News

Naomi Watts has signed to William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation, joining from Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The Oscar-nominated actress, who starred in TV series The Loudest Voice and film Luce in 2019, next appears in Glendyn Ivin’s Penguin Bloom, hitting the European film market in Berlin this week.

Paul Mendez, a British author, is set to release his debut novel this April and has already been praised as a bold new voice in queer fiction. His semi-autobiographical coming of age story, Rainbow Milk, follows a 19 year old who grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of a Jehovah’s Witness upbringing. The book was listed by the Observer as one of their Top 10 Best Debuts for 2020, and was spotlighted by the Financial Times, New Statesmen and The i newpaper in their Books for 2020 lists, while Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo described Mendez as an ‘exciting, accomplished and daring storyteller’. As well as writing, Mendez, who was born and raised in the Black Country and now lives in London, has performed in two theatre companies and worked as a voice actor, most recently recording Ian Wright’s A Life in Football. With the book set to publish in April, Mendez is already being praised as an original voice with an urgent narrative to tell.

Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons has been appointed co-creative director of Prada, working in partnership with Miuccia Prada, with 'equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making'. The partnership 'opens a new dialogue, between designers widely acknowledged as two of the most important and influential of today', and the Italian luxury fashion house took to Instagram to announce the news, posting 'The first Prada collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons will be the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020'.

British actor Tobias Menzies has signed to William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) for representation. Menzies, recognised as one of the breakout stars from the third series of The Crown, received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of The Duke of Edinburgh, and is currently filming for the fourth series of the hit Netflix drama.

Kelly Clarkson has been tapped as Wayfair's first brand ambassador in the US, 'empowering its customers to shop confidently while exploring the unlimited possibilities in home'. The Love So Soft hitmaker, whose first campaign with the brand debuts later this month, commented 'Wayfair already does a fantastic job of offering an amazing selection, service and shopping tools that make it so easy to find literally everything you could ever want. I’m stepping in to inspire and help everyone realise that they really can make their vision a reality!'.

DJ Devin Griffin and reality star Sam Thompson have joined forces with Lucozade Sport, launching the Running The Show podcast, 'a non-runners’s guide to entering the world of running'. The 12 part series will end with the duo attempting to take on a marathon, after speaking to special guests including Anthony Joshua, and other trainers, nutritionists and mindfulness experts who'll help offer tips and tricks 'non-runners need to be the best runners that they can be'. Thompson said 'I’ve never been much of a runner so attempting a marathon is a daunting prospect, but I’m up for the challenge! I hope our podcast with Lucozade Sport will encourage more people to put on some trainers and get out there, whether they are experienced runners or clueless like me'. Tune into the podcast at: http://ow.ly/WOSx30qjjbU

Alaina Castillo, 18, a Texas born singer/songwriter, was spotted on YouTube, after posting covers of songs by Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, crediting the platform for kickstarting her professional career. Growing up in a religious family and listening to Christian music, it wasn’t until Castillo attended secondary school that she began finding a new love for R&B and pop music, citing Usher as one of her inspirations. Having drawn inspiration from Grammy-winner H.E.R. and nominee SZA, the half-Mexican singer released her bilingual debut EP, antisocial butterfly, in November last year, going on to garner praise from Wonderland and Clash magazine. Cultivating an online following of over one million in the last year, including 787,000 YouTube subscribers, Castillo released Valentine’s Day, produced by RØMANS (who’s credited on tracks by with Demi Lovato, Alicia Keys, Little Mix), as her first single of 2020, and will be touring the UK and Europe this year, after embarking on her first US dates in December.

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård is the face of Italian luxury car manufacturer Alfa Romeo's latest campaign, promoting the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio models. Tim Kuniskis, Global Head of Alfa Romeo and Head of Passenger Cars, North America, commented 'Alfa Romeo's 110 year legacy has been fuelled by the passion of the brand's Alfisti enthusiasts. This legacy continues on the new 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, which offer consumers unique Italian style, now coupled with an even higher level of connectivity, premium interior design and Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities'.