Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-01-29T11:01:03.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Bridgerton star reflects on what it means to be part of the show's East Asian representation: "It’s pretty monumental"
items: Bridgerton star defends Lady Araminta – and explains why fans should empathise with her
items: Shaun Evans reveals how ITV’s Betrayal most differs from other spy thrillers
items: Call the Midwife's Heidi Thomas reveals season 15 "brings era to an end" – and why it was "hard" to write
items: Original Blake's 7 star reveals her biggest hopes and fears for reboot – from female representation to politics
items: BTS of the Radio Times Covers Party 2026 – with stars from The Traitors and EastEnders to Call the Midwife and Strictly
items: Slow Horses star teases intriguing character change for season 6
items: Taskmaster's Alex Horne teases "never-before-seen" moment in season 21 involving movie star contestant
items: Doctor Who legend Alex Kingston "isn’t buying" Billie Piper regeneration twist
items: Vernon Kay reveals he and Tess Daly will "miss" Strictly Come Dancing and shares whether they'll be tuning in
items: Directive 8020 boss promises "a huge leap forward for the series" with two major upgrades
items: Netflix takes Bridgerton superfan to season 4 premiere to meet the cast – and fan has surprising connection to beloved star
items: The Traitors winner Stephen reveals why he didn't double cross Rachel in final roundtable
items: School Spirits stars reveal how they've influenced Maddie and Wally's fate in season 3
items: Bridgerton star reveals how season 4 sets up her own leading story: "I’m buzzing to one day do it"
items: Jade from The Traitors reveals which video games she played to prepare – and it’s not the one you’d expect
items: Things You Should Have Done star admits she sometimes goes too far with dark comedy about "awful things”
items: Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits
items: Outlander: Blood of My Blood star teases "much more epic" season 2 after acclaimed first run
items: Bridgerton star teases "confronting" season 4 character dynamic between Francesca and Michaela
items: The Traitors finalist reveals what shocked her most about 2026 series - and what her strategy was all along
items: LEGO Smart Brick preview: These next-gen blocks rock
items: Siobhán McSweeney details what separates The Traitors Ireland from other international formats
items: Return to Silent Hill star reveals why the film is not a perfect Silent Hill 2 recreation – and why he avoided game inspiration for performance
items: Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun reveals what his role in No Other Choice has in common with Netflix hit
items: Steve Coogan reveals why he didn't want to understand Roy Keane's perspective while making Saipan
items: How Roy Keane's infamous 2002 World Cup bust-up was transformed into an acclaimed film
items: The 14 greatest sci-fi films of all time – according to Radio Times readers
items: Steal's Sophie Turner reveals *that* twist made her want to sign onto the show
items: Éanna Hardwicke explains how playing Roy Keane was more about capturing an "attitude" than impression

Bridgerton star reflects on what it means to be part of the show's East Asian representation: "It’s pretty monumental"
type: item
date: 2026-01-29T11:00:17.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Pass the Mic
subject: Video
description: Katie Leung stars as Lady Araminta Gun in Bridgerton season 4 and chats to Pass the Mic about what the role means to her.
encoded: Known for her roles in the Harry Potter films, Annika and Nightsleeper, actress Katie Leung is making her Bridgerton debut in the anticipated fourth season of the hit Netflix series. Starring as Lady Araminta Gun, Leung's character is a complex one, and John's cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) first meets her treating her stepdaughter Sophie (Yerin Ha) terribly. As we dig into their own back stories, we come to find out how the two women crossed paths and how Araminta went on to employ Sophie as her live-in maid. While their character dynamics aren't exactly close, the introduction of Leung's Araminta, Ha's Sophie and Araminta's daughters Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy (Isabella Wei) all signal a shift for Bridgerton, as they all step into the spotlight as the show's first East Asian lead family. Ha is heading up the cast as Bridgerton's first ever East Asian romantic lead, a feat worth celebrating in any TV landscape but for such a major series, it just continues to show that people from all backgrounds can be in leading roles in period dramas. But what does it mean to Leung to also be part of such storytelling? Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com for Pass the Mic, Leung admitted: "It feels pretty monumental. I think especially because we’re looking at a family dynamic, it’s not just any role within Bridgerton, it’s the dynamic of the family that’s explored and that is why it’s important because people can watch it and resonate because it’s universal, relationships are what matters." She went on: "It’s quite a blessing to be a part of it and I hope that it’s just – I feel like we’re still not quite there yet, where we need to be. And that’s why Bridgerton is so successful because it has always been a diverse show and it’s successful because it’s so well written and it’s all about … it’s so that people can resonate with the relationship dynamics. "The more we see of that, the more we are going to be working towards something where we’re all going to be happier an…

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Bridgerton star defends Lady Araminta – and explains why fans should empathise with her
type: item
date: 2026-01-29T09:00:51.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: Netflix
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Video
description: Lady Araminta is set to be Bridgerton's new antagonist but actress Katie Leung says that fans should "empathise" with her.
encoded: There's a brand new family on the block in Bridgerton season 4 and as fans get whisked up into Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie's (Yerin Ha) love story, we also get introduced to the fierce and often cruel matriarch of Lady Araminta Gun. Played by Harry Potter and Annika star Katie Leung, there's a lot that meets the eye to her new character. Having been married and widowed twice, Araminta is majorly concerned with making sure that her daughters Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy (Isabella Wei) debut this season but she's also described as "fabulous, discerning, and blunt". So, it's safe to say that Araminta will be forging her own path in the Ton this season and isn't one to care too much about the opinions of others. Araminta will undoubtedly be a character that gets the Bridgerton fanbase talking, not least because she does fall into the 'antagonist' category. But what is it that she wants viewers to understand about her character? Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com, the actress revealed: "I think the main thing to understand is that she is a single mother who’s trying to juggle just surviving. Especially back then, in this Regency era, having two daughters is not ideal because the sons manage the household. So, she’s had to do everything herself, having been married twice and widowed twice. "So, she’s inevitably built up this wall of protection for herself, for her daughters and she’s on survival mode. She has to take on this ruthless, high-achieving stance attitude in order to achieve her goals." Read more: Bridgerton star teases "confronting" season 4 character dynamic between Francesca and Michaela Unforgotten season 7 releases major production update – and confirms Peaky Blinders and Coronation Street favourites for new cast Leung continues: "The thing to understand as well is that she loves her daughters, she just doesn’t really show it so much. She shows it through different ways but not in the affectionate way that we see in someone like Violet, for …

