They’re all still besties, despite not working together for over 10 years (Picture: Getty)
You’ll never guess what – the cast of Harry Potter only have a WhatsApp group chat.
And it’s not just any chat as, according to Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton, they use it to share ‘geeky’ wizard jokes. Honestly, we’d expect nothing less.
The 35-year-old actor delighted Potterheads by confirming that he is still ‘very close friends’ with the other stars of the films, despite it being over 10 years since the last movie in the franchise was released.
And although they don’t get to see one another very often, the stars like to stay in contact via messages.
He told Capital Breakfast: ‘We’re obviously very close friends, all of us. It sounds sort of like a cheesy line to say that we’re all family. We don’t often see each other, all of us together in the same room as much as we’d like to.
‘But yeah, there is a cheeky WhatsApp group going, and we still make lots of really geeky Potter jokes. Like I will only refer to them as the Gryffindorks.’
We’re so here for Tom spilling the tea on the HP cast’s WhatsApp chat (Picture: Getty)
Tom assured that ‘the banter is still there’ and while the cast – including the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint – shall remain ‘linked forever’ by the Harry Potter phenomenon, they are genuinely good mates.
The actor also admitted he that he ‘blagged’ his audition for the movies because, unlike most of the children trying out, he’d never read any of JK Rowling’s books.
But, he ultimately thinks that worked in his favour, although he reckons it ‘probably would’ve been a good idea’ to do his homework beforehand.
‘Quite ironically, I blagged it. I think because in the original audition stages, basically they invited everyone in the UK who was a fan of the book,’ he explained.
The cast will be forever bonded by the phenomenon they experienced (Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
Tom recently praised author JK Rowling for her contribution to literature (Picture: Gareth Davies/Getty Images)
‘So there were thousands of children lining up who knew all about Hogwarts and Gringotts and I had no idea about any of it.’
Tom confessed that he ‘definitely lied’ in his audition by telling casting directors that he thought the best-selling novels were ‘brilliant.’
‘And I’m pretty sure Chris Columbus, the director, saw that as probably a perfect Malfoy candidate so in a way not reading the books helped get me the part,’ he laughed.
Who could forget Tom as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter? (Picture: Warner Bros.)
Following numerous allegations of transphobia against Rowling over recent years, Tom insisted he ‘doesn’t like to pick sides.’
He said he feels ‘no-one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations’ than the writer.
Speaking to The Times’ T2 magazine, the child star said: ‘I couldn’t speak for what others have said or what she said, to be completely honest, but I’m often reminded, attending Comic Cons in particular, that no-one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life.
‘I’m constantly reminded of her positive work in that field and as a person. I’ve only had a handful of meetings with her but she has always been lovely. So I’m very grateful for that.’
Tune into Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, weekdays from 6am-10am
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Now, it’s no secret that Harry Potter is a mega money franchise, but the amount Tom Felton was paid for his role in the films is truly eye-watering.
Tom, now 35, was just 13-years-old when he hit the big time by scoring the role of Draco Malfoy in the movie adaptations of JK Rowling’s bestselling books.
But despite fans (aka Potterheads) knowing him as one of the franchise’s most iconic characters, Tom actually only had 31 minutes and 45 seconds of screen time across the entire eight films.
And even though he was on the big screen for just over half an hour, the British actor still reportedly eared a whopping £14million – that will have bought him a wand or two!
Naturally, the likes of Daniel Radcliffe (titular star Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) had more screen time as the leads, as broken down by IMDB.
The online database shows that Daniel had 539 minutes of screen time, Emma had 205 minutes, and Rupert had 211 minutes.
Tom Felton started playing Draco Malfoy at the age of 13 (Picture: Jaap Buitendjik)
Tom’s total screen time was slightly less than Ralph Fiennes, who played terrifying villain Lord Voldermort for a total of 37 minutes and 15 seconds across all the films.
Harry’s school foe Draco also appeared for less time than the late Robbie Coltrane, who played beloved Rubeus Hagrid.
The star – who died on October 14 of this year – was on camera for 45 minutes and 45 seconds as the half human, half giant.
As far as salaries go, according to The Mirror, Tom reportedly made £451,613 per minute of screen time – not bad for a teenager, eh?
Although, according to the Express, the child star revealed to the Daily Mail in 2010 that he ran into financial trouble after he ‘wasted’ his cash.
