News

Rod Stewart is taking aim at Gregg Wallace, accusing the former U.K. “Celebrity MasterChef” host of “humiliating” his wife Penny Lancaster, who was on the BBC show in 2021 and was eliminated during the quarter-finals.

“Good Riddance Wallace … You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that part cut out didn’t you?,” the British pop and rock singer and song writer wrote in an Instagram post. “You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got you.”

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Stewart’s comments follow news that producer Banijay U.K. is investigating “complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.”

“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay U.K., we feel that...

Gregg Wallace, a host on the U.K. version of BBC’s “MasterChef,” is stepping down from his role amid an investigation launched this week into “historical allegations of misconduct.”

According to production company Banijay UK, the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to “historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.”

“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay U.K., we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate,” the company said in a statement. “While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.”

The investigation comes after BBC News reported that the 60-year-old was accused by 13 different people of making inappropriate sexual comments to co-workers over a period of 17 years.

Gregg Wallace, co-host of the wildly popular BBC show MasterChef, has been asked to step down from the role while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.

Production company Banijay U.K. said the 60-year-old is co-operating with the internal investigation after BBC News reported accusations that Wallace made inappropriate sexual comments to co-workers over a 17-year period came from 13 different people.

One of those includes broadcaster Kirsty Wark, a U.K. Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011. She said that on two occasions, the presenter made jokes of a “sexualized nature” in front of cast and crew.

Wallace’s lawyers have said the accusations that he behaves in this nature are entirely false. His rep did not immediately respond to comment from The Hollywood Reporter.

The TV host is a household name in Britain having appeared alongside fellow presenter John Torode in MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC One and BBC Two.

Television host Gregg Wallace is to step down as the presenter of the U.K. version of “MasterChef,” which airs on public broadcaster BBC, while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.

Wallace, who has been a co-host and judge on the cooking show since 2005, is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process,” the show’s production company Banijay UK said.

Wallace has appeared on a number of BBC shows in the past, including “Saturday Kitchen,” “Eat Well for Less,” “Supermarket Secrets,” “Celebrity MasterChef” and “MasterChef: The Professionals,” as well as being a “Strictly Come Dancing” contestant in 2014.

Last year, Wallace received a national honor – becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire – for services to food and charity.

A BBC spokesman said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.”

According to BBC News, it...

Gregg Wallace has stepped aside as the host of BBC MasterChef amid an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct.

In a statement, MasterChef producer Banijay UK said it was launching the external review after complaints were made to the BBC this week about Wallace’s behavior.

BBC News has published allegations Wallace made “inappropriate sexual comments” on five shows across a 17-year period. One of 13 people who made the allegations included Kirsty Wark, the former BBC Newsnight presenter who was a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011.

Wark said Wallace told stories and made jokes of a “sexualized nature” on at least two occasions in front of colleagues and contestants. “People were uncomfortable,” she said.

In a letter to BBC News, Wallace’s lawyers denied he engaged in behavior of a “sexually harassing nature.” His spokesperson declined to comment beyond the Banijay UK statement.

“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations...

Kirsty Wark investigates the global menopause industry, worth billions, in this edition of Panorama. The industry markets supplements, teas, and even pyjamas to menopausal women, promising relief from their often debilitating symptoms. To assess these claims, researchers from Oxford’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine scrutinise the scientific evidence. The programme examines the challenges women face in […]

Panorama: The Menopause Industry...

“Baby Reindeer” creator Richard Gadd has inked a first-look deal with Netflix, despite his series prompting a $170 million defamation lawsuit.

Netflix boss Ted Sarandos made the announcement at the Royal Television Society conference in London on Tuesday morning in response to a question from journalist Kirsty Wark over the lawsuit, saying the streamer stands by Gadd.

“We are facilitating storytellers to tell their stories,” Sarandos said when Wark asked him whether Netflix had made a mistake in calling the series a “true story.” “This is Richard’s true story. We finished [signing] our first-look deal with Richard Gadd to do his next work at Netflix … We’re very proud of Richard and proud of the story he told and the way he told it.”

“It’s not a documentary,” the streaming boss added. “We’re watching it performed by actors on television — we think it’s abundantly clear there’s dramatization involved.

Netflix boss Ted Sarandos has said despite the complaint the occasional streamer is overstuffed with options, it can’t have too much content. “People often ask me if we need so many movies and TV shows on Netflix,” he said. “I always answer with an emphatic yes. People have such different and eclectic tastes that you can’t afford to program for just one sensibility. You have to love it all — prestige dramas, indie films, true crime, romantic comedies, stand-up, documentaries and reality TV.”