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Shaun Evans reveals how ITV’s Betrayal most differs from other spy thrillers
type: item
date: 2026-01-29T00:01:11.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: ITV
subject: ITVX
subject: News
description: Evans spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the new four-part series.
encoded: Endeavour star Shaun Evans is back on ITV, this time starring in four-part spy thriller Betrayal, in which he plays a mid-career MI5 officer. The series follows Evans's character John, as he finds himself under investigation, while also struggling with problems in his personal life, and becoming increasingly convinced that a hardline faction of the Iranian regime are planning an attack. When speaking with RadioTimes.com exclusively about the series, Evans noted that when adding to a genre as well established as the spy thriller, you have to bring "a fresh, new voice" to it. Evans said that the way in for him and the team behind the programme was to make John an "everyman figure", and to look at "the daily life, the reality of what it's actually like to work for the security services". "The idea that you could be dealing with international terrorism at work and coming home and having to bath the kids or put a wash on, for me, seemed very fertile territory if we really wanted to dig into the idea of a midlife crisis," Evans said. He continued: "These are just everyday people doing an extraordinary job. And that is it really - we have a tendency to glamorise and mystify them, but actually…" "I think there needs to be an everyday quality to John," Evans added. "It needs to feel realistic and relatable, but still exciting. And so we tried to incorporate all of those aspects into the show, for it to feel exciting, fresh, current, but also completely real and relatable." As well as Evans, the series also stars Romola Garai as Claire, John's wife, and Zahra Ahmadi as Mehreen Askari-Evans, an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties while he is under investigation. They are joined in the cast by Gamba Cole (The Outlaws), Omid Djalili (His Dark Materials), Matthew Tennyson (Grantchester), Hayley Tamaddon (Unforgotten), Anthony Flanagan (House of the Dragon), Paddy Rowan (G’wed) and Waj Ali (Out There). Betrayal will premiere at 9pm on Sunday 8th Feb…

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Call the Midwife's Heidi Thomas reveals season 15 "brings era to an end" – and why it was "hard" to write
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T18:00:39.000Z
creator: Abby Robinson
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
description: "Things never will be the same again."
encoded: The creator of Call the Midwife has said the most recent chapter of the BBC period drama "very much brings an era to an end". Season 15 has seen Nonnatus House under immense pressure after Sister Julienne was told to ditch the habit or lose their funding, among other widespread changes being spearheaded by the NHS, and the public's changing attitude towards healthcare. Reflecting on how central change is to the drama, Heidi Thomas told us at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026 : "I've had a lot of these stories in mind for a long time, and change has generated so many of our stories over the past few years. "I'm not quite sure what I would do if things weren't changing. The whole point is, it's about change and challenge – and the series itself looks to the future, so it very much brings an era to an end." View Green Video on the source website But while Thomas noted that the challenge does feel "organic", she admitted it's also been deeply "emotional". "I think we've all cried our eyes out at different times because things never will be the same again," she added. "But the whole thing with Call the Midwife, like life itself... it's a process of constant evolution for our characters and also for the stories." Read more: Call the Midwife's Nonnatus House jeopardy storyline has lost its edge – and here's why Call the Midwife legend Judy Parfitt reveals the show’s upcoming hiatus "shakes" her a bit: "It'll be hard for all of us" Thomas also spoke specifically about the season 15 finale, which was "both hard to write and beautiful to write". "Many of the things that I depict in that episode I have experienced in life, so it felt strangely personal," she explained. "But I think that the driving thing was to do a really good job. We're only getting the chance to wrap up this iteration once, and it has to be done to the highest possible standard. "So it's hard and it's very emotional, not because it's sad, but because it's beautiful." Season 15 of Call the Midwife has seen t…

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Original Blake's 7 star reveals her biggest hopes and fears for reboot – from female representation to politics
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T17:00:56.000Z
creator: Louise Griffin
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Video
description: "We were the Robin Hoods in space and we were fighting for the dispossessed."
encoded: Excitedly chatting a few days after the news hits that a Blake's 7 reboot is in development, original star Sally Knyvette declares: "It's about time!" The actress starred as Flight Officer Jenna Stannis in the iconic sci-fi that aired from 1978 to 1981 and followed Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas) and his group of rebels as they waged war on the totalitarian Terran Federation. While Knyvette stepped away after season 2, in part due to being disappointed with how her character had been written, the series has now been part of her life for almost 50 years. Over the years since it ended, she's heard whisperings of reboots various times - but she's hoping that this time, with director Peter Hoar, exec Matthew Bouch and producer Jason Haigh-Ellery at the helm, might be the one to make it all the way, But what exactly does the reboot need to do to succeed? Knyvette has a few key requirements... Keep it political - but "focused" In the wake of the reboot news, some fans expressed their fears that the series would become "too woke" - despite the fact that it has been overtly political since its inception. To that, Knyvette says: "Don't let it be too woke. I would agree on that. I couldn't agree more. Let it stick to what it's about - the evil forces of the Federation." However, she goes on to add: "You look at the governments around the world now and you think we've all got to stand up to what's going on a lot of the time. I'll only say that in a very generalised way. "But we were the Robin Hoods in space and we were fighting for the dispossessed, we were helping those that were being attacked by evil forces and long may it remain in that vein, because anything that can lighten the rather dark load of what's going on in the world at the moment would be fantastic." "Woke is such a big word. It covers so many things and I want to be careful, because I'm not against the way life is going at all, in many, many ways but what I want to see is people with backbone and resilience and not …

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BTS of the Radio Times Covers Party 2026 – with stars from The Traitors and EastEnders to Call the Midwife and Strictly
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T16:44:47.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
description: The stars were out in force at this year's event.
encoded: The stars were out in force last night (Tuesday 27th January) at the 2026 Radio Times Covers Party - and now you can go behind the scenes with a set of stunning photos from the event. A whole array of celebs are featured in the images, from the stars of the most recent season of The Traitors through to the cast of EastEnders and last year's run of Strictly Come Dancing. Both David Mitchell and Victoria Coren-Mitchell were there, along with Slow Horses' Roddy Ho, Christopher Chung, and author Mick Herron. A trio of Gladiators stars were in attendance at the party, along with the cast of Call the Midwife, Riot Women, Death in Paradise and many other acclaimed and beloved series. You can check out the full gallery of images right here now. View Gallery on the source website Throughout the evening, the stars spoke with RadioTimes.com exclusively about their past and upcoming projects, including The Traitors winner Stephen, who broke down what he was thinking during that nail-biting final roundtable. "That final roundtable was very, very tense," he said. "I mean, they're all very tense, but that one, knowing there was so much on the line, first of all, was really scary. "And also, at that point, I'd started to question whether Rachel had my back or not and so there's so many things running through my mind." Meanwhile, Doctor Who's River Song star Alex Kingston, who was in attendance with the cast of Strictly, gave her thoughts on the latest season of the sci-fi show's cliffhanger, which saw Ncuti Gatwa regenerate into Billie Piper. And Alex Horne previewed the upcoming season of Taskmaster and one particular moment from Kumail Nanjiani that left a big impression on him. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's …

