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There’s something about sourdough season that makes us all suddenly believe we’re one starter away from becoming the kind of person who casually bakes picture-perfect loaves every weekend. (We all can be that person, by the way.) As the weather cools and cozy baking projects start calling, it’s officially time to grab the bread flour, feed that starter and get ready for a serious carb era.

If sourdough is already part of your personality—or you’re determined to make it so—Sam’s Club has a kitchen upgrade worth knowing about. The Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Bread Oven is designed specifically to help home bakers get that bakery-style crust and rise without investing in a professional bread oven. And right now, it’s listed at Sam’s Club for just $49.98.

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Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Bread Oven, $49.98 at Sam’s Club

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The two-piece oven is made of heavy cast iron, which retains heat well, and its shape is designed to create a steamy environment around the dough. That matters for sourdough: trapping steam during the early part of baking helps encourage a good rise and contributes to the crisp, golden crust that makes a loaf look straight out of an artisan bakery. Sam’s Club says the oven is suitable for temperatures up to 450 degrees and features a smooth porcelain-enamel interior for easier cleanup.

And shoppers seem pretty enthusiastic about the results. One reviewer said their sourdough came out “perfect every time,” while another praised the oven for producing an evenly baked loaf without burning the bottom.

Related: Welcome Fall to Your Front Door With Target’s ‘Beautiful’ Plum Berry Wreath

Of course, we can’t ignore the fun part—the colors. Depending on the available options—and right now there are a lot of them—shoppers can choose from shades including cranberry, fig, green, blue and cashew, with gold or silver hardware depending on the color. There has also been a creamy white version, although Sam’s Club currently lists it as out of stock. (Keep your eye out for that one; it may come back.)

So, whether your sourdough aesthetic is in a rich, moody color or a light blue or ivory, this bread oven manages to make a practical baking tool look surprisingly countertop-worthy. Consider it permission to enter your homemade bread era—with better crust and considerably more style.

Related: This Pretty Pink $35 IKEA Dutch Oven Is Giving Le Creuset Vibes for a Fraction of the Price

A new Taylor Swift era is upon us as the global pop superstar teases that more new music is on the way post her Madison Square Garden nuptials with NFL player Travis Kelce. Today, the award-winning singer-songwriter took to social media to announce a re-release of The Life of a Showgirl titled The Encore, an edition that will feature new tracks.

This follows the announcement of a new single, “Patient Zero,” which strips away color with a black-and-white motif that evokes the end of the Showgirl chapter. It is the leading single of the 4 tracks which include “Cleveland,” “Pink Clouding,” and “Babylon.”

Related: Taylor Swift Just Changed Her Instagram Bio and It Has Fans in a Frenzy

The release of the album coincides with the single release, with both set to drop on September 25. On her official Instagram, Taylor Swift wrote, “About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind… You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history. I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album. Really, we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there, and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs.” It reads beneath new album art depicting Swift in a gold and silver shimmering look against metallic magenta curtains.

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Swift continued to describe the new release: “I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, including four new songs, is out on Friday and available to pre-order and save now.”

Related: Taylor Swift Just Had The Sweetest Reaction To Travis Kelce’s Touchdown

The singer/songwriter is set to be recognized at MTV’s VMAs for her directing contributions to her own music videos and is up for 9 awards. You can now pre-order and save The Life of A Showgirl: The Encore ahead of this Friday’s release.

Few things are better than a good old-fashioned donut with its craggy, sugary exterior and soft, tender cake inside. Add pumpkin and warm fall spices to the mix, and you’ve got a seasonal treat that’s pretty hard to resist.

And if that sounds like your kind of fall treat, Costco has a limited-edition find that checks all those boxes. Franz Old Fashioned Pumpkin Spice Donuts bring those classic cake donut qualities together with one of the season’s most popular flavors.

You can see them in-store in this Sept. 22 TikTok shared by @discovering_costco:

@discovering_costco

🎃🍩 Pumpkin spice donuts are at Costco! 👀 Fall flavors are officially making their way into the Costco bakery, and these pumpkin spice donuts look like the perfect excuse to treat yourself. 🍂☕️ #costcofinds #pumpkinspice #bakery #donuts #falleats

♬ We Fell In Love In October – ￴ ￴￴

The 27-ounce package includes 12 pumpkin spice old-fashioned donuts for $9.49 at the warehouse shown in the video, or about 79 cents each. Warehouse Runner currently shows them at 123 Costco locations, although pricing and availability can vary. You can search item No. 1360344 in the Costco app to see if they’re at your local store.

Costco’s Franz Pumpkin Spice Donuts Bring a Timeless Old-Fashioned Texture An old-fashioned cake donut with crispy, craggy edges.

Garrett Aitken / Getty Images

Unlike light, airy yeast donuts, old-fashioned varieties use a thicker, cake-style batter that creates a denser, more tender crumb. Frying gives them their signature cracks and ridges, which can turn especially crisp around the edges.

That’s also what makes the pumpkin spice version such a natural fit for fall. The richer cake-style texture can stand up to warm spices and a sweet glaze without losing that contrast between the tender center and slightly crunchy exterior.

Related: Costco’s New Mini Bakery Treat Is Like a Little Taste of Paris

These are an easy match for a hot cup of coffee or tea straight from the package, but there are plenty of ways to make them feel a little more special. Warm one slightly and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy fall dessert, or set out the whole dozen for a weekend brunch.

And with football season underway, these would be especially good for an early-morning tailgate. They’re easy to grab, and pumpkin spice feels pretty appropriate when kickoff comes with a little chill in the air.

Whether you’re stocking up for a weekend brunch, heading to a game, or want something sweet with your morning coffee, Costco’s Franz Old Fashioned Pumpkin Spice Donuts offer one more delicious way to enjoy pumpkin spice season while it lasts.

There are certain destinations that seem practically required to earn a spot on every traveler’s bucket list. Watching the sunset in Santorini. Tossing a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain. Cruising along the Amalfi Coast. Wandering among the colorful palaces of Sintra.

But just because millions of travelers dream of going somewhere doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the trip travel experts would choose themselves.

So we asked six travel advisors and experts which popular bucket-list destination they’d skip—and where they’d send travelers instead.

Their answers revealed a surprisingly consistent theme: Sometimes the problem isn’t the destination itself. It’s the crowds, timing and the way everyone else is trying to experience it.

From sweltering European cities packed with tour groups to beaches that can look very different depending on the season, these are the bucket-list trips travel pros say they’d reconsider.

And one iconic Greek island came up more than once.

Related: Parade’s Best Honeymoon Destinations

Santorini, Greece

Those blue-domed churches, whitewashed villages and caldera views have made Santorini one of the most recognizable vacation destinations in the world. But three of our experts independently said they’d think twice before booking the Greek island.

Fora Advisor Caroline Bernthal isn’t suggesting travelers write it off entirely.

“Not to clickbait you here, because I’d never tell someone to totally skip Santorini (it’s iconic for a reason!), but I would skip it in the peak summer season,” Bernthal tells Parade. “The crowds completely change the experience, especially in Oia.”

Instead, she recommends visiting from late September to mid-October, when travelers can still experience the island’s famous scenery and beautiful weather “but with a bit more room to actually enjoy it.”

