This year, the most viral moment from the Oscars, the world’s most star-studded event, came from England’s very own Hugh Grant.
In an interview that’s simultaneously been labelled ‘painful’ and ‘brilliant’, 62-year-old Hugh made it very clear – through a series of eye-rolls, desperate looks off-camera, and one-word answers – that he’d quite like to be anywhere else in the world.
He was being interviewed by model and presenter Ashley Graham, who to her credit, manages to keep up a professional pretence of having a nice time in the face of sheer grumpiness.
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The pair discussed everything from his role in Glass Onion (‘I’m in it for about three seconds’) to who he expected to see win an award (‘No one in particular’).
Some think the interview was doomed from the moment Ashley, 35, referred to Hugh as a ‘veteran’, others say it fell off a cliff when she mistook his reference to Vanity Fair for a mention of the magazine, rather than the novel (at which point you see Hugh’s jaw literally drop).
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And it really reached new levels of bum-clenchingly-awkward when Ashley asked him about his outfit (‘Just my suit’, he responded. Aaaggghhhh).
The car crash, perfect TV moment has completely divided opinion, with most Brits thinking it’s hilarious and most Americans thinking Hugh was just plain rude.
Ashley Graham at the Oscars. Credit: ABCHugh Grant on the Oscars red carpet. Credit: ABC
One person tweeted: “Interesting divide on Hugh Grant’s behaviour at the Oscars last night. I’ve carefully collated the discourse and offer the following analysis. Americans: he was impolite, ungrateful, dismissive, rude, belligerent, cantankerous, unhelpful. British people: lol lmao.”
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Another said: “Hugh Grant doesn’t mean to be rude here, but this is how it feels like to be British and confronted by absurdly enthusiastic American extroverts.”
Someone else wrote: “Alexa show me British understatement vs American enthusiasm and make it Hugh Grant.”
The Hugh Grant vs Ashley Graham showdown has drawn comparisons to a similar interview with The Cure’s Robert Smith after he was confronted by an extremely energetic interviewer back in 2019.
Almost as good as Robert Smith of The Cure being interviewed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/T578ew0A1r
Comedian Dom Joly simply said: “God I love Hugh Grant.”
Rolling Stone magazine tweeted: “And the Oscar for Best Actress goes to Ashley Graham telling Hugh Grant ‘it was nice to talk to you’.”
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One person said: “Hugh Grant’s utter contempt for the Oscars circus is a thing of beauty (esp ‘What are you wearing’).”
And then there’s this fun take: “This is just Hugh playing his Notting Hill role, Mr. Thacker, a couple of decades down the track. After marrying Hollywood star Anna Scott all those years ago, it’s become clear he never took to celebrity life.”
Ashley has since addressed the interview to TMZ, saying: “You know what, my mama told me to kill people with kindness, so there you go.”
BBC’s Football Focus to end after more than half a century
Danny Jones
In a fairly shocking bit of broadcasting news, Football Focus is ending after more than half a century on our screens.
Announced on Thursday, 23 April, the once flagship show and weekly TV guide staple for countless British households is set to be cancelled after 52 seasons’ worth of coverage.
With BBC Sport confirming the tough decision in a lengthy statement, the long-running show will be taken off the air at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Most programmes like these have seen declining audiences across the board in the era of streaming and digital packages across various platforms, but this is truly the end of an era.
An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end.
Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season.
First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have… pic.twitter.com/bmHQqQdf6J
An official social media post reads: “An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end. Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season. “First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have worked on it over the years and, of course, the audience. The programme has been a staple of the BBC’s football coverage for decades, providing fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the game ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.
“But changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways, and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.”
Second only really to Match of the Day (MotD), which first began a whole decade prior to its once equally popular spin-off, Gary Lineker, Manish Bhasin, Alex Scott and others have all enjoyed varying periods hosting the regular weekend watch.
While even MotD has seen steadily dipping viewing figures, not just following the Lineker departure/saga, but ever since YouTube highlights and the social media era.
The statement goes on to say: “Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing, and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms. BBC Sport boasts a strong football rights portfolio and is set to significantly expand its digital output this year, growing content across BBC platforms, as well as a bold new slate of exclusive shows on YouTube.
“Featuring fresh formats, big personalities and more frequent, always-on content tailored for digital audiences, the expansion will bring fans closer to the game than ever before, delivering more high-quality, accessible and engaging football coverage at scale. We will release further details on these plans in the coming months.”
Will you miss it? Perhaps more to the point, do you still watch Match of the Day, Soccer Saturday and the like on terrestrial telly?
Bask is BACK – bosses confirm return to ‘golden era’ of popular Stockport spot
Danny Jones
In brilliant news for Stopfordians, Bask is officially coming back, as current boss Jon Fitzpatrick is bringing back one of the key core members of the OG owners and staff, co-founder Benji Taylor.
Very exciting times for the town centre.
While local DJ, musician and entrepreneur, Jon, is the man behind the Irish-American bar and grill reboot under his surname that began in June of 2025, the business has gone on to become more of a morning and afternoon venue in the time since then.
However, with the help of Benji returning after a bit of well-deserved time off and having spent a period working on other ventures, they’re looking to dip back into the evenings as well and make this more of an all-day spot.
Writing a statement in the caption of the post, the duo said, “We couldn’t be more proud to announce that Bask is back, and we are pleased to reveal one of the original crew returns to help our team return it to the golden era.
“Live music, great bands, entertainment all week, and non-stop fun. We’re not a late-night venue like it was recently; we want to keep it mature and [aim] to enhance the experience for our customers.
“Our daytime, sport and relaxed atmosphere won’t change, and our kitchen will actually be open later than it is now! We have many goals, but our main aim is to put credible, exciting live music back on the Stockport map. With Benji and Jon’s experience, it’s gonna be a magical time for Stopfordians.”
We met face-to-face with the prolific pair last week, and they made it clear that their shared vision is simple: marry Fitzpatrick’s steady daytime trade with the initial magic of that very first iteration of Bask.
Get it right, and they could very well create a new all-seasons superpower on the Stockport bar scene, as the brand certainly had a taste of that when they first captured attention with inside that packed-out unit just outside the train station.
Speaking to The Manc, the Bask boys admitted it was a “real shame” how things transpired towards the end of the previous setup, acknowledging that trouble with some problematic punters (especially in the early hours of the morning) effectively “spoiled” what became a weekly pilgrimage for many others.
That’s why, although they’re opening well into the evening and nighttime – with a full schedule of regular events such as live music, stand-up, karaoke, quizzes, darts nights and more already lined-up – they haven’t gone for a late license this time around, as they want to preserve what made it special.
Set to fully re-launch on 1 May from 5pm onwards, we’re expecting them to be off to the races the second the word about the comeback spreads.
Ben and Jon also still believe that in the era post-Bamboo in Hazel Grove closing, Stockport hasn’t really had a well-known and reliable night out, comparable to that kind of experience. Other than here.
Now, Bask isn’t a club, nor was it ever supposed to be; it was a bar that, on its day, was one of the biggest parties in all of Greater Manchester, and although it won’t be ’till two’ this time around, we can’t wait to see the gang get back to their best.
Locals will also be glad to hear that borough favourite Stock Party will also be returning this summer, and you can bet on seeing some familiar native faces taking part.
Daisy Jackson -
14th March 2023 
