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• T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach are both co-anchors on Good Morning America.
• He is married to Marilee Fiebig, and Amy is married to Andrew Shue, however, both are currently reportedly separated from their spouses, per PEOPLE.
• On Nov. 30, 2022, The Daily Mail published photos that showed the pair on a cozy getaway in upstate New York, which fueled speculation that the two were romantically involved.
• The pair were released from ‘GMA’, ABC News confirmed, on Jan. 27 after sources close to the situation reported they were negotiating their exits

Good Morning America co-anchors T.J. Holmes, 45, and Amy Robach, 49, have been working together since they both joined GMA3: What You Need To Know in 2014. Both have had incredibly successful careers and have interviewed some of the most notable people in news, but recently their careers have not been the reason for Amy and T.J. being in the spotlight. Below is everything you need to know about their speculated romantic relationship, their respective spouses and their eventual exit from ABC News as of Jan. 27, 2023.

Who Are T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach?

Amy, who is from St. Joseph, Michigan, is a popular TV personality and news anchor. Not only is she a co-anchor on the GMA program, but she is also a co-anchor on The TODAY Show, 20/20, and previously ABC World News Tonight. The blonde beauty graduated from the University of Georgia in 1995 where she studied journalism and communication.

Her co-anchor, T.J. is also an impressive journalist! The 45-year-old is, as mentioned above, is a co-host of GMA3: What You Need To Know alongside Amy. Prior to that, he has also been on ABC’s World News Now, America This Morning, and he’s even appeared on CNN Newsroom. The West Memphis, Arkansas native is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where he earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.

Are T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach Married?

Both of the Emmy-nominated news anchors are married to other people. Amy, for her part, has been married to her estranged husband, Andrew Shue, 55, since 2010. Most recently, PEOPLE reported that the couple is “separated” and has been since Aug. 2022. The outlet’s source revealed that the two had allegedly been having marital issues for awhile. “The woman had cancer for a long time. She was very preoccupied with that,” they said. “Stuff with her and Andrew was difficult starting early summer this year and they had issues before.”

Amy and Andrew have a blended family of five children together. Amy and her ex, Tim McIntosh welcomed two kids: Ava McIntosh, 20, Annie McIntosh, 16. And Andrew, for his part, welcomed his son, Nate, 25, in 1997, along with sons, Aidan, 23, and Wyatt, 18, with his ex-wife, Jennifer Hageney.

T.J. has also interestingly been married for the same amount of time as Amy. The handsome news host has been married to attorney Marilee Fiebeg since 2010, and has not revealed the status of their relationship at the time of this writing. It is important to note that Marilee and T.J. have not officially filed for divorce as of this writing, and neither have Amy and Andrew. The former CNN reporter welcomed two kids with his ex, Amy Ferson, which include Brianna and Jaiden Holmes. T.J. and Marilee share one child: Sabine Holmes, who they welcomed in 2013.

T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach’s Relationship Revealed

When photos of Amy and T.J. were published by The Daily Mail on Nov. 30, 2022, speculation rumors about their romantic relationship went viral. In the snapshots and video, T.J. was caught grabbing Amy’s bum in a seemingly flirty way, as she loaded up the car on their trip. They were also photographed holding hands in the back of an Uber, per the same outlet. Upon the relationship reveal, both of the co-hosts shutdown their public Instagram accounts and have yet to speak publicly about their relationship.

An inside source told PEOPLE that Amy and the father-of-three were not attempting to hide their relationship. “This was two consenting adults who were each separated. They both broke up with their spouses in August within weeks of each other,” they told the outlet on Dec. 1, 2022. “The relationship didn’t start until after that.”

@jenshwa

Two of TJ’s “favorite people on the planet”. ABC News Pres Kim Godwin informed staffers Monday that Robach &,Holmes had not but indicated they felt the matter had become “an internal & external disruption,” & “wanted to do what’s best for the organization.” #gma #amyrobach #tjholmes #update

♬ original sound – Jen

T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach’s Future On Good Morning America

It was confirmed by ABC News that Amy and T.J. would be departing ABC News altogether. “After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, about different options, we all agreed it’s best for everyone that they move on from ABC News,” the news division confirmed to HollywoodLife in an emailed statement on Friday, Jan. 27. “We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions,” the network also said. A day later, on Jan. 28, Amy and T.J. were photographed hugging and sharing a kiss in Los Angeles.

Despite the two not publicly revealing the details of their relationship outside of work, Amy and T.J. were both pulled off the air of their show GMA3: What You Need To Know, as of Dec. 5, 2022. The outlet reported that ABC News’ president, Kim Godwin, allegedly had an internal conversation with staff at the time, in which she allegedly told them about Amy and T.J.’s romantic relationship. Kim also reportedly stated that neither of the hosts violated company policy, and made the decision to take them off the air to allegedly protect the brand of the company.  “After a lot of thought, I am taking Amy and T.J. off the air as we figure this out,” she allegedly said to the staff, per the outlet.

While they remained off-arm a few different anchors, including Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez, stepped in to host the show with Jennifer Ashton during Amy and T.J.’s absence. Ahead of their confirmed exit, it was reported that the two were working on negotiating their departure from ABC News, according to report from The New York Times. The insiders said that representatives for the anchors and networks met for mediation before it was ultimately decided that Amy and T.J. would both leave the network altogether.

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As has been the trend over the years, different people have held dissenting views about the future of the world’s leading digital asset. And there is evidence supporting both angles.

Perhaps one of the questions in the Bitcoin community is whether investing in Bitcoin is the best decision to take now. Meanwhile, other erstwhile Bitcoin neutralists who would follow stocks or play at the newest casino online in Australia might be considering investing in Bitcoin in 2023.

In this article, we address some of the latest trends in the Bitcoin market toward revealing the best time to purchase the asset. You’ll also identify some of the risks around purchasing Bitcoin. By the end, you’ll see why we consider Bitcoin an excellent long-term investment over the next 36 months. We also show why we think Bitcoin is bullish overall and why we expect its price to increase in the long term.

