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Dame Judi Dench gives tragic health update

<p>Beloved Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench has shared a deeply moving update about her health, revealing that she may never appear on-screen again. At 89, Dench has been a cherished figure in cinema for decades, with her last appearance in the 2022 film <em>Spirited</em>, a Christmas comedy featuring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.</p> <p>This sad news emerged when Dench attended the Chelsea Flower Show in London recently. Approached by a journalist inquiring about her future projects, she candidly responded, “No, no, I can’t even see!” Her representative later confirmed that there was nothing more to add to this heartbreaking statement.</p> <p>Dench suffers from age-related macular degeneration, a condition affecting around 700,000 people in the UK alone. This progressive eye disease has significantly deteriorated her vision over the past year. In a previous interview, she admitted that she required assistance to read scripts. “I can’t see on a film set any more,” Dench shared. “And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much. It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way. But you just deal with it. I have so many friends who will teach me the script.”</p> <p>In a candid conversation with BBC journalist Louis Theroux, Dench revealed she had “no plans” to retire but acknowledged that her worsening eyesight was forcing her to take a break from acting.</p> <p>Despite these challenges, Dench’s indomitable spirit and positive outlook remain inspiring. She has often expressed her gratitude for the support of her partner, David Mills, who has been a steadfast presence in her life since the death of her husband, Michael Williams, in 2001. Reflecting on her relationship with Mills, she once told <em>The Mirror</em>, “I never expected, not for a minute, that there would be anybody else in my life after Michael died. I’ve had many, many good friends, but it’s been very unexpected to have somebody new who is as caring as my partner, David.”</p> <p>She continued, “Someone to be able to share things with … I feel very lucky indeed. And to laugh with somebody is terribly important! Laughing is the most important thing. We laugh about everything.”</p> <p>While her fans will undoubtedly miss seeing her on the screen, Dame Judi Dench's legacy in film and the hearts she has touched will remain timeless.</p> <p><em>Image: Fred Duval / Shutterstock</em></p>

Caring

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Judi Dench's tough health update

<p>Judi Dench has admitted that due to her degenerative eye disease she can barely see on a film set and can no longer read her scripts. </p> <p>The Oscar-winning actress known for her role as M16 head M in seven different <em>James Bond</em> films, told UK publication <em>The Mirror</em> that her age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has gotten so bad that she can now barely see. </p> <p>“I can’t see on a film set any more,”  she told the publication. </p> <p>“And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much. It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way.</p> <p>“But you just deal with it. I have so many friends who will teach me the script,” she added. </p> <p>The eight-time Academy Award nominee had previously said that she is unable to drive due to her AMD. </p> <p>“It’s the most terrible shock to the system. Ghastly. It’s terrible to be so dependent on people,” she had previously said. </p> <p>However, the actress is determined to maintain her independence and has no plans to stop working.</p> <p>“I have an irrational fear of boredom. That’s why I now have this tattoo that says carpe diem (“seize the day”). That’s what we should live by," she said. </p> <p>The actress has won various awards throughout extensive career including six BAFTAs, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in <em>Shakespeare in Love</em>.</p> <p>Dench currently lives with her partner David Mills, and has shared how grateful she is to have someone so caring by her side. </p> <p>“I’ve had many, many good friends, but it’s been very unexpected to have somebody new who is as caring as my partner, David.</p> <p>“I feel very lucky indeed. And to laugh with somebody is terribly important! Laughing is the most important thing. We laugh about everything,” she said. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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M*A*S*H star passes away

