By Carolina Piras for Mailonline

Published: 07:28 EST, February 29, 2024 | Updated: 07:45 EST, February 29, 2024

A night of celebration ended with the usual flurry of high-profile departures following the star-studded 76th annual BAFTA Awards on Sunday evening. 

Celebs scattered across London to enjoy lavish afterparties hosted by Vogue, Netflix and Universal. 

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal cosied up to pal Emma Stone at Netflix’s afterparty at the Chiltern Firehouse.

Meanwhile, Kate Beckinsale and Kaia Gerber brought the glamour as they attended the British Vogue And Tiffany & Co. fashion And film party.

Florence Pugh stayed true to form on Sunday night and celebrated the BAFTAs by attending the Universal and Netflix afterparties.

The Dune star, 28, looked incredible as she hopped from the Universal party held at the Nomad hotel in Covent Garden, before skipping off to the Netflix bash at the Chiltern Firehouse.

Dua Lipa and her new boyfriend Callum Turner looked besotted with each other as they left Vogue party. 

The singer, 28, and the actor, 34, held hands as they walked towards their waiting car after partying the evening away at the star-studded bash. 

The biggest night in British film returned with actor David Tennant as host and an array of guest presenters on hand to deliver awards throughout the night.

Prince William attended the ceremony in London solo as his wife Kate Middleton continues her recovery from last month’s abdominal surgery.

Oppenheimer won Best Film as well as sweeping the board in the major categories at the EE BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall .

The epic biographical thriller led the wins with seven gongs, including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. and Best Director for Christopher Nolan. It had the most nominations with 13.

Murphy, 47 – who plays the titular role in Nolan’s atomic bomb saga – picked up the prize at the prestigious awards ceremony.

He triumphed against Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Colman Domingo for Rustin, Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, Barry Keoghan for Saltburn and Teo Yoo for Past Lives.

Accepting the trophy, he said: ‘Oh boy, holy moly, thank you very, very much BAFTA.’

He paid tribute to ‘the most dynamic, kindest producer-director partnership in Hollywood: Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, thank you for seeing something in me that I probably didn’t see in myself.’

The Irish actor said to Nolan: ‘Thank for always pushing me and demanding excellence because that is what you deliver time and time again.’

Nolan also acknowledged his ‘fellow nominees and my Oppenhomies’, adding: ‘I know it’s a cliche to say, but I’m in awe of you.’

He said J Robert Oppenheimer was a ‘colossally knotty character’, adding: ‘We have a space to debate and interrogate and investigate that complexity and it’s a privilege to be a part of this community with you all.

Downey Jr, 58, also collected a BAFTA for his role as Lewis Strauss in the Hollywood blockbuster, which has swept the board during the 2024 awards season.

He admitted he owes the award to Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and leading man Murphy, as well as ‘British influence’.

Gesturing to Nolan, he said: ‘Recently that dude suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last ditch effort to resurrect my dwindling credibility.’

Downey Jr’s win set a new record for the longest gap between wins by any performer as it comes 31 years after his previous BAFTA, for the 1993 film Chaplin.

The previous record was 27 years, set by Sir Anthony Hopkins in 2021 when he won the award for best actor for The Father, nearly three decades after his 1994 win for Shadowlands.

Nolan won the Best Director BAFTA for Oppenheimer, his epic tale of how the nuclear bomb was created.

Before accepting the award from actor Hugh Grant, Nolan hugged Murphy.

Nolan joked that his brother ‘beat him up here’ by being in a chorus of a production 40 years ago.

Nolan has previously lost out despite numerous commercial successes such as Inception and The Dark Knight, the UK-born filmmaker won out against Jonathan Glazer [The Zone of Interest], Justine Triet [Anatomy of a Fall], Alexander Payne [The Holdovers], Bradley Cooper [Maestro] and Andrew Haigh [All of Us Strangers].

He paid tribute to Murphy and added to those who backed the film: ‘Thank you for taking on something dark’.

The director also acknowledged the efforts of nuclear disarmament organisations to bring peace.

Oppenheimer swept up in the big name categories, but it was closely followed by the surreal black comedy Poor Things.

It marked five awards for the film, as Emma Stone collected the Best Actress gong for her turn as Bella Baxter.

Accepting her award, she said: ‘Since we’re in London, I want to start by thanking dialect coach. She praised him for not laughing at her when he taught her how to say ‘water’.

‘I really wanted to thank my mum, because she’s the best person I know. Without her none of this would exist, including my life, so thank you for that Mum.’

The American actress said she was ‘in awe’ of all of the team behind the film, where she plays the part of a woman who is reanimated and implanted with the brain of a baby.

She paid tribute to the writers for coming up with the line ‘I must go punch that baby’ in a memorable dinner scene, and also hailed director Yorgos Lanthimos for ‘our friendship and the gift of Bella’.

Also thanking her mother, Stone said: ‘She kind of made me believe this crazy idea that I can do something like this.’

Meanwhile, Da’Vine Joy Randolph crowned victorious in the Best Supporting Actress category for her part in The Holdovers as she continues her march to Oscars glory.

