I'm Mark Gatiss and these are the ingredients of A Ghost Story for Christmas
Writing for Radio Times, Gatiss previews this year's festive chiller The Room in the Tower.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What are the ingredients of A Ghost Story for Christmas? For me, it’s a combination: finding an appropriate and contained story with a richness, a patina of antiquity, that makes it feel Christmassy. It’s a pleasing terror, not upsettingly ghastly or gory, but one that still produces the right kind of shiver. Above all else, it has to be scary with a slow accumulation of dread. This year, we start during the Blitz. Roger Winstanley – played by Tobias Menzies – is taking shelter from the bombs in a Tube station, and falls into a conversation with a Wren, played by Nancy Carroll. He tells her about a dream he’s had since childhood, in which he arrives at a big, stately home where a schoolfriend, Jack Stone, introduces him to his terrifying mother. She’s played by the incomparable Joanna Lumley, who was just fantastic. What a trouper. The recurring dream always culminates with Mrs Stone intoning, “Jack will show you your room. I have given you the room in the tower.” And when Roger goes up to the room, he knows there’s something dreadful there, waiting for him. But one day, the dream comes true… Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 I’ve always wanted to adapt an EF Benson story. He’s most famous for Mapp and Lucia, but in his day, he was known for his ghost stories – or “spook stories”, as he called them. And The Room in the Tower is one of his best. I’ve always liked it. I remember it’s one that, early in my life, really scared me. It still does. The story is a strange combination of things. I have a feeling it might be based on a real experience of Benson’s. It has a whiff of that – perhaps it might have been his own recurring dream. We all know what that kind of nightmare is like and the story has a very convincing air of that. There’s also something awfully terrifying about that line: “Jack will show you your room. I have given you the room in the tower.” It’s like a sentence of death... The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Mark Gatiss's A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower airs on BBC Two and iPlayer on Christmas Eve at 10pm. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Julia Donaldson reveals poignant reason she loves The Scarecrows' Wedding – and why she'll be thinking about her late husband while watching
Writing for Radio Times, the author shares how the story reminds her of her own big day…
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Malcolm and I were married in Hampstead, London, in September 1972. As the reception was only a short distance from the church, I thought it would be nice to have a procession with the bride and groom in a horse-drawn carriage and the guests following behind. But where to find the horse and carriage? Someone suggested a funeral director, so I phoned one but was told that it would cost £300. I then hit on the idea of a rag-and-bone man. Somehow, I managed to track down the one whose horse and cart had been used in the sitcom Steptoe and Son. “I’ll do it,” he said, “but it’ll cost you a fiver.” I booked him on the spot. On the day, it all worked out perfectly. The cart was decked out with flowers and also contained the rag-and-bone man’s daughter, which hadn’t been part of the plan but didn’t really matter. Malcolm and I sat in front beside him and learnt a lot about the rising cost of hay. The reception was at a lovely old house called Burgh House. I knew it quite well because my father was involved with the Hampstead Music Club, which often held their concerts there, and he’d even done a lot of research into Mr Burgh and subsequent residents of the house. We didn’t have a sit-down meal – just canapés and wine – but the main event was a short operetta, which I’d written. There were songs for ourselves, plus the bridesmaids, the matron of honour (my sister), the ushers and the best man, Colin Sell. Colin, who had been Malcolm’s roommate at Bristol University, is now best known for being the pianist on Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. He played the piano for all the songs and gave a brilliant performance of the one I’d written for him. This was a Noël Coward-style patter number, with lots of lines ending in a rhyme for “best man”, including, “I can do it so much better than the rest can,” “The biggest brain, the thickest skin, the widest chest span,” and (my favourite), “My ability to suck an egg impressed Gran.” Perhaps it’s because I have such happy memories of that day that The Scarecrows’ Wedding is my favourite of all the books I’ve created with the illustrator Axel Scheffler. View oEmbed on the source website Although the two scarecrows, Harry O’Hay and Betty O’Barley, don’t travel on a rag-and-bone cart or write an operetta, there is an ingenious self-made side to their wedding: the dress is made out of goose feathers and woven by a spider friend, the rings are from a farmhouse curtain and the bells are cowbells. I also identify with Harry and Betty’s romance, because Malcolm and I acted them on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe, which was a bit like getting married all over again. Sadly, Malcolm won’t be able to watch the Magic Light animation of The Scarecrows’ Wedding as he died last year, just before what would have been our 52nd anniversary. But I shall be watching it with six of our nine grandchildren, who I’m sure will be remembering their wonderful grandpa. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Scarecrows' Wedding will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 3:10pm on Christmas Day. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
12 underrated TV gems from 2025 – from The Assembly to Worlds Apart
The best of the small screen over the past 12 months that you might have missed.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. As well as this year’s biggest TV juggernauts – Adolescence (Netflix), The White Lotus (Sky Atlantic), The Celebrity Traitors (iPlayer) et al – we have been spoilt with some relatively undiscovered gems. Here’s my Deserving Dozen… 1. Confessions of a Brain Surgeon - iPlayer Pioneering neurosurgeon Henry Marsh quotes French doctor René Leriche, who wrote, “Every surgeon carries within himself a small cemetery… a place of bitterness and regret.” Now retired, Marsh’s regrets are both professional and personal, humble and honest. 2. Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action - Netflix How did the former Mayor of Cincinnati create a TV phenomenon that pitched itself as a champion of free speech yet stood accused of ruining US culture? Comparing himself to Oprah Winfrey, Springer said, “She does a talk show, I do a circus. Just no lions.” 3. Worlds Apart - Channel 4 Six young Brits each team up with a pensioner to travel across Japan, solve puzzles and try to win a £50,000 prize. They trade energy and wisdom in a reality show not about age, but compassion and comradeship. 4. Last One Laughing - Amazon Prime Video Ten comedians try to make each other laugh, while not smiling themselves. More proof that there’s nothing funnier than watching someone trying to keep a straight face. 5. Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius - iPlayer A fascinating two-part documentary follows Austen’s own personal rebellion: only by rejecting an offer of marriage without love and putting herself in financial peril could she dodge a woman of her time’s lot and instead become its greatest-ever chronicler. 6. Once Upon a Time in Space - iPlayer The awe-inspiring triumphs and devastating tragedies of the two-decade space race, as remembered by those involved. Among them is Anna Fisher, the first mother in space, who told RT, “I didn’t want to be a female astronaut, just an astronaut.” 7. Live Aid at 40 - iPlayer <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/07/525554-77f2861.jpg" width="3980" height="2638" alt="A black and white still of George Michael, Harvey Goldsmith, Bono, Paul McCartney, Freddy Mercury, Andrew Ridgley, Helena Springs, David Bowie, Bob Geldof, Adam Ant and Stuart Adamson, which is shown in Live Aid at 40: When Rock n Roll Took on the World" title="525554,TITLE:Live Aid at 40: When Rock n Roll Took on the World" /> The day Bob Geldof stopped the world with music. Brian May told RT, “It was one of the few moments in anyone’s life that you know you’re doing something for all the right reasons.” Worth watching for the Radio Ga Ga clap-along alone. 8. Richard Burton: Wild Genius - iPlayer A sympathetic portrait of a star caught between worlds – stage versus screen, devoted first wife Sybil versus passionate lover Elizabeth Taylor, Wales versus the universe… Was Burton a wasted, tormented talent, or did he pack three lifetimes into one? You decide. 9. The Assembly - ITVX David Tennant and Gary Lineker are among stars interviewed by young people with autism, other forms of neurodivergence and learning disabilities. These inquisitors succeed in disarming their subjects, resulting in strikingly warm and honest telly – especially when it’s Danny Dyer in the hot seat. 10. Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future - iPlayer A self-professed geek who has been blind since his mid-20s, comedian and Strictly winner McCausland is the perfect person to discover what Silicon Valley can offer by way of access-enabling technology – what he calls “building a bridge between blind people and the rest of the world”. 11. Ride or Die - iPlayer This documentary explores the role that Christian faith plays for bikers in the notoriously dangerous sport of road racing, many of whom tuck holy medals inside their racing leathers. It’s a window into a world of people living on the edge and at peace with the ever-present risk of falling off it. 12. Noel’s Kiwi Adventure - ITVX View Green Video on the source website With this half-jokey, half-serious series on his attempt to create a rural idyll in New Zealand, Edmonds is often effortlessly Alan Partridge: one minute you want to cheer and the next watch through your fingers. You’d need a heart of granite not to wish him well, and for his tirelessness alone he earns his place at the top of my TV Christmas tree. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dame Mary Berry reveals her dos and don'ts for the perfect Christmas dinner
We asked Mary Berry how she spends Christmas and she shared her favourite festive traditions, family moments and turkey tips.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. How will you be spending Christmas Day this year? At my son Tom’s, with his wife Sarah and their family. I bring the turkey – I have it ready by 11am and then I wrap it in foil, old clean towels and a sleeping bag without a zip, and put it in the boot of the car for the drive to my son’s house. It stays piping hot and the meat is rested, even after four or five hours, because of the bulk of the thing. Sarah’s mother will bake the Christmas cake and her father will do a topical quiz with pictures, all about what has happened during the year. After the King’s Christmas message at 3pm we will all go for a walk, with torches for the way back because it will be dark by then. What do you remember about Christmas as a child? Stockings – they were full of lots of little things, like playing cards, pencils and notebooks and a tangerine in the toe. Each gift was wrapped up by our mother, as a surprise. I received the present I treasured most when I was about eight. Our house was very cold and I always wanted a pair of gloves with a fur trim. I was so excited to get them. Do you have any dos and don’ts for Christmas dinner? I always use fresh herbs for the stuffing. I don’t like packet stuffing because the dry herbs are too strong. I make an open dish of apricots and chestnuts for vegetarians, it’s delicious. To give Christmas cake a difference from the pudding, I make it on the lighter side and fill it with apricots soaked in brandy. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/A-Mary-Berry-Christmas-bd65af9.jpg" width="1802" height="1202" alt="TX DATE:17-11-2025,TX WEEK:46,EMBARGOED UNTIL:01-12-2025 00:01,DESCRIPTION:with her Fillet of Beef,COPYRIGHT:Banijay UK,CREDIT LINE:BBC/Sidney Street Productions for Darlow Smithson Productions/Banijay UK/Richard Hill" title="546588,TITLE:A Mary Berry Christmas" /> Do you approve of culinary shortcuts? Oh, yes. People don’t always grate their own cheese, do they? They might buy a packet of ready-grated mature cheddar, which is fine. Early on in my television career [in the 1970s], most women were not working. They were at home, looking after their children. Nowadays most work and still enjoy cooking, but don’t have much time. So, shortcuts are very handy. You have some celebrities helping you in the kitchen this Christmas? Yes, athlete Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Alison Steadman and Zoe Ball. We explore festive dishes and traditions. With Zoe, I chose a lovely 20ft-high tree from the Windsor Estate to go outside St Paul’s Cathedral. An honour! Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 You’ve celebrated a milestone birthday this year, turning 90. What are the best aspects of getting older? You have more time to think. You can go at a slightly slower pace and people don’t mind. You can do the things you had no time to do in the past, like learning croquet or visiting a local museum. I have time to take my grandchildren to a pantomime or the Christmas markets – things I wouldn’t have had time to do before. What are your resolutions for the coming year? This year, I have a resolution to go through all my Christmas cards and if a friend has put in a special message, I’ll give them a call. What makes this time of year magical for you? Having the whole family together. Everyone is here, and we are complete. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. A Mary Berry Christmas is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How The Marvellous Miniature Workshop spent a combined 200 hours on making this Radio Times feature
Hannah Lemon and Abi Trotman reveal the painstaking skill and creativity behind their enchanting Christmas miniature snowscape.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Making miniatures is no small task. Hannah Lemon and Abi Trotman, who star in The Marvellous Miniature Workshop (iPlayer) spent a combined 200 hours creating the Christmas snowscape for Radio Times' Christmas double issue (on sale now). Trotman, from south Wales, specialises in 1/12th scale miniatures for doll’s houses and dioramas and started making miniatures with her gran for her doll’s house when she was 11. Lemon, who’s from Japan and now based in the UK, started making tiny houseplants in lockdown on a break from work. Both have now made it their full-time career. Using toolkits containing tweezers, brushes, paints and glues – not to mention a steady hand – Lemon explains that RT’s snowy scene (all compiled and photographed by her in her living room) is Styrofoam, so it’s light and easy to stick items into and to carve with a blade. Then she used frost and snow effect spray and placed fake snow powder on top. The tree is made out of tinsel wrapped together to create different-sized branches. The snowmen and their miniature carrot noses are made from clay, with black glass “caviar beads” for eyes – but what about their knitted hats? “I used my old socks, but I promise I washed them!” Lemon laughs. Lemon’s biggest challenge was the reindeer – “I wanted to make something realistic, so I needed to study their anatomy.” She started with wire to create a skeleton, then wrapped masking tape around it to mimic tissue, and applied modelling paste to create the body shape. Once that was dry, she coated it with acrylic paint and applied fake fur. “Working on the face is always challenging in miniature. I wanted him to look straight at the camera, happy and proud, like he owns the place.” Trotman’s gingerbread house, meanwhile, proved to be a real construction project. “Measurements and getting the angles of the roof right took a lot of time,” she says. “You want things to look in proportion, so it’s important to scale everything down properly.” She was inspired by a gingerbread house in an old American cooking magazine from the 70s. “It was really kitsch and I fell in love with it. I used a laser cutter to cut precise, sharp lines from a material called PolyBak, then dry-fitted those pieces. I then coated the PolyBak I used for the walls with a stone clay to make it look like a gingerbread texture.” Polyfilla mixed with acrylic paint made the “perfect” icing and all the polymer clay sweets and candy canes were handmade, baked and then glazed. “There’s a lot of yourself that you put into it,” Trotman says. “Seeing someone’s heart and love in a piece will always resonate more with people.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Marvellous Miniature Workshop is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How 2025's Radio Times Christmas issue cover – featuring Aardman favourites – came to life