<p><em>M*A*S*H</em> star Judy Farrell has passed away at the age of 84, her son has confirmed to <em>TNZ</em>. </p> <p>The actress, who is best known around the world for her portrayal of Nurse Able, died in hospital nine days after suffering a stroke which left her unable to communicate. However, <em>TNZ </em>have reported that Judy was conscious still and able to squeeze the hands of her loved ones. </p> <p>While Judy’s son Michael - whom she shared with fellow <em>M*A*S*H </em>actor Mike Farrell - has not yet spoken publicly about her mother’s passing, her former co-star Loretta Swift spoke to <em>Fox News Digital</em> about losing “family”.</p> <p>“Judy was a most beautiful woman - inside and out. We grew up together," the actress behind Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan said. "She was family. This has been a painful loss, but we will always have the beauty of her memory. </p> <p>“Rest in peace, Nurse Able."</p> <p>Farrell starred as Nurse Able in eight episodes of the hit series, and was the only actress to ever be credited as the character. Initially, Nurse Able was a minor role - often just a placeholder for the instances where a background nurse had a line - and from Seasons 2-11 she was played by no fewer than 11 different people. By the fourth season, the role progressed so that she became involved in the show’s plot. </p> <p>It was in the sixth season that Judy Farrell secured her place in television history as Nurse Able, taking over for the character’s final appearances on screen in Seasons 6-11 for eight episodes. </p> <p>During her time on the show, Farrell starred alongside the likes of Loretta Swift, Alan Alda, and ex-husband Mike Farrell. The latter joined <em>M*A*S*H</em>’s cast in 1975, replacing Wayne Rogers, and remained until the 1983 finale. </p> <p>The couple had married in 1963, but went on to divorce 20 years later, in the same year that <em>M*A*S*H </em>bid farewell to its audience. Their split was reportedly amicable, with the two going on to remarry and co-parent their children, son Michael and daughter Erin.</p> <p>And as Farrell’s loved ones mourn her loss, fans and followers of the actress have taken to social media to share their grief, and to honour her work, sharing some of their fondest memories of her time bringing their beloved Nurse Able to life. </p> <p>“RIP Nurse Able. I was so thrilled to have known you, Judy Farrell,” wrote comedian Murray Valeriano. </p> <p>“Condolences to the Farrell and MASH families,” one fan said. </p> <p>And for another, it came as a tragic opportunity to share a clip of Farrell’s work, showcasing the actress alongside some of her former co-stars, with Classic MASH writing “Sad news today.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sad news today. Judy Farrell has passed away. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClassicMASH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClassicMASH</a> <a href="https://t.co/hCfSpL7c0W">pic.twitter.com/hCfSpL7c0W</a></p> <p>— Classic MASH 🍸 (@ClassicMASH) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClassicMASH/status/1643275688017903616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Images: Getty, Twitter, MASHFandom.com</em></p>

TV

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Dame Judi Dench slams "crude" and "cruel" new season of The Crown

<p>Dame Judi Dench has defended the royal family against the latest season of <em>The Crown</em>, calling it "crude" and "cruel" in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death.</p> <p>The actress penned an open letter to Netflix in <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-crown-is-crude-and-cruel-says-dame-judi-dench-l6wzqpns9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times UK</a>, complaining that the “closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism”.</p> <p>Dench called on Netflix to issue a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode of the highly anticipated new season of the show, reminding audiences that <em>The Crown</em> is a fictionalised drama. </p> <p>Dench, who was made a dame by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1988, said she was concerned that viewers would take <em>The Crown</em>’s account as historically accurate.</p> <p>She continued in her letter, “Given some of the wounding suggestions apparently contained in the new series – that King Charles plotted for his mother to abdicate, for example, or once suggested his mother’s parenting was so deficient that she might have deserved a jail sentence – this is both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent."</p> <p>“No one is a greater believer in artistic freedom than I, but this cannot go unchallenged. Despite this week stating publicly that <em>The Crown</em> has always been a ‘fictionalised drama’ the program makers have resisted all calls for them to carry a disclaimer at the start of each episode."</p> <p>“The time has come for Netflix to reconsider – for the sake of a family and a nation so recently bereaved, as a mark of respect to a sovereign who served her people so dutifully for 70 years, and to preserve their own reputation in the eyes of their British subscribers.”</p> <p>Dench said she was not asked by any members of the royal family to pen the letter and did so of her own volition. </p> <p>The upcoming fifth season of <em>The Crown</em> has has stirred consternation in royal, aristocratic and political circles, as the season is expected to focus on the acrimonious breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage, which was played out publicly at the time under intense media scrutiny.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

TV

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There’s no place like home!

