Latest news with #RichardEGrant
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Kylie Minogue and Richard E Grant send ‘love' to actress with stage 4 cancer
Kylie Minogue and Richard E Grant have sent 'love' to Australian comedian Magda Szubanski, following her announcement that she has been diagnosed with stage 4 blood cancer. The Liverpool-born actress, 64, known for her work on family films Happy Feet and Babe and their sequels, is 'hopeful' that a new treatment will help her get through the illness. Advertisement The Melbourne resident posted on Instagram on Thursday, describing her stage four mantle cell lymphoma as a 'rare and fast-moving blood cancer'. Under the post, Australian singer and former Neighbours actress Minogue, who has previously spoken about going through breast cancer decades ago, wrote: 'Sending all love' along with heart emojis. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magda Szubanski (@magda_szubanski) Grant, who co-starred with Szubanski in the film Kath & Kimderella and whose wife, Joan Washington, died from lung cancer, wrote: 'We all love you soooooo much Mags.' Jurassic Park star Sam Neill, who was diagnosed with a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022, wrote to his Ride Like A Girl co-star saying: 'Sending huge, healing love and hugs to you, dear Magda. Advertisement 'You are supported and held in all our hearts.' Muriel's Wedding actress Toni Collette, and singer and TV host, Dannii Minogue, also sent their support. Collette said: 'Sending huge, healing love and hugs to you, dear Magda. You are supported and held in all our hearts.' Minogue wrote: 'We will see you walking down the street – everyone will be waving to you and sending long distance.' Advertisement Australian actress Magda Szubanski (Rod McGuirk/AP) Along with the post, Szubanski appeared in a video saying she had shaved her head 'in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks', which can be a common side effect of undergoing chemotherapy. 'It's serious, but I've started one of the best treatments available (the Nordic protocol), and I'm lucky to be getting absolutely world-class care here in Melbourne,' Szubanski also wrote. 'I won't sugar-coat it: it's rough. But I'm hopeful. I'm being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I've never felt more held by the people around me.' According to Cancer Research UK, mantle cell lymphoma 'develops when white blood cells called lymphocytes grow out of control' and about 600 people are diagnosed with it each year in the UK. Advertisement The charity said that a common treatment is the chemoimmunotherapy combinations, known as the Nordic protocol, which sees the patient have drugs on certain days. Szubanski received international acclaim for her role as the farmer's wife, Esme Hoggett, in the 1995 movie, Babe, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for visual effects. She played sports-loving Sharon Strzelecki in Australian sitcom Kath And Kim, which inspired an American remake with the same name, and has been in Neighbours, and Oscar-nominated 2024 animated film, Memoir Of A Snail. Szubanski, who voiced the role of penguin teacher Miss Viola in the animated films Happy Feet in 2006 and Happy Feet Two in 2011, moved to Melbourne with her family in 1966 from the UK. Advertisement
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Singer and songwriter BABA: ‘I love Louis Theroux, his awkward humour, the way he disarms his guests and how effortlessly he gets people to talk'
BOOK: A Pocketful of Happiness I love a memoir, and I adore a love story – so Richard E Grant's A Pocketful of Happiness really spoke to me. It's heartbreaking but so full of love. He shares diary entries from the time he lost his wife, Joan, to cancer and writes so honestly about their life together. Before she died she told him to try and find a pocketful of happiness in each day, and that thread runs beautifully through the book. My favourite line is: 'Grief is love with nowhere to go.' I think it's so important to normalise talking about your grief. STREAMING: Severance I've just finished Season 2 of Severance and I miss it already. I absolutely loved everything about it. The premise is brilliant – full of twists and turns – and the cast, and their acting, is outstanding. I've been a huge Adam Scott fan since Parks and Recreation. But what really stood out for me was the way it was shot: the symmetry of the Lumon offices, the attention to detail, and how they make something so stark and bleak look oddly beautiful. The whole thing was an unsettling joy to watch. I can't wait for Season 3. PODCAST: Louis Theroux I'm a huge fan of Louis Theroux, and I'm so excited his podcast is back, the aptly named The Louis Theroux Podcast. I've only listened to the Bella Ramsey episode so far, but honestly, he could talk to a wall and I'd still tune in. I just love everything about him; his awkward humour, the way he disarms his guests, and how effortlessly he gets people to talk. He recently released a very important documentary called The Settlers, which everyone should watch. FESTIVAL: Culture Night I love Culture Night in Dublin each September – there's such a buzz, and it really brings the city to life. My favourite part is wandering between free events, discovering new artists and chatting to creatives from all disciplines. I always finish the night with a pint and a toasted sambo in Grogan's – it's my little tradition.
