Entertainment
Jimmy Cliff, reggae music and Jamaican cultural icon, dies at 81
Reggae music icon Jimmy Cliff, who’s unique tone, lyricism and breakthrough role on the silver screen helped make the music of his native Jamaica part of popular culture across the globe, has died at the age of 81, his family said in a statement shared Monday on social media.
“It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” Latifa Chambers said in a statement posted on Cliff’s Instagram account. “I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career … Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes.”
The couple’s children Lilty and Aken also signed the statement.
C Brandon/Redferns
Cliff was one of Jamaican music’s early international stars, emerging as reggae evolved from the sounds of ska and rocksteady in the 1960s and early 1970s. His starring role in the enduring classic movie “The Harder They Come,” an entirely Jamaican production, in 1972 cemented his legacy as not only a musician, but a cultural phenom.
Cliff played Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin, an aspiring singer who came up against the harsh realities of a music business run by self-interested producers, at the expense of artists, and the abundant traps for young Jamaicans trying to survive amid an epidemic of violent gang crime that swept the nation.
“Ivanhoe was a real-life character for Jamaicans,” Cliff told Variety magazine in a 2022 interview to mark the 50th anniversary of the movie’s release. “When I was a little boy, I used to hear about him as being a bad man. A real bad man. No one in Jamaica, at that time, had guns. But he had guns and shot a policeman, so he was someone to be feared. However, being a hero was the manner in which [director] Perry [Henzel] wanted to make his name — an anti-hero in the way that Hollywood turns its bad guys into heroes.”
The messages in the movie, just like his music, were timeless.
The title track from “The Harder They Come,” along with familiar hits including “Many Rivers to Cross” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” spoke to the struggles of Jamaicans at the time, but they have continued to resonate with audiences around the world since he wrote them.
Cliff, along with other icons such as Bob Marley and Toots Hibbert helped give the music and culture of their relatively small Caribbean nation a global impact that endures today, and far exceeds Jamaica’s size in terms of population economy.
Ross Gilmore/Redferns 
His animated onstage presence and high-pitched tone were unmistakable. Cliff released his last single, “Human Touch,” only four years ago. According to The Associated Press, Cliff was nominated for Grammy awards seven times and he won twice, taking best reggae album in 1986 with “Cliff Hanger,” and again in 2012 with “Rebirth.”
In a tribute posted on his own social media accounts early Monday morning, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called Cliff “a true cultural giant whose music carried the heart of our nation to the world.”
“Jimmy Cliff told our story with honesty and soul,” Holness said. “His music lifted people through hard times, inspired generations, and helped to shape the global respect that Jamaican culture enjoys today. We give thanks for his life, his contribution, and the pride he brought to Jamaica … Walk good, Jimmy Cliff. Your legacy lives on in every corner of our island and in the hearts of the Jamaican people.”
Actor Elsie Kelly, famed for her starring role as viewer favorite Noreen in ITV’s comedy Benidorm, breathed her last at age 89 on April 21, 2026.
Kelly’s passing was confirmed by her rep Michelle Skyes on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Skyes said, “She passed away peacefully, after a short illness, surrounded by her loving family on 21st April, 2026, at the age of 89.”
“With a career spanning decades across television, theatre, and film, she most recently became a household name through her work on Benidorm…
Soon after the news of Kelly’s passing, tributes have been pouring in as Benidorm director Derren Litten penned a heartfelt tribute.
“So sad to pass on the news of the passing of Elsie Kellu, aka Noreen, in Benidorm,” he wrote.
“One of the best loved characters in the show and certainly one of the most beloved cast members. Elsi’s acting abilities and comic genius were so natural they were almost taken for granted,” Litten added.
Kelly’s other credits include starring as the gossipy cleaner, Mrs. Tardebigge, in Crossroads.
She also features in the 1996 film Intimate Relations after taking a break from television.
However, she did shortly make a comeback to the small screen, playing in series such as Skins, as well as starring as Joan the cook in the 1996 adaptation of The Famous Five.
Jack Quaid and Claudia Doumit have gone from co-stars to newlyweds.
The couple — who met on the set of The Boys — have reportedly tied the knot in a private ceremony in Australia. According to Australian outlet news.com.au, the ceremony reportedly took place on April 18 at Mona Farm in Braidwood, a quiet countryside location not far from Canberra.
Their reception, held in a marquee on the property, was said to include a star-studded guest list, with names like Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner and Henry Golding in attendance.
While the event was kept low-key, glimpses from guests briefly surfaced online, showing the pair celebrating their first dance to Atlantis by Donovan, before the images were later removed.
Doumit wore an off-white satin gown with a ruffled skirt and floral headband, while Quaid opted for a bold red Western-style blazer with gold embroidery.
Several of their The Boys co-stars also showed up, including Karl Urban, Colby Minifie and Nathan Mitchell, marking a full-circle moment for the couple who first connected through the hit series. They were first linked in 2022 after being spotted holding hands, two years after Doumit joined the show.
Karachi Kings won the toss and decided to bat first against Peshawar Zalmi in the 32nd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.
Babar Azam-led Zalmi have already qualified for the playoffs and sit at the top of the points table. They remain unbeaten in PSL 11 so far, having won seven of their eight matches, with one game abandoned due to rain.
In contrast, Karachi Kings are placed seventh on the points table, with just three wins from seven matches.
Historically, the two sides have faced each other 24 times. Zalmi hold a clear advantage with 16 wins, while the Kings have secured eight victories.
Squads
Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig (wk), Moeen Ali, Azam Khan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shahid Aziz, Mir Hamza, Adam Zampa, Hamza Sohail, Aqib Ilyas, Jason Roy, Haroon Arshad, Reeza Hendricks, Ihsanullah, Zahid Mahmood, and Rizwanullah.
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aaron Hardie, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris (wk), Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, Tanzid Hasan, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Farhan Yousuf, Brian Bennett, Mohammad Basit, and Shoriful Islam.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
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