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This strange scene from the 'Game of Thrones' premiere may have confirmed a theory about the White Walkers

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Hardhome BTS White Walker Game of Thrones Helen Sloan

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven.

In our weekly roundup of small details you may have missed, we noted the mysterious vision Bran had of the Night King and his army. The scene showed a bleak cloud making its way across the land. And in the center of the storm was the Night King, White Walkers, and thousands of wights. 

While it's hard to tell exactly where the storm was taking place, one detail seemed confirmed: The Night King was causing the storm.

In the books, Sam Tarly and other characters try to determine an important question — do the White Walkers (or Others) appear when it's cold, or does it get cold when they appear?

Here's how Sam worded it in George R.R. Martin's books: "The Others come when it is cold, most of the tales agree. Or else it gets cold when they come. Sometimes they appear during snowstorms and melt away when the skies clear. They hide from the light of the sun and emerge by night ... or else night falls when they emerge."

Night King Storm Game of Thrones season seven premiere

Also in the books, Craster's wives (the group of Wildlings who live in a cabin beyond the wall) refer to this phenomenon as the "white cold."

Now, however, the show seems to have given confirmation that the White Walkers are bringing cold with them, not just conveniently showing up when it happens to get cold outside.

We saw hints of this on the "Hardhome" episode from season five, as well. When a White Walker entered a burning hut, he walked right through the flames. The fire seemed to cool to his presence, almost as if he were a walking fire extinguisher.

white walker game of thrones

A similar effect happened on the season six episode, "Home," when the Night King attacked Bran, Meera, Hodor, and the Three-Eyed Raven. The Night King and his ice cronies walked right through the line of fire that was holding back the wights.

But most of all, Jon Snow already said it best on the season six finale: "The true enemy won't wait out the storm. He brings the storm."

Read through more of the small details you might have missed in our round up here.

"Game of Thrones" season seven continues on Sunday at 9 p.m. with "Stormborn."

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INSIDE QVC — the retail powerhouse that plans to buy rival HSN for $2.1 billion

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We got a behind the scenes look at QVC's massive broadcast facility in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The e-commerce giant recently announced that its parent company will purchase a controlling interest in rival network HSN in a deal worth $2.1 billion.

Founded in 1986, QVC grew into a multi-billion dollar empire, with $8.7 billion in sales in 2016.

The network's live broadcast runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  We talked to QVC insiders including on-air talent, broadcast producers, and executives to get an inside perspective on how it all comes together. 

 

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Bella Thorne insists she and Scott Disick aren't in a serious relationship and the Kardashians still like her

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bella thorne scott disick

The INSIDER Summary:

  • People are speculating that Bella Thorne and Scott Disick are dating, because they've been seen at dinners and parties together.
  • Thorne insists that their relationship is nothing serious.
  • She also said that she's still friendly with Kylie and Kendall Jenner, even though Disick is Kourtney's ex.


Bella Thorne opened up about her relationship with Kardashian clan member Scott Disick. After weeks of speculation about whether they're dating or not, Thorne stressed that they're keeping it cool.

"I was never with him sexually," Thorne told her "Duff"costar Jenny McCarthy on SiriusXM. "I've never seen 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians.' I've seen, like, one episode when I first started talking to Scott."

The 19-year-old actress has been seen going to dinners and parties with the 34-year-old television personality  in Cannes and in Los Angeles.

Some people speculated that Thorne's relationship with Disick, the ex-boyfriend of Kourtney Kardashian and the father of her three children, could mean trouble for her friendships with half-sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner. Thorne told McCarthy that the friendship hasn't run into any problems.

"I’m very friendly with Kylie and Kendall,"Thorne said. "As far as [I] know, we’re [super] chill. I didn’t have any problem with them."

Disick and Thorne are also reportedly working on a reality television show together, which is "based around him and Bella hanging out and partying together at clubs."

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Ed Sheeran deletes his Twitter account after ugly backlash to his 'Game of Thrones' cameo

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Ed Sheeran Game of Thrones season seven

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Ed Sheeran had a cameo on the "Game of Thrones" season seven premiere.
  • Some fans thought it was out of place.
  • A lot of people criticized Sheeran on Twitter.
  • He has now deleted his Twitter account.


Ed Sheeran has deleted his Twitter account after being slammed for his performance in "Game of Thrones."

The pop star appears to have erased his entire account just hours after the first episode of Season 7 aired in the UK on Monday night, having been bombarded with criticism.

Sheeran’s brief appearance as a soldier in the eagerly-awaited episode left many viewers baffled, with some blasting his performance.

"Seeing Ed Sheeran in #gameofthones was the biggest wtf moment of my existence," one viewer wrote on Twitter. 

"It took me a minute to take #gameofthones seriously again after having to watch Ed Sheeran sing around a fire pit with some soldiers," wrote another.

Sheeran was forced to clarify that he hadn't quit Twitter last month after receiving abuse following his Glastonbury headline performance.

"I go on it and there's nothing but people saying mean things," he reportedly told The Sun.

"Twitter's a platform for that. One comment ruins your day. But that's why I've come off it. The head f--- for me has been trying to work out why people dislike me so much."

He later denied that he had left the site, writing on Instagram: "Loads of Hoo-har about me quitting stuff. I haven’t quit anything, I'm just not reading anything, except Harry Potter."

Showrunner David Benioff previously explained that Sheeran's star turn was in part a gift to Williams: "We knew that Maisie [Williams] was a big fan of Ed Sheeran and for years we’ve been trying to get him on the show so we can surprise Maisie. This year we finally did it."

Sheeran is thought to have deleted his handle @Edsheeran - which was followed by 19 million people - on Monday evening.

