Bruce Willis has been seen celebrating his birthday surrounded by loved ones following his dementia diagnosis.
The American actor, famed for his roles in films like Die Hard and The Sixth Sense, marked his 68th birthday with his wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore, and daughter Rumer Willis, among others.
A beautiful video shared by both Rumer and Demi showed the star being serenaded with happy birthday and presented with a pie with a candle in it.
It’s the first time the father-of-five has been seen since his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was made public earlier this year.
Back in March 2022, the actor’s family shared that he would be stepping away from ‘the career that has meant so much to him’ after being diagnosed with aphasia, which affects a person’s cognitive abilities and speech.
Then in February this year, his family updated that their ‘beloved husband, father and friend’ had been given a more specific diagnosis after his condition progressed.
But the video shared on his birthday shows Bruce surrounded by love and happiness, with Demi writing: “Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today. Love you and love our family.
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“Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes — we all feel them.”
Rumer wrote: “Happy Birthday Daddio. I love you to the moon. You are so cool.”
Bruce Willis celebrating his 68th birthday with faamily. Credit: Instagram, @demimooreBruce Willis celebrating his 68th birthday with faamily. Credit: Instagram, @demimooreBruce Willis celebrating his 68th birthday with faamily. Credit: Instagram, @demimoore
His wife Emma shared a video montage of moments from Bruce’s life, captioned: “He is pure love. He is so loved. And I’ll be loving him always. Happy Birthday my sweet.
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“My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it. Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too.”
She shared a separate video where she explained that she feels moments of ‘sadness and grief every day’.
Frontotemporal dementia tends to start a younger age than other types of the disease, and causes problems with behaviour and language.
The statement released by Bruce’s family through The AFTD said: “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.
“Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.
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“Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.
“We know in our hearts that – if he could today — he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”
A new Shrek-themed cafe has opened at Primark in Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a new Shrek-themed cafe in Manchester city centre – and Donkey’s prayers for waffles have finally been answered by none other than clothing retailer Primark.
The back corner of the bargain fashion store on Market Street has been taken over by vines and fairytale characters as Shrek comes to town.
The cafe has been home to many iconic brands since its launch, one of the most notable being its 2019 debut as Central Perk, the go-to coffee hot-spot from TV Series Friends.
Shrek himself will also be paying a visit to the store in the coming weeks to sample some of the delicious delights customers can try such as nachos, waffles, shakes and bubble teas – each one with an ogre twist (yes, that is green cheese you see).
The Cafe is Shrek-ogeddon from head to toe with the menu paying homage to some familiar faces from the franchise.
Shoppers can indulge in ‘Fairy Godmother’s Potions’ which are a selection of sweet fruity concoctions, or treat your tastebuds to some Swampchos or Toastie ‘Slabs’, which are more appetising than they sound.
The grand entrance to the Shrek cafe in ManchesterA mural dedicated to the main ogre himself – Shrek!Inside the Shrek Cafe at Primark Credit: The Manc Group
After all those scrumptious snacks you’ll definitely be saying ‘I Need A Hero’ as you face your own battle – the dreaded food coma.
The Shrek Far Far Away Cafe will be a Manchester mainstay til the beginning of November, giving everyone the opportunity to have their happy ever after.
There’s also a handful of Shrek merchandise available storewide that fans and customers alike can get their hands on all-year-round.
Tim Kelly, director of new business development at Primark said: “We’ve gone Far, Far Away to find the inspiration for our latest cafe theme, bringing all the fun in the kingdom to our Primark cafes”.
“Our revolving themes have been so popular with our customers, giving them more reasons to visit their local store. We can’t wait to welcome fans to the cafes and hope they enjoy our limited-edition menu fit for a fairytale!”
And if that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, fans of the iconic film franchise have just over two years to wait until Shrek 5 debuts in theatres on 1 July 2026.
You can visit the Shrek Cafe at Primark on Market Street and at the Trafford Centre in Manchester now.
Mancs wanted for new BBC adventure travel show with ‘life-changing’ prize
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for a brand-new travel adventure series.
At this point, not a great deal is known about the new series, with a lot of the details seemingly being kept under wraps, but the broadcaster has revealed that the show currently has the working title of ‘Destination X’, and is being described as “the world’s biggest guessing game”.
The show’s producers, Twofour, are on the look-out for budding travel enthusiasts who love solving clues, playing detective, and outsmarting their competition.
Not only does the experience promise to be “an epic journey”, but there’s also the chance to win a life-changing prize.
Casting is closing towards the end of this week (6 September), and filming for the show is set to begin next month and run through to November.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call for the show on the BBC website, producers Twofour wrote: Have you got what it takes to play the world’s biggest guessing game? Twofour are now casting for the BBC’s brand new travel adventure series. If you love solving clues, playing detective and outsmarting your competition, then we want to hear from you.
“This experience promises to be an epic journey, with a chance to win a life-changing prize.”
Fancy it then? Applications for the exciting new series are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of this Friday (6 September 2024), and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.