I'M A Celebrity fans have shared the same complaint about GK Barry - having spotted an issue with Bushtucker Trials. Each year, famous faces in the ITV show do gruelling challenges to win food for camp. Advertisement 4 I'm A Celebrity viewers have shared the same complaint about GK Barry Credit: Eroteme 4 The social media star is in the latter stages of this year's series Credit: Eroteme 4 Viewers have branded GK as "lazy" - after pointing out a Bushtucker Trial issue Credit: Eroteme One of this year's stars is GK Barry - real name Grace Keeling - although fans aren't currently impressed with her. In the latter stages, campmates can volunteer to do the daily trials to win food. Viewers have branded GK Barry as "lazy" for not putting herself forward. Friday's episode saw Reverend Richard Coles and Coleen Rooney volunteer for the trial -- named Dreaded Dregs. Advertisement Read more on I'm A Celeb bad timing IAC's GK Barry accidentally announces Richard Coles' partner has 'passed on' lovebirds I’m a Celeb’s GK Barry sends sweet message to girlfriend Ella Rutherford One wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "GK is getting lazy tbh she has never volunteered for a trial. "She's hilarious with Richard but other than that she's just camp shef and not a great one." Another added: "Why hasn't GK offered to do a trial?" A third penned: "Seems GK hasn't done a trial in ages?? Surely they should take it in turns." Advertisement Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 GAGGING WAG Watch I'm A Celeb's Coleen almost VOMIT as she drinks crocodile anus Exclusive PRICE-LESS We had I’m A Celeb’s only REAL romance...I'm sad we don’t speak, says Katie Price ROONEY SWEET Wayne Rooney's sweet tribute to wife Coleen as he battles to save football job Exclusive roo-union Coleen Rooney set for emotional I'm A Celeb reunion with youngest sons TONIGHT While a fourth chimed in: "Reverend Richard always offers to do a trial even though he's the oldest while Alan has put himself forward for ONE and GK Barry doesn't put herself forward.... "They're not showing enough effort to make the top 4 right now." Yet another remarked: "Please god why is GK Barry still in there? I'm A Celeb's GK Barry reveals she bought a Porsche after getting rich overnight "She's as funny as politics & hasn't done a trial since her zero stars debacle." Advertisement Early in the series, GK teamed up with Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough in a trial called Drown in the Dumps. I'm A Celebrity 2024 i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." Upon their arrival, Ant and Dec explained how one of them needed to go into a tank at the bottom with the other at the top. Unfortunately, they didn't manage to get a single star - returning to camp empty-handed as a result. Advertisement Read more on the Scottish Sun DARR-ARGH! Weather maps reveal exact date Storm Darragh to hit Scots with rain, wind & SNOW 'SICK BEYOND BELIEF' Cops probe footage 'showing Scots woman having sex with XL Bully dog' Other than GK, Reverend Richard Coles , Coleen Rooney, Alan Halsall, Oti Mabuse and Danny Jones also remain in camp. I'm A Celeb continues on ITV1 and ITVX. 4 GK with campmates Barry McGuigan, Reverend Richard Coles and Alan Halsall Credit: Eroteme

Man United will be very glad they didn't sign £38m flop, left out for four games in a rowThe Middle East is no longer a predictable chessboard where moves can be studied and anticipated. Instead, it resembles a hurricane, unpredictable in both timing and direction. This is the reality we face. The danger posed by the political and military vacuum following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria lies not only in its timing but also in the speed and far-reaching consequences of this shift, even for the powerful regional actors involved. The Syrian scene in recent days has been rife with contradictions that defy explanation. While global media broadcast celebrations of the regime’s fall, Israeli airstrikes target all aspects of the Syrian army—from equipment and weapons to laboratories and factories. Every day, Israel conducts over 350 airstrikes on what remains of the national army, and at day’s end, announces the details of its operations with complete transparency. As Syrians celebrate, the Israeli occupation army advances deep into the Golan Heights, including Mount Hermon, claiming an additional 250 square kilometers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the Golan permanently Israeli and vowed to double settlement activities in the plateau. On Syria’s northern front, a parallel scenario unfolds. Turkish forces have invaded the north, occupying multiple cities and regions, all while denouncing Israel’s expansion in the Golan. Simultaneously, they destroy Syrian army weapons depots in these newly seized areas and prepare to attack the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to tighten control over the Kurds. Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Shara, also known as Muhammad al-Jolani, the general commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which played a major role in toppling the regime, appears to be taking a calculated approach. Recognizing that emulating ISIS’s brutality would be counterproductive, he refrained from wreaking havoc in Damascus. Instead, he launched a media campaign, calling for reconciliation and unity, proclaiming, “I am Syrian, you are Syrian. I oppose Assad, not the country or its people.” He even announced on Al Arabiya that compulsory conscription would be abolished, relying instead on volunteers, signaling a shift in the willingness of Syrians to bear arms. On the eastern front, American forces raised their flag over the Kurdish city of Kobane to secure it, while continuing to control Syria’s vital oil fields. The final outcome in Syria appears stark: Assad’s regime has fallen, and the Syrian army has been entirely dismantled—an unprecedented event even compared to the 1967 war. Israel now firmly controls the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. Turkish forces have seized more than 13 cities, cementing their influence. The United States has solidified its presence in oil-rich regions while extending legal protection to the Kurds and the SDF. Syria, like Iraq and Lebanon, is a mosaic of sects, religious, ethnic, and political groups formed over centuries. Its future, therefore, cannot be disentangled from its complex regional environment. Yet the dominance of extremist jihadist currents at the core of Syrian geography suggests that the nation’s future will be marked by sectarianism and politicization, aligned with the interests of powerful regional players. Such a scenario is unsustainable. Syria’s plight stems from more than seven years of cumulative failures. Israeli attacks, initially tactical, have had profound strategic repercussions, weakening the resistance axis and claiming key leaders. U.S. sanctions and support for armed groups exacerbated the situation, while internal Syrian conflicts and the Iranian regime’s flawed strategies further undermined resistance. The assassination of Qasem Soleimani marked a turning point, emboldening Israel to act unchallenged in Syria, with the consequences now reaching Iran’s doorstep. With Assad gone, Syrians celebrate in Damascus while opposition groups scramble to organize a political transition. Yet the administrative failures of Syrian rebel factions, proven during their governance of large territories, cast a long shadow over these efforts. Western observers speculate that HTS might take charge, but their track record suggests otherwise. Even when controlling two-thirds of Idlib province, HTS struggled with governance and showed little commitment to political pluralism. Past attempts by opposition groups to govern areas like southern Syria, Damascus’s outskirts, and Turkish-controlled regions in the north often resulted in militia rule and infighting, with efforts to unite factions repeatedly failing. The greatest danger facing Syria is not solely Islamic extremism but the chaos likely to follow the opposition’s victory. Regardless of the form of future governance, the challenges are immense, and the risks are imminent. Syria’s social and economic crises, already overwhelming, are poised to worsen. According to the United Nations, 16.7 million Syrians need humanitarian aid, and 12.9 million suffer from food insecurity. Even after the conflict ends, Syria will require between $200 billion and $400 billion to rebuild, a figure far beyond the willingness of the US or the West to contribute. The road ahead for Syria is fraught with uncertainty and peril. The fall of Assad is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new and turbulent chapter in the region’s history. Dr. Hatem Sadek – Professor at Helwan University

NoneNEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

How does such a genre-defying film like Jacques Audiard’s transgender Mexican cartel musical come into being? In this case, it went through a uniquely adventurous development process. The acclaimed film, which was loosely inspired by a chapter in Boris Razon’s 2018 novel , originally began as two distinct projects, both written by Audiard and titled : an opera libretto to be performed for the stage and a gritty crime movie the director envisioned shooting on location in Mexico. “It took a lot of time for the two projects to merge into one, to make ,” says Paul Guilhaume, the French cinematographer who shot and is considered an Oscar frontrunner for his work on the film. “I didn’t even know myself which one I would be shooting — both, or was it one or the other?” Guilhaume recalls of the early days after he signed onto the project. The cinematographer and a team of collaborators spent four months scouting locations in Mexico and imagining visual possibilities for the film — but at the end of that process, Audiard announced he would be pivoting. “He wanted to do a film that talks about very serious things but to add an element of lightness in the treatment and process of doing it,” Guilhaume recalls. “From there, it was, OK, let’s forget everything we have now and do the film in a studio. And let’s use all of the location scoutings we have done as a starting point.” recently sat down with Guilhaume for an edition of , to discuss the creation of ‘s wholly original visual language, one that melds Audiard’s signature “aesthetic of movement” with explosive, music video-style choreography, telenovela melodrama, consistently dramatic lighting choices, brooding political commentary and a gangland car chase through a simulated Mexican desert. “It was strange because we didn’t have a unique reference,” Guilhaume explains. “Very often when you make a film, you say, ‘OK, it’s but [with this and that].’ That was not the case here. It was so different with the music and choreography — a genre of film that we couldn’t even say.” As ‘s chief critic David Rooney put it in in May, where debuted to acclaim: “Some Francophile cinema fans keep hoping that Audiard will make another searing drama like or , but any filmmaker who declines to repeat himself and instead keeps experimenting and pushing in new directions should be applauded. With , he has made something fresh, full of vitality and affecting, held aloft by its own quietly soaring power. Rooney adds: “The movie looks terrific — never too slick, with a slight rough-edged quality that adds to its appeal. The camerawork is loose and supple, the moody textures of the many night scenes are effective and the use of vibrant color is invigorating.” stars Karla Sofía Gascón as a feared cartel leader who enlists a lawyer, played by Zoe Saldaña, to help her disappear and achieve her dream of transitioning into a woman. Selena Gomez co-stars as the cartel leader’s young wife who is left in the dark about her partner’s transition and is unwittingly brought along for the ride. Guilhaume previously shot Audiard’s 2021 black-and-white drama , as well as music videos for Kanye West and Rosalía. Watch the episode above for his scene-by-scene breakdown of how was made — along with the title of the movie he rewatches every time he begins a new project, to remind himself of “visual perfection.” This edition of is sponsored by Netflix. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter

The University of Maine System board of trustees meeting in September 2023. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald The board of trustees for the University of Maine System will not take up demands to divest financially from Israel, the board’s chair announced in a letter Friday. The decision is a response to a petition , signed by hundreds of students, faculty and alumni across the system, asking the trustees to end all investment in Israeli companies or U.S.-based companies that sell weapons to Israel, as well as end academic ties with the country. That would have applied to about $1.6 million in investments, or about .22% of the system’s holdings as of last April, according to system records. In November, more than a dozen students, faculty members and alumni spoke during the board’s public comment period, arguing in favor of divestment and pushing back on changes to a proposed free speech policy. Many spoke about the high civilian death toll and academic losses in Gaza, and reminded trustees of the system’s history with divestment: In 1982, it was among the first higher education institutions to divest from apartheid South Africa. The trustees hosted a special meeting of the executive committee on Dec. 17 to consider putting the six demands on the agenda for January. But after a 25-minute executive session, the board publicly deliberated and came to a consensus that it would not advance the issue. Board of trustees Chair Trish Riley said she had met with students about their concerns, but that the board’s responsibility is to foster open discourse. “The question here is, is it appropriate for the board of trustees, given our statutory responsibility to assure that this university is a place of open discussion and discourse, is it appropriate for us to take a position on these demands?” she asked executive committee members. In the letter Riley authored on Friday, she told students that the board would not support their demands, and to do so “would compromise the critical role of our public universities in fostering understanding, discussion, and examination of complex issues through academic inquiry and research.” “Furthermore, we believe it would not promote the inclusivity that we strive to create on our campuses and in the community,” Riley wrote. She said it is not the trustees’ place to weigh in on foreign policy matters, and said taking a position would shut down discourse and undermine the board’s educational mission. Willow Cunningham is a computer engineering graduate student at the University of Maine, and an organizer with the UMaine chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. They said the board’s decision is not surprising, and that it has emboldened student groups. “There’s a lot of energy going forward to make it clear to the board that they can’t just not consider this issue, that it’s actually quite important to all of us,” Cunningham said. Student organizers plan to comment at future trustee meetings, organize rallies and gather a larger coalition across the university system. And Cunningham said dismissing Israeli divestment as too political, despite the 1982 South Africa divestment decision, makes the system look bad. “At the time, the board held that apartheid ‘conflicts with the moral values of the university’ and that since corporations had been identified to be part of the problem of perpetuating the system, just as they are today, it was our obligation to