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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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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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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It’s just a matter of days until the 2023 British LGBT Awards ceremony kicks off in London.

The eagerly-anticipated event will honour the celebrities, campaigners and community activists who have helped advance the fight for LGBT+ rights during the past 12 months. 

Rebel Wilson, Kit Connor, Emma Corrin, Yasmin Finney, Joe Lycett and Becky Hill are among the nominees.

Hosted by TV personality Sue Perkins, the awards – sponsored by Macquarie – will bring together some of the biggest names from media and entertainment.

It will also gather some of the country’s biggest businesses for a major night celebrating  LGBT+ achievements. 

‘The British LGBT Awards just gets bigger every year,’ said founder Sarah Garrett MBE. 

‘It really has become a staple event for the LGBT+ community and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the many successes and achievements within our community but most importantly this event shows young people who may be struggling with their sexuality that being lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender is not a barrier to success.

‘The British LGBT Award involves the public on a huge scale, the public decides the nominees and the winners.

‘It is incredible that so many people get involved. Friday’s event is set to be really special – Sue Perkins is returning as host and there are going to be some fantastic moments.

‘We’re really looking forward to it.’

To see the full list of nominations and cast your vote, click here.

Ahead of the event on Friday, which is being supported by Metro, here are six things to expect: 

1. LGBT+ celebrities out in force

Organisers are promising a night packed with celebrity guests.

Not only is Sue Perkins hosting but stars including musician Olly Alexander, comedian Julian Clary, TV presenter Rylan Clark, Britain’s Got Talent judge Bruno Tonioli, boxing legend Nicola Adams and music icons Holly Johnson and Andy Bell are all expected to be in attendance. 

2. Tribute to Paul O’Grady

The untimely passing of TV royalty Paul O’Grady earlier this year sent shockwaves through the LGBT+ community and beyond.

The broadcaster and Lily Savage star was a trailblazer of the LGBT+ community.

O’Grady was known for support of a number of charitable campaigns including those which help people living with HIV and AIDS.

The British LGBT Awards is planning a special tribute to the man himself. 

3. LGBT+ allies showing support

The British LGBT Awards annually celebrates allies of the community with a special award.

Michelle Visage, Harry Styles, Alison Hammond, Emma Watson and Katherine Ryan are all in the running for the Celebrity Ally of the Year gong.

Celebs such as Lorraine Kelly, Denise Welch, Roman Kemp and Shirley Ballas are also expected to attend and show their support.

4. Brand and businesses will be recognised

Some of the country’s best-loved brands and businesses are also in the running for awards for demonstrating their commitment to inclusivity and the LGBT+ community.

BOOTS, Gymshark, Virgin Atltanic and The AA are amongst those vying for in the Brand or Marketing Campaign category.

The hotly contested prize is decided by the British LGBT Awards expert judging panel which includes distinguished names from business and the media. 

5. Big name winners

HRH Prince William, former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, pop queen Kylie Minogue, Caitlyn Jenner and Ru Paul are just some of the big name winners to bag a British LGBT Award in recent years.

Organisers are tight lipped on this year’s recipients but it is expected that there will be some surprise star guests taking home accolades on the night. 

6. Show-stopping after party

There have been big name DJ performances and celebrities partying into the small honours at the legendary British LGBT Awards after party over the years and it is set to be no different on Friday.

With the event taking place in the middle of Pride month, expect camp classics and a packed dance floor as nominees and winners celebrate their success ‘at Britain’s own gay Oscars’.

To find out more about the ceremony, taking place this Friday, head over to the official website.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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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Milan Fashion Week is. in full swing with celebs flocking to the Italian city to support their favourite designers including Prada darling Emma Watson.

After Emma took a chic stroll with her dog Sofia around Milan, she got glammed up for the Prada Spring/Summer ’24 fashion show.

Keeping things sleek, the 33-year-old opted for a timeless little black dress, witha high neck and black patent heels.

She was on trend, wearing minimal accessories save for delicate jewellery and a Prada handbag.