Juliana Fraioli Wilson, founder of EDGE Escapes Private Membership & Experiences, agrees that the reality of Santorini during its busiest months doesn’t always match the fantasy.

“Santorini truly is as picturesque as it looks in the photos,” Wilson says. “The problem is that, especially during peak season, you may be fighting thousands of other tourists for that exact same picture.”

She says that in Oia and at many of the island’s most photographed overlooks, those whitewashed buildings, blue domes and caldera views really are every bit as beautiful as they appear in photos. You’ll just likely be sharing the view with plenty of other travelers hoping to capture the same shot.

Cruise traffic can add another complication. Wilson points to the long lines that can form for the cable car from Santorini’s Old Port, while the alternative is tackling the nearly 600 steps up yourself.

“It’s undeniably beautiful, but during peak season, the reality can feel very different from the fantasy,” she says.

Butterfield & Robinson Experience Designer Laura Benn takes an even stronger stance: She’d avoid Santorini and Mykonos altogether, along with another Mediterranean hotspot, Dubrovnik.

For Greece, Benn would send travelers north instead.

“So many travelers go straight to the Greek islands, but there’s so much more to the country,” she says.

One of her favorites is Zagori, known for its stone villages, mountains and hiking trails. She also recommends Meteora, where centuries-old monasteries appear to perch atop towering rock formations.

“It feels like a very different side of Greece and gives you a chance to experience the landscape, food and culture without being focused solely on the islands,” Benn says.

Related: The Greek Islands, Hotels and ‘Secret’ Beaches Chef Suzy Karadsheh Is Loving Right Now

The Amalfi Coast in Summer

Few destinations sell the Italian summer fantasy quite like the Amalfi Coast. But visiting at the height of summer can mean sharing that fantasy with an awful lot of other people.

Halie Brarda of ETK Travels/SmartFlyer would skip the Amalfi Coast during summer, when she says it’s simply become too hot and crowded.

Instead, Brarda urges clients to visit in May, late September or October, when they can experience the spectacular coastline outside of its busiest summer stretch.

And if the goal is an Italian beach vacation? She has a couple of alternatives.

“I would send them to Sardinia or Taormina, Sicily, for stunning beaches, but fewer crowds,” Brarda tells Parade.

Fraioli Wilson agrees that timing can make all the difference, particularly in Positano.

“This one is confusing, because I also think it might be one of the most beautiful places in the entire world,” Wilson says. “But Positano during peak season—summer and even early September—is another place where you’ll be tripping over influencers all vying for the same Instagram shot.”

On one visit from Sorrento, Wilson’s driver summed up the summer scene particularly memorably: “Positano is not Positano in the summer. It is little Los Angeles.”

Still, Wilson isn’t suggesting travelers give up on Positano altogether. Her advice is to experience it from a different vantage point.

“If you’re there in the summer, enjoy Positano from the water,” she says. “A private boat for the afternoon is one of our favorite ways to experience the Amalfi Coast. You get the unbeatable views without the crowds, and you can take it all in while swimming in that warm, turquoise Mediterranean water.”

“That version of Positano absolutely lives up to the fantasy.”

Rome in July and August

Rome is always bucket-list worthy. Where else can you spend the morning wandering around the Colosseum, stop for pasta at lunch, toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and end the day with gelato?

But Lyndsey Matthews, managing editor of points and loyalty at The Points Guy, would avoid doing it in July or August.

“Rome is popular for a reason,” Matthews says. “Landmarks like the Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum are must-sees at least once in your lifetime, plus the Italian capital has some of the world’s best cuisine.”

The problem is peak summer.

“If you go in July and August, you’ll spend most of your time sweating in the sun alongside busloads of other tourists,” she says.

Her solution? Save the Eternal City for the off-season.

Matthews visited around Thanksgiving in late November and says she had room to actually take in the sights—and it was still warm enough to enjoy a gelato every day.

Frankly, that doesn’t sound like much of a sacrifice.

Sintra, Portugal

Portugal may be having a moment, but Carly Ritter, a Luxury Travel Advisor at SmartFlyer, would steer travelers away from one of its most famous day trips: Sintra.

“I would personally skip Sintra, Portugal,” Ritter tells Parade. “While the palaces are undeniably beautiful and incredibly historic, the reality is that it has become extremely crowded, particularly during peak travel periods.”

The very geography that makes Sintra so enchanting can also make navigating it frustrating. Ritter points out that there is essentially one main road winding through the area, which can lead to significant traffic when visitor numbers swell.

Instead of following the traditional Lisbon-to-Sintra itinerary, she recommends venturing farther into Portugal.

Porto is her pick for travelers looking for culture, architecture and incredible food and wine, while oenophiles should consider the Douro Valley, where vineyard-covered hills along the Douro River set the scene for wine tastings and private experiences.

For something more laid-back, Ritter recommends Comporta, known for its beaches, rice fields, pine forests and relaxed luxury atmosphere.

And travelers willing to venture even farther off the typical Portugal circuit should consider the Azores, where volcanic landscapes, hiking, thermal waters and whale watching offer a completely different side of the country.

“It feels adventurous, incredibly beautiful, and far removed from the traditional Portugal itinerary,” Ritter says.

Related: The Surprising European Cruise All Wine Lovers Should Go On at Least Once in Their Lives

Cancún During Sargassum Season

Matthews also flags another vacation where timing can dramatically affect the experience: Cancún.

Its abundance of all-inclusive resorts and relatively easy accessibility make Cancún an obvious choice for travelers craving a low-effort beach escape. But Matthews says travelers need to pay attention to sargassum season.

Sargassum is a floating brown seaweed that can wash ashore in large quantities in Cancún and elsewhere throughout the Caribbean, potentially piling up on beaches and producing an unpleasant smell as it decomposes.

“If you’re looking for an easy-to-get-to beach destination with dozens of all-inclusive resorts that require minimal planning, Cancun is likely your dream vacation,” Matthews says. “But you need to be mindful that sargassum, a type of seaweed, can arrive in massive mats that stink and cover beaches throughout the Caribbean Sea in the peak summer season.”

Her advice is simple: Research current conditions before booking and find out how the resort you’re considering handles sargassum removal and beach maintenance.

Because if you’re booking a vacation primarily for the beach, it’s probably worth knowing what that beach might actually look like when you arrive.

Related: 10 Caribbean Vacation Destinations That Are Perfect for Families, According to a Getaway Guru

The Maldives for a Honeymoon

Bernthal’s other surprising pick isn’t about crowds or weather at all. It’s about using a honeymoon to take the trip that may become harder to pull off later.

“I do love the Maldives (they are really as stunning as the pictures look) but I’m always surprised by how it automatically gets categorized as the ultimate honeymoon destination,” she says.

If she were planning a $30,000 honeymoon and had to choose between the Maldives and an African safari, Bernthal says she’d choose the safari “hands down.”

Her reasoning isn’t that one destination is necessarily better. It’s that the Maldives can be surprisingly family-friendly, making it a vacation couples may still be able to take relatively easily if they have young children down the road. A safari, she says, can become more complicated until children are older.

“A honeymoon is a rare opportunity to take a trip that may become significantly harder in the next stage of life,” Bernthal says, “so take full advantage of it!”

It’s a smart way of looking at a bucket list: Don’t just ask where you most want to go. Consider when in your life you’ll have the best opportunity to go there.

