Emma Watson is notoriously private when it comes to her personal life and very rarely posts on social media.

But that all changed on Saturday, when the Harry Potter star shared what might be her most personal life update yet on Instagram to mark her 33^rd birthday.

Emma explained that she’d ‘stepped away from life’ over the past couple of years and went into great detail about what she’d been up to.

From learning to surf to adopting a dog and even ripping off a fingernail, the A-lister gave fans a no holds barred peek into her life.

Alongside a striking black and white image of herself, Emma wrote: ‘This is 33. Holy moly. Before 29 I hadn’t even heard of a Saturn Return as a concept.’

The Little Women star went on: ‘Let’s just say that now I am well acquainted. I stepped away from my life – I learned to surf (badly), I rode some horses (that went better), I did a lot of therapy (YESS therapy!).

‘My brother and I figured out how to make a gin using recycled wine grapes!?  (@renaisspirits) I adopted Sofia in Mexico, who seems to be an angel not a dog.’

Emma added: ‘We filmed a Harry Potter reunion. I said goodbye to my Grandma and Grandpa. I retraced my steps. I started a women’s environmental investment fund.

‘I played Pickleball with @sugarrayleonard and I even played golf and then tried to make all of my girlfriends learn too.

‘I cut my thumb nail off on both hands trying to cook for myself and then was only able to do things one handed for months.

‘I felt really sad and really pissed off about a lot of things. I learned more about love and being a woman.’

She concluded: ‘It took me three years but I have finally figured out a daily practice and can actually keep it for more than a few days in a row. I burned some things down. I eat green things now!

‘I got obsessed with making Squarespace websites. I directed my first commercial.

‘These pictures were actually taken on my birthday last year, but I wasn’t ready to come out of my Covid Cocoon. Today I feel [butterfly emoji].’

Needless to say, her 70.5million followers were delighted that she’d shared such a personal update with them, and even Emma’s famous followers were quick to celebrate her return to the social media platform.

Vanessa Hudgens wrote: ‘What a goddess,’ beneath Emma’s post, while Nicola Adams added: ‘Life is a journey,’ and Karlie Kloss left a slew of fun emojis.

Glad to have you back, Emma!

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Emma Watson has been spotted with a new man days after she parted ways with Sir Philip Green’s son Brandon.

The 33-year-old Harry Potter actress sparked new romance rumours after she was snapped spending time with a mystery man last week during a trip to Venice, Italy.

Her jaunt around the Italian city came days after it was reported the star was no longer seeing the Topshop owner’s offspring.

Who is Emma’s new boyfriend?

The star was smiling and laughing alongside American businessman Ryan Walsh, according to The Sun.

During their stay, they were said to have taken a water taxi to the island of La Certosa for dinner reservations where they were joined by two other people.

Emma dressed for summer in a maxi silk dress that featured a busy pattern of tartan-like colours and shapes.

She wore sunglasses on her head that kept her mass of brunette locks off her face and covered her shoulders with a white-lined shirt.

The A-lister opted for comfort and sported a pair of ballerina pump flats and carried her things in a canvas material colourful tote bag.

Her companion put on a plain black T-shirt for his day out in Italy and completed his look with grey linen shorts and a pair of Birkenstock brown sandals.

He carried a metal water bottle in one hand and what appeared to be a laptop in the other and wore a pair of reading glasses on his face.

Who has Emma dated in the past?

Before her outing with Ryan, the star was presumed to be in a relationship with her ex Brandon for around 18 months.

The former couple supposedly called things off after Christmas following a ‘serious’ romance.

Their entanglement was first confirmed when the pair were photographed holding hands also in Venice.

Emma’s relationship history has been notoriously guarded however she is known to have dated rugby player Tom Ducker and fellow Oxford University students Will Adamowicz and Matt Janney.

In an interview with British Vogue ahead of her 30^th birthday, the actress commented on her love life and admitted at the time: ‘It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered.’

Metro.co.uk contacted Emma’s reps for comment.

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EastEnders fans have been left shocked after spotting Ben Champniss, who plays Shrimpy in the BBC One soap, in one of the Harry Potter films!

The hugely popular series has been put on Netflix, meaning new and old Harry Potter fans could flock to the streaming platform to watch them.

The first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, aired in 2001 and follows a young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) as they arrive at Hogwarts ready to learn how to become the best wizard they can be.

The finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – was released in 2011 and sees the trio and their pals defeat the Death Eaters and remaining Horcruxes, leading to an intense showdown between Harry Potter and evil Lord Voldemort.

Once Lord Voldemort has been killed (spoilers!), Harry, Hermoine and Ron are left wondering what the future may hold at their beloved school – which is where this surprising link to EastEnders comes in.

As the film draws to a close, an older version of the trio are seen at King’s Cross Station, waving off their children as they board the train ready to leave for Hogwarts.

Moment before the credits roll, we see Harry, Hermoine and Ron for one final time – but many looked behind the characters and spotted Ben aka Shrimpy from EastEnders!

The actor shared a tweet recently, confirming he hasn’t been a Muggle his entire life: ‘Since Netflix started streaming Harry Potter, I’ve received quite a few messages regarding this last scene…Always lovely to hear from you all, and yes, I can confirm….I was a wizard in a former life!’.

Many EastEnders fans commented on Ben’s tweet, with some admitting that they’ve seen that scene so many times, and still failed to spot him!

Ben has played market stall owner Shrimpy since 2014. He is often seen running more than one stall, however, as he’s usually asked to keep an eye on someone else’s when they’re forced to run off, too involved in Albert Square drama!

Shrimpy was the focus of an interesting scene recently, as Eve (Heather Peace) admitted that she had a sex dream about him once and well…he kept his hat on the entire time.