Telegraph
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘I still write to her every day': How we stay in touch with lost loved ones
From the moment he met her in 1986 to the day she passed away in 2021, actor Richard E Grant loved to have daily conversations with his wife, Joan Washington. Now, four years after her death, he has revealed that he still talks to her – via email. 'I have no woolly spiritual delusion that she's hearing this, or that I'm going to get a response, but it somehow keeps the connection going,' says the Withnail and I star. 'So, I write to her – 'Dear J, today would really have amused you...' It makes it feel like that person is still there – it's an ongoing conversation.' The actor claims it has helped his grief enormously. And he's not the only one who copes with loss in an unusual way… I texted my dead auntie – and got a reply! It's 15 years this week since I lost my auntie to cancer. Her death hit me so hard, but I found comfort in texting her to tell her my news. Of course I knew she would never reply but I needed to tell her that I was missing her or what was happening in my life. I texted her when we bought our first house, when I was pregnant and again, when I found out I was having a girl. But about three years after her death I got a reply! It said: 'I think you must have the wrong number!' I was so shocked. The phone company must have given her number to someone else. It was upsetting to think I couldn't 'speak' to her anymore, but instead, I started chatting to her while I was in the house. I'll never forget one New Year's Eve when I asked her to show me a sign that she was with me. The kettle burst into life. I like to think that was her showing me that she was still around. Vicky, 41, property manager I still write Mother's Day cards for mum My Mum died in 2021 from a Glioblastoma brain tumour, and I remember feeling extremely upset by little things like not being able to buy her a card on her birthday or Mother's Day anymore. My husband very gently told me that I could, and this was when I started to write cards and letters to her, to tell her how much I missed her and things about my life and her grandchildren. It is really comforting to be able to choose her a card as I would have done when she was alive and to write something to her. I keep them in a box together with the letter she wrote to me before she died and some photos of her. It helps me feel connected to her, especially with events like Mother's Day, which can feel isolating without a Mum. Being able to still celebrate these moments, albeit in a different way has helped me as part of my grieving. Danielle Seatter, 53, owner of Eco-Able, a sustainable business I say hello to the planes my father kept safe My father Derrick died in 1990. He'd been ill for only six weeks, and I was devastated. I was so close to him. Dad was supervisor of engineering for British Airways and he and his team had worked on the prototype engines for Concorde. He'd always taught me never to cut corners or do a shoddy job. So, when Concorde flew over our house in London one day after his death, I found myself standing outside and applauding it. Now, as that beautiful aircraft is no longer in the sky if I see a BA flight, I always say: 'Hiya Dad'. I know it's a daft thing to do. I don't believe in an afterlife, I'm an atheist. It simply makes me smile – and I know that a big part of overcoming a howling grief is when you can think of your loved one and smile, rather than being overwhelmed by sadness. Lynne, 65, writer I listen to my best friend's voicemails My best friend Laura passed away from cancer in June 2023 at the age of 35. The immediate grief was really difficult as it was relatively quick from her being diagnosed to her being gone. I really struggled as she was four months older than me and we'd joke that she was doing life in advance and reporting back. I still have voice notes from her from when it was getting harder for her to text. She talks about her medical treatment and some about other people who had messaged her and how much she appreciated them. It's amazing to still be able to hear her voice every so often. Laura, 37, a