The UK entertainment industry has been abuzz with significant events and announcements involving its most prominent celebrities. From legal victories to new television series, the landscape is evolving rapidly.
In a landmark legal development, Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers . The publisher admitted to unlawful actions at its tabloid, The Sun, and agreed to a substantial damages payment. This settlement marks a significant moment in the ongoing battle against media intrusion, with NGN issuing an apology for the serious intrusion into Harry's private life.
Television enthusiasts have much to look forward to with the upcoming series of "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Traitors UK." The 2025 season of "Strictly Come Dancing" is set to return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in Autumn 2025. Rumoured celebrity contestants include Martine McCutcheon, Stacey Solomon, and Miranda Hart. The professional dancers confirmed to return include Katya Jones, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, and Nadiya Bychkova. The judging panel remains unchanged with Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will also continue their longtime hosting roles.
"Celebrity Traitors UK" is set to premiere on BBC One later in 2025, likely in late summer or early autumn. Hosted once again by Claudia Winkleman, this celebrity edition will see well-known faces competing in the popular murder-mystery format. Confirmed participants include Tom Daley, Bob Mortimer, Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross, and Clare Balding, among others. The show, filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, will follow the usual format: celebrities will start as Faithfuls, with a few secretly selected as Traitors aiming to deceive the rest. Through missions, players build a prize fund of up to £120,000, with celebrities aiming to win up to £100,000 for charity.
In the realm of reality television, "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!" concluded its twenty-fourth series on 8 December 2024. The series, filmed in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, saw Danny Jones crowned as the "King of the Jungle," with Coleen Rooney and Rev. Richard Coles finishing in second and third place respectively. Jones is notably the second member of McFly to win the series, following his bandmate Dougie Poynter, who won the series in 2011.
The UK government is also considering a new "right to personality" to protect artists and celebrities from AI companies creating products that mimic their distinctive features. Ministers will consult on updating copyright rules to regulate how AI technologies use artists' content for training models. This consultation aims to introduce new protections for creators, aiming to block AI products that closely resemble famous voices, images, or other features.
These developments highlight the dynamic nature of the UK's entertainment industry, with celebrities at the forefront of legal battles, innovative television formats, and evolving digital landscapes.