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Emma Watson hit the red carpet alongside her brother Alex at this year’s Soho House Awards and the love between them is real.

The Harry Potter star, 33, and her sibling, 30, linked arms as they arrived at the event in a rare public appearance.

They were among guests at the star-studded event at Dumbo House in New York which ‘recognises and spotlights the incredible work of creative talents across our membership: from established icons to future stars, undiscovered changemakers and all of those in between,’ according to the luxury club.

Emma was the epitome of elegance in a plunging silver fringed top with a sheer, pastel maxi skirt and matching purse.

She wore her hair in an updo which highlighted her glittering earrings used to accessorise.

Alex, meanwhile, looked suave in a dark blue suit and black round-neck T-shirt as he beamed for photos alongside his sister.

Earlier this year, the Little Women actor opened up on the close relationship she has with her brother, who also appeared in the Harry Potter films as an unnamed Hufflepuff student.

In an Instagram post reflecting on her life celebrating her 33rd birthday, Emma credited Alex with helping her ‘find the most challenging things, with time, incredibly funny.’

In July, the siblings joined forces to launch their own gin brand, Renais, inspired by family trips to the Chablis vineyard in France during their childhood.

Emma said in a statement: ‘To me, Renais is a family project, not only does the Chablis region evoke very special memories of growing up, I’ve loved having the opportunity to create something with my brother Alex.

‘I’m particularly proud of upcycling grapes from vineyards (including my dad’s) to reduce waste and create something new, being one of the only gins on the market using mushroom packaging, and our carbon-neutral product status.

‘We will continue to challenge ourselves as much as possible here because this is such a passion of mine.’

It comes after Emma and Philip Green’s son Brandon have reportedly called time on their ‘serious’ relationship.

Rumours began swirling that she was dating Brandon after they were pictured disembarking from a helicopter in Battersea, London in 2021.

However, an insider claimed to the Daily Mail Emma and Brandon, 29, decided to part ways around Christmas time after it was alleged in March she had reunited with her ex-boyfriend Brendan Wallace after they were spotted at a Taylor Swift concert in Las Vegas.

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Emma Watson is showing it’s never too late to start learning something new, as the 33-year-old has gone back to university!

The Harry Potter actress already has a bachelor’s degree under her belt, having graduated in 2014.

But, in true Hermione Granger style, she has now enrolled in a part-time Master’s degree at Oxford.

A source said: ‘The course is for older adults and can be done on a part-time basis, which is perfect for Emma’s schedule.

‘She only has to be on-site for four or five days a year because she can do the rest of the course online from home.’

And, Emma – who has taken a step back from acting in recent years – is expected to have a security team with her when she does attend the university, because she has suffered some safety scares recently.

The insider added to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: ‘Because she’s a famous actress, she’ll have a security team looking after her whenever she has classes to go to.

‘There have been a few incidents recently and she is taking every precaution necessary to ensure her safety.’

A man was arrested during a Ralph Lauren fashion show in New York this month on suspicion of attempting to gain access to her dressing room and Emma has been feeling concerned.

The source added: ‘She flew to Milan with a specialist team from the UK, and Prada provided another security detail to guard her room overnight.

‘There were lots of famous models and celebrities staying at the Palazzo Parigi where Emma stayed.’

Emma was said to have been ‘worried’ that the people who had been messaging her could have disguised themselves outside among fans.

The man has denied criminal trespass and disorderly conduct and will return to court next month.

Emma graduated from Brown University, located in Rhode Island, USA, after studying English literature nine years ago.

Proving herself to be the very definition of a girl boss, Emma was studying there just weeks before part 2 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hit cinemas, which brought her time as Hermione to an end after 10 years in the role.

And when she returns to her studies at Oxford, she’ll be in familiar territory.

She’s actually already been in the uni grounds, as many scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed in and around them.

For example, the Christ Church College, Cloisters became instantly recognisable when they were used for corridor scenes in the wizarding franchise.

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This Harry Potter star looks nothing like how we remember him in the films.

First marching efficiently onto our screens in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chris Rankin, 40, played a crucial role in the films alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.

If you don’t recognise him, then just think of the prefect who loved being a prefect at school a little bit too much.

There’s some major head boy energy coming from this wizard’s wand throughout the films, and he even deserts his ginger-haired family in the later films in favour of political clout.

It’s Percy Weasley of course – the third eldest of Ron’s brothers, who delights in a career in the Ministry of Magic after leaving Hogwarts.

He first hit our screens aged 16 as the Gryffindor prefect who escorted nervous newcomers in Harry’s year to their dormitories, and filmed his last scene 11 years later.

In the later films, he appears briefly in the background as in the books he drifted from the Weasley family, poisoned by the pursuit of power in the political ranks of the magical world, which were slowly turning evil.

During the Battle of Hogwarts – as depicted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – the book sees Percy acknowledging his estrangement with his family and apologising to them, however this is never addressed in the films.

Now, over 20 years on from his first appearance in Harry Potter, Chris is sending fans Christmas and birthday messages on paid video service, Cameo.

Nowadays, Chris is a performer, a director, a producer and creative, according to his website. He lives in South Wales with his partner Ness, and their dogs Stanley and Boo.

Compared to his magical contemporaries Chris isn’t charging a premium for the video service – on the contrary, a personalised message will only set you back £28.

Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the film franchise, is charging £158, and as is Jamie Waylett who played Vincent Crabbe in six of eight films.

His recent video introduced himself on Cameo, after a hiatus.

‘Hello you fabulous magical people on Cameo. It’s Chris Rankin here, Percy Weasley from the Harry Potter films, yes Hogwarts head boy and everyone’s seventh favourite Weasley child,’ he began.