How Much Is Bitcoin Today?

As of this writing, Bitcoin is trading at $16,555.78 (December 31, 2022). It’s running on an 0.22% drop over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the digital asset has a market capitalization of approximately $319 billion and a fully diluted market capitalization of approximately $348 billion. There are about 19,247,879,381 BTC in circulation.

Is It Smart to Invest in Bitcoin Now?

Since its all-time high of $68,789 in November 2022, Bitcoin has shed over three-quarters of its worth. Ethereum, the other top asset in the digital asset niche – has also lost value at about the same rate as BTC, from its 2021 all-time high of $4,891. Analysts say these price dips come behind broader selloffs in other industries like bonds, real estate, and equities.

Bitcoin’s detour southwards started at the end of 2021. Some researchers partly blame central banks for this sustained dip. Central banks began raising interest rates post-COVID-19 to cut demand in economies suffering from steeping inflation. Despite the negative consequences of increased interest rates from the Feds, chances are high that the US regulatory body might still hike rates further. Home and fuel oil prices keep rising in the United States.

Meanwhile, if Bitcoin’s price keeps dipping further, some analysts predict it could fall to $8,000. Considering the risks of economic recession in the United States and most other Western nations and a raging energy crisis in most of Europe, it’s apparent that Bitcoin doesn’t have the brightest of prospects.

Arguments Predicting a BTC Price Surge in 2023

Bitcoin’s bullish trend is in step with a historical four-year market cycle. This four-year cyclic trend includes a purchase, an uptrend, selling, and then a downtrend. The cycle predicts that we should see accumulation as part of the 2023 BTC experiences. However, some market analysts think this anticipated purchase streak might not begin until 2024.

However, leading market analysts like Kevin Svenson think we could see a bull market start from April, coinciding with when an 80-week bear market will close. Moreover, Bitcoin’s deflationary nature, as seen in ‘halving events,’ historically increases its price over time. During halving, miners’ rewards are halved, and the next one is scheduled for April 2024.

However, you want to be wary of extravagant publicity. The market is well aware of the ways of greed. Similar predictions that Ether will multiply its value by a factor of 10 in 2023 should also be carefully considered.

Case for BTC Price Dip to Below $4,000

On the other end of the divide, experts predict there won’t be a surge in the price of BTC in 2023. As Gareth Soloway, a Pro Trader and President of IntheMoneyStocks puts it; Bitcoin could fall to $3,500 next year.

However, any price dip in BTC below $12,000 might make it unprofitable for miners to keep running the ecosystem. Consequently, they might stop processing transactions altogether. If anything, stopping transactions could cripple the digital assets industry.

Bitcoin Needed in Some “Future World Market Crash”

Perhaps one of the most intriguing propositions about a future need for BTC – and a bullish market – concerns a predicted global market crash. Here’s the gist of it.

BTC maximalists believe existing systems will crash and the US Dollar will benefit Bitcoin in the larger decentralized community. They assert that global financial systems will crash and create the need for a new financial system. To these Bitcoin supporters, Bitcoin can bail the world out during such times.

Their proposition summarizes that a fall in global fiat will coincide with a rise in Bitcoin’s price. And with more BTC volatility, the chances of increased BTC prices are higher. They opine that Bitcoin and other assets in the decentralized community will fill in the void ‘if’ (though they say ‘when’) the world crashes.

Ethereum, against a backdrop of rising energy prices, launched The Merge in September. No doubt, skyrocketing energy prices will cause mining issues, so Ethereum launched its program and reduced its carbon footprint by 99.99%.

The Downsides of Hyperinflation for Bitcoin and Future Projections

While Bitcoin maximalists advance inflation as a positive window for the world’s leading cryptocurrency, they’re likely missing out on something.

Hyperinflation can only benefit BTC to an extent. A complete collapse of fiat will make USD assessments worthless. For instance, what would be the implication if Bitcoin costs $2,000 but can’t pay for coffee at lunch hour?

Volatility and hyperinflation could be a friend of digital assets like Bitcoin – but they have their limitations. Analysts and extremists will want to temper their wishes and expectations. Realising their dreams could mean a disaster for both Bitcoin and the US Dollar.

So, Should I Buy Bitcoin Now?

For a swift answer, ‘Maybe not.’ Macroeconomic indices on Bitcoin show it as bearish. If you’re looking in the short term, say two to four weeks, this might not be the best time to purchase the world’s leading digital asset.

Other Issues in the Crypto World

While addressing the prospects of Bitcoin prices in 2023, let’s address some other issues that have ravaged the crypto world in 2022. The year 2022 saw a series of regulations in the crypto world. If anything, increased regulation means there’s less uncertainty around digital asset markets for investors – the effect will be a bullish market. But overregulation could restrict innovation in the digital assets space. So, monitoring regulations in the digital asset community will be a useful exercise.

Shweta Prachande performing at The Music Academy’s 2023 Dance Festival
| Photo Credit: S. Thanthoni

The plethora of young talent looking for performance opportunities makes one wonder if cultural organisations can live up to the spiralling demand for platforms. Hence, it was interesting to watch some young dancers at the Music Academy’s dance festival.

Shweta Prachande owes her excellent technique with evocative abhinaya to years of an integrated approach to training — apart from learning Bharatanatyam under Priyadarsini Govind and abhinaya veteran Kalanidhi Narayanan, it also includes Kalaripayattu, along with dance studies. After a pushpanjali in Gambhira Nattai and Adi tala as curtain-raiser, she went on to present the Thanjavur Quartet varnam ‘Sakhiye inda velaiyil’ in Anandabhairavi set to Adi tala. Following Sruti Sagar’s melodious flute overture, and Binu Venugopal’s vocal support, the varnam was a delight, portraying the nayika’s love for Rajagopala with the conch, who resides in Rajanagar and cajoling the sakhi to entreat the Lord to come to her. Eyes full of yearning following the Lord in procession, describing at length the greatness of the Lord, including how he saved an elephant (in between showing the jumbo feasting on a leafy branch pulled off a tree) from the jaws of a crocodile — were all part of the dancer’s interpretative imagery. The jatis rendered to nattuvangam by Aadith Seshadri and mridangam support by Siva Prasad combined precision and impeccable technique.

