NEWS

Big Brother is preparing to throw open the doors of its famous house for a brand-new series this weekend — but before the real housemates get anywhere near it, a group of online troublemakers are being handed the keys. For the first time in Big Brother UK history, viewers will be allowed to watch the programme’s pre-series “dry run”, as creator collective The Bov Boys move into the brand-new house for a chaotic 24-hour takeover ahead of Sunday’s launch. The special live strea

Former England football star Michael Owen is swapping the pitch for family life, racehorses and plenty of chaos in a new six-part docuseries available to stream from today. All six episodes of Meet The Owens have landed exclusively on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland, giving viewers access to a year behind the scenes with the former Ballon d’Or winner, his wife Louise and their four children Gemma, James, Emily and Jessica. Far removed from a conventional football documentar

Advertorial One of Ireland’s best-known voices is coming to Ballymena this autumn, with Tommy Fleming choosing the town as one of the first stops on his brand new Encore Tour. The acclaimed singer will take to the stage at Tullyglass Hotel on Thursday 1 October 2026, bringing his band and a new live show to local audiences as he looks forward to getting back in front of fans following what has been a turbulent few months. And there is more new music on the horizon, with Flemi

First look at brand new docu-series which promises a heartwarming insight into the hilariously chaotic life of Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy are opening the doors to their family life as never before, with a new documentary series following everything from a house move and major renovation to changing family roles and their children beginning to fly the nest. The Crouches will launch exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and terri

Big Brother winner Kate Lawler is returning to the franchise 24 years after entering the famous house — this time alongside podcaster GK Barry to front a brand-new nightly companion show. The pair have been announced as hosts of Big Brother: The Group Chat, which will air Sunday to Thursday immediately after Big Brother when the reality series returns to ITV2 and ITVX this autumn. Episodes will also be available on YouTube and across major podcast platforms, giving viewers an

GAME ON, Ballymena — Level Up Entertainment Centre has officially opened its doors, bringing a spectacular new place to play, eat, meet and make memories at Pennybridge. And while the neon-lit arcade is packed with games designed to bring out everyone’s competitive side, there is another big reason this new arrival could quickly become a favourite well beyond family days out. Wait until you see the Shake Bar. Level Up has paired its all-ages entertainment centre with a striki

A husband-and-wife team who transformed a Ballymena warehouse into one of Northern Ireland’s most popular family attractions are about to do it again. This August, Chris and Joanna Robinson, the founders of the hugely successful Honeybees Playtown, will open the doors to LEVEL UP Entertainment Centre — a brand new attraction designed to bring children, teenagers and adults together for a completely different kind of family day out. Opening next door to Honeybees in Pennybridg

Love Island is back — and ITV has revealed the first Islanders preparing to enter the Mallorca Villa for a new summer of romance, rivalry and reality TV chaos. The 13th series launches on Monday 1st June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, with Maya Jama returning as host as a fresh group of singletons couple up, clash, flirt and fight for a connection. New faces, big personalities and Villa tension This year’s line-up includes a quantity surveyor and DJ, a detective, a West End perform

Set to host Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe. (Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston) The BBC has unveiled a dramatic new era for Strictly Come Dancing, confirming the show will be fronted by three presenters for the first time in its history following the departure of long-serving hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe

Pictured with Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Borough, Councillor Jackson Minford are local musicians Rodney Beggs and ‘Lacey’. Ballymena is preparing to celebrate a landmark moment in its history as the town marks 400 years since the foundations of the modern settlement were established. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has now unveiled a major programme of Ballymena 400 events for 2026, with organisers promising a year of community celebration, local history, family entertain

Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ The next chapter in the Yellowstone universe is officially underway, with Paramount+ unveiling the first full trailer for Dutton Ranch — the highly anticipated spin-off centred on Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. The new Paramount+ Original Series premieres globally on Friday, May 15 with two launch episodes, transporting the fan-favourite couple from the mountains of Montana to the dangerous and unforgiving landscape of South Texas. Set in

TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary filming in Ballycastle for the second series of ‘Dermot’s Taste of Ireland’. A major new television series showcasing Northern Ireland’s coastline is set to reach millions of viewers this weekend, as broadcaster Dermot O’Leary returns with a second series of his hit travel and food programme exploring the island of Ireland. The new series of ‘Dermot’s Taste of Ireland’ will begin airing on ITV1 and streaming platform ITVX on Saturday, 2 M

Blue Lights cast members Nathan Braniff, Siân Brooke and Katherine Devlin The cast of hit police drama Blue Lights have paused filming in Belfast to back a major BBC campaign celebrating the city’s growing influence in television, as a striking new installation transforms a key route through the city centre. Actors Siân Brooke, Nathan Braniff and Katherine Devlin stepped away from production on the show’s fourth series to visit a specially designed billboard on Great Victoria

Westlife are set to take centre stage on this week’s Late Late Show as the chart-topping group returns for the final episode of the season, marking a major moment in their 25th anniversary celebrations and a packed year ahead for fans across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne will lead the line-up with a performance of three of their biggest hits, alongside a surprise collaboration being kept tightly under wraps. The trio will also sit down w

Young Dunloy woman Lasairfhíona Nic Ruairí A 20-year-old musician from Dunloy is set to take to one of Belfast’s biggest stages this summer, as a new large-scale traditional music production aims to attract thousands of visitors to the city. Lasairfhíona Nic Ruairí will perform on both harp and fiddle in Celtic Heart, a brand new “destination” stage show commissioned by the Waterfront Hall. The production will run from April through to September, offering audiences a live sho

Actor Anna Maxwell Martin Appearing on ITV’s The Assembly ITV’s bold interview series The Assembly continues this week with two new episodes featuring actor Anna Maxwell Martin and rapper Aitch , as both stars describe the intensity, honesty and emotional impact of taking part in one of television’s most unfiltered formats. The acclaimed series, which sees a panel of autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled interviewers ask direct and deeply personal questions, airs at

Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn. (Image: Khara Pringle) A new BBC political thriller rooted in the shadowy world of government secrecy has been commissioned from Ballymena writer Declan Lawn and long-time collaborator Belfast man Adam Patterson , placing a little-known national security mechanism — the D-Notice — at the centre of a major primetime drama. The six-part series, titled D-Notice , will explore how the British state can quietly intervene in journalism by advising e

Music inspired by the land, the seasons and the lived experiences of Northern Ireland’s farming community is set to take centre stage in Ballymena later this month as Farmers’ Choir NI prepares for its upcoming Spring Concert at The Braid Arts Centre. The choir has announced that the special performance will take place on Wednesday 29th April at 8:00pm , promising an uplifting evening of music and storytelling rooted in the heart of rural life. Set in one of Ballymena’s best-

Ballymena is set for a major expansion in local broadcasting after Ofcom today ( Thursday, April 9) awarded a small-scale DAB multiplex licence for the area to NIDAB Limited, opening the door for a new generation of local, community and specialist digital radio services across the town and surrounding villages. The decision is a significant boost for local media in Mid and East Antrim and could pave the way for around ten stereo digital radio stations, with capacity for more

Stephen Fry on series 2 of ITV’s The Assembly Award-winning ITV interview series The Assembly is set to return this April for an extended second run, with Sir Stephen Fry and Nicola Sturgeon among a high-profile line-up facing what has become one of television’s most disarming and unpredictable interview formats. The RTS-winning and Bafta-nominated show, praised by critics as one of the most original programmes on television, will see a fresh group of well-known names take t