SEE ALSO: The Ed Sheeran scene was the best part of the 'Game of Thrones' season premiere — but not because of Ed Sheeran

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NOW WATCH: HBO released an incredible, action-packed trailer for 'Game of Thrones' season 7

Netflix's new hit show is a triumph of 'New Hollywood' over 'Old Hollywood,' says showrunner

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"Super Mario Bros." is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time. Little Super Mario sits alongside Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald as one of the modern world's most recognizable characters.

And yet, even with something as popular and straightforward as "Super Mario Bros.", the Hollywood movie industry adapted it into something hilariously bad.

Super Mario Bros. (movie)

This is the norm for video game adaptations taken on by Hollywood, whether it's a TV show or a film — few expect their favorite game to get turned into a good movie or show.

The recently released "Castlevania" on Netflix, an animated show centered on the "Castlevania" video game series, is an incredible exception. It's smart, funny, and manages to turn a largely uninteresting game series (story-wise) into a compelling narrative.

We caught up with "Castlevania" showrunner Adi Shankar over the phone last week to ask how he and his team managed to pull off what so many others in Hollywood could not. Shankar said the reason so many video game adaptations are terrible is because of the approach taken by Hollywood: Rather than diving in on what makes the game's world interesting to the people who already love it, adaptations tend to broaden the scope too far in an attempt to draw in a larger audience.

"Let's say the game sold 5 million copies, right? [The studios] look at it as, 'Those are 5 million people who are gonna show up on opening weekend anyways. So let's get more people to show up,'" Shankar said. "But what they didn't get is no, no, no, no, no — that's like your marketing department. Those 5 million people? If you love something, you want everyone else to love it. You want to share that fandom with other people."

Castlevania (Netflix)

To Shankar, "Old Hollywood" is represented by that old approach: Take a property that people already love, and broaden it instead of appealing to its core. And it's "New Hollywood" that gave him the chance to make "Castlevania."

"I was done," Shankar said. He'd made a handful of successful but — by their very nature — unprofitable films on YouTube. He made what are essentially fan films that he dubbed his "Bootleg Universe": short films based on stuff like "Power Rangers" and "The Punisher." Since they're properties owned by major corporations, he was unable to profit from the films (lest he get sued). 

"After that came out, 'Old Hollywood' was kind of like, 'What is this guy smoking? What is wrong with this dude?'," Shankar said. "But then I guess 'New Hollywood' — the internet crowd — embraced me as one of their own at that point. Maker Studios gave me a three-picture deal. And there's a bunch of stuff that happened behind the scenes that wasn't even public knowledge. I was in kind of a weird spot because I wanted to leave, and I was like I'll try out this whole 'Hollywood Career version 2.0' for me." 

With one foot out the door, Hollywood pulled Shankar back in. 

Castlevania (Netflix)

"I shut down all the infrastructure I'd set up. I applied to graduate school. And then different brands just started hitting me up. It was kinda weird," he said. "Those same corporations that I was like 'Ugh, go away!' — they were calling me. There were rumors of maybe he'll direct this movie, maybe he'll produce that thing. And I'm like, 'What is going on? I'm literally out the door.'" 

It was around then that, through a chance encounter, Shankar learned of an opportunity to lead production on a show based on "Castlevania," a classic video game franchise close to Shankar's heart. He jumped at it, and the show we have now is the result of that chance encounter.

But Shankar sees his role in Hollywood as similar to that of Joss Whedon (who directed "The Avengers"), James Gunn (who directed "Guardians of the Galaxy") and Jon Favreau (who directed "Iron Man"), only with video games as the medium being adapted rather than comic books.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Disney

Here's Shankar:

"The way I see it is comic book adaptations were really bad for a very long time. And really what it took was a bunch of kids who loved comic books growing up, who were then pissed off at how bad the comic books movies were, to be like, 'I'm gonna change that.' Right? They went out and made 'Iron Man.' They went out and made 'The Avengers.' They went out and made all these now-great comic book adaptations."

And he's not wrong. Before comic book movies took over as the modern blockbuster, there were dozens of whiffs. Do yourself a favor and don't watch "Batman Forever," for instance. It took decades of misses before Hollywood figured out how to consistently make hit films out of comic books. And even then, it wasn't a measure of the film industry figuring out how to do it — they simply handed the keys to directors who grew up with comics, who love those comics. 

Shankar put it as such: "It's on our generation to fix this problem." His next project, unsurprisingly, is another video game adaptation: "Assassin's Creed." 

SEE ALSO: Netflix somehow managed to make a great TV show based on a video game

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The first 'Bachelor in Paradise' promo exploits its sex scandal – and fans are not happy about it

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robbie hayes bachelor in paradise

The INSIDER Summary:

  • "Bachelor in Paradise" is finally returning.
  • Production had been briefly shut down due to a "sexual misconduct" scandal involving Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson.
  • ABC aired the first promo for season four during Monday's "Bachelorette."
  • But the tasteless promotion made fans angry. 

ABC aired the first commercial for season four of "Bachelor in Paradise" during "The Bachelorette" Monday night. It refers to the sexual misconduct scandal that briefly shut down production and fans were not happy about that.

The trailer opens with clips of a stormy night in paradise. An overly dramatic voiceover says, "The sun had almost set. Summer was almost ruined. Paradise was almost lost," while sad tweets from "Bachelor" fans fill the screen.

The voiceover comes back: "Until it wasn't. Monday, August 14th, paradise is found."

Happy tweets begin to fill the screen and clips from "Bachelor in Paradise" contestants, including Robby Hayes ("Bachelorette" season 12) and Kristina Schulman ("Bachelor" season 21), show them ready for paradise.

Instead of offering fans a glimpse into what they can expect from the upcoming season, the tasteless promotion blatantly disregards the sexual misconduct scandal that briefly shut down production and capitalizes on the drama surrounding it. Fans were not happy.