divest,” Cunningham said. “This idea that the board is staying in their lane, or not taking a position, fundamentally ignores the fact that we currently have over a million dollars invested in complicit corporations. We already have a position, and it’s to support genocide, to support apartheid.” On its Instagram , the UMaine Jewish Voice for Peace chapter said the fight for divestment is not over, and encouraged supporters to show up and speak at next month’s trustees meeting. “We will continue to amplify demands in solidarity with Palestinians, confront administrative complacency and strengthen student coalitions until divestment is actualized,” the post reads. Some American universities have considered divestment, although many have decided against the move. A few city governments have taken up the issue as well. The city of Portland voted to divest from companies doing business in Israel in September, and in late November the Belfast City Council approved a divestment from companies associated with the Israeli military. University of Maine System students, faculty speak against proposed changes to free speech policies Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousMore than 50 Schuylkill Countians will travel to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18 for the annual People’s March. Community members are invited to take part in the national demonstration, which is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to the nation’s capital to march for women’s rights and other social issues. Local Democratic leaders are now accepting registrations for a charter bus trip to the march sponsored by the Schuylkill County Democratic Women’s League. The People’s March, formerly the Women’s March, began in 2017 as a worldwide rally for gender equality, civil rights and other issues in response to newly inaugurated President Donald Trump. The event has been rebranded as the People’s March this year. After making a successful trek to D.C. for the inaugural march, the Women’s League will return to the event’s home base eight years later, on Jan. 18 — two days before Trump assumes office for his second term. The bus will depart from Cressona Mall at 5:30 a.m. and return that evening. The march is slated to occur 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Washington. The motorcoach will arrive at Washington’s Union Station, in close walking distance to all of the major hubs for the march and rally activities. To reserve a spot on the bus, email schcoladydems@gmail.com or call 570-593-0329. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Marybeth Matz, a member of the Women’s League, is excited to follow up the 2017 event with another march for “women’s empowerment, gender equality, human rights and our fundamental freedoms.” “It truly was an energizing day making history,” Matz recalled of the inaugural event. Matz hopes this year’s event will send a message to the state’s and country’s elected officials. She said she was inspired to step up and take action following the “disappointing” results of the general election. “I want to collectively remind those who are elected to office that they’re here to represent us,” she said. “I want a positive future for my family and my granddaughter.” Claire Kempes, treasurer of the league, said the group is marching for the same issues that were being challenged during the 2017 march. She urged people to be more involved in their democracy and make their voices heard through events like the People’s March. Kempes said that gerrymandering and a lack of truthful reporting from the media are among her concerns at the national level. “All of those reasons are why we need to exercise our right to freedom of speech,” Kempes said, “and we need to do it while we still can.” Colleen Kucirka, Women’s League president, also stressed the event’s importance. “Women’s issues right now, and everybody’s issues, are at risk,” she said. Kucirka said that, for those unable to attend the march, there are many opportunities to make a difference. People are welcome to make an appointment and speak with Women’s League officers, and they can get involved with any number of local political organizations across the county, not just those centered in Pottsville, Kucirka said. Like many other groups across the U.S., the Women’s League has held local marches and rallies in conjunction with the annual Women’s March. Matz said the league’s motorcoach will accommodate up to 56 people. About 52 attended the first bus trip in 2017, joining some 200,000 fellow supporters in Washington.None