He didn’t have as much screen time as you might have thought (Picture: PA)
Tom is said to have splashed out on luxury cars, mostly BMWs, despite his mother warning him that he would lose money on them.
‘There was a scary two years where it was madness because I was really in trouble with the taxman. I had been working for eight years and all I had to show for it was this horrible debt,’ he said.
‘At one point we had the bailiff at the door.’
Thankfully, Tom said he ‘managed to get out of the situation’ and is now back on his feet, but confessed it was a result of him ‘burying his head in the sand.’
‘I’ve spent the past year and a half with an accountant, trying to understand VAT, DVD residuals and things like that,’ he added at the time.
‘I’ve had to really grow up.’
Oh, and we know you now wanna know how much the rest of the cast eared, so don’t say we never give you anything…
The rest of the cast also raked in big bucks (Picture: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)
Rupert as Ron is said to have earned £37million (and actually bought an ice cream van with his millions), whereas Emma reportedly earned a very nice £62million.
However, she was, in true Hermione style, extremely sensible with her money.
She previously revealed that her father never told her how much she was earning from the films, and she lived on an allowance of £50 a week until she was 18.
‘When I was 18 my father sat me down for a money conversation,’ she explained.
‘By the fourth film the money was starting to get serious. I had no idea. I felt sick, very emotional.’
As for Daniel, he reportedly earned £84million as the leading man… yes, we’re now begging for someone to invent a time machine so we can go back and become child actors too.
But, like Emma, he hasn’t always been a big spender.
‘I don’t do a huge amount with my money,’ he told James O’Brien’s podcast Full Disclosure.
‘I’m not particularly extravagant. There are moments where I think, “Man, I’m really bad at being famous”.’
Don’t worry, Dan, we could always help you out…
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Emma Watson shared a heartfelt message to an inspirational autistic fan, who is a huge fan of Harry Potter.
The Hermione Granger actor appeared on Friday’s The Late Late Toy Show, the annual special of the long-running chat show, which showcases the popular toys of the year, on RTE via a video link to speak to Caitriona Kalogeraki, 10.
Caitriona, who raises awareness of autism, was completely taken aback when the Little Women star popped up while testing out Hogwarts-themed games.
Sat in front of some jazzy curtains in the clip, Emma, 32, said: ‘I wanted to send you a message to thank you for all you do to spread awareness around Autism and for speaking about it so eloquently and in a way that empowers and educates other young people.’
‘Thank you for picking me as your favourite Harry Potter character.
‘You seem like such an amazing and special young woman. I’ve heard that you can solve a Rubik’s cube in a crazy amount of time. I am sending all the best and a warm hello from London.’
Emma praised Caitriona for speaking ‘eloquently’ about autism (Picture: RTE)
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.
Caitriona was shocked and delighted by Emma’s message (Picture: RTE / Youtube)
‘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.
Emma shot to fame as a kid in Harry Potter (Picture: WARNER BROS)
‘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.’
‘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 was snapped attending Taylor Swift with her speculated ex-partner (Picture: Getty Images)
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.
Emma Watson fue al âEras tourâ de Taylor Swift y eso me hizo muy feliz, las tqm â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/VuRuKCsCOh
— CapaÍ Invisible â¯Í (@capa_invisible) March 27, 2023
Emma was pictured with her ex-beau at a concert (Picture: Getty Images)
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’.
The teenagers starred in the popular movies together throughout the franchise (Picture: Getty Images)
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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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.
Beth Mead and Jill Scott are both nominated in the Sports Personality of the Year category (Picture: Richard Sellers/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Ncuti Gatwa also could scoop silverware at the awards (Picture: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)
‘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.
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.
The ceremony will feature a tribute to the late, great Paul O’Grady (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
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.
Sarah Garrett, founder of the LGBT Awards, says the annual ceremony had become ‘a staple event for the LGBT+ community’
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’.
EastEnders fans have been left shocked after spotting Ben Champniss, who plays Shrimpy in the BBC One soap, in one of the Harry Potter films!
The hugely popular series has beenput on Netflix, meaning new and old Harry Potter fans could flock to the streaming platform to watch them.
The first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, aired in 2001 and follows a young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) as they arrive at Hogwarts ready to learn how to become the best wizard they can be.
The finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – was released in 2011 and sees the trio and their pals defeat the Death Eaters and remaining Horcruxes, leading to an intense showdown between Harry Potter and evil Lord Voldemort.
