Things got heated when The Traitors contestants came for Dylan Efron‘s brother Zac Efron — and his acting skills.

During the newest episode, which premiered on Thursday, January 16, Dylan, 32, called out Bob the Drag Queen at the roundtable banishment meeting.

“I genuinely think he is a Traitor. Like what is an easier game for a Traitor to play? I would play a very quiet game because I can’t be boisterous,” he said. “What would Bob do? Bob is an amazing actor.”

Dylan used his experience with Zac, 35, adding, “I grew up with an actor.” Without missing a beat, Bob, 39, replied, “Not a good one.”

Zac Efron’s Family Guide: Meet Brother Dylan, Sister Olivia and More

The rest of the cast weren’t thrilled by Bob’s dig at Zac. “That was not nice,” Dolores Catania noted before adding later in the episode, “Good job, Dylan. And listen, your brother is a good actor.”

Zac, 37, has been a big topic of conversation on the competition show despite not making any appearances — yet. He previously rose to stardom after landing a multitude of TV and movie roles, including 2006’s High School Musical, while Dylan spent more time behind the scenes working as a producer and stuntman on various projects.

“I’ve been behind the camera. But being able to not stay behind the scenes has been a really nice change,” Dylan exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2023 about his plans to try something new. “So I think as long as I can kind of wear all those hats and still kind of craft the stories I want to tell [that would be great]. To be able to experience it firsthand, it’s really nice. It’s a good mix of both worlds.”

Dylan admitted at the time that he couldn’t see himself working on a scripted project.

Zac Efron's Sweetest Family Photos With His Siblings Over the Years

“What Zac does, I could never do. I play myself in front of a camera while Zac’s playing characters. It is two different skill sets,” he added. “He can play different characters and I can only play myself.”

After working on Netflix’s docuseries Down to Earth With Zac, Dylan praised his older brother for setting a good example on set.

“I love doing stuff with my brother. There’s a really comforting thing being with family [and] doing this stuff. That’s always going to be high up there on what I love to do. But I think it’s good that we do things separately too,” he continued. “Because I remember back in the day, we wanted to do a show together and I really wouldn’t have been prepared for that. He’s been in front of the camera his whole life and it’s been second nature for him. I was a shy little kid, so I’ve had to grow into that.”

Dylan said he would be thrilled to work with Zac on a project again in the future. “It’ll be the right time now,” he shared. “We’re still thinking [about what to do]. We’re in the thinking process. We really want to just take a step back and see what stories we want to tell, how we can do it and enjoy ourselves. We want to keep leveling it up.”

Who Is Zac Efron's Brother Dylan? What to Know About 'Traitors' Contestant

Before Dylan became a breakout star of The Traitors season 3, Zac subtly showed support for his brother’s newest endeavor.

“I think Dylan’s going to win,” Zac told E! News in June 2024. “I hope he does, because he’s so good at games. He always has been, since we were kids. He’s like the game master. … If anyone can do this, it’s him. I’m rooting for him.”

New episodes of The Traitors will be released on Peacock Thursdays until March 6.

For The Traitors fans in desperate need of more content, look no further than Peacock’s aftershow.

Inspired by Dutch series De Verraders (which previously led to a popular U.K. version), The Traitors brings together celebrities, especially reality TV stars from different franchises — including Survivor, Big Brother, Real Housewives and more — as they compete in a mafia-style game for up to $250,000.

Season 3 features Wells Adams, Gabby Windey, Ciara Miller, Chrishell Stause, Jeremy Collins, Carolyn Wiger, Tony Vlachos, Bob the Drag Queen, Britney Haynes and Danielle Reyes. Bob Harper, Dylan Efron, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Sam Asghari and Nikki Bella made up the rest of the group with later additions Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano, Wes Bergmann and Derrick Levasseur.

The online aftershow dropped new installments after each episode that featured never-before-seen interviews with banished and murdered contestants. After the three-part premiere, Wells and Dorinda were the first to speak out about their exits.

All the Bravo and ‘Real Housewives’ Connections in ‘The Traitors’ Season 3

“I think before the show started, I said I would be the first one out, and I got to say I am pretty proud of myself because I was the second one,” he quipped in the January 2025 aftershow clip. “I did not stick to my plan. That thing that got me banished was that as an ex-radio host, it is really hard for me to shut the hell up.”

Meanwhile, Ayan was more direct in her episode with Tony.

“So these bitches are just killing Housewives. I just figured that out. Everybody is jealous of a Housewife,” she told the cameras. “My son said, ‘Mom, you are the worst liar ever. If you are not going to be the first person killed then I would be proud of you.’ Guess what? Mommy was the third person murdered.”

The Real Housewives of Dubai star continued: “I didn’t have a strategy. I am a beauty bitch, I am not a thinking bitch. I think I was killed because I am fabulous.”

Keep scrolling for the funniest moments — and biggest bombshells — from The Traitors season 3 aftershow:

Ayan Guesses Her Killer

While the aftershow reveals to each banished and murdered person who the Traitors actually are, Ayan named one herself.

“Bob the Drag Queen, I think he killed me. I thought that he was jealous about my looks because a couple of times he would [make a face],” she shared. “I am like, ‘What the f— is wrong with this man?’ He goes, ‘But I came with the looks. I thought I was going to be the look queen.’ I was like, ‘Oh, s—. He does not want to see me fabulous.'”

Ayan said she “was going to call” Bob out as a Traitor before being murdered.

“I am so used to people being jealous of me and I knew nobody was going to kill me because everybody loved my looks,” she continued. “Everybody gave me compliments but you did not give me no f—– compliments and that is why you killed me, bitch. And you will never be as fabulous as me.”

All Rules and Behind-the-Scenes Secrets You Didn’t Know About ‘The Traitors’

Putting Boston Rob on Blast

Tony was banished in part because Boston Rob named him at the roundtable. He subsequently accused Boston Rob of being a Traitor himself.

“Alan gave us cryptic clues again by saying, ‘Trust needs to be earned, not given.’ So all I am thinking about the three new players that came in,’” Tony said before it was revealed that his suspicion was right.

Ayan also had a bad experience with Boston Rob.

”The reason why I am dead was [Rob] used me. I f—ing never felt used in my life. He promised that he was going to give me the shield. I gave him nine coins, nobody else did that,” she noted. “And he went and trusted someone else? I am a supermodel. I ran for you. You need to come and bow down and thank the queen for that.”

The Bravo personality suspected Carolyn as well, adding, “She kept on asking me if I got a shield all night. Then I kept drinking red wine so I don’t know if I told her.”

The Dylan Efron Compliment

“I like [Dylan], he was good to look at. He reminds me of Ted Bundy,” Ayan told the camera while comparing Zac Efron’s brother to the notorious serial killer. “Ted Bundy was so pretty but then he was also a killer. So I just pray to God that Dylan is not the serial killer.”

Not Caring About Danielle’s Game

In addition to calling Danielle a “hot grandmother,” Ayan had some interesting things to say when Tony asked her about Danielle’s skills as a Traitor.

“She has a nice ass for her age. Like it is super up there for a 52-year-old woman,” Ayan said. “Her ass made me think she wasn’t a Traitor.”