Can ordinary citizens solve our toughest problems?NEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters."WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 6, 2024-- Vicarious Surgical Inc. (“Vicarious Surgical” or the “Company”) (NYSE: RBOT, RBOT WS), a next-generation robotics technology company seeking to improve lives by transforming robotic surgery, today announced the pending departure of William Kelly, its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), to pursue other career opportunities, after nearly four years of dedicated service with the Company. Mr. Kelly has served as Vicarious Surgical’s CFO since January 2021. He will assist the Company to ensure minimal disruption and a successful transition of responsibilities prior to his departure, which is slated for January 2, 2025. “On behalf of the Company and Board, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Bill for his significant contribution over the last few years,” said Adam Sachs, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Bill has been an incredible asset to Vicarious Surgical, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” Mr. Kelly added “My tenure at Vicarious Surgical has been a period of significant progress and accomplishment, both for the Company and for me personally. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded and the collaborative spirit of the entire team. I depart with immense pride in our collective achievements and unwavering confidence in the Company's continued success under its strong leadership.” The Company has initiated a CFO succession process and will provide updates as appropriate. About Vicarious Surgical Founded in 2014, Vicarious Surgical is a next generation robotics company, developing a unique disruptive technology with the multiple goals of substantially increasing the efficiency of surgical procedures, improving patient outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. The Company’s novel surgical approach uses proprietary human-like surgical robots to virtually transport surgeons inside the patient to perform minimally invasive surgery. The Company is led by an experienced team of technologists, medical device professionals and physicians, and is backed by technology luminaries including Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla’s Khosla Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, Jerry Yang’s AME Cloud Ventures, Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd and Philip Liang’s E15 VC. The Company is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.vicarioussurgical.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company’s actual results may differ from its expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein, are forward-looking statements that reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside Vicarious Surgical’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the ability to maintain the listing of Vicarious Surgical’s Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange; the approval, commercialization and adoption of Vicarious Surgical’s initial product candidates and the success of its single-port surgical robot, called the Vicarious Surgical System, and any of its future product candidates and service offerings; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the ability of Vicarious Surgical to raise financing in the future; the success, cost and timing of Vicarious Surgical’s product and service development activities; the potential attributes and benefits of Vicarious Surgical’s product candidates and services; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for the Vicarious Surgical System, and any related restrictions and limitations of any approved product; the size and duration of human clinical trials for the Vicarious Surgical System; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to identify, in-license or acquire additional technology; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to maintain its existing license, manufacture, supply and distribution agreements; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to compete with other companies currently marketing or engaged in the development of products and services that Vicarious Surgical is currently marketing or developing; the size and growth potential of the markets for Vicarious Surgical’s product candidates and services, and its ability to serve those markets, either alone or in partnership with others; the pricing of Vicarious Surgical’s product candidates and services and reimbursement for medical procedures conducted using its product candidates and services; the company’s estimates regarding expenses, revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; Vicarious Surgical’s financial performance; economic downturns, political and market conditions and their potential to adversely affect Vicarious Surgical’s business, financial condition and results of operations; Vicarious Surgical’s intellectual property rights and its ability to protect or enforce those rights, and the impact on its business, results and financial condition if it is unsuccessful in doing so; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in Vicarious Surgical’s filings with the SEC. Vicarious Surgical cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Vicarious Surgical does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206242926/en/ CONTACT: Investors Kaitlyn Brosco Vicarious Surgical Kbrosco@vicarioussurgical.com Media Inquiries media@vicarioussurgical.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL SUPPLIES TECHNOLOGY OTHER HEALTH HEALTH ROBOTICS HEALTH TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY MEDICAL DEVICES HOSPITALS SURGERY HARDWARE SOURCE: Vicarious Surgical Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/06/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/06/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206242926/en