The streaming boss made the remarks at the Royal Television Society conference in London on Tuesday morning, where he gave an opening speech before being interviewed by journalist Kirsty Wark.

Among the lessons he shared with the audience, made primarily of TV industry professionals, were the need to innovate and always putting the audience first.

“Think about it not as critics, not as media executives, think...

The BBC has set its election night coverage for the July 4 poll as broadcasters battle to secure debates with Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer as soon as possible.

Established presenters Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie will helm the BBC’s coverage in six weeks time, replacing Huw Edwards, who resigned from the BBC last month following a scandal involving his allegedly paying a young person for explicit images.

Kuenssberg, who hosts a topical Sunday show, and newsreader Myrie, will “bring insight, experience – and perhaps a little wit” alongside BBC political editor Chris Mason, according to the BBC, whose announcement on the coverage was always expected today.

Others set to feature on the night include Reeta Chakrabarti and Jeremy Vine analyzing results with the famous ‘swingometer’, Kirsty Wark, Fiona Bruce, Victoria Derbyshire, Naga Munchetty, Nick Watt and Alex Forsyth. Nick Robinson and Rachel Burden will be on the radio and Martin Geissler,...

The director of Mr Bates vs the Post Office has urged the creation of a “mechanism” for British broadcasters to continue to tell campaigning stories as he communicates a desire for his smash ITV drama not to become a “unicorn.”

Since Mr Bates aired in January, James Strong said he has been contacted by “loads and loads of people asking for help, from small stories to [scandals about] corporate structures.”

“I think it’s about setting up a mechanism so that all these issues can be represented,” he told the Creative Cities Convention. “[People affected] can go to a broadcaster and say, ‘We’ve got this idea, can we make a drama?’.”

The BAFTA nominee, whose past credits include Vigil and Doctor Who, said Mr Bates “shouldn’t be a unicorn” and urged British broadcasters to support “factual stories.”

Mr Bates has become ITV’s most-watched show since Downton Abbey and, even though the...

Prime Video Greenlights Psychological Thriller Starring ‘Vigil’ Duo

Amazon Prime Video has greenlit psychological thriller series Fear starring Vigil duo Anjli Mohindra and Martin Compston. Excited to make a fresh start away from London, Martyn (Compston) and Rebecca (Mohindra) move into a beautiful house in Glasgow with their two young children. At first the new home seems idyllic, but when neighbour Jan (Solly McLeod) makes unnerving comments to Rebecca it turns out to be the start of something far more intimidating. The show comes from Amazon’s The Rig producer Wild Mercury and Capricorn Productions. Banijay Rights is selling worldwide and Fear will launch on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland next year.

BBC Unveils New ‘Newsnight’ Boss After Funding Cuts

The BBC has unveiled the Executive Editor who will lead Newsnight into its new era following funding cuts. Jonathan Aspinwall, who currently oversees BBC News podcasts including Newscast and The Shamima Begum Story,...

Queen Elizabeth II always rose to the occasion when it came to celebrating key events in the UK.

The monarch never shied away from requests for organisers of ceremonies that requested her participation.

On Thursday (8 September), the Royal Family announced that the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral, aged 96, leading to tributes from the world of entertainment.

In the wake of her death, people are remembering her appearances at high-profile events, the most famous being at the London 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.

Directed by Danny Boyle, the televised event occured on 27 July 2012.

Things got off to an unexpected, but very fun start thanks to a special cameo by Queen Elizabeth II herself alongside Daniel Craig in character as James Bond.

Duriong the skit, the fictional spy escorts the Queen from Buckingham Palace to the Olympics in a helicopter.

An actor playing the Queen was then shown jumping out of the aircraft...

Like the Doctor in the Tardis, the new presenter of University Challenge will know they have a hard act to follow, as Jeremy Paxman’s withering looks and razor-sharp question-mastery have become part of the show’s very identity. And, much like the new Doctor, when the BBC announced it would name University Challenge’s next host later this week, it prompted fierce speculation on social media.

So who could it be? While former Question Time and Newsnight presenters make some obvious choices, the new host will need to be someone with enough time in their schedule, and popular picks like Clive Myrie and Jeremy Vine are already busy with quiz shows Mastermind and Eggheads, respectively.

But that still leaves us with plenty of predictions. Fingers on buzzers! Here’s our starter for ten…

Samira Ahmed

A fearless and award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Ahmed will narrate a University Challenge documentary airing later this month,...