 

 

 

Production closed on the hit reality show after an investigation was launched following allegations of "sexual misconduct" between contestants Corinne Olympios, 25, and DeMario Jackson, 31.

After show producer Warner Bros. found no misconduct, production resumed but without Olympios and Jackson. Both Jackson and Olympios have said that they will attend the "Bachelor in Paradise" reunion show.

Fans are excited for the show's return, but the trailer didn't need to use the scandal as a selling point for the upcoming season. Fans would have been pleased with actual footage of what they can expect from the season when it returns. And it's disappointing to know that the reality show is trying to make it seem as lighthearted as it has been in the past. 

"Bachelor in Paradise" premieres during a two-night event beginning August 14.

Watch the full commercial on People's website.

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The most shocking feuds behind your favorite TV shows

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Katherine Heigl

The INSIDER Summary: 

  • Many TV shows have drama both on and off camera. 
  • Sometimes it's the co-stars who don't see eye-to-eye with each other.  
  • Other times, the stars have conflict with the creators or networks behind the show.


Audiences love the drama that they get from a weekly television series. If they’re honest, the same audience also secretly loves the drama that happens behind the scenes as well.

Though every show wants to keep its stars and creators looking professional in the eyes of their viewers, there is no PR team capable of covering up every single embarrassing public breakdown, contentious pay dispute, and behind-the-scenes fight.

The feuds on this list aren’t public feuds between unconnected celebrities, such as Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump, and they’re not big-budget film clashes like the one between Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy in "Mad Max: Fury Road."

These are the feuds that boil up between TV creators and performers who have to work together for years on end, butting heads and arguing until their contracts are up or the show is cancelled. These feuds are the ones they tried (and failed) to keep hidden from their audiences.

Here are the 15 Most Shocking Behind-The-Scenes TV Feuds.

15. John Belushi and the (female) "SNL" writers

The impact that John Belushi had on the television world for his work on "Saturday Night Live" is immense, as is the absence left in the wake of his tragic early death.

However, being a fantastic artist and comedian doesn’t mean he wasn’t also bigoted and problematic. Belushi was known for intentionally tanking sketches by female writers because he believed women writers simply couldn’t be funny.

Though there were public rumors for years about Belushi’s behavior on the show, the cast and creators generally kept quiet about it after his death, largely out of respect. In recent years, however, braver cast members have opened up about it, including Jane Curtin, during an appearance on Oprah.

She put it plainly: “he felt as though it was his duty to sabotage pieces that were written by women.” The female cast and writers found longevity and fame in the industry, clearly proving Belushi wrong.



14. William Shatner and the cast of "Star Trek"

Everyone remembers William Shatner as the brave adventurer Captain Kirk, boldly going where no man has gone before in the original "Star Trek" series. However, the reason for his memorable performance is much more complicated than fans might realize.

Shatner was notorious for taking away any lines and camera time he could from his cast members, assuring that Kirk was the focus of as much of the show as possible. This didn’t sit well with the other cast members.

No one has had a longer-running feud with Shatner than co-star George Takei. In his autobiography, "To The Stars," Takei mentioned how Shatner would act like he didn’t know who Takei was during the series.

The feud continued through the years, when Takei outed Shatner for snubbing an event to benefit an ailing James Doohan, and Shatner himself went on a YouTube tirade when he was supposedly not invited to Takei’s wedding. These feuds started behind the scenes, but, with a personality like Shatner’s, they were bound to eventually get some attention.



13. Isaiah Washington, Patrick Dempsey, and T.R. Knight on "Grey's Anatomy"

There’s more than enough high-intensity drama to go around on "Grey’s Anatomy," both in front of and behind the camera, but it was a behind-the-scenes fight between Isaiah Washington, Patrick Dempsey, and T.R. Knight that caught headlines and cost Washington his job.

What began as an argument about starting the shoot on time between Washington and Dempsey somehow turned towards Knight, at whom a gay slur was hurled.

He publicly apologized after the news broke of the dispute, and, if that had been the end of it, he may not have lost his job. However, in a Golden Globes cast interview following a win for the show, Washington felt the need to defend himself, denying that he called Knight the slur while at the same time repeating the slur publicly… again.

Though he obviously lost his job on the show, some fences were eventually mended and Washington returned for an episode seven years after he was fired.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The new 'Outlander' trailer shows Jamie and Claire apart but still in love

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Outlander Season 3 claire

Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is struggling to readjust to her present-day life in the trailer for the upcoming third season of Starz's "Outlander."

The season finds Claire haunted by the memories of the life and people she left behind in the 18th century, while giving a half-hearted attempt the fix the relationships with the people she's returned to in 1948. Pregnant with Jamie's (Sam Heughan) child, she attempts to raise the girl with her first husband, Frank (Tobias Menzies).

"The bargain was that we raise this child together, and you will not let me in," a frustrated Frank says to Claire.

Meanwhile, back in the 18th century, Jamie is suffering through the loss of Claire as well as the aftermath of his stand at the battle of Culloden. It doesn't seem, however, that he's given up hope on reuniting with Claire.

"I spoke to you of my wife," Jamie says.

"You said she was dead," a soldier responds.

"I said she was gone."

It looks like the two will be working simultaneously from the 18th century and 1948 to try to be with each other.

The third season will be based on "Voyager," the third of eight books in Diana Gabaldon's best-selling series. The 13 episode season premieres Sept. 10 on Starz.

Watch the new "Outlander" trailer below:

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People miss the real reason OJ Simpson got acquitted, says his former lawyer Alan Dershowitz

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Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz and former OJ. Simpson lawyer stopped by Business Insider to talk to senior editor Josh Barro in September 2016. Dershowitz discussed how "The People v. O. J. Simpson" failed to include key information about the trial.