As with all these star studded fashion week events, such as Fendi’s supermodel stacked show on Wednesday, Emma wasn’t the only celeb at the show.

The Harry Potter alum was joined by Marvel stars Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Letitia Wright.

Scarlett, 38, twinned with Emma as she also chose a flattering and elegant little black dress, this time with a cross neck design giving a peak at her ribcage tattoo.

Again her accessories consisted of dainty bracelets, some black kitten heels and a Prada handbag, keeping things monochromatic.

Benedict, 47, put his own spin on the sleek black trend, wearing black trousers – we’re sure he would have looked great in a minidress though.

The Dr Strange star mixed things up with a cream shirt that had a large art print on one side, which appeared to include flowers and a bird.

He wore a long trench coat over the look, which was again a neutral stone colour, and popped on some sunnies too.

Rounding out the Marvel crowd was Letitia, 29, who was leaning into her androgynous vibes with a brown suit.

She styled the plaid suit, buttoned up with no shirt underneath and black loafers and black sunglasses, looking effortlessly cool.

Letitia previously told Metro.co.uk she does not label her own style as androgynous but thinks it is ‘cool’ when other people do.

‘People love to put labels on things and I think that’s dope but I’m just really myself,’ she said earlier this month.

Media personalities Sofia Ritchie and Charli D’Amelio also were spotted at the event with Sofia flying in the face of the neutrals trend in a bright red top.

She covered this with a long wrap around coat which matched her grey suit trousers.

Dixie opted for a grey jumper over a floor length white tulle skirt with floral details – somewhat reminiscent of a wedding dress.

Ayo Edebiri, who stars in cult smash hit Bottoms, looked glam in a sleek lavender top and silky pencil skirt.

She grinned at the camera as she strolled into the show, wearing 90s sling back kitten heels and black sunglasses.

Also in attendance was Hunter Schafer, who rocked a busy peachy toned shirt and black skirt, with chunky loafers completing her business casual vibes.

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JK Rowling has declared celebrities who have spoken out in support of transgender people can ‘save their apologies’ — including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.

The Harry Potter author has been at the centre of Britain’s gender row, and recently boldly daring Scottish police to arrest her as the Hate Crime Act came into force.

Days after garnering backlash for a long thread misgendering transwomen, she has given her thoughts on the long-awaited Cass Review.

Rowling praised the findings of the report commissioned by NHS England in 2020 and looked at gender identity services for under-18s.

The overarching findings of the 388-page report conducted by Dr Hilary Cass stated that children had been ‘let down’ thus far by a failure to base gender care on evidence-based research.

While tweeting her approval of Cass’ findings, Rowling responded to someone asking her if she could ever ‘forgive’ the former Harry Potter stars who have spoken in support of trans rights.

‘Just waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a very public apology … safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them …’ wrote X user Adam Harris, who describes himself as a ‘Far Right Hooligan’.

‘Not safe, I’m afraid,’ quipped the 58-year-old author in response amid a thread praising the review and calling the trans rights movement a ‘scandal’.

She continued: ‘Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.’

Harry Potter’s leading man Radcliffe, 34, has worked extensively with the Trevor Project in recent years, supporting trans youths, and in his own words is ‘learning to be a better ally’.

He rarely addresses Rowling’s comments but in 2020, the Miracle Workers star made his feelings incredibly clear as he wrote: ‘Transgender women are women.

‘Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.’

Meanwhile, shortly after Radcliffe’s statement was shared, Hermione Granger actress Watson also tweeted her support for trans rights.

‘Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,’ she wrote.

The Beauty and the Beast star continued: ‘I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.’

Neither actor has publicly said anything against Rowling herself or criticised her directly. In fact, Radcliffe previously acknowledged that the writer is ‘unquestionably responsible’ for the course of his life.

The Weird Al actor added: ‘If you found anything in [Harry Potter] that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.

‘In my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.’

