Latest news with #BellaMaclean
Wales Online
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
One Day star Ambika Mod looked chic at Glastonbury - and her outfit is on sale
One Day star Ambika Mod looked chic at Glastonbury - and her outfit is on sale Ambika Mod showed off her style at Glastonbury in a sustainable and affordable outfit from Nobody's Child Ambika Mod wearing Nobody's Child's embroidered waistcoat at Glastonbury (Image: Nobody's Child ) For those of us who missed out on Glastonbury tickets this year (sigh), we've been vicariously enjoying the festival through social media posts and live coverage from Worthy Farm, keeping tabs not only on the stellar performances and surprise appearances (hello, Lewis Capaldi), but also the incredibly fashionable attire. One brand that caught our eye at the music festival - which is set to take its regular break in 2026 - was Nobody's Child. Actress Ambika Mod, known for her brilliant portrayal of Emma in the recent book adaptation of One Day, and Bella Maclean, from Rivals and Sex Education, were spotted sporting some seriously covetable festival outfits. With both looks priced under £60, shoppers can draw style inspiration and replicate these celebrity outfits without splashing out. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter For instance, Ambika looked stylish in the brand's Beige Floral Embroidered Waistcoat, currently discounted to £50.15 (originally £59.99). Crafted from 100% organic cotton, the waistcoat is an excellent choice for sweltering weather as it's breathable with a slightly loose fit, ensuring you stay cool. Its light hue will reflect rather than absorb sunlight. Ambika teamed the waistcoat, which features neat front ties and an embroidered floral pattern (and has matching trousers, the Shona trousers, priced at £75), with a pair of green shorts and walking boots, reports OK!. Nobody's Child took to their Instagram page to showcase the actress' ensemble, posting: "Spotted: @ambikamod in our embroidered waistcoat this weekend. We're not jealous at all." So far, the brand's website features a single review for the waistcoat, but it's brimming with praise. The five-star reviewer enthused: "I love it so much, it fits so well and the details are so intricate. "Great with baggy jeans/jean shorts and a big belt." On Instagram, beneath Nobody's Child's post, one admirer commented: "Wow she's gorgeous! And love the waistcoat/outfit!". Another chimed in with: "Love this waistcoat." The only potential drawback noted seems to be the waistcoat's light colour, which could easily show dirt; hence, care should be taken to avoid stains. Bella Maclean was also seen donning the Nobody's Child Burgundy Lace Trim Ally Mini Dress, now discounted from £69 to £41. Featuring spaghetti straps, a square neckline, and lace trimmings, the dress is, according to the brand, 'made for dressing up without trying too hard'. Bella's look at Glasto perfectly embodied this ethos as the 27 year old paired the dress with black trainers and a grey 'Phillies' baseball cap, exuding effortless style. While the silky material might risk revealing sweat marks in the heat, its design with spaghetti straps and short length will undoubtedly help keep wearers cool. It wasn't just Ambika and Bella's attire that caught our attention. Holly Willoughby was spotted in a stunning ensemble from Free People. The blonde presenter donned the Lenna Set, exuding serious bohemian vibes - perfect for the occasion. Priced at £158, the Lenna set isn't the most affordable, but it is a worthy investment piece that'll see plenty of use during and after the festival season. Comprising a silky slip and matching cropped bed jacket, Holly complemented the outfit with chunky brown boots, a western-inspired belt and a matching brown fedora to complete the look. Article continues below In the meantime, Daisy Edgar-Jones was spotted wearing denim shorts, a cream lacy camisole top and classic short Hunter wellies, which are currently discounted to £63 from their original price of £90.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amazon Doubles Down on Dual Streaming Strategy in India With Prime Video and MX Player
In a wide-ranging conversation at the APOS summit in Bali on Wednesday, senior regional executives from Amazon laid out their vision for the company's twin-pronged streaming strategy in India, where the tech giant operates both the subscription-based Prime Video platform and the ad-supported service Amazon MX Player. The dual-service approach, they argued, is key to capturing India's vast and varied entertainment consumer base. 'India is a really heterogeneous and diverse country with customers having very different needs,' said Gaurav Gandhi, vp of Prime Video for Asia Pacific and MENA. 