‘I’ve been off Cameo for a little while now because I’ve been a busy old bee trotting around Europe on a tour, but I am now back, and I am here for all your possible video requests.

‘Whether it’s a video just for yourself, whether its Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Boxing Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, weddings, anything and everything.

‘Please give me a shout if you need a video message, because I am happy to make a fool of myself on camera, just for you.’

His videos to fans are always enthusiastic and generous, and the actor – who is now a blogger too – sometimes even, if you’re lucky, breaks into song.

Chris is posting on the regular at the moment – if you need a last minute Christmas present for a Potterhead, you know what to do.

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Emma Watson was left searching in vain for a lift home on the Hogwarts Express after her car was impounded by police.

The Harry Potter star, 33, saw her £30,000 Audi A3 towed away after she left it ‘illegally’ parked in Stratford-Upon-Avon on Monday night.

It appeared the actress, who is currently studying for a part-time MA in creative writing at Oxford, had failed to clock a no parking sign and accidentally left it blocking one of the entrances to a small car parking bay.

Watson was photographed talking with officers in an attempt to free her car as it was loaded onto the back of a tow truck, in pictures obtained by MailOnline.

The Beauty and the Beast actress, who has stayed out of the spotlight more in recent years, was reportedly enjoying a night out in the nearby Rose and Crown pub before she came ‘flying out’ according to eyewitnesses as the drama unfolded.

The publication reported that Watson seemed to fail to realise she had trapped any fellow drivers in with her vehicle.

A local pizza restaurant manager – coming off a 12-hour shift – is said to have spent over three hours trying to locate the car’s driver before giving up and calling police to come and sort the matter.

Watson was seen dressed in a black overcoat and matching French beret, standing next to a male companion, as she spoke with an officer in an attempt to free her car.

However, the on-call tow-truck driver, dressed in high-visibility overalls, successfully confiscated her dark blue Audi.

She will now have to pay a fine of £192 to retrieve her car, as well as a further charge for ‘retention’ of every 24-hour period it remains in police custody. This is equal to £26 per day.

The frustrated restaurant boss, who asked not to be identified, told MailOnline that their vehicle had been trapped for nearly four hours due to the actress’s car blocking the exit.

‘Three and a half hours of searching for the driver was the last thing I needed after working a 12-hour shift,’ they added.

‘The car had parked in front of our gate which is a no-parking zone. I went into every single restaurant in the area asking if anyone owned the car.’

Having claimed that no would admit it was their car, the disgruntled employee said they were ‘forced to call the police so they would move the car and I could get out’.

‘But when the police started to tow her car away, she came flying out of the pub shouting, “That’s my car, that’s my car!”,’ they relayed to the publication.

Another onlooker said it was around 11pm that the actress rushed out to the street to try and save her car.

‘A man had come into the pub earlier to say that a blue Audi A3 had blocked the entrance to a car park.’

‘The police came first and then they called a recovery vehicle and towed it away,’ they added.

Warwickshire Police confirmed to Metro.co.uk that a blue Audi was ‘impounded and taken away’ following a report that it was ‘parked across a driveway and blocking in two cars’ on Stratford-Upon-Avon’s High Street near the junction with Sheep Street.

Watson first rose to fame as an 11-year-old with the release of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001, in which she starred as Hermione Granger alongside Daniel Radcliffe as Harry and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley.

In recent years, following her most recent film appearance in Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version of Little Women, Watson has directed an advert for Prada, started a feminist book club and continued with her activism.

Metro.co.uk has contacted a rep for Emma Watson for comment.

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Harry Potter actress Emma Watson appeared to throw a subtle dig at JK Rowling at the Bafta Film Awards. 

The 31-year-old, who is best known for playing Hermione Granger in the blockbuster franchise, attended the star-studded ceremony on Sunday to present the award for best outstanding British film. 

Baftas host Rebel Wilson did the honours of introducing Watson to the stage, and said: ‘Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.’ 

Watson then appeared on-stage with a cheeky smile and said: ‘I’m here for all of the witches by the way.’ 

Viewers took it as a jab towards Harry Potter author Rowling, who has come under fire in recent years for her controversial comments about the transgender community and the definition of a woman. 

Reacting to Watson’s comment, one viewer tweeted: ‘Live for Emma Watson throwing subtle shade at JK Rowling at the #BAFTAs #LGBWithTheT #JKDoesntSpeakForMe.’ 

‘Was that a jibe by emma watson at jk rowling? what a QUEEEEENNN,’ another cheered. 

One weighed in: ‘Emma Watson throwing some classy shade there.’ 

Another said: ‘Emma Watson’s “I’m here for *all* of the witches, by the way” was a giant dig at JK and I love her for it.’ 

‘Emma Watson opening with “I’m here for all the witches…” She’s here for #TransRights. #TransWomenAreWomen,’ one other tweeted. 

Wilson also took a swipe at Rowling earlier in the awards show when a photo of her at the 2020 Baftas appeared on-screen. 

She told the audience in reference to her weight loss: ‘That was me two years ago and since then I’ve done quite a transformation – I hope JK Rowling still approves.’ 

The controversy surrounding Rowling began in 2020, when she criticised an article that used the term ‘people who menstruate’ instead of women. 

She later explained her earlier comments, saying: ‘At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.’ 

The author added that she respects ‘every trans person’s rights to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them’.

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I don’t know what’s worse: a young actress revealing the extent of sexualisation she’s become an increasingly larger victim of, or that I’m no longer surprised by such revelations.

Am I a monster, or am I exhausted?

The public, and the media – no two ways about it – has been pretty creepy towards young female stars for eons now and while I don’t have the answers as to how we make it stop (even as someone who’s a member of aforementioned media), I can at least use this platform to try to call out how insidious this kind of attitude towards young women is and how it threatens all of us – not just the famous.