Related: Four Bucket List Trips Will Make Your Dreams Come True

Skip the Usual Turkish Beach Vacation, Too

Benn has one more alternative for travelers drawn to Mediterranean beach destinations: Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, particularly around the Lycian Way.

“For Turkey, I’d look beyond some of the better-known beach destinations and explore the Turquoise Coast, particularly around the Lycian Way,” Benn says.

Here, travelers can pair the Mediterranean coastline with hiking through mountains, exploring ancient ruins and passing through small villages rather than spending an entire vacation at a beach resort.

“It’s a really beautiful way to experience the coast beyond just staying at a beach resort, and there’s so much to discover along this stretch of Turkey,” she says.

Related: 115 Best Destinations for a Quick Weekend Getaway

Should You Really Skip These Bucket-List Destinations?

Probably the biggest takeaway from the experts isn’t that you should cross Santorini, Rome or the Amalfi Coast off your list.

It’s that the most popular way to visit a bucket-list destination isn’t necessarily the best way to experience it.

Visiting Santorini in October instead of July, saving Rome for the off-season or trading an overcrowded Mediterranean hotspot for somewhere travelers haven’t already seen a thousand times on Instagram could turn out to be the better trip.

And if Santorini has been sitting at the top of your bucket list for years? You don’t necessarily need to take it off.

You may just want to change the date.

Up next:

Related: The Surprising Vacation Working Empty Nesters Are Taking Most in 2026

Barry Manilow is getting back on stage this holiday season.

The legendary singer, 83, has announced that A Very Barry Christmas will return to Las Vegas for its sixth year, bringing Manilow’s beloved holiday show back to the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino for three weekends in December.

The festive production is scheduled for December 3–5, December 10–12, and December 17–19, giving fans several chances to see Manilow perform some of his biggest hits alongside holiday favorites.

The announcement comes just weeks after Manilow was forced to cut a recent Las Vegas performance short. The singer was performing at the Westgate when the show was abruptly stopped, and two additional performances were subsequently canceled.

On August 25, the beloved performer issued a statement on Instagram after wrapping up 29 shows in 68 days.

“The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard,” Manilow wrote, in part. “Now we all need to sit down and shut up. So, we’re going to take a break until we return to the Westgate Las Vegas on October 8th.”

Now, Manilow is looking ahead to the holiday season and another run of performances at the venue.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year—with Barry Manilow,” Westgate said in a release shared with PARADE announcing the return of A Very Barry Christmas.

The Christmas performances will cap a busy fall for Manilow, who has additional 2026 residency dates scheduled at Westgate in October and November. He is set to perform October 8–10 and 15–17, followed by November dates on November 5–7 and 12–14.

A Very Barry Christmas has become a holiday tradition in Las Vegas since its debut, combining Manilow’s signature showmanship with seasonal music and festive production elements. For fans who have followed Manilow’s decades-long career, the December shows will offer another opportunity to see the singer return to the stage for the holiday season.

In 1976, Gary “Angry” Anderson became the frontman of Australian hard rock band Rose Tattoo, helping build a legacy that would influence generations of rock musicians, including Guns N’ Roses. Now, Slash and Sebastian Bach are among the rock stars mourning Anderson following his death at 79.

“RIP #AngryAnderson I’m going to miss my good friend, I can’t believe he’s gone,” Slash wrote on Instagram, adding, “Condolences to his family, friends & band members. 💔”

Anderson’s family and Rose Tattoo announced on Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the singer died on Monday, Sept. 21, surrounded by loved ones in Australia.

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“It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson,” the statement began. The family and band remembered Anderson as a “devoted father” and a much-loved bandmate and friend whose loss would be felt by people in Australia and around the world. They also asked for privacy while grieving.

Slash’s connection to Anderson and Rose Tattoo ran deeper than simply admiring the Australian rockers from afar. Rose Tattoo was a major influence on Guns N’ Roses, which recorded a cover of the band’s “Nice Boys” for its 1986 EP Live ?!@ Like a Suicide*. Anderson and Slash also performed together in Melbourne in 2010.

Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach offered an even longer tribute to Anderson on Facebook.

“Well you’ve lost a true one. They don’t make them like Angry Anderson anymore,” Bach wrote. “You’re not gonna see the likes of Angry anymore.”

Bach went on to call Anderson “the most gifted vocalist lyricist performer,” as well as “The James Brown of heavy metal rock ‘n’ roll.” The singer said he was especially grateful that he had gotten to spend time with Anderson in Sydney just a few months before his death.

“Every time I listen to one of your recordings it makes me understand why I love rock ‘n’ roll in the first place,” Bach wrote before concluding, “Rock in Power Rock in Peace and rest in peace my friend.”

Born in Melbourne on Aug. 5, 1947, Anderson began his music career with Buster Brown before joining Rose Tattoo in 1976. With Anderson at the microphone, the band became a major force in Australian pub rock, recording songs including “Bad Boy for Love,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw,” “Nice Boys” and “We Can’t Be Beaten.” Rose Tattoo was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.

Anderson also found unlikely international success away from Rose Tattoo with his solo ballad “Suddenly.” The song was used for the wedding of Scott and Charlene, played by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue, on the Australian soap Neighbours. More than 20 million viewers in Australia and the United Kingdom watched the wedding episode, according to the Australian Film and Sound Archive.

His career extended beyond music as well. Anderson appeared opposite Tina Turner in 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and became known in Australia for his charity work and advocacy for young people. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for his community work.

Anderson had suffered a cardiac arrest in August while Rose Tattoo was touring Europe as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. He was hospitalized in Germany, and the band subsequently canceled the remainder of its European tour.

No cause of death was announced in the statement from Anderson’s family and Rose Tattoo.

“His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas,” they said.

Related: Rush’s Geddy Lee Mourns Death of ’70s Rocker and ‘Old Friend’: ‘What Memories We Made’

Frances Bean Cobain, the daughter of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, just made a very rare appearance on the red carpet.

Frances Bean, 34, skyrocketed to fame as an infant when she occasionally accompanied her musician parents on the red carpet. Now a mother herself, the beauty has come into her own. Married to Riley Hawk, the son of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, since 2023, the couple welcomed a son named Ronin in 2024. In a rare red carpet appearance, Frances attended the Los Angeles special screening of The Deputy at Landmark Theaters Sunset.

Robin L Marshall / Getty Images

Robin L Marshall / Getty Images

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Frances Bean Cobain is a Mom

On her Instagram, Frances occasionally shared the joys of parenting, including sweet photos of herself sitting on the beach with her little boy. Check out a few shots from her Instagram page below:

View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram What Has Frances Bean Cobain Said About Being Famous?

Miranda Shen / Getty Images

When asked how she feels about her notoriety, Frances has made it clear that she finds it a bit unusual.

“I get it, I really do, but at the same time, it’s creepy,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in early 2008. “It’s creepy to see fan sites about me.”

“These people are fascinated by me, but I haven’t done anything,” Frances continued. “I’m famous by default. I came out of the womb and people wanted to know who I was because of my parents. If you’re a big Nirvana fan, a big Hole fan, then I understand why you would want to get to know me, but I’m not my parents. People need to wait until I’ve done something valid with my life.”