Transport for London network co-ordinator We keep her alive on WhatsApp When my grandmother Joyce was alive, we had a family WhatsApp group with nine of us who all kept an eye on her. It was called Project Nanny Ding – a name my son had given her because of her collection of wind chimes. She died in March 2020 aged 93. But since then, the WhatsApp group has been the most wonderful way for us to help heal our grief and to still feel connected to her. Not only do we share our thoughts and memories, but we share her voicemail messages – things like her shouting at my son to 'Get up! And go and clear my garden!' And we'll share videos and pictures. We'll arrange plans around her anniversaries and birthdays and I know that she's probably reading them all and thinking: 'That's brilliant!' Vicky Borman, 46, owner of CBD Angel I touch the screen and remember what it feels like to hold our daughter We lost our 36-year-old daughter, Stephanie in October last year after a very short illness. The grief was unbearable. I stopped eating, sleeping, functioning. It was while looking through photographs for her funeral that I came across five videos – all around 30 seconds long – where she appears. And in one of them, you can hear her giggling. It's the only recording of her voice that we have, and watching it has really helped me because I've already forgotten her smell and I don't want her sound to be forgotten or misremembered. When I see her, I touch the screen and say her name, and it makes me remember what it felt like to hold her hand and feel close to her. Suzanne, 53, a teacher I listen to my husband telling me about the childcare My husband Ben died while scuba diving off the coast of Kent in 2018 aged 42. I was 37 and had three children aged seven, six and five. It was the single most catastrophic event, so sudden and shocking that it's taken a long time to feel real. His body has not been recovered, leaving a lot of uncertainty and ambiguity. I do have videos of him, but I have been unable to watch them in seven years. However, I do have one voicemail from him, which I listen to whenever I need to hear his voice. It says: 'Hiya baby, don't' worry about getting the baby, I am on my way' – just a mundane message about childcare arrangements, but it's all I have. Sometimes, I still text him, particularly when I'm having a crisis or need to make a big decision or when the heartache is too much. I know he isn't reading them but it's strangely therapeutic. Rosie Gill-Moss, 44, creator of the Widowed AF podcast I speak to my husband via a medium Dave, my husband of 24 years died in November 2022 of motor neurone disease. The first few weeks were difficult. I had vivid dreams where he told me he could walk again and I would wake up feeling at peace. Other days, I missed him so much I felt like I couldn't breathe. In January 2023, I attended a group seance, and Dave came through. No one suggested it, I sought it out. He said he was indeed fit and healthy and told the psychic to tell me the Beatles song I Feel Fine. We had both loved the Beatles. I have been to two other seances since and seen mediums five times. I speak to him and he gives me signs all the time – dreams, lights flashing on and off and once a family picture fell off the wall when I spoke to him. It's something I'll continue to do, even though I'm now dating again. I think it's just part of how I cope with losing him. Sharon, 54, newspaper editor I chat to my grandmother in the bath! My grandma died 20 years ago. But she was the wisest woman I ever knew calm, gentle and always had brilliant advice and insights. Ever since she died, I have found comfort in talking to her when I need advice. Of course, I know she isn't really there, but she is in my head, so I usually do this when I'm in a calm, meditative place, like a hot bath or on a walk. I don't feel silly, because I think nearly all of us talk to our deceased beloved relatives. I'm glad I can do this, because I miss her and I always will. Fran, 53, author
South China Morning Post
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Why do some restaurants refuse to offer salt, while others push the pepper mill?
