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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Zac Efron was ‘so uncomfortable’ filming The Iron Claw: ‘I’ve never experienced that’

MORE : Strictly star’s life to be made into a film with Full Monty vibes

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Hulk Hogan, 70, marries fiancée Sky Daily, 44 two months after engagement

MORE : Russell Brand accused of groping female classmates at prestigious performing arts college

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Zac Efron was ‘so uncomfortable’ filming The Iron Claw: ‘I’ve never experienced that’

MORE : Strictly star’s life to be made into a film with Full Monty vibes

Cancel your plans for the weekend, because all eight Harry Potter films are now on Netflix.

We feel a little bit of spring hibernation could be on the cards because today the wonderful world of wizardry will be included in your UK and Ireland Netflix subscription.

Before this point, muggle fans could only watch the eight-part franchise if they rented or bought the films.

But now at the flick of a wand – I mean remote – Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley’s (Rupert Grint) on-screen adventures from The Philosopher’s Stone all the way through to The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, will be available to watch whenever you like.

Obviously Potterheads are spinning at the news, and Netflix UK & Ireland are certainly milking this bit of business as they’ve even changed their Twitter bio to a quote from the film: ‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’

The streaming giant took to Twitter with the news, with many fans saying they were going to get on their HP marathons ASAP.

‘I might watch all the Harry Potter films within the next week,’ wrote one, while another said: ‘Know what I’m binge watching tonight.’

But some people disagreed with the move and questioned its ethics given JK Rowling’s controversial comments about the trans community.

This comes after it was announced there is going to be a Harry Potter TV series at Max – previously HBO Max – coming to our screens.

In a statement, Max explained: ‘The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.

‘The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.’

It continued: ‘Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.’

Rowling will executive produce the series with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

And so as the hunt for the next Harry, Ron, and Hermione continues, why not get out some popcorn and have a marathon with the old faithfuls…

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Miriam Margolyes in hospital with chest infection as Harry Potter star shares photos with fans

MORE : Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright, known for playing Ginny Weasley, announces pregnancy with first child

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Zac Efron was ‘so uncomfortable’ filming The Iron Claw: ‘I’ve never experienced that’

MORE : Strictly star’s life to be made into a film with Full Monty vibes

Cancel your plans for the weekend, because all eight Harry Potter films are now on Netflix.

We feel a little bit of spring hibernation could be on the cards because today the wonderful world of wizardry will be included in your UK and Ireland Netflix subscription.

Before this point, muggle fans could only watch the eight-part franchise if they rented or bought the films.

But now at the flick of a wand – I mean remote – Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley’s (Rupert Grint) on-screen adventures from The Philosopher’s Stone all the way through to The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, will be available to watch whenever you like.

Obviously Potterheads are spinning at the news, and Netflix UK & Ireland are certainly milking this bit of business as they’ve even changed their Twitter bio to a quote from the film: ‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’

The streaming giant took to Twitter with the news, with many fans saying they were going to get on their HP marathons ASAP.

‘I might watch all the Harry Potter films within the next week,’ wrote one, while another said: ‘Know what I’m binge watching tonight.’

But some people disagreed with the move and questioned its ethics given JK Rowling’s controversial comments about the trans community.

This comes after it was announced there is going to be a Harry Potter TV series at Max – previously HBO Max – coming to our screens.

In a statement, Max explained: ‘The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.

‘The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.’

It continued: ‘Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.’

Rowling will executive produce the series with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

And so as the hunt for the next Harry, Ron, and Hermione continues, why not get out some popcorn and have a marathon with the old faithfuls…

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Miriam Margolyes in hospital with chest infection as Harry Potter star shares photos with fans

MORE : Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright, known for playing Ginny Weasley, announces pregnancy with first child

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Hulk Hogan, 70, marries fiancée Sky Daily, 44 two months after engagement

MORE : Russell Brand accused of groping female classmates at prestigious performing arts college

Stars including Jeremy Clarkson, Piers Morgan and Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have paid tribute to Sir Michael Gambon following the news of his death aged 82.

On Thursday it was revealed that distinguished actor Sir Michael, best known for playing the role of Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films from 2004 to 2011, had died peacefully in hospital with his cause of death being pneumonia.