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'The Bachelorette' star Rachel Lindsay made a big mistake during the hometowns – and fans are freaking out

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dean and rachel bachelorette

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Rachel Lindsay met Dean Unglert's family during the hometown date.
  • Dean has been estranged from his father for years.
  • The personal conversation felt exploitative.
  • She sent him home in the end.


Despite Dean's awkward nerves on "The Bachelorette" prior to hometowns, Rachel still gave him a rose and agreed to meet his family, including his estranged father.

"I’m legitimately terrified. I’m not nervous, I’m terrified. This is going to be awful," Dean said to Rachel on tonight's episode prior to the date. Turns out, he had every reason to feel those feelings.

The hometown actually started out OK. But it didn't stay that way for long. Dean tried to confront his father about their issues because, well, I'm sure the show wanted the drama. It didn't go well.

"I’m trying to work through this with you, but you’re not allowing me to," Dean told his dad. "You’re stubborn to the point where you’re not allowing us to work through it. It’s disallowing us to have a relationship."

Dean's father responded with a helpful, "You’ve still got one f---ing foot stuck in the past. I love you, regardless. Whatever," before leaving the room.

And what better way to end a tragic family reunion like this than by breaking poor Dean's heart? That's right, Rachel sent the poor boy packing! After she told him she was falling in love with him.

Yes, it really was that brutal.

Needless to say, the internet did not handle the rejection well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABC should just announce Dean as the next Bachelor as soon as possible.

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'The Apprentice' helped Trump win approval of African-Americans and Latinos — here's how he lost it

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Joshua Green, author of "Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency, explains how Trump lost his high favorability among African-Americans and Hispanics when he expressed doubts about Obama's birth certificate.

Trump had shockingly been very popular with Hispanic and African-American viewers of “The Apprentice,” more so, more popular than he was with white viewers. And as I went and talked to people, African-American executives at advertising agencies, they told me, it’s not surprising to us that Trump was really popular with African-American voters back then because if you look at their portrayal on prime time television in the mid-2000’s, they were still by and large presented as gangsters or rappers or entertainers, but on “The Apprentice,” African-Americans were treated as ambitious entrepreneurs, coequal with everybody else, and Trump was the guy overseeing all of this. And that is one of the things that made “The Apprentice” and Donald Trump such a favorite of corporate America. He had all the big Fortune 500 companies advertising on “The Apprentice” because they wanted to be associated with this positive, multicultural television show. They could really appeal to the broadest swath of the American electorate or the American consumer.

So, there was a moment in 2010 where Trump really could have run as a different kind of Republican candidate. He could have embraced the critique that was later at the center of the GOP autopsy. The idea that the Republican party is too old and white and crusty. It needs to modernize and broaden its appeal to young people, to minorities, to all the types of people that are allergic to the Republican coalition.

But instead, Trump decided in 2010, 2011, to launch off on his birther rant which immediately plunged his favorability ratings with African-American voters, Hispanic voters soon followed, and he transformed into the hard right anti-immigrant politician that he is today.

 

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Netflix says its cash burn could reach $2.5 billion for 2017, and that it's an 'indicator of enormous success' (NFLX)

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reed hastings netflix

Netflix crushed its growth targets for the second quarter, adding over five million subscribers worldwide, and was rewarded with a stock price that soared to an all-time high Tuesday.

The party is in full swing for Netflix investors.

And they have reason to be jubilant, since Netflix said it expects much of the Q2 momentum to carry forward.

But there is one area that still has some analysts concerned: Netflix's large negative free cash flow, which it expects to continue "for many years."

On Monday, Netflix updated its estimate for negative free cash flow for 2017. While previously the company had said it would be $2 billion, Netflix now says it will be $2 to $2.5 billion (versus $1.7 billion in 2016).

What's the source of the cash burn?

"When we produce an amazing show like 'Stranger Things,' that's a lot of capital up front, and then you get a payout over it over many years," CEO Reed Hastings explained Monday. "And seeing the positive returns on that for the business as a whole is what makes us comfortable that we should continue to invest."

Put more formally: "With our content strategy paying off in strong member, revenue and profit growth, we think it’s wise to continue to invest," Netflix wrote in its letter to shareholders. "In continued success, we will deploy increased capital in content, particularly in owned originals, and, as we have said before, we expect to be FCF negative for many years."

This strategy gives some analysts pause.

Here's a good expression of the concern from MoffettNathanson’s Michael Nathanson (via Deadline):

"We’ve mused that the current model is akin to a new restaurant serving the best filet mignon for $10 per steak and watching happy patrons fill every seat. At some point, the restaurant’s owners (and lenders) will start asking about a path to generating cash flow on that investment ... we just don’t believe that Netflix is building an impenetrable moat that justifies its $80 billion in market cap."

Netflix management, however, sees its high cash burn as a sign of success, since it means its original content strategy is working.

"The irony is the faster we grow, and the faster we grow owned originals, the more drawn on free cash flow that will be," Hastings said. "In some senses the negative free cash flow will be an indicator of enormous success."

SEE ALSO: Netflix put out 17 comedy specials this quarter, and Dave Chappelle's was its most-watched of all time

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'Game of Thrones' director reveals the risqué exchange that didn't make it into the premiere

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Tormund and Brienne Game of Thrones season seven episode 1

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones." 

 One of the greatest moments from the "Game of Thrones" season seven premiere was the small, flirty exchange between Brienne of Tarth and Tormund Giantsbane. After the Wildling leader interrupts her sparring session with Podrick, we see Tormund and Brienne exchange some words from afar. 

"Actually there was a little bit of improvisation there, because Sansa and Littlefinger are watching them from up on the walkway, and so we just shot [Tormund and Brienne] ad-libbing a bunch of conversations down below," Jeremy Podeswa, who directed the premiere, told INSIDER.