2025 TV Wishlist: What Us Weekly Wants to See on 'Bridgerton' and More Shows

Reflecting on a Friendship

Meanwhile, in Wells and Dorinda’s aftershow, the Bachelor in Paradise bartender had a special shout-out for Ayan.

“Ayan is the most wonderful person I ever met in my entire life — excluding my wife,” Wells, who is married to actress Sarah Hyland, shared.

The Tom Sandoval Dig

“The fact that Tom Sandoval is still there and we are not,” Dorinda pointed out to Wells, who replied, “What does that say about us?”

The duo joked about being the first ones out compared to Sandoval. “Now that is really bad,” Dorinda quipped.

Naming Chrishell Stause as a potential Traitor was just one of many mistakes Tom Sandoval made while filming season 3.

“I thought it was ridiculous,” Chrishell, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly about Sandoval’s initial approach. “I just felt like of all the people and all the minds at this table, do we really think Sandoval solved the puzzle in 0.5 seconds of leaving the room? No.”

Chrishell noted that Sandoval’s decision to name her right off the bat “worked” in her favor, adding, “I felt like he was so loud and so wrong. It really felt like whoever he says [the Traitor] is, we probably know it isn’t. So I think it helped in my case, to be honest.”

During the three-episode premiere, Sandoval, 42, got off to a rocky start when he accused Chrishell of not being a Faithful despite no evidence to support his theory. The pair faced off at the first roundtable banishment meeting where Chrishell accused Sandoval of naming her just because she’s close with his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix.

All Rules and Behind-the-Scenes Secrets You Didn’t Know About ‘The Traitors’

“He’s terrible [at playing the game]. To be honest with you, there was no other reason for him saying my name,” she said. “He just said it so blatantly that he knew I was a Traitor. Of course he’s going to act like, ‘Oh, I really was just playing the game.’ To me, it felt personal and you probably can’t change your mind at this point.”

Chrishell told Us she “definitely” didn’t ask Ariana, 39, for advice about dealing with Sandoval before joining the hit Peacock series. Before he was cast as a season 3 contestant, Sandoval received major backlash after his March 2023 split from Ariana due to an affair with their Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.

After Sandoval and Ariana’s breakup made headlines, Chrishell weighed in, writing via X alongside a red carpet photo of her and Ariana, “I love when we can all agree on something.”

Rumors of a feud between Sandoval and Chrishell began in November 2024 when she shared a series of promotional photos of all her fellow contestants — except Sandoval. The Selling Sunset star didn’t address the omission at the time but is now opening up about her strategy going into the show.

“It was to make friends and lay low. You don’t want to really even make the edit that much in the beginning. My name was being brought up at the very first round table. I went in with the best of intentions and had to throw that game plan away,” she recalled. “I had to go with what I could, which was to really defend myself and make sure people felt like I was a Faithful.”

Chrishell continued: “But then if you do too good of a job, you’ll be up for murder. So I knew I had to get a shield and then I had to defend myself at the roundtable. At that point in time [after Sandoval named me], my game plan was shot.”

From ‘Housewives’ to ‘Hills,’ Relive the Biggest Reality TV Feuds

The reality star was able to avoid getting banished — or murdered — in the first two rounds but it remains to be seen how long she lasted as a Faithful on The Traitors.

“This season is crazy. Every single episode is going to leave you on the edge of your seat because in the middle of filming I was just thinking, ‘Wow, how are they going to edit this?’ Because even the round tables had you on the edge of your seat the whole time,” she teased. “I thought the first three episodes were so entertaining. Even if I take myself out of it, I’m such a fan of the show. It’s one of the situations where I’ll just say buckle up because you are going to be a very bumpy and very entertaining ride.”

New episodes of The Traitors will be released on Peacock Thursdays until March 6.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

Twin Peaks has ended, but the show’s stars, including Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn and Lara Flynn Boyle, have remained on our screens.

The series, which ran from 1990 to 1991, followed an investigation into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The series developed a cult following in part because of its campy storytelling — and David Lynch and Mark Frost‘s unique vision.

After ABC pulled the plug on Twin Peaks, the 1992 prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was born. The universe expanded even more when Showtime revived the series for one season in 2017 with Lynch and Frost returning to direct and write all the episodes.

MacLachlan, Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Lee and David Duchovny all returned for the revival after appearing in the original series. The new season also featured some new — but familiar — faces, including Laura Dern, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain, Trent Reznor, Jessica Szohr and Amanda Seyfried in a wide variety of roles.

Fans still holding out hope for more Twin Peaks content were shocked when Lynch announced in 2024 that he wasn’t sure whether he would be able to direct any more projects after being diagnosed with emphysema.

Lynch told Sight & Sound in an interview that he got the disease from “smoking for so long,” adding, “I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”

Despite attempts to work from home, Lynch’s future plans for his directing career remained unclear. “I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there,” he concluded. “But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it.”

Keep scrolling to see where the cast of Twin Peaks is now:

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Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes shared their thoughts on Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell‘s split — and used the opportunity to reaffirm their own love for each other.

Hours after news broke on Thursday, January 16, about James, 33, and Kirkconnell’s breakup, Robach, 51, and Holmes, 47, revealed their initial reaction.

“I was heartbroken. We know Matt intimately and he has been a huge source of support for us, individually and as a couple, ever since we went through our situation a few years ago,” Robach said on their “Amy and T.J.” podcast while referring to her and Holmes’ 2022 affair scandal. “He is considered a close friend of ours and we’re always rooting for him.”

Robach showed support for James while mourning the breakup.

Bachelor’s Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell: A Complete Timeline

“If that means him going his separate ways, then obviously we support that,” she continued. “But it’s still sad to see a couple that we were rooting for and that I think America was rooting for. So I’ve felt sad. And his post definitely shows that he’s sad, too.”

James broke the news on Thursday that he and Kirkconnell, 28, parted ways, writing via Instagram, “Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he captioned the Thursday Instagram upload. “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord .”

Kirkconnell has yet to address the news. Holmes, meanwhile, defended James and Kirkconnell‘s sweet social media posts, which they shared weeks ahead of their split.

“You never ever, ever, ever know what’s going on behind the scenes. I can tell you they weren’t just putting it on for the public. We can confirm that for 100 percent,” Holmes noted. “We’re not going to speculate on the reasons [for their breakup].”

Robach agreed that James is “authentic,” adding, “He is not putting on a show for Instagram followers or to make things seem better than they are. So I believe that if six weeks ago they were both speaking as if they were looking forward to the future and excited about their lives together then that was the case six weeks ago.”

GMA3's Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' Relationship Timeline

She continued: “In October [2024], they were on a podcast and they were talking publicly and candidly about getting engaged. Because if you follow them on Instagram, you know that they’re in that time or that phase in their life where everyone’s getting married.”

Later in the episode, Holmes offered insight into the conversations he had with James about his relationship.

“But I can say that stuff he’s putting out publicly is also what he was saying privately. I have been talking plenty with him about marriage, the future, Rachel and where they were going,” he noted. “So it was in line publicly and privately with the things he was saying.”

Holmes subsequently made it clear that he and Robach were still on track.

“It’s going to be a lot of headlines out there in the coming days as well. So my love, Amy Robach, let me declare here publicly that I love you and we are still going strong and I still want to marry you,” he quipped. “So the headlines next week about us will come as a shock to people. No, I love you too and I want to marry you.”

