America’s Got Talent 2024: Sacred Riana’s Creepiest Magic Yet Leaves Judges Speechless!
Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell reveals he’s still dealing with ‘painful’ medical issue
Simon Cowell, a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, shocked the co-judges and viewers as he revealed that he was still dealing with a terrible physical condition.
Simon Cowell, a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, shocked the co-judges and viewers as he revealed that he was still dealing with a “painful” physical condition.
Last year, the 65-year-old TV mogul disclosed that he experiences severe migraines after being forced to skip a few auditions during filming.
Cowell dons a pair of red-tinted glasses to protect his eyes while filming in the studio under intense lighting for an extended period of time.
He posted a new picture on Tuesday that showed the judges getting back together at the BGT auditions as the new series’ shooting gets underway.
It appears that Simon is still dealing with migraines a year later because he was donning a pair of the colored lens glasses in the photo.
He started a new series with his fellow judges Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden.
Simon announced, “We’re back!” as he was in Blackpool for the next audition round.
In February last year, Simon clarified about his health issues on Instagram and informed his “concerned” fans that he wears glasses due to medical reasons.
“Next week we are filming BGT in Manchester – I look forward to seeing you then. PS. This is why I wear these glasses!” he concluded.
Simon opened up about mystery illness
Sharing a photo of himself on the judging panel with the spectacles on hand, Simon said, “I just found out according to the internet, I have a ‘mystery illness’.”
He further addressed the concerned people and said that he missed two auditions two weeks ago because he experienced a migraine after spending a lot of time in the filming lights.
Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will once again join the judges in this series, and YouTuber KSI will be in attendance as a guest.
The series was put on hold in October following the demise of Liam Payne, who gained popularity on Simon’s show, the X Factor, in 2010.
Fremantle UK, a representative for the show’s producer, issued a statement after Liam’s death. “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, family and all who loved him.”
Realtors must pay home sellers $1.8 billion for inflating commissions, jury finds
By Kate Gibson
Edited By Alain Sherter
Updated on: November 1, 2023 / 8:51 PM EDT / MoneyWatch
The National Association of Realtors and several real estate companies were ordered to pay $1.8 billion in damages after a federal jury in Missouri on Tuesday ruled that they conspired to artificially inflate brokerage commissions.
Beyond the realtors’ association, defendants in the case include Keller Williams, Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeService of America and two of its subsidiaries. The verdict, which came after a two-week trial in federal court in Kansas City, is a potential game changer for how Americans buy homes. It also comes at a time when the U.S. real estate market is stalled, with mortgage rates nearing 8% and existing home sales down double digits from a year ago.
The case centers on the commissions home sellers make to a buyer’s realtor. Those payments are partially governed by NAR rules, which mandate that sellers include a fee offer to the buyer’s agent in listing property. The offer is known by real estate agents representing prospective buyers, but the latter are usually in the dark on those amounts. That can lead agents to steer buyers into deals to maximize their own commissions.
Plaintiffs claimed the association and other defendants colluded to drive up the commission that sellers pay to brokers representing homebuyers. Class members include the sellers of hundreds of thousands of homes in Missouri and parts of Illinois and Kansas between 2015 and 2022.
Michael Ketchmark, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told CBS MoneyWatch he expects the jury award to be tripled under U.S. antitrust law to more than $5 billion.
“Today was a day of accountability — for the longest time the NAR has used its market power to get a stranglehold grip on home ownership,” Ketchmark told CBS MoneyWatch.
“It cost two to three times as much to sell a house in the United States as it does in other industrialized countries,” said the attorney, citing the practices outlined during the trial that compels the seller to pay brokerage commissions of up to 6%.
Two other brokerages, Re/Max and Anywhere Real Estate, settled with the plaintiffs earlier in the year, paying a combined $138.5 million and agreeing to no longer require that agents belong to the NAR.
HomeServices expressed disappointment with the ruling and vowed to appeal.
“Today’s decision means that buyers will face even more obstacles in an already challenging real estate market, and sellers will have a harder time realizing the value of their homes. It could also force homebuyers to forgo professional help during what is likely the most complex and consequential financial transaction they’ll make in their lifetime,” a spokesperson stated in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. “Cooperative compensation helps ensure millions of people realize the American dream of homeownership with the help of real estate professionals.”
Keller Williams said it would consider its options, including an appeal. “This is not the end,” a spokesperson said in an email.
In a post on social media, The NAR vowed to appeal the liability finding. “We remain optimistic we will ultimately prevail. In the interim, we will ask the court to reduce the damages awarded by the jury,” NAR President Tracy Kasper said in a statement.
Shares of real estate companies not identified in the lawsuit plunged following the ruling in a case that challenged widespread industry practices, with Zillow falling 7% and Redfin ending Tuesday’s session nearly 6% lower. The fall continued on Wednesday, with Zillow shares down nearly 2% in early trading.