'Prime Video caters to customers who are subscription-ready, who have actually transitioned to streaming as their first or only choice of entertainment. Amazon MX Player is aimed at customers who are now transitioning from traditional media — TV or they are not subscription-ready yet — though they are still seeking high-quality premium content.' More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Shining,' 'A Clockwork Orange,' 'Megalopolis' Costume Designer to Receive Locarno Vision Award Engagement, Monetization, Quality Content and the Impact of AI Take Center Stage at NATPE Budapest 'Rivals' Breakout Bella Maclean Cast in Ray Panthaki's Directorial Debut 'In Starland' (Exclusive) Prime Video, which has achieved some local hits like The Family Man, Paatal Lok, and Made in Heaven, also isn't neglecting the big screen, still an essential entertainment pillar in cinema-mad India, which famously produces more movies per year than any other nation. The company is currently preparing for a bigger push into theatrical production through Amazon MGM Studios. Starting in 2026, the studio will release four to six original Indian films in theaters annually. The next Amazon MGM Studios feature, Anurag Kashyap's Nishaanchi, is slated to hit cinemas this September. The plan builds on Prime Video's past co-productions with leading Indian studios. Nikhil Madhok, head of originals for Prime Video India, described the platform's creative strategy as 'premium, nuanced, and cinematic,' arguing that the company invests in production values and themes for its series to rival feature films — in order to cut through a content landscape that's hyper competitive. He cited shows like Khauf, a horror series that doubles as a meditation on urban trauma, and Dupahiya, which taps into nostalgic yearnings for rural India. 'We were very clear from the start that the local content in India had to be highly differentiated from television, but at the same time, when it lands up on the service, sitting next to our international content, it must be equally compelling, if not more,' Madhok explained. Meanwhile, Amazon MX Player, which reaches over 250 million monthly users — many of them mobile-first— has carved a niche with local scripted and unscripted fare, dubbed international content, and escapist franchises like Hustler and Aashram, the latter of which has netted more than 200 million views. Amazon acquired the MX Player service, a former rival, from India's Times conglomerate last year — in a deal pegged at about $100 million by local press — and promptly merged the service with its AVOD platform Amazon miniTV to create Amazon MX Player. Amogh Dusad, head of content for Amazon MX Player, revealed plans for the service to boost its efforts in the buzzy micro-drama category. As part of a new initiative titled MX Fatafat, the company will produce a slate of serialized micro-dramas optimized for smartphones. Each series will comprise 80 to 100 episodes of one to two-minute vertical videos, ideal for brief moments of consumption throughout the day. 'MX Fatafat is a fresh approach, requiring unique writing and production methods, and we are looking forward to launch it later this year,' Dusad said. The panel, moderated by Media Partners Asia executive director Vivek Couto, also touched on Amazon's broader investments in India's surging creator economy. Gandhi noted that over half of Prime Video's current originals feature first-time talent, and the company is actively co-producing short-form content with emerging creator voices through MX Fatafat. With continued investment across both services, Gandhi stressed that Amazon remains bullish on the long-term potential of India's hyper-competitive streaming market, which has seen local champion JioStar emerge as the dominant player in recent months. 'It's still early days for streaming in India,' Gandhi said. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'We All Have Challenges of Monetization': Engagement, Money and the Impact of AI Take Center Stage at NATPE Budapest
Follow the money and follow the audience and its needs in the streaming age. That was one point that television industry leaders agreed on in Central and Eastern Europe at this week's NATPE Budapest, even if their specific strategies may differ. 'We are following people wherever they watch — whether it's linear, paid streaming or free streaming,' Levente Málnay, the Hungary-based managing director and executive vp, AMC Networks International, Central and Northern Europe, shared during a panel discussion with top industry players entitled 'View from the top: Where do we go from here?' 'And we follow the money, because it's key to identifying the proper revenue model.' More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Rivals' Breakout Bella Maclean Cast in Ray Panthaki's Directorial Debut 'In Starland' (Exclusive) Lea Massari, Italian Cinema's Anti-Diva, Dies at 91 Lux Pascal's Deluxe Debut Monetization, though, has been one key challenge, he highlighted. 'The output of this industry has never been this good and this rich. So if we just look at the amount of fiction programming, I don't know about you guys, but even if I'm up until 4 a.m., I still cannot watch everything I really would like to watch,' he shared. 'But the problem is: we all have challenges of monetization, so the audience is somehow not yet paying for all of it. So I guess our primary challenge is to figure out how to satisfy, at the same time, our great audience and also our shareholders.' Málnay believes that content is still king. 