<p>After several months on the market, Judy Garland's former Hollywood Hills home – which Sammy Davis Jnr owned at one time – has sold for $4.675million, about $1.5 million shy of the original price tag.</p> <p>The 5,000 square feet Art Deco home overlooks LA’s Sunset Strip and was built in 1941 by John Elgin Woolf, an architect known for designing homes for celebs including Cary Grant and Bob Hope. </p> <p>Garland lived in the home from 1944 to 1948, along with then-husband Vincente Minnelli and their daughter, Liza Minnelli, who was born in 1946, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/home/see-inside-judy-garlands-former-hollywood-hills-home-now-listed-for-6-million/" target="_blank">People</a>.</p> <p>The five bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom home sold for $1.5million below the property owner's original asking price, the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-08-21/judy-garlands-former-hollywood-hills-haunt-sells-for-4-675-million" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a> reported.  </p> <p>The three-story home features multiple decks and patios, which offer up grand views of Los Angeles and the canyon, as well as an indoor-outdoor living room and a master suite with a private balcony. </p> <p>Also among the home's features are a screening room with a hidden bookshelf door that leads to a secret bedroom.</p> <p>The listing also included a pool/guesthouse, which features a custom fireplace, marble bar, billiards room and sleeping loft. </p> <p>The property sits on a third of an acre of land, which includes landscaped gardens full of bamboo, tropical plants and fruit trees and a swimming pool. </p> <p>Despite having been tweaked in the years since Garland owned the home, many of Woolf's original design elements – such as his detailed railings – and floor plans remain.   </p> <p>The room that once belonged to baby Liza Minnelli still exists next to the downstairs living room space, as does the “Judy Garland Suite” – the original master bedroom – which is behind a floor-to-ceiling bookcase.  </p> <p>An additional hidden room in the home lies behind a walk-in closet and dressing area. </p> <p>After Garland moved out of the home, it was bought by comedian and actor Wally Cox, who then sold it to Davis Jr. in 1955, expanded the property and tacked on the pool house. </p> <p>Real estate company Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties said in its listing that the guesthouse was meant to be a place where music could be recorded or late-night parties could be held so that they wouldn't disturb Davis Jr's children who slept in the main house. </p> <p>While Davis Jr. owned the home, rock act The Band lived and recorded music there.</p> <p>According to online real estate records, the house was on the market for 181 days before being sold on August 5 after originally being listed for $5.2million. It appears the home was initially listed on the market in February for $6.129million.</p> <p>IMAGES: <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.mls.com/" target="_blank">MLS</a> Real Estate Listings / Wikimedia</p>

Real Estate

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Dame Judi Dench's racy regret

<p>She recently made headlines as the oldest woman to grace the cover of<span> </span><em>Vogue</em>.</p> <p>Now at 85, Dame Judi Dench is expressing her disappointment that she didn’t do more sex scenes throughout her acting career.</p> <p>Speaking to the<span> </span><em>Mirror</em>, the veteran actress looked back on her extensive portfolio and reflected on not taking advantage of the more risqué aspects of her impressive onscreen performances.</p> <p>"I have done a few bed scenes. Not many in the theatre. What a disappointment," she told the publication.</p> <p>Despite her body of work, which includes an Oscar-win for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth in 1999’s<span> </span><em>Shakespeare in Love</em>, Dench was once told she would never appear on film.</p> <p>"They told me I would never make a film. To which there is no reply. I put my chair against the wall. I am not quite sure why. I walked out.</p> <p>She continued, "I did not want to do films anyway. I never thought I'd have a future in films as the stage is my passion. It's never ever the same in a theatre, never. You always got a different reaction to things."</p> <p>But when asked about her acting credits, the<span> </span><em>Bond</em><span> </span>star remains modest and puts it down to “luck”.</p> <p>"It's really called luck. The whole business of theatre is ­suddenly being in the right place at the right time and by chance somebody will say, 'That person might do.'"</p> <p>She continued, "It is not really to do with ­talent I don't think. It just ­happens that you fall into the slot at that time."</p> <p>Sharing some advice to aspiring actors, Dench said to the <em>Mirror</em>: "My advice is go see as much theatre as you possibly can. I think it is very, very difficult. We are just lucky we are employed."</p> <p>Dench’s career has spanned over 60 years and included starring in iconic films including M in the James Bond series, I<em>ris, Shakespeare in Love, Notes on a Scandal, Philomena</em><span> </span>and many more.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Girl missing for 43 years finally identified

