Celine Dion has said she is "heartbroken" by the death of R&B singer Peabo Bryson, with whom she sang the hit theme from 1991 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.

"His incredible voice and his kind spirit embodied the beauty of song and performance," Dion said.

The pair won a Grammy Award for their duet on the beloved movie's title song, and Bryson repeated that feat the following year for his performance of another classic Disney theme, A Whole New World from Aladdin with Regina Belle.

Bryson died at the age of 75 on Tuesday surrounded by family and loved ones, his family said.

A cause of death has not been released publicly, but Bryson suffered a stroke over the weekend and had been receiving medical care.

The veteran R&B singer was the voice behind hits that spanned from the 1970s to 2010s, including Feel the Fire, I'm So Into You, Can You Stop the Rain, If Ever You're In My Arms Again and Reaching for the Sky.

Bryson helped launch Dion to stardom, with Beauty and the Beast earning the Canadian singer her first US and UK top 10 hit.

"He was so wonderful and generous to me all those years ago, when we recorded Beauty and the Beast," her tribute said.

"He made me so comfortable, as I was just learning to sing in English.

"He will remain for me always as a real symbol of the joy that music has brought to my life. His voice and his talent will be missed…

"My heart is with your family, and may you rest in peace, Peabo."

Bryson also collaborated with Roberta Flack on recordings including 1983 hit single Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.

In a statement, his family said: "For more than five decades, Peabo's extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life's most cherished moments.

"His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration, creating a legacy that will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and the countless lives he touched through song.

"While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit," his family shared. "His legacy and music will live on for generations to come."

Bryson recently performed in a concert with Jeffrey Osborne in the US state of Georgia in May.

He was set to perform several shows for his Golden Touch tour later this year, in celebration of his five decades in the music industry.

Back in April, Bryson celebrated his 75th birthday and shared photos of his celebration with his family and friends on social media.

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Giorgio Locatelli has been announced as the new judge on Celebrity MasterChef, after John Torode was sacked by the BBC last year.

Locatelli, a chef and restauranteur who currently appears on the Italian version of the amateur cooking show, will be seen alongside Grace Dent on the next UK celebrity series, which has already been filmed.

Locatelli said joining the show was "a real honour", adding: "I can't wait for you to see what our celebrity contestants bring to the kitchen, as we are really putting their culinary skills to the test in this series."

Dent said she was a "long-time admirer" of Locatelli's work and described him as a "fabulous addition to our UK Celebrity MasterChef team".

"I also love an opportunity to serve up a heavy dose of glamour in the MasterChef kitchen, and I have a feeling Giorgio is going to give me a real run for my money," she joked.

Locatelli joins the show after Torode was sacked following an allegation of using a racist term, which he said he had "no recollection" of.

Reflecting on filming the series, Locatelli told the Table Manners podcast: "I think I was a bad cop. I'm strict. Strict about cleanliness and organisation. Those little skills that you teach them slowly."

The contestants on the new series have not yet been revealed, but Locatelli said one star in particular stood out to him with the quality of some of their dishes.

He told the podcast's presenters Jessie and Lennie Ware: "There was somebody who really surprised me a few times in the positive. It was good fun to do, it was really good fun to be with them.

"The people who worked in entertainment found it so difficult to cook to the time," he reflected. "The sportspeople always hit the time. Their life is run by time, while the other people are all about creativity."

The spin-off series sees a number of celebrities face cooking challenges, with judges overseeing their culinary skills until one star makes it to the end to claim the Celebrity MasterChef trophy.

Locatelli is a Michelin-star chef who worked at the Savoy early in his career, before going on to launch restaurants including Olivo, Zafferano, Locanda Locatelli and Locatelli at the National Gallery.

Torode was sacked from the BBC following an allegation of using "an extremely offensive racist term", which was upheld as part of an independent report by law firm Lewis Silkin.

His exit followed that of co-presenter Gregg Wallace, who was sacked after 45 allegations of misconduct against him were upheld.

At the time, Wallace said he was "deeply sorry for any distress" he caused, and that he "never set out to harm or humiliate".

Wallace was replaced by Dent, who appeared with Torode on the last series of Celebrity MasterChef.

Torode said: "I repeat that I have no recollection of what I'm accused of. The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong."