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Slow Horses star teases intriguing character change for season 6
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T16:29:09.000Z
creator: Louise Griffin
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
subject: Video
description: There's about to be a personality shift for Roddy Ho.
encoded: It seems Slow Horses' Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) might have learnt a few lessons after being (checks notes) nearly run over, shot at, locked up, interrogated, hacked, and honey trapped in season 5. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party about what's ahead for his expert hacker in season 6 of the beloved spy thriller, Chung teased a bit of a personality change... "Roddy is a little bit more spiritual," he revealed. "He might have learned a few things from season 5, from the love that he didn't get returned back to him. You might see him in a little bit more of a holistic place in season 6." He added: "Playing Roddy is so brilliant because you just get to say exactly the things that you are not allowed to say in real life and be completely unfiltered, uncensored, and as obnoxious as you like, but trying to imbue him with a sense of humanity. It's always really fun." View Green Video on the source website Asked if he has a bit more of that humanity in season 6 after his experiences in season 5, Chung responded: "I think he does. "Well, I don't know if that's necessarily something that he would show to anyone else. He always has the wall up, even though inside maybe he's a little bit more like a puppy dog than anyone would realise." Season 6, which is due to be released later this year, will adapt two of Mick Herron's novels at the same time. Reflecting on how that might change the feel of the show, Chung explained: "I think every season of Slow Horses has a slightly different feel to it. "So I think what we've managed to do this season is to combine the two books into one and give it a real propelling force forward, to really elevate the series from where we left off in season 5." And as for the future of the show? "I'd be happy to play Roddy until – well, not the day I die, because that could be a long time. But I think the day that I have to take my Roddy Ho hat off will be a very sad day, so hopefully it's not anytime soon." Slow Ho…

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Taskmaster's Alex Horne teases "never-before-seen" moment in season 21 involving movie star contestant
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T15:56:37.000Z
creator: Louise Griffin
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
subject: Video
description: Kumail Nanjiani, what did you do?!
encoded: Taskmaster's Little Alex Horne has unsettled and excited us in equal measure with a cryptic tease about season 21, involving new contestant Kumail Nanjiani. The Eternals actor is one of the latest stars to take on the show, and has already filmed alongside fellow comedians Amy Gledhill, Armando Iannucci, Joanna Page and Joel Dommett. And, when asked by RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026 about which moment is most likely to go down in Taskmaster history, the Hollywood actor immediately came to mind for Horne. "There is a moment involving Kumail Nanjiani. I don't want to give much away, but he gives a lot away about what he does by himself in his hotel room. So that's what you've got to tune in for," he teased. "He surprised himself by what he revealed, and I was sat next to him, and it's a big moment. It's a never-before-seen Taskmaster moment." Consider us intrigued! View Green Video on the source website Meanwhile, it seems comedy legend Iannucci also has a tricky time ahead of him, with Horne giving his take on each of the season 21 contestants. Horne said: "Armando Iannucci's in it, which is a surprise to me, because he's a comedy legend and a very clever man, you'd think. Not on Taskmaster! "It turns out Armando is an idiot, which is so nice to [know]. I found him quite daunting to meet and work with, but within five minutes, you realise he's the same as everyone else. He crumbles under pressure. "And then we've got Kumail Nanjiani from the movies, Joel Dommett from The Masked Singer, Amy Gledhill, who's just fabulous at everything, and Joanna Page from Gavin & Stacey. So it's a high calibre line-up." View Green Video on the source website Meanwhile, Horne is fresh from a trip to the US with his Taskmaster Live on Stage USA tour. Chatting about any dream American contestants, he immediately listed off: "Ali Wong, Sarah Silverman, Conan O'Brien. "I'd get Seth Myers and John Oliver on because they just did our one in America, the live show, and th…

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Doctor Who legend Alex Kingston "isn’t buying" Billie Piper regeneration twist
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T15:09:02.000Z
creator: Louise Griffin
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
subject: Video
description: "She's not a Gallifreyan!"
encoded: Doctor Who legend Alex Kingston has given her take on the latest regeneration twist, which saw Ncuti Gatwa's the Time Lord regenerate into returning star Billie Piper – and she's not having any of it! With the details of the twist still being left up in the air, the River Song actress, who starred alongside David Tennant and Matt Smith during their eras on the show, is insistent that Piper isn't playing the new Doctor. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, Kingston said: "I didn't see the Billie Piper twist coming at all. To be perfectly honest, I still don't quite believe it because she's not a Gallifreyan, she's a human. "I think there's some playing going on here. But I don't buy that she's the next Doctor, and if she is, they're gonna have to work hard to convince me, because she's not a Gallifreyan!" Of course, Piper previously starred as companion Rose Tyler in Doctor Who and, with her recent return, does that mean we could see a comeback for River too? View Green Video on the source website "I haven't really stopped being River because I do so many audio recordings and boxsets of of her journeys with the Doctors, but also she has her own River Song Diaries," Kingston pointed out. "So I've never left that world. Would I like to come back? 100 per cent. It's nothing but sheer joy when you work on Doctor Who, and I've actually even said that I believe that, because she's been saved in a computer program, she could come back in a computer program. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. "She could 3D print herself. She could hack into any computer in the universe and cause mayhem. I just feel like there's a lot of opportunity if they wanted to go down that route. "But maybe they feel like that's the end of that character…

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Vernon Kay reveals he and Tess Daly will "miss" Strictly Come Dancing and shares whether they'll be tuning in
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T15:03:53.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
description: The couple have big plans!
encoded: It was the news no one could expect or wanted to hear: Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman leaving Strictly Come Dancing. The news came on an ordinary Thursday morning early on in the show's 2025 run and before fans knew it, the presenting duo were hanging up their glitter for good and said the all important "Keep dancing" one last time. Their final episode was an emotional one as the pair were guided onto the ballroom on Christmas Day before saying their farewells. As the episode drew to a close, Tess said: "Thank you again for watching us over the years. It has meant the world to us." The pair then signed off the episode with one final "keep dancing" before the credits rolled. While details are scarce on who could be replacing the duo, it'll certainly be a different autumn and winter season that many are used to, including for the presenters themselves. Speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, Tess's husband Vernon Kay said that the couple have a holiday booked when the show rolls around – but reiterated that they continue to be firm fans of the series, even with Tess no longer on it. View Green Video on the source website Asked if they will still tune into the show, he told RadioTimes.com: "Yeah, of course! It's iconic, and it's in our family's DNA, it really is. So it holds a special place in both of our hearts and the kids as well. "Phoebe and Amber absolutely love it, and we're going to miss it. We're going to miss it, but it's still there. It's not gone, it's not vanished. We'll still be watching, we'll still be dialled in. We'll still be in the Star Bar after the show and enjoying it because it is the best show on UK TV." It hasn't yet been confirmed who will replace Tess and Claudia in the ballroom later this year, though there has been heavy speculation about who could fill their shoes. From the likes of Alex Jones and Bradley Walsh to Rylan Clark and Zoe Ball – the latter two having previously presented Strictly's companion series – there has been plent…