He is also known for playing French detective Jules Maigret in ITV series Maigret, and for his 1986 role as Philip Marlow in Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective.

The news of his death was met with an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow celebrities.

Daniel Radcliffe hailed him as ‘one of the most brilliant, effortless actors’ he ever worked with as he paid tribute.

‘With the loss of Michael Gambon the world just became considerably less fun,’ 34-year-old Radcliffe said in a statement.

‘Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job.’

He described Sir Michael as ‘silly, irreverent and hilarious’, as well as ‘an incredible story and joke teller’.

‘His habit of blurring the lines of fact and fiction when talking to journalists meant that he was also one of the most entertaining people with whom you could ever wish to do a press junket,’ Radcliffe added.

‘The sixth film was where I got to spend the most time working with Michael and he made the hours spent in front of a green screen together more memorable and joyous than they had any right to be. I’m so sad to hear he has passed, but I am so grateful for the fact that I am one of the lucky people who got to work with him.’

Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, expressed his sorrow over losing a ‘personal role model’ in Sir Michael.

‘So sad to hear about Michael.’ he began. ‘He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set. He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life. Sending all my love to his family, Rupert.’

Meanwhile, Hermione star Watson wrote on her Instagram stories: ‘Kind kind kind Michael Gambon.

‘You never took it too seriously but somehow delivered the most serious moments with all the gravitas.

‘Thank you for showing us what it looks like to wear greatness lightly. We will miss you.’

Former Top Gear host Clarkson also paid tribute to the legendary actor on X, formerly known as Twitter.

‘I’m so sad to hear that Michael Gambon has died. He was hugely amusing, and such a tremendous guest, we even named a corner after him,’ he said, referencingan iconic episode of Top Gear where the actor was the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’.

The episode saw Sir Michael nearly flip over a Suzuki Liana at the final corner, and it has been named Gambon Corner ever since.

Morgan also recalled a hilarious exchange he once had with the late star.

His tweet read: ‘RIP Michael Gambon, 82. A true acting great. He once told me: “All I’ve ever wanted to do was act – but these modern celebrities want a quick buck with no talent or hard work required. It’s awful.”

‘”What would you call this type of person?” I asked. “I’d call them a cretin”.’

Fred Weasley actor James Phelps emotionally recalled a time Sir Michael helped him recite lines for a project.

Afshan Azad, who played Padma Patil in Harry Potter, called Sir Michael an ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ writing: ‘What an absolute honour to say I shared the same room and screen as you for many years.’

Percy Weasley actor Chris Rankin added: ‘Sad to hear we’ve lost the great Michael Gambon.’

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling also took to X to pay tribute, writing: ‘I’ve just heard the awful news about Michael Gambon.

‘The first time I ever laid eyes on him was in King Lear, in 1982, and if you’d told me then that brilliant actor would appear in anything I’d written, I’d have thought you were insane.

‘Michael was a wonderful man in additional to being an outstanding actor, and I absolutely loved working with him, not only on Potter but also The Casual Vacancy.

‘My deepest condolences go to Michael’s family and everyone who loved him.’

Jason Isaacs, who played villain Lucius Malfoy in the wizarding franchise also paid his respects.

‘Magnificent Michael Gambon has died,’ he wrote on X.

‘I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective – complex, vulnerable and utterly human. The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me.’

Sir Michael took over the role of Dumbledore from Richard Harris, who died after the second film. Now, Harris’ son Jared Harris, who is also an actor, has also paid tribute.

‘A brilliant actor,’ he wrote. ‘I saw him on stage several times, and he lives unforgettably in my memory. He took over Dumbledore from my father, which was fitting as he over took Brando as my father’s favourite actor.’

Fiona Shaw, who played Harry Potter’s aunt Petunia Dursley in the films, told Radio 4: ‘I will remember him because he was also a gun maker – he could make guns, he always said he could fool the V&A (Museum) into believing that they were 18th century guns. 

‘So I will think of him as a trickster, just brilliant, magnificent trickster, but with text, there was nothing like him – he could do anything.’