Many LGBTQ+ fans of the franchise have turned their back on the franchise which shaped much of millennials and Gen Zs’ childhood.

Radcliffe and Watson last starred in Harry Potter in 2011 with final film The Deathly Hallows Part 2 and have distanced from the franchise since.

They both returned for the 20th anniversary documentary along with other stars. However, Rowling was not present.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Radcliffe and Watson’s reps for comment.

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Tom Felton – who is best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise – has released a new song, and fans are less than impressed. 

Tom, 36, is a beloved and well-known actor, who has been making music for several years, releasing his latest album Orange (stylised as ORaNgE) just last week.

One of the singer’s new songs, Holding On (stylised as hOLDing On) has been met with criticism from fans who were surprised to hear his vocals and interesting choice of lyrics in this piece. 

The song, which was released on April 28, has now gone viral on TikTok as fans have rushed to social media to share their reactions.

@eehyunseo defended the musician but couldn’t defend his song, commenting: ‘I’m a fan of tom felton, but WTF is this😭😭.’

Another fan, @sophsexton2, added: ‘I LOVE Tom Felton but this is painful.’

In the song, Tom, 36, could be heard calling himself ‘just a boy on a skateboard’ and saying: ‘I’ll still make your heart skip now like you were 17,’ leading some to believe that he could be referencing Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.

@idnyag speculated: ‘I find that line interesting because Emma Watson describes him like that when she talks about when they were younger and she had a crush on him.’

The pair have never romantically linked but Emma has spoken about ‘falling in love’ with Tom when they were children, when she considered him a ‘bad boy’ because he had a skateboard.

Fans mocked the actor’s choice of lyrics as he chose to say ‘fudge’ instead of the word ‘f**k’.

La.lxxe commented: ‘I” will fudge this thing up” 😭😭 I had to rewind to see if I was hearing that correctly.’

@walmart_hawkeye also commented: ‘”I will fudge this thing up” HOW DOES IT KEEP GETTING WORSE.’

@tierneyyy commented: ‘Fudge.. is he 12 years old.’

Although the majority of fan reviews weren’t exactly positive, many were loyal and defended the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor.

‘No actually I wont take tom felton music slander have u HEARD hawaii, blue skies and we belong😭 slaps every time idc,’ commented @starrytarry444. 

@Katt.noir chipped in to add: ‘The thing is he knows he isn’t the best but he does it anyway simply because he enjoys it. and that’s what we should be doing in life, even if you aren’t good at something don’t let it discourage you.’

Since Harry Potter concluded in 2011, the actor has notably appeared in Ophelia and The Forgotten Battle.

He also appeared on stage in 2:22 A Ghost Story in 2022 and in the same year he released his memoir: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.

The star has released several songs over the years, including Hawaii in 2011 and Father of Mine in 2009, which were hits with die-hard fans.

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Twenty years ago, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released and fans were absolutely blown away by the third film in the hit franchise.

Much like the book, the film marked a notable change within the Wizarding World, filling a darker and more adult space.

Fans lapped it up and it has since become revered as one of the best of the series, coming only in second place to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Azkaban has a very respectable 90% on the aggregator site, and is praised for its ‘delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling.’

Once again starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as our magical adolescent heroes Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, it sees them facing a harsher world while going into their third year at Hogwarts.

Unfortunately for Harry, now aged 13, his world is turned upside down once again as he goes on a journey to uncover his mysterious past, and his links to escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman.

And of course, the film, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, is known for featuring the incredibly ominous Dementors, the ghost-like prison guards chasing down Black, who cause a real headache for Harry throughout.

It also starred the likes of Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Michael Gambon in his first outing as Professor Dumbledore and Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney, the Divination teacher at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban will now be shown in select UK cinemas from May 31 to mark the 20th anniversary, for those who wish to relive the intense but brilliant third installment of the saga.

Shedding light on how such dark eerieness was cast over the film, Gary Tomkins, the Art Director for the Prisoner of Azkaban and who worked on all of the Harry Potters, told Metro.co.uk about clever tricks he used to make it look so much darker than the first two – and it was all about the set design.