Randolph took to the stage and told Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was presenting the award, ‘you are so handsome’ – prompting laughter from the audience.

On a more serious note, she said: ‘Thank you for trusting me with this beautiful character.

Becoming emotional, she said being able to ‘wear this beautiful gown, standing on the stage in London, is not a responsibility I take lightly’.

Randolph plays school cook Mary in the film set at a boarding school in the early 1970s.

Next up, Director Jonathan Glazer and producer James Wilson’s The Zone Of Interest won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film.

Wilson told the audience they were ‘stunned’ the film had won three awards during the ceremony, and while it was shot in Poland, the team who made it was assembled from the UK.

The night kicked off with French legal drama Anatomy Of A Fall winning the Original Screenplay award after premiering in Cannes back in May.

Collecting the award, co-writer and director Justine Triet, said: ‘The last time I I was in London, a woman said to me: ‘After I saw your movie I called my ex and told him to see it to understand why I dumped him.’

‘Someone else said ‘Did you put a mic in my kitchen?’

Gesturing to her co-writer and partner Arthur Harari, Triet said ‘I would like to make a statement tonight: it’s a fiction and we are reasonably fine.’

Harari referred to the plot of the courtroom drama when he joked that he had recently found himself near a window in an attic.

He added: ‘I want this room as my witness, if something happens to me, I loved insulating that attic and I’m quite happy tonight.’

Next up, Poor Things has won the BAFTA for special visual effects.

VFX supervisor Simon Hughes said receiving the special visual effects BAFTA for the the film was a career highlight.

‘It’s the peak of my career, absolutely for me. And to have it happen on such a unique film like this is just a real eye-opener, it’s been such a surreal and such a rewarding experience.’

Following this, drama film Earth Mama was honoured with the BAFTA outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer, presented by David Beckham.

Director Savanah Leaf was sobbing as she took to the stage to be presented with the award for her tale of a pregnant single mother.

Leaf said ‘this is crazy’, adding: ‘Our lead had never acted before and she poured her heart into this and she was so fearless.’

The director was given the award alongside Irish producers Shirley O’Connor and Medb Riordan.

The Zone Of Interest won the BAFTA for a film not in the English language.

Director Jonathan Glazer said it was ‘an out of body experience’ to win the award as he paid tribute to his collaborators.

Producer James Wilson thanked Glazer for his ‘virtuosity and his friendship’.

He continued: ‘Walls aren’t new from before or since the Holocaust and it seems stark right now that we should care about innocent people being killed in Gaza or Yemen or Mariupol or Israel.’

He added: ‘Thank your for recognising a film that asks us to think in those spaces.’

The BAFTA for Casting was awarded to Susan Shopmaker for private school-set The Holdovers, while the editing award has gone to Jennifer Lame for Second World War biopic Oppenheimer.

Comedy drama American Fiction has won Best Adapted Screenplay.

American writer and former Gawker journalist Cord Jefferson said winning a BAFTA was ‘surreal’, and that he had his speech written for him because he did not think he would need it.

Jefferson said in a ‘risk-averse industry’, he is thankful for his film – about a novelist who spoofs the ‘black genre’ of books, which becomes a ruse he has to maintain – was made.

The Boy And The Heron won the Best Animated Film Bafta.

Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki was not at the ceremony so the award was collected by presenters Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.

The Documentary BAFTA went to 20 Days In Mariupol, which highlights the work of Associated Press journalists in the besieged Ukrainian city during the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov said: ‘This is not about us’, this is about the country invaded by Russia and the bombed city they filmed in was just ‘a symbol of everything that has happened’.

‘Thank you for empowering our voice, and let’s keep fighting,’ he added.

Composer Ludwig Goransson won the BAFTA for Original Score for Oppenheimer while Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers scooped the honour for best sound for Holocaust film The Zone Of Interest.

The BAFTA for Production Design went to Shona Heath, James Price and Zsuzsa Mihalek for surreal comedy Poor Things, about a woman who is reanimated and begins a new life.

It was previously announced the BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema would go to programmer and archivist June Givanni, founder of the Pan African Film Archive, who collected the prize during the ceremony from Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh.

Northern Ireland actor James Martin, from Oscar-winning film An Irish Goodbye, presented the British short film Bafta to Yasmin Afifi and Elizabeth Rufai for Jellyfish And Lobster, a tale about care home residents.

Accepting the prize, Afifi said the film was about elderly people who find the ‘magic in their final days’, before wiping tears away from her face.

Egyptian actor Sayed Badreya, who appears in the film, got down on his knees and prayed on stage.

The British Short Animation BAFTA was presented to Ross Stringer, Bartosz Stanislawek and Aleksandra Sykulak for Crab Day, about a father and son in a fishing community.

Stringer thanked his parents in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and said the film was about ‘standing up for yourself, no matter what the world thinks of you’.

Poor Things won two more BAFTAs for best costume design, and make-up and hair.

Samantha Morton collected the BAFTA Fellowship from producer David Heyman, who she worked with on Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.

There were tributes from her Minority Report co-star Tom Cruise, as well as collaborators Susan Lynch, Molly Windsor and Daniel Mays, while Heyman described her as a ‘rare breed and true artist’.