After such a moving presentation,  Panchali Sapatham, was theatrical, and came as quite a disappointment. Music was by Rajkumar Bharati but the use of excessive sound like derisive laughter greeting the ignominy of a Kaurava prince slipping on the floor of the Pandava palace, mistaking its sheen for a water body, the game of dice, Draupadi’s shaming, and finally, the Kurukshetra war with the final scene of Draupadi’s hair being anointed with slain Dushasan’s blood, seemed to lose sight of the fact that dance aesthetic is about subtlety. And for a dancer with so much talent, where is the need to resort to excessive drama? The thillana in Behag was a blend of fine dance artistry and poetry with lines from Tagore’s ‘Mama citte nitte nritte’ on the philosophy of existence, with its eternal rhythm of life and death.

Shashwati Garai Ghosh, one of Sharmila Biswas’ most gifted students, has finally been given a slot that she richly deserves. Her ‘Ekatra’, exploring new dimensions through the Odissi technique, began with Jayadeva’s ‘Srita kamala kucha mandala dhruta kundala’ in the benedictory Mangalacharan, rendered in a style in which the devotees sing at Puri for Jagannath – the slayer of Kaliya, Madhu and Mura and Naraka, and Ravana, in his avatara as Rama. The pallavi in Shudh Kalyan, with music by Shrijan Chatterjee and rhythm set by Bijay Kumar Barik, saw nritta elaboration, characterised by a feel for the mood of the raag. There is a deep sense of internalisation even in the nritta segments that one experiences in Shaswati’s Odissi.

The concluding shringara piece, based on Srila Rupa Goswami’s ‘Ujjvala-Neelamani’, was choreographed by Sharmila Biswas. Goswami’s shringar connotation projects all worshippers as female, longing for the one Purush (the Supreme). And he believed that the final stage of Oneness with this Purush can be attained only after experiencing Shantarati (a mind totally absorbed in the loved one), Dasyarati (serving the loved one like a servant), Sakhyarati (being on equal terms like a close friend) and Vatsalyarati (being fiercely protective of the loved one like a mother is for her child). After all these states, ‘Drishyate madhure rase’, one begins to experience madhura rasa of shringar (the final state of merging with the loved one). While one can have differences of opinion on the clarity of the introductory explanations, Shashwati’s dance based on Herman Khuntia’s music composition, was well presented.

There was a sizeable audience at the morning recital by  Harinie Jeevitha, a faculty at her guru Sheela Unnikrishnan’s dance school, Sridevi Nrityalaya. She began with ‘Sorkattu’ by Shivanandam of the Thanjavur Quartet, set to Thodi raga and Tisra Eka tala, an invocation to Shiva based on the Marga Bandhu stotram. Introduced by a short Sankarabharanam alapana on the veena by Anjani Srinivasan, the Papanasam Sivan varnam ‘Karunai seidida’ in its interpretation of the devotee’s love for Kapaleeswarar (‘kaadal un meedu meerude’), saw the dancer describe the beloved’s heart beat like a drum, leap like a deer and be washed by waves of joy. Harinie is a proficientdancer but the choreography was so heavily packed with imageries and solfa syllables in the jatis that one felt a leisurely approach would have been more evocative.

The pure abhinaya part post-varnam comprised an Ashtapadi ‘Keshi mathanamudaram’ wherein Radha beseeching her sakhi to fetch Krishna reminisces the intimate moments with Krishna and how he made her overcome shyness. While the dancer had sought some guidance from Bragha Bessell, the abhinaya expert, the treatment needed more introspection. The Vasudevachar thillana in Surutti made for a fine conclusion.

Bhavajan Kumar, groomed under Leela Samson, is a steadily evolving dancer. Right from the start with Varaguna Pandyan’s Virutham ‘Anjel endra’ in Ragamalika, accompanied by singer Sweta Prasad’s bhav-filled and tuneful vocal support, the dance interpretation at a leisurely pace took the performance to a different plane. Given the penchant for speed in audiences today, it is rare to see a dancer present a chauka kala pada varnam ‘Sarasa ninnu ippudu’ by Ponniah (a forerunner to Swati Tirunal’s ‘Sumasayaka’) in Karnataka Kapi (Rupakam). Woven round the time-honoured varnam formula of the nayika’s love for Brihadeeshwara, here the Lord is depicted in his accoutrements of tiger skin and snake around his neck conquering the inimical forces sent to defeat him. The arudis, the musicality of the teermanams with their sollukattus, Sheejith Krishna’s nattuvangam, the dancer’s rendition and the music moved together seamlessly. This made for a unique experience.

Bhavajan’s abhinaya has conviction, emerging from a serene base. This was proved in the Sarangapani lyric ‘Urukke’ in Devagandhari, depicting the brash hero being chided for thinking he could get the heroine to come to him just by a click of his fingers, when even the great Rama had to break Shiva’s bow before winning Sita ‘Smarasundaranguni sari evvare’ with the swadheenapatika’s boast that none could compare with her love in faithfulness and readiness to do her slightest bidding. The recital ended on a high note with the ‘Kalinga Nartana’, an Oothukadu Venkata Kavi Tillana in Gambhira Nattai.

SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from the Season 2 finale of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl.

It was never supposed to end this way. HBO Max‘s Gossip Girl took its final bow on Thursday as the Season 2 finale hit the streamer. Since news of the show’s cancellation broke last week, the episode now also serves as a series finale.

Showrunner Josh Safran told Deadline that he’s holding on to a glimmer of hope that the series might land at a new home, but he’s had an inkling for months that this might happen, considering the growing number of streaming cancellations and Gossip Girl‘s hefty price tag.