Even though you couldn't hear what Tormund said to Brienne that makes her shake her head and turn away looking disgusted, Podeswa revealed the words that were exchanged.

"There is one thing that they scripted and they riffed on that, which is Tormund says something about his relationship with Sheila the Bear," Podeswa said. "And nobody knows what that means or what that's all about, so that's meant to make Brienne look at him askance. He's either trying to shock her or he's just oblivious that he's saying something that's crazy."

Brienne and Podrick Game of Thrones season seven premiere

"So that was something that was in the script that isn't actually in the final show — that he's playing off this weird story that he's telling her," Podeswa said.

Dedicated "Game of Thrones" fans will know exactly who (or should we say what) Sheila the Bear is, and why the tale would make Brienne shake her head. 

Back on season four, Tormund and his fellow Wildlings — including Ygritte — are sitting around a fire. 

"Did I ever tell you about her? Sheila?" Tormund asked the group. "Oh, that was a night to remember. Of course, I'd had a good bit to drink. Her fangs were sharp, but she knew how to use them. And she was nice and soft down below. No, she was no ordinary beast."

Ygritte interrupted the story.

"I know you never f----- a bear," she said. "You know you never f----- a bear. Right now, I don't want to think about the bear you never f-----."

In the books, Tormund Giantsbane has many titlesTall-talker, Horn-blower and Breaker of Ice, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods and Father of Hosts. In "A Storm of Swords," Jon Snow asks him about one title in particular — Husband to Bears. 

That's when Tormund tells the story of his NSFW bear encounter.

Theories have spawned from Tormund's tall tale, including one that he had a secret affair with Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island. But that's another story for another time.

Tormund Giantsbane Game of Thrones

In addition to being grossed out by his bear tale, there's another reason Brienne might not be impressed with the story of Sheila. Brienne had her own encounter with a bear on season three, but that was much less amusing. Brienne was forced to fight a real live bear as a sick form of entertainment for a group of men. There was a clear relationship between Brienne and the bear and an old song of Westeros called "The Bear and the Maiden Fair."

Podeswa said filming the season seven premiere scene with Tormund and Brienne was "really fun."

"[Gwendoline Christie] has such a great rapport with those two cast members and that's all in the writing," he said."And then they just have fun playing it. So there's really not a lot of work [for me to do] to have those scenes be as fun and loaded as they are, because they just naturally have this great chemistry."

brienne and tormund

Podeswa knows how much the fandom enjoys seeing Tormund lust after Brienne given her clear dismissal of the Wildling. 

"The fans really enjoy that flirtation and fun between them and they have a really good time playing that up," Podeswa said. "For fans of the show, I think those moments are really great."

We'll have to keep a keen eye out for more Brienne/Tormund moments, and of course for more tales of Sheila the Bear.

"Game of Thrones" season seven continues Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO.

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Anti-gay threats, Geiger counters, and insecurities about John Oliver: HBO's journey to interview the Chechen leader

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Real Sports Kadyrov HBO

On Tuesday's episode of HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," correspondent David Scott got the rare opportunity to speak to the pugnacious leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

The result was an explosive encounter in which Kadyrov voiced his hatred of the West and condoned violence against gay men in Chechnya.

"We don't have any gays," Kadyrov told Scott in the segment. "If there are any, take them to Canada. Praise be to God. Take them far away from us. To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them."

When Scott asked Kadyrov whether he believed America was an enemy of his country, Kadyrov replied:

"America is not really a strong enough state for us to regard it as an enemy of Russia. We have a strong government and are a nuclear superpower. Even if they completely destroy our government, our nuclear missiles will launch automatically. We will turn the whole world over to screw it from behind."

Scott and his crew went to Chechnya on two occasions to get the Kadyrov interview, one of the few times the leader has allowed a Western journalist to talk to him.

Along with getting Kadyrov's controversial comments, Scott also delved into how Kadyrov's state-run mixed martial arts program, Akhmat MMA, has been a breeding ground for his military — over 5,000 people have signed up in the past two years.

Putin and Kadyrov

Stood up by Kadyrov

Scott became interested in Kadyrov last fall, when news circulated of the leader's Instagram post of his three sons at a children's MMA tournament. Digging deeper into the man and his love of MMA fighting, Scott also found accusations of human-rights violations in Chechnya, including reports of gay men being systematically captured, and tortured or killed. Scott saw a story that would cross sports and social issues, the kind that "Real Sports" strives to tell.

The show reached out early this year to Kadyrov's press secretary, pitching the story as a way for Kadyrov to address an American audience. Though it took months, with the help of colleagues the show has in Russia, it got a "yes."

"But we didn't know what the 'yes' meant," Scott told Business Insider. "It's not like they are going to give you a time and a place and a date. What they said was, 'You can come, you can shoot our tournament, and we'll make him available when we're ready. You'll get 10 minutes' notice.'"

Real Sports HBO finalScott and his team traveled to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, and spend nine days there. While shooting Kadyrov's latest MMA tournament and interviewing fighters in the Akhmat MMA stable, they waited patiently for the call that Kadyrov was available.

But that never came. Their travel visas expired, and they had to go home, with no explanation why they never got to interview Kadyrov.

"We left forlorn, because we got all this good stuff but without the main event, what's it really going to be?" Scott said.

As planned, Scott and his team then traveled to Moscow to interview men who say they are victims of the gay purge, as well as the journalist who broke the story. But since they were only two and a half hours from Grozny, Scott wanted to try to get Kadyrov one more time.

"We're going to give it 24 hours, and if we don't get him, we'll surrender and do the story without him," Scott said.

The John Oliver problem

Scott and his crew returned to Grozny, and by 8 p.m. the day they arrived, Scott had a sit-down with the press secretary, who started the conversation interestingly.