Morton was visibly emotional and overwhelmed as she said: ‘This is nothing short of a miracle. When I first saw Ken Loach’s Kes on a huge telly that was wheeled into my classroom I was forever changed.

‘Seeing poverty and people like me on the screen, I recognised myself – representation matters.’

She said she would tell her younger self: ‘You matter, don’t give up, the stories we tell, they have the power to change people’s lives.

‘Film changed my life, it transformed me and it led me here today.’

She added: ‘I dedicate this award to every child in care, or who has been in care and who didn’t survive.’

The BAFTA Rising Star award was won by Mia Mckenna-Bruce following a public vote.

The star of coming-of-age film How To Have Sex appeared emotional on stage as she thanked her family and her ‘beautiful baby boy’.

The 26-year-old joked that she hopes her little sisters, who do not think ‘I’m cool’, will change their mind after her win.

Margot Robbie, Emily Blunt, Emma Stone and Florence Pugh were among the star-studded arrivals earlier in the evening on the glitzy red carpet.

Kate Beckinsale’s late father Roy Battersby was not included in the In Memoriam segment during the 77th British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday. 

Kate hit out at BAFTA bosses in a furious Instagram post last month, in the wake of her TV director stepfather Roy’s death at the age of 87.

A few days prior, British actress Kate, 50, had confirmed her TV director stepfather’s death with a video montage, which included a quick announcement that he had died.

Kate took revealed she had spoken to BAFTA bosses about Roy’s inclusion in the show’s In Memoriam segment, in which stars and industry members are honoured, but was told they could not guarantee he would appear.

During the ceremony at the weekend, Hannah Waddingham performed a pared down version of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time in the in memoriam segment of the Baftas, which featured tributes many stars, but Roy did not feature. 

MailOnline has contacted BAFTA for comment. 

Among the names included were actresses Jane Birkin, Glynis Johns, Shirley Anne Field and Piper Laurie, and actors Julian Sands, Richard Roundtree

Film critic Derek Malcolm, drama teacher Anna Scher, South Korean actor Lee Syun-Kyun, screenwriter and playwright Bo Goldman, film director and television producer William Friedkin and filmmaker Horace Ové were also included.

Also featured was singer Tina Turner, actress and politician Glenda Jackson, actor Carl Weathers, film producer Paul Hitchcock, singer and actor Harry Belafonte and actor Sir Michael Gambon, among others.

Alongside an image of Roy from 1996, when he won Alan Clarke Award, Kate wrote on social media last month: ‘BAFTA told me they could not guarantee he would be included “in memoriam”… So a man dead less than a week has to audition to decide if his death is worth mentioning.’

Kate confessed she was ‘paralysed, sick and sickened’ by the decision from BAFTA, given Roy’s vast body of work, and his achievement award from the Academy. 

In her caption, she wrote: ‘Here is a photo just after I presented my stepdad with the lifetime achievement BAFTA for his incredible work in television from Colin Welland’s “Leeds United!” about the first all female strike in the clothing trade…

‘”Roll on Four o clock “, the documentary “The Body” with music by Roger Waters and commentary by the poet Adrian Mitchell , the first seven episodes of the ground breaking “Tomorrow’s World” to Cracker…

‘Between the lines, Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost ,the first Edward Bond play ever written for television starring the late Bernard Hill and the late , mesmerising Charlotte Coleman and countless others…

‘Today BAFTA told me they could not guarantee he would be included in their “in memoriam” tribute , to honour the industry members we have lost…

‘So a man dead less than a week somehow has to audition in front of a committee after a decades long career in which he has been awarded from said organisation (that has awarded him the highest accolade they have )to decide if his death is worth mentioning…

‘If his work, his life ,his craft ,his mentoring , his heart and soul are worthy of a mention that he is gone . That , that has broken my heart all over again . I am paralysed ,sick and sickened and I will honour him and his work every day of my life.’

When contacted by MailOnline, a BAFTA spokesperson said: ‘We were very sorry to hear of Roy Battersby’s recent passing – he was a renowned and trailblazing director.

‘Roy Battersby was awarded the Alan Clarke Award in 1996, a BAFTA Special Television Award. 

‘We confirm he will be honoured in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards in May, and on the In Memoriam Section on our website.’

Kate urged the BAFTA board to change their email policy following her communications with them.

The star confessed she was ‘paralysed, sick and sickened’ after receiving a ‘very cold email’ from the organisation.

She claimed other family members of people in the film industry’ had received equally blunt emails and revealed she had still not received an apology.

Kate shared a snap of a text message from an unknown person, which read: ‘Hi Kate, I spoke with CEO of BAFTA, who is of course extremely apologetic. She’s very sorry about the email  and for what it caused.’

‘I am hoping they figure out a way to make this up to you, but so far they have just asked that I relay their apologies’.

In a lengthy caption she wrote: ‘First of all, thank you to all of you who have expressed their support and outrage for the coldly worded email from BAFTA that so upset me and my family. 

‘Roy would have been blown away and moved to tears and it is unbearable to me that he was not able to see the amazing loving messages you have left.