‘There were lots of really cool new sets and action sequences, the Knight Bus, for example, is a very memorable thing,’ he said. ‘And it just felt like a little bit of more of a grown-up film. That was reflected in the sets and how we built them.’

As well as it being a more adult venture, it was how Hogwarts transformed for this film that really helped audiences get stuck into this deeper, edgier world.

‘The dark tone of the story and the darker tone of the film was reflected in the Hogwarts Castle miniature that we built,’ he explained.

‘We repainted it in a slightly darker tone, just to, you know, make the whole thing slightly more moody.’

Tomkins added that for this film – his favourite of the franchise – the layout of Hogwarts had to be changed to include the wooden bridge, the standing stones, Sirius Black’s prison tower, the courtyard and the grand clock.

‘Stuart Craig, our fantastic production designer, would often come up with some slight tweaks to the design that he thought would be better. And you know, that’s, that’s why it developed.

‘So there are probably no two films where Hogwarts Castle remains the same, always develops and grows.’

He then rebuffed any possible complaints about the continuity of Hogwarts from movie to movie.

‘And if anyone questions it, we say, well, this magic, of course, it changes!’

Tomkins added that predicting what the Wizarding School might have looked like when they began production would have been impossible as the books weren’t completed at that point.

‘Of course, when we started on the first film, the last few books hadn’t even been written. So we couldn’t include all the things, even if we were trying to second guess what might come up in terms of other architectural elements of Hogwarts, there was no way we could actually know what was in store for us, but it was great.

‘It kept us busy for 10 years.’

The production began on the first film in September 2000, at which point the fourth book, The Goblet of Fire, had just been released in July.

Tomkins also happily shared his fond memories about the cast members, including the late great Rickman, who lives on in the Harry Potter world as Snape.

‘I think I’m pretty sure it was on Azkaban when very often we’d be in a coffee bar at Leavesden,’ he said, referring to the Warner Brothers Studio where primary filming took place.

‘Alan Rickman would come in wearing the full sort of Snape costume makeup and almost still in character and order his coffee.’

He joked that the actor, who died in 2016, was still rather intimidating in his costume, and cast members would insist he took their space in the queue: ‘We would be all like “OK, You first, you first! I can wait!”’

He laughed, adding that there wasn’t a division between cast and crew: ‘Often you work on a film and there’s a great separation between us. And the actors are all squirrelled away in their caravans. But because we were the only film in Leavesden, all the actors knew that anyone they would bump into around the studio were people working on that film. 

‘So they were quite relaxed. It’s not like they would bump into someone that would, you know, embarrassingly ask them for their autograph or something,’ he said.

Tomkins recalled that he would often find Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint borrowing supplies from the art department because, of course, they were still children during filming.

‘They had an education department within the studios. So when they were filming, they were educated a certain number of hours per day. Very often for their art homework, they’d come up to the art department we’d lend them paper and pencils and that kind of thing. ‘

He added: ‘If we could we could lend Emma Watson some colouring pencils to do her homework then that’s what we did.’

‘To see them grow from pretty young 11 or 12-year-olds, and then all the way up through to proper adults was quite amusing.’

Tomkins explained that it was like a ‘big family’ on set, adding: ‘Leavesden studios when we were filming was a kind of bubble within which it was a safe space. Everybody knew everybody else. And going back to that cliche, it was like a big family.’

The Art Director revealed that his favourite set from the third film was the Divination classroom, divulging that it was built from the same set pieces used to create the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

‘One of my favourites is actually one of the new sets that we have, at the Warner Brothers set Leavesden for the Return to Azkaban feature, is the divination classroom. It was just an absolute delight. The amount of beautiful fabrics that Stephanie McMillan our set decorator included on it. 

‘It was actually a revamp of defence against the dark arts classroom. So it’s something that we often did to save money really is revamped on set into something else and they were both in the attic space of Hogwarts.