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Directive 8020 boss promises "a huge leap forward for the series" with two major upgrades
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T14:48:11.000Z
creator: Rob Leane
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
description: "It's a big improvement on how scary the game is."
encoded: How does Directive 8020, the new sci-fi entry in Supermassive Games’s The Dark Pictures Anthology, change things up? That was the question on our mind when we sat down with its creative director, Will Doyle, at the Gamescom conference. On the Radio Times Gaming podcast this month, we’ve been previewing some of the big games of 2026 (the ones that aren’t GTA 6), which makes this the perfect time to drop our Directive 8020 interview in full. If podcasts aren’t your thing, you can also watch the interview in the player above (or over on the Radio Times Gaming YouTube channel). Or if the written word is your bag, keep reading for some choice quotes in article form! Directive 8020, if you’re unfamiliar, is the next horror in the anthology series The Dark Pictures. Lashana Lynch is the star this time, and the threat is a creepy alien species that can mimic its human victims (think Alien meets The Thing). As Will Doyle told us, there are two major additions for returning fans to look out for this time: the action overhaul of Real-Time Threats, and the choice-changing Turning Point system. In a hands-on demo of the game’s first chapter, we were able to try both of these out, and the Turning Point system made a particularly big impact. Imagine, if you can, a DVD menu where you can move back and forth from any moment and pick up there. Got it? Okay, you’re halfway to imagining this system that allows you to backtrack and alter your choices in the game without having to spam your saves or drag yourself back to the start of a chapter just to retake a Quick-Time Event that went wrong. So, what was thinking behind the Turning Point system? In Doyle’s words, "One of the many goals of it is to make the game more accessible for our fans, [allowing them] to get to the content they want to get to, as soon as possible. "We find that people play through the game once, and then, previously, they'd have to start from the beginning or go to a chapter and then play from that point on. Now, …

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Netflix takes Bridgerton superfan to season 4 premiere to meet the cast – and fan has surprising connection to beloved star
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T14:05:38.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: Netflix
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Video
description: "I feel like I identify with her."
encoded: We're well and truly in the swing of Bridgerton season and Netflix have thought of an incredible way to mark the occasion – and that's by treating one mega fan to an experience of a lifetime. The streamer held a competition to find the biggest Bridgerton fan out there and after sifting through countless applications and nominations from loved ones, they crowned one lucky winner. Well now, RadioTimes.com can reveal what went down when Sarah – who was none the wiser as to what surprises she had in store – found out that she was going to be whisked away to the Bridgerton premiere in Paris. Having been nominated by her best friend, we find out more about Sarah's personal life and how she spends a lot of her time caring for others but ultimately, always keeping Bridgerton close to her heart. So much so, in fact, that she identifies with Nicola Coughlan's Penelope, even revealing that she keeps dying her hair ginger to match the character's. "I do, I keep going 'Oh, I'm in my Penelope Bridgerton phase!'," she tells the camera, thinking she's applying to be on a quiz show. In the clip, we see how everything is pulled off on the day in question, with Sarah being told that she's going on a first aid course for work with her friend and travelling to a training centre. Once there, a series of random events occurs but once in the room with the other 'participants', the teacher asks Sarah to go up to the front and asks her about her favourite TV show. Regaling the room about how much she loves Bridgerton, she's then asked to write the show's name on a whiteboard. But as she does, the walls slowly come away from her, revealing an extravagant ballroom with Regency dancers circling the floor in gowns and suits – just like it's been pulled straight from the series. Sarah's then told to make her way to the throne, where she's told she's been nominated by her friend and is invited to attend the Paris premiere, a true dream come true for any fan. Speaking of her experience, Sarah said:…

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The Traitors winner Stephen reveals why he didn't double cross Rachel in final roundtable
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T13:17:24.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: Entertainment
subject: Reality TV
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
description: It was a tense final!
encoded: It hasn't even been a week since one of the greatest finals in The Traitors history, which saw Stephen and Rachel remain faithful to one another until the very end. At the start of the year, Claudia Winkleman opened the doors to Ardross Castle once more for an epic game of betrayal and trust and before we knew it, she had chosen her four Traitors. After weeks of high-octane missions, brutal banishments and treacherous murders, it came down to the final five and all they had to do was decide if there were still Traitors among them or if they were all Faithful. Thanks to a pact made by Stephen and Rachel at the start, they stayed true to their words and did not put the other's name down once, which led to them banishing Jade, Faraaz and then Jack – therefore winning the season and taking home £47,875 each! While the winning moment was extremely wholesome, it was a far cry from what many viewers thought was going to happen when Stephen spoke with Winkleman, considering how much better it would be to take home the full amount, an opportunity that presented itself as Jack was adamant that Rachel was indeed a Traitor. View Green Video on the source website Speaking exclusively at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, Stephen explained his emotional state heading into the last roundtable of the series: "That final roundtable was very, very tense. "I mean, they're all very tense, but that one, knowing there was so much on the line, first of all, was really scary. "And also, at that point, I'd started to question whether Rachel had my back or not and so there's so many things running through my mind." Stephen noted that he didn't know if Rachel was going to double cross him or if he was going to double cross Rachel, but was "so pleased that we both took that leap of faith in each other at the end". As for why he decided to put his faith in Rachel, Stephen explained: "The main thing I wanted to do was leave there with my head held high, and I was considering putting Rachel's nam…

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School Spirits stars reveal how they've influenced Maddie and Wally's fate in season 3
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T10:00:27.000Z
creator: Louise Griffin
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Paramount Plus
subject: Video
encoded: School is officially back in session in School Spirits season 3 - and, by this point, stars Peyton List and Milo Manheim know exactly where they want their characters to go. The supernatural drama is set to pick up after the massive cliffhanger that saw Maddie (List) return to her body, while Simon (Kristian Flores) is now the one trapped in the afterlife. Meanwhile, Wally's (Manheim) fate was left up the air. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about what's to come in season 3, List and Manheim revealed their requests and questions for the show's creative team. Manheim told us: "They want to hear about what we think makes sense for our characters. "I feel like Wally, in the past, has always been such a team player and down for anything, but I told them he's always sort of a step behind figuring things out, and this season, I'd love for him to be a step ahead. I'd love for him not only to go along with a plan, but maybe come up with a plan. "I think that they really took that note well, and I think we see that happen this season. It's a very adventurous season for Wally." Asked whether Maddie will be helping Simon this season like he helped her, List explained: "That was my first question for the creators and the directors as well! I just wanted to make sure that Maddie is fighting for Simon as hard as he fought for her. "But she has so many other concerns and worries with this new superintendent at the school and with her relationship with her mother... "[She has] so many things that Simon kind of ends up...she's so worried about him, but there's so many other things happening." As for what this all means for Maddie and Wally's relationship? "Wally's really going on his own individual journey this season," Manheim says. "He's done a lot of helping out for others, and I think it's time he starts thinking about himself and putting his needs first. We're definitely a new side of Wally this season." As List points out, Maddie has more than ever to deal with this sea…