‘Second, you may be aware that BAFTA has said he will be included in their segment. I have not heard from them, they have not apologised to me publicly or personally and just asked that my publicist relay an apology.’

Kate continued: ‘I have received far too many DMs from family members of people in the British film industry who have passed away who received similarly cold emails and were equally distressed by them.

’90 percent of those who work in film and TV are working class people who are not necessarily well paid or particularly well treated.

‘In lieu of an apology which is now redundant, I would like a public and permanent assurance that BAFTA make a major change to their policy of wording emails to anyone who has been bereaved; whether that person is a DP,a sound or vfx technician, costume department, editor, electrician ,grip or carpenter, let alone someone honoured in the way Roy had been.

‘These people make up the heart and soul of our industry and it is a vocation. They routinely have to sacrifice time with their families, missing important events, anniversaries, being abroad for school plays or right up to Christmas, unable to care as they’d like to for sick relatives because they have to work extremely long hours to feed their families.

‘If BAFTA truly is an organisation that celebrates those who work in this industry , I want an assurance that this is the last time they send the family of ANY of its workers an email with such a dismissive and cold tone , whether ultimately the person in question is able to be included in the segment or not.’

She added: ‘And if not, the email needs to be doubly compassionate and celebratory of their contribution. My stepfather knew the name of every single person working on his set , from camera operator to caterer , and once stopped production because the focus puller hadn’t been paid . This is what he would have wanted. Thank you again x.’

The actress took to social media to honour the patriarch, who was hospitalised in LA last month after suffering ‘a massive stroke’ while battling two forms of cancer, which were diagnosed in summer 2023. 

Kate’s mother Judy married Roy 18 years after Kate’s father, Porridge star Richard Beckinsale, died. 

Roy enjoyed his own successful career as a director, working on major British on-screen hits including Inspector Morse and Cracker. His most recent directorial credit was for a 2006 episode of A Touch Of Frost. 

Kate’s Instagram post included an announcement about her stepfather’s death on Wednesday.

It noted that his funeral would be held back in London, with details forthcoming. 

‘I have no words yet,’ Kate captioned the video, before thanking a fan account for editing it. ‘Oh Roy I am so sorry I lost.’

The clip opened with a moving recording of Roy recalling how he was forced to hide in a shelter during the Blitz early in World War II as Nazi bombs rained down.

He called the eventually announced of Victory in Europe Day a ‘wonderful thing,’ because it meant no more hiding in shelters, and young men no longer had to leave their families to go off to fight across the continent. 

The video also featured several sweet photos of Kate with her stepfather and her mother, including a hilarious photo showing her and Roy beaming at each other while holding playfully insulting tea cups.

Kate rushed from the Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday January 7 to the hospital, sharing photos of herself on the red carpet and by Roy’s bedside with the caption: ‘Golden globes 2024 start to end.’

She was still clad in her glamorous Atelier Zuhra gown for the hospital visit, as she ate a burger and chatted to her friends and family in Roy’s room.

Her friends and followers were quick to check in on the star, with one commenting: ‘I don’t know how you made it through last night with all that is going on. You are strong and a consummate pro. 

‘Having to leave the side of your beautiful Roy to honor this commitment at the Globes was above and beyond. Sending love and prayers to you and your family. I’m so happy you were able to make it back to the hospital. ’

Kate responded: ‘thank you and thank you for your supportive texts all the way through. That was so kind xx’

Kate’s mother Judy Loe’s has been fighting her own private health battle. The 76-year-old was diagnosed with a longstanding illness six years ago — something Kate has alluded to in several emotional Instagram posts over the past year.

The Underworld actress flew Judy and Roy out to the US from their home in the UK so she could care for them full-time at her Los Angeles home. 

‘Kate has been caring for her parents, who both have serious illnesses, for most of the year,’ a source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com late last year. ‘She brought them to her home in LA and has made looking after them her number one priority.’ 

The insider revealed that the Snow Angels star — whose biological father Richard Beckinsale died in 1979 at 31 from a heart attack in his sleep — has been feeling the emotional toll in recent months. 

‘She was spotted this week several times crying in the corridors of UCLA hospital,’ the source added. ‘Her friends are very concerned that she has been under relentless strain for months and hardly sleeping or eating.

‘Kate appears to be very strong but this has been incredibly hard and, given that she lost her father so young, is affecting her very deeply. Her friends are concerned for her own health.’

A second source explained that her mother Judy has chosen to keep her health battle private, stating: ‘She’s extraordinary, you wouldn’t even know by looking at her. She has been keeping a very positive attitude throughout everything.’ 

Kate’s biological father Richard Beckinsale was best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the BBC sitcom Porridge and Alan Moore in the ITV sitcom Rising Damp.

He also had a daughter — Samantha, 55 — who is his only child from his marriage to Margaret Bradley.

Kate has alluded to her parents’ ailing health online in recent months, sharing images of her mother undergoing treatment in hospital.

In August she encouraged fans to do what makes them happy in the Instagram caption, writing: ‘Embrace joy. Accept grief. Wear feathers. Sing. Do what makes you feel happy even for a moment. Pair grief and sickness and fear with as much life and laughter and celebration as you possibly can.