‘So there was lots of new tiered seating put in and as I say, all of the fabrics, luscious silks and velvets that were put in it was such a colourful set, it was really quite atmospheric.’

In celebration of the Prisoner of Azkaban’s 20th birthday, the Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden has introduced a new feature, Return to Azkaban.

Fans will now be able to see the Divination classroom set, a full cross-section of the Knight Bus’s interior and even the original antique four-poster bed used by Harry at the Leaky Cauldron.

Return to Azkaban is a special feature running fromMay 1 –  September 4 at Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden.

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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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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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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 revealed she would return from her four-year acting hiatus if the role was ‘right’ for her and ruled out a permanent career break.

The 33-year-old Harry Potter star last appeared in the 2019 film Little Women as Meg March and hasn’t taken up any parts since then.

She is known to leave large gaps between movies and even broke away from the spotlight to study at Brown University – where she graduated from in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature.

Emma opened up about her future as an actress during a recent interview and admitted she would consider coming back.

The Beauty and the Beast star shared details about her last time on set with The Financial Times: ‘I wasn’t very happy if I’m being honest. I think I felt a bit caged.

‘The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over.

‘To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, “How does this align with your viewpoint?”

‘It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process.’

She further explained that she felt ‘accountable for things she didn’t have a say over’ and revealed the process was ‘frustrating’.

However, the celebrated actress announced she would accept new roles that were ‘right’ for her.

‘I don’t want to switch into robot mode anymore,’ she urged as she outlined her approach moving forward.

‘I’m happy to sit and wait for the next right thing. I love what I do.

‘It’s finding a way to do it where I don’t have to fracture myself into different faces and people. And I just don’t want to switch into robot mode anymore.’

Elsewhere in the chat, the actress confirmed she would be returning to Oxford University where she studied for one year in 2011.

Emma has enrolled in a MA in Creative Writing at the prestigious institution and will begin her term in September of this year.

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It’s just a matter of days until the 2023 British LGBT Awards ceremony kicks off in London.

The eagerly-anticipated event will honour the celebrities, campaigners and community activists who have helped advance the fight for LGBT+ rights during the past 12 months. 

Rebel Wilson, Kit Connor, Emma Corrin, Yasmin Finney, Joe Lycett and Becky Hill are among the nominees.

Hosted by TV personality Sue Perkins, the awards – sponsored by Macquarie – will bring together some of the biggest names from media and entertainment.

It will also gather some of the country’s biggest businesses for a major night celebrating  LGBT+ achievements. 

‘The British LGBT Awards just gets bigger every year,’ said founder Sarah Garrett MBE. 

‘It really has become a staple event for the LGBT+ community and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the many successes and achievements within our community but most importantly this event shows young people who may be struggling with their sexuality that being lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender is not a barrier to success.

‘The British LGBT Award involves the public on a huge scale, the public decides the nominees and the winners.

‘It is incredible that so many people get involved. Friday’s event is set to be really special – Sue Perkins is returning as host and there are going to be some fantastic moments.

‘We’re really looking forward to it.’

To see the full list of nominations and cast your vote, click here.

Ahead of the event on Friday, which is being supported by Metro, here are six things to expect: 

1. LGBT+ celebrities out in force

Organisers are promising a night packed with celebrity guests.

Not only is Sue Perkins hosting but stars including musician Olly Alexander, comedian Julian Clary, TV presenter Rylan Clark, Britain’s Got Talent judge Bruno Tonioli, boxing legend Nicola Adams and music icons Holly Johnson and Andy Bell are all expected to be in attendance. 

2. Tribute to Paul O’Grady

The untimely passing of TV royalty Paul O’Grady earlier this year sent shockwaves through the LGBT+ community and beyond.

The broadcaster and Lily Savage star was a trailblazer of the LGBT+ community.

O’Grady was known for support of a number of charitable campaigns including those which help people living with HIV and AIDS.

The British LGBT Awards is planning a special tribute to the man himself. 