Representation

“Slow Horses” star Christopher Chung has signed with The Artists Partnership in the U.K. for representation. He will be repped by Christina Shepherd, who also counts Olivia Cooke, Suranne Jones and Noah Jupe among her clients. Chung recently dazzled viewers as egotistical tech wizard Roddy Ho in Apple TV+ spy series “Slow Horses,” which also starred Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas. Season 2 has wrapped and the show has already been renewed for a third and fourth season.

As well as an extensive theater background, including stints in Andy Fickman’s “Heathers the Musical, where he originated the role of Kurt, and “Romeo & Juliet” at Shakespeare’s Globe, Chung has also appeared in British drama “Waterloo Road.” Chung is also repped by More/Medavoy Management in the U.S.

Presenters

Victoria Derbyshire, who currently presents on the BBC News channel, BBC World News and the “News at...

“Newsnight” lead host Emily Maitlis is set to leave the BBC, she confirmed today. She will be joined by the broadcaster’s North America editor Jon Sopel.

“Some work news,” she tweeted on Tuesday, Feb. 22. “BBC’s Jon Sopel and I are going to launch a brand new podcast with Global, exec produced by Dino Sofos. It’s an amazing opportunity to do something we all love, and we are so thrilled Global is giving us this opportunity to be big and ambitious with this project.”

“Dino Sofos has been the powerhouse behind ‘Brexitcast,’ ‘Newscast’ and ‘Americast,’ and we are delighted his new company Persephonica will be producing this major new podcast with Global.”

“Nevertheless, it will be a wrench to leave the BBC after 20 phenomenal years. I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had there. More than anything I’m grateful to have worked with the most...

Bruno Dumont takes aim at 24-news culture but his tale of a star reporter features its fair share of ill-conceived plot points

France de Meurs is the most famous TV news journalist in la République. She’s a Gallic mash-up of Laura Kuenssberg, Kirsty Wark and Marie Colvin, as poised in the studio as she is in a war zone. Played by Léa Seydoux, France strides into battle with her platinum hair bouncing and her tight professional smile fixed with pink lipstick. But her success is a fiction, her career built out of spinning lies. The second she starts taking notes on herself, that big TV soundstage risks turning into a pumpkin.

Writer-director Bruno Dumont forged his reputation with small, anguished films about life on the margins, nosing in tight to his subjects to show them warts and all. The fitfully fascinating France has the same ominous air, but it has been freeze-dried and air-conned,...

The UK’s BBC Two channel ordered three new shows on Wednesday, including one where Idris Elba opens an “experimental fight school” in London.

“Idris Elba’s Fight School” is a four-part series that will see Elba set up an experimental fight school in London, providing an outlet for young men and women “whose circumstances around their upbringing have not given them the opportunities to make the right choices and avoid street violence,” according to BBC Two. The actor will enlist seven recruits from across the UK and “teach them the discipline, focus and determination needed in fight training in the hope the lessons they learn can help transform their lives.”

The amateur fighters will live and train together over six months, working towards a “big showcase finale,” according to the broadcast channel’s media release. There, readers can learn more about the other two BBC Two commissions. We’ve got basic info below.

U.K. free-to-air channel BBC Two has ordered “Idris Elba’s Fight School,” a four-part series that will see the “Luther” star set up an experimental fight school in London.

Elba will enlist seven recruits whose circumstances around their upbringing have not given them the opportunities to make the right choices from across the U.K. and teach them the discipline needed in fight training in order for them to transform their lives and avoid street violence.

The series is produced by Workerbee and Elba’s Green Door Pictures. Executive producers for Workerbee are Rick Murray and Michelle Chappell and for Green Door Pictures are Elba and Lorraine Burgess.

“I see history constantly repeating itself and can empathize with these kids,” Elba said. “I believe there is a better way to teach people that you don’t need knives to protect yourself. It’s a proven fact that in urban areas where fight schools open,...

Months after Netflix said the company would begin being more transparent about releasing its viewership data, the streaming service’s head confirmed that would be a good idea — in the United Kingdom. Maybe.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings discussed various aspects of his company during a keynote at a Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge earlier this month, and the topic of the streaming service’s data transparency came up several times. Like most streaming services, Netflix does not regularly release viewership data about its films and television shows, though the company has repeatedly pledged that it would become more transparent.

Hastings told Scottish journalist and keynote moderator Kirsty Wark that Netflix would be open to allowing Barb, which tracks television ratings in the United Kingdom, to measure Netflix’s viewer data. However, Hastings implied that most large data collectors do not have the technology to measure engagement on streaming services...

