Latest news with #LesleyManville
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Bridgerton" Star Nicola Coughlan to Lead "I Am" Season 4
Yara Sameh 'I Am,' the BAFTA-winning female-led drama anthology series that has starred the likes of Kate Winslet, Letitia Wright, Lesley Manville and Samantha Morton, has been recommissioned by the U.K.'s Channel 4 for a fourth season. The two-part 'I Am Helen' will this time be led by Nicola Coughlan ('Derry Girls,' 'Bridgerton,' 'Big Mood'), who is set to star opposite Joe Cole ('Gangs of London,' 'A Small Light'). 'I Am' has been created. written, produced and directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Dominic Savage and produced by Emmy-winning Me+You Productions since the first series that debuted in 2019. Savage has always developed the stories in creative collaboration with its leading actors, with the story of 'I Am Helen' developed alongside Coughlan. 'It's an absolute honour to be part of telling the next 'I Am…' story alongside Dominic Savage — a singular talent and a storyteller deeply committed to exploring the breadth of the female experience,' said Coughlan. 'To follow in the footsteps of the brilliant women who've collaborated with him on this series feels truly surreal, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be embarking on this journey.' 'I Am Helen' follows the standout success of three previous 'I Am' series, authentically exploring the personal experiences of women through what is described as 'provocative, emotionally raw storytelling.' In 2023, Winslet led the double BAFTA-winning 'I Am Ruth' to critical acclaim. 'I Am' became Channel 4's most successful new 10 pm drama in six years when it debuted in August 2019, with Vicky McClure starring in 'I Am Nicola.' Morton starred in the BAFTA-nominated 'I Am Kirsty,' and Gemma Chan starred in I Am Hannah. Series two was equally successful, starring Suranne Jones in the BAFTA-nominated 'I Am Victoria,' Wright in 'I Am Danielle,' and Lesley Manville in 'I Am Maria.' 'I Am' is produced by Me+You Productions, Majumdar, and Savage. Executive producer is Richard Yee, with Gemma Boswell, commissioning editor from Channel 4 drama. The series is co-funded by Sky Studios, and international sales are handled by NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution. It will air on Channel 4. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Jimmy Jaguar' Review: An Atypical Hungarian Horror Flick That's More Provocative Than Frightening
Hungarian auteur Bence Fliegauf is about as far from the mainstream as you can get, although he has tried his hand at various Hollywood genres — including the 2010 English-language sci-fi flick Womb, which starred Eva Green and Lesley Manville. But his eclectic range of movies are often dark and difficult to classify, which may explain why he's been a regular on the festival circuit for nearly two decades without ever getting much play in theaters. The director's latest feature, Jimmy Jaguar, is another brooding head-scratcher, one that's equal parts fascinating and frustrating. On paper, it could be pitched as a Hungarian Blair Witch Project meets Insidious, using a faux-documentary device to explore a case of demonic possession among a group of outsiders living in the countryside. But it doesn't include a single jump scare, killing scene or drop of blood, and never manages to frighten the viewer. It plays more like a meditation on horror itself — how it seeps into the real world, which is filled with plenty of horrors of its own. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'A Second Life' Review: Agathe Rousselle, Star of Palme d'Or Winner 'Titane,' Carries a Compellingly Off-the-Cuff Paris Movie Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises Winners Include 'Battalion Records,' 'In Vacuo' 1-2 Special Takes Radu Jude's 'Dracula' for North America Both provocative and contemplative, the film caused a steady stream of walkouts during its premiere in competition at Karlovy Vary. And yet Fliegauf is a gifted auteur who knows what he wants and also how to get it, filling his movie with chilling everyday images — darkened roads, abandoned pets, isolated farmhouses — that work their way under our skin. Jimmy Jaguar may not be outright scary, but it leaves viewers (at least those stick around till the end) with a haunted feeling, as if the world had somehow gone wrong. The storyline sounds like perfect fodder for Jason Blum, who could probably up the adrenaline factor by several notches and turn this premise into a box-office hit. Somewhere in rural Hungary, two extremely strange men — Seed (Erik Major) and Marci Balfi (Krisztian Peer) — have been arrested for kidnapping and sequestering an old hermit living alone in the woods. They claim that a demon named Jimmy Jaguar, or Jagu, possessed their souls and told them to do it. But there's a catch: The man they attacked happens to be a Serbian war criminal who was