<p>An American murder victim known for 43 years as Jane Doe #40 has been identified by investigators as 14-year-old Judy Gifford, who disappeared at the age of 14.</p> <p>The breakthrough came after homicide cold case detectives and missing person investigators launched a joint investigation in early 2019.</p> <p>Reported by the<span> </span><em>San Francisco Chronicle</em>, in a tragic turn of events, investigators shared that Ms Gifford’s aunt kept the same phone number for decades in case her niece attempted to get in touch.</p> <p>What remained of the teenager was discovered by a man walking his dog near San Francisco’s Lake Merced on October 1, 1976. Police found a gold chain with an owl pendant in the girl’s pocket.</p> <p>While sifting through unsolved cases, investigators stumbled upon a report filed in 2017 that said Ms Gifford had disappeared in San Francisco around the same time that Jane Doe #40 was killed in 1976, said San Francisco police.</p> <p>The missing girl’s half-brother, William Shin, reported his sister missing to San Francisco police at an unknown date after he “remembered having a sister when he was a child”, said a New Jersey State Police spokesperson.</p> <p>“He told investigators that his sister went missing when she was 14 years old, and his family had not seen or heard from her since 1976.”</p> <p>Back in June, detectives collected cheek swabs from Ms Gifford’s paternal aunt, Ogee Gifford along with photographs and dental records.</p> <p>That’s when they had an epiphany, as Ms Gifford was wearing a necklace with an owl pendant in some of the photos. They then compared her DNA with Jane Doe #40’s and got a perfect match.</p> <p>“(Ogee) Gifford, who has never changed her phone number in case her niece ever called, was brought some closure as a result of the joint effort,” said police in a statement.</p> <p>Investigators have reopened a murder inquiry into Ms Gifford’s death.</p>

Family & Pets

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A life in pictures: Judy Garland and her tragic downfall

<p>In 1954, singer and actress Judy Garland appeared in what was going to be her last iconic role as Esther Blodgett (aka Vicki Lester) in<span> </span><em>A Star is Born.</em></p> <p>At only 32 years old, Garland had already spent most of her life on stage and on screen, with a career that greatly impacted her mental health.</p> <p>"I’m the queen of the comeback,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.biography.com/news/judy-garland-personal-life-struggles-husbands%EF%BB%BF%EF%BB%BF" target="_blank">Garland said</a> during an interview in 1968. “I’m getting tired of coming back. I really am. I can’t even go to… the powder room without making a comeback.”</p> <p>It would only be a year later that Garland would pass away under tragic circumstances.</p> <p>In 1969, Garland’s new husband Mickey Dean would break down the door to the locked bathroom and find Garland dead at the age of 47 years old.</p> <p>The coroner, Gavin Thurston, <a rel="noopener" href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&amp;d=DS19690626.2.98&amp;e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1" target="_blank">announced to the press</a> following the autopsy, “This is quite clearly an accidental circumstance to a person who was accustomed to taking barbiturates over a very long time. She took more barbiturates than she could tolerate.”</p> <p>Barbiturates were a then-common sleep aid, but Garland had a history of depression and alcoholism. She had attempted suicide several times, with her third husband<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/06/23/89002088.pdf" target="_blank">Sid Luft</a><span> </span>alleging that she tried to take her own life on at least 20 different occasions.</p> <p>However, addiction was in Garland’s history, with her mother giving her pills to keep her energy up and bring her down and sleep at the young age of ten. This is according to the biography<em> <a rel="noopener" href="https://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/Qp3DrXv8BwRGrf9nTihmGmMAAAFthZVmLQEAAAFKAW2eFyI/https:/assoc-redirect.amazon.com/g/r/https:/www.amazon.com/Get-Happy-Life-Judy-Garland/dp/0385335156?creativeASIN=0385335156&amp;linkCode=w61&amp;imprToken=PjiEgE51E5pnhGrC4RlEXA&amp;slotNum=0&amp;tag=townandcountry_auto-append-20&amp;ascsubtag=%5bartid%7C10067.a.29254579%5bsrc%7C%5bch%7C%5blt%7C" target="_blank">Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland</a>.</em></p> <p>The problem only worsened when Garland was signed onto MGM, as she was expected to work at a breakneck pace.</p> <p>"They had us working days and nights on end. They’d give us pills to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted. Then they’d take us to the studio hospital and knock us out with sleeping pills­–[co-star Mickey Rooney] sprawled out on one bed and me on another," Garland said, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Garland-Paul-Donnelley/dp/1904950817?tag=townandcountry_auto-append-20&amp;ascsubtag=%5bartid%7C10067.a.29254579%5bsrc%7C%5bch%7C%5blt%7C" target="_blank">Paul Donnelley's biography</a> of the actress. "Then after four hours they’d wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it was a way of life for us."</p> <p>Garland didn’t have much success in her personal life, as she went onto marry five different people. She was 19 when she married bandleader David Rose and following their divorce in 1944 went onto marry Vicente Minnelli.</p> <p>Garland married Sid Luft in 1952, Mark Herro in 1965 and finally Mickey Deans in 1969, which was just three months before her death.</p> <p>Towards the end of her life, debt was slowly taking over and Garland played solo concerts to pay off thousands in taxes she owed to the IRS.</p> <p>"It took drugs ... to get her back to a level place where you could have a conversation with her, where you could get her to sign checks, sign contracts, talk about business," Garland's manager Stevie Phillips <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.insideedition.com/judy-garlands-manager-remembers-stars-spiraling-drug-addiction-56276" target="_blank">told <em>Inside Edition</em></a> of the star's later years.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see Garland throughout the years.</p>