Louisa Mellor Jun 3, 2019

Good Omens makes a graceful exit, tying up its many plot threads with a satisfyingly romantic ending…

This Good Omens review contains spoilers. You can read a spoiler-free review here.

Good Omens Episode 6 Review

Praise the almighty, Satan, Kirsty Wark or any other deity you care to worship, for proper endings. Endings that end. With sunshine and apples and birdsong, and champagne at The Ritz.

Good Omens has been wonderful and weird - both a tribute in excelsis to the novel and a television series of mad scope and invention. In episode six, it makes a graceful exit by wrapping up its helter-skelter events and toasting the story it’s told with a chink of glasses.

read more: Terry Pratchett's Influence on the Good Omens TV Show

A story with a single message that neatly touched each of its plots: you can choose who you are,...

Steven Seagal walked out of his live interview with the BBC on Thursday after being questioned about the sexual misconduct allegations against him. After journalist Kirsty Wark asked the actor how he deals with the accusations, Seagal ripped off his earpiece and microphone and stormed off. She then checked to see if the Above the Law actor was still there before turning her attention back to the viewers. "Steven Seagal, there. "And, of course, though he didn't respond there, he has said previously he denies any allegations that have been made against him." Back in March, Regina Simons accused Seagal of raping her when she was 18. Faviola Dadis also accused him of sexually assaulting her at a...

Steven Seagal walked out of an interview on Thursday after he was asked about sexual assault allegations made against him.

The 66-year-old actor was accused of rape and sexual harassment by several women including Portia de Rossi, Julianna Margulies, Jenny McCarthy and Inside Edition correspondent Lisa Guerrero.

Seagal has denied all allegations.

During an interview with BBC Newsnight on Thursday, reporter Kirsty Wark asked Seagal about the allegations.

“You obviously spend a lot of time in Russia, you spend a lot of time in America, you’re making films and so forth,” she began.

“In terms of your life in America,...

Steven Seagal walked out of an interview on BBC’s Newsnight today when host Kirsty Wark brought up allegations of sexual misconduct.

Wark asked Seagal about the #MeToo movement. “You’ve been very much caught up in all the allegations of sexual harassment, you had a rape allegation against you and I wonder how you deal with all that?”

Seagal immediately removed his earpiece, stood up, and walked out of the interview.

In March of this year, two women who previously accused Steven Seagal of rape and sexual assault stepped forward to offer more detailed accounts of the actor’s alleged misconduct. Former Dutch model Faviola Dadis and one-time aspiring actress Regina Simons made the claims.

Actresses Juliana Margulies, Portia de Rossi and Pamela Anderson also have complained about Seagal’s alleged conduct during auditions.

The Los Angeles District Attorney decided Seagal would not face charges in the Dadis and Simons case,...

Steven Seagal walked out of a televised BBC interview Thursday after being asked about a flurry of sexual misconduct accusations leveled against him in recent months.

The BBC interview was cut short after the British network’s host Kirsty Wark asked Seagal: “In terms of your life in America, you’ve been very much caught up in allegations of sexual harassment. You had a rape allegation against you and I wonder how you deal with all that.”

Before she could even finish her question, Seagal pulled his earpiece out, stood up and left the set. An offscreen technician can be heard offering to help “take the microphone off you.”

Also Read: Steven Seagal Accused of 1993 Rape: 'Tears Were Coming Down My Face'

A cool Wark simply asked, “Hello, Steven Seagal?” before pivoting back to her viewers.

“Seagal there, and of course though he didn’t respond there, he has said...

Steven Seagal was quick to shut down an interview after a reporter brought up a rape allegation made against the actor. Seagal appeared on BBC's Newsnight Thursday and host Kirsty Wark brought up the #MeToo movement. Wark then says, "You've been very much caught up in all the allegations of sexual harassment, you had a rape allegation against you and I wonder how you deal with all that?" This is the moment Steven Seagal...

Simon Amstell's iPlayer exclusive, Carnage, is worth seeking out. Here's our review...

TV

Carnage is a 70-minute sci-fi vegan comedy, a description which its creator Simon Amstell admits “makes it sound awful”.

It is certainly an experimental commission for the BBC. Amstell - known for sad-com Grandma’s House and causing more than one celebrity walkout on Popworld and Never Mind The Buzzcocks – was asked if he had any ideas weird enough to be an iPlayer exclusive. This mockumentary is what he came up with.

In the year 2067, a group of young people picnic on vegan foods in an idyllic landscape. The idea that anyone ever ate meat is as horrifying as genocide to them, so the film sets out to help the youth of the late 21st century forgive the older generations.