Two iconic animated pals reunite on the Radio Times Christmas cover, as Nick Park brings festive clay magic to life.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. This year, RT's Christmas cover stars are two award-winning film and TV favourites. But unusually in the cut-throat world of showbiz, they are also old pals going back 30 years. In fact, the cover, conceived and designed by Nick Park, celebrates Shaun’s screen debut in A Close Shave. Back then, Shaun walked into Wallace and Gromit’s home and ate everything in sight. Now he has a taste for Radio Times… hopefully, without swallowing any crucial TV listings! It’s a busy time for Aardman Animations. There’s a Christmas Day episode of Shaun the Sheep on BBC One called Fleece Navidad, and in 2026, to mark the studio’s 50th anniversary, a big Aardman exhibition at London’s Young V&A, plus a film outing for Shaun, The Beast of Mossy Bottom. So, what better time for a reunion? While the beloved pair say "cheese" for their cover shoot – remaining characteristically silent, yet with a mischievous glint in their eye – RT sits down with Park at Aardman’s Bristol HQ to discuss making Christmas out of clay... A grand cover It’s a pleasure to be asked to design another cover. We’ve had a few: my downstairs bathroom is full of framed ones. I leapt at the opportunity and it was a privilege to get involved. Radio Times has been an iconic magazine since way before I was born, and you can’t have Christmas without it, so I just couldn’t resist having my characters on the cover. My aim was to make it as Christmassy as possible and evoke feelings of warmth. View oEmbed on the source website Cracking ideas I think through sketching – more so than through writing. I like to draw on paper, but I have an iPad Pro, which I love. I probably spend three days to a week doodling different ideas. That’s where a lot of film ideas come from. Wallace and Gromit are my favourite characters to sketch. I draw them in my sleep. They’re just very natural now – I’ve been doing them for so many years. Season's bleatings I played around with this idea of Gromit opening a mystery gift, and then out pops Shaun the Sheep, like "I’m back," doing something silly and surprising Gromit, like playing the trumpet or maracas. Another idea, which I thought was very warm and quaint, had Shaun and Gromit sitting on the sofa drinking hot chocolate with their slippers in the foreground. Then I sketched out Shaun chewing the edge of the Radio Times. I didn’t think that would be liked, because it was destroying the cover, but that was the favourite. Inventing new jokes Little gags and Easter eggs appear in all the films, and it’s no different with Radio Times. We want them to come through, so when the magazine is lying on the coffee table, there’s always things in there to look at and notice. There’s a portrait of Wallace on the wall, but the frame is obviously one he’s made, because he’s compensated for his ears so the frame goes around them. I thought that was a nice little touch. Part of the festive furniture I start to riff on things, like what’s on the mantelpiece; what’s on the tree; what would look good on Gromit and Shaun’s mugs. We thought it’d be good to see Feathers McGraw as a ballerina in a tutu on the top of the tree, but there wasn’t room to put that in. We also had him as a ballerina in the snow globe. Then, him as a snowman in a snow globe, with a carrot for a nose. They write themselves How would Gromit react to Shaun reappearing? Well, they’re good mates, it’s a reunion. I think there would be a bit of reticence on Gromit’s behalf, a Gromit eyeroll, like, "Oh no, he’s back" – that agent of chaos in the house. He’s got enough with Wallace. All Gromit wants is a quiet life, but he loves Shaun really. There’s a little bit of antagonism between them, but it’s friendly. It’s great to have characters that kind of write themselves. You can put them in any situation, and they’ll find their own comedy. Retro versus modern Gromit and Shaun started off together, but since Shaun got his own series, we’ve sort of separated the worlds, because they’re slightly different, with different rules. With Wallace and Gromit, everything’s a bit retro. They rarely have a TV on, until Vengeance Most Fowl. They don’t have mobile phones and they don’t really have computers, but if they do, they’re like antiques. Shaun the Sheep is more flexible in terms of the modern world. There’s social media and you can dial for pizza! I don’t think we’d merge the two worlds in a story, but we had the Farmer from Shaun the Sheep in Vengeance Most Fowl. In the first Shaun the Sheep Movie, we talked about whether Wallace and Gromit should go through the background at one point on the motorbike. I think we’d only ever do it if it’s unexpected and a joke guest appearance. Styling the stars It would be quite expensive to make the puppets from scratch, so this Gromit on the cover has been in Vengeance Most Fowl in this same dressing gown, and this Shaun has been in the series. A sitting-down Gromit is differentto a standing or walking-on-all-fours Gromit. The model-makers made Shaun a brand-new jumper similar to his original one, but with a Christmassy pattern, so he looks super cute. Animated animals It takes the best part of three weeks to get everything together – the set, the decorations, the props, with about a dozen people working on the Christmas cover. I find it harder to pull together a photo than an animation, because a photo has one moment that has to say everything. We’re doing about 10 seconds of animation to go with the cover. On a feature film, the animators usually get through about two to three seconds a day. Wallace and Gromit are my children, so I’m very fussy about who animates them. For this, I particularly wanted one of my favourite animators and long-term colleagues, Jay Grace. He’s one of the best, very sensitive and really knows what he’s doing. It’s not just about moving your puppet. It’s about making the audience believe that it’s a living, breathing character. Feat of clay When Toy Story came out [in 1995], we thought, "How long have we got?" But we’ve managed to survive CGI. In fact, there’s been a resurgence of interest over the years in our stop motion animation. We use CGI as well, but AI is a whole new thing. Obviously a lot of people will be fearing for their jobs. We want to embrace the technology and find in what ways it’s going to be useful to us, maybe to do animation a bit quicker, but we’re going to be very cautious not to lose our values. The clay is our USP and we pride ourselves in that. Authenticity is the most important thing. It’s where the charm is. The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Navidad airs on Christmas Day at 4:35pm on BBC One. Add Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Navidad to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Repair Shop star reveals what happened when Helen Mirren stepped into the show for a heartwarming reason
Dame Helen Mirren’s treasured cello, damaged during the Kindertransport, is lovingly restored by The Repair Shop's Becky Houghton.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Dame Helen Mirren is a huge fan of The Repair Shop. “It’s heart-warming and brings such positivity in what sometimes is a very negative world,” she says before arriving at the barn with a cello that had belonged to her late friend, the theatre impresario Martin Landau. It was broken by Nazi guards when he fled to Britain, aged 14, on the Kindertransport. Even though its neck had been snapped in two, Landau looked after the cello before gifting it to Denville Hall, a care home Dame Helen supports, for those who worked in the entertainment industries. Luthier Becky Houghton explains how she got the instrument singing again. How was the cello when you received it? My heart sank. It’s a beautiful piece of wood, made in the early 1800s, but it had no neck and everything was coming apart. It was paint- and plaster-splattered, dry and brittle. I opened up the front and there were cracks everywhere, and everything needed glueing. The button connecting the neck to the back had snapped off. It was a scary repair. Did you feel emotional repairing it? Wood is such a tactile material, it seems to soak up things. I could feel that it needed some TLC to bring it back again. It’s the hardest repair I’ve done. I ate, slept, lived, breathed the cello, staying up until 2am. There was no way I wasn’t going to fix it. What was Dame Helen’s reaction when she came to collect it? She was amazed at how beautiful the barn looks and she greeted this cello like it was an old friend. It was so emotional. It was lovely to surprise her by having cellist Raphael Wallfisch come to the barn to play it. How did it feel to hear it played? I was nervous, but it just sang. You don’t know if you’ve done the job right until the instrument is played — and I can’t play cello. If I hadn’t repaired every crack properly, it would have buzzed. I looked at it not only with a sense of relief, but absolute achievement — and joy. Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Repair Shop at Christmas will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Boxing Day at 7:30pm. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Loved Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery? 6 locked-room mysteries to enjoy next
A list of the essential locked-room mysteries every crime fan should know.
With Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery now streaming on Netflix, here's a list of some of the seminal locked-room mysteries from literature. Some of the titles may even be familiar to viewers of the new movie, with a certain reading list playing a key part in Benoit Blanc's investigations... 1. The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr A key influence on Wake Up Dead Man came from this 1935 novel by American author John Dickson Carr. Today, it’s renowned for both the ingenuity of its central locked-room mystery – whereby a murderous visitor seemingly disappears into thin air – and a fourth-wall-stretching speech by sleuth Dr Gideon Fell, who lays out the various methods often used by writers to explain such “impossible crimes”. Can I watch it? Unlike others on the list below, there are no major adaptations of this work outside of a few radio dramas – perhaps re-creating Carr’s solution is an impossible task in and of itself. 2. The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes and Watson tackle a fiendish criminal in this eerie 1892 short story, about a young woman who dies alone in her locked room a few days after hearing a low whistle. Soon, her surviving sister hears the same noise and understandably believes her time is up. But what could a house full of animals, an unconnected bell cord and a saucer of milk have to do with either murder attempt? Can I watch it? The Speckled Band features as an episode of the classic adaptation Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes, and is available to stream on ITVX. View Green Video on the source website 3. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie The Queen of Crime didn’t often go in for “classic” locked-room murder mysteries of the sort laid out by Dickson Carr. Still, this influential 1926 novel does provide what could be considered the Christie take on the idea, when the titular wealthy landowner apparently perishes just moments after being left alone in his study. Can I watch it? The obligatory ITV adaptation starring David Suchet’s Poirot perhaps doesn’t quite do the story justice, due to a missing key ingredient from the written version – but for a better onscreen locked-room Poirot, try Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, broadcast in 1994. Both are episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, available on ITVX. 4 Have His Carcase by Dorothy L Sayers Dorothy L Sayers’ 1932 work stars her regular sleuths Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, the latter of whom stumbles on a body while out hiking. With the victim found dead on a sandy beach with no footsteps nearby, his blood still warm, it appears a clear suicide – but there’s more to this crime than meets the eye. Can I watch it? The 1980s TV adaptation of this mystery – a three-part episode of the A Dorothy L Sayers Mystery series starring Harriet Walter and Edward Petherbridge – is available now on YouTube. A 1981 radio adaptation starring Ian Carmichael and Maria Aitken also returned to BBC Radio 4 (and BBC Sounds) this month. 5. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe Poe’s short story was published in 1841 and has been described as the “first modern detective story”. Certainly, it’s one of the earliest locked-room mysteries, exploring a baffling double murder in a fourth-floor room that was locked from the inside. The only clues as to how a mother and daughter were brutally killed are a bloody razor, some tufts of grey hair and two bags of gold coins... Can I watch it? Several adaptations of the story have been attempted. A 1971 version by director Gordon Hessler – which takes a number of liberties with the story – is available on Amazon Prime Video, where you can also rent a 1932 adaptation starring Bela Lugosi. Most recently, a very loose version of the story was included in episode three of Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher. 6. The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux The prototypical locked-room/impossible crime story comes from French author Leroux, published in his 1908 novel (serialised a year earlier). Providing the reader with precise diagrams and floorplans, Leroux invites us to also try and solve the mystery of how a criminal disappeared from a sealed yellow room — and how he then repeated the trick twice more. Can I watch it? Despite adaptations in 1913, 1919, 1930, 1947, 1949, 1965 and 2003, it’s hard to track down a version of it. However, a BBC radio adaptation is available online for free on the Internet Archive, and the story also inspired an episode of Jonathan Creek in 2014 — The Letters of Septimus Noone (available on iPlayer). Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is available now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Wake Up Dead Man cast reveal their favourite detectives and whether they’d make good murderers
Daniel Craig and the Wake Up Dead Man cast talk perfect murders, imperfect detectives and everything in between.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “I am hoping to get out of Narnia in time for Christmas,” says Daniel Craig. We’re supposed to be talking about the former James Bond star’s performance as Benoit Blanc, the mannered, sometimes manic, private detective from the Deep South of the US in Rian Johnson’s Netflix Knives Out mysteries. The new film, Wake Up Dead Man, is set in and around a neo-Gothic church in upstate New York where Benoit enlists the help of Josh O’Connor’s Catholic priest Father Jud Duplenticy to solve “a classic impossible crime”. But Craig’s mind is already a movie ahead of me. He’s presently filming The Magician’s Nephew, Greta Gerwig’s take on CS Lewis’s Narnia novel, in which he plays the eponymous magician, Uncle Andrew. It’s a role as un-Bond-like, in its way, as the unhinged gay author he played in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer last year (based on William Burroughs). Or, for that matter, Blanc, the driving intellectual and dramatic force of Johnson’s three Knives Out films. “I suppose I started freeing myself up from any convention,” says the 57-year-old Craig. “I’m not saying no to things that I might have been a little bit wary about before. When the Bond thing was going on in my life, the juxtaposition between that and another role would sometimes feel self-conscious. I’m working harder than I ever have, but I’m also just enjoying it more than I ever have. I get to do really interesting, different stuff.” No Time to Die was in 2021. That’s four years away from Bond now; has it made him happy? “I love my job but does it make me happy? Not always,” he muses. “It’s very complicated. It’s an incredibly tough job. It’s kept me away from my family over the years, and that has its downsides.” View Green Video on the source website Craig is married to the actor Rachel Weisz. They have a daughter, Grace, born in 2018 (Craig has another daughter, 33-year-old actor Ella Loudon, from his previous marriage to actor Fiona Loudon) and homes in north London and New York. Craig likes nothing better, he says, than “watching Strictly with the kids – it’s a joy” and, if he is out of Narnia in time, will be celebrating Christmas with them. “Not in a religious way,” he says, “but celebrating the fact that it’s a family get-together. Much in a way like the Americans have Thanksgiving, Christmas is an English kind of thanksgiving. And saying thanks for having family is really what it’s about.” Ironically, after escaping a character that defined him in the public eye over five films and 15 years, starting with Casino Royale in 2006, Craig is now the centre of another franchise, Knives Out, playing a character who walks the narrow line between convincing characterisation and camp. “But that’s the fun bit, isn’t it?’ he says. “Walking the line.” Three films in, Benoit Blanc feels like he has a lot of mileage left… perhaps more than the five films Craig made as Bond? “As soon as we’re on the red carpet, Rian and I get asked, ‘Are you going to make another one?’ And we both go, ‘Hang on a second! Let’s get this one out first.’ But, of course, I would love to continue working with him. As long as Rian keeps inventing it the way he does, then I’m in.” Not that playing Benoit Blanc is easy. “I still have to work hard at this,” he says. “He’s not uncomplicated to play. I don’t turn up on day one and go, ‘I know how to do this.’ That would be just terrible. I work on it and work on it.” With that level of commitment, does Craig feel he’s now getting the hang of investigating? For example, if I were to be clubbed to death or poisoned, could he work out whodunnit? “No! It’s like asking me, ‘Do you think playing James Bond made you better at being a spy?’ ” Craig exclaims. “It’s not going to happen; I wouldn’t be very good in that situation. You need a brain. “I suppose what I like about Benoit is that he’s not aggressive, his way of doing things is to try and disarm people. He often pays compliments, and I think that’s an interesting way of getting what you want in life. You know, he’s a charmer.” His co-star O’Connor told RT that, because he’d been brought up thinking of Craig as Bond, he was surprised to encounter an actor whose “sweetness, insecurity, and funniness were such a pleasure to work with”. Does Craig recognise himself in that description? “Well, all actors are insecure,” he says. “We may appear to be confident, but we’re just ducks; looking good on top but the legs are going crazy underneath. I’m making it up as I go along.” Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 Andrew Scott plays Lee Ross Could you get away with the perfect murder? ANDREW: I don’t think I would be very good at murder – I suppose I’m the type, but I just don’t like blood. I have many faults, but I think I’m going to get away in this life with not murdering anybody. That’s the way it’s looking, anyway. Do you have a favourite detective… Sherlock Holmes, perhaps? ANDREW: Actually, it’s Hercule Poirot. One of the films that had a real influence on me was Evil under the Sun with Peter Ustinov as Poirot, made in the 1980s. I remember watching him, Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith and thinking, “Wow!” I’d never seen a film like that. Glenn Close plays Martha Delacroix Do you have a favourite detective? GLENN: I loved Agatha Christie’s books and I was in Christie’s Crooked House in 2017. It had never been filmed because it has a very strange, disturbing ending. I also loved Prime Suspect. Helen Mirren was so good in that. Do you believe in good and evil? GLENN: Oh, very much so, although I think we’re a complicated species. It’s a pretty deep question. I think there are very few people who are born evil, but there are some. It’s usually a malfunction in our very complex brains, and I think a lot of it is how you’re brought up. Josh O’Connor plays Father Jud Duplenticy Could you imagine yourself planning the perfect murder? JOSH: No. Absolutely not. I’m too anxious. Most of the time, even if I make a plan to go and meet someone for dinner, I have second thoughts. I don’t think I’d ever make it out of the door. What about solving a murder, Josh? JOSH: Again, I’d be useless. Crime-solving requires an incredible level of organisation. You’d have to be very directed in your thoughts. And I’m so doubtful of everything and anything and everyone. My answer to most things is, “I don’t know!” As a detective, you’d have to have a little more conviction. You don’t seem very confident in your abilities… JOSH: I have low self-esteem and a big ego. You put those together and it’s chaotic. But it is perfect for an actor – most of us have low self-esteem. That’s why we need to be told that we’re good. But we also have a big ego and we want to be seen. It’s a strange one. Who was your favourite detective growing up? JOSH: I used to love turning on ITV and watching Midsomer Murders on a Sunday afternoon with my family. We’d all sit there and predict who the murderer was. We loved it. Mila Kunis plays police chief Geraldine Scott Did you grow up watching murder mysteries? MILA: I grew up in Russia, and Sherlock Holmes was definitely around when I was seven or eight. Then, when I moved to the States, I loved murder mysteries. Clue is one of my favourite movies of all time. Would you make a good murderer? MILA: I couldn’t do it. I’m not a very aggressive person and I don’t think I’m very calculated. I’d also need to be so much more organised… Actually, hold on, that’s not true. If my life or my family’s lives were at stake, I’d have no problem doing something extreme – and a woman who’s juggling a job and a family and kids can do a lot of things. Of course, you’re on the other side of the fence in the movie — would you make a good investigator in real life? MILA: I’d make a great investigator. I have no problems asking questions and I’m also pretty observant. However, I’m not good at identifying people – in a line-up I’m not your gal. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is coming to Netflix on 12th December. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Harry Potter TV series star Johnny Flynn on how his new film role compares to playing Lucius Malfoy