"The first words out of his mouth, sarcastically, were 'Well, I hope no one on your crew is gay, because you know we like to throw them in secret prisons and torture them to death,'" Scott said. "That's how he opens a booking meeting."

They spoke for an hour, and John Oliver was repeatedly brought up. The host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" did a segment last year on Kadyrov and his lost cat that went viral.

"I think it was one of the things that had become an obstacle," Scott said, adding that the press secretary brought up Oliver in Scott's first visit to Chechnya. "They associated HBO with John Oliver and the ridicule. So that's the thing they were worried about — that we were coming to make fun of him, to embarrass him, which we had no intention of doing. And so I told them, 'Look, that's a satire show, that is a comic show, we are the opposite of that.' They were comforted by that."

Soon after their meeting, Scott got word to come to the palace. Kadyrov would do the interview.

He and the crew members went through an intense screening process before seeing Kadyrov. The security guards disassembled all their gear. They learned that the soundman was from Ukraine, so he got a higher-level security screening, including an examination of his shoes with a Geiger counter, which measures radiation. Even Scott's makeup he applies before going on camera was tested. The guards put it on their skin to ensure it wasn't something Scott could put on Kadyrov to harm him.

Scott, a cameraman, and their fixer were then taken to the soccer field inside the palace, where Kadyrov was playing with some other men, and invited to film him.

"It had full stadium lighting and bleachers on both sides," Scott said. "It looked like it had a broadcast booth, too."

Scott watched as Kadyrov played with the men, who Scott could see were not playing much defense. When Kadyrov was through, he went over to Scott and told him, "You people are saying terrible things about me," Scott said.

Scott reassured him that they were here to give him the opportunity to address all issues. Kadyrov told them to go set up in the state room. He was going for a swim and would be there in an hour.

"We were set up by midnight, and he shows up at 1:45 in the morning," Scott said.

'Every man and boy between the ages of 11 to 75 looks like they are about to kick your a--'

Scott said the plan was to start the interview with Kadyrov about MMA, then get into the other issues, like the reported gay purge. But looking back, he thinks Kadyrov "saw us coming a mile away."

Scott said Kadyrov went on a 20-minute rant about gay men — even condoning family members hurting or even killing a relative if they are gay, known in Russia as "honor killings"— and then against the West. Kadyrov blew off the call to prayer at 2:30 a.m., something he had repeatedly said he had to go to.

"He sat there for 45 minutes longer than we expected because that's the stuff he wanted to say," Scott said. "That's what he wanted out of this."

The interview ended, and Scott and his team rushed back to their hotel. They stayed there until it was time to get to the airport and fly home.

"That's the point when anything could happen," Scott said, adding that they had cameras with dual recording and a separate audio recording, just in case any of their equipment was confiscated.

Real Sports Ramzan Kadyrov finalScott and his team had reason for concern. In their first visit to Chechnya, he said, they were eating lunch at an outside cafe when the motorcade for Kadyrov's three sons, known as "The Princes" in Chechnya, pulled up.

The team was without their cameras, so Scott began recording on his phone. But Abdul-Kerim Edilov, who watches over the princes and is a recent Akhmat MMA fighter now signed to the UFC in America, saw what Scott was doing. In a cursed-filled tirade, he ordered Scott to delete the footage, Scott said.

"This was the most intimidating place I've ever been," Scott said of Chechnya. "Every man and boy between the ages of 11 to 75 looks like they are about to kick your a--."

But Scott and his team returned home safely after interviewing Kadyrov.

"It's taken me a while to see this, but in the end, he's going to be pleased with the piece," Scott said of how he thinks Kadyrov will react to the story. "He's not going to like being taken to task on the gay issue, but it's exactly what he wants, the projection of power. The idea that Ramzan Kadyrov is a buffoon or a puppet is wrong. We've gotten that impression from the fun that's been poked at him, and his Instagram feed looks so ridiculous to us.

"But sitting in his presence, watching his operation, I'm convinced he's the real thing. He knows exactly what he wants. He's not to be someone to be underestimated."

Here's a clip from the Kadyrov segment:

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'He wasn't ready': The bachelorette Rachel Lindsay explains her controversial decision to send a fan favorite home

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dean and rachel bacheloretteThe INSIDER Summary:

  • "The Bachelorette" Rachel Lindsay met Dean Unglert's family during the hometown dates.
  • Unglert and his father are estranged.
  • After a very personal meeting, Lindsay ended up sending Unglert home.
  • She told Ryan Seacrest that it wasn't about the age difference between them.


"The Bachelorette" Rachel Lindsay narrowed her men down to the final three during Monday's episode on ABC, but fans were shocked to see her send Dean Unglert home after the hometown dates.

Lindsay spoke with "On Air With Ryan Seacrest"about why she ended up letting Unglert go despite telling him that she was also falling in love with him and it didn't have to do with the age gap between herself, 31, and Unglert, 26.

"Dean is young, but he's been through so much it makes him older; I call him 'my surprise,'" she said. "He was learning so much about things that had happened in his past, and he was flushing that out with me, and I felt like some of his love was wrapped up in that more than it was in me as a person."

The two of them had traveled to Aspen, Colorado to meet Unglert's family, including his estranged father. The meeting was the first time that the family had been together under the same roof in eight years.

Before dinner, Unglert was visibly nervous for the meeting and told Lindsay how his father became a Sikh Kundalini yogi and goes by the chosen name Paramroop Singh Khalsa. Unglert shared a photo on Instagram before the episode aired asking viewers "to be cognizant and accepting of the millions of people that belong to the Sikh community. Although he and I are not close, I respect my father's decision to follow his heart and pursue the life he has chosen."