It is important to say at this point, before you tut and go back to eating your sausage and eggs,...

From Queen Victoria’s goddaughter to an African warrior queen and Pocahontas, here are seven women we’d love to see portrayed in film

With Suffragette on wide release and Academy Award chatter beginning, it’s worth revising #FilmHerStory, the hashtag kicked off by Lexi Alexander, Miriam Bale, Catrin Cooper and Shaula Evans around the 2014 awards. Top choice Harriet Tubman was the subject of the best ever Drunk History episode, where Crissle West told a radical story that Hollywood never would. And Wollestonecraft the Movie now has a campaign fronted by Melvyn Bragg, Kirsty Wark and Shami Chakrabarti.

Related: Sex change: why male roles are being rewritten for women

Continue reading...

David Tennant, Katie Price and Claudia Winkleman will be among the celebrity guests for the upcoming series of Room 101.

Hosted by Frank Skinner, the show will be back for an eight-part series to air in early 2016 on BBC One.

The chat show sees three celebrities banish their top pet peeve, annoyance or worst nightmare to the depths of Room 101 forever.

Sir Trevor McDonald, Noel Fielding, Heston Blumenthal, Russell Howard, Aisling Bea, Adil Ray, Greg James and Ian Wright will also be paying a visit to the studio.

Other guests include Meera Syal, John Humphrys, Russell Kane, John Torode, Katherine Parkinson, Greg Davies, James Acaster, Kirsty Wark, Shaun Ryder, Sam Simmons, Bridget Christie, Robert Peston and Joanna Scanlan.

"It's great to be back as the gatekeeper of Room 101 with another bunch of brilliant celebrity complainers," said Skinner. "They are the whinge beneath my wings."

Skinner recently announced a new weekly talk show,...

The Great Comic Relief Bake Off: BBC One, 8pm

Jo Brand hosts the third heat of the charity challenge, with four more celebrities hoping to impress Paul and Mary with their baking skills.

This week, it's comedian David Mitchell, actor Michael Sheen, Radio DJ Jameela Jamil and renowned charity campaigner Sarah Brown taking part - but who will emerge victorious?

The Brit Awards: ITV, 8pm

Everyone's favourite cheeky chappie TV double-act Ant & Dec are stepping up to host this year's Brits, with Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith performing.

Bonus: switch over to ITV2 at 10.20pm for all the behind-the-scenes gossip with The Brit Awards: Afterparty.

The People's Strictly for Comic Relief: BBC One, 9pm

Strictly goes back to its Come Dancing roots as everyday folk take to the dance-floor in place of celebrities for a special Comic Relief series.

In the first of four episodes, we meet three...

There have been a lot of Frozen viral videos in recent weeks.

We've had Frozen meets Grand Theft Auto. That was okay. We've had Frozen meets Breaking Bad. That was awesome. Now, we bring you the weirdest video of them all: Frozen meets Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.

Posted on YouTube by NostalgicFangirl, the video has already racked up over a quarter of a million viewers.

And why has this video been made? What is the significance of the song choice? There doesn't appear to be any. It's just because.

Maybe all will be explained in Frozen 2. There's going to be a Frozen 2, right? There has to be.

Is this the best ever performance of the Thriller dance? We're not sure. Kirsty Wark's Newsnight moment of madness is still up there for us.

The BBC has confirmed the lineup for its new documentary festival Art Screen, which runs in Glasgow April 10-13.

The festival kicks off with Julien Temple’s Rio, with the director also participating in a Q&A with Kirsty Wark.

Martin Scorsese has specially selected Italianamerican for Art Screen audiences, exclusively from his own personal archive.

Jarvis Cocker will also attend a Q&A following the screening of steelworks project The Big Melt, which he co-directed with Martin Wallace.

Other screenings include Jeremy Deller’s The Bruce Lacey Experience, Kim Longinotto’s Salma, and a world premiere of Louise Lockwood’s Facing Up To Mackintosh.

Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard will give a masterclass about making their Nick Cave film, 20,000 Days on Earth.

Art Screen is led by the BBC with collaborators including Glasgow International, British Council, frieze, Lux, Glasgow Film, Cca and BFI. It is supported by Creative Scotland.

The BBC has confirmed the lineup for its new documentary festival Art Screen, which runs in Glasgow April 10-13.

The festival kicks off with Julien Temple’s Rio, with the director also participating in a Q&A with Kirsty Wark.

Martin Scorsese has specially selected Italianamerican for Art Screen audiences, exclusively from his own personal archive.

Jarvis Cocker will also attend a Q&A following the screening of steelworks project The Big Melt, which he co-directed with Martin Wallace.