“I asked HBO Max if I actually could go back in [to the episode]. I had the idea to take some of the cliffhangers out, because there were a lot of cliffhangers,” Safran said. “We got the editorial team back together. I went in and I lifted a bunch of stuff, I changed as much as I could. I couldn’t do as much as I wanted, because I couldn’t re-shoot anything, obviously.”

So, the episode that audiences will see isn’t exactly the episode that Safran had planned, though many of the plot details remain the same. The kids devise a plan to expose Gossip Girl once and for all during the Met Gala, after realizing that Obie has been foiling their previous attempts to figure out her identity. They hope that Zoya taking credit for the anonymous account will bring the real GG out of the woodwork, but it takes more than that. Only the fabricated rumblings of a movie deal about GG lure Kate Keller to expose herself, and it turns out that no one is really interested in a teacher revenge story. Her story ends as she’s led away in handcuffs (though Safran says there would have been more to that plot in Season 3).

In order for their plan to work, the kids all have to expose their deepest, darkest secrets on the GG account, which causes a massive rift between everyone’s favorite throuple. Aki and Audrey stay together, but Max splits. Luna decides she’s had enough of Julian and branches out on her own, landing a worldwide Oscar de la Renta campaign that thrusts her into the spotlight. The core group — Julian, Zoya, Audrey, Aki, and Obie — spend the summer traveling through Europe and find themselves in Rome, where Julian is on the hunt for information about her family and they all (individually and unknowingly) meet a friend (played by Aaron Dominguez). That, Safran says, was meant to set the gears in motion for the Season 3 plot.

And let’s not forget the end credits scene, which sees Aki’s dad, media mogul Roger Menzies, team up with Jordan to democratize Gossip Girl and turn it into an app. Below, Safran breaks down more about the finale, as well as his plans for Season 3.

DEADLINE: Under the circumstances, I think this episode does serve fairly well as a series finale, although I know that wasn’t the intention. How were you intending to approach this episode? What loose ends were you tying up, and what did you want to leave open?

JOSH SAFRAN: It definitely wasn’t approached as a series finale, when we wrote it. We even had a Season 3 mini [writers] room to break the arc for Season 3. So it was meant to launch Season 3. There was a whole storyline involving Aaron Dominguez’s character that was the primary focus of the last 25 minutes of the episode. Once Season 2 started airing, I had an inkling when I saw things were being canceled, and especially stuff that is in this universe and is as expensive as we are. I asked HBO Max if I actually could go back in. I had the idea to take some of the cliffhangers out, because there were a lot of cliffhangers. So we got the editorial team back together. I went in and I lifted a bunch of stuff, I changed as much as I could. I couldn’t do as much as I wanted, because I couldn’t re-shoot anything, obviously. So it closes out kind of, but it was never meant to [end the series]. Even Kate being found out and being arrested was meant to tip off a story in Season 3. It was never built to be series finale. We knew we were going to close the teacher’s story. I guess that’s the biggest thing. I knew that it was time to end that, but there was going to be more. 

DEADLINE: It’s interesting to hear you had the opportunity to go back in to the episode and tie up some loose ends. 

SAFRAN: It was lovely. I’m a big fan of — and I’ve done this with all my shows — trying to not have huge cliffhangers at the end of seasons, because you never know how long between seasons will be. Even back on the network, maybe it would come back mid season. You wouldn’t know, and you wouldn’t want to leave the audience without too much. We only did it once. We shot Chuck. That was the big cliffhanger the first time through Gossip Girl, but that was because we were gonna be back in like two and a half months. But for this, you never know with streaming. So I definitely wanted to close out the season and just leave a tease. The same thing was with Season 1. The characters were in a pretty good place at the end of Season 1. You just could see the seeds. So here, removing the pieces of cliffhangers were not as hard as it would have been because most of the storylines were wrapped up by design.

DEADLINE: That Met Gala scene is so much fun. It feels like you wrote it as a heist, of sorts. Since you also directed the episode, can you talk about crafting that sequence both on the page and on screen?

SAFRAN: We always wanted to do the Met Gala, which I’ve talked about before. Josh [Schwartz] and Stephanie [Savage] and I talked about doing it the first time around with the original show and we could never do it because we would always be done shooting by time the Met Gala would happen. This time we decided we would do the Met Gala that had previously happened, so that helped us. Of course, Ocean’s 8 had their heist. It was like, ‘What’s the Gossip Girl version of Ocean’s 8?’ We had a lot of fun building that out. It really allowed us to look at that as a football field for lack of a better analogy and just be like, ‘Okay, how are we going to get everybody there?’ Their goal is to get inside and do everything they can before they get inside, and they only have a limited time to do it. It was the biggest, most expensive set I’ve ever had, and we built it to replicate the original Met Gala steps. I had the luxury, the privilege of directing that episode. So that really helps too, because from the ground up, not only did I break into the room and write it with the writers, so it was already envisioned in my head, but I was directing it. So I knew how to place everybody. This cast loves each other so much, and at that event, they’re all there. So everybody was there together for three full days on that set. It was a blast. We did build it as a heist. I’ll just say more succinctly. In the writers room, we were like, ‘This is a heist. The heist is: Who is Gossip Girl?’ it’s got to get announced somehow, everything has to go according to plan. Karena Evans, who directed the pilot, did this great thing that was not in the pilot script, which was, as Julian explained to Zoya the plan of the fashion show in the pilot, she intercut the arrivals to the fashion shows like a plan was already in motion. So I echo that here. I had Julian explain the whole plot, and you see the plans starting to get into motion. And then from there, it just became: How many people can we put in one room? How many secrets have to come out? And what’s the order to do it?

DEADLINE: Andy Cohen makes an appearance in this episode. How did that come about?

SAFRAN: Well, in the world of Gossip Girl, some of the real characters from the original like Lily van der Woodsen, would probably be on a Real Housewives at some point in their lives. So we always talked about Andy Cohen and the Bravo universe. We were like, ‘Why had we never dealt with that before?’ Then somebody had the idea, like, why not Andy himself? And we were like, Oh, my God, absolutely. So we asked him, which it was insane that he said yes. He doesn’t usually act, especially as himself. We were supposed to have a couple other cameos from the original, but we couldn’t make it work because of scheduling and COVID. 