'The key is our fantastic content. Eventually, good content makes its way to viewers — wherever they are,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 'And we do produce a lot: amazing fiction by our parent company in the U.S. I am incredibly proud of simulcasting such popular original productions as The Walking Dead: Dead City season two in most Central and Eastern European countries. And locally we have top sports, documentaries and cooking [shows] produced or commissioned by AMC in multiple languages with talent from all over the region.' Stella Litou, CEO of the Central European Media Enterprises (CME)-owned RTL Croatia and Pro Plus Slovenia, on the same panel emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to attract audiences. Lauding the launch of the Voyo streaming service in Croatia in August 2023, she said: 'What's important at the end of the day is to be able to keep our viewer in front of the big screen for as long as possible, whether we do this on the linear channel with our news and our live content and our events, or whether we do it by catch-up on previews … or via originals.'While Netflix & Co. are competitors for many, producer Magdalena Szwedkowicz, whose MAG Entertainment has quickly developed a reputation for its high-quality productions, such as the Netflix hit film Forgotten Love (Znachor) and SkyShowtime series Sleboda (Deadly Ties), lauded the company and its peers. 'I'm so grateful for streamers in this world, because if I were waiting for broadcasters to make decisions… well, it seems they make slower decisions than streamers,' she said during the panel. Those 'very much need to address and target the local audience, because they are global,' she explained. 'They have enough global content. So they need to reach local audiences.' How does she look to reach audiences? 'Never, ever underestimate the audience,' she said. 'Audiences today are so sharp and intelligent. They know when you're trying to be cheap, when you're trying to be hollow. And they will stop watching. But they follow an emotional, deeply grounded story, and that's what I'm trying to deliver. … It's about the connection with the audience. That's what's most important.' One of the biggest challenges for the industry and producers like her is balancing quality with sustainability. 'Audiences expect high production value, and we're committed to delivering that,' Szwedkowicz also told THR. 'But the cost of producing quality content keeps rising, while networks and platforms are under increasing pressure to monetize. This makes it harder for them to invest in exclusive content on their own. At the same time, this challenge creates an opportunity. It pushes the industry toward more strategic partnerships — between producers, platforms and even across borders. Co-productions, flexible rights models and shared risk are becoming essential. For our company, that means being agile, building trust-based relationships and staying focused on stories that travel and resonate.' Meanwhile, George Levendis, managing director, ANT1 TV, Mak TV and Antenna Studios, shared insight into the TV and streaming market in Greece during the panel discussion. 'The free-to-air market in Greece tends to be reasonably stronger than other markets because it's highly competitive, with five to eight channels,' he explained. 'And as a result, the transition to other platforms has been slightly slower, or certainly, free-to-air has a base that is still reasonably strong, and that's mostly due to the very strong content.' He expressed confidence in Antenna's strategy even though global streamers, particularly Netflix, made inroads, helped by the COVID pandemic. 'The market is changing. It's changing quickly,' he said. 'We're trying to adapt to it, but we are the leader in terms of that SVOD strategy.' Indeed, Levendis highlighted, 'we seem to be the only channel at the moment to have an SVOD play [with ANT1+]. Most of the channels still tend to be running either advertising [streaming] or simply catch-up [services].' Daniel Grunt, CEO of CME's Nova Group in Czechia, told THR that the battle for viewers' time and engagement is a core element of today's industry — and that AI could have a significant impact on the bottom line. 'Audiences today face an overwhelming amount of content but limited time and attention. That's the biggest challenge,' he argued. 'And it's a challenge that's only going to grow with the rise of generative AI. We're entering a new phase where higher-than-average quality video content generated by AI tools can be produced faster, cheaper and in much larger volumes. Barriers to entry are dropping dramatically, and AI agents will likely take over roles traditionally held by content curators and distributors, including aggregators and even TV operators.' Szwedkowicz also mentioned AI in receiving one of the inaugural NATPE Honors Europe: 'Today, as AI begins reshaping so many aspects of our industry, it's easy to get distracted,' she said. 'But I think we all love that at the heart of it, this business is all about people. It's about creativity, it's about storytelling, it's about empathy. And as a result, the challenge and opportunity for us is to nurture the [technological] innovation and try to stay grounded in the business reality.' Levendis also highlighted AI as a key theme. 'AI is everywhere in our industry conversations right now, and for good reason,' he told THR. 'We're already seeing practical applications in how we develop content, understand our audiences, and run our business more efficiently.' How is Antenna looking to use the emerging technology? 'We're taking a measured approach, using AI where it actually solves real problems our teams face. It's helping us spot audience trends we might have missed, making our content easier to find across different platforms, and giving us better insights into what viewers want,' he explained. 