Other screenings include Jeremy Deller’s The Bruce Lacey Experience, Kim Longinotto’s Salma, and a world premiere of Louise Lockwood’s Facing Up To Mackintosh. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard will give a masterclass about making their Nick Cave film 20,000 Days on Earth.

Art Screen is led by the BBC with collaborators including Glasgow International, British Council, frieze, Lux, Glasgow Film, Cca and BFI. It is supported by Creative Scotland.

The BBC has axed The Review Show, it has been announced.

The arts programme's upcoming edition on Sunday (March 30) will be its last, after 20 years on air.

The cancellation arrives just less than 12 months after it switched to a monthly format on BBC Four, and comes despite the BBC's announcement of an 18% increase in its TV arts spend in 2014/15.

Kirsty Wark will present the final edition on Sunday, reviewing Richard Ayoade's film The Double and BBC One drama The Crimson Field.

The Review Show began in 1994 as The Late Review on BBC Two, before being placed after Newsnight in 2001.

After being relaunched under its new name, it moved from London to Glasgow in 2010. It remained a weekly programme until moving to BBC Four in April 2013.

It averaged an audience of 94,000 viewers on BBC Four, with its highest audience being 141,000 in October.

The BBC has announced details of a new arts documentary festival that will take place as part of the Glasgow International Festival.

Art Screen will showcase arts documentary films from around the world and include highlights from the BBC archive.

The films will be shown in two of Glasgow’s art spaces - the Glasgow Film Theatre and Centre for Contemporary Arts - from April 10-13, 2014.

The four-day programme will include screenings of documentaries on art forms including visual arts, architecture, music and photography alongside accompanying events and discussions.

BBC presenter Kirsty Wark and art historian Tim Marlow will chair interviews and participate in panel discussions offering conversational sessions across the four-day festival.

The event will include Arts in the Archive, a strand dedicated to arts footage in the BBC’s own archive.

Art Screen is a national partnership created by the BBC and delivered in collaboration with Glasgow International, British Council...

The BBC has announced two new appointments for Newsnight.

Channel 4 news reporter Katie Razzall and filmmaker Olly Lambert will both join the BBC Two news and current affairs programme.

Razzall joins the team as a special correspondent and will cover a wide range of topics including religion, legal affairs and disability issues.

Newsnight editor Ian Katz said: "Katie is one of the most versatile and compelling broadcast journalists in the business. I've long admired her distinctive voice and original reporting and am thrilled that she is joining the Newsnight team."

Meanwhile, Razzall said of her new role: "I have lived and breathed Channel 4 News for 14 years, a period of time and a programme of which I am immensely proud.

"However, the opportunity to join Newsnight at such an exciting time in the show's evolution was just too good to ignore. I'm greatly looking forward to a wide-ranging brief...

The John Landis-directed mini-movie – first shown publicly 30 years ago this week – influenced a generation of directors including Spike Jonze, turned music promos into an industry, and established MTV as a cultural force

John Landis was in London in 1983 when Michael Jackson called to ask if he was interested in making a video for Thriller, the title track of the album he'd released a little under a year before. Seemingly unaware of the time difference, Jackson had called at 2am UK time and the sleepy director had to feign knowledge of the song, which he hadn't heard. Jackson, for his part, hadn't seen Landis's films Animal House, The Blues Brothers or Trading Places; he wanted Landis because of An American Werewolf in London. Landis said he would do the video if it could be a short film, and Jackson embraced the idea. The 13-minute film that resulted changed the music video for ever,...

Richard Wilson was honoured for his contribution to television and film at the 2013 BAFTA Scotland Awards.

David Tennant handed the One Foot in the Grave star his special prize at Glasgow's Radisson Blu Hotel last night (November 17).

Wilson said of his achievement: "Three words keep swimming on to my radar. And those words are, 'chuffed to buggery'.

"I seem to have been elevated among the giants of the Scottish stage. Somewhere between Ewan McGregor and the Krankies."

Kirsty Wark was recognised for her broadcasting work, while Rockstar North was awarded the 'Special Award for Achievement' prize for Grand Theft Auto V.

Peter Mullan took home the 'Best TV Actor' award for his role in Channel 4's The Fear, while George MacKay won 'Best Film Actor' for his part in For Those In Peril, which also won 'Best Film'.

Brian Limond won the 'Comedy/Entertainment Programme' award for Limmy's Show.

Laura Kuenssberg is joining the BBC Newsnight team.