The Goodbye June star has a very different role lined up next.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. On the day we meet, Johnny Flynn confesses to feelings of anxiety about the prospect of his family attending the premiere of Goodbye June, in which the 42-year-old turns in a quietly devastating performance as youngest brother Connor, who simply cannot cope with his mother’s terminal illness. As Flynn sees it, “This is somebody who doesn’t have a mask to put on in those situations. His mum is his guiding star, whereas his sisters have their kids and families.” Which brings us back to Flynn’s anxieties about the premiere. In attendance will be his own mother — “and for anyone of that generation, you know this is something that not far away”. This feels like new territory for Flynn, perhaps best known for his roles as Ian Fleming in Operation Mincemeat and Mr Knightley in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, as well as his parallel career as an acclaimed singer/songwriter who’s made six albums. And as he felt his way into the role, he inevitably ended up drawing on memories of the passing of his own father when he was 18. “It totally brought back memories of waiting in hospital corridors and that hushed atmosphere that a family comes to around the death of a loved one. There was also a lot of me in moments when I’m thinking I haven’t got my s**t together. Like many people in my profession, I grapple with imposter syndrome.” And what did starring in a film alongside Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall and Toni Collette do for his imposter syndrome? “Well, it went through the roof, of course,” he says with a sheepish smile. “This is literally a bunch of names who would all be in my top ten favourite actors. But what can you do? You just have to go, ‘If this is it and I mess this up and this is the only chance I get to be with these wonderful people, then so be it.’” All of which couldn’t be more different to the job he’s just finished, playing Lucius Malfoy in the first instalment of the new Harry Potter TV series. “It’s a world away,” he laughs. “With Connor… well, I’m someone who is very familiar with panic attacks and stuff like that. So you’re going from that to Malfoy, trying to sound like the guy with the biggest balls in the room. That’s much more of a stretch for me!” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Goodbye June will be released in select UK cinemas on 12th December and on Netflix on Wednesday 24th December. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who favourite Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe spill on Strictly journey and finale return
From first steps to standing ovations: Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe reflect on dancing, friendship, and their post-Strictly Christmas plans.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. At 62, actor Alex Kingston is only three years younger than the mother of her Strictly Come Dancing partner, 38-year-old professional Johannes Radebe. But in this partnership, she was the one learning from him. Over the past few months, they went from tentative first steps to earning standing ovations. And now, despite their Strictly journey ending, they vow they’ll stay on the dance floor one way or another… Alex, what was it like learning from someone younger? ALEX: Oh my gosh, I can’t imagine anyone else being my dance partner. The problem is, now my Strictly journey has come to an end, I will have to carry on dancing and I don’t know who will ever come close to Johannes. JOHANNES: Oh my goodness, we’ll have to book some lessons. I’ve always said that partnerships are special because they grow, and that I always teach like a marriage – even though I have never been married. ALEX: And I’ve been married three times! Did you have a mentor or someone you looked up to earlier in your careers? JOHANNES: As a boy, there was an Australian dancer I watched from a distance from my township in South Africa. His name is Jason Gilkison. I modelled my career on his, and now I am in the same room as him – he’s the creative director of Strictly Come Dancing. It’s an honour to work with him. Nowadays, I go back home to South Africa and run workshops teaching kids to dance. That’s my way of giving back. ALEX: My English teacher saw that I wasn’t academic in the sciences, but she made sure I had an opportunity to begin acting, devising plays where I was the lead. Her name was Margaret Kirk. She’s no longer with us, but I’m forever thankful to her. Are you looking forward to the final, where every Strictly couple returns for a reunion? ALEX: Oh yes, one hundred per cent. Looking at the opening credits of Strictly, seeing all the contestants, you realise how few are left. The first week does seem a long time ago now. It will be really lovely to see all those smiling faces again. JOHANNES: Strictly plus Christmas feels like a warm hug. It’s so dark outside, it’s cold… I know that people are thankful it’s on telly. And finally, what are your post-Strictly Christmas plans? ALEX: We celebrate two Christmasses – the German Christmas on the 24th and the English Christmas on the 25th. I also participate in our village pub panto. This year, it’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. They asked me to be the mirror on the wall, so that if I was still busy with Strictly, I could just record a voiceover! JOHANNES:After two years of not being home for Christmas, I’m jumping on a flight. It’s summer back home. Normally there’s a big barbecue – the whole family’s in the yard, playing music and dancing. Sounds like heaven to me. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer. Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Archers stars David and William Troughton talk being father and son in iconic radio soap and in real-life
David and William Troughton on life as father and son – on The Archers and at home.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. David Troughton and his real-life son William have played father and son Tony and Tom in The Archers since 2014. They are the son and grandson of the second Doctor Who, Patrick Troughton. As father and son, is it easier to play that relationship? DAVID: At the beginning it felt odd, because Tom and Tony don’t get on! Tony is still hankering after his dead son, John. Tom’s never lived up to John. WILLIAM: Tom’s constantly chasing his father’s praise, wanting him to be proud of him... DAVID: And that is so unlike our real relationship. WILLIAM: It really is. It’s great that I get to spend this time with my dad. And because it’s outside the rest of the family, it’s special. Does that make other family members feel a bit jealous? DAVID: They’re probably thankful not to be part of Tony and Tom! WILLIAM: There’s no competition. My brother Sam is also an actor and the other one, Jim, is a cricketer. DAVID: That’s performing, too. It has to be in the genes. Have any of your storylines made you gasp? DAVID: Not yet… But remember your audition, Will? You came to see me [as Tony] in hospital when I seemed to be dying because I’d been hit by the bull. After the audition, Sean O’Connor, the editor, rang me up and said, “David, how would you feel if a member of your family joined The Archers?” WILLIAM: Growing up watching him onstage, there were quite a few of those moments. I remember watching you get poisoned and die in one production… DAVID: And before that, in 1989 when I played Bottom at the RSC, I stabbed myself fairly dramatically, and all I could hear from the front row was, “Bye bye, Mr Dad.” Isn’t that sweet? WILLIAM: Growing up watching you die – not the most usual of childhoods. David, have you ever given William any acting advice? DAVID: When we started, I gave him a bit of advice about the microphone. On stage you look at each other but in radio you use it as the person. Although I’m always being told [does huge voice], “YOU’RE TOO LOUD.” Stage actors like me, we’re constantly trying to hit the back of the stalls. I like being BIG, you see. WILLIAM: I’m constantly being told to quiet down, too. Any dream storylines? WILLIAM: I want us to fall out. Furiously. Big argument. Conflict! DAVID: Yes, nobody wants to listen to us being happy. We need crises! What would you give each other for Christmas, in character? WILLIAM: Tony likes his train set, so something for that. DAVID: Something for his tractor. WILLIAM: Tom’s constantly searching for acceptance, so maybe just a “Well done, son” would do. How about in real life? DAVID: We do a Secret Santa, because it got too expensive. WILLIAM: I’d give you a gadget, you like those. DAVID: I gave you a drone last year – you’ve not used it once! WILLIAM: Still a sore point, is it? DAVID: It is! The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. You can listen to The Archers on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Lord Alan Sugar dishes on Celebrity Apprentice and why he allowed Thomas Skinner to return for it
From Lapland tasks to childhood chestnuts, Lord Sugar reveals what makes a very Apprentice-style Christmas.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Merry Christmas, Sugar Claus! If you were Father Christmas, which public figures would you put on your naughty list? I would have to say no comment on this whatsoever, my friend. As you will know, the BBC has guidelines. I have to keep my big mouth shut and not make personal or political comments like that. In that case, can we assume the contestants in your Celebrity Apprentice Christmas specials went straight on the nice list? Nah! That’s the excitement of it. Most of the time, they’re schmoozed by everybody, told how marvellous they are. Then they get a gig where I’m telling them what a load of rubbish they are. They’re masochists, really. Still, it’s worth remembering they don’t get paid anything at all. They do it for charity and that is very, very commendable. What will you be making the brave contestants do in the two festive episodes? They’re going up to Lapland and meeting Father Christmas. There was snow and ice, as you can imagine, reindeers and sledges. The contestants were split into two teams and each team had to create a special Christmas biscuit. Then they came back to London and presented their biscuits to big supermarkets and the best biscuit won. The interesting thing is, for the first time ever, the products created in the programme are actually going on sale in the supermarkets. All the money is going to Children in Need. Does the show create its own celebrities now? Did you decide whether Thomas Skinner could come back as a “celebrity”? I’m not sure over the 20 years how many people who have appeared on my show have actually made a name for themselves. I can think of maybe three: Saira Khan did quite well, then Katie Hopkins, who everybody loves to hate, and Thomas Skinner, who ended up on Strictly. But I don’t have any input. I’m presented with these celebrities; the BBC seek these people out and find them. And it’s not easy, because you can imagine that some of them are working and can’t take four or five days off. I can dream and say, “Oh, I’d love Madonna, I’d love Adele, I’d love the ginger bloke with a guitar...” What’s his name? Ed Sheeran. So, it’s not a matter of you ringing up the Beeb and going, “Get me Piers Morgan”? Well, funny you should say that. He was in the very first Celebrity Apprentice and I fired him. I keep reminding Piers that I gave him his TV debut, but he says, “I was on TV before that.” But you know what an arrogant bloke he is. He’d never admit it. Did you enjoy Christmas when you were growing up in Hackney in the 1950s? Our family weren’t very religious Jews, so we semi-celebrated Christmas, but more the happy side of things. We put Christmas decorations up and all that stuff. As a kid, I’d look forward to getting a Christmas present. I remember when I was 10 or 11 getting a pair of metal roller skates with rubber wheels on them that you adjusted with a little spanner. Mum and Dad saved up and bought them for me and my sisters and brother. As I grew older, I didn’t dish out Christmas presents to people. We used to give the staff financial bonuses and things like that, not physical things. Where will you be spending Christmas this year? I’ve had Christmas away from England the last 40 years. I spend five to six months of the year in America, so I’ll be here in Florida. My family also have homes here, so we’ll all be together. The grandkids as well, though they’re not kids any more. We’ll have a big traditional at-home British Christmas lunch with turkey and things like that. Won’t you miss cold, rainy old Hackney? No. Will you be having any special Christmas treats? My wife went to the supermarket today and bought my favourite thing – chestnuts. It’s the time for them, isn’t it, Christmas? I remember the vendors on Oxford Street when I was a boy, those black ovens with coal underneath and the chestnuts sitting on the top. You’d buy a white paper bag full of them off the bloke for sixpence. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Celebrity Apprentice is coming to BBC One and iPlayer this Christmas. Add The Celebrity Apprentice to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Suchet reveals why Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol remains so prescient – and what he'd say to Agatha Christie
As he voices a new Dickens podcast, David Suchet reflects on timeless storytelling and the hope Christmas brings.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Nothing brings us together like a festive ghost story and, since its publication in 1843, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has never been out of print. It is the seasonal chiller. Sir David Suchet is delighted to be narrating it, alongside some of the author’s lesser-known tales, for a new podcast series. “These aren’t merely creepy stories — they’re ghostly reflections of the human soul.” We know about your devotion to Agatha Christie, but how well do you know Dickens? I don’t claim to be a Dickens expert, but he has always held up for me as the master of the English language. Reading these ghost stories has just been one of the most enjoyable and exciting pieces of audio work I’ve done. I’ve been blown away by how he writes. He’s very theatrical. Why do you think Dickens remains so prescient? I would say the same thing about Shakespeare and, if I’m allowed to, Agatha Christie. They all write about the human condition: love, jealousy, greed, hate, envy, crimes. They talk about poverty and society. They have managed to write about various aspects of our lives as human beings and make them into dramatic tales. That’s why they will never date. Why do you think that we enjoy being scared at Christmas? Well, if you go back to when you were a little child and somebody scared you, what was the first thing you did? You screamed and giggled. We love mystery, we love being scared. I mean, look at Doctor Who! We love to be taken outside of ourselves into realms that we don’t quite understand, and being a little bit frightened can be very enjoyable. Is A Christmas Carol the ultimate seasonal ghost story? A Christmas Carol is a work of genius. It’s just got everything. Not only the most extraordinary characters, but Scrooge himself going through that redemption... It’s what Christmas is all about, which is generosity, kindness, family if you have one, friends if you haven’t. Being social, being warm to each other. Ultimately, that’s the world that Ebenezer Scrooge enters and enjoys for the rest of his life. It’s a wonderful story. Would you like to meet Agatha Christie as your ghost of Christmas past? Agatha Christie has been very important in my life, because I never met her and I’ve always wanted to. At the same time, I’ve always wanted not to meet her because she was famously not pleased with any of her Poirots. I’ve often been asked what I would say to her if I met her. I might ask, “How do you think I did?” But I’m not sure whether I’d have the courage. What is a Suchet Christmas like? Our Christmasses have changed over the years. But our great tradition is that I always read the poem The Night before Christmas to the family. When I was filming once in America, I recorded it for my family in England. Wherever I am, down the phone, on Zoom or in person, if it’s possible, I will still do The Night before Christmas. I think I did it from Australia once. Our world today can be a little unkind – does Christmas shine a light of hope? Yes, I think that’s right. When the lights are put up at Christmas, you’re not aware of this heavy, heavy winter blackness. You can walk through London into the early hours and it’s gloriously lit up. I think it makes people feel good. I always feel more nervous when everything comes to an end, when everything is taken down, and people feel lonely again and bereft of this spirit of Christmas. It’s a time to share with family or friends, wherever you are. That’s what Christmas is about. Charles Dickens' Ghost Stories narrated by Sir David Suchet is released weekly on all streaming platforms and Noiser. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Audio coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Kate Winslet reveals why her film Goodbye June is so personal for her "brilliant, clever" screenwriting son