Once Lord Voldemort has been killed (spoilers!), Harry, Hermoine and Ron are left wondering what the future may hold at their beloved school – which is where this surprising link to EastEnders comes in.
As the film draws to a close, an older version of the trio are seen at King’s Cross Station, waving off their children as they board the train ready to leave for Hogwarts.
The final film saw the death of Lord Voldemort (Picture: Warner Bros)
Moment before the credits roll, we see Harry, Hermoine and Ron for one final time – but many looked behind the characters and spotted Ben aka Shrimpy from EastEnders!
The actor shared a tweet recently, confirming he hasn’t been a Muggle his entire life: ‘Since Netflix started streaming Harry Potter, I’ve received quite a few messages regarding this last scene…Always lovely to hear from you all, and yes, I can confirm….I was a wizard in a former life!’.
Since Netflix started streaming Harry Potter, Iâve received quite a few messages regarding this last sceneâ¦Always lovely to hear from you all, and yes, I can confirmâ¦.I was a wizard in a former life! ð¦â¡ï¸ pic.twitter.com/lDjwZxECOH
Many EastEnders fans commented on Ben’s tweet, with some admitting that they’ve seen that scene so many times, and still failed to spot him!
Consider us shocked! (Picture: Warner Bros)
Ben has played market stall owner Shrimpy since 2014. He is often seen running more than one stall, however, as he’s usually asked to keep an eye on someone else’s when they’re forced to run off, too involved in Albert Square drama!
Shrimpy was the focus of an interesting scene recently, as Eve (Heather Peace) admitted that she had a sex dream about him once and well…he kept his hat on the entire time.
Emma and Alex have always been open about their close relationship, even starting a gin brand together (Picture: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
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.
Emma attended the second annual Soho House Awards in New York alongside her brother Alex(Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)
The pair were all smiles as they hit the red carpet in a rare public appearance (Picture: Marion Curtis/StarPix for Soho House/Shutterstock)
Emma wore an eye-catching silver dress to the event celebrating its members (Picture: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock)
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.
Alex also wore a smart dark blue suit with a casual round-neck black t-shirt (Picture: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock)
It comes as Emma reportedly split from her ex Brandon Green (Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)
‘We will continue to challenge ourselves as much as possible here because this is such a passion of mine.’
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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Actress Emma Watson had her car impounded during a night out in Stratford (Picture: MailOnline)
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.
The actress was seen with a police officer and tow truck driver as she tried to rescue her car (Picture: MailOnline)
Watson had apparently missed a no parking sign and blocked the entrance to a car park (Picture: MailOnline)
She attempted to negotiate her way out of the issue, but her vehicle was confiscated (Picture: MailOnline)
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.
An eyewitness explained how they had searched for the driver of her car for over three hours, before giving up and calling the police (Picture: MailOnline)
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’s impounding will cost her £192 plus £26 for every day it’s in police custody (Picture: MailOnline)
‘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.
Watson is currently studying at Oxford University (Picture: Getty)
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.
The Harry Potter star has taken a break from acting in recent years (Picture: AP Photo/Warner Bros)
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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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.
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson rose to fame in the Harry Potter films (Picture: Gareth Davies/Getty Images)
They have both shared support for trans people in the past (Picture: WireImage)
‘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’.
Not safe, I’m afraid. 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.
Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they arenât who they say they are.
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.
Radcliffe works with The Trevor Project which supports LGBTQ+ youths (Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)
Watson has stepped away from acting and now works with the UN (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Violet Films)
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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The Hogwarts world expanded for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Picture: Warner Bros)
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.
The third film out of the eight-strong franchise included a lot more peril, drama and adult themes as the young characters became teenagers (Picture: Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc)
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.
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.
Hogwarts Castle was changed throughout the films, being made to look darker and moodier, an effect that really worked with audiences (Picture: Warner Bros)
The Shrieking Shack was another new set for the third film (Picture: Warner Bros)
‘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.
The Knight Bus was another new addition (Picture: Warner Bros)
Gary Tomkins was the Art Director on the Harry Potter movies (Warner Bros)
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!”’
Alan Rickman starred as Professor Severus Snape in all eight films in the franchise (Picture: Warner Bros)
The film is the third in the franchise and was shot from February 2003 until November 2003 (Picture: Warner Br/Everett/Shutterstock)
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.’