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Bridgerton star reveals how season 4 sets up her own leading story: "I’m buzzing to one day do it"
type: item
date: 2026-01-27T09:00:55.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: Netflix
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Video
description: How exactly does Bridgerton season 4 set up Eloise for her own love story?
encoded: It's now been confirmed that the next seasons of Bridgerton will see Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Francesca (Hannah Dodd) taking the lead in their respective instalments. While we don't exactly know who will be first up, it's exciting news nonetheless for fans of the novels who have waited patiently for the Bridgerton sisters to get their own turns in the limelight. While this upcoming fourth season of the show focuses on their unserious brother Benedict (Luke Thompson), the series will surely set up his siblings for their own stories as the show has previously done in subtle ways. But how does season 4 set the stage for Eloise's own season, if at all? When chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com – which you can watch in the video above – the actress revealed: "In terms of setting her up, I think Eloise is desperately trying to find her way of doing it, right? "That’s what I’ve always been excited to be able to one day do, is to show love or romance or whatever her journey is in the most Eloise way possible. "I think she’s just trying to find out her way of doing it." Jessie continued: "That’s what I think the set-up is until ultimately we see what her way of doing it is, her version of it. I’m buzzing to one day do it. I love this show with my whole heart, I love my colleagues, I love Eloise so I’ll be buzzing to do it.” As fans of the Regency drama will know, Eloise hasn't been concerned with matters of the heart and has been more preoccupied with tracking down Lady Whistledown. Finally learning the truth of her identity and coming to blows with best friend Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) over it, Eloise's story has gone through its own various twists but the Bridgerton daughter has never been interested in making her social debut. Read more: Bridgerton star teases "confronting" season 4 character dynamic between Francesca and Michaela The Night Manager season 2 airs major death of [spoiler] in shocking twist ahead of the finale However, last season did see Eloise take a…

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Jade from The Traitors reveals which video games she played to prepare – and it’s not the one you’d expect
type: item
date: 2026-01-27T08:00:02.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Entertainment
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
subject: News
subject: Video
description: Four games fit for a finalist.
encoded: Jade Scott made it to the final of The Traitors season 4, and she made no secret of her video game experience in the show’s candid pieces to camera. So, here at Radio Times Gaming, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to get on the phone with Jade and find out which games she played in preparation. Surprisingly, Jade didn’t name Among Us — for many, the definitive game like The Traitors — on her list of favourites, noting that she finds it “a bit childish”. What did she play, then? As Jade told us: “I was playing a lot of social deception games. So I played a lot of Project Winter, [which is] a bit different.” Project Winter, if you were wondering, is an 8-player survival game where players have to handle traitorous social situations as well as the deadly weather. Jade continued: “I've never really played Among Us. I just find it a bit childish. That said, I was playing a lot of Dale & Dawson, which was so unserious.” Dale & Dawson: Stationary Supplies can support anywhere from four to 21 players, and it tasks managers and specialists with spotting the slackers in their workforce (and firing them). And did Jade find that her gaming experience really helped in the castle? In Jade’s words: “I think gaming, there's a level of communication needed, especially in teamwork games, right? And you're always talking, whether to your friends, or you are always speaking to teammates that you get allocated with. “I think that helped a lot, especially when I was speaking at the roundtables. Like, I didn't quite realise... it's one thing to speak and it's another thing to watch yourself back when you speak, so that was actually really, really nice to see. “And also, I managed to hit one of the vases with the rocks, so I think that was where my hand eye coordination came in.” Since returning from The Traitors castle, however, Jade’s gaming habits have changed a little. As she puts it: "After coming back, I was kind of like, 'I need a break from social deception games'. So, at the mom…

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Things You Should Have Done star admits she sometimes goes too far with dark comedy about "awful things”
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T17:19:15.000Z
creator: Jess Bacon
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: "I just think the best, most awful things in life are the best to get through with laughing and taking the piss out of them."
encoded: Lucia Keskin is not your average 24-year-old. By 23, the YouTube sensation had already amassed an impressive online following, landed her first BBC Three series, Things You Should Have Done, and went onto win a BAFTA for Best Rising Star for her performance. All from her childhood bedroom. Keskin is now back demonstrating her signature deadpan humour as her alter-ego, Lucia (or Chi) in season 2, as a recently bereaved stay-at-home-daughter who is an adult-in-progress as she works through a list of tasks her dead parents have left her to accomplish. The premise is desperately sad: both of Chi’s parents die in a car crash in the first episode, leaving her the sole owner (and grown up) of the house. But she has no life skills whatsoever, every task from finding a job to learning to drive leads to woefully inappropriate scenarios, all while her vulture of an aunty, Karen (played tremendously by Selin Hizli), circles around her to try and inherit the house. With a “face like depression” (as noted in the series), the multi-hyphenate talent admits that it’s often hard to strike the balance between the tragedy and comedy, as she has a tendency to take the dark humour to extremes. “That's where I have to have people tell me because I will just go as dark as possible and I see no issue, and they're like, ‘no, not that, you can’t do that,” Keskin tells RadioTimes.com. “But I just think the best, most awful things in life are the best to get through with laughing and taking the piss out of them. I’ve always viewed it that way.” “I’ll just say ‘Yeah, let’s joke about that’ and they’re like ‘No, actually, we can’t.’ I did get away with quite a lot, but I was trying to push it.” <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/BBC-comedy-96ee4bd.jpg" width="4241" height="2827" alt="A young woman stands outdoors beside a black-and-white horse, which is close to the camera and slightly out of focus in the foreground. She wears a colourful padded jacket an…

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Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T16:34:00.000Z
creator: Rob Leane
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Comment
subject: Exclusive
description: Is RE9 trying to do too much?
encoded: Did you enjoy piecing together a whole police station's worth of puzzles in Resident Evil 2? Did you enjoy the unsettling shift to first-person in Resident Evil 7? Did you enjoy Leon’s big kicks in Resident Evil 4? Did you enjoy being chased by a giant creature in Resident Evil 8? Did you enjoy protecting a weaker ally as you made your way through hordes of enemies in Resi 4? Did you enjoy seeing a tall woman in a white dress in Resi 8? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions — or all of those questions — boy does Resident Evil Requiem have something in store that will play to your tastes! In fact, the game is starting to feel like a greatest hits album that’s determined to replay your favourite bits from the last few entries in the franchise. Indeed, RE9 has no shortage of baggage, and it’s got no problem with letting you rummage through said baggage and pull out whatever you like. At a preview event for the game, I got to spend three hours playing it, and by the end, my right arm was sore from all the [insert meme here of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV because he spotted something he recognised]. Our demo began with Leon S Kennedy, the beloved backflipping hero of Resi 2 and 4, arriving at a medical facility. Of course, it didn’t take long for the alarms to go off and for zombies to burst in. We soon got to see how action-oriented Leon’s chunk of the game will be, with the combat’s over-the-top nature even going so far as to let Leon parry a chainsaw attack with a small knife. Yep, you read that right — there are zombies wielding chainsaws in this game! And in a neat bit of coding, if one zombie drops the chainsaw, someone else can pick it up (either Leon himself or another enemy). All of this was feeling very RE4, which made for a jarring change when Leon’s segment ended and the player’s viewpoint switched to Grace (the other major playable character that we saw in this demo). As Capcom’s PR person explained, Leon’s sections are designed to be playe…