British actor Richard E Grant recently admitted that he carries with him everywhere a small satchel of salt. Advertisement On a podcast called Dish, the Oscar-nominated actor said he has his little drawstring bag of Maldon sea salt flakes just in case the restaurant he dines at does not offer sodium chloride as a condiment. 'Because, to be honest, I think the biggest arrogance is when you go into a restaurant and they don't have salt and pepper,' explained the star of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Saltburn and Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. I've heard of people carrying hot sauce – ahem, Beyoncé – but not their own salt. Is it ego that drives some chefs to believe their food is perfectly seasoned to every diner's taste? Photo: Shutterstock Some restaurants, very likely higher-end, chef-driven vehicles, eschew offering salt and pepper. Certain big-ego cooks feel what they've prepared is perfectly seasoned already and any additional flavouring would ruin the dish, and implicitly insult the culinary creator.
The Independent
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Go on, get this over and done with': Richard E Grant says his father tried to shoot him aged 15
Richard E Grant has detailed a harrowing account of when his father tried to shoot him aged 15. In a new interview, the 67-year-old star of Withnail & I recalled the breakdown of his parent's marriage when he was a child, which saw his father granted custody due to Grant's complicated relationship with his mother, Leonne Esterhuysen. However, after the divorce, Grant's father, Henrik Esterhuysen, developed an alcohol addiction where he would drink a bottle of whiskey each night and become 'a completely different person'. Speaking to Davina McCall on her podcast Begin Again, Grant recalled a particular incident when, aged 15, he attempted to pour away his father's Scotch collection but his father quickly turned violent and put a gun to his head. 'He tried to shoot me when I was 15 when I emptied all his Scotch supply down the sink,' Grant recalled. 'As I was half way through [pouring] the eleventh bottle, gun at the back of my head, I ducked, went off, ran to the garden. He finally found me, said 'I'm going to blow your brains out,' I said 'go on, do it, just get this over and done with''. Grant said his father pulled the trigger but 'because he was drunk it wavered so it went straight past and I fell to the ground and ran away'. Despite the difficulty of living with his father, Grant said that he still would have chosen to live with his father over his mother, who he has said was a 'narcissist'. 'Even though he became an alcoholic after my mother left, the person who I knew and loved by day outweighed the monster that he turned into when he downed a bottle of Johnnie Walker.' Reflecting on his parent's marriage, Grant remembered falling asleep in the back seat of a car aged 10 only to wake up and see his mother and father's best friend 'having it off' in the front seat. He recalled: 'My mother and my father's best friend were in the front seat of the car and stopped on the way back from a cricket match. And I was asleep on the back seat and I woke up and the lights weren't on and I knew I wasn't home. But there was a rhythmic movement in the car that wasn't the car engine. I gingerly looked over the front seat and my mum and my dad's best friend were having it off in the front seat.' 'I knew that I was seeing something that I shouldn't – I didn't really understand what they were doing,' he said. 'I just kept completely quiet and pretended to be asleep.' Asked about how that experience affected him, Grant replied: 'You feel guilty, because I thought, you feel that you're complicit in it. That you know something that nobody else should know. I obviously couldn't tell my dad, couldn't tell my mother. So, I tried God, got no reply. So, I started keeping a diary, because if I wrote it down, then it did happen.' When Grant's mother died in 2023 aged 93, he reflected on his 'incredibly complicated relationship' with her. The pair had been estranged for many years followed by a reconciliation when Grant was an adult. He told McCall that when he saw his mother for the first time after years of no contact, he finally told her about what he had witnessed in the car in 1967, and she asked for his forgiveness. 'That was extraordinary because in that moment of course that's what you long for as a child, from the person who has not taken responsibility for what they've done.' 'Of course, she didn't know that I had seen this, so it completely shifted everything. Didn't change the fact that she was a narcissist because I think you're born like that, but it changed everything and we started having an ongoing conversation.' Grant's father died of lung cancer in 1981, aged 51. If you are a child and you need help because something has happened to you, you can call Childline free of charge on 0800 1111. You can also call the NSPCC if you are an adult and you are worried about a child, on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331 If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
