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Reverend Richard Coles has been flooded with messages of support after sharing his “frustration” at the quiet announcement of his departure from Radio 4.

The TV personality will present his last show as the host of Saturday Live this weekend (25 March), as the show is relocated to Cardiff.

Despite Coles having co-hosted the weekly show since 2011, his departure from the BBC show was announced on Tuesday (21 March) with little fanfare.

In an interview with The Guardian, Coles shared his disappointment that the news hadn’t been shared publicly sooner, saying that he hadn’t had a single message from his supporters about his exit.

“I haven’t heard from any listeners yet,” he said. “I don’t think it’s been on Twitter or anything. Perhaps people just think, ‘Oh well.’”

Following the release of the article, Coles received numerous messages of support, with the member of the clergy tweeting his...

The Reverend Richard Coles has admitted feeling “frustrated” after news of his departure from Radio 4 was quietly announced five days before his final show.

The member of the clergy and TV personality has hosted Saturday Live on the station for 12 years, but will present his last show on Saturday (25 March), following the BBC’s decision to move the weekly programme from London to Cardiff. Both Coles and his co-host Nikki Bedi were given the option to relocate with the show; Coles declined the offer, while Bedi will continue in the role.

The news of Coles’s departure was announced on Tuesday (21 March) night as part of a press release about this weekend’s programming. A major announcement was not made as the BBC was in talks with Coles about his involvement in future projects on Radio 4.

However, speaking to The Guardian, Coles shared his disappointment that the news hadn’t...

As it further embeds in the U.K. ecosystem, Netflix is investing in a group of grassroots organizations to create more opportunities in the film and TV industries for youth from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

The streaming giant is investing £350,000 across three organizations: the Identity School of Acting, where “Small Axe” actor John Boyega trained; Million Youth Media, one of the U.K.’s top youth-oriented digital platforms; and Mama Youth, which operates an extensive network of training programs.

Netflix will support 30 full, year-long scholarships for students from the Identity School; double the number of youth in the Million Youth Media talent pool; and help Mama Youth expand its work in training more aspiring film and TV professionals.

The investment is part of the $5 million earmarked by Netflix in July to support Black creators and youth, propelled by the renewed Black Lives Matter movement in June. The streaming giant also launched a U.

In an upcoming hour-long interview with the BBC World Service’s radio program “The Arts Hour,” always-outspoken filmmaker Oliver Stone opens up about a variety of hot button issues. The Oscar-winning director, producer, and writer joined host Nikki Bedi for a wide-ranging chat that, given Stone’s predilection for unfiltered opinions, includes plenty of discussion about questions regarding so-called cancel culture.

When asked about how older, potentially offensive films should be treated in the current climate, including “Gone with the Wind,” which was temporarily pulled from new streaming service HBO Max last month, before returning with an informative disclaimer, Stone said he does not support the wholesale removal of such work.

“It’s very true that ‘Gone with the Wind’ is a very colored treatment of the South, but I think it’s a classic, it was my mother’s film of her generation,” Stone said. “She loved it and it defined so many people,...

We’ll be talking about the London Film Festival, which wraps up this weekend. Also in the studio with me and host Nikki Bedi are directors Dee Rees, whose film Mudbound was the Royal Bank of Canada Gala, and Rungano Nyoni, whose film I Am Not a Witch is screening this weekend as part of the First Feature Competition. (Sorry, it’s all sold out.) I will be reviewing both films soon, though my Mudbound review must wait till November, when it will debut on Netflix globally. I Am Not a Witch opens theatrically in the UK on October 20th; no sign of a Us release yet. Both films are absolutely terrific.

My new “Arts Hour” episode airs several times between Sunday and next Tuesday, and will be available on iPlayer anytime after the first broadcast. Unlike BBC TV programs, the radio stuff is available globally, so you can listen no matter where you are.

I’ll be appearing on the BBC World Service’s radio show “The Arts Hour” on Sunday July 30th. (This is my second appearance; the first was on New Year’s Day this year.) It airs several times between Sunday and next Tuesday, and will be available on iPlayer anytime after the first broadcast. Unlike BBC TV programs, the radio stuff is available globally, so you can listen no matter where you are. The episode page with all the info you need is here.

I’m on for the full hour with fellow guest Nigerian horror writer Nuzo Onoh — her latest novel, The Sleepless, is brilliant, and you should read it — and host Nikki Bedi. The show was recorded on Wednesday, so I can tell you that we’ll be talking about Dunkirk, The Beguiled, The Big Sick, and lots of other artsy stuff. I hope you’ll tune in,...