BfI Flare 2025: Everything to know as London LGBTQ film festival returns this week with mega line-up March 17, 2025 One of the world’s leading LGBTQ culture events returns to London this week as BFI Flare 2025 welcomes a host of new film-making to the capital. 34 films will receive their world premieres at BFI Flare 2025, and the films have been split into three categories: Hearts, Bodies and Minds. They herald from 41 countries [...]
Brighton and Hove Albion: Seagulls post £73.3m profit February 28, 2025 Brighton and Hove Albion posted a profit of £73.3m for their 2023/24 season after their Europa League appearance kept them in the black. The pre-tax profit follows positive accounts a year prior, where the club made a profit of £130.7m. A significant chunk of the earnings Brighton, whose chairman is Tony Bloom, made came from [...]
US hedge fund shorts British firms despite aim to ‘save’ UK market February 20, 2025 Activist investor Saba Capital has taken short positions against some key UK companies, including beloved Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury, despite previously claiming to be the “white knight of the UK market”. The American hedge fund has taken out a 0.95 per cent short position against the £537m publisher, or a roughly £5.1m bet against it. [...]
Renais: Gin brand co-founded by Harry Potter star Emma Watson raises £5m January 6, 2025 The luxury gin brand co-founded by Harry Potter star Emma Watson and her brother has raised almost £5m. Renais Gin, which was launched in May 2023, has secured £4.95m on the back of expanding into the US last year. The spirit is now sold in 11 countries while the company has distribution deals agreed with [...]
Wicked London stage show soars to record revenue January 2, 2025 The West End production of Wicked, prequel to MGM classic The Wizard of Oz, reported its revenue rose 4.5 per cent to a record £27.8m last year. The rise was thanks to hype for the movie based on it, which yesterday became the highest-earning musical adaptation of all time. Mega stars Ariana Grande and Jeff [...]
Harry Potter’s wizarding world is an authoritarian dystopia December 23, 2024 Secret police, slavery and mass indoctrination of children – Harry Potter’s wizarding world is a greatest hits of repressive regimes, says Sam Fowles Here’s a fun Christmas party game: name your favourite fictional authoritarian state. Is it George Orwell’s “Airstrip 1”? Margaret Atwood’s New England? Or perhaps (whisper it) JK Rowling’s “wizarding world”? It’s better [...]
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child maker remains in the red amid West End troubles December 20, 2024 The company behind the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play remains in the red amid falling sales and show closures, it has been revealed. The joint venture which produces the show across the world has reported a turnover of £41.3m for the year to 31 March, 2024, down from the £45.2m it achieved [...]
Gary Lineker won’t be the last celebrity to fall foul of HMRC December 10, 2024 With the government’s efforts to close the tax gap, high profile individuals like celebrities, athletes and entertainers, are increasingly finding themselves under HMRC’s scrutiny, says Phil Clayton Gary Lineker is making the headlines once again – this time as a result of HMRC’s continued efforts to overturn the First Tier Tribunal’s (FTT’s) decision on £4.9m [...]
Oh! Darling: Harry Potter star Rupert Grint owes taxman £1.8m thanks to Beatles clause November 29, 2024 Harry Potter star Rupert Grint's appeal against HMRC imposing a £1.8m tax bill on him was dismissed, after a Tribunal upheld a Beatles clause
The Naked Truth October 30, 2024 The love child of Adam Barton and Amy Lane, Atlas Wines began as a vineyard of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia’s Clare Valley. Here Adam tells us more about their partnership with Naked How did you get Naked? Amy and I were approached by Naked Wines in 2012 after our Atlas Wines received some national press. [...]