baby, there’s only one shady whistledown

John Leeson, the English actor who voiced “Doctor Who‘s” beloved robot dog K9, died on Sunday. He was 83. Leeson was best known for his voice work as the Doctor’s canine companion — who had the catchphrase “Affirmative, master” — on multiple seasons of British sci-fi series “Doctor Who,” spanning decades. He first voiced the character on the show from 1977-1981, when Tom Baker played the Doctor, and reprised the role in 1983 with Peter Davison in the lead; in 1993 for its 30th anniversary special; and in 2006 and 2008 during David Tennant’s reign. variety.com/2026/tv/global/j…

Macklemore is donating his entire $1 million salary from Ed Sheeran's tour to organizations supporting Palestine and is inviting Robert Kraft, who blocked him from performing at Gillette Stadium, to match the donation. “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth. That is what this has always been about. Not me. Not a tour. Not the headlines or the controversy. It is about Palestinians right to freedom, dignity and safety in their own homeland. I want to center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in. I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine. Their risk is of a far different order than mine. Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free. That is where my focus will remain. I will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation. When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don't move with it. variety.com/2026/music/news/…

Peter Cullen, the voice actor behind Optimus Prime in “Transformers,” died on Wednesday. He was 85: • Cullen passed at his family home in Los Angeles, “surrounded by his loving family – and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family said in a statement • The prolific voice actor also played Eeyore in several “Winnie-the-Pooh” projects variety.com/2026/tv/news/pet…

Tim Curry, who soared to fame in the ‘70s as the flamboyant star of“The Rocky Horror Show," has died at 80. A cause of death was not immediately available, though Curry had suffered from several health issues since having a severe stroke in 2012. variety.com/2026/film/obitua…