Why Jeremy Irons’ bid to become Irish has fallen flat

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Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack have been happily married for almost 50 years. For nearly 30 of those years, they’ve also owned a castle in County Cork, Ireland.

I was so excited when I heard Jeremy Irons was considering becoming an Irish citizen! He loves the country, and I thought it was a perfect fit. But apparently, he’s had a change of heart after looking into the taxes. It seems Ireland’s taxes are quite a bit higher for people with significant income than the UK’s, and that’s unfortunately changed his plans. It’s a shame, but I understand – finances are a big deal!

I was really surprised to hear that he’d attempted to get an Irish passport, but apparently it would have caused a huge mess with his taxes. Sinead told me this at the Oldie of the Year Awards in London – she and her husband were there too – and said he ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the hassle.

The 77-year-old actress also mentioned speaking with a friend who had already dealt with a similar situation. He had relocated his financial and tax matters to Ireland, which she described as unfortunate.

I remember back in 1998 when they really showed their support for Labour! They were affectionately nicknamed ‘Luvvies for Labour’ because they generously donated £5,000 to help fund the party’s events and activities. It was a big deal at the time and showed how much they believed in the cause.

Jeremy Irons once mentioned how difficult it had become to get an Irish passport, jokingly saying that previously, all you needed was to be married to an Irish citizen.

People with British citizenship who were born in Ireland before January 1, 2005, or have a parent or grandparent born in Ireland, can currently apply for Irish citizenship.

After the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, and following its official departure in 2020, more people in Britain have been applying for Irish citizenship to once again become citizens of the EU.

Max Irons, 40, the son of Jeremy and Sinead Irons and known for his role in The Riot Club, will appear as Mycroft Holmes in the upcoming Guy Ritchie series Young Sherlock on Prime Video.

I’m so thrilled that my sons and grandkids are all becoming Irish citizens! They’re all applying for Irish passports, and even though my son Max hasn’t sent his paperwork in yet, he’s definitely getting one too – I’m fully Irish, so it’s all happening!

 

Countdown to Carol’s very special talk

During her glory days on Countdown, she earned the very healthy round number of £900,000 a year.

At 65, Carol Vorderman has earned enough to be financially secure for life, meaning she’s free to pursue her interests, like her upcoming speaking engagement at the Cambridge Festival in April.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m really excited about this talk, ‘What Is Truth?’. It’s going to dive into how misinformation, political spin, and just the general breakdown of what we all agree is true are impacting our lives. It’s a really important conversation, and I think it’ll give us some tools to navigate all the noise we’re facing these days.

It could be argued that it’s something of a specialist subject for Carol.

In 2023, she accused Tory minister Greg Hands of what he summarised as ‘corruption and even worse’. 

After a six-month effort, Carol removed 22 untrue and damaging posts, videos, and other content, and stated that Hands had done nothing wrong.

 

Frears fears for death of cinema

Though Sir Stephen Frears is considered a top British director, he’s currently finding it difficult to secure money for his new projects.

At the Oldie of the Year Awards in London, 84-year-old Sir Stephen revealed he’s working on exciting projects, including a script about the legendary director Billy Wilder. However, he’s unsure if he’ll be able to secure funding for them. He received the Silver-Screen Evergreen Oldie award at the event.

Making a movie is incredibly challenging these days, with fewer people visiting theaters, according to the director of films like The Queen, Philomena, and Victoria & Abdul.

‘If you go to the cinema now, there are two or three other people sitting there – it’s depressing.’

 

Sheridan and her animal farm

Sheridan Smith, who is currently single and performing in the West End production of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Woman In Mind,’ has shared that she’s hoping to find a partner.

She found comfort in animals – sixteen dogs, along with donkeys, horses, and pigs – when she started a farm in 2018 to cope with difficult times.

The Olivier Award-winning actress, 44, and host of BBC’s Pooch Perfect, fondly remembers, ‘I really loved it.’ She explains that she was a huge dog fan as a child, but her mother wouldn’t allow her to have a pet.

The actress shared on the Romesh Ranganathan podcast that she fondly remembers her peaceful time in the countryside and hopes to experience it again someday.

 

A close call for shocker rockers

Heavy metal band Avatar often opens for Iron Maiden on their Run For Your Lives tour, so they’re well-accustomed to playing in front of energetic and lively crowds.

The band’s weekend show hit a snag when unexpected technical difficulties forced them to stop playing.

During the show, a powerful electrical surge went through the stage, damaging some of our gear and giving two crew members serious shocks,” said Johannes Eckerstrom, the lead singer of Avatar.

The band was playing at Exhibition White City, a historic warehouse in west London, when the music suddenly stopped after a little over an hour.

Johannes, 39, explained that they were fortunate, and his team was too, but emphasized that the area wasn’t secure.

People who went to the concert are demanding their money back after becoming upset with what happened. One attendee posted online, saying they were shocked no one was seriously hurt.

 

How a London nightclub got some Netflix sparkle 

Before becoming famous for her role in the movie Wuthering Heights, Margot Robbie was often seen at Infernos nightclub in Clapham.

This actress isn’t the first to perform at that south London spot before appearing in a historical drama.

Freddie Browne, who’s an ambassador for Infernos and previously appeared on the reality show Made In Chelsea, has revealed he was recently in Bridgerton.

The 29-year-old became known for interviewing people about what they’re looking for in relationships, and first appeared in the second episode of the fourth season of the Netflix show.

He had connections to British aristocracy through his work with Elephant Family, a charity where he collaborated with the late Mark Shand, Queen Camilla’s brother.

Freddie points out the contrast between ‘Bridgerton,’ which focuses on London’s high society and the pursuit of marriage, and ‘Made In Chelsea,’ a show with a very different vibe. He jokingly describes them as an odd pairing.

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2026-02-18 05:19