And yes, before you ‘what about’ me on the subject, people are also dodgy towards young men in the public eye. We only need to see previous treatment of Millie Bobby Brown’s Stranger Things co-star Finn Woldhard to know that is definitely a thing. 

But there is a systemic issue in the treatment of young women – with women in minority communities, as well as those in the LGBT community subjected to this on top of bigoted discrimination and prejudice – and that is why I’ve gathered you here today.

After being sexualised as a young teen rising to fame in the evidently seedy world of showbusiness, and previously opening up about it when she turned 16, Millie this week spoke about how much worse the interest got when she recently turned 18.

‘[It’s] really overwhelming. I have definitely been dealing with that more in the last couple weeks of turning 18,’ she said on the Guilty Feminist podcast.

‘[I’m] definitely seeing a difference between the way people act and the way the press and social media react to me coming of age. It’s gross.’

Long before she turned 18, the star – who was cast as Eleven in Stranger Things in 2016 at the age of 12 – was being sexualised online, with comments lobbed her way, such as those from armchair critics who suggested she was dressing ‘too grown up’.

Then, the forums began to pop up. 

One such included an 18+ Reddit chat that counted down to the star’s birthday, was teased as ‘NSFW’ and was to ‘unlock’ only when she reached the milestone age. I s**t you not.

Disgustingly, a description of the page, shared in another forum, read: ‘[It’s] to post sexual pictures of her the day she turns 18. It’s a sub solely dedicated to sexual pictures of Millie, who is currently a minor, until next week but they have a sub prepared already with thousands of subscribers.’

Yes, there were people actually waiting until it was ‘legal’ for them to post sexual pictures of her. This is apparently a thing that happens to female stars when they turn 18, with similar websites popping up ahead of the Olsen twins’ birthday back in the day.

Millie’s not the first to speak about this level of crude sexualisation, with former child star Mara Wilson revealing before she was out of middle school, she was ‘featured on foot fetish websites, photoshopped into child porn, and received all kinds of letters and messages online from grown men’.

Emma Watson was also a victim of this, after upskirting shots of her were published in mainstream media the day she turned 18, which would have been illegal only 24 hours prior.

It’s a sad reflection on society when these sorts of revelations, which *should* raise all sorts of alarm bells that lead to meaningful change, just don’t shock me anymore. 

Is it because, as a young female myself, I’ve been exposed to this sort of thing, be it directly to me, or in my general sphere, for nearly two decades now? As a woman, am I both horrified but also, wildly desensitised? Has society got me so down I’ve simply given up?

God, I hope not.

We’ve probably all subconsciously shared sentiments about stars like Millie such as ‘wow, she’s so grown up now’, which, at the time, might not intend to come from a predatory place, but when you think about the fact we’re still commenting on a teenage girl’s body, or what she’s wearing, it’s pretty bloody creepy, isn’t it? So while you may think I’m bleating on about something that you don’t see as a problem, it really is.

Even under a story of the star’s remarks about being sexualised, I saw a comment remarking how Millie’s ‘kid-teen’ looks were ‘long gone’. We just can’t help ourselves, can we?

Again for the cheap seats at the back, whether it’s positive, or from a place of support, just because these women are famous does not make their bodies public domain. If they’re not yet 18, it *really* bloody doesn’t make their bodies public domain. Keep comments to self, people.

Heard of the Lolita Effect? It’s a term coined in a 2008 book by Meenakshi Gigi Durham, derived from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita, which is all about a middle-aged professor becoming obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, and refers to the media sexualisation of girls, as well as the blame that can be put on them for their part in abuse or harassment that girls face.

Lolita was published in 1955, remember. So we’ve clearly not learned any lessons here, and the internet, a haven of gross, is just giving this Lolita energy a place to expand.

Plus, to rub salt into the wounds, even when their bodies are not treated as theirs – when they’re objectified, when older men in boardrooms make decisions about the ‘image’ they’re going to publicly portray, when they’re hacked and nude photos of them are leaked online, it’s still seen as their fault. How many female stars have been forced to apologise for the sexualisation of their own bodies that they did not consent to. Isn’t that wild? 

Perhaps it’s because we’ve seen what happens when these young stars don’t bend to the whim of the powers that be – they’re cast aside. The ol’ adage of sex sells has never rung more true, it matters not to the executives whether the starlet is of age, and that mentality is clearly passed own to the consumers and baying fans.

But if we continue to allow this sort of behaviour and conversation fester in the comments of Instagram posts and remain unchecked in Reddit forums, we’re only allowing that weed to grow when discussing non-famous women. 

By shrugging off Millie’s comments as ‘what you get for being famous’ it’s merely justifying that rhetoric to be weaponised against ourselves. And huns, we’re not about that life.

Well look at that, I’m not feeling so exhausted any more: let’s rage.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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Tom Felton has admitted he had no idea what Harry Potter was when he auditioned for the part of Draco Malfoy – and it might have been exactly that ‘nonchalant’ attitude that ended up securing him the part.

The 34-year-old actor recalled the experience of auditioning aged 12 alongside lots of other children who were in love with the JK Rowling novels.

‘I was also one of the only ones who had no idea what Harry Potter was at the time,’ he told The Guardian. ‘Anyone could try out for it, so many excited kids went along who loved the books deeply.’

He first tried out for the title role of Harry Potter and his best friend Ron Weasley, dying his hair black and then ginger in the process. He said his ‘nonchalant’ and cavalier attitude towards the part of Draco, who could be described as arrogant at best, is what probably secured him the part.