DEADLINE: Well, and he’s there when Kate is exposed as Gossip Girl, which is also brilliant.

SAFRAN: That was the first thing we shot with him, and that was just so fun. The cast loved him and people walking down the street were calling out to him. It was really just a great time. I really hoped that if Gossip Girl continued there would be more crossover with his universe.

DEADLINE: Let’s talk some more about what was removed from the episode. I know fans will be curious about Monet and Luna. Was that the ending you always envisioned for them?

SAFRAN: Nothing changed with that story. It was always going to end with Luna having achieved the success that Julian could have only ever dreamed. The only thing that changed was stuff around Aaron Dominguez’s character. That did not involve Monet or Luna or Shan. Aaron’s character interacted with Julian, Zoya, and Audrey. I cut the Julian and Audrey parts of that story.

DEADLINE: So at the very end when Audrey and Julian mention meeting someone that day…

SAFRAN: That would have been Aaron. There was some dialogue I cut between the characters with more hints of things to come. But yes, they are both talking about Aaron. And there was also a scene where Aaron interacted with everybody without them knowing, and he was watching them. That was also excised.

DEADLINE: Luna’s decision to cut Julian off was sad but also predictable. I am going to miss their dynamic though.

SAFRAN: You would have loved Season 3 then, because we’re not getting rid of Luna. Luna is taking more of a center stage. We were going to really enjoy telling a story of Julian and Monet teaming up and Luna is now their enemy, not each other. So there was gonna be a fun story there. We had spent a lot of time over the two seasons fostering a friendship between Luna and Max. Luna has Max, and Julian and Monet are going up against her, but that means they’re also going up against Max. So the dynamic was still gonna be there, but it’s just going to be in an even more fun, delicious way. We were really excited to explore Luna’s level of celebrity. It’s a kind of celebrity none of the characters in the original or on this version of the show have ever achieved. Julian is an influencer. She wants to be a great influencer, but there’s no such thing as the top influencer. She was happy to be a celebrity in that way. But Luna is a super star. Luna is a supermodel. Luna is all over the world. To be able to tell that story was going to be super fun, and it was still gonna have to include everybody. So the dynamic would still be there.

DEADLINE: Let’s talk about that end credits scene. Jordan and Roger Menzies turning Gossip Girl into an app is an interesting concept, especially after Jordan called Roger the most terrible person on the planet earlier in that episode.

SAFRAN: Yes, well, money speaks a different language. I think Jordan is a character who has never gotten the spotlight. All of the hard work he put in was never rewarded. So he would be grabbing that brass ring much faster than his morals. What was going to be fun there was the idea of democratizing Gossip Girl, but not really. Meaning, we all go on our apps and think we control our content. But a corporation is controlling all of that, not us. We were very interested in watching what would happen if people believed that Gossip Girl was theirs, but it actually was still just a money making corporate scheme. What happens when those two things come together? We were going to create our own version of TikTok basically. And the teachers’ roles would still be in the show, but they were going to change. Their storyline would have been lighter. But I actually think the audience has really come around to them in Season 2. They got a little more devious this year, a little more God Complex-y. So Season 3 would have gone even further down that road.

DEADLINE: Funny you mention all of that, considering the recent reporting that TikTok employees can decide what goes viral.

SAFRAN: That’s exactly what we would have done. The thing is, I still have a slight hope the show might go somewhere, so I don’t want to give everything away. But it is a very slight hope, I have to be honest. It’s next to nothing at this point. But yes, we would have played in that universe.

DEADLINE: Since you mentioned it, how are you feeling about the possibility of the show being saved, now that there’s been some time since the cancellation?

SAFRAN: The show was not a failure. I don’t think we’ll ever know numbers, but the viewership just wasn’t enough to justify how expensive it is, because it isn’t sci-fi or fantasy. It’s not going to reach a Stranger Things audience or a House of the Dragon audience. So the problem was just inherent in having the budget be what it was. I’m very grateful for that, because we were able to make the show one of the most gorgeous things on TV. The clothes, the locations, the food… It was an incredible world to play in. But I just don’t know how to make this version of the show at a price point that could get it picked up somewhere else, without severely harming it. I also think that executives and companies are wise enough to know that. Meaning they can’t afford to make the version that is making it successful. So why make a lesser version? I don’t see it happening. If it did, I would be overjoyed. I think everybody would be back in an instant. It’s just the nature of where the business is at right now. 

DEADLINE: I’m curious how you feel about the current streaming era as a creator. There have been so many cancellations lately, and it seems like series definitely aren’t granted as long of a runway anymore to prove they can be successful.

SAFRAN: I was just talking about this the other day with friends of mine who are also showrunners about how scary it is, because we were all raised that when you go to pitch, you have to show you have enough story to go seasons. That’s all anybody wanted to hear for the lifetime of television. Do you have enough? Is the engine enough to keep it going? So now, oftentimes, when you’re pitching, people still want to know that. Because in success, you hope that Emily can stay in Paris for six years. That’s the hope, right? But shows don’t get that chance. So you’re stuck in this universe where you’re like, ‘Should I be creating a show that really can only go two years? Or should I be trying to create a show that still can run eight years?’ I haven’t figured that out. I’m lucky that the project that I’m working on now at AMC is kind of a limited series. It’s not meant to go on for years. So I feel a little bit more bold in writing, and not being afraid that I won’t be able to finish telling the story. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I still believe that audiences want 22 episodes of their shows. It doesn’t have to be as crazy as it used to be, where 22 episodes come out over eight months. But I think that my hope is that we move into a universe where if they really want to pick up your show, and they really liked it, and they were going to pick it up for one season, why not pick it up for two at once? Which is what they sort of did in the beginning with shows like House of Cards, when these streamers began. Because if it’s working in Season 1, then you can green light Season 3, and then the audience isn’t waiting 13 months or 16 months between seasons, because you’re a couple seasons ahead every time. I think that helps grow the audience and helps keep the audience. The real problem is the span between seasons for shows. How do you get people back? How do you make them feel like there’s something that should draw them back when they’ve watched 60 other things between the time that your last episode aired and the next episode? Overall, there’s going to be less content, which is a good thing if you ask me. But still, it’s hard, right? Because you’re vying even more for a prized spot that still may not last as long as you want.