How Kate Winslet turned her son’s script into a moving family drama – and found a new creative calling.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “I promise you, I didn’t plan it this way,” exclaims Kate Winslet, and for a second, her slightly brisk response leads me to wonder if she has taken umbrage at my suggestion that, as Christmas approaches, she seems to have achieved full omnipresence. As we speak, a TikTok trend to land her the coveted Christmas number one spot is well under way, thanks to hundreds of clips of millennial Winslet fans miming to What If, the ballad featured on the soundtrack of her 2001 animated film Christmas Carol: the Movie. Another milestone from her past that looms large at this time of year is her 2006 romcom The Holiday, whose wholesome succour has turned it into something of a cult classic. Meanwhile, in cinemas from 19 December, you can catch her in the long-awaited third instalment of the Avatar franchise, Fire and Ash. Oh, and if you tune in to Radio 4 as you wrap your presents on 21 December, you can hear her selections on Desert Island Discs. But the reason she’s set aside a chunk of her afternoon to speak with Radio Times is a project that’s clearly closer to her heart. The film Goodbye June marks two significant firsts for Winslet and her family. The script was written by her 22- year-old son Joe Anders. And, as well as producing the film and starring in it, the movie also marks her directorial debut. If you’ve never found yourself blubbing at a film trailer, it might also mark a first for you. The sight of a dying Helen Mirren in a hospital bed, with her screen family – Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn and Toni Collette – all trying to come to terms with their imminent loss should just about do it. Winslet brightens at such an outcome. She’s fine with all of it, of course – even the revival of What If, which her husband, Edward Abel Smith, sometimes plays “for a laugh when we’re on family holidays and I least want him to do it.” She beams. “I’m lucky that I got to be across all of these things.” She insists that directing was never an itch she felt the need to scratch. By 2015, she had already won an Oscar for her role in The Reader as well as sundry Golden Globes and Baftas along the way – but it was on the set of Danny Boyle’s eponymous biopic of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that the notion of directing was seeded in her. In a complex, multi-actor action shot that hit a sudden glitch – even as the cameras had to keep rolling – Winslet was able to see the exact point to which everyone would have to re-set. “I said, ‘Oh actually, if you come back here, we can cut around it.’ I was making sure it was usable. Danny just turned around to me and went, ‘Actors don’t do that,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, well I do!’ Since then film crew members, and some other actors, have also said to me, ‘You know, you should do it.’” So why now? Why this? Winslet, who recently celebrated her 50th birthday, talks about “a story that felt so important and personal to me, that when it was ready to send out to directors, I just couldn’t let it go.” Of course, part of the reason the story felt so personal is that it was literally so close to home. She’s aware of the optics here. Goodbye June – and Anders’s involvement in it – will be scrutinised far more closely as a result of the fact that Winslet is his mother. At the same time, anyone who has found themselves feeling helpless in a hospital waiting room as they prepare to see a loved one, perhaps for the final time, will recognise much in this big-hearted story about a family coming to the realisation that their mother’s final Christmas may have to take place around her hospital bed. Tiny details are painfully well observed – and you can’t help wondering if Flynn’s stunning portrayal of Mirren’s struggling son Connor is perhaps the one that cleaves closest to Anders’s own experience. View Green Video on the source website Speaking about “this brilliant, clever young boy of mine”, Winslet (who has three children – actor Mia Threapleton, Joe, and 12-year-old Bear) talks about his response to the death of his grandmother – Winslet’s mother, Sally – in 2017, when he was still only 13. “It was the most significant thing that’s happened to Joe in his limited years and he remembers how everyone from our big family – nieces, nephews, siblings – came together, and just how almost geographically unusual that was.” Unsure of “where to place himself in the world” as Covid hit during his A-levels, Anders won a place on an intensive screenwriting course at the National Film and Television School as a result of a short film he had submitted. When he showed his mother his screenplay, her first instinct was to reach out to Riseborough, with whom she has been firm friends ever since they first spoke via FaceTime in advance of Riseborough’s involvement in Winslet’s Lee, her biopic of the photographer Lee Miller. Of that first meeting, Riseborough recalls, “It was a moment in my career and my life that was very important.” Speaking on the phone from London en route to a fitting, Riseborough talks about taking receipt of Anders’s screenplay from Winslet: “I read it and I immediately said, ‘Oh my goodness, let’s do this.’” Did it seem surprising to her that someone with relatively little life experience should have delivered such an emotionally intelligent story? “Certainly, in one sense,” she says, “but in another, no. I’ve known Joe for some years, I’ve seen him grow up, and I think he just has a huge amount of humility. He’s very permeable, in the most glorious way.” In Goodbye June, Riseborough’s uptight, unhappy Molly, stuck at home with her kids, envies Julia (Winslet) for somehow managing to juggle her high-powered job with motherhood. The longer Winslet talks about this dynamic as it plays out in the story, the harder it is to tell where Julia ends and Winslet begins: “It doesn’t matter how well-oiled the machine of our life is, there are things I have missed. Not long ago, my youngest son did a piano performance of a song that he had created himself from scratch –and having to watch that over FaceTime from another country, you know, it’s hard. “On social media, we’re constantly seeing people apparently pulling off this impossible balancing act. I wanted to punch through that and to show these two women, whose relationship has been completely misfiring for a bunch of reasons that neither can actually really remember.” For Riseborough, this was where the heart of the film lay. “You have this unbelievably tense relationship between Julia and Molly – and to show that with somebody I love so much was a bit of an honour. Because we tackled it with such care and gentleness and softness in the in-between moments – even though we had to get through some quite volatile and aggressive scenes.” Having worked with so many big-name directors – James Cameron, Woody Allen, Peter Jackson and Anders’s father Sam Mendes, to name a few – it’s perhaps surprising to note that the director Winslet cites as the biggest influence on Goodbye June was Mike Leigh – whom she has “never met or even had a conversation with. “For me there was something about the tone of Goodbye June that landed somewhere in that sweet spot between Secrets and Lies and Four Weddings and a Funeral.” And as with so many of Leigh’s films, Winslet encouraged improvisation – something necessary in a story that involved so many children. Look out, in particular, for the unscripted exchange between Winslet and Flynn, during which her on-screen son – played by five-year-old Benjamin Shortland – lay fast asleep in her arms. One might suppose that after three decades of landing lead roles, Winslet had her plum pick of supporting actors when casting for Goodbye June. In the event, she seems to perceive an unintended insinuation in the idea that she should (as I clumsily phrase it) “call upon” anyone to star alongside her. “You know, it’s not about ‘calling upon’ people, it’s really about establishing a degree of respect… and being in a position to make direct approaches.” Nevertheless, I wonder whether – having initially explained to Winslet that she makes it a rule never to play people who have cancer – Mirren would have been curious enough to take a look at the script if a lesser-known person had sent it to her. Winslet smiles as she recalls the follow-up call from Mirren: “She said, ‘I will break my rule, I do want to support you in doing this.’ When she said yes, I just couldn’t believe it.” Her delight was echoed by Riseborough, who remembers just what a steadying, supportive presence Mirren was, back in 2010, when she took on her first ever lead role in Brighton Rock. “I was very young and she was so encouraging. And she has continued to be incredibly supportive over the years, and is a champion of good writing. She has fantastic taste.” Winslet would rather that Goodbye June be seen as a movie that takes place over Christmas, as opposed to a Christmas movie. The charmed afterlife of The Holiday serves as a reminder that not all Christmas classics assume that status upon their arrival in the world. If that’s how it has to be, says Winslet, then fine – “but we just want people to see it now and watch it when it comes out. When I say ‘we’, I mean me and Joe – we really just hope that people see something of themselves in this story.” Back in Sussex at the Winslet homestead, an altogether more well-established seasonal tale is set to receive its traditional airing. “We always watch The Snowman at some point on Christmas Eve,” she says. As for the responsibility of making Christmas dinner, well, that’s one that she visibly relishes – even down to the lentil and walnut Wellington she makes for her vegan husband. “He can usually get about three days out of it, so he’s always delighted and very covetous.” This is a ritual clearly finessed over several years. “Well, there’s really nothing I don’t love about Christmas. The letters from Santa. The chaos of it and people going crazy. Pulling things out from underneath the tree.” All spoken with the zeal of someone who thrives on being in charge. When it comes to Christmas dinner, the director and star turn get to be one and the same. It’s a role to which Kate Winslet is singularly suited. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Goodbye June will be released in select UK cinemas on 12th December and on Netflix on Wednesday 24th December. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Daniel Craig reveals love of Strictly Come Dancing and why he's hoping to leave Narnia before Christmas
Craig was speaking in the 2025 Christmas issue of Radio Times magazine.
While some Knives Out fans will have seen the latest film in the murder mystery franchise starring Daniel Craig, Wake Up Dead Man will be available for many more to watch when it arrives on Netflix this week. That no doubt means that plenty of viewers will be watching the movie over the Christmas period – but it turns out that Craig himself will be sitting down to watch something else on 25th December. Speaking in a wider conversation for the Christmas issue of Radio Times magazine, which is out now, Craig said he likes nothing better than "watching Strictly [Come Dancing] with the kids – it’s a joy". On celebrating Christmas with his family, Craig clarified that it's "not in a religious way, but celebrating the fact that it’s a family get-together". He continued: "Much in a way like the Americans have Thanksgiving, Christmas is an English kind of thanksgiving. And saying thanks for having family is really what it’s about." Craig is currently filming Greta Gerwig's version of The Magician’s Nephew, the CS Lewis Narnia novel, in which he played the eponymous magician, Uncle Andrew. His Strictly watching and festive celebrations therefore depend on his scheduling for that film, but he said that he is "hoping to get out of Narnia in time for Christmas". On taking on new roles stretching himself far away from James Bond, such as Knives Out's Benoit Blanc or The Magician's Nephew's Andrew, Craig said: "I suppose I started freeing myself up from any convention. I’m not saying no to things that I might have been a little bit wary about before. "When the Bond thing was going on in my life, the juxtaposition between that and another role would sometimes feel self-conscious. I’m working harder than I ever have, but I’m also just enjoying it more than I ever have. I get to do really interesting, different stuff." In Wake Up Dead Man, Benoit Blanc takes on his most dangerous case yet, when investigating the seemingly impossible murder of a priest. The Christmas issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is out now in cinemas. It will arrive on Netflix on 12th December. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Amadeus star Paul Bettany reveals how a fan's selfie intruded on a tragic family moment
Paul Bettany on how he balances Hollywood fame with family fun in Vermont.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Paul Bettany is far from being too cool for Yule. “I love Christmas so much,” he enthuses in advance of the festive celebrations at his home in the USA. “Our Christmas Day is a very English affair with crackers and turkey, and then, when people start showing up after Boxing Day, the party just continues. Last year we had 40 people.” Bettany, co-star of Amadeus, Sky Atlantic’s five-part adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play, lives with his wife, actor Jennifer Connolly, in a timber house in rural Vermont, New England, where “it snows every year”. So, the 54-year-old London-born actor will be having a picturesque Christmas – but also a loud one. “I have a band room with drums and piano and PA system and loads of guitars. Lots of people come up and play. We do a gig on New Year’s Eve.” You might be thinking, rather him than me. But Bettany likes to go at things full throttle, whether that’s entertaining friends at Christmas or in his performance as the scheming court composer Salieri in Amadeus, who dedicates his life to destroying Mozart. It’s one of those roles where Bettany, who has lived in America since 2003, pops back to the UK to remind us just how good he is. He did it before in 2021 when he played the alcoholic Duke of Argyll in the period drama A Very British Scandal. Now he’s facing off with Will Sharpe’s Mozart in 18th-century Vienna; an arrangement Bettany is charmed by. “I have enormous admiration for Will. He’s funny, gentle and kind – an attractive combination and rare. Usually, actors are working out how they can triumph against the opposition rather than how to make each other better.” Bettany is a thoughtful, compelling actor; even as android superhero The Vision in the Marvel universe where, since 2015, he has been wearing a catsuit and firing lasers out of his forehead. He does this so convincingly I ask him to explain what it feels like. “I have no frame of reference for laser beams coming out of my head,” he says, gently reminding me that, thanks to computer graphics, it isn’t really happening. Appearing in films like A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander and The Da Vinci Code means Bettany has been well known in the US for a long time, yet he finds fame hard to talk about. “The things that are great about it outweigh those that are not so great. I do wonder what it’s like for somebody as famous as Brad Pitt. But, for me, without even noticing it, you get a good table in a restaurant and people are nicer to you at airports. So, you tend to meet people on their best behaviour. But, when you meet people on their worst behaviour, it’s sometimes a little alienating.” He has an example. In 2015, he got the news that his father Thane (also an actor) was dying. “I remember getting the call, that I needed to fly over to be with my dad. I was on the phone, trying to process this information and crying, when somebody came up and took a selfie with me. They just hadn’t noticed what was happening and couldn’t see that part of me in that moment. So that bit’s weird, but there are great things as well. The life that it has afforded me, my children and my wife is extraordinary.” View Green Video on the source website Bettany and Connolly have a 12-year-old daughter Agnes and son Stellan, 22, and a son Kai, 27, from Connolly’s earlier relationship with photographer David Dugan. They’ll all be in Vermont, adding to the noise. “There are loads of kids, it gets crazy,” he says of the upcoming shindig. “And it’s a very inebriated affair. Lots of sledding.” Inebriated sledding? There are things that could go wrong with that. “We’re out in the middle of nowhere,” he concedes. “But it’s a lucky house. Nothing bad ever happens.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Amadeus will be available to watch on Sky and NOW in December. Add Amadeus to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock speaks on space travel future and aliens: "I'm not sure about alien abduction"
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock tells us why the future of space exploration matters and how she hopes to inspire the next generation.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock has been blown off course by cancelled trains. She has finally arrived at the Royal Institution in London to rehearse her Christmas Lectures on the furthest reaches of the known cosmos, but the journey was challenging. She laughs at the irony: “I was stranded. I was like, ‘Beam me up, Scotty’, but no one was listening.” The Sky at Night presenter – whose dream of becoming a space scientist took root after watching an episode of Clangers – has slept for just three hours, but she’s fizzing with the energy that both fuels her insomnia and has made her a household name. “I have dyslexia and ADHD, my head is a-buzz with ideas. Sometimes it’s overwhelming,” she explains. She’ll be pouring a slice of those thoughts into her three-lecture series, entitled Is There Life beyond Earth? and showing on BBC Four, covering Nasa’s plan to return humans to the Moon, potential signs of life on exoplanets, whether future human settlements could survive in space and how the James Webb Space Telescope – on which she worked in the design stages – is rewriting the story of the Big Bang. Dame Maggie’s story is compelling – her parents separated when she was four, she was diagnosed with dyslexia at eight and attended 13 different schools. But she made her name in science because, she says, “I was lucky to have a powerful dream.” She also wants to hammer home the message that space is for everyone. “Growing up, I thought space and astronomy were done by white guys in togas. You hear about the Greeks and Romans, you don’t really hear about everybody else. But every culture has looked up at the night sky. It’s the heritage of all of us,” she says. However, our ancestors could never have imagined this current era of billionaire-fuelled galactic adventure, led by the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Sir Richard Branson. While Dame Maggie is optimistic that “more of us will get out there” despite the eye-popping cost of a ticket ($28 million for a maiden flight on Blue Origin’s New Shepherd rocket in 2021, for example), she has concerns. “Space is too important to leave to the vagaries of billionaires,” she says. “There might be life out there. How will we interact with that? The nightmare is that we exploit rather than embrace space. We need to get legislation in place before we spread our wings because, as humans, we have a tendency to make a mess of things.” Is she confident that we will find other lifeforms some day? “I’m pretty convinced there’s life out there. I’m not sure about alien abduction, because space is vast! Even if aliens are there, I think they might find it quite challenging to find us.” As a space educator who’s spoken to some 650,000 people through her talks – “I’m knackered, but it’s a joy” – what’s the one thing she would change about our perception of space? “People say, ‘You spent all this money on space. What’s it for?’ They don’t ask that about art or poetry. I worked on the James Webb telescope, but most of my time is spent on observation satellites that look at our planet and tell us about climate change or help when a disaster hits. They benefit our planet, but people don’t really see that.” She’d also like us to prise ourselves away from our phones and marvel at the sky, just like our ancestors did. “Stuck at the station this morning, people were on their phones. It’s a beautiful day, the sky was blue. I looked up and felt the sun on my skin. Every so often, look up, because it makes your heart sing.” Despite all her achievements – from developing hand-held instruments to detect landmines to becoming the first black woman to win a gold medal in the Physics News Awards – Dame Maggie has one ambition that she is yet to achieve, to actually get to space. “So far, 12 people have walked on the Moon. They’ve all been white, they’ve all been American and they’ve all been male. Now Nasa has said they need to send a woman, they need to send someone who isn’t American and they need to send someone who isn’t white. “I keep saying, ‘Me! Me!’, so we’ll have to see.” Train timetable permitting, expect to see her there. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures: Is There Life Beyond Earth? air Sunday 28th to Tuesday 30th December at 7pm on BBC Four and iPlayer. Check out more of our Audio coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Mishal Husain talks her new chapter, pressing Nigel Farage on Russia and the recent BBC troubles
Leaving the BBC has been a challenge for Mishal Husain, but at least she now gets to express her opinions – and have a Christmas lie-in!