‘I reckon I got the part because I was nonchalant,’ he continued, ‘and had no idea what anyone was on about. Wizards in cupboards under the stairs? And with three older brothers, you learn to be confident quickly.

‘I think Chris Columbus, the director, recognised this slight disinterest and arrogance in me, which he thought could work for Malfoy.’

Tom said he was able to resume life as normal and go to school on and off while making the films, unlike Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, Emma Watson, who played Hermione, and Rupert Grint, who starred as Ron, who Tom says were on set ‘non-stop for 10 years’.

‘My schedules were fixed in a way I could stay at school with weeks on and weeks off,’ he added. ‘Rupert [Grint], Emma [Watson] and Daniel [Radcliffe], meanwhile, were there non-stop for 10 years. I carried on as normal.

‘I’d get the occasional gag or comment from my mates, but honestly nobody was bothered. Some people really struggle with the idea that I wasn’t this special, popular kid, but I was walking around with dyed hair and played an evil wizard. It wasn’t cool. It did me no favours with the girls.’

The Harry Potter stars reunited earlier this for the 20th anniversary Return to Hogwarts special, during which Emma revealed the moment she fell in love with Tom.

Recalling a tutoring session session they both were part of, she said: ‘The assignment that had been given was to draw what you thought god looked like, and Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard. And I just don’t how to say it – I just fell in love with him.

‘I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet, it was number seven, and if his name was on the call sheet, it was an extra exciting day. He was three years above me and so for him he was like, you’re like my little sister.’

Tom has just finished filming thriller Burial with Harriet Walker and Charlotte Vega, and will make his West End debut in 2:22: A Ghost Story.

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Emma Watson’s famous pixie cut has returned, as she made her directorial debut with a short film for the launch of Prada’s new women’s fragrance.

The actress, 32, is also the face of the campaign and chopped off her signature shoulder-length brunette tresses for the striking hair transformation.

The Harry Potter star is seen in the somewhat edgy image, captured for the campaign by photographer Harley Weir and posted on the Prada site and on social media, posing with the chopped do from a side profile.

Emma, who is in a sleeveless, silk, burnt orange top, paired the look with dangly Prada earrings and dramatic retro eyeliner.

Last year the star revealed she’d spent lockdown ‘getting behind the camera’, describing the experience as ‘the most empowering thing’.

She shared a frame from the film on Instagram and wrote: ‘When Prada asked me to be the face of their new fragrance campaign, I asked if I could direct it.

‘Months later, and I’m able to share the results of the faith they shared in me, with all of you.

‘I can’t wait to share this piece of my art, and hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

‘I could never have done this without my unbelievable team of collaborators. Thank you for your time, commitment, talent and passion. My directorial debut and Prada’s newest refillable fragrance, coming soon.’

In a statement from the Italian fashion house, she added: ‘Prada has always gone beyond traditional models and archetypes of conceived beauty and is famous for a femininity that challenges conventions.

‘It’s a pleasure to create a campaign and represent a fragrance with such a profound philosophical concept and sustainability initiatives in a way that feels genuinely real and relevant.’

The actresses’ collaboration with Prada also involves a focus on improving the brand’s sustainability and disclosure practices, which will be charted on their Good On You ethical fashion app.

Since the final Harry Potter film in 2011, the star, who thrilled fans by taking part in a Harry Potter reunion special on Sky last December has gone on to be one of the industry’s top actresses.

She starred as Belle in the 2017 adaptation of Beauty And The Beast and appeared as Meg March in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women.

Emma is also an activist for women’s rights and was appointed a UN Women goodwill ambassador in 2014.

She has since helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which promotes gender equality.

The Prada fragrance will launch worldwide on August 22.

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You’ll never guess what – the cast of Harry Potter only have a WhatsApp group chat.

And it’s not just any chat as, according to Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton, they use it to share ‘geeky’ wizard jokes. Honestly, we’d expect nothing less.

The 35-year-old actor delighted Potterheads by confirming that he is still ‘very close friends’ with the other stars of the films, despite it being over 10 years since the last movie in the franchise was released.

And although they don’t get to see one another very often, the stars like to stay in contact via messages.

He told Capital Breakfast: ‘We’re obviously very close friends, all of us. It sounds sort of like a cheesy line to say that we’re all family. We don’t often see each other, all of us together in the same room as much as we’d like to.

‘But yeah, there is a cheeky WhatsApp group going, and we still make lots of really geeky Potter jokes. Like I will only refer to them as the Gryffindorks.’

Tom assured that ‘the banter is still there’ and while the cast – including the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint – shall remain ‘linked forever’ by the Harry Potter phenomenon, they are genuinely good mates.

The actor also admitted he that he ‘blagged’ his audition for the movies because, unlike most of the children trying out, he’d never read any of JK Rowling’s books.

But, he ultimately thinks that worked in his favour, although he reckons it ‘probably would’ve been a good idea’ to do his homework beforehand.

‘Quite ironically, I blagged it. I think because in the original audition stages, basically they invited everyone in the UK who was a fan of the book,’ he explained.

‘So there were thousands of children lining up who knew all about Hogwarts and Gringotts and I had no idea about any of it.’

Tom confessed that he ‘definitely lied’ in his audition by telling casting directors that he thought the best-selling novels were ‘brilliant.’

‘And I’m pretty sure Chris Columbus, the director, saw that as probably a perfect Malfoy candidate so in a way not reading the books helped get me the part,’ he laughed.

Despite not being the biggest Harry Potter bookworm back in the day, Tom recently praised its author’s contribution to literature.

Following numerous allegations of transphobia against Rowling over recent years, Tom insisted he ‘doesn’t like to pick sides.’

He said he feels ‘no-one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations’ than the writer.