The late Rickman is fondly remembered by the cast (Provider: Warner Bros)
Gary Oldman made his first appearance the Prisoner of Azkaban as Sirius Black (Picture: Warner Bros)
‘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.
The Divination Classroom at Leavesden Studios is part of the new feature (Picture: Dan Wong Photography)
‘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.
Emma Watson is here for ‘all the witches’ (Picture: Guy Levy/REX/Shutterstock for BAFTA)
Rowling has sparked outrage over her comments about the transgender community in recent years (Picture: Getty)
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’.
Baftas 2022 full winners list
Best film - The Power of the Dog
Leading actor - Will Smith (King Richard)
Leading actress - Joanna Scanlan (After Love)
Best director - Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Outstanding British film - Belfast
Best adapted screenplay - CODA
Best supporting actor - Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Best supporting actress - Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
EE rising star - Lashana Lynch (No Time To Die)
Best production design - Dune
Best animated film - Encanto
Best original screenplay - Licorice Pizza
Best documentary - Summer of Soul
Outstanding debut - Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall)
Let’s stop with the creepy sexualisation of teenagers like Millie Bobby Brown, yeah? (Picture: EPA)
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.
The star, here celebrating her 18th, said the comments became worse around her birthday (Picture: @milliebobbybrown)
‘[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 previously spoke about the level of sexualisation she was victim of (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
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.
They’re all still besties, despite not working together for over 10 years (Picture: Getty)
You’ll never guess what – the cast of Harry Potter only have a WhatsApp group chat.
And it’s not just any chat as, according to Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton, they use it to share ‘geeky’ wizard jokes. Honestly, we’d expect nothing less.
The 35-year-old actor delighted Potterheads by confirming that he is still ‘very close friends’ with the other stars of the films, despite it being over 10 years since the last movie in the franchise was released.
And although they don’t get to see one another very often, the stars like to stay in contact via messages.
He told Capital Breakfast: ‘We’re obviously very close friends, all of us. It sounds sort of like a cheesy line to say that we’re all family. We don’t often see each other, all of us together in the same room as much as we’d like to.
‘But yeah, there is a cheeky WhatsApp group going, and we still make lots of really geeky Potter jokes. Like I will only refer to them as the Gryffindorks.’
We’re so here for Tom spilling the tea on the HP cast’s WhatsApp chat (Picture: Getty)
Tom assured that ‘the banter is still there’ and while the cast – including the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint – shall remain ‘linked forever’ by the Harry Potter phenomenon, they are genuinely good mates.
The actor also admitted he that he ‘blagged’ his audition for the movies because, unlike most of the children trying out, he’d never read any of JK Rowling’s books.
But, he ultimately thinks that worked in his favour, although he reckons it ‘probably would’ve been a good idea’ to do his homework beforehand.
‘Quite ironically, I blagged it. I think because in the original audition stages, basically they invited everyone in the UK who was a fan of the book,’ he explained.
The cast will be forever bonded by the phenomenon they experienced (Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
Tom recently praised author JK Rowling for her contribution to literature (Picture: Gareth Davies/Getty Images)
‘So there were thousands of children lining up who knew all about Hogwarts and Gringotts and I had no idea about any of it.’
Tom confessed that he ‘definitely lied’ in his audition by telling casting directors that he thought the best-selling novels were ‘brilliant.’
‘And I’m pretty sure Chris Columbus, the director, saw that as probably a perfect Malfoy candidate so in a way not reading the books helped get me the part,’ he laughed.
Who could forget Tom as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter? (Picture: Warner Bros.)
Following numerous allegations of transphobia against Rowling over recent years, Tom insisted he ‘doesn’t like to pick sides.’
He said he feels ‘no-one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations’ than the writer.
Speaking to The Times’ T2 magazine, the child star said: ‘I couldn’t speak for what others have said or what she said, to be completely honest, but I’m often reminded, attending Comic Cons in particular, that no-one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life.
‘I’m constantly reminded of her positive work in that field and as a person. I’ve only had a handful of meetings with her but she has always been lovely. So I’m very grateful for that.’
Tune into Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, weekdays from 6am-10am
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Now, it’s no secret that Harry Potter is a mega money franchise, but the amount Tom Felton was paid for his role in the films is truly eye-watering.
Tom, now 35, was just 13-years-old when he hit the big time by scoring the role of Draco Malfoy in the movie adaptations of JK Rowling’s bestselling books.