Frances Wasn’t Sure She’d Make It To 30

While Frances is thriving at 34, her younger years were a bit more difficult. Upon turning 30, she took to Instagram to share that she’s doing better than ever.

“I made it! Honestly, 20 year old Frances wasn’t sure that was going to happen. At the time, an intrinsic sense of deep self loathing dictated by insecurity, destructive coping mechanisms & more trauma than my body or brain knew how to handle, informed how I saw myself and the world; through a lens of resentment for being brought into a life that seemingly attracted so much chaos and the kind of pain tied to grief that felt inescapable,” she shared. “Then, an event on a plane which brought me closer in proximity to death is ironically the event that catapulted me towards running at this lived 

experience with radical gratitude. I’m glad to have proven myself wrong & to have found ways to transform pain into knowledge.”

View this post on Instagram

The event on the plane that Frances referred to was the 2017 Air France Flight 066, which she was aboard when the aircraft experienced an engine explosion. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.

“This would act as the moment that would alter everything I thought I knew,” Frances wrote, Teen Vogue shared.

Related: Courtney Love Looks Back on ‘Repulsive’ First Meeting With Hollywood Icon Marlon Brando

American drinking habits are shifting, and an iconic 153-year-old Dutch lager just pulled off a major victory against domestic staples. According to new research data released by YouGov on Sept. 22, 2026, Heineken ranks as the “most considered alcoholic beverage brand” in the U.S., leading a fiercely competitive field where less than two percentage points separate the top five picks.

In the study, which surveyed over 13,190 U.S. adults aged 21 and older, 18.4% of consumers said they would consider purchasing Heineken on their next trip to the store. Irish cream liqueur Baileys placed second at 18.3%, followed by Jack Daniel’s at 18.0%, Smirnoff at 17.0% and Guinness at 16.7%.

Related: 9 Best Light Beers, According to a Brewery Owner and a Professional Brewer

What Are America’s Most Popular Beer Brands in 2026?

While Heineken took the top spot overall and led the beer category, the rest of the rankings revealed a surprising trend: light beers are losing ground to full-flavored brews.

According to the survey, Guinness secured second place among beers at 16.7%, followed by Budweiser (15.4%), Modelo (14.9%) and Blue Moon (14.5%). Notably, no light beer managed to break into the top five for “most considered beer brands.” Bud Light was the highest-ranking light option on the list, finishing in seventh place at 13.8%.

“Alcoholic beverage consideration is highly competitive, with the close rankings at the top highlighting how brands across different categories compete for consumer attention,” said Nora Hao, Senior Sales Director at YouGov.

“Heineken leads overall, while spirits maintain a strong presence in the top 10, and brands such as Don Julio and Cutwater are gaining momentum. The Value and Quality results further demonstrate how brands can differentiate themselves based on what consumers prioritize when making a purchase.”

Related: Samuel Adams Just Dropped a New Fruited Ale Inspired by Classic Fall Flavors

Which Liquor, Tequila and Canned Cocktail Brands Are Surging?

Outside of beer, YouGov’s survey highlighted another consumer trend that’s worth considering: spirits brands continue to command heavy interest from buyers in the United States. Baileys led the category at 18.3%, with Jack Daniel’s (18.0%), Smirnoff (17.0%), Bacardi (15.0%) and Crown Royal (14.9%) completing the top five. In the ready-to-drink (RTD) and seltzer market, Mike’s Hard Lemonade finished first at 15.4%, followed by White Claw at 11.2%, Smirnoff Spiked Seltzer at 7.3%, Truly Hard Seltzer at 6.5% and BuzzBallz at 6.0%.

The study also tracked year-over-year growth, showing a sharp rise in consumer demand for tequila and canned cocktails. Don Julio recorded the largest single gain in consideration nationwide, jumping 2.7 percentage points. Canned cocktail brand Cutwater posted the second-highest increase at 2.6 points, while BuzzBallz (+1.6 points), Michelob ULTRA (+1.5 points), 1800 Tequila (+1.3 points) and Jose Cuervo (+1.3 points) also saw significant boosts.

Which Alcohol Brands Win on Best Quality and Value?

When looking beyond raw popularity, consumer perceptions shifted depending on what buyers value most at checkout.

When evaluating perceived value among the top 25 brands, Jack Daniel’s earned the highest net score in the country at 20.0, followed by Smirnoff at 18.3 and Bacardi at 17.2. However, when measuring overall quality, Irish stout maker Guinness claimed the top spot at 33.2, narrowly edging Jack Daniel’s (33.1) and overall winner Heineken (32.8).

Related: 10 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers You Need To Try

How Was YouGov’s 2026 Alcohol Brand Survey Conducted?

YouGov compiled its 2026 U.S. alcoholic beverage rankings by evaluating purchasing consideration, net value and perceived quality among more than 13,190 U.S. adults aged 21 and older. Survey data was gathered nationwide between Sept. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026, via YouGov BrandIndex, providing a comprehensive analysis of brand loyalty and changing consumer buying preferences across beer, spirits and ready-to-drink categories.

Related: 22 Types of Beer To Begin Your Quest To Find Your Favorite Brew

In early 1970, session vocalist Tony Burrows pulled off a feat in pop music history that will never be repeated.

Over a matter of months, the British singer landed five massive Top 10 hits on the charts—except almost nobody realized it was the exact same voice. By fronting five completely different studio groups, including Edison Lighthouse (“Love Grows”), White Plains (“My Baby Loves Lovin’”), The Pipkins (“Gimme Dat Ding”), Brotherhood of Man (“United We Stand”), and First Class (“Beach Baby”), Burrows became the ultimate hidden hitmaker.

Burrows dominated radio airwaves while remaining completely anonymous. This created a bizarre chart anomaly that panicked TV producers and led to an unofficial BBC ban.

The English singer became one of Britain’s most in-demand session vocalists, lending his unmistakable voice to a remarkable run of international hits. Ironically, Burrows rarely performed live with the groups attached to the hits.

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However, he did appear on Top of the Pops. But his frequent appearances led to a two-year BBC ban when they realized he was fronting different bands.

Burrows spoke to the website PopEntertainment.com, where he discussed the ban and his unique contribution to music history.

He explained, “With these four records out at the same time, they all got released, and all sold as we’ve just talked about. Top Of The Pops was a major television show. I did three of the titles on one particular night on the show (with the Edison Lighthouse, White Plains and the Brotherhood of Man.) Imagine changing clothes on the side of the sets to appear with different bands! After that, the producer came and spoke to me, ‘I ought to tell you something, Tony. I had word from above you’re not to be used again.'” 

He explained, “It was a strange feeling, I have to say. But [all the songs] weren’t recorded at exactly the same time. They were recorded over a period of between six and nine months.”

Burrows continued, “I was doing a lot of session work. I knew most of the writers at the time, and I was doing a lot of their work. They were all issued at the same time. It was a little inconvenient; that’s right on it. I was stretched. I tried to stretch myself in four different ways.”

He concluded, “I’d made a conscious decision to stop touring, and I really didn’t want to go back on the road with a live band. So, what I said I’d do was the television promotion with these groups, but I wouldn’t go and work live with them. And I never actually did.”

Tony Burrows is 84. He is retired and lives in London.

