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Titanic star dies suddenly at 79

<p>British actor Bernard Hill has died suddenly at the age of 79 just days before a scheduled appearance at a fan convention. </p> <p>His agent announced his death in the early hours of Sunday morning, although no cause of death has been shared. </p> <p>Hill was most known for his role of Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 film <em>Titanic</em> opposite Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and earned global recognition playing Theoden, King of Rohan, in two of the three <em>The Lord Of The Rings</em> films.</p> <p>The actor was scheduled to appear at Liverpool’s Comic-Con over the weekend but cancelled at the last minute, as the convention shared on X. </p> <p>When news broke of the actor's passing the organisers of the event took to social media to lead the tributes. </p> <p>“We’re heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill’s passing,” they wrote on X.</p> <p>“A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.”</p> <p>Hill's <em>Lord of the Rings</em> co-star Elijah Wood shared his condolences, adding a moving quote from the film they starred in together. </p> <p>"So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you," he wrote. “For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.”</p> <p>In the hours after his death, four <em>Lord of the Rings</em> actors who play the iconic hobbits took to the stage of Liverpool Comic Con to pay their respects to Bernard.</p> <p>Sean Astin, known for his role in the trilogy of Samwise Gamgee, said on stage, "He was intrepid, he gruff, he was irascible."</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Echoing Sean's words, Billy Boyd who played Pippin in the films, said, “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Icon from The Wombles dies

<p dir="ltr">British actor Bernard Cribbins has died at the age of 93.</p> <p dir="ltr">The beloved actor is best known for his voiceover role in the popular television series <em>The Wombles</em> and <em>Doctor Who</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Devastating news of his passing was confirmed on Thursday in a statement from his agent who described Cribbins as "unique, typifying the best of his generation. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Beloved actor Bernard Cribbins OBE has passed away at the age of 93," the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">"His career spanned seven decades with such diverse work ranging from films like The Railway Children and the Carry On series, hit 60s song Right Said Fred, a notorious guest on Fawlty Towers and narrating The Wombles.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He worked well into his 90s, recently appearing in Doctor Who and the CBeebies series Old Jack's Boat.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Former <em>Doctor Who</em> stars David Tennant and showrunner Russell T Davies shared statements following news of Cribbins passing. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Sad news that Bernard Cribbins has passed away," Tennant wrote on Twitter.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgjG22-tf69/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgjG22-tf69/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Russell T Davies (@russelltdavies63)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Bernard Cribbins (1928-2022) I love this man. I love him. That’s him as Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Davies’ post began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“D’you fancy doing some Shakespeare, Bernard? ‘Let me see the script.’ He knew everyone! </p> <p dir="ltr">“He’d talk about the Beatles and David Niven, and how he once sat on the stairs at a party impersonating bird calls with T H White. Then he’d add, ‘I said to Ashley Banjo last week…’ </p> <p dir="ltr">“He loved being in Doctor Who. He said, ‘Children are calling me grandad in the street!’ His first day was on location with Kylie Minogue, but all eyes, even Kylie’s, were on Bernard. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He’d turned up with a suitcase full of props, just in case, including a rubber chicken. And what an actor. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh, really though, what a wonderful actor. We once took him to the TV Choice Awards and sent him up on his own to collect the award, and the entire room stood up and cheered him. That’s a lovely memory. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He’d phone up and say, ‘I’ve got an idea! What if I attack a Dalek with a paintball gun?!’ Okay, Bernard, in it went! </p> <p dir="ltr">“He loved Gill with all his heart; he mentioned her in every conversation we ever had. A love story for the ages. I’m so lucky to have known him. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Thanks for everything, my old soldier. A legend has left the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty </em></p>

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"A tool": Nick Kyrgios slams Novak Djokovic over Aus Open demands

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Nick Kyrgios has slammed Novak Djokovic after Djokovic made a list of demands to the Australian Open organisers demanding better conditions for players in quarantine.</p> <p>There are currently 72 tennis players in hard quarantine, which means they're unable to train outside their hotel rooms for 14 days despite being told upon arrival they would have 5-hour exemptions to train.</p> <p>The hard lockdown is due to positive coronavirus tests on tournament charter flights.</p> <p>Djokovic sent Australian Open boss Craig Tiley a list of demands that he wanted to be actioned for players currently in lockdown, which Kyrgios has slammed.</p> <p>“Djokovic is a tool,” Kyrgios wrote while sharing a news report.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Djokovic is a tool. I don’t mind Bernie but his Mrs obviously has no perspective, ridiculous scenes 🤦🏽‍♂️ <a href="https://t.co/MMgeriH2GJ">https://t.co/MMgeriH2GJ</a></p> — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickKyrgios/status/1351131106993725443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>He also slammed Bernard Tomic's girlfriend for complaining about the food served in quarantine, saying that she's had to wash her own hair.</p> <p>“This is the worst part of quarantine,” Sierra said on her YouTube channel.</p> <p>“I don’t wash my own hair. I’ve never washed my own hair. It’s just not something that I do. I normally have hairdressers that do it twice a week for me.</p> <p>“This is the situation that we’re dealing with. I can’t wait to get out of quarantine just so I can get my hair done.”</p> <p>“I don’t mind Bernie but his Mrs obviously has no perspective, ridiculous scenes,” Kyrgios wrote.</p> <p>This isn't the first time Kyrgios has slammed Djokovic, with Kyrgios criticising him for organising the Adria Tour exhibition event in the Balkans, where multiple people including Djokovic got coronavirus from the event.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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