Movies

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How much does Judge Judy make in a year?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Forbes, Judy Sheindlin or better known as Judge Judy has pocketed NZD $213 million in 2018 alone – making her the highest-grossing TV host. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following in second place is Ellen DeGeneres who earned an estimate of $127 million in 2018 for her daytime talk show. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After 5200 episodes, there is no doubt Sheindlin has proven her worth to the US Network CBS. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 74-year-old is a go-getter and has extended her contract with CBS to 2021, which will mark 25 years of the primetime TV show. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The show typically attracts an average of 10 million viewers through Monday to Friday on the afternoon time slot and has been the top daytime program for the last nine years. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each season fits in an impressive 260 episodes every season which is packed into just 53 filming days per year, spread over three days a week. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Producer Randy Douthit, who along with other 30 staff members produces, directs and edits the show says the simplicity of the show is what makes the show successful and profitable. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Production costs for each week is relatively low at NZD $579,414 in comparison to others which can rack up at a hefty NZD$1.44 million per week. </span></p>

Legal

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Renee Zellweger shines as Judy Garland in first “Judy” trailer

<p>Fans of Hollywood icon Judy Garland are in for a treat, with Oscar winner Renee Zellweger playing the <em>Wizard of Oz </em>star in an upcoming movie.</p> <p>The biopic, titled <em>Judy </em>shows Zellweger singing a much more mellow version of Garland’s most recognisable song <em>Somewhere Over the Rainbow</em>. The movie, which is set in London in 1968-69 will be released in September.</p> <p><em>Judy </em>will shed light on Garland’s tumultuous life and her struggle with countless health problems during her London tour. The actress passed away at the age of 47 due to accidental drug overdose in June 1969.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BggE-WhD98a/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BggE-WhD98a/" target="_blank">#JUDY starts principal photography in London today, starring Academy Award winner, Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland! #judygarland #reneezellweger #london #thetalkofthetown #jessiebuckley #finnwittrock #michaelgambon #rupertgoold #pathe #calamityfilms #bbcfilms #ingenious</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/judygarlandfilm/" target="_blank"> JUDY</a> (@judygarlandfilm) on Mar 19, 2018 at 3:20am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Zellweger has quite an extensive resume herself, with her most notable role being <em>Bridget Jones</em>. The 50-year-old told <a href="https://people.com/"><em>People</em></a> magazine that she took voice lessons and spent two hours a day in the hair and makeup chair to prepare for the Judy Garland role.</p> <p>Zellweger went on to win an academy award for Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for her part in the movie Cold Mountain.</p> <p>Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli has refused to associate herself with the film, saying she never met or spoke with Zellweger.</p> <p>“I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way,” wrote Minnelli on Facebook in 2018.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"></div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9" style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g4ynUq8TjYA"></iframe></div>

Movies

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New hair alert: Judge Judy ditches signature bob for stunning new look