Damian Hardung and Harriet Herbig-Matten became close friends while playing love interests — James and Ruby — on Maxton Hall.

The Prime Video series, which debuted in May 2024, is based on Mona Kasten‘s Save You book series. The six-part German-language TV drama introduced viewers to an unlikely enemies to lovers romance between private school classmates Ruby (Herbig-Matten) and James (Hardung).

Maxton Hall quickly found record-breaking success by being the most-watched non-U.S. title during its first week on Prime Video. It was renewed for a second season one week after its debut.

After filming the series in 2022, Hardung and Herbig-Matten formed a bond as they waited for fans to finally see their hard work come to life two years later. The pair later revealed that their first interaction didn’t immediately result in a friendship.

“I think in our first audition, he had come into the room and he had this suit on and I was like, ‘Who’s this arrogant boy there?’ But in our second and last audition, it just clicked and we had tension,” Herbig-Matten exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2024. “So we had chemistry, we just didn’t see that.”

Hardung also recalled building trust with Herbig-Matten as they worked on the show together, adding, “We had a very interesting dynamic while shooting. Because we were literally just going through everything that the characters were going through.”

He continued: “Whenever we knew the next day we’re gonna have a shoot where we hate each other, we literally didn’t talk the night before. If we knew the next day we’re gonna be best friends then we went out for dinner together.”

Keep scrolling to see the sweetest moments from Hardung and Herbig-Matten’s friendship as they continue to film season 2 of Maxton Hall:

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After months of speculation, Maxton Hall‘s Harriet Herbig-Matten finally revealed whether she is dating her costar — and onscreen love interest — Damian Hardung.

During the Thursday, January 15, episode of the “G Spot” podcast, Herbig-Matten, 21, was asked about the fan rumors concerning her and Hardung, 26, to which she replied, “It was difficult. We are not together and we weren’t together either.”

The German actress said she wasn’t ready for questions about her personal life after Maxton Hall‘s overnight success.

“It was a crazy experience and it is also clearly such a love story [on the show] and you promote that. But I think I really underestimated it and I think I was also a bit naive,” she admitted. “Because I didn’t really know where it was going.”

James and Ruby's Steamiest 'Maxton Hall' Moments: Staircase Kiss, Pool Scene

When Maxton Hall premiered in May 2024, Herbig-Matten didn’t realize how viewers would latch onto her off-screen bond with Hardung, adding, “I also didn’t know how big it was going to get. I didn’t know that people believed it so much and that it was such a thing.”

The frustrating aspect was strangers online weighing in on Herbig-Matten and Hardung’s dynamic.

“When you always read these comments about how we are so together, I started to get pressure that it had to be true. So I was like, ‘Only when that is the case, I will do people justice and then they will be happy,'” she explained. “I thought that for a long time. Then over the course of time, I had to learn to distance myself from this version.”

Herbig-Matten continued: “There’s Ruby and there’s Harriet who is promoted. So you know that this person who is me and has my name is not the real Harriet that I am in my private life. I first had to learn that this doesn’t correspond to reality and that was difficult.”

See 'Maxton Hall' Costars Harriet and Damian's Sweetest Friendship Moments

Hardung and Herbig-Matten were catapulted into stardom when Maxton Hall found record-breaking success by being the most-watched non-U.S. title during its first week on Prime Video. It was renewed for a second season one week after its debut.

At the center of the series is an unlikely enemies to lovers romance between Ruby (Herbig-Matten) and James (Hardung). The costars previously revealed that their dynamic off screen mirrored their characters.

“I think in our first audition, he had come into the room and he had this suit on and I was like, ‘Who’s this arrogant boy there?’ But in our second and last audition, it just clicked and we had tension,” Herbig-Matten exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2024. “So we had chemistry, we just didn’t see that.”

Hardung, meanwhile, recalled building trust with Herbig-Matten over time.

'Maxton Hall' Stills Tease James and Ruby's Sweet Romance in Season 2

“We had a very interesting dynamic while shooting. Because we were literally just going through everything that the characters were going through,” he shared with Us that same month. “Whenever we knew the next day we’re gonna have a shoot where we hate each other, we literally didn’t talk the night before. If we knew the next day we’re gonna be best friends then we went out for dinner together.”

Herbig-Matten also reflected on the “intense emotions” that came with her “first time playing a love story.”

“And as I said, it was really easy with Damian and I,” she told Us. “We are two different people and we are good friends and we have a good connection. It’s really important to treat your connection [well] but to set boundaries as well as an actress and an actor.”

Hardung broke down the commitment that went into portraying James and Ruby’s relationship, saying, “That chemistry, it has to be felt. It’s really just about taking every emotion seriously. You have got to be honest about those emotions and I love that.”

Maxton Hall is streaming on Prime Video.

Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell‘s split comes as a surprise after the couple hinted at a potential engagement — and marriage plans — for years.

James broke the news on Thursday, January 16, that he and Kirkconnell parted ways, writing via Instagram, “Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he captioned the Thursday Instagram upload. “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord .”

However, just weeks prior, Kirkconnell had a cheeky response after multiple people asked on social media when she was getting engaged to James.

“When will u propose to him??” read a comment, to which she replied, “Next thursday!” Another recent post by Kirkconnell was flooded with responses about how Bachelor fans thought James had proposed. She wrote back at the time, “.”

Bachelor’s Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell: A Complete Timeline

James and Kirkconnell found love on season 25 of The Bachelor but it wasn’t smooth sailing in the beginning. After meeting on the ABC show in 2021, Kirkconnell made headlines when photos resurfaced of her attending an “Old South”-themed frat party in 2018.

“While there have been rumors circulating, there have also been truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, and I’m here to say I was wrong,” she wrote via Instagram in February 2021. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or OK in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”

Kirkconnell apologized amid widespread backlash but she and James ultimately had called it quits. They reconciled and Kirkconnell later opened up about how their romance improved after their brief split.

“We’re in a great place,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2021. “We just needed to take that time away from everyone and really figure everything out, and I think that we were just so sick of the outside noise and we were like, ‘You know what? We need to just put all of that aside and really focus on our relationship and how we feel about each other and nothing else.’ It’s been so incredible.”

After they got back together, they fielded endless questions about a potential proposal, with the twosome seemingly on the same page that they would walk down the aisle one day.

Messiest Bachelor Nation Breakups: Andi and Josh, Colton and Cassie, More

“I’ve been hinting at marriage for a very long time,” he joked on the “De-Influenced” episode in October 2024. “I don’t think Rachael is taking my hints seriously. I’m obviously a couple years older than you and women tend to outlive the men because, I don’t know, but that’s typically how it goes. I fully embrace being a stay-at-home dad. I will stay home and take care of the kids, so I’m gonna empower you … [to] start your own brand.”

During the joint podcast appearance, Kirkconnell made it clear that she was ready to start a family with James, saying, “I love the idea of getting married and having that commitment to one another, and kids and family really excite me. But, the idea of planning a wedding really puts me off. Like sometimes I’m just, like, ‘Let’s just elope.’”

Keep scrolling for James and Kirkconnell’s frequent comments that an engagement was in the works before their shocking split:

On Their Own Timeline

“I think we honestly enjoy just taking it one day at a time,” Kirkconnell told Us in September 2021. “Of course we talk about the future often, but I think the best thing for us right now is not putting any pressure on the relationship because that’s what everyone else does to us every single day and we get that question every single day.”