Related: The 70s One-Hit Wonder Fans Mistook for the Beach Boys Was Actually Sung by a British Band

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The easiest way to make a room look instantly more expensive might be sitting right under your feet. Martha Stewart’s Safavieh Maisy Bordered Indoor Outdoor Area Rug brings a polished, designer-inspired look to your space without requiring a complete decorating overhaul, and it is currently on sale at Walmart.

The beauty of the Maisy is in its simplicity. The neutral beige palette and classic border create just enough definition to anchor a room while still letting the rest of your decor shine. It has the kind of understated look that works beautifully with everything from cozy traditional interiors to breezy coastal spaces and clean modern rooms.

Martha Stewart’s Maisy Bordered Indoor Outdoor Area Rug, From $33 (was $63) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Think of it as the finishing layer your space has been waiting for. The rug is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, so there are plenty of ways to put it to work. Place it beneath a coffee table to define your living room, use it underneath a dining table to make the space feel more finished or bring it outside to give a patio or porch an instant refresh. The neutral design also makes it easy to switch up accent colors throughout the year without replacing your rug.

It is practical, too. The Maisy is made from 100% polypropylene and power-loomed in Belgium, with a low .3-inch pile that gives it a streamlined appearance. Its water-resistant construction makes it especially useful in high-traffic areas and outdoor spaces where spills and everyday wear are inevitable.

Related: Amazon’s $20 Linen Button-Down Tank Is the Perfect ‘Lightweight’ Summer Travel Companion

Walmart currently offers the rug in four sizes, making it easy to find an option that fits your space. The smallest size measures 2 feet 7 inches by 5 feet, while larger options can accommodate more substantial living and dining areas. Prices vary by size, with the smaller rug currently listed at $33.

That accessible price is part of what makes this such an appealing home find. A new rug can completely change the feel of a room, but it doesn’t have to come with a designer-sized price tag.

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Pair the Maisy with a sculptural coffee table, a stack of fashion books and a few colorful throw pillows for a collected look. Or, keep things tonal with natural wood, linen and woven textures. Either way, this $33 neutral Martha Stewart rug quietly does a lot of decorating work. Grab your size while it’s on sale and add a little Martha Stewart magic to your floors.

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s selection of discounts and sales twice a week.

As fans anticipate DC’s 2028 film The Batman: Part II starring Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, Pattinson opened up to Collider about how this movie takes a “real left turn” from the first.

“It’s so ambitious,” explained Pattinson, who will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the sequel. “I mean, I sort of said the other day on something that the first one was a different take on a Batman movie, and this one is another … It’s a real left turn from the first one, but somehow it keeps elements of the kind of feel of it. But it just feels really ambitious, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.”

Matt Reeves will direct The Batman: Part II, and although the plot remains under wraps, Pattinson said that the director has every piece of the film planned out.

“When you see it, the script is incredibly dense, and it’s like he’s just one of those directors who it’s really obvious that he has the entire thing in his head already, and so it’s unusual to be working with someone when you keep forgetting with little elements,” Pattinson said. “There’s so much in it that it’s almost impossible to encompass the whole thing, but when you keep finding out, you’re like, ‘Oh, no, you know exactly what you want to do with this.’ There’s just something so cool about it.”

When Collider posted the interview on Instagram, fans had mixed reactions to Pattinson’s comments.

“The first one is the only Batman film where he actually does detective work, standing around crime scenes reading clues instead of just hitting people,” one user explained. “However left the turn goes, I just want them to keep that part.”

“Left turn? Oh, not another musical,” one fan said, with another simply commenting, “musical.”

However, others seemed less concerned, with one user commenting, “Most anticipated film PERIOD.”

The Batman: Part II was originally set to release in theaters on Oct. 3, 2025. Warner Bros. first delayed it until Oct. 2, 2026, then Oct. 1, 2027, and now has pushed it to Feb. 18, 2028. Despite the delays, a camera test teaser was released over the summer, briefly showing Pattinson wearing the Batman cowl. Watch the test here.

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During BAFTA’s Life in Pictures event in London on Monday night, Tom Cruise earned spontaneous applause after a six-minute monologue about Artificial Intelligence and creativity. He said that, even in the face of AI threats, “people want human experience.”

“There is nothing like human,” Cruise said before talking about cinemas vs. streaming. While he said that he doesn’t have anything against streaming platforms, he explained that seeing a movie in theaters is “a different art form.”

Cruise pointed to this summer’s series of blockbuster films, saying that “People want that experience. They’re going to movie theaters.” He added, “I always believe in humanity.”

“What you put attention on, you give life,” Cruise said, expressing that he doesn’t want to see “craftspeople who dedicate their careers to creating movies” lose their jobs, Deadline reported.

“People wanna see real things,” he said. Cruise concluded, saying that creatives must “keep creating.”

This isn’t the first time that Cruise has been involved in AI conversations. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise Zoomed into a SAG-AFTRA negotiating session in June 2023, where the union expressed its concerns about the future of AI in Hollywood. Vanity Fair wrote that Cruise and the actors’ union pushed for new guidelines around the use of generative AI in film and television.

“[They] reportedly focused on making sure that performers are properly compensated if their likeness is used by the technology, and that those likenesses can’t be used without proper consent,” Vanity Fair wrote.

Cruise’s latest film, Digger, is set to release in theaters on October 2. Cruise stars as an oil tycoon named Digger Rockwell, who has to become humanity’s savior in the face of an environmental disaster he caused.

During the BAFTA event, Cruise said that he’s “never read a movie like this.”

“It’s the most original film and one of the most moving films I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Watch the trailer for Digger here:

In a recent interview with 60 Minutes, Patrick Clancy’s new wife, Rachel Danis, opened up about how her family and close friends reacted to her dating Patrick Clancy. She said that they had “worried” reactions since Patrick’s ex-wife, Lindsay, had been accused of killing their three children.

“Everyone paused – um, understandably so,” Danis said. “I say everyone, I had told like a couple of close friends, and I think family members were picking up on it because they would ask what I’m doing that weekend or that evening and I would mention Pat. So people were catching on, and I think people were worried.”

But her family became less concerned when she told them how happy she was with Patrick.

“Life just got a lot calmer for me,” Danis said. “And while I did have hesitations, you know, Pat was saying he wants the same things that I do.”

The couple, who tied the knot in April of this year, sat side-by-side in the interview, opening up about grief and their hopes of starting a family together. Patrick said he’ll tell his future child about their older siblings who died.

“I think every parent can agree: you have different relationships with your kids, but they’re all your kids,” Patrick said. “And I can’t wait to tell them about their brothers and sister.”

Patrick’s ex-wife, Lindsay, was charged with murdering her children, Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. Her trial was declared a mistrial on September 4, with only one holdout juror, Michael Desronvil, refusing to find her not guilty by reason of insanity. Lindsay is currently in a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved.

“I think we can find a compassionate way to deal with these tragedies – and that doesn’t mean no accountability,” Patrick said. “It just means that we recognize the suffering and the stigma, and we try to find a way to prevent this from happening in the future.”

Ever since the curtain fell on Survivor‘s 50th season back in May, millions of fans have been plagued with the same question: What’s next? We’re finally getting the answer tonight, as the Emmy-winning reality show kicks off Season 51, ushering in not only a brand-new group of 21 castaways, but also the concept of the “open era,” opening the door for any twist from the previous 26 years to show up on the beach.