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Outlander: Blood of My Blood star teases "much more epic" season 2 after acclaimed first run
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T16:20:33.000Z
creator: Patrick Cremona
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
description: Jeremy Irvine teases what's to come in the second run of the prequel series – and talks about the "dream" response to the first season.
encoded: Given how famously passionate the fanbase for Outlander is, prequel series Blood of My Blood had a lot to live up to ahead of its debut season airing last summer – but the response from both critics and long-term fans was almost universally positive. And it looks like things are about to get a whole lot more dramatic in the next run – with Henry Beauchamp star Jeremy Irvine teasing what fans have to look forward to in a recent exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com. “Well we finished filming before Christmas," he said, while promoting his lead role in new video game adaptation Return to Silent Hill. "So it's all in the can, ready to go. "And it's much more epic. I think because the first season went down so well, they sort of really gave us the reins, I think. And yeah, the showrunner, Matt Roberts, has produced something that is... it's just huge, the scale is massive and it's really gone up a level – so I hope people like it." Speaking about how well the first run had been received, he explained that the "reaction has been better than any of us could have dreamed really". He continued: "You're not sure when you're on the first season or something. You're not rolling the dice – you try and choose things based on the scripts and the people involved – but so much goes in after you finish filming. View Green Video on the source website "As the actor, you're such a tiny part of that process. And then there's months and months, sometimes even years of post production and lots of different cooks getting involved. So for it to work out is really nice. It doesn't happen with every project!" Fans will no doubt be eager for the next season to arrive as soon as possible, given the previous run ended with both a pretty jaw-dropping cliffhanger and a shocking death – with the cast previously explaining to RadioTimes.com that "nobody saw that coming." But of course before that cliffhanger is resolved, fans have the closing run of the main Outlander series to look forward to, wi…

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Bridgerton star teases "confronting" season 4 character dynamic between Francesca and Michaela
type: item
date: 2026-01-25T09:00:51.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: Netflix
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Video
description: What does Bridgerton season 4 hold for Francesca and Michaela?
encoded: In among the romantic story of Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) at the end of Bridgerton season 3, fans of the period drama were also left on a bit of a cliffhanger as it related to Francesca (Hannah Dodd). She may have had an intimate marriage ceremony and wed Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli), but there was a clear spark between Francesca and John's cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) once they met. Their season 3 meeting only led fans into overdrive about what the future could hold and seeing as we now know that Francesca is set to be one of the leads of an upcoming season, many will be waiting to see what becomes of her connection with Michaela. Teasing what's to come between them in season 4, series star Hannah Dodd teased: “What can I say? I think Michaela is a character that challenges Francesca whereas John is a character that makes space for Francesca. They’re both really important for Francesca to move forward." Dodd continues: "I think Francesca is very inhibited by rules of society and rules she puts on herself and expectations she puts on herself. Michaela throws that away and even in life, in modern day, when you meet that person and you’re like ‘Why don’t you feel like this?’ I think that’s the dynamic between the two of them. "It’s quite a confronting feeling for Francesca and a new feeling, a challenging one. I just think there’s an exploration of those feelings.” As fans of the original Julia Quinn novels will know, the role of Michaela has been gender-flipped for the series. The original novels also see Lord Stirling die and Francesca fall in love with Michaela, but as for how that will play out in the series, we'll have to wait and see. Read more: Legally Blonde prequel series finally gets release date confirmed – with added good news for Elle Woods fans Steal's Sophie Turner reveals *that* twist made her want to sign onto the show In terms of what's been happening with Francesca since we last saw her on our screens, Dodd also said: …

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The Traitors finalist reveals what shocked her most about 2026 series - and what her strategy was all along
type: item
date: 2026-01-24T12:38:02.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Warning: spoilers ahead for The Traitors finale.
encoded: It's been an epic run of The Traitors and no one had more of a rollercoaster journey on it than Jade Scott. Throughout pretty much every episode of the thrilling fourth season, Jade had heat on her from various contestants - despite being a Faithful the whole time, unlike the victorious Traitors Rachel and Stephen. In an exclusive chat with RadioTimes.com following the explosive finale, Jade confirmed that it was her plan to have suspicion on her the whole time. "My strategy was always to go in and get some suspicion on me because I think that keeps you in the game," the student explained. "If you're too faithful, you get murdered. And you don't really get a say [in front of the cast] if you get murdered, but you can have a say before you get banished to try and convince people not to... "But I think with the way the game played out, there was too much suspicion!" Jade continued, speaking of particularly getting so much heat on her: "I wanted to stay in to do the missions because they're so much fun, and I didn't want to leave because it's so cool. I was trying to strategise and figure out, 'OK, how can I use this to my advantage?' But that just meant all my focus was on that and I had no capacity left to catch Traitors." Now she's had the chance to watch it back, Jade explained she was completely surprised by the Secret Traitor twist. She added: "I was screaming at the TV for me to get it together when I watched it back from the first episode. I was very shy at the start and it took me a while to feel comfortable and get out of my shell. I did so much growth while I was away which was really nice to see. "Watching different conversations that were taking place was really cool, as were the missions. It's so much fun." Jade was happy with her game in the end, and confirmed she wouldn't have changed anything - and even if she had the chance again she would have chosen to be a Faithful. "I love trying to solve puzzles, it's my favourite thing, and that's what Faithfuls…

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LEGO Smart Brick preview: These next-gen blocks rock
type: item
date: 2026-01-24T08:00:27.000Z
creator: Guy Cocker
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Comment
subject: Exclusive
subject: Video
description: We go hands-on with the first genuinely new LEGO upgrade in decades.
encoded: There have been a few major innovations in LEGO's history: LEGO Technic in 1977, and the minifigure a year later, but those are nearly 50 years ago now. In the interim, the LEGO brand has kept its place as the world's favourite toy mainly by pairing up with kids' favourite intellectual property, including Star Wars, Marvel, Minecraft and Super Mario. Enter the Smart Play system, out this year, which incorporates modern digital technology such as sensors, speakers and lights to offer the first new way to play with LEGO in decades. We went hands on at the CES conference in Las Vegas to find out more! So, what actually is this new range? The Smart Play system incorporates the Smart Brick itself, which is the hub of the whole experience thanks to the built-in sensors, speakers, lights and custom chips it houses. Check out LEGO Smart Play at LEGO These allow it to be aware of data such as movement, as well as proximity to other Smart products. Those include the Smart tags and Smart minifigures, both of which tell the Smart Brick how to behave — for example, make duck noises if the tag is attached to a duck, or mimic Darth Vader's breathing and vocals if it's a Smart minifigure of the Sith Lord. The real genius, though, is how LEGO's engineers have programmed the Smart Brick to enhance LEGO play and make it more fun and interactive. Maarten Simons, the Design Manager on the project for the last few years, started our CES session with a relatively simple demonstration, attaching a Smart Tag to the Smart Brick to play simple musical notes and flashing lights when you tilt and move the brick around. Another Smart Tag tells the brick to be a car, making engine noises as you move, tyre screeching noises as you go round a corner, and a crashing noise when you hit something. There were similar demos with a helicopter, a duck and a dinosaur. However, things get a lot more fun when you combine multiple LEGO items that feature Smart Bricks, as they interact with each other in both …