Hometowns are 2 days away! ..and I'm asking for a favor: when I said my father was eccentric, I was not referring to his Sikh faith or the turban he wears on his head. I'm not asking you to spare his feelings (or mine) but instead to be cognizant and accepting of the millions of people that belong to the Sikh community. Although he and I are not close, I respect my father’s decision to follow his heart and pursue the life he has chosen. Let us not criticize him for his appearance or his beliefs because by doing so we are disparaging an entire faith and culture that includes millions of people. And I know we are all better than that. That is all (for now) #endrant HAPPY SATURDAY PEOPLE 💜

A post shared by Dean Unglert 🌹 (@deanie_babies) on Jul 15, 2017 at 1:04pm PDT on

Following dinner, Unglert and his father had an extremely personal conversation about their relationship.

Some fans were upset that the private moment was used after watching Unglert work through his relationship and then be sent home at the rose ceremony, but Lindsay explained that Unglert just "wasn't ready."

"Dean was learning a lot about himself," she said. "And I felt like some of the emotions that he had with me, in regards to love, were wrapped up in that. I was going through a lot of firsts with him... I felt like he wasn’t ready for the same things that I was."

In a blog she wrote for People, Lindsay reiterated how hard it was to let him go.

"I cried on the entire flight to Dallas, and I cried all day leading up to it," she wrote. "But when my tears dried, I realized that while I do feel a love for Dean, I’m just not sure he’s in a place in his life where he’s ready to settle down and start a family in the near future."

Unglert will appear on "Bachelor in Paradise" when it premieres August 14. 

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'Game of Thrones' director said he got 'chills' shooting the opening of the season 7 premiere

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Walder Frey Game Of Thrones 7

Warning: major spoilers for "Game of Thrones" season seven.

The first episode of season seven of "Game of Thrones" premiered on Sunday with a bang. That is, the bang of the Frey bloodline being snuffed out, as all of the men fell to the floor dead after being poisoned by Arya Stark (who was wearing the face of Walder Frey). 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Jeremy Podeswa opened up about what it was like to shoot that pivotal and rather tricky scene. 

"As soon as I read it, I thought it was such an awesome scene. Maisie [Williams] is so incredible and David Bradley is so amazing, so I just wanted the scene to be great and live up to its full potential," Podeswa said. "As we got more into it, you knew the audience would have questions coming right into the scene, knowing Walder Frey is dead. So, what is this? Is it a flashback? Is there something else going on here? It's about playing that line of audience surprise and curiosity and how they read the scene."

The audience was definitely meant to be confused at first by the scene, and Podeswa pulled that off well. The way the scene was shot was so reminiscent of the Red Wedding that it almost felt like it could be a flashback from that night, until Arya (as Frey) said things Frey would definitely never say, like "Brave men, all of you. Butchered the woman pregnant with a baby, cut the throat of a mother of five. Slaughtered your guests after inviting them into your home."

"David's performance is so fantastic, where there's a moment you can almost feel Arya inside of him. There's something about the performance that's just very calculated," Podeswa said. "When you're directing it, you hope that moment happens in an interesting way that gives the audience pleasure. Maisie's performance at the end and what she says to Walder's wife . . . I had chills when we shot it and I hoped I would have chills when we cut it, and I did."

Podeswa has directed four other episodes of "Game of Thrones" including the season 6 premiere, "The Red Woman." His next episode will be the seventh and final episode of the season. 

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A 9-year-old kidney transplant survivor sings an Alicia Keys song – and blows away the 'America's Got Talent' judges

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angelica hale america's got talent golden buzzer

The INSIDER Summary:

  • A nine-year-old girl covered "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys on "America's Got Talent."
  • The judges loved it and sent her to the next round.
  • She survived a kidney transplant when she was four.
  • Now she performs to raise money for children's hospitals.


Angelica Hale is only nine years old, but she's already an accomplished singer. On "America's Got Talent" Tuesday night, she sang a cover of "Girl On Fire" by Alicia Keys and blew the judges away.

She's also a kidney transplant survivor. When she was four, she went on life support after a bacterial infection damaged her kidneys. She later received a kidney from her mother and performs to raise money for children's hospitals.

"I'm so blown away," judge Chris Hardwick said after her performance. "Because you walk out and you've got these sneakers on, and you look like this adorable little child. And then you open your mouth and it's like, "How do those pipes fit in that tiny body?' It's just unbelievable!"

Hardwick gave Hale a "golden buzzer," which automatically sent her to a later round of the contest.

Hale also previously sang a cover of Andra Day's "Rise Up" on the show.

Watch her performance of "Girl on Fire" below:

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Ed Sheeran returns to social media and shuts down his 'Game of Thrones' haters

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ed sheeran game of thrones season seven premiere hboThe INSIDER Summary:

  • Musician Ed Sheeran made a cameo appearance on Sunday's "Game of Thrones" season seven premiere.
  • His inclusion sparked some backlash from fans. 
  • He left Twitter for a brief time. 
  • People thought it was because of the reactions.
  • But he says that is not the case. 


When Ed Sheeran left Twitter following his minor "Game of Thrones"cameo, some people thought it was due to the backlash the musician received from fans of the HBO show.

But Sheeran says to those people in a new Instagram post: "Why the hell would I worry what people thought about that?"

The 26-year-old musician popped up during season seven's premiere as a Lannister soldier leading a song next to a fire. Arya Stark finds the group of soldiers and quips, "It's a pretty song. I've never heard it before." The song Sheeran is singing is known as the "Hands of Gold" song and comes straight from George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. 

The cameo sparked some harsh criticism of the singer on social media. 

Sheeran's Twitter account quickly returned to the social media site, and his bio now reads: "I don't use this anymore, please follow me on @teddysphotos on Instagram, lots of love x."

In an Instagram caption posted today, the popstar addressed the rumors.