Here’s everything to know about the Survivor 51 premiere, including how and when to watch.

🔥Don’t miss our weekly Survivor newsletter! Sign up to get Mike Bloom’s exclusive interviews with the players and the latest news about the show right to your inbox. 🔥

When does Survivor 51 premiere?

Survivor 50 premieres with a special two-hour episode on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

What channel is Survivor on?

Survivor is available to watch on CBS.

How can I watch Survivor without cable?

Several streaming services come with CBS, including DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV. Additionally, fans can watch live on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan, or watch the episodes on-demand the next day on Paramount+.

Related: Jeff Probst Reveals How ‘Survivor’s ‘Open Era’ Came to Be: ‘There is No Evolution’ (Exclusive)

How to watch Survivor for free

Of course, the best way to watch Survivor for free is to simply watch it on CBS on broadcast TV! However, for those who cut the cord, you can get an ad-supported subscription of Paramount+ for free if you’re a Walmart+ subscriber.

What time does Survivor come on?

Survivor 51 will air its premiere, as well as all episodes this season, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT

How to watch Survivor

Survivor is available to watch live on CBS and on Paramount+ with a Paramount+ Premium plan.

Related: ‘Survivor 51’ Cast Revealed: Meet the 21 New Contestants — Including a Former WWE Superstar and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star

A rare September nor’easter is taking shape along the East Coast, threatening millions of people with powerful winds, huge waves, heavy rain and coastal flooding through the weekend.

The developing storm could produce wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph just offshore, while waves of 10 to 15 feet could pound a vast stretch of coastline from the Carolinas to Maine, according to The Washington Post. The storm is expected to strengthen off North Carolina on Friday before moving north toward Long Island on Saturday.

FOX Weather reports that the first nor’easter of the season is expected to emerge off the Mid-Atlantic coast between Thursday and Friday before moving toward the densely populated Northeast. Millions from New England to the Carolinas could experience days of strong winds, pounding surf and coastal flooding.

And some coastal communities don’t have to wait until the weekend for problems to begin.

Strong onshore winds are expected to cause coastal flooding from New Jersey south to North Carolina’s Outer Banks from Wednesday through Friday. Low-lying areas near the shore could see 1 to 2 feet of inundation, potentially flooding roads, vehicles and other vulnerable waterfront areas.

Where Could the Nor’easter Hit Hardest?

FOX Weather

The exact track of the storm remains uncertain, which will determine where the most severe conditions develop.

Areas being closely watched include Boston, Cape Cod and the surrounding Massachusetts islands; Providence, Rhode Island; New York City and Long Island; Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore; and Ocean City, Maryland, according to The Washington Post.

Boston and coastal Massachusetts could face particularly severe conditions if the storm tracks close to the region. FOX Weather says that scenario could produce 60 to 70 mph wind gusts, heavy rainfall, major storm surge and significant disruptions around Boston Harbor and the Massachusetts coastline.

Regardless of the precise track, winds could exceed 60 mph as the storm peaks around southern New England, Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine. Dangerous seas, rip currents and large swells are also expected.

Why Is a Nor’easter Happening in September?

FOX Weather

Although nor’easters are more closely associated with winter snowstorms, they aren’t exclusively cold-weather events. The term refers to storms that produce strong northeasterly winds along the East Coast.

But a powerful one this early in the season is unusual. Only about 1% of the strongest nor’easters have historically occurred in September, with most developing between December and March, according to The Washington Post.

Unusually warm ocean temperatures could also give this storm an interesting wrinkle. Waters off North Carolina and Virginia are around 80 degrees in some areas, and the storm could potentially become a “hybrid” system featuring both tropical and non-tropical characteristics.

Unlike the snowy nor’easters people typically picture, however, this one is expected to be a rainmaker. The Weather Channel reports that several inches of rain could fall across the region, bringing possible travel disruptions and flash flooding, while gusty winds could cause power outages and additional travel delays.

Impacts could linger into Monday as the slow-moving storm works its way through the region. Forecasters caution that its exact track is still evolving, meaning the areas facing the strongest winds, heaviest rain and worst coastal flooding could change as the weekend gets closer.

Related: Atlantic Hurricane Season Breaks 112-Year Record; NOAA Data Shows Not a Single Hurricane Has Formed in 2026

A modern remake of a classic 1980s horror film described as “brutal” and “grisly” is coming to Netflix – and just in time for Halloween.

Fede Álvarez released his adaptation of the notorious Evil Dead in 2013, which has since been hailed as one of the best horror remakes of recent years that help reinvigorate the iconic franchise.

Related: 22 Best, Scariest Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now (September 2026)

Rather than following the original film’s protagonist Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell), Álvarez’s Evil Dead tells the story of Mia (Jane Levy), a young addict who wants to kick her heroin addiction cold turkey.

She, alongside her estranged brother David, David’s girlfriend Natalie, and their friends Olivia and Eric, visit their isolated family cabin so she can experience withdrawal symptoms and recover.

However, when Eric stumbles upon a strange book in the cabin’s cellar and reads from its pages, he unleashes an ancient evil that possesses Mia and spreads among the group one by one.

The film is the fourth in the Evil Dead franchise, following The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness, all directed by Sam Raimi.

This remake was the first in which a different director tackled the franchise, though Raimi and Campbell were still on hand as producers.

Evil Dead had its premiere at South by Southwest on March 8, 2013, and received positive reviews from critics and fans alike.

It currently holds a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: “It may lack the absurd humor that underlined the original, but the new-look Evil Dead compensates with brutal terror, gory scares, and gleefully bloody violence.”

In their review, The Guardian described Evil Dead as “A full-bloodedly grisly and macabre film that zaps over a few scares.”

The Daily Telegraph said: “I was left clamping my hand to my open jaw, not so much in terror, more in shocked hilarity at how grand the guignol was willing to go.”

The New Yorker thought it was “an effectively relentless gore-fest,” while The Atlantic hailed it “a stylish and worthy homage.”

Empire summarized: “At its best, manages to recapture the original’s hardcore nastiness. It could certainly do with laughing at itself a bit more, though.”

Since Evil Dead was released, it has been followed by two more films – Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise in 2023 and Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn earlier this year – with another on the way, Evil Dead Wrath from Francis Galluppi.

Ash vs Evil Dead, a TV series based on the films, ran from 2015 to 2018 and saw Campbell reprise his role as Ash full time for the first time outside of video game voiceovers and a cameo in the 2013 film.

Jeff Probst has become a TV institution, and one might even say the godfather of reality television. As the host, executive producer and showrunner of Survivor, his work is the blueprint for many successful reality shows.

Plus, Survivor is still going strong over 26 years after it first debuted, a feat not many TV shows have accomplished.

Though he’s on our screens for two seasons of Survivor every year, viewers may not know much about Probst’s home life. Here’s the scoop on who he’s married to and their relationship timeline, as well as who he’s dated in the past (including a Survivor contestant).

Related: Jeff Probst Reveals Surprising Requirement for His Eventual Replacement

Is Jeff Probst married?

Jeff Probst, 64, is married to former model Lisa Ann Russell, who is 10 years younger than him at 54 years old.

Who is Jeff Probst’s wife, Lisa Ann Russell, and what does she do for a living?