hiding out for years in Hungary, escaping arrest by the Hague and living in relative freedom. The kidnappers claim they had no idea who he was, but the unseen documentarian telling their story suggests they committed a crime of pure vengeance. Does Jimmy Jaguar exist, or is he simply a crazy alibi for the culprits? Fliegauf spends the rest of the movie asking that question, which he complicates by adding several other characters said to be possessed by Jagu. They include a pregnant girl (Juli Jakab), who believes she was inseminated by the demon à la Rosemary's Baby; a woman (Nora Jakab) who runs a creepy commune where one of the kidnappers takes a vow of silence; and two Jagu-loving 20-somethings (Aliz Solyom, Lilla Kizlinger), who work at an outdoor kennel filled with cats and dogs who all seem to be possessed as well. Fliegauf constantly toys with horror film elements, whether in the use of found footage, the droning music hinting at something awful that's about to happen, or locations that look like perfect staging grounds for murder. (The director is also credited as composer and production designer.) And yet there's hardly an ounce of violence on screen, which feels like both a cop-out and, in some ways, an accomplishment. Jimmy Jaguar is a horror movie without explicit horror. It's as if censors came in to cut out anything that could result in an R rating, leaving us the eerie remnants of what may have happened. Still, the director indulges in a few twists that are obvious and a bit corny, especially in the closing act. By that point, we're still wondering if Jimmy Jaguar — who first appeared as a character in a spooky Hungarian children's song from the 1970s — is the real thing or not. Fliegauf enlists a group of experts — including a psychiatrist (Gyorgy Banko), an anthropologist (Vilma Fozy) and the detective (Eszter Balla) who interrogated the kidnappers at the start of the movie — to debate the issue, filming their discussion like a real talk show panel. It's yet another way to distance the viewer from anything remotely scary, doubling down on the notion that horror is not only about killers leaping out of closets or from behind trees, but about the evil that exists all around us — as well as the fears that such evils evoke. This may not convince viewers walking into Jimmy Jaguar hoping to get a good fright, but, for better or worse, Fliegauf has never really been interested in convincing anyone except himself. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix snaps up sex-filled period drama with impressive 97% Rotten Tomatoes score - and it makes Bridgerton look tame
Netflix has snapped up a sex-filled period drama with an impressive 97 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score - and it makes Bridgerton look tame. Harlots, originally released in 2017 and previously broadcast by now-defunct channel ITV Encore and BBC Two, details the booming sex industry of 18th century London. The bawdy show follows feuding madams Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton) and Lydia Quigley (Lesley Manville) and the prostitutes who live in their brothels. All three series of the highly-rated programme, set in Georgian England in the 1760s, are now available to stream on Netflix, as of July 1. And its scandalous sex scenes outstrip even those of the streamer's period romp Bridgerton, known for its steamy moments and irresistible romances. The first episode of Harlots, for instance, sees Margaret sell her daughter's virginity to pay a fine after a night-watchmen's raid - and opens with a compilation of the 'Harlots' having sex with customers. Harlots boasts a star-studded cast, with Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) as a prostitute, Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) as an aspiring MP who uses her services and Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings) as an aristocrat. The programme was originally released on the ITV Encore channel, which was created in 2014 to show the channel's original drama, before its closure in 2018. Meanwhile, the series - influenced by 1700s prostitution guidebook Harris's List Of Covent Garden Ladies - was broadcast to American viewers via Hulu. The BBC acquired its UK broadcasting rights in 2020, which saw the show receive renewed attention. Actress Lesley said at the time, Radio Times reports: 'Yes! I hadn't thought of that, I hadn't thought of that at all. 'We finished season three and I think we all thought that was it. You know, there might be [a series renewal]! Let's start writing the letters now. 'I'd always be interested - obviously I'd be interested, I had nothing but a pleasurable time doing all three series, and it was one of those blissful jobs, so I'd definitely [give] that a lot of consideration but it's certainly not something that's been talked about. 