The presenter was replaced on the main amateur series of MasterChef by Anna Haugh.

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Incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass has advanced to November's run-off election to determine who will run California's largest city, Los Angeles.

With votes still being counted late on Tuesday night, Bass was first to go through, according to a projection by the BBC's US partner CBS News, but it remains unclear who she may face.

It could be either her fellow Democrat, city council member Nithya Raman, or the Republican newcomer and reality television star Spencer Pratt.

The winner will lead the second-largest city in the US, grappling with issues like homelessness and affordable housing as Los Angeles gears up to host the 2028 Olympics.

The election was one of many primaries across California, Iowa, New Jersey and New Mexico on Tuesday that will shape the midterm elections that will happen across the country in November.

Meanwhile, votes were still being counted late on Tuesday in the California governor's primary race, where the top two contenders will likewise move forward to the November general election.

California has "jungle primaries" meaning the top two candidates for governor and for LA mayor advance from the primary stage, regardless of party affiliation.

In Los Angeles, a mayoral candidate who gets 50% or more votes wins the election outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two candidates advance.

With 63% of the votes counted by early Wednesday morning, Bass had 35%, Pratt 30% and Raman 22%.

If Bass wins the contest in November, it will be her second and final term as mayor.

She has had a lengthy career in politics and community organising in LA, serving six terms in Congress representing parts of Los Angeles. She chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and was a key member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

In 2020, she was reportedly floated as a potential running mate for then-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The defining issues of her mayoral term have been addressing the city's homelessness crisis, responding to federal immigration raids and managing the emergency response to the Palisades Fire – which was one of a series of destructive blazes in Southern California in January 2025.

Bass has faced widespread criticism in the aftermath of the fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead. It became one of California's most destructive fires on record, and the city's response has been heavily criticised.

Among the critics is Pratt, a registered Republican, who launched a longshot campaign for mayor in January, on the anniversary of that wildfire that destroyed his home.

The 42-year-old emerged as a vocal critic of Bass and her handling of the fire, which tore through his wealthy coastal community.

Although he has a degree in political science, Pratt is a political outsider who has never held public office. He has campaigned on a message of fixing a broken Los Angeles, casting the city at times as unsafe and unclean, and advocating mandatory drug treatment to help combat homelessness in the city.

The former publicist rose to fame in 2007 when he joined the cast of The Hills, a spin-off of the MTV reality show Laguna Beach, as the boyfriend of Heidi Montag. His character often ramped up drama and spread rumours with his sometimes abrasive persona.

Pratt and Montag later married, and they now have two children.

The decision of Raman, an urban planner, to enter the mayoral race was something of a surprise – just before the filing deadline and shortly after she had already endorsed Bass.

The left wing 44-year-old has served on the Los Angeles City Council since 2020, but has not gained a mayoral endorsement from any of her city council colleagues.

Raman has been compared to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow member of the Democratic Socialists of America organisation.

Her campaign platform has focused on expanding affordable housing, reducing homelessness and bringing jobs back to Hollywood. She has argued Bass has not done enough to address the city's homelessness issue.

Polls have closed and ballots are still being counted for results in the California governor's race.

It has become the most expensive gubernatorial race on record, with frontrunners considered to be Steve Hilton, a British American TV host endorsed by President Donald Trump; former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra; and left-wing billionaire Tom Steyer.

The race has been a roller-coaster and has lacked any clear front-runner in a state that has been run by liberals since 2011.

Hilton, an adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, was known for helping to shape Conservative Party strategy during a turbulent period in British politics which resulted in Brexit. He is also known for his California fashion sense, often barefoot without tie.

In California, he has campaigned to "disrupt the system", vowing to solve the homelessness crisis and arguing the state should cooperate more closely with the federal government on immigration enforcement and roll back sanctuary policies.

Becerra has framed his campaign around his lifetime of work in politics and his credibility working in Congress in Washington DC, and in California in state office. He has vowed to fight Trump's policies and promised to freeze insurance and utility rates for Californians.

Steyer has campaigned on progressive issues like a single-payer healthcare system. He has also vowed to close loopholes to ensure California's wealthy pay a greater share of taxes.

The election comes at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet in the Golden State, which has the highest cost of living in the country.

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