She continued, “It’s like ‘When are you guys getting engaged? Are you guys engaged yet?’ And, of course, we talk about it, but it’s just been nice to not have that pressure for the last few months because that’s all our relationship was in the beginning.”

Committed to a Future Together

“I wouldn’t be with someone that I wasn’t considering marrying, especially at this point in my life,” he explained on Us‘ “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast in 2022. “We’ve talked about living in the same city and what those next steps look like. Everything’s on the table.”

Big Plans

 

“It’s about doing whatever you’re doing at your own pace, whether that’s the relationship, your job, exercise,” James told People in February 2024. “If you do things that other people want you to do and you don’t consider y’all’s feelings, then I think that is a recipe for disaster.”

James assured Kirkconnell he saw an engagement in their future, adding, “We wouldn’t be together if that wasn’t the same goal. I’m definitely excited for what the future looks like with us. It is going to be something special because Rachael’s very special.”

Making a Promise

After James posted a video on Instagram in May 2024, one fan commented, writing, “Marry this girl already… she’s perfect .” James had a cheeky response, writing, “Planning on it .”

Biggest Bachelor Nation Scandals of All Time

No Pressure

James told Us in June 2024 that he and Kirkconnell weren’t succumbing to external pressures.

“We’re doing great. I feel like when you feel pressure, it’s when you don’t wanna do something,” he explained. “So I’ve never really felt pressure [to get engaged] because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s something that we’re gonna do at some point. That’s why we’re together and what we’re working toward. I’m excited about our future.”

At the time, James hinted at his creative plans for a proposal.

“She asks a million questions. …, ‘Why are you asking me to get my nails done? Why are we doing this?’ She’s just so intuitive that it’s gonna be tricky,” he said. “It’s gonna be tough because she needs a reason why we do anything — and not a crazy reason, [but] just to know why. She never does something just to do it. So when that happens, I’ll have to think outside the box. I’ll have to stretch the truth on why we’re doing something.”

Next Step

“I think that’s the next step,” James said on “De-Influenced with Dani + Jordan” podcast about a future engagement. “Having had so many of Rachael’s friends go through engagements, I wouldn’t dare go look at a ring without consulting Rachael first.”

Kirkconnell, meanwhile, quipped that deciding on the diamond is a priority before James pops the question.

“I have the finger ready,” she joked. “I feel that’s definitely something we want. I’m on his time. My problem is I definitely need to go find a ring I like and everything, but that’s on him at that point. … That’s a problem, I don’t even know what I want.”

British actor and reality star Paul Danan has died at age 46.

Representatives for Danan confirmed the news on Thursday, January 16, writing via Instagram, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Paul Danan at just 46 years old. Known for his television presence, exceptional talent, and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many. His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable voids in the lives of all who knew him.”

A cause of death was not revealed in the statement from Independent Creative Management. “During this difficult time, we kindly request respect and privacy for Paul’s family, friends, and colleagues. No further comments will be made at this time,” the post concluded.

Danan’s former Celebrity Big Brother costar Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace paid tribute following the news of his death.

Celebrity Deaths of 2025: Stars We’ve Lost This Year

“Paul Danan… a friend of mine… I’m so shocked and heartbroken…. my darling man… I will cherish all our happy memories,” she wrote via Instagram. “RIP u beautiful amazing talented human.”

Michael Greco, known for his role on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, took to X with a message of his own. “So, so sad to read about the passing of Paul Danan. In this day and age of falsities and fake people, he was a genuine and caring man who just wanted to please everyone,” he wrote. “A lovely warm man that will be missed by many. R.I.P. Buddy.”

Danan rose to stardom while playing Sol Patrick on Hollyoaks from 1997 to 2001. He also appeared on British children’s shows The Queen’s Nose and The Basil Brush Show before being cast on the medical drama Casualty.

After finding success with scripted projects, Danan became a fixture of reality TV in the U.K. He appeared on Come Dine With Me, Celebrity Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother. He is survived by his 8-year-old son, Deniro.

Less than one year before his death, Danan was hospitalized for respiratory failure in June 2024. He told the U.K.’s The Sun at the time that he spent a week in intensive care due to his vaping addiction.

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“I’m upstairs puffing away on my vape then suddenly I lost my breath and collapsed,” he recalled. “My family called for an ambulance and started giving me CPR, then police arrived and took over before paramedics took me to hospital. I was on a machine in [the] ICU and ended up with pneumonia. My family were warned I might not make it through the night. I’m so lucky.”

Danan’s doctor “was so, so harsh” following the health scare. “She told me, ‘Paul, you don’t know how serious this was and you are going to be in here for a while now, on this oxygen,'” he added. “She said if I ever smoke in any form again I risk being linked to an oxygen tank later on in life. She said that’s it now.”.

Danan’s final social media post before his death was an audition tape for the character of Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gone near a bit of the Master that is Our pioneer Sir William Shakespeare,” he captioned the video earlier this month. “You forget what a Genius he really was and remember how beautiful and exhilarating it is when you get stuck in to tackling his work. It’s an amazing experience! I forget sometimes how much i need to be awoken.”

Michelle Randolph is aware of how polarizing her Landman character, Ainsley, is.

Creator Taylor Sheridan‘s Paramount+ series premiered in November 2024 and introduced Billy Bob Thornton as a corporate fixer for an oil titan (Jon Hamm). The West Texas-set drama had life-and-death stakes but it was Thornton’s scenes with 27-year-old Randolph, who plays his 17-year-old daughter, that went viral. The most-talked about moments included her talking to her father about sex while walking around his house — which he shares with two men of similar age — in bikinis and her underwear.

“Some of the things that Ainsley has to say are shocking and there were moments where I thought, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to pull this off,'” Randolph admitted to The Hollywood Reporter one month later. “I want to find the most human version of this character that I can, and I work really hard at doing that.”

Randolph recalled putting in the work to bring Ainsley to life.

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“I worked with a dialect coach, a movement coach and an acting coach and I just studied like crazy. I had about a year almost to prep for her,” she explained about her approach to Ainsley. “It was incredibly helpful to kind of sit with that character. I worked really hard to find ways to justify her behavior and make a full human out of something that doesn’t always seem like what a 17-year-old would say, but people like that exist.”

While reflecting on her onscreen collaborations with Sheridan, Randolph said Landman “required 10 times more prep” than 1923.

“I wanted to be very careful about the way that Ainsley comes across. There’s only so much that I can control, but you also can control a lot as an actor,” she continued. “And just being around Ali [Larter] and Billy and Jacob [Lofland] and being in Texas really helped create this full person that Ainsley is. She has this free essence about her and she’s wild, and I loved every second of it.”

Keep scrolling for Randolph’s candid quotes about playing a controversial character on Landman:

Breaking Her Silence

“It’s hard to not be aware of it,” Randolph told The Hollywood Reporter about the negative response to Ainsley’s seasons. “But I disassociate and the thing is, I got the script. I read it. I had my moments, my thoughts.”

Randolph reminded viewers that she had nothing to do with what was written on the page.

“My job ended when I finished my last day on set, and then I released it. The show went out,” she continued. “I can’t tell people how to interpret my character, but at least it’s sparking conversation. And I’m really proud of the show that we made.”