'Maybe you could start a campaign.' But her plans are foiled when Lydia (pictured) orchestrates a raid of the area with the help of Florence Scanwell (Dorothy Atkinson) - a religious zealot who opposes sex work and becomes her pawn She said she felt it had been 'hidden away' in programming schedules upon its original release - so she was 'delighted' it was coming to the BBC at the time. Viewers were quick to take to X to comment on the risque show in 2020, when it was shown on BBC Two. One wrote: 'This started off with a bang in every sense of the word.' A second added: 'Spanking, nipples and bare bottoms so far on #harlots.' The programme starts with Margaret's daughter Lucy (Eloise Smyth) reading out reviews of the brothel's residents. Viewers are soon introduced to Nancy Birch (Kate Fleetwood) - a longtime friend and neighbour of Margaret who specialises in domination. They also meet sex workers Betsey Fletcher (Alexa Davies), Fanny Lambert (Bronwyn James) and Emily Lacey (Holli Dempsey). The latter deserted Margaret to work for rival Lydia - but soon found her stay in the elite brothel nowhere near as luxurious as she once imagined. Prostitute Emily Lacey (Holli Dempsey, pictured) deserted Margaret to work for rival Lydia - but soon found her stay in the elite brothel nowhere near as luxurious as she once imagined Margaret makes clear her ambitions to move to the more upmarket Greek Street in Soho. But her plans are foiled when Lydia orchestrates a raid of the area with the help of Florence Scanwell (Dorothy Atkinson) - a religious zealot who opposes sex work and becomes her pawn. The raid leaves Margaret with a £100 court fine - which she pays off by selling her youngest daughter's virginity. She sets up a plan to sell to the highest bidder, after previously refusing one of the brothel's client's offers of £50 to have sex with her daughter. Meanwhile, Margaret's oldest daughter Charlotte (Downton's Jessica) has a reputation as the city's most coveted courtesan. She is expected by Sir George Howard (Mamma Mia's Hugh) to sign a contract so he would formally become her 'keeper'. By becoming her keeper, George would pay for her lavish lifestyle in return for Charlotte having sex with nobody else and legally becoming his property. In one amusing scene, he gifts her a pineapple, which he believes to be the finest luxury available - and later dons her clothes as he waits for her to return home. But in a fit of jealousy, after discovering she had not been 'living like a nun' as promised, he successfully bids for Lucy's virginity. While the pair then do not have sex, he forces Lucy to say otherwise. Viewers were captivated by Hugh's character when the programme was aired on BBC Two in 2020 and laughed at the funny gesture of gifting a pineapple. 'No one wants a man who thinks she's a pineapple', wrote one, while a second joked: '"You are the pineapple of Great Britain." Imagine interrupting sex to say that.' A third commented: 'Just what every woman wants, a pineapple.' Some made comments on perceived inaccuracies in the show, saying it is not historically correct for the sex workers to have 'perfect hair and teeth'. The fourth instalment of the much-loved Netflix series (pictured) will return to screens in 2026 and as of May, 'Netflix has shared a huge update on the show's future' It comes hot on the heels of the success of Bridgerton for Netflix, with series five and six of the period drama now reportedly confirmed. The fourth instalment of the much-loved Netflix series will return to screens in 2026 and as of May, 'Netflix has shared a huge update on the show's future'. According to The Sun, Netflix has bagged a multi-million pound investment to make series five and six. A TV insider told the publication: 'After introducing the controversial gender swap at the end of series three which saw Michael Stirling switched to Michaela, there is a chance execs could skip ahead to Francesca's story. 'They certainly weren't afraid to dabble with Julia Quinn's timeline by swapping the order of Colin and Benedict's tales.' The comment was in reference to the introduction of Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), the cousin of Francesca Bridgerton's new husband John Stirling (Victor Alli), at the end of the last series. Michaela, based on a character in the original Bridgerton books called Michael, leaves Francesca speechless - opening up a new romantic prospect for her, despite her recent marriage. MailOnline contacted Netflix for comment about this at the time. Series four, meanwhile, will centre on the love story of Luke Thompson's character Benedict Bridgerton and a new leading lady Sophie Baek, played by Yerin Ha. Harlots is available to stream on Netflix. The guide to London's sex workers that inspired Harlots By Hallie Rubenhold for The Mail On Sunday Harlot was inspired by the real people and events depicted in Hallie Rubenhold's book, The Covent Garden Ladies, which details the story behind one of history's most notorious publications, The Harris's List Of Covent Garden Ladies. At the