One of the best films of FrightFest ‘22, The Harbinger, is out now on VOD in the UK. To celebrate the release of his fourth feature film, I spoke to writer-director-editor-composer Andy Mitton about his chilling pandemic-set horror.

SYNOPSIS: Despite the protests of her frail father and concerned brother, Monique (Gabby Beans) travels to New York City during a Covid lockdown to help out an ailing friend (Emily Davis). Little did she know the recurring nightmares her friend suffers from are contagious. Now she must escape the demonic dream architect known as The Harbinger who threatens to erase her from all existence.

How was it taking such a daring, direct look at the pandemic? As writer-director-editor-composer it must have been a long process for you, looking at it like that?

Yeah, all told it was a long process. It was a scary process. It was a leap of faith, and an uncertain one. But faith was very much in the horror community, that I’m a part of – as a fan first. It’s a good arena to look at hard things. I think it gives a bit of space between you and the truth. It felt like I’m not quite ready for a straight drama about it, but with horror there isn’t anything you can’t explore. I think we did it with hopefully enough grace, a bit of insight, and catharsis, so people could have an experience that felt valuable to them. And people who didn’t want that experience, who just wanted the rollercoaster, that would be there for them too.

With the pandemic as the setting did you have to think about the audience more than normal, for instance not leaving leeway for conspiracy theorists etc. considering the creative abstraction of it?

Yes, I think in terms of those sensitivities, or political sensitivities. Everything was getting political at that time. I had them in mind, making sure I was bringing humanity to all sides, all characters. Also there was an opposite element, where I had to think about them a little less. Because you had the idea that you weren’t writing for a particular region, because globally we shared this experience. We don’t share a lot of experiences as a planet. Usually, we think of settings as regional, but whether I took this film to Colorado or Finland there was a shared connection that you don’t usually get.

What’s the reception been like for the film?

It’s been great. I was braced for backlash. I thought it would be more polarising than it has been. There are people who just want their escapism from that particular situation and I get that. But festivals and critically the overwhelmingly positive response has been tremendous to experience, and gratifying for the whole team. It was our hope, we took that leap of faith and landed on the other side safely. It feels good.

How quickly did you establish the big questions you wanted to ask in the film? For instance, one of the main ones that the film discusses is ‘what happened to vulnerable people during the pandemic?’

In coming up with the mythology of how The Harbinger would work as a sort of demon that looks for our vulnerabilities, it felt like the right way to go. That time during the pandemic was, for me, largely about discovering how much of our identity is dependent on these relationships, on our friendships, on the people we couldn’t reach or help during that time. So we were all in different versions of it, some people were alone, some people were with people they didn’t feel safe with. It felt like that was what was at stake, that is the danger, higher stakes than life or death. About each other and why we are here.

Across all of your films you play with this idea of being forgotten, you play it up big in this one, but in We Go On you have characters tethering themselves to each other as ghosts, and in YellowBrickRoad, the characters are walking this path that has been walked before, keeping people alive in that sense, what is it that interests you about that idea?

I guess whatever it is that comes out of me is part of the mystery of people’s muses and interests, part of it is who I am. I guess, especially in the horror space, when you are making stories you are thinking of the highest possible stakes. And when you think of the highest stakes being life and death, death seems like the ultimate high stake. But when you consider being forgotten, the impact you leave on the world, on each other, you can find higher stakes than life and death. That’s always going to be attractive.

Do you think because you ended with the idea of being forgotten, do you think you will move on to explore other ideas or do you think there is more to explore?

Yeah, I do. I have made four movies that represent my existing body of work, but in between all of that I have written these other scripts. There are other things that I have been holding onto that I just haven’t had the resources to make. I think people would be very surprised at the tonal and thematic distinctions from what I have been doing. I have a really wild comic high school voodoo doll story, a satirical high-rise story, a slasher… These themes are nowhere to be found in these scripts. I think it’s a result partly of what has been made. And I’m sure my interest in that topic will keep bleeding out into things. But I’m really excited to explore other things, other flavours.

At FrightFest you mentioned briefly in a Q&A that you took everything fairly linearly in your roles from writer to director to editor, but composer kind of “hung over the top of it”, can you explain a bit further on that?

Yeah, I think that’s the main role there that is not dangerous to keep thinking about the whole time. If you are still a writer while you’re directing, or still a director while you’re editing, then you’re in trouble. This happened with The Witch in the Window too, coming to set with a theme in mind that I can share with my lead actors, my cinematographer… it introduces a flavour and a sort of tempo that can get into the design and the performance. I think there is a value in that. So I like to come in with a few things, even if that changes at the end of the day. I think of everything as music – the directing, and the writing, certainly the editing is music. That is just the way I am wired, so that way it becomes a through line in the process in a really fun way.

You have also described your films as having an “off-rhythm”, can you describe what you mean by that? What makes your films different in that sense?

In my experience as a horror fan, as someone who loves the mainstream horror as much as the indie world, the big tentpole stuff like The Conjuring films for instance, they set a certain bar, a certain rhythm, that we have become familiar with. We have antennas as horror fans – when someone is walking down a hallway in a story, there is an antenna inside of us and because of those rhythms we think we know when the jump is going to happen. Everyone is going to try and subvert that expectation. I think because that exists in the mainstream we can really play off of that. I tend to, if I have faith in these moments and in the tension of the story, then I start pulling out the score and pulling out the low bass-y drone that is cueing us when to be scared. So we are without our usual cues and that makes us susceptible to new rhythms, new ways to be startled, that feel more true to the jaggedness of real life.