‘It doesn’t mean you are having some sort of crisis. It means you are choosing life, fiercely. Be brave, and when you don’t feel brave, listen. Laugh hard, dance hard, cry hard, love hard with those you trust.’

She continued: ‘Spread love when you can. Read. Stay in bed and cry when it’s from all sides and feels like an avalanche. Try not to be mean, or to take on others meanness. People can break.

‘Be kind. Fight with everything you’ve got for your loved ones , and for your own spirit x.’

However, the Much Ado About Nothing actress has been determined to put on a brave face and do all she can to continue supporting her loved ones during this difficult time.   

‘Kate has been attempting to maintain a positive public and professional presence, and remain upbeat for her family,’ the source added.

By Chikamso Chukwuenyem for Mailonline

Published: 2:56 PM EST, December 22, 2023 | Updated: 2:57 PM EST, December 22, 2023

Kyle Richards and her girlfriend Morgan Wade attended her sister Kathy Hilton’s Christmas party in Bel-Air on Saturday, where they celebrated the holidays with Tiffany Haddish, Kate Beckinsale, Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild.

Richards, 54, and Wade, 29, were featured in a series of photos posed with other partygoers that marked the Bravo star’s first holiday outing since revealing that she and husband Mauricio Umansky had split in July.

At Hilton’s party, Richards was dressed in an off-the-shoulder red satin dress with a bow at the chest, a sparkling gold purse and beige peep-toe heels. She wore her dark locks styled to the side and wore hoop earrings at the luxurious gathering.

Wade, a country artist, was dressed in a black patterned jacket over a silk plum button-up top, black pants and black shoes. She wore her hair down and parted it.

Richards and Wade posed for photos together with Kathy, Paris and Haddish in front of the huge decorated Christmas tree in the house, where Kathy hosted an earlier Christmas party last month that Kyle attended.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shared a series of photos from the party and other weekend festivities in a carousel featuring Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.

“What a beautiful weekend surrounded by family and friends,” she wrote in the montage of photos.

TMZ reported in July that Kyle “dated country singer” Wade in the wake of their divorce, and that they “reportedly have matching heart tattoos.”

Richards and Umansky released a statement on Instagram on July 3 denying they were divorced but not denying they were splitting up.

It read: ‘Regarding the news that came out about us today… All claims about our divorce are untrue. But yes, we have had a tough year. The most challenging of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other immensely. Nothing wrong was done by anyone.”

They continued, “Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to resolve our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not concoct false stories to fit into an otherwise salacious narrative.”

They concluded by saying, “Thank you for the love and support,” as they signed the letter, Kyle and Mauricio.

The timing of the split came about a year and a half after the duo celebrated a wedding milestone with their 25th wedding anniversary.

“It means so much, and it’s something we’re both incredibly proud of,” Richards told Bravo Insider in November 2021. ‘And for me it is one of my greatest achievements. I mean, I think it’s refreshing that in this town, being married for 25 years is a really big deal. And we are very proud that we are a good role model for our daughters.’

Richards stepped into the spotlight in 2010 when she was one of the leads on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

The cast also included her sister Kim Richards, Adrienne Maloof, Camille Grammer, Taylor Armstrong and Lisa Vanderpump. Ten seasons later, only Kyle can be seen on the popular reality series (while Vanderpump has had enormous success with its own spin-off Vanderpump Rules).

You go, girl! Is this how we should respond to 65-year-old Sex And The City creator Candace Bushnell’s news that she recently dated a 21-year-old male model?

This week she says in an interview in this newspaper that she “took him out to dinner because I was afraid he was so skinny…” I really hope he got a toy with his Happy Meal.

Should we cheer about this latest push for female empowerment, the super cougar who – like her male counterpart Al Pacino – is seen around town with a partner who didn’t exist when they blew out forty candles on their birthday cake?

I’m afraid my answer is more, “What, girl?” How can a grown woman be attracted to a man whose teenage years were yesterday?

I can’t think of anything more horrible than being in a relationship with a man who marinates himself in Lynx Africa and washes his bedding once a year.

Yet cougaring has become a thing. Over the past few years, newspapers have been full of confessional pieces from newly divorced, middle-aged women who hit the dating apps only to be bombarded by lusty young men born in the mid-nineties.

‘The sex is great!’ they trembled. “And no snoring or nose hair like those dinosaurs our own age!”

For female celebrities, there’s nothing like having a 20-something on your arm to show you’re still a sex goddess: Demi Moore went 15 years younger with Ashton Kutcher. J-Lo dated backup dancer Casper Smart when she was 42 and he was 24. Kate Beckinsale was 45 when she stepped out with 25-year-old Pete Davidson.

Madonna, 65, has had a string of boyfriends in their 20s, while Cher is dating 37-year-old Alexander Edwards – 40 years her junior.

There’s a kind of equality there, I think. Age-gap relationships have long been largely a one-way street, as with actor Rufus Sewell, 56, who this week announced his engagement to a 26-year-old: older man, younger woman.

The reversal of this is heralded as something liberating and modern, an affirmation that women today are just as powerful and sexually liberated as men.