Kuenssberg, who is currently business editor at ITV News, will start work on the programme in mid-February 2014 as chief correspondent. She will also join the regular Newsnight presenting team alongside Jeremy Paxman, Kirsty Wark, Gavin Esler and Emily Maitlis.

"Working with the team at ITV News to cover the intense challenges faced by business, families and the wider economy has been a real privilege and I've really enjoyed the last couple of years," said Kuenssberg.

"But I'm truly delighted to be joining a reinvigorated Newsnight both to present and report at such an exciting time. It's been a long-held ambition of mine to work full-time on the programme and I can't wait to get started."

Kuenssberg returns to the BBC having originally joined the organisation in the year 2000.

She departed for ITV in 2011, after a stint as the BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent.

The BBC has announced two new appointments for Newsnight.

BBC Two's flagship news and current affairs programme has confirmed that the Financial Times' Chris Cook has become the show's new policy editor.

Cook is currently the executive comment editor of the Financial Times, and is a former economics leader writer and education correspondent.

He will provide expert analysis across various policies and will contribute to the show's Westminster coverage.

Newsnight political correspondent David Grossman has also become the programme's new technology editor.

Grossman will take on the new role in January, while Cook will join the team in February.

Newsnight editor Ian Katz said: "I'm delighted that Chris is joining the Newsnight team. He is one of those rare journalists who is both a proven story getter and a brilliant analyst with expert knowledge across a wide range of areas. He is also a formidable data journalist and tireless exploiter of the Foi law.

Newsnight got into the Halloween spirit last week, when presenter Kirsty Wark unexpectedly broke into Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' dance routine to end the BBC programme in style.

We revisit that entertaining outro and seven other surprising Newsnight moments - from Katie Price on breast implants to the Cookie Monster having the last word - below:

Dizzee for Pm

Jeremy Paxman kicks off an interview with Dizzee Rascal and Baroness Valerie Amos following Barack Obama's Us presidential win in 2008 by asking Dizzee he believes in political parties in Britain. The rapper replied: "Yeah, they exist, I believe in them. But I don't know if I care."

Paxman then interrupts Amos and addresses Dizzee as "Mr Rascal" before asking him: "Why don't you run for office?" To which Dizzee replies: "See that's a very good idea, I might have to do that one day. Rascal for Prime Minister,...

Kirsty Wark gave viewers a unique ending to Newsnight on Thursday (October 31).

Coinciding with Halloween, the presenter suddenly broke into a Thriller dance routine at the end of the programme.

Paying tribute to the Michael Jackson classic, the host was joined by a group of dancing monsters.

The show then came to a close with the iconic cackle of Vincent Price.

The dance is the latest quirky ending to the long-running BBC news show. Last month, Sesame Street's Cookie Monster turned up to give his opinion on the day's events.

Great Gatsby was only made in 3D to get the money back on a $120m movie, Bugsy Malone director tells Kirsty Wark

Sir Alan Parker has dismissed 3D films as a marketing gimmick and said he is unlikely to direct any more movies – but would consider working in TV, where "the very best work is being done".

Parker said that big budget films were made in 3D because the Hollywood studios thought that was necessary to make it appealing to a mainstream audience.

"Everything has to be 3D if it is over a certain amount of money from a marketing point of view," he said, during an interview with journalist and presenter Kirsty Wark at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Wednesday. "From a creative point of view it is rubbish. Absolute nonsense."

He added: "For instance Gatsby, why on earth was that 3D? Well the reason was...

Flagship BBC2 arts and culture show loses its weekly status but retains presenters Martha Kearney and Kirsty Wark

For nearly 20 years it has brought BBC2 viewers the latest developments in the world of arts and culture, in various incarnations and featuring bickering panellists including Tom Paulin, Allison Pearson and Tony Parsons.

But now The Review Show, one of the BBC's flagship arts programmes, is to be moved from BBC2 to BBC4 and cut from a weekly to monthly slot – as new director general Lord Hall prepares to join the BBC on 2 April from one of the UK's leading arts institutions, the Royal Opera House.

Arts coverage on BBC1 and BBC2 is being cut as a result of the BBC's £700m cost-cutting measures, Delivering Quality First.

The BBC's arts commissioning editor, Mark Bell, said the reduction in arts coverage was minimal across BBC1 and BBC2, amounting to a "couple of hours" a year.

The BBC has announced that The Review Show is to move from BBC Two to BBC Four.

The revamped show will also be reduced from a weekly broadcast to a monthly hour-long episode.

Martha Kearney and Kirsty Wark will remain as presenters in a new primetime slot on the digital channel.

The Review Show has been one of the BBC's flagship arts programmes for nearly 20 years, and features contributors looking back at the week's cultural highlights.