Give Ainsley a Chance

Randolph urged viewers to give Ainsley the space to evolve, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “She’s 17 and she’s growing. I think she gets it more than the audience gets to see. There are moments where you realize that she can be, not manipulative, but she knows how to play her dad, and also her mom. She knows how to get what she wants. She loves her family.”

She concluded: “She is figuring out who she is and meeting different peers and going to school. She’s not just the bratty young daughter; she is a person. We get to see 5 percent of who Ainsley is. Hopefully as the show goes on, we get to see all of who she is.”

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Making It Work

The actress admitted it was a challenge properly representing Ainsley in the first few episodes.

“When you start a show, it’s so hard because you don’t know your full character. Knowing who she is in episode 10 was really hard when episode 1 was just coming out. I was like, that’s not all she has to do!” Randolph told Deadline in January 2025. “You don’t want to meet the fully evolved version of a character. If you don’t get to see the growth, then it’s not fun to watch. So I am thankful that we got to meet Ainsley at Point A, and hopefully by the time the show’s done, however many seasons, we’ll meet her at Z.”

Developing the Character

“When I first read [the scripts], I had to digest. And then, it just became like, that’s who she was. She never surprised me in a way, once I found her,” Randolph recalled during a People interview that same month. “It was interesting watching the audience reaction to it because I had sat with it for so long. It was like, ‘Oh, OK, we’re all going to process this again together.'”

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Taking Pride in the Final Version

Randolph didn’t see the reason for the negativity pointed at her character.

“I think being comfortable in your sexuality is something to be celebrated. If that’s what you feel as a human [and] aligns with who you are, then be authentically yourself. And that’s what she’s doing,” Randolph told People. “Though she is 17, so I think as she gets older, she’ll put up more boundaries and understand the way the world works more. But as far as she’s concerned, right now, this is the way she’s been raised and she’s going to figure out if she thinks that’s right or wrong or she wants to change it.”

Randolph made it clear she had no regrets about working on Landman, saying, “I’m so proud of the show that we made, and so I just didn’t let myself have a perspective on what the audience thought. I think I’ve said before, [that] I disassociated [during certain scenes], but you kind of have to. I did my job when I was filming and then I closed the door and we put it out there, and I’m excited to hopefully continue the character and that’s all I can do.”

Melissa Roxburgh is going to be on our screens once again in NBC’s crime drama The Hunting Party, about a prison break from a secret facility housing the most dangerous killers in the country.

The Hunting Party, which premieres on Sunday, January 19, is a crime procedural about investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers in the country. The twist? The criminals escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.

Roxburgh is playing Rebecca “Bex” Henderson who is an ex-FBI agent recruited to the task force due to her reputation as a profiler who caught the world’s most dangerous serial killers. The Hunting Party marks Roxburgh’s return to NBC after she previously starred on Manifest.

Manifest aired three seasons on NBC before moving to Netflix for a fourth and final season. Roxburgh has since appeared on Quantum Leap and Tracker.

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“When I showed up for Manifest, it was just easy. I walked in, it was right, everyone was like, ‘Yeah, that’s the girl,'” Roxburgh told Elle in 2023. “Young me would have looked at where I am now and been like, ‘That’s where I want to go, and that’s what’s going to make me happy.'”

She continued: “There are so many beautiful positives that come with being in the position that Manifest has given me.”

Keep scrolling for everything to know about NBC’s The Hunting Party — including its early debut:

What Is the Synopsis of ‘The Hunting Party’?

The Hunting Party is a “high-concept crime procedural” about a group of investigators tasked with tracking down and capturing “the most dangerous killers our country has ever seen.” After a seemingly planned prison escape from a facility called The Pit, Bex and her coworkers must track down the criminals without drawing attention to themselves or the mission related to a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.

When Will ‘The Hunting Party’ Premiere on NBC?

After originally being scheduled for a February release, NBC moved the premiere date up to Sunday, January 19, at 7 p.m. ET. An encore episode of the premiere is slated for the original premiere time slot on Monday, February 3, at 10 p.m. ET before new episodes originally start airing Monday, February 10, and streaming on Peacock the next day.

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Who Makes Up the Cast?

In addition to Roxburgh, Nick Wechsler, Patrick Sabongui, Josh McKenzie and Sara Garcia make up the rest of the cast.

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Roxburgh’s lead role on The Hunting Party comes amid her ongoing arc on Tracker as Dory a.k.a Justin Hartley‘s onscreen sister. Executive producer Elwood Reid teased Roxburgh’s status on the show in July 2024, telling TVLine, “We’ll unpeel some more stuff with his sister.”

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All about love! As fans watched their characters explore complicated relationships in Tell Me Lies, the cast of the hit Hulu series were seeing sparks fly off screen in their own love lives.

After the show debuted in September 2022, fans quickly started to question if Grace Van Patten and Jackson White, who portrayed Lucy and Stephen, were dating after playing love interests. The couple continued to fuel rumors with several red carpet appearances together while promoting the series.

At the time, White praised his scene partner for her dedication to their show. “Stephen is so intense, so manipulative, so crazy at times that I had a hard time being that guy,” he detailed in an interview with E! News in October 2022. “Then when they cut, I would have to be myself and that was really hard for me. Grace was so good about compartmentalizing the character and herself and I just tried to follow that. She’s the best.”

That same month, the actor revealed he was “obsessed” with the Tramps star and found her to be “f—king” amazing.

“Our lives are built in together. It’s crazy, we have so much to do together,” he said on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “She is the f—king coolest, most grounded, amazing person IRL that you’ll ever meet. She was the fearless leader on our show. She’s 25 years old and runs a set like she’s been doing this for 30 years. She’s so consistent and good at this.”

The New York native, for her part, didn’t rule out a potential offscreen romance, telling Entertainment Tonight at the time, “[The speculation] doesn’t bother me at all. It’s fun. It’s fun like any other discussion about the show. It’s engaging and it’s hilarious. I love it.”

The pair’s costar Benjamin Wadsworth also made headlines for his romance with fiancée Stella Maeve. After meeting at San Diego’s Comic Con in 2018, Wadsworth gushed about his special connection with Maeve.

“I was waiting to go on to do the [Deadly Class] panel and my manager was talking to her and said, ‘Ben, come over here and meet Stella’ and then it was up from there,” he told Page Six in May 2019. “She kept making eye contact with me too so I decided to go over and talk.”

Wadsworth previously clapped back at trolls who called out their 10-year age gap, writing via Instagram, “Yeah but my dog, you don’t know me. You don’t know my relationship. I’m living a great life. Now I get to live it forever with my beautiful fiancée.”

The pair got engaged in 2019 and welcomed their daughter the following year.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the Tell Me Lies cast and their respective love lives:

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In 2005, Nickelodeon viewers were in for a treat when Zoey 101 introduced them to the students of Pacific Coast Academy.

The series, which aired from 2005 until 2008, focused on the lives of Zoey Brooks (Jamie Lynn Spears) and her brother, Dustin (Paul Butcher), as they attended the fictional boarding school and made friends along the way. Shortly after its debut, the teen drama found success and went on to win several awards, even earning an Emmy nod for Outstanding Children’s Program in 2005.