That’s the theory, but in practice I don’t think age gap relationships often work, at least not like this. I should know; I dipped my toes in the cougar water myself.

I was 34, at a party where I didn’t know anyone, when a young man came and offered to get me a drink. I looked at his flushed and barely stubbly cheeks and assumed he was a waiter, but no, he was a 24 year old guy who just wanted to chat. How exciting!

At the time I felt jaded and old, and here was a young man barely out of college showing an interest.

At first it was refreshing. Instead of talking about mortgages or politics, all he wanted to do was take shots of Jagermeister and kiss.

He was unpretentious, enthusiastic and had an endearing respect for my age-old opinions, treating everything I said as if I were Aristotle and Gandhi rolled into one.

Unfortunately, after our fourth meeting, things started to get ugly. I took him to a smart work meeting and he was crushed by the free drinks, tried to sing along with my sober colleagues and wondered out loud why everyone was so boring.

When he was staying at my house, I realized he was living on Quavers and Monster energy drinks. When we went to the pub he was wearing sweatpants with the top of his trousers showing. In my work suit I looked like his probation officer.

The last straw was his harassment of nude photos. When I told him I would rather gargle with razor blades than send such a photo, he was astounded.

It seems that men in their twenties expect women to ping for a photo of their expensive stuff after their first meeting.

And just when I was bored with his youth, I’m sure he got annoyed with my age. Hadn’t I heard of that Hot New Band? No. Had I really never played Grand Theft Auto before? No. Didn’t I want to go to the foam party in Shoreditch until 4am? Double no.

In short, instead of feeling younger, this closeness to youth made me feel old, old, old.

I would venture to guess that most of us would be more likely to feel beautiful, witty, and smart with a man at least our own age. Maybe this is why I can see how men who are 15 or 20 years older can be attractive in a way that men who are 15 or 20 years younger just aren’t.

Another problem is how easily the dynamic between older woman and younger man can slip into mother-son mode.

When an older woman sees her young lover going to work with a crumpled shirt or eating another Pot Noodle, something inside her may be moved to iron the shirt and cook them a chicken pot pie.

Next thing you know, she’s spitting on her handkerchief to wipe his face before a work meeting.

It may be crushingly un-PC to admit, but age-gap relationships just seem more natural when the man is the older party.

All the power goes to the Joan Collinses and Brigitte Macrons of the world who have successful long-term relationships with younger men, but for me the cougar-toyboy combo is not the path to long-term satisfaction.

Rita nails it in a £15 Primark number

Is that a stegosaurus? No, it’s Rita Ora wearing a prosthetic ‘chrome dino spine’ at the British Fashion Awards. Even more shocking to the fashionistas in attendance was the fact that her dress was a £15 Primark number rather than couture worth tens of thousands.

It is a smart move by Ora, who has designed a collection for the retailer, but it still takes courage to choose a snobbish fashion brand at Primark.

Madness to make a rapist spend time in a women’s prison

The Scottish Prison Service has said that transgender female criminals with a history of violence against women will be allowed to serve time in a women’s prison if there is ‘compelling’ evidence that they do not pose an ‘unacceptable risk of harm’.

Yes, if a ‘risk management team’ sees fit, even a convicted rapist among women can end up in prison.

You’ve heard of lunatics taking over the shelter; these are the ideological fanatics taking over Scotland’s prison system.

Away with their undeserved titles!

Tory MP Bob Seely is to introduce a bill to Parliament to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their titles.

Good luck to him. Why would Harry and Meghan enjoy the royal trinkets without the bribery that comes with it? Especially now that their silence on the ‘royal racism’ row has spoken volumes. Away with their titles!

Asda is to sell the smelliest cheese in the world: the Minger.

For those like me who want their cheese to smell like gym socks that ran a marathon, this is great news.

Unfortunately, my cheese-hating husband suggests that buying The Minger would be antisocial – even grounds for divorce.

Jennifer Lopez was the belle of the ball at ELLE’s Women in Hollywood party at Nya Studios in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The 54-year-old former Fly Girl was bombarded by other celebrities like America Ferrera and Eva Longoria who wanted to chat with the singer, actress and designer.

One fan was Bebe Rexha, who managed to take a selfie with the icon.

The Say My Name singer leaned forward as she used a special light on her cell phone for extra lighting. Funnily enough, they were bombarded by Jodie Foster’s wife Alexandra Hedison, who was in front of the Silence Of The Lambs star. And behind Lopez was her old manager Benny Medina.

Shortly afterwards, Bebe posted the results of the selfie to her Insta Stories. But they both seem to have benefited greatly from a filter that made them look flawless.

Jennifer smiled next to Bebe as if they were old friends.

This comes after Bebe said she tried out for a role in Jennifer’s movie Hustlers but didn’t get it.

“They hit me and I was like, ‘Okay, yeah, sure,’” she said. ‘So I got an acting coach. She’s amazing and she taught me how to act and stuff. It was very difficult, because you have to be serious.’

Rexha auditioned for the role of a ‘Russian girl from New York’, but she did not get the part.