But despite fans (aka Potterheads) knowing him as one of the franchise’s most iconic characters, Tom actually only had 31 minutes and 45 seconds of screen time across the entire eight films.
And even though he was on the big screen for just over half an hour, the British actor still reportedly eared a whopping £14million – that will have bought him a wand or two!
Naturally, the likes of Daniel Radcliffe (titular star Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) had more screen time as the leads, as broken down by IMDB.
The online database shows that Daniel had 539 minutes of screen time, Emma had 205 minutes, and Rupert had 211 minutes.
Tom Felton started playing Draco Malfoy at the age of 13 (Picture: Jaap Buitendjik)
Tom’s total screen time was slightly less than Ralph Fiennes, who played terrifying villain Lord Voldermort for a total of 37 minutes and 15 seconds across all the films.
Harry’s school foe Draco also appeared for less time than the late Robbie Coltrane, who played beloved Rubeus Hagrid.
The star – who died on October 14 of this year – was on camera for 45 minutes and 45 seconds as the half human, half giant.
As far as salaries go, according to The Mirror, Tom reportedly made £451,613 per minute of screen time – not bad for a teenager, eh?
Although, according to the Express, the child star revealed to the Daily Mail in 2010 that he ran into financial trouble after he ‘wasted’ his cash.
He didn’t have as much screen time as you might have thought (Picture: PA)
Tom is said to have splashed out on luxury cars, mostly BMWs, despite his mother warning him that he would lose money on them.
‘There was a scary two years where it was madness because I was really in trouble with the taxman. I had been working for eight years and all I had to show for it was this horrible debt,’ he said.
‘At one point we had the bailiff at the door.’
Thankfully, Tom said he ‘managed to get out of the situation’ and is now back on his feet, but confessed it was a result of him ‘burying his head in the sand.’
‘I’ve spent the past year and a half with an accountant, trying to understand VAT, DVD residuals and things like that,’ he added at the time.
‘I’ve had to really grow up.’
Oh, and we know you now wanna know how much the rest of the cast eared, so don’t say we never give you anything…
The rest of the cast also raked in big bucks (Picture: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)
Rupert as Ron is said to have earned £37million (and actually bought an ice cream van with his millions), whereas Emma reportedly earned a very nice £62million.
However, she was, in true Hermione style, extremely sensible with her money.
She previously revealed that her father never told her how much she was earning from the films, and she lived on an allowance of £50 a week until she was 18.
‘When I was 18 my father sat me down for a money conversation,’ she explained.
‘By the fourth film the money was starting to get serious. I had no idea. I felt sick, very emotional.’
As for Daniel, he reportedly earned £84million as the leading man… yes, we’re now begging for someone to invent a time machine so we can go back and become child actors too.
But, like Emma, he hasn’t always been a big spender.
‘I don’t do a huge amount with my money,’ he told James O’Brien’s podcast Full Disclosure.
‘I’m not particularly extravagant. There are moments where I think, “Man, I’m really bad at being famous”.’
Don’t worry, Dan, we could always help you out…
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Emma Watson shared a heartfelt message to an inspirational autistic fan, who is a huge fan of Harry Potter.
The Hermione Granger actor appeared on Friday’s The Late Late Toy Show, the annual special of the long-running chat show, which showcases the popular toys of the year, on RTE via a video link to speak to Caitriona Kalogeraki, 10.
Caitriona, who raises awareness of autism, was completely taken aback when the Little Women star popped up while testing out Hogwarts-themed games.
Sat in front of some jazzy curtains in the clip, Emma, 32, said: ‘I wanted to send you a message to thank you for all you do to spread awareness around Autism and for speaking about it so eloquently and in a way that empowers and educates other young people.’
‘Thank you for picking me as your favourite Harry Potter character.
‘You seem like such an amazing and special young woman. I’ve heard that you can solve a Rubik’s cube in a crazy amount of time. I am sending all the best and a warm hello from London.’
Emma praised Caitriona for speaking ‘eloquently’ about autism (Picture: RTE)
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.
Caitriona was shocked and delighted by Emma’s message (Picture: RTE / Youtube)
‘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.
Emma shot to fame as a kid in Harry Potter (Picture: WARNER BROS)
‘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.’
‘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 was snapped attending Taylor Swift with her speculated ex-partner (Picture: Getty Images)
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.