beginning of Harlots, there is a flurry of excitement as the latest edition of The Harris's List, a guide to the capital's sex workers, arrives from the bookseller. All of the 'ladies of pleasure' are eager to hear what has been written about them, anxious that whatever is said will make or break their careers in the sex trade. Scenes like this would have unfolded every Christmas between 1757 and 1795 when the guide rolled off the presses. The Lists were more than just a dry catalogue of names and addresses, but a wittily written chronicle of London's sex trade. Each edition contained information about the women who worked in it, providing details of their ages, physical appearance and sexual specialities as well as stories about these women's lives. The thousands of women from all walks of life who featured in its pages include the likes of Miss Noble who was known for her 'skill in the reviving the dead' with her tongue of 'double charm', or Miss West 'who can pick her gallant's pocket very coolly' while in the act. Miss Love of 14 George Street is celebrated for her 'dark complexion'. The lists are filled with others who led lives as actresses, servants, shopkeepers, nursemaids and even a number who were married women. They ran the gamut in terms of age and appearance, from those described as 'true beauties' to others referred to as 'veterans in the field of Venus'. Not all were confined to brothels. The Harris's List show that women often shared accommodation with other sex workers or lodged with ordinary families, such as green grocers and cabinet makers. Although Covent Garden was the centre of sin, filled with theatres, taverns, coffee houses and bath houses, there was no designated red-light district, and women lived in virtually every neighbourhood, from Fitzrovia to Mayfair, from Holborn to the City. The Harris's List cost two shillings and sixpence, which pushed it far out of range of the ordinary working man. Those women who appeared on it catered almost exclusively to middle-class men and above, but the sex trade catered to every strata of society, from the Prince to the dock worker.
RTÉ News
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
10 life-affirming movies you may not have seen
With the lovely The Ballad of Wallis Island now in cinemas, here are 10 more movies with all the feels. 1) Mrs Harris Goes to Paris (2022) "We need our dreams - now more than ever." Never a truer word spoken - and never in a nicer film than this grown-up Cinderella, set in 1957 and thoroughly deserving of its place in the pantheon of timeless feelgood favourites. Lesley Manville shines brighter than the City of Light as Ada Harris, a widowed Londoner who comes into a bit of money, makes her way to Dior HQ, and informs the couturiers that she wants to buy a dress. As Ada's magic rubs off on the strangers she meets, she becomes younger by the minute. Watching, you'll be a few years to the good too. And as for that ending, well... it's truly the stuff that dreams are made of. 2) The Dish (2000) With Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sam Neill was front and centre for one of the treasures of the past decade. He had form, mind, as he also headed the cast of this glorious Aussie gem from the Noughties; a trip back to July 1969 when the world watched as one. On the eve of the Apollo Moon Landing, the team at the Parkes Observatory in New South Wales is tasked with bouncing the TV images from Lunar Module Eagle around the globe. That bit actually happened, but thankfully The Dish never lets the truth get in the way of a good gag. Led by the redoubtable Cliff Buxton (Neill at his avuncular best), the Parkes team battle climate chaos, cock-ups, and cultural differences to cement their place in history and hearts. The Dish is very sweet with just the kind of reach-for-the-stars inspiration that never gets old. "Failure is never quite so frightening as regret," says Cliff. Let's all keep that in mind. 3) Stand and Deliver (1988) Having delivered one of TV's most iconic characters as the brooding Lieutenant Castillo in Miami Vice, Edward James Olmos was almost unrecognisable - and Oscar-nominated - as real-life high school teacher Jaime Escalante in this "true story about a modern miracle". Escalante was a trailblazer who decided to teach his disillusioned students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles calculus so that they could sit exams for college credits. The kids thought he was mad, his colleagues madder still, but Escalante wouldn't take no for an answer - the life lessons here prove that every day is still a school day for us all. After 30-plus years (and countless repeat viewings), Stand and Deliver still feels fresh and urgent, the back-and-forth in the classroom scenes as special as anything we watch from the here and now. In 2011, the US Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry - arguably the ultimate endorsement of its power. You may well be adding it to your own Best Of list long before the closing credits. 