Daily Recap: Entertainment — 22 October 2026

Entertainment news is shaped by legacy and loss, with the deaths of two veteran performers and a stark health update from one of Britain’s most revered actors. Elsewhere, culture and fandom drive the agenda, from major exhibition and city-honour plans to nostalgia-fuelled franchi...

Tom Skerritt dies at 93, closing a screen career that spans film and television and includes memorable roles in Alien, Top Gun and Picket Fences. He wins an Emmy for the latter and remains identified with a generation of character-driven Hollywood performances across drama, action and prestige TV.

Country singer John Anderson dies at 71, marking the loss of a distinctive voice in modern country music. A Country Music Hall of Famer, he is known for his yearning vocal style and for a run of hits that helps shape mainstream country from the late 1970s onward.

Judi Dench says worsening eyesight now prevents her from acting, reading and recognizing faces, describing a profound change to daily life and work. The 91-year-old says she can no longer perform on stage or in front of a camera, making the update a significant moment in one of Britain’s most celebrated acting careers.

Buckingham Palace prepares a major royal jewellery exhibition that brings together more than 300 pieces dating from Henry VIII to Elizabeth II. Opening in June at The King’s Gallery, the show spans centuries of royal history and includes many items that the public has not seen before.

Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham make the shortlist for UK City of Culture 2029, moving into the final stage of a competition that brings national attention and investment. The winning place will follow Bradford and receive significant backing to deliver a year-long cultural programme.

Lego and Daft Punk unveil an official set based on the pyramid stage from the duo’s 2007 Alive tour, turning a landmark live-music image into a commercial release. The project begins as a fan submission and advances through the Lego Ideas process into an authorized collaboration.

A leaked trailer for a cancelled Mass Effect project circulates online after Electronic Arts shuts down BioWare and cancels a fifth game in the series. The video appears to show in-engine pre-production footage, giving fans a glimpse of a project that never reaches release.

Andy Burnham is set to appear on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram in a Stand Up To Cancer special for Channel 4. The booking stands out because it places a serving prime minister in a light-entertainment format linked to a No 10 setting.