years but if I had to go on that now, it would mean I would not be able to apply for citizenship until I'm nearly 40 which is a long time to wait.' Donte is now also unsure what this outcome will mean for his ability to work and he has stepped down as a local town councillor for Redruth Town Council. On his own Facebook page he wrote: "It is with great shock that I now need to resign from being a councillor. I will be stepping back from all councillor responsibilities. I will also be stepping back from all party involvement until I am able to re-focus on politics, meaning that I cannot do political things if I can't be elected legally for a while." He added that the process has been very stressful for him but he is determined to challenge the decision and reapply for citizenship. "It's been really stressful applying for [citizenship] because I'm having to do all these things to show that it's all true and I'm not lying. I had to apply for myself as I didn't have the funds to pay for legal fees but now I'm trying to raise money to challenge [the decision].' Donte has set up a JustGiving page to raise funds for legal support to 'challenge this injustice' and help him reapply for citizenship. As he has no access to funds or an income, he said he needs help to cover the legal costs and basic living expenses in the meantime.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
If you only read 5 John Grisham books, make it these
John Grisham is the name many book readers who are drawn to legal fiction must have come across. Famous for his legal thrillers, Grisham studied law and had a brief career in politics which provided an edge to his powerful and legally accurate writing. While most of his novels were set in the Deep South around the '80s, '90s, and even earlier, reading them today brings out a silent gasp. The use of the 'N-word', somewhat weakly written and largely ignored female characters, disturbs the new generation. The objectified and one-dimensional female characters are a pill hard to swallow. But putting perspective on the setting and period in which most of his stories are set, the language problem is justifiable, if not the casual sexism. Another issue identified with his writing is the similarities in some of his novels. For instance, courtroom drama, big corrupt firms, wrongful convictions are recurring themes in his work. Nevertheless, his stories are compelling and he tried his hands at other genres as well with novels such as Bleachers, Skipping Christmas, A Painted House, and Playing for Pizza. Discussed further are some of his works that piqued my interest for a few reasons. 1. The Confession (2010) 'An innocent man is days from execution. Only a guilty man can save him.' The Confession follows the story of Donte Drumm, a wrongfully convicted black man for the murder of a white high school cheerleader. He is days away from death penalty and the racially charged town of Slone, Texas is on the brink of riots. The actual murderer, Travis Boyette who is also a serial predator, is revealed early-on while being on parole he confesses to a pastor named Keith Schroeder who further falls in a dilemma whether to keep this vicious secret to himself or help prevent massive injustice from taking place miles away. By taking Boyette to Slone, Keith would be breaking the rule of law and faith. But Schroeder was not the only one trying to help Drumm. Robbie Flakk, Donte's lawyer, worked his fingers to the bone, first to prevent the death penalty from taking place. Second, to catch Travis and bring him to justice. He succeeds only in one of the two. This book is a personal favourite read. A riveting page-turner with courtroom scenes makes one feel like jumping into the book. Robbie's unconventional and rebellious personality, integrity, and the drive to carry out justice against the flawed legal system makes him a hero of some sort, a man of principles standing up for what's right. The Reverend's heartwarming and responsible personality added emotional touch to the story. This book has a high chance of triggering your emotions and making you question the very bearers of justice. But it might also reaffirm the faith in people like Robbie and Keith, among others who tried to help an innocent man from falling into the trap of injustice, even though Donte was already a victim of one for nine years and the worst awaited him. While some of the central characters were well written, there was a lack of more nuanced characters as the plot had the potential of comprehensive character arcs of others since it's a story that drags into more than four-hundred pages book. 2. A Time to Kill (1989) John Grisham's first book, A Time To Kill, is one of the most powerful stories he's ever penned. Inspired by true events with characterisation reversed, the book revolves around Carl Lee, father to Tonya Hailey- a ten year old who was brutally raped and beaten by 'two rednecks' – Pete Willard and Billy Ray Cobb. Carl Lee is accused of murdering Willard and Cobb and is now facing the death penalty. Jake Brigance a white lawyer sympathetic to the 'underdogs' and famous for representing the minorities, defends Carl Lee against capital punishment. The book grows with the involvement of KKK and its confrontation with the black community. The white supremacist group also causes various notorious incidents, trying to disrupt the case proceedings and bending it their way. The build-up of discrimination, conflict, and resistance are skilfully blended into the story, making one feel the emotions as the author would have intended. Despite the book's failure upon its launch, it aged well with the later readers. The film adaptation of the book with the same name starring Matthew McCaughney, Sandra Bullock, and Samuel L. Jackson did relatively better than the novel. The movie, like the book, received mixed reactions for its stance on the death penalty and extension of the right to self defense. 