Actress Gaia Wise has split from actor Basil Eidenbenz after nearly four years of dating, amid family heartbreak following the death of her grandmother. The separation comes during a grieving period for the family of Love Actually star Dame Emma Thompson following the death of matriarch Phyllida Law, who died "supremely peacefully at home," aged 94, surrounded by all of the clan.
The demise of the veteran actress marks a double dose of heartache for Dame Emma and her husband, Strictly star Greg Wise, as their 26-year-old daughter Gaia faces relationship troubles. Gaia and 33-year-old Eidenbenz, who stars in the Netflix hit series The Witcher, began dating in 2022 but have not been seen together since February, prompting speculation that their relationship had come to an end.
A close friend of the former couple revealed that the pair have split after drifting apart due to their demanding work schedules. "They've been growing apart for a while, as both of their acting careers have been taking them in different directions," the friend said, adding that "they remain friends."
Gaia is carving out a successful career of her own in the entertainment industry, despite being branded a "nepo baby" after following in her parents' footsteps. Last year, she landed her big break voicing the character Hera in the animated film The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim. Meanwhile, Eidenbenz has just wrapped filming for the Amazon MGM Studios action film The Kellys, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Liam Hemsworth.
Relationship woes may be one of the less harrowing issues Gaia has faced, after battling anorexia for three years from the age of just 16. Her battle with the eating disorder resulted in a spell of rehab, followed by therapy, which she has stated "saved my life."
While romance may be off the cards for now, Gaia appears to be looking ahead to happier times with her family. This week, she put out a call online to find a warehouse in North London "for a dance party for raving," adding that "Mum doesn't hold back." When approached for comment, a spokesman for Gaia said: "We don't comment on our clients' personal lives," while Basil's representative declined to comment.
Lord's cricket ground bar staff left idle during women's test match
The hierarchy of the Marylebone Cricket Club, which runs Lord's Cricket Ground in London where the Second Test against Pakistan begins today, appears to have got itself on a sticky wicket in the wake of last month's Women's Test match. Although a record number of 37,846 fans attended the match over four days, the crowd was only a quarter of the size of a typical men's Test crowd.
Perhaps even worse from the perspective of bigwigs paying the bar staff, those watching the women's game were far less thirsty than the usual pint-loving cricket fans who sustain themselves on liquid lunches. An insider noted that there were "hordes of staff standing behind the bar, doing nothing," describing the operational management as "wokery by numbers." Representatives for Lord's declined to comment on the matter.
Silent Witness star Emilia Fox takes up beekeeping as new hobby
Actress Emilia Fox has swapped the post-mortem room for the apiary after taking up beekeeping as a new hobby. The 52-year-old star, who is more used to examining corpses as pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in the long-running BBC drama Silent Witness, shared a photograph of herself covered in protective gear.
Reflecting on her hands-on experience, Fox said she "had the most brilliant morning yesterday learning all about these BEE-autiful creatures." The actress is already toying with the idea that beekeeping could be a hobby for Nikki in the BBC drama, a prospect that sounds like the bee's knees for fans of the show.
Simon Pegg expresses relief at end of Mission Impossible role
No one would have breathed a bigger sigh of relief to see the ending of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise last year than co-star Simon Pegg. The 56-year-old actor played the tech-savvy field agent Benji Dunn for 20 years in the blockbuster action series.
Reflecting on his two decades with the franchise, Pegg admitted that he has completed his time with the series. "I've done enough celebrating Mission: Impossible in my lifetime, believe me," he said.
Vigil star Rose Leslie admits to suffering mum guilt while working
Actress Rose Leslie is reprising her role as DI Kirsten Longacre in the third series of the BBC thriller Vigil, but behind the scenes she admits to suffering from "mum guilt." The 39-year-old star is married to her Game Of Thrones co-star Kit Harington, also 39, and the couple have two children together.
Speaking at London's BFI Southbank, Leslie discussed "juggling" motherhood with her acting career. Addressing the pressure "to keep on working," she explained: "Mum guilt then comes in play and you're like, 'Oh God, I've got to grapple with that as well.'"
Heiress India Rose James makes plea to save London art galleries
Heiress India Rose James married composer Daniel Vildosola in Las Vegas this year, which might suggest the 34-year-old has tired of London. Far from it, as she has displayed the same spirit as her late grandfather, "King of Soho" Paul Raymond, by voicing an impassioned appeal on behalf of the capital's creative talent.
Expressing her frustration over venue closures across London, James urged property managers and local leaders to support the arts scene. "Can all the good galleries in London please stop closing?" she asked. "There's not going to be enough wall space left any more for any of the fantastic artists that we have in London."
Former Strictly star Ore Oduba suffers panic attack during eye treatment
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba is facing a difficult period as he goes through a divorce with his estranged wife Portia Jett while battling a rare eye condition. The 40-year-old presenter has been diagnosed with uveitis, a rare medical condition that causes severe eye inflammation.
The health battle culminated in a frightening medical episode this week, when Oduba suffered a panic attack during a routine check-up with a doctor. "She was penetrating my eye with a needle, I went into a paralysed state, I broke down, I was in hysterical tears," Ore revealed, describing the traumatic procedure.