Everything has a tempo – it’s the tempo of a character walking down a hall, or the tempo of what the camera is seeing. With the camera design, I am a little less attracted than a lot of horror filmmakers to seeing things that the character can’t see, or seeing around the corner, or jumping to the POV of the bad guy – which I never do. I’m always going to want our experience firmly rooted in the character’s, and not give these little teases, to see around the corner. I think that lets us do different things with that space.

When you were making the film did you create any rules for yourself in order to keep the audience on their toes in relation to the film’s manipulation of dream logic? I noticed in one scene you had this trick where you used mirrors to play with the filmic logic, any rules that you had to craft scenes in specific ways?

Yeah, we had some rules, a sort of language between the creative team, particularly with Ludo Isidori, my cinematographer, and Xiyu Lin, my production designer. We talked a lot about the levels of dreams and what was important to the story was that we would be very hardwired to Monique’s experience. If she doesn’t know that she is dreaming then we should have no way of knowing. So we should have no reason to direct our shots differently. We just stayed very true, and used her character as an anchor. Any time we had a question of what sort of trickery we could earn, the answer was always in: “well what’s Monique experiencing?” And when she knows she is in a dream, we all know we’re in a dream – then things change, things can tumble, or in the really bad place, we talked about ‘dream level three’, when we go to the really bad place things can lock up, and heighten, become symmetrical, sort of Kubrickian for lack of a better word. So we had fun with those rules and languages and let them guide the way.

When it came to putting such naturalistic conversations in the film – there are things that I think I literally might have said during it – did you think there was a risk in doing that? It is quite daring.

I guess I never, maybe I should have done, but I think it came out of me naturally. The architecture of the story felt true and it fit with our actors. Our actors in this case were all theatre actors who were on the ground in New York who would have normally been on stage. Actors who are particularly adept at naturalism and finding those human rhythms. We were all really quickly locked into a sort of chemistry and a common language when it came to what was being said and how it was being said. I think we all just grew more confident as we went.

Was it all tightly scripted then or did you allow room for some improvisation?

It depended on the scene. It was mostly pretty tightly scripted but because of the naturalism, there had to be some margins to extend, or interrupt, or feel the flow – dirty it up a little bit. If we were in a really loose scene, like the scene early on where the family are telling a story about a runaway sausage cart and there is a lot of talking over each other and laughing, a scene like that I would loosen the reins and let them go.

You have said that you tried to keep the film fairly apolitical but the pandemic itself has been made political, can you talk about the challenges of that?

I can speak to the approach in terms of the politics. I think it is a delicate balance. We have one character in the film – a neighbour who is not masking, who represents the other side of the coin than I personally stand on. It’s not a throwaway, it’s not super important to the story, it’s a grace note but it is someone who we tried to treat with humanity. I had a lot of angry feelings during that time about people who were in the way of common sense, in the way of science, and in the way of our ability to keep each other safe. I was not afraid to express those feelings. Horror has always been more political than people give it credit for.

Seeing as the film does take the pandemic as a big focus, and it is probably quite hard for a lot of people to look at that, is there anything to do with it that you yourself have engaged with art-wise?

On the opposite side of the spectrum of horror, I saw what happened with Host and how an advantage was found in the situation there. But otherwise, I haven’t engaged with anything that reminds me of it.

I think horror has always been there for us in the hard moments to let us process things. But my own experience of this was pretty pure, it was just processing my own feelings and hoping that enough people out there were having similar feelings and it would resonate. Not everyone wants to look at it, but what is gratifying is when you see people who didn’t want to look at it but they are glad afterwards that they did.

The Harbinger is available now on Digital Platforms. A FrightFest Presents and Signature Entertainment release.

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• Billie Eilish is a multiple Grammy Award winner.
• She is nominated for two Grammys in 2023.
• Here’s a look at all her nominations and how many Grammys Billie Eilish has won.

Billie Eilish is no stranger to the Grammys. Even before she was legally old enough to drink, she had tasted success at the Recording Academy’s yearly awards show. Chances are that she’ll continue to rack up Grammys as she continues her already incredible music career. But, for those unsure, how many Grammys has Billie won?

 

It turns out Billie’s lucky number is 7. Or, perhaps it’s not? Billie was nominated for seven awards in the 2022 ceremony and was poised to double her total Grammy wins in a single night. However, she failed to take home a single award in 2022. Happier Than Ever lost Album of the Year to Jon Batiste’s We Are. The album’s title track didn’t take home Record of the Year, Song of the Year (both won by Silk Sonic‘s “Leave The Door Open”), or Best Pop Solo Performance, the latter going to Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Drivers License.” Happier Than Ever lost the Best Pop Vocal Album to Rodrigo’s Sour.

Eilish was also up for Best Music Video/Film but lost to Batiste’s “Freedom.” She also failed to defeat Questlove‘s Summer of Soul for Best Music Film. Considering how she almost seems embarrassed with her success, maybe getting shut out was exactly what she wanted.

However, she enters the 2023 Grammy Awards with a couple of nominations so that she might add to her collection of trophies. How many does she have? Let’s find out.

Billie Eilish’s 2023 Grammy Nominations

• Best Song Written For Visual Media: Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, wrote “Nobody Like U,” the big song for Disney’s Turning Red. The chances of it winning seem slim since it’s going up against “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto. Beyoncé‘s “Be Alive” (King Richard), Taylor Swift‘s “Carolina” (Where The Crawdads Sing), Lady Gaga‘s “Hold My Hand” (Top Gun: Maverick), and Jessy Wilson ft. Angelique Kidjo‘s “Keep Rising” (The Woman King).
• Best Music Film: Billie Eilish’s Billie Eilish Live at the O2 was nominated for Best Music Film. It goes up against Rosalía‘s Motomami (Rosalía TikTok Live Performance), Justin Bieber‘s Our World, Adele‘s Adele One Night Only, Neil Young and Crazy Horse‘s A Band A Brotherhood A Barn and Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story.