Emma Watson fue al âEras tourâ de Taylor Swift y eso me hizo muy feliz, las tqm â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/VuRuKCsCOh
— CapaÍ Invisible â¯Í (@capa_invisible) March 27, 2023
Emma was pictured with her ex-beau at a concert (Picture: Getty Images)
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’.
The teenagers starred in the popular movies together throughout the franchise (Picture: Getty Images)
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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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.
Beth Mead and Jill Scott are both nominated in the Sports Personality of the Year category (Picture: Richard Sellers/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Ncuti Gatwa also could scoop silverware at the awards (Picture: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)
‘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.
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.
The ceremony will feature a tribute to the late, great Paul O’Grady (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
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.
Sarah Garrett, founder of the LGBT Awards, says the annual ceremony had become ‘a staple event for the LGBT+ community’
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’.
EastEnders fans have been left shocked after spotting Ben Champniss, who plays Shrimpy in the BBC One soap, in one of the Harry Potter films!
The hugely popular series has beenput on Netflix, meaning new and old Harry Potter fans could flock to the streaming platform to watch them.
The first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, aired in 2001 and follows a young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) as they arrive at Hogwarts ready to learn how to become the best wizard they can be.
The finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – was released in 2011 and sees the trio and their pals defeat the Death Eaters and remaining Horcruxes, leading to an intense showdown between Harry Potter and evil Lord Voldemort.
Once Lord Voldemort has been killed (spoilers!), Harry, Hermoine and Ron are left wondering what the future may hold at their beloved school – which is where this surprising link to EastEnders comes in.
As the film draws to a close, an older version of the trio are seen at King’s Cross Station, waving off their children as they board the train ready to leave for Hogwarts.
The final film saw the death of Lord Voldemort (Picture: Warner Bros)
Moment before the credits roll, we see Harry, Hermoine and Ron for one final time – but many looked behind the characters and spotted Ben aka Shrimpy from EastEnders!
The actor shared a tweet recently, confirming he hasn’t been a Muggle his entire life: ‘Since Netflix started streaming Harry Potter, I’ve received quite a few messages regarding this last scene…Always lovely to hear from you all, and yes, I can confirm….I was a wizard in a former life!’.
Since Netflix started streaming Harry Potter, Iâve received quite a few messages regarding this last sceneâ¦Always lovely to hear from you all, and yes, I can confirmâ¦.I was a wizard in a former life! ð¦â¡ï¸ pic.twitter.com/lDjwZxECOH
Many EastEnders fans commented on Ben’s tweet, with some admitting that they’ve seen that scene so many times, and still failed to spot him!
Consider us shocked! (Picture: Warner Bros)
Ben has played market stall owner Shrimpy since 2014. He is often seen running more than one stall, however, as he’s usually asked to keep an eye on someone else’s when they’re forced to run off, too involved in Albert Square drama!
Shrimpy was the focus of an interesting scene recently, as Eve (Heather Peace) admitted that she had a sex dream about him once and well…he kept his hat on the entire time.
Emma and Alex have always been open about their close relationship, even starting a gin brand together (Picture: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
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.
Emma attended the second annual Soho House Awards in New York alongside her brother Alex(Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)
The pair were all smiles as they hit the red carpet in a rare public appearance (Picture: Marion Curtis/StarPix for Soho House/Shutterstock)
Emma wore an eye-catching silver dress to the event celebrating its members (Picture: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock)
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.
Alex also wore a smart dark blue suit with a casual round-neck black t-shirt (Picture: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock)
It comes as Emma reportedly split from her ex Brandon Green (Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)
‘We will continue to challenge ourselves as much as possible here because this is such a passion of mine.’
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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Actress Emma Watson had her car impounded during a night out in Stratford (Picture: MailOnline)
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.
The actress was seen with a police officer and tow truck driver as she tried to rescue her car (Picture: MailOnline)
Watson had apparently missed a no parking sign and blocked the entrance to a car park (Picture: MailOnline)
She attempted to negotiate her way out of the issue, but her vehicle was confiscated (Picture: MailOnline)
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.
An eyewitness explained how they had searched for the driver of her car for over three hours, before giving up and calling the police (Picture: MailOnline)
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’s impounding will cost her £192 plus £26 for every day it’s in police custody (Picture: MailOnline)
‘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.
Watson is currently studying at Oxford University (Picture: Getty)
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.
The Harry Potter star has taken a break from acting in recent years (Picture: AP Photo/Warner Bros)
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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