3. The Firm (1991) The Firm is Grisham's second novel and first commercial success. It follows the story of Mitch McDeere, a bright Harvard graduate who becomes a part of a prominent and acclaimed law firm. Soon he discovers the sinister schemes pulled by the firm to stay relevant in the market and its ties to the underworld. Further he discovers the reason behind the dead lawyers who once worked at the firm. The involvement of the FBI adds complication to his situation. Mitch gets caught up in a bind as he tries to evade the firm as well as the FBI. The story clearly portrays how Mitch's ambition gets him in hot water but with his wit he manages to topple everything off. The problem with the novel lies in the treatment of the female characters. Mitch's wife, Abby, is shown as nothing more than a somewhat (submissive) trophy wife who is further sexualised and objectified. The other women in the novel are described based solely on the level of attractiveness, a very limited perspective. The cheating and not confessing was another issue that needed resolvent. The movie based on the book had minor differences from the book, like in the former Mitch confesses to the cheating. Adapted into a movie starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman, the book was seen as a blockbuster only to be compared with the former. The movie brings out a good ending ignoring the several controversial themes and issues with the plot. 4. The Rainmaker (1995) The Rainmaker is another commercially successful legal thriller by John Grisham. It incorporates and questions idealism, success, corruption, and the flawed justice system. Rudy Baylor, the protagonist, is a fresh law school graduate who has just passed his bar exam. He finds himself in confrontation with a big company being accused by a couple claiming that the company has denied insurance which is necessary for their child's life-saving treatment. Rudy is an inexperienced and broke young man who dreams of becoming rich. But the case with this big company could be a pivotal event in his fresh career. He is faced with experienced and ferocious lawyers who could eat him up alive. But with his few supporters and moral compass he carries on. 'The end was predictable' as Entertainment Weekly noted but the story and character writing is strong enough for the readers to be persuaded to continue reading the book up until the end. Corruption and flaws in the justice system is a seed sowed in most of Grisham's novels and The Rainmaker is no exception. The detestable lawyers, big companies against the poor and innocent civilians is a common villainous trait of his books. This novel stands true to this characterisation as well. A film was released in 1997 based on the book starring Matt Damon, Danny Devito, Danny Glover, among others. An upcoming namesake series based on the novel is also set to release in August 2025. 5. Playing for Pizza (2007) Apart from his legal thrillers, John Grisham wrote few light hearted books and Playing for Pizza is one of them. It's a novella inspired by some real aspects like the Parma Panthers team in Italy. The story depicts NFL quarterback Rick Dockery who gave his worst performance in the last game before being kicked out of the team and his already smeared image was further tainted by the press. His agent Arnie gets him to play for Parma Panthers of Italian Football League which he readily accepts. Despite being new to the country and its language and culture, he tries to fit in and eventually gets serious about his new team. He develops a romantic relationship with an American college girl, Livvy Galloway, who was studying in Italy. The deliverance of Dockery from his past reflected the personal growth he went through. The book is a good steer away from regular Grisham books, which generally deals with the legal and justice system and the underlying corruption. The story is simple yet well written sneak-peek into Italian culture – the food, wine, and relaxed lifestyle. Rick Dockery redefines himself, building his confidence and his character arc makes the book more interesting. Grisham wrote extensively about Italian food which makes it a delight for the readers to explore the culture. In an interview with NPR Grisham revealed that he 'enjoys writing about food'. The fact that the players of the Parma Panthers were awarded with pizza after every game is a notable take on how different the football game culture is in Italy compared to America.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers Legend Claims Knicks Lost ‘Swagger' After Roster Move
Lakers Legend Claims Knicks Lost 'Swagger' After Roster Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks just enjoyed one of their best seasons in recent memory after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Unfortunately for them, they faced off against a familiar opponent: the Indiana Pacers. Advertisement Not only was it the ninth time the two sides had met in the NBA Playoffs, but it also marked the second consecutive year that the Pacers had eliminated the Knicks. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots against Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43).Brad Penner-Imagn Images Lakers legend claims Knicks lost their "swagger" While some would consider this season a success for the Knicks, the team's upper management didn't share the same view, as they chose to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau shortly after the team's playoff exit. The team faces uncertainty at the position, considering nearly every request for an interview they've sent out has been denied. Following the team's playoff exit, Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson made a bold claim regarding the team, stating that he believes they lost their swagger after trading Donte DiVincenzo as part of the deal for Karl-Anthony Towns, on ESPN's "Get Up." Advertisement 'The swagger left the Knicks when [DiVincenzo] got traded, and they don't have that swagger again,' Johnson said. 'See, they got nice guys, but they don't have tough, mean guys, and that's what Donte brought to the table. 'I love what Donte brought from the bench when he came on the floor, and New York Knicks fans loved him because he was tough, he was mean, but also he could score." The Knicks, perhaps more than any team, rely on their starters for much of their production. While players like Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride could come in for sparing minutes, they clearly weren't the same team as they were the season before. Advertisement Instead, they were more top-heavy, leaning on players like Jalen Brunson and Towns, especially if it was an off night for Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby. There has been considerable speculation about the moves the Knicks will make this summer, including whether they will trade Towns after just one season. With an evident championship-or-bust mentality going into next season, this offseason will be a telling one for the Knicks. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