'The key is making our people more effective at what they already do well, not trying to automate creative decisions. At ANT1 TV, we've started using AI for things like improving our international content localization and making our marketing more targeted. We're also testing whether it can provide useful feedback during script development, not to make creative choices, but to give our development teams additional data points when they're evaluating projects.' Levendis summed up Antenna's use cases for AI this way: 'What we're learning is that AI is very good at processing large amounts of information quickly, but it can't replace the creative instincts that drive good storytelling. It works best when it handles the analytical work so our creative people can focus on the parts of their jobs that actually require human judgment. Its value depends entirely on how thoughtfully you use it.'Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rivals cast kick off series two filming as they beam in behind-the-scenes pics from Disney+ set
Rivals fans will be happy to know that filming for series two has already begun. The period drama - which is based on author Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name - premiered in the UK on streaming service Disney+, as well as in the US on Hulu back in October 2024. Rivals became a huge hit with viewers and many were desperate to know if there would be a second series. Then back in December 2024, the renewal was confirmed and now a first look at the new series has been shared on social media. Disney+, Hulu, Nafessa Williams and Alex Hassell all took to Instagram to post a shared set of pictures from the set of Rivals. In one snap Nafessa, Alex and Adrian Turner can be seen posing for a picture surrounded by greenery. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Nafessa - who plays Cameron Cook - rocked a red shirt and white wide leg trousers, while X actor Alex opted for a light pink polo shirt, white trousers and knee high brown boots. Adian, who has taken on the role of Declan O'Hara, wore a blue polo shirt, grey trousers and rocked a very impressive moustache. Actress Bella Maclean was all smiles as she held a clapperboard while cuddling up to a cute pooch. She plays Agatha Taggie O'Hara in the series. And the third picture sees Danny Dyer (Freddie Jones) and Lisa McGrillis (Valerie Jones) cosying up together in front of the camera. They captioned the post: 'Back on set and ready for more action. 'Season 2 of #Rivals is now in production. 'Stream season 1 on Hulu and with #HuluOnDisneyPlus.' Many fans rushed to the comments section to share their excitement. 'We're so ready ���� my favourite cast.' 'Cannot wait.' 'I'm up. I'm awake. I'm crying. I'm excited. ' 'We are so back baby! ' 'Oh my god… this is too exciting… get it film! Get it edited and get it out asap.' 'Yesssssss! I've just re-binged series 1 all over again.' Earlier this month Disney+ confirmed that Rivals will return for a second series after its huge success last year - and they have treated fans to an extra four episodes. The first series, which was eight episodes, became a huge hit and ended on a huge cliffhanger after David Tennant's character Lord Tony Baddingham was left for dead. Though the fate of Lord Baddingham appeared dire, it has now been confirmed that David will reprise his role in the upcoming second season in a major casting update. The streaming service has also confirmed that they have already started filming again, with fans set to be treated to 12 new episodes. Along with David's return, Alex Hassell will reprise his role as Rupert Campbell-Black and Aidan Turner will once again star as Declan O'Hara. Nafessa Williams will once again take on the role of Cameron Cook, while Bella Maclean will again play Taggie O'Hara and Emily Atack will return as Sarah Stratton. The likes of Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Claire Rushbrook, Catriona Chandler, Lisa McGrillis, Annabel Scholey and Luca Pacqalino will also be on the show. Rivals fans previously begged Disney+ for a second series of the saucy show after binge watching all it's eight episodes in a matter of days but were forced to wait months until the news was officially confirmed. Author and executive producer Dame Jilly Cooper said of the news: 'I'm utterly sex-static filming for the second season is upon us. 'It was magical working with Happy Prince and Disney+ on the first season and seeing everyone fall head over heels for my beloved characters. 'I'm delighted to be able to work with them again and for everyone to see what further mischief they all get up to!' Executive producers Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Alexander Lamb added: 'We are so excited to be returning to Rutshire for an extended stay of twelve episodes for season two of Rivals. 'It's very special to have the same team return in front of and behind the cameras and we cannot wait to share more of Jilly's world with our audience.' And Lee Mason, who is executive director of scripted content for Disney+, added: 'It's a real privilege to have this phenomenal team back together for season two of Rivals. 'From the exceptional cast, the remarkable creative team behind the camera – including the one and only Dame Jilly Cooper. Disney+ audiences are in for an absolute treat.. Rutshire here we come…' The story is set in 1986 and follows the cut throat world of television, including the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black and Lord Tony Baddingham.