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. After 26 years at the BBC, Mishal Husain left in 2025 to join Bloomberg. It’s been the greatest challenge of her career. “I have had to reinvent myself and that’s scary because you wonder, ‘Am I going to make a success of it?’” Husain presented the Today programme on Radio 4 for her final 11 years at the Beeb and was my favourite presenter on the show. While others tried to shout down interviewees, she researched meticulously, listened intensely, probed forensically and got results. Husain exposed inconsistencies, hypocrisies and plain old lies, fairly and without fanfare. But now she’s swapped short-form interviews for a weekly 40-minute podcast called The Mishal Husain Show, which started in October. Husain insists they’re worlds apart. “I’m discovering that doing one deep, really thoughtful interview a week is completely different and harder than being in daily news and getting up at 3am.” Harder? “It really is. But I’m loving it.” Off air, she still speaks with that limpid, head-girl voice, but her tone is a bit more sing-song; a bit more fun. What scared her most? “Starting from scratch. Starting from zero viewers and listeners.” The change in job has also meant a change in lifestyle. Workwise, Husain and her husband Meekal Hashmi (who have three sons born 18 months apart – the youngest two are twins – at university) are now in sync. “My husband’s finding it quite curious that for the first time in our married life I have normal office hours and we both have to share the bathroom in the morning. Suddenly we have parallel routines, which we’ve never had.” Does he like that? “I think he’s probably… we’re probably, adjusting to it.” Husain is a ridiculously youthful 52, and petite. With the familiar big bob, and a slight, strong frame, she’s got something of the superhero about her. Today, she’s racing up and down the extremely challenging stairs at Bloomberg, introducing me to the top floor with its magnificent view over St Paul’s and central London, down to the enticing (and free) pantry, then to the highly industrious newsroom. In the first few weeks she’s interviewed a mix of world leaders, aspiring world leaders and global influencers, including Canada’s prime minister and former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado, the recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. She says patterns are beginning to emerge in the show, many of them reflecting the increasing schisms in the world. When we meet, Husain has just interviewed newly retired MI6 chief Richard Moore and she’s still thinking about it. “He said that the world today has never been more contested in his 38 years of intelligence. When I left university in the 90s it was before 9/11, and it was a more settled world order. Economically, it was a better time, too. Making sense of that world is one of those things I want to do. Mark Carney was our launch guest and he talked about a rupture. I thought, you’re a G7 leader, and you’re telling us what we’re going through is not just a blip and trade is possibly never going to go back to how it was.” Her fears for a world in crisis are written all over her face. When she interviewed Farage, she grilled him about his and Reform’s relationship with Russia (before the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, was jailed for 10 years for accepting pro-Russian bribes). Farage was so riled he responded, “Listen, love, you’re trying ever so hard.” She let it pass without a flicker. Was she tempted to say something? “No, because we would have stopped talking about Russia and we would have started talking about me and him, and I didn’t want that.” View oEmbed on the source website If that had been pre-recorded for Today, would it have been included in the show? “Probably not. We might have had to cut the interview down to five minutes, and it’s likely it would have been left on the cutting-room floor.” Now she’s left the Beeb she’s free to be more opinionated. But she says she’ll never be an open book. That’s just not her. However, when delivering this year’s prestigious Romanes Lecture she said she is less reluctant these days to talk about being a Muslim or her Anglo-Pakistani background. I ask why? “Because there’s a responsibility that comes with being in the public eye. We’re in a world where prejudice, discrimination and hatred is rising, so I do feel a sense of responsibility. “About eight years ago, there was a young Muslim journalist at the BBC who said to me, ‘I admire that you don’t hide that you’re Muslim’, and I thought how sad that he’s even saying that. That is one of the moments that brought home the sense of responsibility.” She smiles. “And look at my name. How could I hide the fact I’m Muslim?” We’re talking in the week that the BBC’s director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness resigned following an edit of one of Donald Trump’s speeches on the Panorama programme. Was she surprised? “I think what they were dealing with became too intense. I understand why it would have come to that.” Whether they should have had to is a different matter. The BBC has been accused of a left-wing bias, but Husain’s not buying that. “They [Davie and Turness] were dealing with a board that has individuals within it who are not impartial. I was always told as a BBC journalist you leave your opinions at the door. You do expect that from the board as well and I don’t think that happened.” She says being director-general is a tough job and she can’t fathom who’d want it. “It’s a brave person whoever they are.” Has she been in touch with former colleagues to offer support? “Yes. Of course. I’d have to be heartless not to be thinking about what it’s like. I saw quite a few serious issues and scandals play out from the inside, but none of them felt existential in the way this one does. It makes me worried for the future.” On a more positive note, she’s looking forward to Christmas. “I don’t know if this sounds weird coming from a Muslim, but I love the religious side of Christmas. I find Midnight Mass or any kind of carol service deeply moving. The story of the birth of Jesus is beautifully told in the Koran, and I find the Christmas story so moving.” Is she religious? “I would say faith is a part of my life.” This Christmas should be more relaxing than previous years when she has often been working on Boxing Day. What will she be watching? “We’ll pick a few films. I’m a member of Bafta so I always have quite a few films to watch over Christmas.” She stops. “Radio Times will hate that because they’ll be wanting me to watch something actually on TV.” She asks if she can have ans go. OK, I say. “I’ll be going through my Christmas issue of Radio Times to find out what to watch!” – and she dissolves into girlish giggles. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Audio coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Death in Paradise's Don Warrington teases he doesn't know Christmas 2025 special plot as Selwyn future remains unclear
Don Gilet and Don Warrington reveal what fans can expect from Death in Paradise’s festive showdown.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. As we prepare to unwrap the eagerly anticipated festive instalment of Death in Paradise — Don Gilet’s second as DI Mervin Wilson following his debut this time last year — fans will be hoping that, by some Christmas miracle, it’s not the last we’ve seen of Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, played by series stalwart Don Warrington. At the end of the last series, the long-serving commissioner was unceremoniously replaced, in a bid to cut costs, by an arrogant young upstart, causing major upset among Honoré’s police officers and locals, not to mention Death in Paradise viewers. RT brought the two Dons together to mull over their time on screen together and their yuletide plans. What were your first impressions of each other? DON WARRINGTON: Well, I knew him before Death in Paradise. DON GILET: Even though he denies remembering working with me. WARRINGTON: I knew he’d bring this up! GILET: He was the lead in a radio show [Deacon, Radio 4] and I was one of the guests. I was so happy at the Death in Paradise audition to say, “I know you – we’ve worked together.” Don said, “Did we?” and I thought, “OK, this is probably not going to go as well as I hoped!” But working with Don – there’s the writing, but there’s also the why. Why are these people together? How do they relate? We can all learn our lines and be good actors, but he pushes me to deep-dive into my character. The Commissioner was a guiding force for Mervin. Did anyone inspire you to become an actor? WARRINGTON: For me, it was Marlon Brando. As a kid living in Trinidad with my grandmother, there was an Asian family who used to put on movies. One day they put on On the Waterfront and I thought, “That’s what I want to do.” The Christmas episode is a festive tradition. Will you be tuning in? WARRINGTON: [with a smile] I’ll be watching to see what the story is… GILET: It’s the payoff, for me, to go, “This is it. It’s the Christmas special and I’m in it.” Not from a vanity point of view, but just to see if all the things we hoped we were going to hit, hit right. What are your festive plans? GILET: Christmas is busy for me because I’ve got family in the Midlands and I’ve got my girlfriend’s family up north. So, there’s quite a bit of whistlestop travelling. Once I’ve done that, I just want to go back home and get under a duvet with my Baileys. WARRINGTON: My partner makes plans and says, “You’re doing this…” and I go, “OK!” New Year is more important than Christmas in the Caribbean. On New Year’s Eve when I was small, in Newcastle in the 1960s, my family would get out the steel pan and play, marching through the streets, and all these Geordies would join in the dancing. Finally, what gift would you buy each other? GILET: I would buy Don one of those little music boxes where you turn the crank and it plays a tune. WARRINGTON: Four guitar lessons. GILET: I took my guitar over [to Guadeloupe] and he kept saying, “Have you played?” I like the idea of learning, but I didn’t have the time or the energy, so thank you! WARRINGTON: If you can’t do something as well as you’d like, it’s work – but if you can do something as well as you like, it’s pleasure. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Death in Paradise 2025 Christmas special will air on 28th December at 8:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Add Death in Paradise to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Night Manager season 2 writer reveals why new episodes are perfect for this Trump era – and talks plans for a trilogy
Screenwriter David Farr tells us how a vivid dream and a decade of global upheaval brought The Night Manager back to life.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. After its huge success, audiences and producers wanted a second series. But despite The Night Manager winning three Emmys, a pair of Baftas and Golden Globes and selling to 180 countries, it will have been almost a decade since the February 2016 UK premiere that the second series arrives on our screens this winter. The main reason for this is that the initial six episodes – featuring the pursuit of arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) by reluctant hotelier-turned-spy Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) – were based on a novel by John le Carré, and no second book existed. “No one has ever taken le Carré beyond le Carré source material [on screen] before,” says David Farr, screenwriter of both series. “And so there’s a humility. We finished the first one and no one knew it would be such a big success.” Once it was, there were discussions about a sequel, though not involving Farr. “I was engaged in doing a TV version of Hanna, the film I wrote for Joe Wright. So there were chats about a Night Manager 2 and they came to me about it, but I wasn’t available,” Farr says. The 2022 book A Private Spy: the Letters of John le Carré include a letter in December 2018 to the playwright Sir Tom Stoppard reporting that: “The sequel to The Night Manager is suddenly happening… with the old gang minus Tom Hollander, whose part I so carelessly despatched.” Hollander played “Corky”, Roper’s quirkily vicious sidekick. The novelist killing off such a memorable character might be seen as a clue that he envisaged no continuation. But le Carré, who loved the TV version of The Night Manager, may have also become pernickety about television, telling Stoppard that he was “very disappointed” with the BBC’s 2018 adaptation of his novel The Little Drummer Girl. For whatever reason, the Night Manager sequel went to sleep. As, in late 2020, did Farr, waking early from a vivid dream: “I knew that le Carré and his wife, Jane, were ill, so perhaps they had returned to my head. But I had a dream – and for plot-spoiling reasons this is all I can say – but it was set in the past and a black car was driving towards a boy high up in the hills in Latin America. And the boy is thrilled and has expectation in his eyes. “I half woke up and thought: I think I know what that is. I realised what the story could be. I told my partner – so there is a witness! The story came to me in the half-and-half stage between sleeping and waking.” For all Farr knew, though, someone else could have been writing the sequel. But, after the novelist’s death in December 2020, he met, at memorial events, two of the novelist’s sons, Simon and Stephen, who run The Ink Factory, producers of the original series and other le Carré adaptations: “I told Simon about the dream. And he commissioned an episode.” First time round, Farr worked closely with the author, who was generally cooperative. When the screenwriter wrote to le Carré to explain that the latter half of the story required surgery as it wouldn’t work on television, he wrote back confessing, “The second half of the novel didn’t work in the novel.” Farr explains that the second season belongs to “the same universe, and I would argue is a continuation of the same story. What I was afraid of was creating a sort of tangential spin-off.” Without a novel or the novelist for reference, he adds, he found “the long gap had been useful because depth had accrued to characters in that time, particularly Jonathan Pine”. That meant confirming Hiddleston’s availability, on which there was qualified reassurance, says Farr: “All of the anxieties I had about a sequel, he also had, so it was a hand-holding exercise. Tom read each script to check he believed the story.” That story mostly unfolds in South America, with the scripts referencing the huge change in international politics since 2016. When the first series aired, reality TV star Donald Trump was emerging as a surprise frontrunner in the Republican presidential primaries and the Brexit referendum hadn’t happened. So the world has sharply turned? “It’s very different,” Farr agrees. “Even in our setting of South America, Trump has become very engaged with Colombia and Venezuela in the past year. And I would argue that the fundamental philosophical debate in season one – Roper v Pine, libertarian freedom versus a deep sense of duty to a cause – that debate has become a very hot one because at the moment the first side is winning and Trump is the perfect manifestation of it.” When the novel came out in 1994, some queried the sheer amount of global power that Roper had and whether it was plausible for someone to become notorious enough to become known as “the worst man in the world”. Donald Trump, while not sharing Roper’s psychopathic criminality, is quite a Roperesque figure in reach and reputation? “I totally agree with that,” says Farr. “Roper was prophetic in the way you describe. There’s no question we are dealing in a world of what I would call Caesars. Trump, Elon Musk and others are not accountable in the way that leaders have traditionally been. It feels as if the people are accountable to the leaders. “I’m not saying that these are necessarily bad people, but the level of power that some have is extraordinary and we need to have a conversation about it. Because that level of economic power gives them untrammelled political power if they want to wield it.” With the scripts written and Hiddleston and Olivia Colman on board, alongside other original actors and some new recruits, Georgi Banks-Davies was hired to direct. The British film-maker has worked on new TV shows (Kaos; I Hate Suzie) and, like everyone else, she had some sequel fears: “This is the first series two I’ve ever done. You’re inheriting everything that has gone before but also the expectation. “What’s unusual about this series is that there’s such a large gap, nearly 10 years. And the material is new, it’s not from a book. But I felt I had to forget what came before or otherwise you’re chasing down a rabbit hole. If you’re looking to re-create magic, you can’t do it. I rewatched it once and then forgot about it.” With the BBC already committed to a third series, it seems unlikely to be another decade until the next Night Manager. “We have a clear sense of the arc of our show,” confirms Farr. “We’re not into endlessness here. Tom and I see it as a trilogy.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Night Manager, another Ink Factory project and adaptation of le Carré's work, will return for its long-awaited second season on 1st January 2026. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dame Joanna Lumley reveals her vegetarian Christmas plans: "Wouldn't it be lovely if we didn't kill things at Christmas?"