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Siobhán McSweeney details what separates The Traitors Ireland from other international formats
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T22:00:02.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: Entertainment
subject: Reality TV
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Video
description: "They're not backward at coming forward, shall we say?"
encoded: It's been a long time coming but The Traitors Ireland is finally making its way to BBC One, and fans of the juicy and deceptive format are in for a treat. Hosted by comedy great Siobhán McSweeney, viewers will be transported to Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland, as a group of strangers play the ultimate murder mystery game. Kicking off at 12:10am on Saturday 24th January, it has been teased that the players make a decision that ripples through the castle as the Traitors are chosen and the lies begin. But are the rumours of this series' cutthroat nature true? Well, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, McSweeney was sure not to give away any spoilers but teased there is something slightly different about the Irish cast to other international formats that audiences may pick up on. She explained: "One of the franchise, who goes around the whole world setting up the show, a lovely man. He was with us as we helped set up the show, as it was our first series, and of course, everybody was asking him, 'Oh, are we different to everybody else?' Every country wants to be somewhat exceptional in their own sort of way. "[There are] particular characteristics that make them all this more special. And he quite brilliantly, and I [was] delighted to hear, he was like, 'Nah, everyone is sort of the same, it's a global village out there, everybody is sort of behaving the exact same, Traitors, Faithfuls, etc.'" But there was one difference that McSweeney noted, and it was the immediate chatty nature of the cast before they'd really got to know one another, which spawned moments that perhaps show producers weren't expecting to happen until much later down the line. She added: "Before people even had their first cup of tea, they were chatting away. "Usually it takes a while for the contestants to loosen up and to have a chat and to 'Oh, hello, what's your name?' and they're polite, whereas people were going up the stairs to the front door of the castle, they were already [chatting …

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Return to Silent Hill star reveals why the film is not a perfect Silent Hill 2 recreation – and why he avoided game inspiration for performance
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T14:20:19.000Z
creator: Patrick Cremona
subject: Movies
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Jeremy Irvine spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the new video game adaptation.
encoded: While video game adaptations have been enjoying a great moment on the small screen of late – thanks to TV hits such as The Last of Us and Fallout – we're perhaps still awaiting the first truly great film based on a popular game. Certainly, the previous movies in the Silent Hill franchise have failed to win much acclaim – with both 2006's Silent Hill and 2012's Silent Hill: Revelation faring negatively with critics. Now, almost 15 years on from the previous attempt, a new entry in the series is here, with Return to Silent Hill taking its cues from Silent Hill 2 and starring Outlander: Blood of My Blood star Jeremy Irvine in the lead role. Unfortunately, early signs suggest this is set to be another critical dud – it sits on just 9 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing – and speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of release, Irvine explained the difficulties of adapting such a well-loved property in a different medium. "I mean, you're walking a tightrope," he said, "I think whenever you do something that means a lot to a lot of people, I don't think you're ever going to please everyone – especially with fans as passionate as they are for this." He added that while it is based on Silent Hill 2, writer/director Christophe Gans had taken bits from various different games to create something a little different, explaining that a movie version of a play-by-play of the game simply "wouldn't work as a film". "I mean, how many hours is the quickest speed run to get through all of Silent Hill 2?" Irvine said. "So it needed some sort of story, and it needed to work in a movie. They are vastly different art forms, you've got to do a completely different thing, rather than someone being completely interactive, just sitting back and expecting you to just put it on to them." He added that it was "exciting to see how it all came together", and noted that while Gans's vision always remained the same, the final version of the film "was almost completely different" to th…

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Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun reveals what his role in No Other Choice has in common with Netflix hit
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T13:45:10.000Z
creator: Patrick Cremona
subject: Movies
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: The star has the lead role in Park Chan-wook's latest acclaimed film.
encoded: Acclaimed South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun is best known to Western audiences for his role as Hwang In-ho in the second and third seasons of Squid Game – and the star has revealed that there are some interesting similarities between the hit Netflix show and his new feature No Other Choice. The film – which was surprisingly left off the shortlist for Best International Film in yesterday's Oscar nominations – reunites Lee with iconic writer/director Park Chan-wook, a quarter of a century after they last worked together on the latter's directorial debut Joint Security Area. Lee plays the role of Yoo Man-su, a man who is unceremoniously made redundant from his long-time job and goes to very extreme measures to get back into employment: by finding and killing every one he considers to be competition in the job market. Man-su is far from a trained killer, leading to some darkly comedic moments as he repeatedly struggles to go through with the murders – with the film satirising the desperate measures so many have been reduced to by the forces of 21st century capitalism. Speaking to RadioTimes.com about the film during an exclusive interview at last year's London Film Festival, Lee explained: "One of the messages that it wants to convey and perhaps the biggest theme of the film, is that we create these systems in order to improve many people's lives. But the question posed is, do they really make people happier and make them lead better lives? "Listening to your question reminds me of the time when I was doing Squid Game promotion," he continued. "And that also had a very similar theme that was the major theme for Squid Game as well. That's similar to this. So even though I hadn't directly connected the two, I can see the case for the [similarities.]" View Green Video on the source website Meanwhile, Park – whose previous acclaimed works include Oldboy, The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave – also noticed a few thematic details the film had in common with Squid Game, which t…

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Steve Coogan reveals why he didn't want to understand Roy Keane's perspective while making Saipan
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T10:07:27.000Z
creator: Patrick Cremona
subject: Movies
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Video
description: The Alan Partridge star plays former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy in the new film about the infamous 2002 bust-up.
encoded: As football bust-ups go, it's hard to think of many that have crossed over into the news cycle to quite the same extent as the infamous spat between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy ahead of the 2002 World Cup. The argument – which ultimately led to Keane missing out on his only chance to play at a World Cup – stemmed from the legendary midfielder's issues with what he perceived to be a lacklustre preparation for the tournament, and sparked huge debate among fans. That debate continues to divide people to this day – especially in Ireland – and so when RadioTimes.com exclusively spoke to star Steve Coogan, who plays McCarthy in new film Saipan, we asked if he tried to see both sides of the argument or if he looked at things entirely from the manager's perspective. "Objectively, I – Steve Coogan, the actor – can look at both those points of view and go well, actually, I can see both," he responded. 'They're both compelling, and they've got a certain about of credibility. "[But] as an actor, I almost deliberately wanted to not see Roy's point of view because playing Mick, I wanted to get inside [his] head and it doesn't help me to have lots of empathy with Roy's point of view." Coogan added that he reached out to McCarthy and chatted to him, attempting to "get more of a feeling of what was driving him or what made him tick". And it was only afterwards, while watching the film, that he truly began to get a sense of the two sides of the argument. "That's the joy of it," added Éanna Hardwicke, who plays Keane. "It's getting to watch it and for that to be revealed. Like, I was very much staying in my lane. We did have a few script chats before we started filming, and I learned a lot from that. "[But] I think I, probably quite lazily, just [thought] I'm going to stay in the lane of this thing, and then afterwards, you get to see the film, and you get to see the kind of richness of how opposite their perspectives were, actually." View oEmbed on the source website Coogan also poin…