‘He took over from Richard Harris (as Albus Dumbledore) and of course, he began to mimic Richard Harris, who had recently died, and he would do his accent, the slight Irish accent.

‘Which of course he always loved having an excuse to do because his family had come from Ireland, and gone to live in Camden. 

‘He just loved the precariousness of reality and unreality and, of course, that made him a very great actor. 

‘He did once say to me in a car, “I know I go on a lot about this and that, but actually in the end, there is only acting.”

‘I think he was always pretending that he didn’t take it seriously, but he took it profoundly seriously, I think.’

Comedian David Baddiel tweeted: ‘First time I ever went to see any Theatre with a capital T it was Michael Gambon in Brecht’s Life Of Galileo at The National in 1980. It’s still the best stage acting I’ve ever seen. RIP.’

A message shared on Doctor Who’s official Twitter page read: ‘We’re sad to report the passing of Sir Michael Gambon, who appeared in A Christmas Carol in 2010.’

Singer Katherine Jenkins – who starred alongside Sir Michael in A Christmas Carol –also remembered the legendary actor, as she posted a picture of them together.

‘My dear Kazran! My first acting role was opposite Sir Michael Gambon in the Doctor Who Christmas Special,’ she wrote.

‘He couldn’t have been kinder, calmer and more supportive. Today we have lost the loveliest of legends.’

Withnail and I actor Richard E Grant also took to social media to share what looked to be a personal photo he took of the late actor, and wrote: ‘Sir Michael Gambon – THE GREAT GAMBON.’

Born in Dublin before moving to London as a child with his family, Sir Michael first qualified as an engineering technician before switching his focus to a career on the stage.

Starting his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre, over his six-decade-long career Sir Michael received three Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Bafta Awards.

In 1999, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.

A statement issued on behalf of his widow Lady Gambon and son Fergus Gambon confirmed the news of his death earlier today.

‘We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,’ it read. ‘Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia.’

Sir Michael leaves behind partner Phillipa Hart, as well as three children.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Harry Potter star unrecognisable as he reappears after spell in prison

MORE : Star Wars and Harry Potter assistant director Jamie Christopher hailed ‘one of the greats’ dies aged 52

Cancel your plans for the weekend, because all eight Harry Potter films are now on Netflix.

We feel a little bit of spring hibernation could be on the cards because today the wonderful world of wizardry will be included in your UK and Ireland Netflix subscription.

Before this point, muggle fans could only watch the eight-part franchise if they rented or bought the films.

But now at the flick of a wand – I mean remote – Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley’s (Rupert Grint) on-screen adventures from The Philosopher’s Stone all the way through to The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, will be available to watch whenever you like.

Obviously Potterheads are spinning at the news, and Netflix UK & Ireland are certainly milking this bit of business as they’ve even changed their Twitter bio to a quote from the film: ‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’

The streaming giant took to Twitter with the news, with many fans saying they were going to get on their HP marathons ASAP.

‘I might watch all the Harry Potter films within the next week,’ wrote one, while another said: ‘Know what I’m binge watching tonight.’

But some people disagreed with the move and questioned its ethics given JK Rowling’s controversial comments about the trans community.

This comes after it was announced there is going to be a Harry Potter TV series at Max – previously HBO Max – coming to our screens.

In a statement, Max explained: ‘The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.

‘The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.’

It continued: ‘Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.’

Rowling will executive produce the series with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

And so as the hunt for the next Harry, Ron, and Hermione continues, why not get out some popcorn and have a marathon with the old faithfuls…

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Miriam Margolyes in hospital with chest infection as Harry Potter star shares photos with fans

MORE : Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright, known for playing Ginny Weasley, announces pregnancy with first child

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Zac Efron was ‘so uncomfortable’ filming The Iron Claw: ‘I’ve never experienced that’

MORE : Strictly star’s life to be made into a film with Full Monty vibes

Cancel your plans for the weekend, because all eight Harry Potter films are now on Netflix.

We feel a little bit of spring hibernation could be on the cards because today the wonderful world of wizardry will be included in your UK and Ireland Netflix subscription.

Before this point, muggle fans could only watch the eight-part franchise if they rented or bought the films.