Speaking to The Times’ T2 magazine, the child star said: ‘I couldn’t speak for what others have said or what she said, to be completely honest, but I’m often reminded, attending Comic Cons in particular, that no-one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life.

‘I’m constantly reminded of her positive work in that field and as a person. I’ve only had a handful of meetings with her but she has always been lovely. So I’m very grateful for that.’

Tune into Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, weekdays from 6am-10am

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Now, it’s no secret that Harry Potter is a mega money franchise, but the amount Tom Felton was paid for his role in the films is truly eye-watering.

Tom, now 35, was just 13-years-old when he hit the big time by scoring the role of Draco Malfoy in the movie adaptations of JK Rowling’s bestselling books.

But despite fans (aka Potterheads) knowing him as one of the franchise’s most iconic characters, Tom actually only had 31 minutes and 45 seconds of screen time across the entire eight films.

And even though he was on the big screen for just over half an hour, the British actor still reportedly eared a whopping £14million – that will have bought him a wand or two!

Naturally, the likes of Daniel Radcliffe (titular star Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) had more screen time as the leads, as broken down by IMDB.

The online database shows that Daniel had 539 minutes of screen time, Emma had 205 minutes, and Rupert had 211 minutes.

Tom’s total screen time was slightly less than Ralph Fiennes, who played terrifying villain Lord Voldermort for a total of 37 minutes and 15 seconds across all the films.

Harry’s school foe Draco also appeared for less time than the late Robbie Coltrane, who played beloved Rubeus Hagrid.

The star – who died on October 14 of this year – was on camera for 45 minutes and 45 seconds as the half human, half giant.

As far as salaries go, according to The Mirror, Tom reportedly made £451,613 per minute of screen time – not bad for a teenager, eh?

Although, according to the Express, the child star revealed to the Daily Mail in 2010 that he ran into financial trouble after he ‘wasted’ his cash.

Tom is said to have splashed out on luxury cars, mostly BMWs, despite his mother warning him that he would lose money on them.

‘There was a scary two years where it was madness because I was really in trouble with the taxman. I had been working for eight years and all I had to show for it was this horrible debt,’ he said.

‘At one point we had the bailiff at the door.’

Thankfully, Tom said he ‘managed to get out of the situation’ and is now back on his feet, but confessed it was a result of him ‘burying his head in the sand.’

‘I’ve spent the past year and a half with an accountant, trying to understand VAT, DVD residuals and things like that,’ he added at the time.

‘I’ve had to really grow up.’

Oh, and we know you now wanna know how much the rest of the cast eared, so don’t say we never give you anything…

Rupert as Ron is said to have earned £37million (and actually bought an ice cream van with his millions), whereas Emma reportedly earned a very nice £62million.

However, she was, in true Hermione style, extremely sensible with her money.

She previously revealed that her father never told her how much she was earning from the films, and she lived on an allowance of £50 a week until she was 18.

‘When I was 18 my father sat me down for a money conversation,’ she explained.

‘By the fourth film the money was starting to get serious. I had no idea. I felt sick, very emotional.’

As for Daniel, he reportedly earned £84million as the leading man… yes, we’re now begging for someone to invent a time machine so we can go back and become child actors too.

But, like Emma, he hasn’t always been a big spender.

‘I don’t do a huge amount with my money,’ he told James O’Brien’s podcast Full Disclosure.

‘I’m not particularly extravagant. There are moments where I think, “Man, I’m really bad at being famous”.’

Don’t worry, Dan, we could always help you out…

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Emma Watson shared a heartfelt message to an inspirational autistic fan, who is a huge fan of Harry Potter.

The Hermione Granger actor appeared on Friday’s The Late Late Toy Show, the annual special of the long-running chat show, which showcases the popular toys of the year, on RTE via a video link to speak to Caitriona Kalogeraki, 10.

Caitriona, who raises awareness of autism, was completely taken aback when the Little Women star popped up while testing out Hogwarts-themed games.

Sat in front of some jazzy curtains in the clip, Emma, 32, said: ‘I wanted to send you a message to thank you for all you do to spread awareness around Autism and for speaking about it so eloquently and in a way that empowers and educates other young people.’

‘Thank you for picking me as your favourite Harry Potter character.

‘You seem like such an amazing and special young woman. I’ve heard that you can solve a Rubik’s cube in a crazy amount of time. I am sending all the best and a warm hello from London.’

Caitriona, whose jaw dropped, looked absolutely thrilled to be receiving the message from The Perks of Being a Wallflower performer.

After the message, Caitriona shared: ‘So I have this thing called autism, I don’t think of it as superpower.

‘I think of it as an ability. It’s actually classified as a disability but I think it’s more of an ability.

‘I get emotional, I cry a lot at school but it’s also really cool because I get really happy and I love being Autistic.

‘I just want to say a message for kids out there, if you are neurodivergent and just feel different, I just want to say that you are so so special and you are amazing.’

Heartstopper star Bradley Riches, who has autism, recently spoke to Metro.co.uk about portraying the condition on screen.

‘Acting is an escapism for me. I feel free and understood when playing characters when, most of the time, I felt misunderstood as Bradley. I am so happy that I can show autistic people that they aren’t alone and that they aren’t invisible – they are beautiful and magical,’ Bradley said.

His character James isn’t autistic – or at least, it hasn’t been publicly revealed yet – but as Bradley says, there’s certainly scope for it to happen.

The Late Late Show airs Fridays at 9.35pm on RTE One.

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The Christmas TV season is now very much upon us, and a common question on many lips is where the Harry Potter movies can be found.

Though the wizarding series isn’t explicitly a Christmas story, the majority of the movies were released around this time of year.