"Last I'll say on this," he wrote. "I came off Twitter Coz [sic] I was always intending to come off Twitter, had nothing to do with what people said about my 'Game of Thrones' cameo, because I am in 'Game of Thrones,' why the hell would I worry what people thought about that. It's clearly f---in' awesome. Timing was just a coincidence, but believe what you want. Here is an unrelated picture of me and my wonderful manager riding off into the sunset together."

Director Jeremy Podeswa also defended the singer. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Podeswa said, "For me, I’m actually a bit surprised that people have made that much fuss about it. Because he… I don’t know. To me, he does seem quite organic, in his own way, to the show."

"Game of Thrones" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO. 

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6 new photos from the next episode of 'Game of Thrones' provide hints of what's to come

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Sansa Stark Game of Thrones s7e2.jpg

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including speculation of future events. 

HBO just released new images from the upcoming "Game of Thrones" season seven episode, "Stormborn." Fans have high hopes for an epic reunion between Arya Stark and her direwolf, but what else can we expect?

The official (and maddeningly vague) synopsis for the episode reads: "Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) receives an unexpected visitor. Jon (Kit Harington) faces a revolt. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) plans the conquest of Westeros."

Let's take a closer look at the new photos to see if we can glean some clues about what's in store.

SEE ALSO: 'Game of Thrones' director reveals the risqué exchange that didn't make it into the premiere

First, looks like Arya Stark is on the move again. What did she do with the Lannister soldiers, though? Will she leave them in peace?



Meanwhile Daenerys is holding a counsel session with Ellaria Sand and Yara Greyjoy present. Who will her unexpected visitor be?



In the north, Jon Snow and Littlefinger will face off in the crypts of Winterfell. This is cause for serious speculation, given scenes from the trailers.

We believe Jon could learn about his true parentage in the crypts, and Littlefinger could be the one to tell him. Either way, Jon will shove Littlefinger up against a wall in the crypts for some reason. We can't wait to see this showdown.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This is how BBC top stars' pay compares to salaries at ITV and Sky

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Graham Norton appearing on the Graham Norton Show filmed at the London Studios. London.

The BBC has ignited a sexism row after revealing a large gender pay gap amongst its top stars’ salaries, but how does it compare to what privately-owned broadcasters are handing their presenters? 

Adam Boulton, Sky’s best-known news presenter was widely rumoured to be paid upwards of £400,000 a year in his former role as political editor, which he had occupied since establishing Sky News’ political team in 1989.

That’s less than BBC’s highest paid newsreader Huw Edwards who is on £500,000-549,999, but more than Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor since July 2015, who is paid between £200,000 and £249,999. 

Nick Robinson, who held the position before Ms Kuenssberg, now earns between £250,000 and £299,000 as a presenter on the Today Programme. Former ITV news anchor Mark Austin, who left the channel in December, was rumoured to have picked up a £300,000 salary when he joined in 2005.

Breakfast presenters are apparently being paid more in the private sector, however. Susannah Reid was reportedly awarded a £1m salary for Good Morning Britain when she made the move from the BBC in 2014, but sources within the programme told the Guardian that she was earning less than half that.

Gary Lineker

Even the lower figure apparently far exceeds what the BBC pays presenters on its breakfast news show. Neither Charlie Stayt nor Louise Minchin appear on the list of those earning over £150,000. 

ITV is apparently less generous than the BBC when it comes to actors. Among the channel’s biggest earners is Jack P Shepherd, 29, who is paid £200,000 a year for his role as Coronation Street bad boy David Platt, according to the Sun

Bill Roache, who has played Ken Barlow on ITV’s flagship soap since 1960, is also reported to be earnings a similar figure to Mr Shepherd’s, as is the show’s highest-earning female star, Barbara Knox, who plays Rita Tanner.

The figures are dwarfed by the pay packet of Derek Thompson, who plays Charlie Fairhead in BBC hospital drama Casualty. He receives between £350,000 and £399,999 per year. 

Amanda Mealing, who also stars in Casualty as well as Holby City, is the corporation's highest paid actress but receives significantly less - somewhere between £250,000 and £299,999. The BBC paid EastEnders actors Danny Dyer and Adam Woodyatt £200,000-£249,999 last year.

Long-time Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker is the highest paid star at the BBC after Chris Evans, with a £1,750,000 to £1,799,999 salary. This is slightly more than Sky Sports football pundit Gary Neville, who was reportedly handed a £1.5m-a-year contract when he rejoined the channel last year after a disastrous spell as manager of Spanish football club Valencia. 

Claudia Winkleman

Adrian Chiles, who fronted ITV’s football coverage between 2010 and 2015 earned £4.6m in 2013, according to his company’s accounts. That included a widely reported £1.5m-a-year deal from ITV, which was cut to £500,000 in 2014. He is now back at the BBC and paid between £150,000 and £199,999.

When it comes to the pay of the executives running the company, ITV’s latest accounts suggest it is tightening its belt. The company said it is introducing a base salary and benefits cap for executive directors of 40 per cent, with 15 per cent of that related to the company’s financial performance and 25 per cent personal performance.

Recently departed director Adam Crozier was paid a base salary of £941,000 last year as part of total remuneration of £3.44m. That’s less than the £3.9m he was awarded in the previous year and less than half of the £8.4m he collected in 2013. 

ITV will pay its first ever female chief executive, Carolyn McCall, who was appointed on Monday, a lower base salary of £900,000.

Chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette earns £312,000 and the other six non-executive directors salaries total £593,000 for their part-time roles.

By comparison the BBC’s director general, Tony Hall is paid between £450,00 and £499,999. Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch pocketed £17.9m in the year to June 2015. That came despite 22.6 per cent of Sky shareholders voting against the £7mthe company handed him in 2013. He saw his earnings fall to £4.7m last year.

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