But now at the flick of a wand – I mean remote – Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley’s (Rupert Grint) on-screen adventures from The Philosopher’s Stone all the way through to The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, will be available to watch whenever you like.

Obviously Potterheads are spinning at the news, and Netflix UK & Ireland are certainly milking this bit of business as they’ve even changed their Twitter bio to a quote from the film: ‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’

The streaming giant took to Twitter with the news, with many fans saying they were going to get on their HP marathons ASAP.

‘I might watch all the Harry Potter films within the next week,’ wrote one, while another said: ‘Know what I’m binge watching tonight.’

But some people disagreed with the move and questioned its ethics given JK Rowling’s controversial comments about the trans community.

This comes after it was announced there is going to be a Harry Potter TV series at Max – previously HBO Max – coming to our screens.

In a statement, Max explained: ‘The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.

‘The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.’

It continued: ‘Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.’

Rowling will executive produce the series with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

And so as the hunt for the next Harry, Ron, and Hermione continues, why not get out some popcorn and have a marathon with the old faithfuls…

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Miriam Margolyes in hospital with chest infection as Harry Potter star shares photos with fans

MORE : Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright, known for playing Ginny Weasley, announces pregnancy with first child

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Zac Efron was ‘so uncomfortable’ filming The Iron Claw: ‘I’ve never experienced that’

MORE : Strictly star’s life to be made into a film with Full Monty vibes

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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’.

MORE : Holly Willoughby ‘to be replaced on This Morning’ after testing positive for Covid and skipping Dancing On Ice

MORE : Baftas 2022: Rebel Wilson makes dig at Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith affair drama after he misses ceremony

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.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Zac Efron was ‘so uncomfortable’ filming The Iron Claw: ‘I’ve never experienced that’

MORE : Strictly star’s life to be made into a film with Full Monty vibes

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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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 celebs were out in force for the final weekend of Wimbledon, with the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Emma Watson, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas donning their finest attire for a day at the tennis court.

Day 13 of the championships in London saw Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova and Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur go head to head for the final of the women’s singles.

Keen to get a slice of the action, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis, 26, was his typical charming self as he larked around with the pink tennis balls in the Evian display ahead of the match.

Wearing black trousers, grey trainers, and a padded pale blue jacket, the Bruises hitmaker was as playful as ever as he flashed a thumbs up for cameras.

His outing to Wimbledon comes after Lewis made the ‘difficult decision’ to postpone his tour shows and take a step back from performing to protect his mental and physical health.

Following an emotional Glastonbury set last month, the chart-topper decided he needed to rest as he comes to terms with the impact of his Tourette’s.

This has led to Lewis being replaced by The 1975 at Reading and Leeds – but, he did give fans a lovely surprise by making an unexpected appearance at The Vamps’ recent gig in the capital.

Lewis had good company at Wimbledon, though, as he was joined by Harry Potter actress Emma, 33, who looked typically chic in a white lace dress with black fabric detailing.

She added to her elegant ensemble with strappy heels and dainty jewellery.

Emma was photographed sitting next to Lewis by the court, in the ultimate crossover we never saw coming but the friendship we needed.

The pair shook hands upon first meeting, but it wasn’t long until Lewis had Emma in fits of laughter.

They also pulled some hilarious, sassy facial expressions as they took in all the tennis action.

Elsewhere, Priyanka and her husband Nick were spotted in the prestigious Royal Box.

Looking as glam as ever, the Bollywood actress, 40, sported a blue and green patterned frock and shielded her eyes with a very snazzy pair of shades.

She swept her brunette locks up into a sleek high ponytail and added a pop of colour with a vibrant pink lip.

Priyanka and her dapper Jo Bros hubby, 30, were fully engrossed in the action as they watched the drama unfold on the court.

Meanwhile, day 13 proved itself to be packed with A-listers, as Andrew Garfield was also seen.

The Spider-Man actor, 39, looked in high spirits as he laughed and joked with new pals Lin-Manuel Miranda and Vito Schnabel.

Of course, the Tick, Tick… Boom! lead looked extremely smart in a crisp beige suit paired with a cream shirt, brown tie, and some classic movie star sunnies.

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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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