3. LGBT+ allies showing support

The British LGBT Awards annually celebrates allies of the community with a special award.

Michelle Visage, Harry Styles, Alison Hammond, Emma Watson and Katherine Ryan are all in the running for the Celebrity Ally of the Year gong.

Celebs such as Lorraine Kelly, Denise Welch, Roman Kemp and Shirley Ballas are also expected to attend and show their support.

4. Brand and businesses will be recognised

Some of the country’s best-loved brands and businesses are also in the running for awards for demonstrating their commitment to inclusivity and the LGBT+ community.

BOOTS, Gymshark, Virgin Atltanic and The AA are amongst those vying for in the Brand or Marketing Campaign category.

The hotly contested prize is decided by the British LGBT Awards expert judging panel which includes distinguished names from business and the media. 

5. Big name winners

HRH Prince William, former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, pop queen Kylie Minogue, Caitlyn Jenner and Ru Paul are just some of the big name winners to bag a British LGBT Award in recent years.

Organisers are tight lipped on this year’s recipients but it is expected that there will be some surprise star guests taking home accolades on the night. 

6. Show-stopping after party

There have been big name DJ performances and celebrities partying into the small honours at the legendary British LGBT Awards after party over the years and it is set to be no different on Friday.

With the event taking place in the middle of Pride month, expect camp classics and a packed dance floor as nominees and winners celebrate their success ‘at Britain’s own gay Oscars’.

To find out more about the ceremony, taking place this Friday, head over to the official website.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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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JK Rowling has declared celebrities who have spoken out in support of transgender people can ‘save their apologies’ — including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.

The Harry Potter author has been at the centre of Britain’s gender row, and recently boldly daring Scottish police to arrest her as the Hate Crime Act came into force.

Days after garnering backlash for a long thread misgendering transwomen, she has given her thoughts on the long-awaited Cass Review.

Rowling praised the findings of the report commissioned by NHS England in 2020 and looked at gender identity services for under-18s.

The overarching findings of the 388-page report conducted by Dr Hilary Cass stated that children had been ‘let down’ thus far by a failure to base gender care on evidence-based research.

While tweeting her approval of Cass’ findings, Rowling responded to someone asking her if she could ever ‘forgive’ the former Harry Potter stars who have spoken in support of trans rights.

‘Just waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a very public apology … safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them …’ wrote X user Adam Harris, who describes himself as a ‘Far Right Hooligan’.

‘Not safe, I’m afraid,’ quipped the 58-year-old author in response amid a thread praising the review and calling the trans rights movement a ‘scandal’.

She continued: ‘Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.’

Harry Potter’s leading man Radcliffe, 34, has worked extensively with the Trevor Project in recent years, supporting trans youths, and in his own words is ‘learning to be a better ally’.

He rarely addresses Rowling’s comments but in 2020, the Miracle Workers star made his feelings incredibly clear as he wrote: ‘Transgender women are women.

‘Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.’

Meanwhile, shortly after Radcliffe’s statement was shared, Hermione Granger actress Watson also tweeted her support for trans rights.

‘Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,’ she wrote.

The Beauty and the Beast star continued: ‘I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.’

Neither actor has publicly said anything against Rowling herself or criticised her directly. In fact, Radcliffe previously acknowledged that the writer is ‘unquestionably responsible’ for the course of his life.

The Weird Al actor added: ‘If you found anything in [Harry Potter] that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.

‘In my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.’

Many LGBTQ+ fans of the franchise have turned their back on the franchise which shaped much of millennials and Gen Zs’ childhood.

Radcliffe and Watson last starred in Harry Potter in 2011 with final film The Deathly Hallows Part 2 and have distanced from the franchise since.

They both returned for the 20th anniversary documentary along with other stars. However, Rowling was not present.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Radcliffe and Watson’s reps for comment.

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Tom Felton – who is best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise – has released a new song, and fans are less than impressed. 

Tom, 36, is a beloved and well-known actor, who has been making music for several years, releasing his latest album Orange (stylised as ORaNgE) just last week.