In later years, they have become staple viewing for families up and down the UK (and around the world) as December 25 draws closer and closer.

Each of the films, based on books written by author JK Rowling, also featured extended Christmas sequences, complete with massive feasts and knitted Weasley gifts.

So, where can the Harry Potter movies and Fantastic Beasts films be found on streaming services this Christmas?

Where can you watch the Harry Potter movies?

Like most big movie franchises these days, streaming services will be your first port of call when sitting down to watch your favourite Christmas flicks.

All eight of the Harry Potter movies can be rented on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and the Sky Store for the price of £3.49.

The Fantastic Beasts films, three of which have been released to date, are all available on the same streaming services for the same price of £3.49.

Sadly, it looks like the Harry Potter films won’t be available to watch on free-to-air TV. In the last few years, Sky Cinema has exclusively shown the films.

ITV used to broadcast all eight of the films throughout the Christmas period, but since 2019, that unfortunately hasn’t been the case.

Another option would be to buy the physical copies of the films, either on DVD or Blu-ray, from your nearest media and entertainment retailer.

What order should you watch in?

The recommended order for watching each of the Harry Potter movies would be the order of release, beginning with 2001’s The Philosopher’s Stone.

The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 would therefore follow, going in the same order as the seven books (the last of which was split into two movies).

With regards to the Fantastic Beasts films, the Eddie Redmayne-starring series would be best viewed after each of the Harry Potter films.

However, it’s important to note that the story of Fantastic Beasts takes place decades before the events of the Harry Potter series, which means they could technically be watched beforehand if you’d rather going in the story’s chronological order.

The Fantastic Beasts films do contain characters who feature prominently in the Harry Potter series, such as Albus Dumbledore.

We would recommend watching all eight Harry Potter films before watching the three Fantastic Beasts films, which were all released from 2016 onwards.

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Emma Watson fuelled speculation she was back with her ex-boyfriend Brendan Wallace after the former couple were spotted in the crowd at Taylor Swift’s Las Vegas concert.

The 32-year-old Harry Potter actress was previously linked to the entrepreneur in 2018 when they were snapped locking lips during a Mexican getaway.

Pictures of the potential couple circulated social media and showed Emma and Brendan smiling away as they bopped to the pop princess’s famous hits.

Brendan is a co-founder and managing partner of a venture capital fund called Fifth Wall Ventures according to his LinkedIn page and focuses ‘on technologies for the global real estate industry, including those which decarbonize the sector’.

In images shared on Twitter, the British star was seen wearing an oversized beige shearling jacket over the top of a black round neck sweater.

She donned minimal makeup and let her short tresses hang loose around her shoulders.

Her suspected lover kept it casual in a blue dress shirt which he wore unbuttoned over the top of a turquoise t-shirt and black jeans.

Emma has previously been linked to co-star and fellow actor Tom Felton, 35.

The star regularly praised the new author of Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard and admitted he was ‘one of the purest loves’.

She wrote in the introduction to Tom’s book release: ‘When we first met, I was a moody and probably rather annoying nine-year-old girl who followed him round like a puppy, desperate for his attention.

‘But, as he has written so eloquently, beautifully, and generously in this book, our friendship didn’t end there. Thank goodness it blossomed and endured.

‘Like Tom, I always struggle to explain to people the nature of our connection and relationship. For more than twenty years now, we’ve loved each other in a special way.

‘It’s one of the purest loves I can think of. We’re soulmates, and we’ve always had each other’s backs. I know we always will. It makes me emotional to think about it’.

Emma and Tom were both part of the wizard franchise written by JK Rowling and starred in the much-loved films from the very beginning.

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Emma Watson is notoriously private when it comes to her personal life and very rarely posts on social media.

But that all changed on Saturday, when the Harry Potter star shared what might be her most personal life update yet on Instagram to mark her 33^rd birthday.

Emma explained that she’d ‘stepped away from life’ over the past couple of years and went into great detail about what she’d been up to.

From learning to surf to adopting a dog and even ripping off a fingernail, the A-lister gave fans a no holds barred peek into her life.

Alongside a striking black and white image of herself, Emma wrote: ‘This is 33. Holy moly. Before 29 I hadn’t even heard of a Saturn Return as a concept.’

The Little Women star went on: ‘Let’s just say that now I am well acquainted. I stepped away from my life – I learned to surf (badly), I rode some horses (that went better), I did a lot of therapy (YESS therapy!).

‘My brother and I figured out how to make a gin using recycled wine grapes!?  (@renaisspirits) I adopted Sofia in Mexico, who seems to be an angel not a dog.’

Emma added: ‘We filmed a Harry Potter reunion. I said goodbye to my Grandma and Grandpa. I retraced my steps. I started a women’s environmental investment fund.

‘I played Pickleball with @sugarrayleonard and I even played golf and then tried to make all of my girlfriends learn too.

‘I cut my thumb nail off on both hands trying to cook for myself and then was only able to do things one handed for months.

‘I felt really sad and really pissed off about a lot of things. I learned more about love and being a woman.’

She concluded: ‘It took me three years but I have finally figured out a daily practice and can actually keep it for more than a few days in a row. I burned some things down. I eat green things now!

‘I got obsessed with making Squarespace websites. I directed my first commercial.

‘These pictures were actually taken on my birthday last year, but I wasn’t ready to come out of my Covid Cocoon. Today I feel [butterfly emoji].’

Needless to say, her 70.5million followers were delighted that she’d shared such a personal update with them, and even Emma’s famous followers were quick to celebrate her return to the social media platform.

Vanessa Hudgens wrote: ‘What a goddess,’ beneath Emma’s post, while Nicola Adams added: ‘Life is a journey,’ and Karlie Kloss left a slew of fun emojis.