Billie Eilish’s 7 Grammy Wins

Song Of The Year – “Bad Guy” (2020)

“Why? Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Oh my God,” said Billie when she won Song of the Year for “Bad Guy” at the 62nd Grammy Awards. “So many other songs deserve this. I’m sorry. Thank you so much. This is my first Grammys. I never thought this would ever happen in my whole life. I grew up watching them, and this is my brother, Finneas, and he’s my best friend. I feel like I joke around a lot, and I never take anything seriously at these kinds of things, but I genuinely want to say I’m so grateful, and I only want to say that I’m grateful and that I’m so honored to be here amongst all of you. I love you to my core.”

Billie won the award over Lizzo (“Truth Hurts”), Lewis Capaldi (“Someone You Love”), Lana Del Rey (“Normal F-cking Rockwell”), Taylor Swift (“Lover”), H.E.R. (“Hard Place”), Tanya Tucker (“Bring My Flowers Now”) and Lady Gaga (“Always Remember Us This Way”). It arguably was the easiest win to predict, but what happened next was special.

Best New Artist (2020)

When Billie won Best New Artist, she turned her attention to the fans who had supported her and the other artists. “Mainly, I think the fans deserve everything,” she said, overwhelmed with another Grammy win. “I feel like they have not been talked about enough tonight. They’re the only reason any of us are here at all. So, thanks to the fans.” She also gave love to the other artists nominated that year: Black Pumas, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Rosalia, Tank, and the Bangas, and Yola.

Album Of The Year – ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ (2020)

“Please don’t be me.” This is what Billie mouthed as the nominees for Album of the Year were read aloud during the 2020 Grammy Awards. At that point, she had already won Best Pop Vocal Album, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

“Please don’t be me. Please.”

Billie Eilish being genuinely disgusted by her own success is one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen at a major awards show. #Grammys pic.twitter.com/A7iSCVta2N

— Joey Nolfi (@joeynolfi) January 27, 2020

Billie beat out Bon Iver (I,I), H.E.R. (I Used To Know Her), Lil Nas X (7), Vampire Weekend (Father of the Bride), Lana Del Rey (Norman F-cking Rockwell), Lizzo (Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)), and Ariana Grande (thank u, next).

“Can I just say that I think Ariana deserves this?” Billie said, per Insider. “thank u, next got me through some shit, and I think it deserves this more than anything in the world. I love you, thank you so much. I’m not going to waste your time. I’m really not. I love you. Thank you for this.”

Record Of The Year – ‘Bad Guy’ (2020)

At this point, the shock was setting in. When Billie won Record of the Year for “Bad Guy,” all she said was, “Thank You.” (h/t the New York Post). The shock was real: Billie had just pulled off something that hadn’t been done in nearly four decades. For the first time since Christopher Cross did so in 1981, a single artist swept Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year at the Grammys.

Best Pop Vocal Album – ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ (2020)

Billie won the album ahead of the 2020 event. She spoke about it and how her bond with brother Finneas (who won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album (non-classical) and Producer of the Year (non-classical) as well) led to her success. “We also communicate really well, and we’re best friends — with brother and sister, you can’t really have something that tears you apart. You always are stuck together,” she told PEOPLE. “Even if we have a crazy-ass argument, somebody makes some stupid ass joke, and we laugh, and we’re good. It’s family. You gotta stick together.”

Record Of The Year – “Everything I Wanted” (2021)

“This is really embarrassing,” said Billie after she and her brother Finneas won Record of the Year at the 63^rd Grammy Awards. Billie’s “Everything I Wanted” – which was released as a single on Nov. 13, 20019, and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 – beat Beyoncé’s “Black Parade,” Black Pumas’ “Colors,” DaBaby, and Roddy Ricch’s “Rockstar,” Doja Cat’s “Say So,” Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” Post Malone’s “Circles,” and Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé “Savage (Remix).”

Billie felt that Megan deserved the award. “Megan, girl — I was gonna write a speech about how you deserve this, but then I was like, ‘There’s no way they’re gonna choose me.’ I was like, ‘It’s hers,’” said Eilish, per Insider. You deserve this. You had a year that I think is un-top-able. You are a queen. I wanna cry thinking about how much I love you, you’re so beautiful, you’re so talented. You deserve everything in the world. I think about you constantly, I root for you always. You deserve it, honestly, genuinely. Can we just cheer for Megan Thee Stallion?”

Best Song Written For Visual Media – ‘No Time To Die’ (2021)

What fans might not know is that the Grammy ceremony is an all-day thing. Presenters announce all the categories, read out the names of the nominees, and hand out awards – and because the list of nominees is so long and covers many genres, the event starts hours before the primetime broadcast. One of the awards handed out before the 2021 show was the Best Song Written For Visual Media. Billie and Finneas won for their title theme to No Time To Die and accepted the award remotely as they prepared for that night’s broadcast.

Nominations

2020

• Best New Artist
• Album Of The Year (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?)
• Song Of The Year (“Bad Guy”)
• Record of the Year (“Bad Guy”)
• Best Pop Solo Performance (“Bad Guy”)

2021

• Record of the Year (“Everything I Wanted”)
• Song of the Year (“Everything I Wanted”)
• Best Pop Solo Performance (“Everything I Wanted”)
• Best Song Written For Visual Media (“No Time To Die”)

2022

• Album of the Year (Happier Than Ever)
• Record of the Year (“Happier Than Ever”)
• Best Pop Vocal Album (Happier Than Ever)
• Song of the Year (“Happier Than Ever”)
• Best Pop Solo Performance (“Happier Than Ever”)
• Best Music Video (“Happier Than Ever”)
• Best Music Film (Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles)

2023

• Best Music Film (Billie Eilish Live At the O2)
• Best Song Written For Visual Media (“Nobody Like U”)

Will She Perform?

The Recording Academy has started to announce performers for the 2023 ceremony. Billie wasn’t among the first round of names mentioned. She’s set to play some South American dates before playing a few festivals in Mexico. The chances of Billie performing at the Grammys are low.

What’s Next For Billie Eilish?

Outside of a handful of festival dates in South America, Mexico, and Europe, Billie’s 2023 is currently empty. Considering the last few years she’s had, she deserves a breather.

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