The move has been criticised by various quarters, with Channel 4 News culture editor Matthew Cain tweeting: "Who's going to start a petition to save the BBC's Review Show? I want to sign it!"

It has also been described as a "typical piece of BBC cowardice" by Guardian writer Stephen Moss.

BBC Four controller Richard Klein defended the changes, saying: "The range of topics will be, I think, broader, but also we'll do what...

Sean Connery, Kirsty Wark and Tom Urie have signed a petition to save the Byre theatre in St Andrews from closure

Sean Connery has added his voice to a campaign to save the Byre theatre in St Andrews, which closed last week after the company behind it went into liquidation.

More than 6,000 people, including presenter Kirsty Wark and actor Tom Urie, have signed a petition calling on Scottish politicians to save the theatre. Connery's support will boost a campaign that has already drawn the attention of Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond.

Connery, who reopened the 80-year-old venue after its £5.5m refurbishment in 2001, said: "The Byre is a wonderful venue and it would be my hope that a way can be found to keep it open."

Since reopening, however, the theatre has struggled to cover its running costs, a problem exacerbated when its annual Creative Scotland grant stopped in 2011, following a...

The first footage from the Great British Bake Off Comic Relief special has been released and it features comics Jo Brand and Stephen K Amos taking an unusual approach to challenges in the kitchen. Amos jokes that his secret relationship with Mary may work in his favour, while Brand adopts a unique method of sitting on her butter to melt it before baking. Watch the Comic Relief Bake Off teaser:

Amos and Brand are among the list of celebs tackling the baking reality show, which also includes Andy Akinwolere, Duncan Bannatyne, Julia Bradbury, Ed Byrne, Warwick Davis, Helen Glover, Martha Kearney, Bob Mortimer, Ingrid Oliver, Simon Reeve, Ellie Simmonds, Kirsty Wark, Lorna Watson and Claudia Winkleman. At the end of every episode, one celebrity will be crowned the Star Baker. The show's purpose is to inspire (more)...

Warwick Davis, Bob Mortimer and Duncan Bannatyne have signed up for the 'Great British Bake Off for Comic Relief'. The 'Life's Too Short' star, comic, and 'Dragon's Den' mogul will also be joined in the baking contest by TV presenters Julia Bradbury, Claudia Winkleman, Andy Akinwolere, Simon Reeve and Kirsty Wark. Paralympic gold medal winner Ellie Simmonds, stand-up comedian Ed Byrne, Olympian Helen Glover and journalist Martha Kearney have also been confirmed for the charity version of the popular show. Completing the line-up are the previously-announced Jo Brand, Stephen K. Amos and TV double act Lorna Watson and Ingrid Oliver. The show...

Billy Connolly has revealed that he still loves his late father, who sexually abused him for five years as a youngster. The Scottish actor and comedian explained that the power of forgiveness towards his father was "immense". Connolly first spoke about his father's abuse in a biography written by wife Pamela Stephenson in 2001, 12 years after father William died. His mother left his family when he was three years old, and was raised by his father and two aunts, consequently suffering a tough childhood. He explained that he did not mean to keep the abuse secret during his rise to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. "It wasn't the time to talk about things like that - not like now," he told Kirsty Wark for the BBC's Review Show. "I just didn't want to talk about it. It was mine and I kind of liked it being mine. I thought it...

London – A list of the 50 female British female power players boasts 11 names from front of camera including Helena Bonham Carter, Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Kate Winslet, Maggie Smith and Tilda Swinton. Also making the list in the talent category is Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford, the latest James Bond girl Naomie Harris, comedian and tv writer Miranda Hart, TV presenter, writer and comedian Sue Perkins and TV journalist and presenter Kirsty Wark. Emma Watson, best known for playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies, and recently cast to star in Sofia Coppola’s latest pictureThe Bling Ring,

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The list comprises a mixture of executives, producers, actors and writers, but is it a fair reflection and who has been omitted?

See the list of names in full

No one disputes that women have a long way to go in achieving equal status in broadcasting and film. But it is also easy to fall into the trap of whinging about unfairness, rather than saluting those who win through.

That is the point of the Top 50 Powerlist, relaunched on Thursday by Women in Film & TV, in association with Screen International and Broadcast.

After a first stab in 2010, it is timed to mark and chime with International Women's Day. Tonally, it is striving to change the pitch from minor to major: people of achievement clearly come in both sexes.

Kate Kinninmont, Wftv chief executive, says that in "true womanly style" the list is not arranged in any order, though one ambitious...