Two decades after Ella Enchanted, Dame Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch reflect on festive traditions, family fun and their on-screen reunion.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch first played mother and daughter in the 2004 film Ella Enchanted. Some 20 years later, Punch plays social climber Amanda with Lumley her scene-stealing mother Felicity, first in Motherland, and now in its spin-off Amandaland. While filming the festive special, the pair reflected on their reunion, Christmases past and present, and what gift they’d buy for each other… Lucy, what were your first impressions of Joanna? LUCY: In Ella Enchanted, we played a ghastly stepmother and stepsister to the heroine, then we were reunited for Motherland, which was lovely, and now this. All this time later, I’m a very different person, but I believe Joanna’s exactly the same: so smart and funny. She charms everyone. When you’re doing comedy, you need lots of good energy, and hers is infectious. Joanna, what have you learnt working with Lucy? JOANNA: I couldn’t admire Lucy more. I remember her playing my daughter, but I’m not sure they [the Motherland producers] even knew that. She’s blossomed in this. A lot of acting by many of us is interchangeable, but some people stand out, and Lucy’s always been slightly different. She brings something extra. What are your fondest memories of Christmas growing up? JOANNA: We were in hot countries so we never saw snow, but Mummy would get balls of cotton wool to put on the windows like snowflakes. We were out in the Malayan Mari when the Disney film of Alice in Wonderland came out. I was given an Alice doll, and it was as beautiful a thing as I’ve ever seen, with yellow hair and a hair band, a blue dress with a little white apron – thrilling. Isn’t it lovely what we remember visually? What gift would you buy each other for Christmas? LUCY: I’d buy something very little, discreet and lovely, maybe a teeny, tiny book. Joanna likes little things. JOANNA: Lucy lives in California and has two boys, so I think I’d get her something that money can’t buy – an experience of some kind… Going down the Thames on a boat with the boys, perhaps. Yes, an adventure! Any special present you’d each like to unwrap? JOANNA: We were filming a dinner scene at this beautiful table yesterday, and the props boy Harry had to light and then put out the candles between every take to preserve their height. And he had a mini flamethrower. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life. That’s going on the list. LUCY: I’m just thinking about the mountain of gifts I’ve got to buy for my children [aged 10 and three]. So I really don’t want anything for myself. Give it forward, I say. That’s very Amanda, isn’t it? What will Christmas look like for you this year? JOANNA: I’m vegetarian so I love all the bits that go around the feast – roast potatoes, brussels sprouts with chestnuts, just not the centrepiece. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we didn’t kill things at Christmas and just for once celebrated birth and life? The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Amandaland is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Add Amandaland to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Legendary photographer Martin Parr looks back on his work and recalls the way we were
Speaking to Gareth McLean in Radio Times magazine back in August 2025, Martin Parr shared his singular vision of Britain.
This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine in August 2025 – just months ahead of Parr’s death on Saturday 6th December 2025. “Yellow card!” Martin Parr admonishes. “You’re intellectualising these things a bit too much for my liking.” I have earned his reproach for suggesting that the razing of the Lido in New Brighton — as featured in The Last Resort, the series of photographs that made his name — could be seen as a metaphor for the hollowing-out of Britain’s working-class communities over the past 40 years. “There’s politics in my images if you want to find it, but I don’t push it down people’s throats,” Parr proclaims. “People should just sit back and enjoy the images, really.” People certainly do enjoy Parr’s photography. As well as chronicling changing life in Britain, Parr’s work has transformed photography itself, with his garish but gritty signature style influencing everything from fashion editorials to war-zone reportage. Why does he take photographs? “It’s just what I do naturally,” he says. “I have a desire to go out and capture these images, and the crazier the scene in front of me, the happier I am.” The subject of a BBC4 documentary and co-author of an upcoming memoir, Utterly Lazy and Inattentive, which looks at his life by reflecting on 150 of his best-known photographs, Parr says that of the hundreds of thousands of photographs he’s taken, not one of them has been perfect — though he’s got close. “You know when you’re out shooting that most pictures you take aren’t going to be perfect or great. But you keep shooting to have that momentum so, as and when, things start to fall into place.” Parr ponders. “It’s just the luck of finding a scene.” Mayor of Todmorden’s Inaugural Banquet, West Yorkshire 1977 “Between 1975 and 1980, I lived in Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire and would attend all the different social events that were going on. This photograph was taken at the inauguration of the mayor of Todmorden, and it’s the best buffet scene I’ve ever managed to shoot. I’ve done buffet scenes many times since, but I’ve never managed to equal it. It’s the guy in the middle squeezing his way through that makes the picture.” Sedlescombe 1995—99 “I started using a macro camera, which I bought in 1995, and that was a real revelation: using the camera to focus on the foreground and letting the background fall out of focus. I started out doing pictures of things like British food, then different days around Europe, and then ended up doing these series of pictures in England. You can see here the flash on the Union Jack and you can see the outline of the woman sitting behind. Those two things combined made the picture really work.” New Brighton 1983—85 “We moved to Wallasey in 1982, and just down the road was New Brighton, a resort that I knew would be very interesting to photograph. And so it was. I got there when it was looking very shabby, lots of litter on the ground, which I liked, and I worked on this project over the next three years. It turned out to be the most successful one I’ve ever done. The flash and the palette of quite bright colours done with a colour negative for quite intense rendition was novel, very different to other colour documentary images.” Skegness 1992 “Whenever there was a dramatic news headline, I used to go out and try to capture people reading newspapers. It’s not something you’d do now, because newspapers have virtually disappeared, especially the red tops. If you went to the seaside today, you probably wouldn’t see anyone reading a paper — maybe a few older people — but everyone else would be looking at their phones. Smartphones affected everything. Cameras are being replaced by smartphones and everyone’s a photographer now. I take proper pictures on my phone because the quality is so good, especially when there’s no light.” New Brighton 1983—85 “This is the burger bar at the New Brighton Lido. Obviously everyone at the front is concentrating on either getting their burger or putting the tomato sauce on it, but as for the others… I’ve been back to New Brighton a few times, but the energy that was there in the 1980s has disappeared because the Lido, which was one of the best and biggest buildings there, has been pulled down. It’s gone — levelled [after a storm in 1990] and nothing was built on the site for years.” Sand Bay 1997 “You couldn’t get a better cup of tea if you went to a studio and set it all up. I got this at one of our favourite cafés in Weston-super-Mare, Monks's Rest, where they also did great scones. It’s closed down now. The teacup and the saucer are perfect, the colour of the tea is pretty good, and the tablecloth with the gingham is also good: this cup of tea is the classic cliché. Therefore it gets used quite a lot, on things like T-shirts, and imitated. I encourage pastiche of my work. I take milk in my tea. Just milk.” If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Kiefer Sutherland offers fresh 24 update as producer completes pitch for revival
"Hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later!”
Kiefer Sutherland has provided a big update on the revival of Fox’s hit real-time thriller 24. A new 24 project was recently confirmed to be in development by showrunner Howard Gordon, following teases by Sutherland about a new script that could bring back Jack Bauer and revive the franchise. Speaking exclusively to Radio Times Magazine in a new interview, Sutherland revealed that Gordon has completed an outline for the potential revival. Asked whether he ever reminisces about his character Jack Bauer and considers ‘what if?’, Sutherland said: “I’ve had conversations with [series producer] Howard Gordon.” He added: “He’s come up with an outline, which I think is an exciting step forward. We’ll see what happens. But I’m very open to it. And hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later!” 24 premiered in 2001 and ran for nine seasons as well as a two-hour movie, becoming hugely successful with viewers. The show followed counter-terrorist federal agent Jack Bauer as he raced to defend the United States from various threats. The feature that set the series apart from other thrillers was its use of real time, with each episode covering an hour in a day in the life of Bauer. "It’s absolutely in process, there’s something we are developing," Gordon told Deadline of the revival last month, although he noted that Disney, which now owns the rights to 24 following its acquisition of 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television), has not yet committed to the project. He continued: "I have such a nostalgia for that show, and I think Kiefer does too. One thing we couldn't figure out for a long time was a direction that ever held water, that sustained itself. This feels like it could be, but it’s not formal, it’s not done." He added that he had reservations about reviving the franchise. "What I really don't want to happen is that it's not good because I don't think that's fair to the show. It's not fair to the fans, not fair to, frankly, to myself,” he said. "So it has to be something that you connect to, or at least you tell yourself you're connected to. It may not turn out very well, but you have to at least believe that it's something.” The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. 24 is available to stream on Disney+. You can sign up to Disney+ for £4.99 a month or £89.90 a year now. Add 24 to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dame Judi Dench opens up on her declining eyesight, family history, and having a temper: "Oh yes, I’m sometimes very cross"
At 91, acting legend Judi Dench speaks candidly about sight loss, memory worries, her inherited temper, and the comfort of Shakespeare.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The snow is falling sluggishly, barely settling, as we drive down ever-more-winding country lanes and draw up to Dame Judi Dench’s fairy-tale cottage, with its heavy wooden door. It emerges beyond a barn and outbuildings, a lake, swimming pool and six acres of her beloved woodland in which, each time a dear friend dies (and there are a lot of them by now), a tree is planted with their name attached: recent additions being Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg. The grounds are tended by a friendly young man (the son of one of the longstanding group of women who help the actor), dressed in tweeds, a bounding dog at his side. Dench would doubtless demur at "grounds" – being the least given to airs and graces of any interviewee of her stature. Last time we met, in 2017, she told me how much she loathes being called an "icon" and actively despises "national treasure", relishing Tracey Ullman’s hilarious portrayal of her (available to watch on YouTube) as a swearing, boozing, shoplifting, dog-poo-throwing tearaway hiding behind her revered status. Outside is perishing, but inside all is warmth and good cheer. Indeed, it feels Christmassy, down to the glass of champagne from which Dench takes the occasional sip. Age has not withered her. Jude – as she is known to her friends – is so warm and fun (God, is she fun! And so game!), as well as funny, making spontaneous quips that reveal a still-lively mind even if she worries about losing her marbles. But on 9 December she turns 91 and the passing of time has had an impact. Her bright blue eyes, which can turn to steel when playing a part like M in the Bond films, no longer see. Her sight has been declining for some years, due to age-related macular degeneration. When I ask whether she can see my face – we are seated very close to one another, she at the head of her kitchen table – peering intently, she says, "You’re in a fog." She suffers from both eyes being "wet", the worst condition, and so there’s nothing to be done. "It’s a crusher," she says, her voice low. It was a blow to her independence when she could no longer drive, and then having to give up embroidering (swear words on dainty cushions; the soft furnishing equivalent of the Ullman skits), reading and watching television. Is there anything she particularly misses? "Well, I miss seeing Clive Myrie doing Mastermind, but I can hear the questions." So you still have the TV on, but just for listening? "Yes, that’s what it is now." She gets her temper, she says – wait, what? Dame Judi Dench has a temper? "Oh yes, I’m sometimes very cross" – from her red-haired Irish mother. (Her doctor father, Reginald Arthur, was English but grew up in Dublin, where he met Eleanor Olive Jones, who became his wife.) Dench breaks into a strong Irish accent as she recalls one of her mother’s "fiery" outbursts: "Daddy had bought her an Electrolux to replace her old Hoover. It arrived and she was standing at the top of the stairs – we had a long, long, long staircase going down to our front door – and she shouted, ‘Will ya give me back me old Hoover!’, and then she threw the Electrolux down the stairs! She had a furious temper." In her documentary, Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me, which we are here to discuss, every so often she says she hopes she’s not going to lose the plot. Does she worry a lot about that? "Oh yes, and I do now." She feels lucky to still be able to remember great reams of Shakespeare, which she has been performing her whole life; even as a child it was the practice of her family to learn his words. "But I can’t remember what I’m doing tomorrow, I swear to you – just ask them," she points to the assistants who are lined up at the other end of the kitchen so as not to disturb us, but on hand to help if need be, which does occur. "It can be true, yes," they say as one, like a Greek chorus. The documentary has been made at the behest of director Harvey Lilley who – among other projects – helmed her episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in 2021, when her Danish connection first came to light and took her into the orbit of Shakespeare, who is her hero for life. In that programme, it transpired that Dench’s ten-times-great-aunt was a lady-in-waiting in the Danish king’s court at Kronborg Castle in Denmark, which inspired Elsinore, Shakespeare’s setting for Hamlet. But it was her eight- times-great-grandfather, Anders Bille – who came to England as part of the royal entourage in 1606 – on whom the new documentary turns, with its key question: could Dench’s ancestor have actually met, or at the very least brushed shoulders with, William Shakespeare on that visit, given the playwright himself was an important member of the court of James I? If at times the thread of the conceit seems in danger of snapping in its tenuousness, the great charm of its protagonist – her lovely face as the words she has said since she was a young girl flow unbidden from her, in this or that grand historic hall – prevails and you’re left feeling terribly moved, grateful, even. It’s the long decades of familiarity with the words, elucidating as they do all there is to know about the human condition, that bind her to her childhood, her family, her whole big career and the love of her life, Michael Williams, her late husband – and father of her daughter Finty (born Tara Cressida), also an actor – who died of lung cancer at 65, in 2001. Judi and Michael met in the 60s, when they were both with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and married in 1971. There are paintings and photographs of him in prominent positions in every room. He is staring at me now from the counter on the other side of the kitchen – a particularly golden, luminous blown-up photograph of him looking lovingly at the camera, which makes your heart skip a beat. I ask whether it’s at times like Christmas that she particularly misses Michael. "No," she says. "All the time." If you met Shakespeare now, what would you ask him? "Are you writing another play? Is there a part for me in it? Some old bird sitting in the corner with a nice speech at some point, not too much. And could she drop off during the play?" Dench has been a Quaker since boarding as a teenager at The Mount, a Quaker independent secondary school in York. After attending the meetings, she discovered that they were meaningful for her and has remained a Quaker ever since. Is her faith a source of strength and consolation? "Certainly." But friendship is more than important to her: "It’s absolutely vital. That’s what the Quakers are called – the Society of Friends." One such dear pal is Pierce Brosnan, about whom a story comes up on the back of me asking if she has an interest in who the new Bond might be (answer: not really). Her old 007 mucker came for lunch and she’d completely forgotten the doormat because it’s been there for so long: "The door was open, he looked down and there on the mat are the words, ‘I’ve been waiting for you, Mr Bond’." Was he tickled? "Oh, yes." Forgiveness is a central tenet of the Quaker belief system – that everyone, regardless of the crime, deserves a second chance, and that through compassion and empathy a person can change and is worthy of care, regardless of the outcome. I start to recite some lines that come into my head: "Love is not love…" and she joins in – "Which alters when it alteration finds / Or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever-fixed mark." Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey were very good friends to her – the latter was a great comfort when her husband died, the former made her career in Hollywood. She was quick to condemn the predatory sexual behaviour of the producer when it first came out. I wonder how she feels now. Can she forgive both men? What sort of accommodation do you make when a friend has erred so egregiously? Is every good deed or accomplishment erased for ever? Can they be more than the worst thing they have ever done, even if it was persistent behaviour? Will there be a Weinstein tree in her woods when he dies? At this point, the Greek chorus has broken into a Mexican wave of alarm, but I press on because she has spoken about this to Radio Times before and time has elapsed – perhaps her views have changed? She says: "Kevin has been exonerated and I hear from Kevin, we text. I saw a bit of film of Harvey walking with two sticks and you think, 'Well…' 'I knew Harvey and I knew him well and worked with him, and I had none of that experience – very fortunately for me,' she says, with empathy for his victims. 'I imagine he's done his time…' she pauses. 'I don't know, to me it's personal – forgiveness. I just think…' her voice trails away and we leave it at that. The subject is clearly painful to her, so to lighten the tone I ask whether she has a celebrity crush. "Oh God! Well, I can't see anybody, can I?" OK, so in the past? "I don't know!" The Greek chorus coughs off-stage and looks over to something clearly significant on the wall. "Oh," Dench clocks. "Are we talking about… Yes, I expect we are… Johnny Depp?" Why? "WHY? Pull yourself together!" She points to the wall. "Up there is a framed earring that he bit off my ear in Pirates of the Caribbean." He bit off your ear? "Well, of course, he had to. I had to sit in a carriage in Greenwich and they said, 'Johnny Depp will jump in through the window, give you a kiss and jump out.' He jumped in, but he didn't give me a kiss, he went for my ear and took my earring off with his teeth. And I said [disappointed voice], 'Is that it?' and that is actually kept in." So, was that a bit of a moment for you? "Well, of course Johnny Depp, he's…" she fans herself. She’s looking forward to Christmas with her family – her daughter, Finty, her grandson Sammy and his girlfriend, Lizzie. They don’t watch TV except for the King’s speech. "If you are lucky enough to be together with the family, round the table, then that’s what I like best. A group of people talking, exchanging things and delighting in each other. There’s nothing better than that." We talk about her rapping with Lethal Bizzle, dancing in lockdown with her grandson on TikTok, the tattoo she got at 80 on the inside of her wrist – carpe diem (which looks so cool with her silver rings on every finger). The same legend is framed on a wall, alongside another one: "I love you to the moon and back," a saying her family have for one another. Oh, to be in her presence is such a tonic. She is so very present that it has the effect of making you feel more vividly alive. But does she fear death? "Oh, yeah!" she says almost enthusiastically, which makes us both laugh. "But he’s not coming in here now, is he?!" "Aye, but to die, and go we know not where," I start, and she joins in and then we are reciting together the great speech from Measure for Measure: "To lie in cold obstruction and to rot / This sensible warm motion to become / A kneaded clod…" Stop it, Judi! Is there any Shakespeare you don’t know? "It’s only because I’ve done the play twice." But they’re not even your lines! "He wrote about everything that we might fear or look forward to, or delight in, or love. You feel it. He wrote it." The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Shakespeare, My Family & Me will be available to watch on Channel 4. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Kiefer Sutherland talks wrestling with Danny Dyer and recalls Christmases with his late father Donald
Sutherland on bruising new thriller Father Joe, facing off against Al Pacino – and swapping gunfights for panto with Danny Dyer.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. It's croissant o'clock in Paris. Kiefer Sutherland is up early, 24 hours away from the start of filming on a job that lets him do one of the things he does best: kick some butt. Father Joe is a "full-on, really violent, aggressive movie" written by Luc Besson. Sutherland plays the titular priest who wages holy - and actual - war against a ruthless mob boss, played by Al Pacino. It's set in 1990s Manhattan, but the French capital and Bulgaria are standing in for New York. Yes, admits this action star who turns 59 four days before Christmas, the script calls for physical exertion "that's going to be a real challenge" - even if you spent a decade taking down terrorists against a merciless clock in nine series of 24. "But you get a little bit of a moment where you go: 'Oh my God, I'm so fortunate!'" Although he quickly adds, "Then, before you know it, you're getting your ass kicked in the middle of a scene. And you sprain an ankle, or you pop a wrist or a rib, and still have to go to work." Luckily, his "heavy-duty prep" for Father Joe's physical exertions had something of a warm-up nine months ago, on the forecourt of a garage in Yorkshire. There he found himself wrestling on the ground with Danny Dyer. The pair were filming a frankly pathetic fight scene for Sky's all-star Christmas comedy film Tinsel Town, in which Sutherland plays an arrogant Hollywood star called Bradley Mac who inadvertently finds himself starring in a British pantomime, with Dyer as the lairy ex-husband of his love interest, Rebel Wilson, the choreographer. "I'm a huge fan of Danny's, and he's a fantastic actor," says the gracious Sutherland, before pointing out the larky, meta aspect of Tinsel Town's script. "I did Jack Bauer, who was considered a tough character. And Danny Dyer's played a number of tough characters. So, to be two guys at a filling station who fight - but then quickly realise neither can fight very well - was a little wink to our past as actors. And also, unbelievably funny. It's one of my favourite fight sequences I've ever done!" He may still have a career that lands him leading roles alongside Pacino, but could Sutherland relate to the idea of an ageing Hollywood star being forced to accept the role of Buttons in a panto in the north of England? "I think there has to be resonance for any film you're doing. And I have been spared the humiliation of Bradley Mac! Having said that, there have certainly been highs and lows in my career. But what resonated with me more was the estrangement he had from his daughter," says the actor, who is father to 37-year-old Veep star Sarah Sutherland with his first wife. Meanwhile, in the film, his character has a London-based daughter with his ex, played by Alice Eve. "Bradley has to fight really hard to get her back. Because that's what matters to him in the end." Speaking of family: Sutherland and his twin sister Rachel were born in London to Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas, Canadian actors who were working here at the time. They divorced when Sutherland was three. Last Christmas was the first he had without his father, who died, aged 88, in June 2024. "You know, it's..." he begins quietly, then stops. "So many of my memories are from visiting him and his wife Francine for Christmas. Because I grew up in a household that was divided. So, I thought about him a lot. I have three brothers from my dad and Francine, and we visited and just remembered the enjoyable times that we've had together." Eleven years since 24's final, London-set series, does he ever still reminisce about Jack Bauer and consider "What if?". "I've had conversations with [series producer] Howard Gordon," says Sutherland. "He's come up with an outline, which I think is an exciting step forward. We'll see what happens. But I'm very open to it. And hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later!" Given how much Sutherland enjoyed his time in the world of pantomime and Tinsel Town, how about this for an outline: Jack Bauer and the Beanstalk? "Ha ha!" he laughs. "Well, you can submit that as a story idea for a reboot of 24, and I'll let you know how it goes!" Read more: Sky confirms Christmas 2025 TV schedule – from Tinsel Town to Rob & Romesh Vs The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Tinsel Town is available now via Sky Cinema. Add Tinsel Town to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Call the Midwife star reveals she wants a damehood as cast tease much-anticipated 2025 Christmas special
As Call the Midwife returns for Christmas, Judy Parfitt and Helen George talk friendship, fame and festive traditions after more than a decade at Nonnatus House.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Judy Parfitt, 90, plays Sister Monica Joan, the Keats-quoting grande dame of Nonnatus House. Devoted to her calling, she has an abiding love of cake and an interest in astrology. Helen George, 41, plays Trixie Aylward, the troubled party girl – but formidable midwife – who married a baronet. The pair have worked together since the drama began in 2012. Helen, when did you first meet Judy? Helen: At the first-ever read-through, and she looked every bit the star she is: sparkling blue eyes, fiery red curls, beautiful cashmere and pearls complementing her porcelain skin. I introduced myself – nervously – and she was delightful. I was terrified initially because she has such a strong presence, but she quickly took me under her wing. She’s been a wonderful friend and confidante over the years, be it in work or in my private life. I love her dearly. Working with Judy and Jenny Agutter and watching the way they conduct themselves on set – how fun they are and how naughty they can be, but how professional and how dedicated they are to their craft – has been an exemplary education. Judy, were you aware you were such an inspiration? Judy: Monica Joan is such a wonderful character and I’ve been having so much fun; I didn’t think I was teaching anyone anything. I was educated in a convent, you see, and I always wanted to play a nun. Helen: What I admire most about Judy is that she gets the work done, but with such innate talent. She doesn’t suffer fools – she’s very direct, unapologetically, and I really appreciate that, especially as a woman. I used to always apologise for myself. Now I think, ‘I’ll be a bit more Judy!’ I just say it. Without a sorry at the end. She gets away with so much because of that sparkle in her eyes! She’s an icon. Do you feel iconic, Judy? Judy: Well, I haven’t got anything after my name to say that I am! Would you like something? Judy: I’d like to be Dame Judy, for my family and for me. So many actors ask me why I’m not and I don’t know. But I’ve never been asked and I’m not sure if it’s because of something I haven’t done or because of something I have! How will you celebrate Christmas? Judy: I like to have Christmas Day by myself. My family go away and I have nice food that I’ve prepared because I cook every day. And I watch Call the Midwife. Monica Joan isn’t usually involved in all the storylines so when it comes on at Christmas, it’s brand new to me. And because we filmed it in April, I’ve forgotten the bits I did. It’s wonderful, like seeing a programme I know nothing about! Helen: I have just moved into the perfect house for Christmas Day – when I saw it I knew exactly where the tree was going to go! I’ve always had such fond memories of Christmas and I want my kids to have them, too. Read more: Call the Midwife stars tease epic Christmas special with unexpected 'stunt': "It felt like Mission: Impossible" Call the Midwife creator and cast reveal show was hit by typhoon while filming in Hong Kong The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Call the Midwife's two festive specials will air at 8:15pm on Christmas Day and 8:30pm on Boxing Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Add Call the Midwife to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Meet the man who inspired Ralph Fiennes’s Conclave character - and learn the true secrets of selecting a Pope
As the world watched the Vatican chimney, Cardinal Vincent Nichols was sealed inside – and now he tells the story of electing Pope Leo XIV.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. For a man who helped inspire Ralph Fiennes's masterful performance in the Oscar-winning movie Conclave, Cardinal Vincent Nichols is remarkably relaxed about watching himself on screen. "I haven't seen the film yet," says the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, to give the spiritual leader of the four million Catholics in England and Wales his full title, as he welcomes me into his study, an enclave of tranquillity tucked behind the neo- Byzantine grandeur of Westminster Cathedral. "But we did have a long chat before he played the part. He came here and we talked for three hours. Then I said, 'Do you want to try on the kit?' I went to get it and he got dressed, looked in the mirror and said, 'OK, I feel all right now.' It's amazing being able to switch character like that. He's a remarkable man." Nichols also hasn't asked to see a preview of the BBC Two documentary Secrets of the Conclave, in which he plays a leading role recounting what happened behind closed doors during the real conclave that took place in Rome to choose a successor to Pope Francis. For Nichols, it was the highlight of his life in the Church. A tall, softly spoken 80-year-old, born and brought up in Crosby and still carrying enough of a Merseyside accent to make sense of the framed Liverpool FC shirt hanging above his study door, Nichols radiates the same quiet charisma in person that he does on television. He may not have seen Hollywood's take on Robert Harris's 2016 novel about the power plays, political wrangling and court intrigue surrounding the election of a fictional pope, but why would he need to, having been part of the centuries-old process that elected Pope Leo XIV? For two days in May, with millions around the world watching the Vatican chimney on news networks and YouTube, it was one of the biggest live television events of the year. Not that Nichols knew that at the time. Because, along with the other 132 cardinals who took part in the papal conclave, he was locked away in the Vatican – "clave" being Latin for "key" – living under a communications blackout imposed by the Church. "When we moved into the Santa Marta [the Vatican guest house next to Saint Peter's Basilica], I was given a more thorough search than at any airport security I have been through," he says. "My phone was put into a sealed bag. I had a Kindle reader that I use to say prayers, but that had to go. I have hearing aids with a charger and they tested those, but they eventually allowed me to keep them. When I was shown to my room there was what looked like a convector radiator that I was told was there to pick up any electronic signals coming into – or going out of – the room. The wooden shutters on the windows were sealed shut." This enforced seclusion, initially a shock, became transformative. "It changed the world in which we lived for a few days," he says. "It became an enrichment because there was this shared focus on a remarkable task in hand." The cardinals – some familiar to Nichols, others