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How Roy Keane's infamous 2002 World Cup bust-up was transformed into an acclaimed film
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T07:00:44.000Z
creator: James Mottram
subject: Movies
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
description: The cast and crew for the new football flick Saipan speak to Radio Times about adapting the notorious row for the big screen.
encoded: Irish actor Éanna Hardwicke was only five at the time of the 2002 World Cup, but the memories are still vivid. “I was really aware of the iconography of it,” he reflects, when we meet in London’s Sea Containers hotel. “I can picture the Irish jersey. I could probably tell you the whole starting 11 of the Irish team. I had sticker books, and I remember just being completely caught up in World Cup fever, which I probably haven’t been to an extent since.” Of course, for any Republic of Ireland football fan, the 2002 FIFA tournament in Japan and South Korea remains infamous. Not so much for events on the field, with Ireland eventually knocked out on penalties in the last 16 to Spain. More for events off it, before a ball had even been kicked, when Irish captain – and Manchester United midfield legend – Roy Keane had an unforgettable bust-up with manager Mick McCarthy. The setting was Saipan, a small island in the Pacific, where the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) had determined its team acclimatise before the FIFA World Cup. Infuriated by the poor training facilities – including no footballs when they arrived – Keane flew home, making headlines around the world. “It’s something that happened over four or five days on, fair to say, the biggest global stage you can get, whether you’re a sportsman or not,” remarks Hardwicke, who plays Keane in Saipan, a new movie that dramatises the fallout. While there have been other player-manager meltdowns at World Cups – think of French star Nicolas Anelka in 2010, arguing with coach Raymond Domenech – this was a row that divided families across Ireland and according to Saipan’s co-director Glenn Leyburn, “still reverberates through Irish culture to this day”. Back in 2002, Ireland was going through a huge transition, the time of the so-called Celtic Tiger when a period of rapid economic growth had transformed the country into a thriving economic success story. View oEmbed on the source website Mirroring that, Irish football was…

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The 14 greatest sci-fi films of all time – according to Radio Times readers
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T07:00:33.000Z
creator: Patrick Cremona
subject: Movies
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Exclusive
description: We asked our readers to name their favourite films in the sci-fi genre – and these were the titles that came up most often.
encoded: From beloved space operas in far distant galaxies to fascinating treatises on what it means to be human, the sci-fi genre is one which has gifted us with many of the finest, most ambitious pieces of cinema ever crafted. It's a genre which allows for more innovation – both aesthetically and thematically – than just about any other, and one which continues to be reinvented time and time again. With that in mind, we recently put a request out to our readers (via Facebook) to name what they believe to be the greatest sci-fi film of all time, and it's safe to say we were inundated with enthusiastic responses. The post has over 1400 comments and has yielded a huge variety of different films, from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the 21st century. After sifting through those comments, we've put together a list of the films that received the most mentions, in order to determine the definitive greatest sci-fi film of all time according to Radio Times readers. You can find that list below, counting down to the overall winner and including our official reviews for each entry. Although films from various eras were mentioned – the entries in the top 14 below span 1956 to 2014 – it's interesting that no films from the last decade, such as Denis Villeneuve's hugely acclaimed Dune adaptations, made the list. Perhaps they've just not had quite enough time to enter the all-time canon just yet, but who knows – maybe the list would look very different on a few years time. In fact, there are all sorts of intriguing looking sci-fi films set for release this year, including the third instalment in Villeneuve's series, a new UFO flick from the legendary Steven Spielberg, and the Ryan Gosling-starring Project Hail Mary – which has been getting a fair bit of early buzz. Perhaps any of those could feature in future countdowns. But for now, read on to find the best 14 sci-fi films ever made according to our readers. 14. The Fifth Element French writer/director Luc Besson's wacky 1997 sci-fi The …

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Steal's Sophie Turner reveals *that* twist made her want to sign onto the show
type: item
date: 2026-01-22T16:32:50.000Z
creator: Abby Robinson
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
description: Spoilers inbound.
encoded: Major Steal spoilers ahead. For much of Steal's opening episode, friends Zara and Luke are having the mother of all bad days. The pair, played by Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones, Joan) and Archie Madekwe (Saltburn, Gran Turismo), are going about their business at the pension fund investment company where they work when they're caught up in a heist. Armed robbers enter the building and force them, at gunpoint, to carry out a transaction that siphons off billions of pounds of ordinary people's pensions. They don't just have a front-row seat to what's happening at Lochmill Capital – they also push the big red button, so to speak. But all is not as it seems. In the final moments of episode 1, when Zara slips away to the toilet after giving her statement to DCI Rhys (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) – we assume so she can catch her breath – she overhears two employees speculating about whether it could have been an inside job. It's in that moment – an exhausted smile creeping across Zara's face – that we realise she was in on the whole thing. "That's what made me sign on to the show," Turner told RadioTimes.com. "Reading that first script and then seeing the end, I just thought, oh, wow, this is going to be hard to pin down, and this is going to be a really fun character to play. "And then episode 2 comes around and then you realise this guy [gestures to Madekwe] was in on it too. And I just loved it. I found it totally fascinating and exciting to have everybody in this show be morally grey. You're constantly guessing who's done what, and who's up to what. And who can we trust and who can't we trust?" That also extends to DCI Rhys, who is a relapsed gambling addict and running in dodgy circles himself, which adds an extra layer of jeopardy to the storyline. "It just keeps you on your toes at all times," added Turner. But Zara's relief is short-lived... "There's a certain thing rehearsed or spoken about, how maybe this would go, if and when it happens," said Madekwe. "But then all of …

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Éanna Hardwicke explains how playing Roy Keane was more about capturing an "attitude" than impression
type: item
date: 2026-01-22T14:23:16.000Z
creator: Patrick Cremona
subject: Movies
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Video
description: The star of The Sixth Commandment takes on the role of the legendary Irish midfielder in new film Saipan.
encoded: There haven't been many footballers in the past few decades with a larger, stronger presence than Roy Keane. The legendary Manchester United and Republic of Ireland star – who is of course now an opinionated Sky Sports pundit – was something of a major force, known for his deeply competitive spirit and occasionally hot-headed temperament, both on and off the pitch. Both of those qualities are very much on display in new film Saipan, which dramatises Keane's infamous bust-up with Ireland manager Mick McCarthy in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup, a spat which ultimately saw the iconic midfielder miss out on what was his only opportunity to play at football's most prestigious tournament. The film sees The Sixth Commandment star Éanna Hardwicke take on the role of Keane alongside Steve Coogan – no stranger to playing real people – as McCarthy. And speaking to RadioTimes.com for an exclusive interview ahead of the film's release, Hardwicke explained how he approached the challenge of playing such a well-known figure. "I think we were really on the same page with this, and I've loved and admired so many of Steve's real character portrayals," he revealed, adding that deciding how to approach a real life character tended to depend on the particular film or TV project in question. "The extent to which the physical accuracy, the vocal accuracy, is important, and then the extent to which you're just trying to capture the essence or soul of someone in your own way," he explained. "For me, it was probably the latter in this. We're telling a story about an event rather than a biopic. So for me, it was always about capturing a spirit, an attitude." He explained that there were certain projects – such as Coogan's portrayal of Jimmy Savile in 2023 BBC series The Reckoning – where "pinpoint accuracy" and "precision" are more important, but that in Saipan he felt "freed from the biopic-ness." View oEmbed on the source website With Keane having been a public figure now for almost three…

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