Glad to have you back, Emma!

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Emma Watson has been spotted with a new man days after she parted ways with Sir Philip Green’s son Brandon.

The 33-year-old Harry Potter actress sparked new romance rumours after she was snapped spending time with a mystery man last week during a trip to Venice, Italy.

Her jaunt around the Italian city came days after it was reported the star was no longer seeing the Topshop owner’s offspring.

Who is Emma’s new boyfriend?

The star was smiling and laughing alongside American businessman Ryan Walsh, according to The Sun.

During their stay, they were said to have taken a water taxi to the island of La Certosa for dinner reservations where they were joined by two other people.

Emma dressed for summer in a maxi silk dress that featured a busy pattern of tartan-like colours and shapes.

She wore sunglasses on her head that kept her mass of brunette locks off her face and covered her shoulders with a white-lined shirt.

The A-lister opted for comfort and sported a pair of ballerina pump flats and carried her things in a canvas material colourful tote bag.

Her companion put on a plain black T-shirt for his day out in Italy and completed his look with grey linen shorts and a pair of Birkenstock brown sandals.

He carried a metal water bottle in one hand and what appeared to be a laptop in the other and wore a pair of reading glasses on his face.

Who has Emma dated in the past?

Before her outing with Ryan, the star was presumed to be in a relationship with her ex Brandon for around 18 months.

The former couple supposedly called things off after Christmas following a ‘serious’ romance.

Their entanglement was first confirmed when the pair were photographed holding hands also in Venice.

Emma’s relationship history has been notoriously guarded however she is known to have dated rugby player Tom Ducker and fellow Oxford University students Will Adamowicz and Matt Janney.

In an interview with British Vogue ahead of her 30^th birthday, the actress commented on her love life and admitted at the time: ‘It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered.’

Metro.co.uk contacted Emma’s reps for comment.

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EastEnders fans have been left shocked after spotting Ben Champniss, who plays Shrimpy in the BBC One soap, in one of the Harry Potter films!

The hugely popular series has been put on Netflix, meaning new and old Harry Potter fans could flock to the streaming platform to watch them.

The first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, aired in 2001 and follows a young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) as they arrive at Hogwarts ready to learn how to become the best wizard they can be.

The finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – was released in 2011 and sees the trio and their pals defeat the Death Eaters and remaining Horcruxes, leading to an intense showdown between Harry Potter and evil Lord Voldemort.

Once Lord Voldemort has been killed (spoilers!), Harry, Hermoine and Ron are left wondering what the future may hold at their beloved school – which is where this surprising link to EastEnders comes in.

As the film draws to a close, an older version of the trio are seen at King’s Cross Station, waving off their children as they board the train ready to leave for Hogwarts.

Moment before the credits roll, we see Harry, Hermoine and Ron for one final time – but many looked behind the characters and spotted Ben aka Shrimpy from EastEnders!

The actor shared a tweet recently, confirming he hasn’t been a Muggle his entire life: ‘Since Netflix started streaming Harry Potter, I’ve received quite a few messages regarding this last scene…Always lovely to hear from you all, and yes, I can confirm….I was a wizard in a former life!’.

Many EastEnders fans commented on Ben’s tweet, with some admitting that they’ve seen that scene so many times, and still failed to spot him!

Ben has played market stall owner Shrimpy since 2014. He is often seen running more than one stall, however, as he’s usually asked to keep an eye on someone else’s when they’re forced to run off, too involved in Albert Square drama!

Shrimpy was the focus of an interesting scene recently, as Eve (Heather Peace) admitted that she had a sex dream about him once and well…he kept his hat on the entire time.

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Emma Watson hit the red carpet alongside her brother Alex at this year’s Soho House Awards and the love between them is real.

The Harry Potter star, 33, and her sibling, 30, linked arms as they arrived at the event in a rare public appearance.

They were among guests at the star-studded event at Dumbo House in New York which ‘recognises and spotlights the incredible work of creative talents across our membership: from established icons to future stars, undiscovered changemakers and all of those in between,’ according to the luxury club.

Emma was the epitome of elegance in a plunging silver fringed top with a sheer, pastel maxi skirt and matching purse.

She wore her hair in an updo which highlighted her glittering earrings used to accessorise.

Alex, meanwhile, looked suave in a dark blue suit and black round-neck T-shirt as he beamed for photos alongside his sister.

Earlier this year, the Little Women actor opened up on the close relationship she has with her brother, who also appeared in the Harry Potter films as an unnamed Hufflepuff student.

In an Instagram post reflecting on her life celebrating her 33rd birthday, Emma credited Alex with helping her ‘find the most challenging things, with time, incredibly funny.’

In July, the siblings joined forces to launch their own gin brand, Renais, inspired by family trips to the Chablis vineyard in France during their childhood.

Emma said in a statement: ‘To me, Renais is a family project, not only does the Chablis region evoke very special memories of growing up, I’ve loved having the opportunity to create something with my brother Alex.

‘I’m particularly proud of upcycling grapes from vineyards (including my dad’s) to reduce waste and create something new, being one of the only gins on the market using mushroom packaging, and our carbon-neutral product status.

‘We will continue to challenge ourselves as much as possible here because this is such a passion of mine.’

It comes after Emma and Philip Green’s son Brandon have reportedly called time on their ‘serious’ relationship.

Rumours began swirling that she was dating Brandon after they were pictured disembarking from a helicopter in Battersea, London in 2021.

However, an insider claimed to the Daily Mail Emma and Brandon, 29, decided to part ways around Christmas time after it was alleged in March she had reunited with her ex-boyfriend Brendan Wallace after they were spotted at a Taylor Swift concert in Las Vegas.

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