Lisa Ann Russell is a former model and actress. She started her modeling career for Revlon while she was in college, and in 1992, she shifted her focus to acting. 

Though she didn’t act for very long, in ‘93 she played a minor role in Saved by the Bell: The College Years, where she met her first husband, Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Russell and Gosselaar were married from 1996 to 2010 and share two children together. 

Related: Jeff Probst Reveals Why He’ll Never Host Another Reality Show

When did Jeff Probst and Lisa Ann Russell meet? Lisa Ann Russell and Jeff Probst at the 2010 Creative Arts Emmys

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Probst and Russell met in late 2009 at Survivor creator Mark Burnett’s annual Christmas party. 

“It’s the craziest Christmas party I’ve ever been to,” Probst told Larry King in 2012, “because of the eclectic group of people there … You have Gary Busey doing pressure points on your arm. Meanwhile, there’s Barbra Streisand talking to Paris Hilton on the other couch.”

Probst noticed Russell in the crowd, and the pair hit it off and started dating not long after. They made their first public appearance as a couple in August 2010 at the Emmy Awards.

When did Jeff Probst and Lisa Ann Russell get married?

Probst and Russell, who had both been married before, elected to have a private ceremony in Probst’s backyard in Los Angeles. They wed on Dec. 5, 2011, just a couple of years after the Christmas party that introduced them.

Does Jeff Probst have kids?

Jeff Probst doesn’t have any biological kids. However, he is the stepfather to Russell’s two children, Michael and Ava, whom she shares with ex-husband Gosselaar. 

“I always thought I would have this family and this great family unit, because that’s what I came from,” Probst said in his 2012 Larry King interview. “And then, one day, I met this woman, and it happened. And she had two kids.”

Russell and Gosselaar appear to have a healthy co-parenting relationship that’s allowed Probst to be an involved stepdad. He said, “They raised these kids with the kind of love that they just [see us] as two more parents,” referring to himself and Gosselaar’s second wife, Catriona McGinn.

Has Jeff Probst been married before?

Probst was married once before to psychotherapist Shelly Wright from 1996 to 2001. They split just a year after Survivor came on air, so it’s possible his sudden rise to fame had a negative impact on the marriage.

Related: Jeff Probst Is ‘Embarrassed’ by This Outdated Survivor Rule

Who has Jeff Probst dated?

Aside from his two marriages, Probst had a long-term relationship with former Survivor contestant Julie Berry. Berry participated in the ninth season of the show (Survivor: Vanuatu), and the couple announced their relationship post-finale in December 2004.

Probst reportedly emailed Berry “to say hello” after production wrapped. “The funny thing was there was this perception we were flirting on the show, and that was actually just fun stuff on the show. I didn’t really talk to Julie until long after the show was over,” he told People.

He continued, “Once we started spending some time together, I didn’t have any doubt. I didn’t have any doubt and all the questions about how you meet and any potential obstacles, they fade away like an old dry leaf.”

At the time, Probst was 43 years old, and Berry had just turned 24. She was working as a youth mentor in Gorham, Maine, and moved to California to get her master’s in family counseling.

She and Probst dated until 2008. According to a Collider article, they couldn’t make the relationship work due to Probst’s demanding filming schedule.

Related: How Much Money Does Jeff Probst Earn for Hosting ‘Survivor’? See His 2026 Net Worth

It’s hard to believe that Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series started 15 years ago. We’ve spent 15 years falling in love with the world that Mafi has created, and after the first series of books came to an end, we thought it was over.

Mafi had other plans, picking up the story after the fall. Starting with Watch Me and then Release Me, the story makes you wonder what happens after a fall. When the revolution wins, what becomes of a state, a mindset, and even a land? Escape Me is the third installment in this series, and it’s something Mafi chatted with Parade about.

This was a chance to delve into 15 years of storytelling to get to this point, which Mafi shared: “It really makes you reflect. I’m just so grateful to be here. I’m so grateful to still be writing these books.”

Watch Me picks up 10 years after the fall. It picks up in a time when the revolution should know what the plan is, but if you’ve seen any TV show where there’s an aftermath of the revolution winning, such as Snowpiercer, then you know it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

“I thought it would be a really interesting perspective to explore,” Mafi explained about the timeline. “Statistically speaking, most revolutions fail because revolutionaries are not politicians. They often cannot, even if they defeat the incumbent political system or regime, establish a new and functional world. That’s been proven in history.”

And so, Watch Me picks up with a re-establishment that could easily disappear. It focuses on the rebels and the struggle afterward, leading to the “hard realities of trying to establish a government and a new world for people.”

Courtesy of HarperCollins

Escape Me is just the third in this new series of books, and so I asked just how many books there would be in this set.

“I cannot officially confirm the number of books,” Mafi smiled, making it clear that it wasn’t because she wasn’t allowed to, but more because she didn’t know. “I’ve been doing this for long enough now that I’ve learned more about my own style and system. I have to know broadly what the enemy is and what they’re up against and some of the twists and turns are going to be, but I also like to let the characters breathe and surprise me and engage with each other.”

Like many authors, the characters become people in Mafi’s head, sharing the journey that they want to be on. It can lead to some surprising moments, leading to storylines taking more than the intended number of books. So, Escape Me is not going to be the end of this story.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll see that the dystopian boom has happened again. When Shatter Me first came out 15 years ago, there was a boom that saw the likes of Divergent, The Hunger Games, and The Maze Runner books. Then the genre went quiet for a while, but it’s back with another boom, as Silo on Apple TV and a new Divergent novel come out. Not too long ago, the Snowpiercer reboot proved that dystopian fiction is what people are interested in.

What is it about the genre? Why do we all gather around and watch or read as totalitarian regimes and oppressive governments take over and a rebellion begins? Mafi shared her thoughts with me, saying, “I have to wonder if it’s because a lot of us are feeling disillusioned with the world as it is right now. I think the world is feeling more dystopian than ever.”

Part of that is to do with the internet in the way it has “made the world so flat.” Mafi explained what she meant by that statement, making it clear that everyone has access to everything, and everyone, anywhere, at any time.

“Video footage, news coverage, every civilian can suddenly become a reporter as long as they’ve got a phone and an internet connection, and I think that much access to so much instability and oppression and war and unchecked technological advances all at once has made us ask more questions.”

That’s what she hopes it is, and that has led to people turning to fiction because it offers one thing we can’t get from the real world: Hope.

“We want to know that there’s a way through,” the New York Times bestselling author explained, adding some positivity to the conversation. “I think that’s what we aim to do with these books. We provide a path.”

Courtesy of HarperCollins

When Shatter Me was first released, social media was still in its infancy. Over the last five years or so, there’s been a rise in social media influencers helping to put favorite books on reading lists, and the Shatter Me series is one of them. 

“I wasn’t plugged into what was happening because I’m not on TikTok,” Mafi explained as we chatted about how TikTok and Instagram changed the bookish space. “A friend of mine told me that Shatter Me had a lot of hashtags on TikTok, and I didn’t even know what that meant. I was slowly made aware that more and more people were reading these books and coming to the story.”

She certainly puts some of that down to the pandemic, which trapped people in their houses. For those who haven’t read this dystopian tale, it focuses on a girl who has been locked up for hundreds of days and hasn’t been touched by anybody. In 2020, it was possible to relate to that sense of isolation, and Mafi declared, “It’s been so cool to see a new generation of readers.”