However things took a turn when Spears announced in December 2007 that she was expecting her first child at the age of 16. Although Spears’ pregnancy wasn’t the reason Zoey 101 came to an end, the show aired its final episode in May 2008.

In January 2023, Spears confirmed a follow-up movie titled Zoey 102. Spears, Erin Sanders (Quinn Pensky), Sean Flynn (Chase Matthews), Matthew Underwood (Logan Reese), Christopher Massey (Michael Barret), Abby Wilde (Stacy Dilsen) and Jack Salvatore (Mark Del Figalo) all reunited for the Paramount+ film, which aired that July.

Scroll down to see where the Zoey 101 cast is now:

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After The Carrie Diaries came to an end, the show’s stars such as AnnaSophia Robb, Austin Butler and Katie Findlay have only continued to find success .

The CW series, which premiered in 2013, served as a prequel for Sarah Jessica Parker‘s character Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. The HBO hit, which ran for six seasons, was based on Candace Bushnell‘s bestselling Sex and the City anthology book series that took inspiration from her column in the New York Observer.

The Carrie Diaries followed Carrie as she balanced her suburban life in high school with her first internship in the city. The show came to an end in 2014 after two seasons on air.

Producer Amy B. Harris previously broke down how the writing team took Sex and the City into account while creating a new narrative in The Carrie Diaries.

“I had to tell a version of the story I thought I could write to for not just one episode but for many,” Harris told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013. “We debated a lot about whether or not to include anything about Carrie’s family backstory in [Sex and the City] and we mentioned once [on SATC] that the father had left. It didn’t feel like the right version to me, because the story felt more complicated than a parent leaving, and Candace’s version [with Carrie’s mom dying] in the book really spoke to me, the idea that she has a good relationship with her father, which is why she’s looking for a certain type of man.”

The characters were then once again revised in Max’s revival titled And Just Like That, which debuted on the streaming service in 2022

Scroll on to find out where the stars of The Carrie Diaries are now:

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Sofia Vergara and Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton are nothing more than friends after a recent outing sparked romance rumors.

In photos obtained by TMZ, Vergara, 52, was all smiles during a group lunch at a restaurant in the Big Apple on Tuesday, January 14. She was seen chatting with Hamilton, 40, while waiting for her car after the two-hour dining experience.

A source exclusively tells Us Weekly that the gathering was “merely a casual lunch with a big group of friends in a group setting” and “by no means a date.”

The actress has appeared to be in good spirits following her divorce from Joe Manganiello. Us confirmed in July 2023 that Manganiello, 48, filed to end their marriage after seven years.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello: The Way They Were

“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” they said in a joint statement, days before the actor officially filed the paperwork. “As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”

A source later told Us that Vergara and Manganiello were no longer “on the same page” about their relationship. “She would rather go out with friends and he would rather stay home, so they wouldn’t spend a lot of time together,” the insider explained. “They’ve been living separate lives for about a year now, so it was time to call things off.”

Manganiello has since moved on with Caitlin O’Connor, and the couple made their red carpet debut in December 2023. Vergara, for her part, was linked to Justin Saliman in October 2023 but telling Us one year later that she’s “kind of single” at the moment.

Vergara also previously addressed what caused her and Manganiello to part ways.

“Well, I’m newly divorced from my second husband, who I was with for 10 years. My marriage broke up because my husband was younger,” she revealed to Spanish newspaper El País in January 2024. “He wanted to have kids, and I didn’t want to be an old mom.”

Vergara said she didn’t want more children, while Manganiello was interested in being a father. (The Modern Family alum welcomed son Manolo in 1991 with then-husband Joe Gonzalez. The former couple called it quits two years later.)

“I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that’s not for me anymore,” she continued at the time. “I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother.”

Sofia Vergara’s Dating History

Despite her marriage coming to an end, Vergara remained optimistic about the future, adding, “So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children. I’m almost in menopause, it’s the natural way of things. When my son becomes a dad, let him bring the baby to me for a while and then I’ll give it back to him and go on with my life. That’s what I have to do.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, dated Nicole Scherzinger on and off for seven years before their split in 2015. He has since been linked to Rihanna and Shakira.

“One day [I want kids],” he told the Sunday Times in September 2024. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do to the level that I do it today with that. One of my best friends has just had a kid and I’m seeing how manic it is — and my nieces and nephew are a handful.”

Hamilton added: “There will be a time and a place for it, and I can’t wait for that part. But right now I have some work to do.”

Kathy Bates thought her career might be over before meeting Ryan Murphy.

During the Tuesday, January 14, episode of the “Dinner’s On Me” podcast, Bates, 76, said the executive producer “rejuvenated” her career after he cast her in his FX anthology series American Horror Story.

“Right before he gave me the opportunity to do the show, I had breast cancer and [my show] Harry’s Law had been cancelled rather unpleasantly,” Bates told host Jesse Tyler Ferguson. “When that summer happened, it was degrading.”

Bates recalled feeling “kind of humiliated” at the time, adding, “I felt like I had let my cast down and had never been through an experience like that. And then breast cancer, which does run in my family, so I wasn’t surprised.”

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The actress wasn’t sure whether she would book more roles before Murphy, 59, came along.

“But, it was more painful than I thought it was going to be,” she noted. “And I really felt like this is my career over.”

Bates appeared on season 3 of American Horror Story as Delphine LaLaurie before returningfor three more installments of the anthology series. She last appeared in season 8 as Miriam Mead and she has since struck gold with CBS reboot of Matlock.

“I remember calling my agents and saying, ‘I think maybe I want to go into, if not retirement, semi-retirement. If I can’t afford to keep my house, I’ll sell it and maybe go to New York,’” Bates told People in October 2024 about hitting a lull. “Then this happened. I couldn’t believe it.”

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Despite fan concerns that Matlock would be her final project, Bates denied that she was done with acting.

“I think people got confused and thought I was going to retire,” she added at the time. “What I meant was, how can it get any better? I would love for this to keep going.”

Bates currently plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock on the hit CBS series, which premiered in September 2024 to critical acclaim. Despite sharing the same last name as the iconic Matlock from the ’80s, Matty was introduced as a former lawyer hoping to get hired at a prestigious law firm after falling on hard times.

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It was later revealed, however, that it was all an act. Matty is actually the wealthy Madeline Kingston, who went undercover at the firm to track down who is responsible for her daughter’s death. The current suspects on Matty’s list include Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), Julian (Jason Ritter) and Senior (Beau Bridges) — all of whom could have had access to documents that would have taken opioids off the streets before her daughter died from an overdose.

“Certainly, I think that there’s a level of guilt, which is in the deep marrow of Matty. The fact that she feels tremendously guilty that she failed her child, and was unable to win the battle between the drugs and her child’s future, no matter what she did,” Bates told Entertainment Weekly after the premiere. “And also the level of, she’s been grieving for 10 years and I think she spent the last couple of years with her grandson Alfie cooking up this plan and using their wits. And I think all of that level of excitement and joy of working with him and finding that he was very passionate about bringing those people to justice that killed his mother.”

Dr. Will Kirby hinted at plans to move on from reality TV after season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island.

“This is a young person’s game,” Dr. Will, 52, told People on Tuesday, January 14. “I really love what I do for a living. I love reality television and I have been part of it for 25 years. But nothing in life is sadder than a reality television person who doesn’t know when to retire.”