She was fine with it because her mother didn’t approve of her playing a stripper anyway: ‘My mom wasn’t happy about it,” she said during a Beats 1 interview in 2019.

Most of the night Lopez was with her husband, Academy Award winner Ben Affleck, 51, shared a passionate kiss after whispering in her ear. The couple tied the knot in July 2022 after rekindling their romance in May 2020 after 17 years apart.

Jennifer sizzled in a revealing Grace Ling dress with a futuristic chrome chest harness that showed off plenty of underboob. It was attached to a black maxi skirt which put her sculpted abs front and center.

While on the red carpet, Jennifer said Access to Hollywood that her dress made her feel “bulletproof” and “powerful.”

The On The Floor hitmaker stood in high platform heels and rocked sparkling chandelier earrings in the shape of lizards. The Maid In Manhattan star wore a simple black clutch and a pointed manicure with blush nail polish.

She had just a hint of peach blush on the cheeks and radiant highlighting powder on the high points of her face.

The A-lister wore her honey-colored locks in a sleek bun.

Jennifer could barely keep her hands off her husband, who looked dapper in a stylish black velvet suit.

The Argo star wore a classic white button-up shirt and a skinny black tie to complete his red carpet look.

The couple joined Kate Beckinsale and Alexandra Daddario at the annual event that celebrates women in entertainment.

Jennifer was one of the evening’s winners and also the magazine’s December cover star.

Eva Longoria, Jodie Foster, Taraji P. Henson, America Ferrera, Danielle Brooks, Greta Lee, Fantasia Barrino Taylor and Lily Gladstone were also honored for making creative and cultural changes in the industry.

Lopez discussed the power of women with ELLE: “We have to be able to stand in our own power and say, ‘We’re not just on the periphery.’

She said Access to Hollywood on Tuesday night that it’s “great to be recognized by other women” because it “makes it extra special.”

She says it is “very humbling” and that she is “very honoured” to be among this year’s winners.

Jennifer spoke briefly about her upcoming album This Is Me…Now – the highly anticipated follow-up to This Is Me…Then.

‘This Is Me…Then’ is an album I wrote about the love of my life [Ben Affleck] 20 years ago [and] everyone knew what that album was about, and so twenty years later [Ben and I] are back together,” she explained.

She said the songs on her new album “just flowed out of me” and that creating them was a “very personal journey.” Jennifer revealed that Ben actually helped her write part of the visual album and recalled what it was like to work with him. “It was great,” she cheered. “I mean, no one knows me [and] my story better than him.’

And she told Extra: “When I went into the studio, I was there every day and wrote every song. It was a very special project, and when it was finished I knew I wanted to do something different with it – and we did. We made a movie, and it’s completely different from anything I’ve ever done in my life, the most personal, scary project I’ve ever done.

‘It’s a real movie… it’s a real journey, it’s a real story. You’ll see… I call it a ‘musical experience’ because there is so much to experience in different ways… It’s beautiful. I don’t think anyone knows anything about my real personal life.’

This Is Me…Now will be released on February 16, 2024.

By Caroline Graham

Published: 5:20 PM EST, December 2, 2023 | Updated: 5:39 PM EST, December 2, 2023

Kate Beckinsale and her fans spent Thanksgiving paying tribute to her beloved cat Clive on Instagram who passed away in June at 18 years old.

The actress, 50, posted five videos of herself and the Persian cat to her 5.6million followers, some of whom flooded her comments with compassionate messages.

Kate wrote in the caption: ‘Thank you for being with me through every single thing and loving me fiercely and unconditionally for almost 19 years…

‘The gratitude I have for the privilege of loving and being loved by you is boundless . My god how I miss you, my Clive xxx’.

In one of the sweet videos, Clive wore a hat fashioned out of an orange, a blue jumper, and sported bright pink claws. 

One fan admitted: ‘I am not really a fan of cats. But Clive was a dude.’ Kate replied: ‘The dude of all dudes’.

Another promised: ‘Nobody will ever forget Clive, the legend’ with an emotional Kate commenting back: ‘This made me cry. Thank you x’.

‘My lovely dog Sam died in May and I will never get over it, they love us unconditionally x’, another fan empathised. 

Kate replied: ‘That’s the hardest part because it’s almost impossible for people to. Losing unconditional love is so painful. I am so sorry. All my love to you and Sam x’. 

Another wrote: ‘Thanksgiving was my girl’s favorite holiday because she lived for turkey. This is my first one without her. I hope that Clive and Maggie have met.’ and Kate simply replied: ‘Me too’.

Yet another fan wrote: ‘I feel this! I had my boy until he passed at 18.5 years old. He was the best cat ever, literally grew up with me. Got to meet my daughter (and loved her) it’s been 5 years since we lost him and to this day I still cry’.

In response, Kate said: ‘Me too and I know I always will . Sending so much love to you and thank you for your lovely message . I am so very sorry for your loss x’.

A final fan said: ‘Thank you for being so open with your grief over your dear Clive there are still people out there who try to say it’s “just a pet” when in fact it’s some of the most important relationships we’ll have in our lives’.

In the first video, Clive unceremoniously climbed on top of Kate who was lying peacefully on her bed.

