A planning application by Paul Hollywood and his wife Melissa Spalding to replace a dilapidated conservatory with a pavilion-style extension to their Grade II-listed farmhouse on eight acres in Kent has been refused by the district’s planning department. The proposal would have added about 350 square feet to the home to accommodate an open-plan kitchen suitable for filming cookery shows associated with Hollywood’s television work. A planning officer described the extension as incredibly large, bulky and dominant, and said it would not be a sympathetic or appropriate addition to the listed building. Hollywood, 59, and Spalding, who married in 2023, live at the property, which is described in public records as a £1 million, four-bedroom home. Neighbours did not publicly object to the plan, but officers determined the scale and massing would detract from the building’s historic character.
In other entertainment headlines, Benedict Cumberbatch says a chance meeting with a Tibetan Buddhist community while backpacking in India at age 19 taught him the value of meditation. The Sherlock actor, now 49, says meditation helps him separate from his thoughts and cope with the pressures of fame, calling it a way of life that has helped him endure the human condition. He notes that practice can be demanding but remains important to his routine and outlook.
Marisa Abela, who played Amy Winehouse in Back To Black and also starred in the BBC drama Industry, tied the knot with Jamie Bogyo at Firle Place in East Sussex. The couple, aged 28 and 31 respectively, celebrated with a reception at Soho House Brighton. Abela wore an Emilia Wickstead wedding dress, and guests included Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, who played her fiancé in Industry. Abela, who was educated at Roedean School, described the ceremony as a deeply personal and joyful moment surrounded by loved ones.
Susie Ma, the former Apprentice runner-up who built Tropic Skincare into a notable beauty brand, disclosed that she paid herself a dividend of £18.2 million in 2024 and a further £2 million in April 2025. Tropic Skincare posted a record turnover of £68 million last year and net profits of £6.9 million, highlighting the commercial side of celebrity-backed beauty ventures.
Frank Skinner has revealed that voicing Jeeves in a new audiobook required him to perform upper-class accents, a task he found surprisingly painful for his throat. The 68-year-old comedian, who grew up in a council house in the West Midlands, joked about the physical challenge of maintaining posh intonation for several hours in a row, recalling experiences at events such as Ascot.
Lily Allen described a challenging start to rehearsals for the West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story. The singer and actress recounted an early session with the cast’s voice coach, who urged performers to project to the back of the room, noting that Allen initially did not know any Shakespearean monologues and had to adjust quickly to meet the demands of the space and the role.