Now, she’s doing events where teenagers will come up to speak with her, and it turns out that they were born the year the books were released. There are children reading with their parents, whether it’s because their parents have passed on the books or because they’ve found the story together. Some teens are sharing the stories with their grandmothers, finding a connection through prose.

I ended the interview with a look at the Shatter Me movie, which has been announced as being in development. There’s always a fear that these projects will get picked up and forgotten about, but Mafi offers hope that that won’t happen here.

“We have a screenwriter, and we’re working on the screenplay,” she divulged. “We want to be careful with this and take our time; make sure we do it right.”

And that is important. While there are always certain changes that have to happen because something in the written word won’t translate to the screen, there are elements of the story that have to remain. It’s important for readers to feel like their love for the story comes through to the screen, and it’s important for them to feel like the author’s original work was respected.

“Right now, we have a really good relationship,” Mafi shared when I asked about working with the creative team. “The producers and studio executives have been really great about keeping me involved and caring about my opinions.”

She did share that the executive producer credit is more of just a credit, and it doesn’t necessarily carry a lot of weight. However, she is doing everything she can to protect the fandom and the things that she cares about from the source material.

Escape Me is out on Sept. 29, 2026, and it promises to be packed with twists and turns. This is definitely not the end of the story, so stay tuned for more updates.

Dolly Parton’s manager has filed a restraining order against the late singer’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, who was recently fired as her head of security.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell, claims that Seaver was “invoking his self-proclaimed military-contractor experience, access to weapons, and capacity for violence” in an effort to extort him for money. As a result, Nozell says that he was forced to fire Seaver due to the threats.

“Mr. Seaver began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing. Those threats continued after her passing, and he aimed them directly at SAL’s personnel, counsel, and business partners. In writing, he vowed to ‘destroy the entire brand,’ threatened to ‘ratfuck every [business party] entity’ that helps operate Dollywood and called himself ‘literally an international arms dealer and mercenary.’ He threatened that ‘[e]veryone needs to be worried about what I might do,”and told Ms. Parton’s entertainment attorney: ‘I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer.’ He also threatened to launch a podcast ‘dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships’ unless he was paid,” the filing reads, per Variety.

Seaver, who served as Parton’s longtime head of security and also was the one who announced her death in a video on social media, received the termination notice. At the same time, replacement guards arrived at Parton’s home in Nashville.

Following news of his firing, he released a statement to TMZ on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

“I am a career soldier and military contractor and do conduct arms deals for foreign governments. I am a security professional and I am a killer,” he told the outlet. “However, nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by… I was talking frankly in a private way with Danny who I thought was my friend and he fancies himself a gangster. A lot of these messages are two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving.”

Jeff Probst is one of the few reality TV presenters who’ve become a household name worldwide. As the host, executive producer and showrunner of Survivor, he’s been on Americans’ screens since the reality competition show premiered in 2000.

With all the success Survivor has had over the years—helping shape the reality TV landscape into what it is today—you might assume Probst to be a very wealthy person. And you’d be right. 

It’s no surprise the man is a millionaire, but here’s a look at Jeff Probst’s net worth in 2026 and how much he makes hosting Survivor.

Related: Jeff Probst Addresses Backlash Over Survivor 50 Celebrity Cameos

What is Jeff Probst’s net worth in 2026? 

Jeff Probst has an estimated net worth of $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He’s made his fortune from his long-running job as host, executive producer and now showrunner of CBS’s Survivor.

What was Jeff Probst’s first TV job?

Probst left Seattle Pacific University to pursue a TV career and got a job in Boeing’s motion picture department through his dad. 

“I was basically a PA,” he told Paramount in a 2024 interview. “I slowly worked my way up to where I got to write a script and I got to produce something and then I asked if I could host it because I saw how much money the host made. I’m like, wow, they make more than I make in two weeks, just walking around and talking. That’s when I realized I love storytelling, and I liked it from both sides. I liked being behind the camera writing, directing or producing, but I also liked being able to influence the story in terms of the delivery of the message.”

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 51

How did Jeff Probst become the host of Survivor?

In the 1990s, Probst started hosting shows for FX, including Backchat, focused on answering viewer-sent letters, and Sound FX, focused on music. That led to him hosting VH1’s Rock & Roll Jeopardy! in the late ‘90s and also working as a correspondent for Access Hollywood.

According to The New York Times, Probst caught the attention of Survivor creator Mark Burnett in 1999 when he interviewed Sandra Bullock for Access Hollywood. Burnett liked Probst’s candid interviewing style and the fact that he was relatively anonymous to the public eye.

Probst, for his part, was very interested in the Survivor job and campaigned hard for it. He ultimately earned not only the title of host but a spot as executive producer, where he’s been a main driver of the show ever since.

“Anyone that works on the show will tell you I’m intimately involved in every single part of the show,” he said in his Paramount interview.

He added, “The first few seasons of Survivor, I was learning a lot and mostly I was learning by making mistakes. I was learning how to trust my instincts. The one thing I’ve always noticed about good hosts is they’re able to see when a moment is unfolding and they know what to do, whether to create space for the moment to happen or whether to get in and grab the moment and make sure it has a spotlight on it.”

Related: Jeff Probst Is Married to a ’90s Heartthrob’s Ex-Wife

How much does Jeff Probst make for Survivor? 

Short answer: between $8 to $16 million per year. But there’s no way to know exactly what Probst makes from his work on Survivor, and guessing is made harder by the fact that different sources report different numbers. 

Celebrity Net Worth, for example, reports Probst’s salary at $8 million per year. Meanwhile, Fandom Wire and other sources seem to think it’s closer to $8 million per season. Given that Survivor produces two seasons every year, that would put his yearly salary at a whopping $16 million.

A more reputable source, Variety, reported on Probst’s income in 2016. The publication said he was making about $4 million per season at the time, which would’ve translated to $8 million per year.

While this lines up with the Celebrity Net Worth figure—and is actually probably where they got their information—it’s also completely possible that he’s gotten a significant pay bump in the decade since Variety’s report was released.

Related: Jeff Probst Is ‘Embarrassed’ by This Outdated Survivor Rule

How much does Jeff Probst make per episode? 

If we’re going off the $4-million-per-season salary that Variety reported in 2016, Probst makes about $286,000 per episode for a season with 14 episodes (the seasons tend to run between 13 and 16 episodes long).

However, if we’re going off the $8-million-per-season figure that some sources think he earns now, he would make double that, or about $571,000 per episode of Survivor. 

Is Jeff Probst leaving Survivor?

No, Probst will continue to host the show. 

When asked by Paramount what he’d have done had Survivor not made it this long, he said, “I would still be in this business. Here’s the funny thing. There hasn’t been a show that has come around since Survivor that I looked at and went, ‘Oh, I should be working on that show.’ Survivor was the show that, when I heard it in my bones, I felt like, that’s me. I’m that dude. I get that show. I have had times where I’ll look around and see the other shows and while they’re great, never really feel like they would’ve been a fit for me.”

Is Jeff Probst married?

Yes, Jeff Probst is currently married to Lisa Ann Russell. The pair tied the knot in December 2011.

Related: The 50 Best ‘Survivor’ Challenges Ever — According to the People Who Made Them (Exclusive)