complete strangers, like the 45-year-old from Mongolia whose church is a tent that travels with nomads across the plains – had no choice but to get to know one another. He describes the atmosphere in the guest house as contemplative – "we didn't say a lot of prayers; that was all done in the Sistine Chapel" – and says they used their digital detox to concentrate fully on their deliberations. "Unlike in the film, I believe, I never heard a word of anyone promoting themselves. Or the opposite. I never heard a word of somebody saying, 'Keep away from him, there's trouble there.' There was a quiet exchange of views, but more about qualities than personalities." In the Catholic tradition, the pope is the successor to Saint Peter, a direct line that can be traced back to the original apostle charged by Jesus with spreading the gospel. As such, selecting a new pontiff – leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics – is not a task to be taken lightly. "Everybody in the conclave understood the weight of the office of being pope," says Nichols. What about the American cardinal, formerly known as Robert Prevost, who now finds himself as Pope Leo XIV? "He showed an utter calm. I was about as far away from him as that chair over there when the conclave came to the decisive moment," he says, gesturing to the corner of his study. "We all had a sheet to keep the score on, so everyone knew when the decisive two-thirds majority had been reached. When Cardinal Parolin came across and stood in front of Robert Prevost and said, 'Do you accept this legitimate election to be Supreme Pontiff?', he just said, 'I do'. Then the second question: 'By what name shall you be known?' He said simply: 'I am Leo'. In his heart, he was already stepping into his new life. Even his new name." The documentary shows the stove used to burn the ballots being wheeled into the Sistine Chapel, the chimney being erected to carry the news to the crowds outside, and a temporary floor being installed above the uneven mosaics so that aged clerics didn't trip on their way to post their ballot in the urn on the altar. There's also footage of the new pope, freshly clad in his white cassock (various shapes and sizes are run up beforehand), being acclaimed on the balcony of Saint Peter's, seemingly in tears. "He was visibly very emotional," recalls Nichols. Read more: BBC confirms Christmas 2025 TV schedule – from The Traitors season 4 to The Night Manager season 2 Of course, he might have been mourning his previous life. "You lose all privacy," says Nichols. Even for him, returning from Rome, the attention was astonishing. "Coming back through Heathrow Airport," Nichols recalls, "I was stopped five or six times by people asking, 'Have you been to the conclave?'" Why did a papal conclave captivate so many of us? "People are hungry for something that appeals to an innate truth in as much as, sometimes today, truth has been subjectivised. Everybody knows that there are some traits and human aspirations that are shared. And if they are denied, we get into trouble. Who is disinterested enough in politics and power to speak up for these things? "There was a moment in the Santa Marta when one of the cleaning ladies stopped me as I was walking past to go to the Sistine Chapel, and she said, 'Just give us someone dressed in white.' She was expressing that sense of there being a gap, an empty space that needs to be filled to complete our picture. "It's the same thing that underpins the experience of being a parent – giving birth to a child, having a succession, a sense that life has got a purpose other than just me. And it's going to go on: a promise of fulfilment." Which brings us to Christmas. Perhaps His Eminence will finally find time to watch Conclave? "It's upstairs, I've just never got round to it," he says, pointing out that most of his television time is devoted to following Liverpool. "But I hope everyone will watch this documentary on the conclave," he adds, inviting us all to share the quiet deliberation and shared purpose of those spring days spent behind locked doors, sealed off from the digital whirl in which we live. A world without phones but full of meaning. Read more: Conclave review: Ralph Fiennes is imperious in this finely-scripted papal thriller The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Secrets of the Conclave airs on Monday, 22nd December at 9pm on BBC Two. Add Secrets of the Conclave to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Fallout season 2 will see Lucy's moral compass "eroding" amid surprising choices, reveals Ella Purnell
She may be fighting monsters in a post-apocalyptic world in US video-game adaptation Fallout, but all British star Ella Purnell wants is an early night and a cup of tea.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Fallout is one of those shows that lays waste to your sleep schedule; a big-budget, post-apocalyptic adventure that’s far more fun than the end of the world has any right to be, and almost impossible to turn off. But as you’re halfway through a late-night binge, watching Lucy MacLean fight mutants and dodge bullets, the woman who plays her, Ella Purnell, will already be asleep. “I’m like an old lady who’s in bed at nine o’clock every night,” the 29-year-old actor laughs. “If you’d told me that ten years ago, I’d have said, ‘No way.’ But now, it’s a foam roller and a cup of tea. That’s all I need.” It’s a far cry from her on-screen antics, but Purnell could be forgiven for wanting to slow down after filming Amazon’s high-profile adaptation of the video game franchise Fallout. Since 1997, that game has seen more than 50 million players explore a post-nuclear-war America, trading bottle caps for currency, fighting off irradiated monsters and aligning with – or avoiding – the warring factions formed by survivors. But for all its fanfare, the TV version of Fallout landed in Purnell’s inbox like any other role. She’d never wandered its wastelands, strapped on a Pip-Boy computer or even heard of the game. “I really didn’t know much about the project,” she admits. “I was bad, and didn’t even google it, because I was busy filming [the US survival drama] Yellowjackets.” So what convinced her wasn’t Fallout’s mythos or millions of fans, but the human nature of Lucy MacLean, the show’s sheltered yet spirited lead, exploring this wild new world after growing up in an underground bunker (called a Vault). “They said to me she’s the kind of person that could star in a toothpaste commercial, but also could maybe kill you,” says Purnell. “And I was, like, yeah, that sounds like me.” Of course, once she signed on, everything became real. “It wasn’t until I got the job, and I started doing my research and my prep for the character, that I really understood exactly what I was getting myself into. That actually, this was quite a big deal and you really want to do that justice.” View oEmbed on the source website It paid off: despite telling an all-new story with new characters not before seen in the games, season one aired to critical acclaim from longtime fans and new audiences alike. And Purnell, suddenly a breakout star, faced an outpouring of affection for her endearing portrayal of Lucy. “It’s really touching to me that people love this character,” she says, smiling. “She’s so naive because she’s literally lived in a bubble her whole life. She’s never felt the wind before. She’s never looked at long distances before. I found a lot of enjoyment thinking about all the things that we take for granted, that she would have been like, ‘Wow!’” In many ways, Lucy’s sheltered life reflects Purnell’s own childhood. Growing up in London, she began her career as a baby model – “so ridiculous,” she interjects with a laugh – after a friend of the family needed a baby for a clothing shoot, and Purnell’s mum simply volunteered her “cute kid”. From there, photoshoots became commercials, commercials became theatre, and before long, Purnell was a successful teenage actor in films like Kick-Ass 2 and Maleficent. It’s an environment with clear parallels to the Vault: both carefully controlled, make-believe worlds, shielded from real life. But Purnell sees it another way. “I feel more like a child now than I did when I was a child,” she says. “Now, in the space between ‘action’ and ‘cut’, I’m free, and I’m completely playful. But as a child working, I didn’t feel like that. I was terrified, I was nervous and I didn’t know what was going on or what I was doing. “As an adult, I love these people. I love this set. I feel like I can speak my mind. I feel like I’m protected. That’s how Lucy feels in the Vault: she has a purpose, she has structure. When she leaves the Vault and all of that falls away, and she’s in completely unfamiliar surroundings and she doesn’t know the rules – that’s how I felt as a child actor.” It’s an interesting inversion. As Purnell’s celebrity has grown – with the Paramount+ series Yellowjackets, animated Netflix series Arcane and now Fallout – her world has become smaller, safer, more intimate. “In the last couple years, I’ve come home to myself a little bit more. The bigger work gets, the smaller my life gets, and that feels right for me. I still live in the same flat, I still drive the same car, I have my friends, my family, my garden. I knit. And I like that.” “I think if I was one of those people, like Justin Bieber, who became an overnight success, it would’ve really messed with me, and I’m glad that I got a longer, slower build over the course of 20 years.” That long arc has yielded a new kind of confidence – “I have a little bit more trust and faith that as long as I keep picking projects that I really care about, that’s going to come out in the performance” – as well as an appetite for morally ambiguous characters, like the murderous Rhiannon in Sweetpea, which aired on Sky Atlantic last year. “In my real life, I need things to be black and white. So I’ve noticed in my work, I’m really drawn to the grey area, and I wonder if it’s my safe, exploratory way of figuring that out, and becoming OK with it in my real life. I love when I can’t say whether a character is good or bad.” If anything, Fallout is the perfect sandbox for that exploration; in a world where everyone fights to survive, monsters are a matter of perspective. Take Lucy, Purnell says. “Yes, she has a good heart, and she cares about doing the right thing. But she’s spoilt and she’s privileged, and she can be very ignorant and stubborn. And that’s life.” So what can we expect from, and for, Lucy in season 2? Purnell grins. “Oh my God, there’s so much in store. You’re going to see sides of Lucy that I did not see coming. She makes some very surprising choices, and her moral compass is just eroding. The entire fabric of her being is suddenly unravelling. Everything she thought she knew is now coming into question. What does that do to a person?” And if Ella Purnell were to find herself at the end of the world? “I like to think I’d be Lara Croft, all the gear and great arms, but in reality, that just wouldn’t be me. I am very non-confrontational, I’m very organised, I’m very Type A.” She smiles mischievously. “I’d organise everything instead. You know, if I have access to an Excel spreadsheet, it’s game over for you. I’m going to conquer the world.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Season one of Fallout is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Season 2 will premiere on Wednesday 17th December. Add Fallout to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Alan Cumming teases "prescient" new show from Russell T Davies about rage faced by "marginalised people"
The actor and presenter on The Traitors, speaking out – and being a superhero.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Over an illustrious 40-year career, Alan Cumming, 60, has appeared in an eclectic range of TV shows, films and stage plays — from the Emcee, full of licentious glee, in Sam Mendes’ productions of Cabaret to the weapons-grade camp host of The Traitors USA. Grammy-nominated, he has won Emmy, Tony and Olivier awards and was named by Time magazine as one of the three most fun people in showbusiness (alongside Stanley Tucci and Cher, apparently). He’s played God and the Devil, sold out Carnegie Hall and written seven books. Now, the actor-writer-singer-activist-photographer has added artistic director to his talents, taking charge at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland where he recently announced his inaugural season next year. You have quite a CV – have you ever been presented with an opportunity and thought “I’ll pass”? I believe in saying yes – and why not? If you have the pizazz and passion for it, give it a go. I feel like the most successful things I’ve done are things I haven’t overthought. I’ve just had a funny feeling in my tummy, excited and inspired, which is what I’ve got about Pitlochry. It’s about celebrating Scottish talent and bringing new ideas and international stuff to Scotland. When you were on Desert Island Discs, you said, “I do things I might fail at”. You’re not frightened of failure then? I’m not. I mean, it’s not my favourite thing, but Patti Smith said to me, “Alan, it won’t be a failure if you’ve done your best”. It could be a failure in financial terms, but those things don’t matter to me. The biggest and most important critic to me is myself. I’ve found in my life that if you believe in something, your passion can inspire other people. This is why I think I’d make a good cult leader. It feels harder than ever to be hopeful these days. As someone who lives in America, how do you remain optimistic? Depressed isn’t quite the right word to describe how I feel about American politics. I’m disgusted. Appalled. I recently hosted The Jimmy Kimmel Show and I did a monologue about trans rights. Everyone went nuts and people said, “You’re gonna get deported,” but all I was doing was saying the truth. So few people do that because they’re scared of being deported, of being attacked. I have a confidence because I have another life, another passport. I feel more at home in Scotland right now. The Traitors USA has been a huge hit, winning you four Emmys. Did you imagine it would be so successful? I thought it was going to be good but I had no idea that it would become this cultural phenomenon. People love it because there’s a panto element to it: it’s a way for us to boo and hiss and scream at the baddies and cheer the goodies. Would you go on the UK celebrity version of the show if asked? I’d love to do it. It’d be so fascinating to see it from the other side because I see up-close how people make terrible decisions when they’re mesmerised by this psychological experiment. It’s around episode five or six that they start taking leave of their senses. Christmas is coming up — how do your Christmasses now compare to those of your childhood? I grew up on a country estate so I’d be selling Christmas trees until Christmas Eve. After that, Christmas was an old-school Scottish affair. Family-oriented, satsumas in your stocking, maybe a wee Advocaat… This Christmas, our new house in the Highlands isn’t ready so we’ll be upstate [in New York] in the Catskills. We have a life-sized neon horse – from The Threepenny Opera I did – which we decorate then spend time doing nothing, making delicious food and watching films. You always seem busy — are you really able to “do nothing”? It might seem like I’m not good at it but I really am. With this show I’m filming in Manchester, I’m living a monastic life, doing a lot of reading and enjoying not having to see people. When I finish that, I’m off to a wee hotel in the Highlands, just me on my own, to rest up. You’re referring to Tip Toe, Russell T Davies’ new “suburban thriller” — what can you tell us? I’ve been trying to work with Russell for 20 years – I did a little thing on Doctor Who last year but I mean one of his big dramas – and finally now I’m in the right place at the right time. It’s beautifully written, it’s prescient, and I regularly go home emotionally and physically battered. It’s about rage, how we got into this current febrile atmosphere where there’s all this anger towards marginalised people, and how we might escape it. David Morrissey and I play neighbours. I get locked out. We have an interaction and 10 days later, the world changes. So it’s an anti-Reform drama? It’s a drama about having a moral centre, and the vigilance required to maintain a kind society. And finally, not since Gudrun Ure in Supergran has there been a high-profile Scottish superhero, but you’re reprising your 2003 X-Men character Nightcrawler, in next year’s Avengers movie, Doomsday. How does that feel? It is insane and incredible. I imagine that somewhere there is a production manager having a breakdown, trying to schedule 28 of the world’s busiest actors into the same scenes. I did my bits very quickly, on green screen because there was no one else around. I can’t quite believe that I’m doing another superhero movie. I turned 60 recently… The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.