After competing with the next generation of reality stars, Dr. Will added, “If I’m being really transparent, I think it’s time to pass the torch. And this is the best group to pass the torch to.”

Fans met Dr. Will on season 2 of Big Brother in 2001, which he won. He returned for Big Brother: All Stars in 2006 and came in fourth before becoming the jury roundtable host on the CBS reality show.

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Dr. Will hosted the show’s jury roundtable segment on and off from 2013 until his exit last year.

“I can confirm that I will not be serving as the Big Brother jury roundtable host this season,” Kirby told Parade in a September 2024 statement. “It’s simply time to hang up the proverbial cleats. The run I’ve had on the show, first as contestant and then as a host, is practically unheard of but nothing lasts forever; I am ready to pass the reality television baton!”

Over the years, Dr. Will has discussed how emotionally draining the hosting gig could be, exclusively telling Us Weekly in 2020, “Every jury has an element of bitterness. And why would we expect otherwise? You would be bitter too if you just lost half a million dollars. But the right person always wins. He or she did whatever it took to have the most keys come out of the box on finale night!”

Dr. Will weighed in at the time on whether he believed he was the best player to ever participate in Big Brother.

“Please let me address your question with a question of my own: What other non-scripted television show cast member is still relevant nearly two decades after his or her first appearance?” he noted. “I laid the foundation for the antihero gameplay that fans relish today, I was the architect of alliances and I’m well-rounded in every aspect of strategic gameplay.”

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Dr. Will continued: “Moreover, I provided pure unadulterated entertainment enveloped in a comedic shell. On top of all that, I literally created the word ‘showmance.’ So, yes, unequivocally, I’m the best to ever play.”

Following two decades away from competitive reality TV, Dr. Will joined Deal or No Deal Island during the Tuesday, January 14, episode.

“I was well aware of my reputation,” he told People on Tuesday. “So I came in hot, guns blazing. I wanted to win people over.”

Dr. Will said he “couldn’t be who” he really is on the show, describing himself as “meek and quiet and introverted” and “a guy who reads books and goes to bed at 9 [o’clock].”

“Not only is that not good for the show, it’s just not what people would’ve believed,” he continued. “So I came in just screaming and yelling. I came here to entertain.”

Mandatory ride alongs with law enforcement not only helped On Call writers conduct vital research for the show — it also inspired crucial scenes from Wolf Entertainment’s first streaming series.

The Prime Video series, which premiered on Thursday, January 9, utilizes bodycam, dash-camera and cellphone footage that allows viewers to follow cops in the field. On Call is largely centered around veteran training officer Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario) and her rookie partner Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente) as they respond to emergency calls on the streets of Long Beach, California.

The duo deal with everything from gang-related incidents to domestic disputes to escalated incidents of arson. While some of the cases seem overexaggerated for the sake of making good TV, cocreator Tim Walsh exclusively told Us Weekly how his own experiences on ride alongs informed the show’s scripts.

“I can say with all honesty that probably 90 to 95 percent of the calls that you saw on the show all came from our experiences in the ride along,” Walsh shared. “Or they were told to us by the officers on a ride along. So we took a lot from being on the street.”

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Walsh admitted that creating an ambitious series such as On Call came with its set of challenges.

“The bodycam is a lens that takes everything in. We learned right away in editing that you would see the boom operator, craft services and the porta potties. We had to be really careful,” he explained. “We learned, but we had to be really careful. At one point in time there were 12 cameras in episode 4 when they hit the motel.”

Walsh continued: “It’s a big action sequence and every single one of our characters — or police officers — are wearing a bodycam. You can only imagine they’re going to get the crew, they’re going to get the people sitting off to the side. So that was really challenging. We just had to figure it out and we found it in the editing part of the process.”

Despite the complications, Walsh says he’s thrilled with the final product. The screenwriter specifically highlighted On Call‘s mission not to pick sides while highlighting important conversations about first responders.

“That was the goal of going into it — it’s not an anti-police or pro-police show. It’s pro-character, and the characters happen to be cops,” Walsh said. “We started doing a lot of research from the jump, including multiple ride-alongs with the Los Angeles Police Department, Sheriff’s Department and Long Beach police. You realize when you get in a car that it’s just another human being next to you.”

On Call’s overall mission was to “entertain” the audience. “People are at a point in their lives where they don’t want to be preached at anymore. So we were very aware of that,” Walsh continued. “It’s a complicated subject matter. We’re not ignoring that part of it. But we’re also saying that outside of the complicated subject matter, there’s also an incredibly important job that these people have to do. We wanted to focus on that part.”

On Call is currently streaming on Prime Video. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of how offscreen ride alongs played a role in creating the newest police procedural:

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Were Ride Alongs Mandatory?

Walsh called the first-hand research “incredibly important” to the show.

“Honestly, when I hired the writing staff I asked them, ‘Do you have a problem with going on ride alongs? Because if you do, you’re [likely] not going to be writing on the show,'” Walsh told Us, referring to how necessary it was to have knowledge of the field when creating the series. “If someone was going to write a show about a TV writer, they get to shadow a TV writer or a showrunner to figure out what their daily life is. They can’t just make it up.”

The entire On Call team wanted to do right by the material, with Walsh adding, “We couldn’t do that to these law enforcement officers either. We wanted this to always be very authentic because there’s just so much drama out there to mine. So preparation was No. 1 and the actors really stepped up. They all did ride alongs, the directors did ride alongs, some of the producers did ride alongs and our Director of Production did. So if you wanted to be on the show, you absolutely had to go and sit in a car with these folks.”

How Much of a Ride Along Ended Up on Screen?

While recalling his own time in a squad car, Walsh quoted the first major moment between Harmon and Diaz.

“What stuck with me in one of my first rides while developing this show with a 30-year-old young kid who pulls over to the side of the road. He then turned to me after we had a very friendly conversation back and forth. He looks at me and asks, ‘Where are we right now?’ I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He’s like, ‘I’ve just been shot. You’re my partner tonight. Where are we?'” Walsh told Us about a conversation that made it into the season premiere of On Call. “I am looking all over the place and he’s like, ‘I’m dead. I’m already dead.'”

Walsh continued: “He said, ‘The most important thing you can learn from day one is where you are at all times in life. That went right into the pilot.”

Was Anything Off Limits?

“When you are with these officers, you go right into these communities and right into people’s homes. You are in their living rooms, in their backyard and you learn so much,” Walsh shared, referring to how his first-hand experience was used on screen. “We’re not just watching the police, we’re watching the community and how they interact with the police as well. That’s also very important.”

The more heavy subject matter on the show — including the cold open with a car accident that led to an injured dog — was lifted from actual incidents.

“That had to go in there. I’ve done a few shows where I’ve developed them and they haven’t gone forward and it’s devastating. I felt like this might be my last opportunity,” he admitted to Us. “And if I was going to fall on anyone’s sword, it was going to be on my own sword. I was just like, ‘Nothing’s off limits. Let’s just leave it all out there and I think it’ll find its audience.'”

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How Dangerous Were the Ride Alongs?

According to Walsh, not every encounter turned out how he expected.