One of the singer’s new songs, Holding On (stylised as hOLDing On) has been met with criticism from fans who were surprised to hear his vocals and interesting choice of lyrics in this piece. 

The song, which was released on April 28, has now gone viral on TikTok as fans have rushed to social media to share their reactions.

@eehyunseo defended the musician but couldn’t defend his song, commenting: ‘I’m a fan of tom felton, but WTF is this😭😭.’

Another fan, @sophsexton2, added: ‘I LOVE Tom Felton but this is painful.’

In the song, Tom, 36, could be heard calling himself ‘just a boy on a skateboard’ and saying: ‘I’ll still make your heart skip now like you were 17,’ leading some to believe that he could be referencing Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.

@idnyag speculated: ‘I find that line interesting because Emma Watson describes him like that when she talks about when they were younger and she had a crush on him.’

The pair have never romantically linked but Emma has spoken about ‘falling in love’ with Tom when they were children, when she considered him a ‘bad boy’ because he had a skateboard.

Fans mocked the actor’s choice of lyrics as he chose to say ‘fudge’ instead of the word ‘f**k’.

La.lxxe commented: ‘I” will fudge this thing up” 😭😭 I had to rewind to see if I was hearing that correctly.’

@walmart_hawkeye also commented: ‘”I will fudge this thing up” HOW DOES IT KEEP GETTING WORSE.’

@tierneyyy commented: ‘Fudge.. is he 12 years old.’

Although the majority of fan reviews weren’t exactly positive, many were loyal and defended the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor.

‘No actually I wont take tom felton music slander have u HEARD hawaii, blue skies and we belong😭 slaps every time idc,’ commented @starrytarry444. 

@Katt.noir chipped in to add: ‘The thing is he knows he isn’t the best but he does it anyway simply because he enjoys it. and that’s what we should be doing in life, even if you aren’t good at something don’t let it discourage you.’

Since Harry Potter concluded in 2011, the actor has notably appeared in Ophelia and The Forgotten Battle.

He also appeared on stage in 2:22 A Ghost Story in 2022 and in the same year he released his memoir: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.

The star has released several songs over the years, including Hawaii in 2011 and Father of Mine in 2009, which were hits with die-hard fans.

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Twenty years ago, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released and fans were absolutely blown away by the third film in the hit franchise.

Much like the book, the film marked a notable change within the Wizarding World, filling a darker and more adult space.

Fans lapped it up and it has since become revered as one of the best of the series, coming only in second place to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Azkaban has a very respectable 90% on the aggregator site, and is praised for its ‘delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling.’

Once again starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as our magical adolescent heroes Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, it sees them facing a harsher world while going into their third year at Hogwarts.

Unfortunately for Harry, now aged 13, his world is turned upside down once again as he goes on a journey to uncover his mysterious past, and his links to escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman.

And of course, the film, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, is known for featuring the incredibly ominous Dementors, the ghost-like prison guards chasing down Black, who cause a real headache for Harry throughout.

It also starred the likes of Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Michael Gambon in his first outing as Professor Dumbledore and Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney, the Divination teacher at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban will now be shown in select UK cinemas from May 31 to mark the 20th anniversary, for those who wish to relive the intense but brilliant third installment of the saga.

Shedding light on how such dark eerieness was cast over the film, Gary Tomkins, the Art Director for the Prisoner of Azkaban and who worked on all of the Harry Potters, told Metro.co.uk about clever tricks he used to make it look so much darker than the first two – and it was all about the set design.

‘There were lots of really cool new sets and action sequences, the Knight Bus, for example, is a very memorable thing,’ he said. ‘And it just felt like a little bit of more of a grown-up film. That was reflected in the sets and how we built them.’

As well as it being a more adult venture, it was how Hogwarts transformed for this film that really helped audiences get stuck into this deeper, edgier world.

‘The dark tone of the story and the darker tone of the film was reflected in the Hogwarts Castle miniature that we built,’ he explained.