4) Local Hero (1983) If it's unhurried charm you're after, then the Highlands are waiting in writer-director Bill Forsyth's glorious fish-out-of-water story. Peter Riegert plays Macintyre, the Houston oil executive who's the point man on the "acquisition of Scotland", or rather, "the bay in a million" fishing village of Ferness. Dispatched across the Atlantic by his eccentric boss (a wonderful Burt Lancaster), Mac discovers that the people of Ferness are well up on his big city ways and can run rings around him with their endearing quirkiness. He's barely unpacked when he falls in love with the place - and them. You will too. With the warmest glow of friendship, enough-is-plenty wisdom, and a strong ecological message, Local Hero encourages us all to live up to that title and leave the world in a better state than we found it. A comfort movie of the highest quality, this is a bolthole to better times. There's room for us all. 5) Love, Simon (2018) Dawson's Creek showrunner Greg Berlanti did the teenage state further service by directing this adaptation of Becky Albertalli's award-winning Young Adult book, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Nick Robinson plays the high school senior with the Midas touch who comes to the rescue of a fellow student online, only for the saloon doors of fate to wallop him right in the face. Here, the spectre of public humiliation roams the corridors and blog posts, and with Simon scrambling to do the right thing by everyone, the risk increases that his last few weeks of high school will play out with him in the leading role of the loneliest guy on campus. Robinson is great and, wisely, Berlanti leaves Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel in the background for most of the story and allows his young cast to carry the film in style. If you have Simon down as a movie BFF by the closing credits, then there's also a spin-off series, Love, Victor, with Robinson reprising his role - this time as the narrator. 6) The Station Agent (2003) Before they made HBO their own in Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, Peter Dinklage and Bobby Cannavale teamed up with Far from Heaven 's Patricia Clarkson and writer-director Tom McCarthy for this story of fresh starts and friendship. Dinklage plays Fin, a taciturn loner who inherits a disused train depot in New Jersey, turns the key in the door, and hopes he'll be left in peace. Life, however, has a better plan. As Fin pulls out all the stops to keep himself to himself, food truck driver Pete (Cannavale) and artist neighbour Olivia (Clarkson) wear down his defences, giving him a new understanding of a place to call home. The Station Agent doesn't pull any punches in its depiction of the messiness of relationships, but there are plenty of laughs too as three very different people bring out the best in each other - and us. A movie made for summer nights, but it'll feel warmer than any of them. 7) Kotch (1971) Jack Lemmon only directed the one film, but he made sure it was a treat. Of course, Walter Matthau just had to be involved. Piling on 23 years, Matthau plays Joseph P Kotcher, a retired salesman whose unshakeable determination to live life on his own terms leaves his son and daughter-in-law at their wits end. Befriending a pregnant teenager, Kotch has a series of (mis)adventures, realising that even he has underestimated the amount of gas left in the tank, reminding us to think like him. Sure, 50 years after its release Kotch has dated, but its never-say-die attitude never gets old and, if anything, Kotch as a character was ahead of his time. Back in 1971, Lemmon described the comedy-drama as "The kind of film, I think, that we need, and that the whole world can relate to." Over half a century later, he's still right. 8) Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother Too) (2001) Director Alfonso Cuarón headed home for this look at life and the class struggle in his native Mexico, delivering one of the great road movies of our times. Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal play Tenoch and Julio, teen slackers who set off in search of a mythical beach called Boca del Cielo (Heaven's Mouth). Joining them is Luisa (Maribel Verdú), the Spanish wife of Tenoch's cousin. Things will never be the same again for any of them. En route, Cuarón presents us with insights into the socio-political makeup of Mexico, a voice-over freezing the action as we're told about the world outside the car. In many cases, the travellers pass by incidents like police searches and arrests, blissfully unaware of what is going on around them - a ploy by Cuarón that draws the viewer deeper into the drama. Although Y Tu Mamá También packs a real emotional wallop, it's also a reminder to savour every day. Travel daydreams guaranteed. 