“We rolled up on a gentleman [once] who was smoking crystal meth on a bus stop bench and the officer got on his loudspeaker and just said, ‘Hey, do me a favor. Just move and go smoke that somewhere else. You can’t be in public.’ In the past, they probably would’ve gotten out of the car and confronted him, but he is taking precautions,” Walsh recalled. “The guy said, ‘No, I’m not going to move.’ When he shifted around, we saw that he had a tennis ball size of crystal meth. That’s a felony, so the officer got out of the car and I got out with him.”

The routine stop ended with a “physical altercation” between the man and the police officer.

“I’ll never forget this young deputy rolling around on the ground with this guy. I turned around and everybody in the intersection was stopped with their cell phones and they were recording us. I was like, ‘Please, do not let this end in a more violent way.’ And the suspect took off running,” Walsh continued. “Then the whole fleet went after him and about 30 minutes later, they caught him. But things like that, I was literally his only backup. So I was wondering, ‘Do I need to jump in here and help him?’ But that’s pretty much every ride along — you have absolutely no idea what you’re going to encounter.”

What Was the Main Takeaway From the Experience?

“What I hope [viewers] take away is that a huge part of the daily interactions of the police really is mental health. I don’t think they get enough credit for that,” Walsh noted. “Obviously there’s a lot of focus on the negative incidents, which rightfully so and which needs to be called out. But also they are helping people with mental illness and substance abuse issues.”

He concluded: “That’s really not in their job description, but it has fallen on them and the fire department. So the takeaway would probably be to just bring more awareness that these are the people that are helping the folks on the street with addiction problems — more so than you probably imagined.”

Patrick Mahomes is already discussing whether he wants to expand his family again just days after his wife, Brittany Mahomes, gave birth to their third baby.

Patrick, 29, was asked about possibly welcoming another child during a press conference on Tuesday, January 14, and replied, “[I’m] good with three [kids] for right now. My goal was always three, so we’ve had three. We’ll stick there for a while and see if we need to come back and get another one later on.”

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, however, didn’t rule out having another baby with Brittany “down the line,” hinting that it was “maybe” an option for the couple in the future.

Brittany, 29, announced the arrival of her and Patrick’s third child, daughter Golden, on Monday, January 13. The pair are also the parents of daughter Sterling, 3, and son Bronze, 2. Despite his recent comments, Patrick previously said in July 2024 that he’d be “done” after three kids.

Patrick Mahomes and Wife Brittany Mahomes' Relationship Timeline

“I said three and I’m done,” he told reporters at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp press conference that month. “I always wanted to have kids young. I got to grow up in a locker room, and it made such an impact in my life. We’re on our third kid now. … Brittany does a great job of doing that and we still go out and enjoy our life.”

Brittany, for her part, revealed in July 2024 that her pregnancy with baby No. 3 was “the hardest” she’d experienced due to “sickness, exhaustion and now skin” problems.

After meeting in high school, Patrick and Brittany started dating and stayed together throughout his rise to NFL stardom after he was drafted to the Chiefs in 2017. The couple, who got engaged in 2020 after eight years together, exchanged vows in March 2022 and have continued to open up about maintaining a strong family unit.

“Everybody sees the game days. They don’t see the day-to-day grind. They don’t see how you have to manage playing football and being a dad and being a husband,” Patrick said in Netflix’s 2023 Quarterback docuseries. “It’s football. You’re gonna have highs. You’re gonna have the lows. You put so much into this that you want to win, you want to succeed. And you want to win that Super Bowl at the end of the year. But I have to be a dad too. I have to be a husband.”

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Brittany has continued to publicly praise her husband after major wins on the field — including last year’s Super Bowl.

“This season was a special one! This guy never stopped believing in his team…through the ups and downs and all the doubters, never once did he doubt this team,” she wrote via Instagram in February 2024. “He is a true leader and a team player. He continued to ask himself what he could do better to lead this team to the Super Bowl. I saw so much behind the scenes that I will forever be in awe of you as a person and a football player! You my guy deserved this!!! I love you and am always and forever proud of you.”

© Courtesy of Brittany Mahomes/Instagram

The Big Bang Theory has a spinoff in the works — but has Mayim Bialik been offered a chance to reprise the role of Amy?

“I haven’t been contacted,” Bialik, 49, exclusively revealed to Us Weekly while promoting her guest spot on former costar Melissa Rauch‘s NBC show Night Court. “I’ve seen what’s been announced and I think that’s where a lot of people’s knowledge of it is right [now] — me being one of them.”

Bialik is excited to find out more, adding, “These characters were so iconic and so significant to people. [Creators] Chuck [Lorre] and Bill [Prady] really created a world of characters that people want to know about and follow up on. So, I’m very flattered and I would be very flattered if I am contacted.”

Despite not getting an offer yet, Bialik would jump at the chance to play Amy again.

What to Know About 'The Big Bang Theory' Spinoff — Including Who's Returning

“I love being known as that character and I love what it means to people. So for me, it would be a thrill to be part of it in any way,” she noted. “It was a really, really fun experience to be part of that [during my guest appearance with Jim Parsons] on Young Sheldon. I also get to interact with [creators] Steven [Molaro] and Steve [Holland] and a lot of our writers and producers, so it’s a whole world that I still feel very connected to.”

The Big Bang Theory aired from 2007 to 2019 and starred Parsons, 51, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Bialik and Rauch, 44, as a group of friends made up of scientists and their significant others. During its run, the CBS comedy won 10 Emmy Awards and spawned prequel shows Young Sheldon and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.

Warner Bros. Television currently has a spinoff in development that would air on their streaming service Max if picked up to series. Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus and Kevin Sussman have been tapped to headline the show, which would have them reprising their roles from the original series.

While fans wait for more news, they can see some Big Bang Theory reunions between the cast members on shows such as Night Court. During the Tuesday, January 14, episode of the NBC series, Bialik played an exaggerated version of herself.

Which 'The Big Bang Theory' Stars Have — and Haven't — Made Spinoff Cameos?

“I left the creative [details] up to Melissa when she asked if I would be interested in coming on. I literally said to her, ‘Whatever you want, I’m happy to do it.’ That’s just out of a sense of comradery and support for her and our friendship,” Bialik told Us. “I am also just really proud of everything that she’s created. I just was happy to support — and I’m also a fan of Night Court. When I was little, I wasn’t allowed to watch it because it was naughty and had some racy language.”

Bialik got to have a lot of fun while sharing the screen with Rauch.

“Melissa asked how I feel about this notion of playing a twisted version of myself. I said I’ll be as silly as you want and as kooky as you want. Melissa was also drawing on some of our actual story where she was a Blossom fan, and when we started working together on The Big Bang Theory, she revealed it,” she recalled. “I liked the idea of toying with this and art imitating life.”

While discussing the opportunity, Bialik explained the benefits — and challenges — of playing herself.

‘The Big Bang Theory’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

“The advantage is there’s a certain amount of ease that comes with getting to play yourself. You’re not creating a character. I know the backstory because it’s mine,” she shared. “But in terms of the disadvantages, it’s hard — especially if you’re playing an exaggerated version. The producers have to wonder like, ‘Oh, is she afraid that people will think this is what she’s really like?’ Or like, ‘What’s that exaggerated version gonna be like?'”

She concluded: “But I don’t see it as a huge impediment. It’s definitely a challenge to try and stretch outside of playing yourself but also playing an exaggerated version of yourself.”

New episodes of Night Court air on NBC Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET and are available to stream on Peacock the next day.