‘We repainted it in a slightly darker tone, just to, you know, make the whole thing slightly more moody.’

Tomkins added that for this film – his favourite of the franchise – the layout of Hogwarts had to be changed to include the wooden bridge, the standing stones, Sirius Black’s prison tower, the courtyard and the grand clock.

‘Stuart Craig, our fantastic production designer, would often come up with some slight tweaks to the design that he thought would be better. And you know, that’s, that’s why it developed.

‘So there are probably no two films where Hogwarts Castle remains the same, always develops and grows.’

He then rebuffed any possible complaints about the continuity of Hogwarts from movie to movie.

‘And if anyone questions it, we say, well, this magic, of course, it changes!’

Tomkins added that predicting what the Wizarding School might have looked like when they began production would have been impossible as the books weren’t completed at that point.

‘Of course, when we started on the first film, the last few books hadn’t even been written. So we couldn’t include all the things, even if we were trying to second guess what might come up in terms of other architectural elements of Hogwarts, there was no way we could actually know what was in store for us, but it was great.

‘It kept us busy for 10 years.’

The production began on the first film in September 2000, at which point the fourth book, The Goblet of Fire, had just been released in July.

Tomkins also happily shared his fond memories about the cast members, including the late great Rickman, who lives on in the Harry Potter world as Snape.

‘I think I’m pretty sure it was on Azkaban when very often we’d be in a coffee bar at Leavesden,’ he said, referring to the Warner Brothers Studio where primary filming took place.

‘Alan Rickman would come in wearing the full sort of Snape costume makeup and almost still in character and order his coffee.’

He joked that the actor, who died in 2016, was still rather intimidating in his costume, and cast members would insist he took their space in the queue: ‘We would be all like “OK, You first, you first! I can wait!”’

He laughed, adding that there wasn’t a division between cast and crew: ‘Often you work on a film and there’s a great separation between us. And the actors are all squirrelled away in their caravans. But because we were the only film in Leavesden, all the actors knew that anyone they would bump into around the studio were people working on that film. 

‘So they were quite relaxed. It’s not like they would bump into someone that would, you know, embarrassingly ask them for their autograph or something,’ he said.

Tomkins recalled that he would often find Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint borrowing supplies from the art department because, of course, they were still children during filming.

‘They had an education department within the studios. So when they were filming, they were educated a certain number of hours per day. Very often for their art homework, they’d come up to the art department we’d lend them paper and pencils and that kind of thing. ‘

He added: ‘If we could we could lend Emma Watson some colouring pencils to do her homework then that’s what we did.’

‘To see them grow from pretty young 11 or 12-year-olds, and then all the way up through to proper adults was quite amusing.’

Tomkins explained that it was like a ‘big family’ on set, adding: ‘Leavesden studios when we were filming was a kind of bubble within which it was a safe space. Everybody knew everybody else. And going back to that cliche, it was like a big family.’

The Art Director revealed that his favourite set from the third film was the Divination classroom, divulging that it was built from the same set pieces used to create the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

‘One of my favourites is actually one of the new sets that we have, at the Warner Brothers set Leavesden for the Return to Azkaban feature, is the divination classroom. It was just an absolute delight. The amount of beautiful fabrics that Stephanie McMillan our set decorator included on it. 

‘It was actually a revamp of defence against the dark arts classroom. So it’s something that we often did to save money really is revamped on set into something else and they were both in the attic space of Hogwarts.

‘So there was lots of new tiered seating put in and as I say, all of the fabrics, luscious silks and velvets that were put in it was such a colourful set, it was really quite atmospheric.’

In celebration of the Prisoner of Azkaban’s 20th birthday, the Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden has introduced a new feature, Return to Azkaban.

Fans will now be able to see the Divination classroom set, a full cross-section of the Knight Bus’s interior and even the original antique four-poster bed used by Harry at the Leaky Cauldron.

Return to Azkaban is a special feature running fromMay 1 –  September 4 at Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden.

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