Kate asked: ‘What are you doing? Wait. Hi. OK, well, Iguess I’m stuck here then am I? You nut job.’

Clive repeated this action in the second video, except this time was infinitely more impractical as Kate was getting a Brazilian bikini wax. 

Kate worried out loud that Clive’s tail would get caught in the hot wax and Clive walked up towards her face, leaving the danger zone, as if he heard her. 

She joked: ‘Clive is really standing guard over the portals.’ And the beautician replied: ‘He really is. He’s like, “waxing is not coming above the stomach”, apparently.’ 

Kate jokingly replied: ‘I mean, I don’t need it above the stomach,’ to which the beautician quickly said: ‘No, you don’t.’ 

Much to the amusement of the beautician, Kate later joked: ‘Hi honey. Thank you for protecting me. Thank you so much.’ 

In the third clip, Kate was in a car with Clive, who wore a blue shirt with anchors, and she looked chic in huge black sunglasses.

Kate was stroking Clive’s head rhythmically, while Bruno Mars’ Locked Out Of Heaven played in the background.

Towards the end of the video, Kate began lip-syncing and humorously moved Clive to the beat of the music.

Kate’s fourth clip only featured Clive and he modelled the aforementioned blue jumper and fruit orange hat.

The Pearl Harbour star’s final tribute video was of herself in the corridor of her home wearing a grey apron which held Clive in its pocket.

Kate and Clive, who had been together for almost twenty years, danced liked no one was watching to Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like A Woman. 

Her hair was in a messy bun at the top of her head and she struck her best best moves, rocking her hips back and forth, thus jolting Clive about.

Kate then declared: ‘Man! I feel like a woman’ and slid backwards. At the end of the video, she asked someone called Harvey to ‘come here!’

Clive is survived by another Persian cat, named Willow, and Pomeranian dog, Myf. 

Kate’s last public relationship was with Len Wiseman, an American film director, whom she was married to from 2004 to 2019.

She has one child, daughter Lily Mo Sheen, who was born in 1999, during her relationship with Welsh actor Michael Sheen.

The actress recently hit back at trolls who insisted she had gotten plastic surgery. 

Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah has opened up about her father’s battle with dementia after sharing a heartfelt post to Instagram on Wednesday.

Last year, the Die Hard star retired from showbiz due to his battle with the brain condition ‘aphasia’, which causes the patient’s language skills to deteriorate.

And now it has been revealed that the 68-year-old is losing his ‘joy for life’ and ‘language skills’ after developing frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in March.

Tallulah, 29, posted a selection of photos of her and her dad in the sweet snaps as she beams with her dad’s arm around her as they cozy up together on an armchair.

The actress captioned the post, “Damn these pics coming tonight. You are my whole damn heart and I am so proud to be your Tallulah Belle Bruce Willis.”

Tallulah also shared a photo of her driver’s license, revealing that ‘Bruce’ is also one of her middle names, giving her an even closer bond with her father.

In another photo, the star shared a photo of Bruce in his younger days as he beamed as he took to the stage in a pair of dark shades and a fez hat.

Fans and friends rushed to send their support to the star as they sent their love in the comments.

While many wrote a simple love heart emoji, friend and actress Kate Beckinsale wrote: “In this together I will always be there for you.”

It comes after Bruce’s wife Emma Hemming opened up about struggling with guilt over having resources that others don’t amid her legendary actor husband’s battle with dementia.

The 45-year-old shared that she has been the support system for her other half and revealed that even though the process has been tough, she has gained a much more positive view of herself now that her husband suffers from frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ).

The British and American model wrote a powerful op-ed for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper when she got candid while writing: ‘I struggle with guilt knowing that I have resources that others don’t.

‘If I can take a walk to clear my head, it is not lost on me that not all care partners can do that. If what I share about our family’s journey gets the attention of the press, I know there are many thousands of untold, unheard stories, all deserving of compassion and care.”

Emma went on to explain that it is a double-edged sword because even though it weighs heavily on her conscience, she knows that being so open about the issues can help others.

She continues, “At the same time, I see that what I share is important to others who may be struggling, and that in some small way they feel seen and understood. I want people to know that when I hear from another family affected by FTD, I hear the same story of grief, loss and immense sadness from our family in their family.

“It is important to me to be an advocate on behalf of those families who do not have the time, energy or resources to advocate for themselves.”

Tallulah also discussed why her family has chosen to be very open about her father’s health.

Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show earlier this month, Bruce and Demi Moore’s youngest daughter said, “Well, I think it’s twofold.”

‘On the one hand it’s about who we are as a family, but it’s also very important for us to spread awareness about FTD…’

She added, “If we can take something that we’re struggling with as a family and individually and use it to help other people, turn it around and make it something beautiful, then that’s really special to us.”

“And part of what has been a really beautiful way for me to heal through this is to become like an archaeologist for my dad’s stuff — his world — for his little trinkets and doo-dads,” Tallulah said.

The beauty also recalled how important music is to Bruce and was a big part of growing up with her sisters.

“It’s a big part of how I spend time with him now, playing music and just being in this energy of love. It’s really special.’