<p>We have watched her on our TV screens for years, and this time she has come back with a new hairdo – and it is drastically different to her signature short, neat bob many are used to. </p> <p>Judge Judy Sheindlin showed up to the Daytime Emmy Awards on Sunday with a modern look as she swept away the red carpet.</p> <p>Her long running courtroom television show, <em>Judge Judy</em>, has never seen her waver from her signature short hairstyle for more than 30 years.</p> <p>However, that hairdo was switched out for a combed-back low ponytail for the event, where she took out the Lifetime Achievement Award.</p> <p>The 76-year-old TV star told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/judge-judy-shares-what-inspired-her-to-try-a-new-hairdo-exclusive-124659" target="_blank"><em>Entertainment Tonight</em></a> the change of style was inspired by wanting to lead a “simpler” life.</p> <p>“It used to take me an hour to get ready for work … or even to go out for dinner,” she said. “Hair, curling, blowing.”</p> <p>However, the new 'do hasn’t just been warmly accepted by fans, but herself as well.</p> <p>“I like it,” she said. “It’s comfortable and easy.”</p> <p>Her on-screen buddy and bailiff, Petri Hawkins Byrd, took to social media to share which look he liked best though.</p> <p>“I tried to stay out of this, y'all won't let me!” the co-star wrote in a caption.</p> <p>“I prefer my boss with the old 'do' (left) More sophisticated and 'Judy'cial.”</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwqIlE-hCP1/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwqIlE-hCP1/" target="_blank">A post shared by Petri Hawkins Byrd (@byrdthebailiff)</a> on Apr 24, 2019 at 5:26pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While accepting her coveted honour at the 46th annual award show, Sheindlin said: “I have a profession that’s always been my passion. And tonight, I have this lovely honor which says I’ve done my job well.</p> <p>“Life has a beginning, a middle and an end. As most of us, I don’t remember the very beginning, I’m having an absolute blast in the middle, and if my luck holds, I won’t be around for the end.”</p> <p>Judge Judy first premiered on September 16, 1996 and is currently in its 23rd season.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Judge Judy’s new stunning, sleek hairstyle here.</p>

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First look at Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland in upcoming biopic

<p>Renee Zellweger looked virtually unrecognisable as she transformed into Judy Garland for the biopic <em>Judy,</em> based on the Hollywood icon's incredible life.</p> <p>The American actress, 48, was snapped in a well-coiffed brown wig with a large bouffant characteristic of Garland's image as she filmed scenes in London on Thursday.</p> <p><img width="381" height="631" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/03/22/17/4A7231AF00000578-0-image-a-1_1521738822902.jpg" alt="Late icon: Renee Zellweger, 48, transformed into Judy Garland, as she filmed scenes with her co-star Finn Wittrock - who plays her fifth husband in the biopic Judy - in London on Thursday" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-c6b2fc18839ed356"/></p> <p><img width="379" height="568" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/03/22/18/4A57E67100000578-5532953-Wow_A_first_look_image_of_Renee_Zellweger_portraying_Judy_Garlan-a-77_1521742853385.jpg" alt="Wow! A first-look image of Renee Zellweger portraying Judy Garland was released on Monday, showing impeccable attention to detail for the coveted role" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-8787f290c080546a"/></p> <p>The film will centre around Garland’s final concerts in London, nearly 30 years after she became a household name as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.</p> <p>It will particularly focus on her romance with musician Mickey Deans (played by actor Finn Wittrock), who Garland married several months before her death in June 1969 aged 47.</p> <p> <img width="399" height="593" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/03/22/18/4A72B6F900000578-5532953-image-a-78_1521743409442.jpg" alt="Plot: In particular the biopic will focus on her romance with musician Mickey Deans (Finn), who Garland married several months before her death in June 1969 aged 47 " class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-85dff1e0a0332a92"/></p> <p> </p>

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10 best Judge Judy moments of all time

<p>Judge Judy is unquestionably the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/2017/10/this-is-the-most-ridiculous-case-in-judge-judy-history/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">queen of courtroom-based daytime television programs</span></strong></a>. For over 20 years she’s sat behind the gavel, ruling her <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/2017/10/this-might-be-judge-judys-snappiest-comeback/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">televised courtroom with an iron fist</span></strong></a> and coming across plenty of interesting cases along the way.</p> <p>Part of what makes Judge Judy work as a program is Judge Judy Sheindlin’s snappy, witty skill as a judge and television presenter (which makes her well worth her whopping salary) and the other part is the oddballs you see on trial.</p> <p>So, which cases stand out from the pack?</p> <p>Well, the team at Ms Mojo have put together a highlight reel of the top 10 best Judge Judy moments from over the years. From the funny to the confusing to those that were memorable for the wrong reasons, there’s quite a selection.</p> <p>Check it out below:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CS7W64rXPiw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>What’s your favourite Judge Judy moment?</p> <p><em>Image credit: YouTube / Ms Mojo</em></p>

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