9) The Girl from Paris (Une Hirondelle a Fait le Printemps) Bored with city life, IT worker Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner) signs up for a government scheme to take over a goat farm in the Rhône-Alpes from widower Adrien (Michel Serrault). He's none too happy about leaving his family's homestead and cuts a deal that he can stay on for 18 months, determined to watch her fail. One of them is in for a land... Leaving his job with France's Ministry of Agriculture to pursue his big screen dream, writer-director Christian Carion made his debut with this delight, capturing everyday life and the desire of the lonely to leave the past behind. Nothing too major happens here - there are changes of seasons and hearts - but the scenes between Serrault and Seigner are exquisite. Equal parts tetchy and tender, they raise the issues of the urban/rural divide with the lightest of touches. Carion, who grew up on a farm, makes lots of good points about farmers and officialdom too, but they never detract from the heart-warming nature of the story. No English trailer - you'll get the gist! 10) A Better Life (2011) This one is all about resilience and being thankful. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Demián Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, a Mexican gardener who has lived as an illegal in Los Angeles for over 15 years. An awkward relationship with his teenage son Luis (José Julián) is further challenged in an emergency, which sees man and boy embark on a cross-LA odyssey. Using a bilingual crew and testing his mettle with 69 different locations, About a Boy director Chris Weitz really captures the energy of the barrios and the challenges faced by its residents in this oh-so-wise movie. Channelling the power of good dads the world over, Bichir remains low-key throughout, bringing out the best in young co-star Julián and providing plenty of tough and touching moments as two different generations with wildly different life experiences have the opportunity to meet as equals. Don't expect to make it through A Better Life without something in your eye.
Pembrokeshire Herald
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire MP praises Neyland therapy centre
171,673 emergency parcels distributed across Wales last year A GROWING number of Welsh families are relying on food banks, with new figures showing that nearly 172,000 emergency food parcels were distributed across Wales between April 2024 and March 2025. The data, released today (Friday, May 23) by anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust, shows the scale of food poverty in the UK – with 2.9 million parcels handed out nationally. Over one million of those were for children. In Wales, food parcel distribution has increased by 26% since 2019/20, a sign that for many communities, hunger is becoming normalised. The figures have sparked renewed calls for government action, with well-known faces including Dame Julie Walters and Lesley Manville urging ministers to address what they describe as a national emergency. Dame Julie said: 'Emergency food distribution is being normalised in the UK. These stats highlight the need for us to come together and play our part in saying this isn't right.' In Pembrokeshire and across rural Wales, campaigners warn that the situation is worsened by isolation, limited services, and higher energy bills – all pushing vulnerable people to crisis point. Actor Lesley Manville, who recently won an Olivier Award, said: 'I'm shocked at the extremely high levels of emergency food parcels being distributed by food banks, especially the sharp rise in children under five needing support. This has to be a wake-up call for the UK government.' In Wales, more than 187,000 parcels were distributed the previous year – a drop in 2024/25, but still far above pre-pandemic levels. Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said this cannot be seen as a success: 'Thousands of families, disabled people, and working households had to access food banks. This should be a massive wake-up call.' Comedian Rosie Jones said that proposed UK Government cuts to disability benefits could make matters worse: 'Slashing the income of someone already struggling to cover life's essentials is cruel and counterproductive.' In Pembrokeshire, food banks such as PATCH in Milford Haven and the Trussell-linked outlets in Haverfordwest and Fishguard have seen sustained high demand. Volunteers warn that without local donations and support, they would struggle to meet needs. TV presenter and Trussell ambassador AJ Odudu added: 'Right now, someone needs an emergency food parcel every 11 seconds. It's never been more vital that we all play our part.' The charity is calling for an urgent re-think on proposed welfare cuts and for the UK Government to take decisive action to reduce hunger and hardship. Campaigners are also urging the public to donate food or money to their local food bank. A postcode search tool showing how many parcels were distributed in each area is available at:
