The acts mark the launch of Blenheim Palace Festival, a brand-new event set against the backdrop of UNESCO World Heritage Site Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, West Oxfordshire.

Taking place across five days this June and July from this Saturday, June 27, the festival’s debut edition will be headlined by American pop royalty Katy Perry, Michael Bublé and Teddy Swims, among other world-class acts.

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Opening the festival, pillar of the global dance music scene Pete Tong will perform his ground-breaking live experience Ibiza Classics, featuring The Essential Orchestra, on Saturday.

Blenheim Palace Festival will debut in June 2026 (Image: Blenheim Palace Festival)

Joining the line-up are superstar DJ and electronic music pioneer Danny Rampling, as well as Sarah Story, breakout DJ, broadcaster and songwriter, known for championing new dance music from established to emerging talent on her BBC Radio 1 show Future Dance. 

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette, one of contemporary music’s most influential artists, will bring her iconic catalogue to the stunning setting of Blenheim Palace on Sunday, 28 June.

Joining her are London rock icons Skunk Anansie. Formed in 1994 and fronted by the charismatic Skin, the band became known for their powerful blend of rock, punk and funk, delivering hits including Weak, Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good) and Charity.

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Grammy-nominated vocal powerhouse Teddy Swims will bring his effortless blend of pop, soul and R&B to the Blenheim Palace Festival stage on Tuesday, June 30.

Teddy Swims will also perform at the festival. (Image: Lucy North / PA)

International superstar Katy Perry will headline Blenheim Palace Festival’s fourth night on Wednesday, July 1.

Joining her on the stage for a night of ‘pure pop magic’ is Mimi Webb, chart-topping pop sensation and BRIT award-nominated singer and songwriter.

Multi-platinum selling global superstar Michael Bublé will bring Blenheim Palace Festival’s inaugural year to a phenomenal close on Saturday, July 4 with his usual, world-class showmanship and unstoppable talent.

Joining him are British Canadian musical duo Appleton, formerly All Saints, formed in 2002 by sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton, one of the most successful pop groups of the 1990s.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire schools extend closures as heat continues

The night will open with a set by The Mariachis, who previously supported Michael Bublé on his 2022 UK tour, bringing their vibrant, high-energy blend of traditional mariachi flair and contemporary hits to the stage.

The festival offers luxury hospitality experiences and VIP packages for attendees, from the The Grand Banquet: VIP Dining Experience – a three-course gourmet experience with front-of-stage seating – to summer evenings with a Fortnum & Masons picnic in front of the palace.

Blenheim Palace Festival is the result of a new partnership between live music promoters Cuffe & Taylor – a Live Nation company – and world-renowned producers MARI Arts & Entertainment.

To millions of viewers, she is and perhaps always will be the irrepressible River Song, the enigmatic archaeologist wife to the iconic Time Lord himself, the Doctor.

Before she boarded the TARDIS, the 63-year-old had already built a formidable career on both sides of the Atlantic, having originally trained at RADA.

Her turn as Dr Elizabeth Corday in ER made her a household name in America, while also cementing her status as one of Britain’s most recognisable exports.

Doctor Who introduced her to a whole new generation with appearances across multiple series, specials and spin‑offs; River Song quickly became a fan favourite.

The character’s mix of mischief, melancholy and steel ensured that Alex has a permanent place in the Whoniverse.

READ MORE: Christopher Eccleston gives verdict on Billie Piper as Doctor Who

Alex Kingston now lives in South Oxfordshire. (Image: PA)

Away from the cameras, Ms Kingston moved over to South Oxfordshire four years ago with her husband, Jonathan Stamp, who teaches at Oxford’s Magdalen College.

Last week, the actress took the short trip over to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to present the OUH Staff Recognition Awards 2026 on Thursday (June 18).

This came after she went public with her womb cancer diagnosis last October, revealing she had undergone a hysterectomy and radiation therapy in 2024.

Prior to the awards event, Alex sat down with the Oxford Mail for an exclusive chat about a variety of subjects, starting with her own hospital experience.

“I’m very happy to do this, and when I was approached, I felt that in a way it’s the least I can do to give back because I had gone through surgery here,” she said.

“I’m still a sort of patient going through the process of being monitored after radiation therapy, because you’re monitored then for, I think, five years.

READ MORE: Alex Kingston reacts to ‘devastating’ Doctor Who cancellation

Alex Kingston with Oxford Mail reporter Ed Burnett in Oxford. (Image: Newsquest)

“So I’ve not got to know the JR so well, but I now know the Churchill better.

“There aren’t many opportunities for people in their lives to be able to say thank you in a way to the hospital that has helped and brought them back to health, so this is the least I can do.

“I was also able to give a shoutout on BBC Radio 5 Live to my surgeon here and to my oncologist to say thank you, so that was really nice.”

Having been based in South Oxfordshire with her husband since 2022, Alex has fallen in love with the area.

“I’m a Surrey girl originally, but yes, I love it [Oxfordshire],” she stated.

“I lived in America for 22 years, and it was just really completely by chance that we ended up living here.

READ MORE: Matt Smith wants Doctor Who return after shock regeneration

Alex Kingston was diagnosed with womb cancer in 2024. (Image: PA)

“We moved back from the US, and we found a place in Richmond that we could rent.

“I got to know that area quite well and liked the sense of being close to Richmond Park and the river. It was sort of being in London but still feeling connected to nature in some way.

“But there was no way that we could ever afford to live anywhere in that area, so where we’ve chosen it still has that same vibe.

“We’re close to the Thames, but it’s smaller and, to be honest, far more beautiful, and there are fields too. It’s wonderful, and we’re very close to London, so it’s a win-win.

Alex also visits Oxford itself with her husband working there, and the actress praised the city as “thriving”.

“My husband teaches at Magdalen, and he went to Oxford University years ago, so he’s very familiar with it, and I’m still kind of learning,” she added.

READ MORE: Doctor Who star Alex Kingston reveals her choice for next Doctor

Alex Kingston took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2025. (Image: Ray Burmiston / BBC / PA)

“I’m learning to understand the city, but I’ve already sort of found my favourite shop, which is a hardware shop that I can’t remember the name of, but it’s fantastic.

“I love Oxford, absolutely love it. It’s thriving, it’s energetic, and I love university towns actually, because in a weird sort of way, you don’t feel that old.

“Obviously, you feel your age when you’re surrounded by graduates, but these towns just have a different sort of energy which I find very appealing.”

Millions of tourists also travel to the Cotswolds each year, making it one of the county’s biggest draws, but Alex prefers the quieter side of Oxfordshire.

“I’ve worked at the RSC, so I would drive through it to get to Stratford, and I like the Cotswolds, but actually, to be perfectly honest, I prefer this area.

“Here feels much more real in a way, people living their lives. Of course, you have city boys and commuters, but there are proper farmers and environmentalists, and I just love the mix of people.

READ MORE: Colin Baker claims Billie Piper ‘can’t be the next Doctor Who’

Alex Kingston with Johannes Radebe on Strictly Come Dancing. (Image: Guy Levy / BBC / PA)

“I feel that where we are is slightly under the radar because everybody goes to the Cotswolds, so I shouldn’t be saying that because this is our secret!”

Alex took part in the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, joining the line-up for the BBC One show’s most recent run.

The 62‑year‑old was partnered with professional dancer Johannes Radebe, with the pair performing routines including a Cha Cha to Ring My Bell and a Foxtrot to Here You Come Again.

They made it into the later stages of the competition before being eliminated as the eighth couple to leave the 2025 series after a dance‑off.

Reflecting on her time in the ballroom, Alex said: “If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.

“I loved it even though my body ended up getting a real battering, and I went further than I ever thought that I would be able to.

READ MORE: Alex Kingston gives verdict on Billie Piper as new Doctor Who

Alex Kingston with Johannes Radebe on Strictly Come Dancing. (Image: BBC / Guy Levy)

“So I was proud of myself, proud of my stamina, and I loved the fact that my body, which had been through major surgery the year before and gone through radiation therapy and everything, was up for the ride.

“I just really loved it, and dancing is totally in my bones.”

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have since stepped down from fronting Strictly, ending their long‑running stint as the show’s main presenting duo.

In their place, the BBC has unveiled a new three‑person team of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Mr Radebe as the hosts of Strictly Come Dancing from this autumn.

Alex has now reacted to the new trio, including seeing her own former professional partner landing one of the roles.

“Well, one of the hosts is Jojo, my dance partner, so I’m intrigued because I still can’t quite figure out what his role is,” she said.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire actress starring in new Doctor Who spin-off series

Alex Kingston with Johannes Radebe on Strictly Come Dancing. (Image: Kieron McCarron / BBC / PA)

“Even though Claude and Tess weren’t dancers, they had done it for so long that they knew the dances, they knew the disciplines.

“Whenever I completed a dance, just having Tess holding my hand was that incredible bridge between what you’ve just done and the judges’ comments.

“She was just amazing, and you felt she absolutely knew and understood what you’d been through, so I think they’re very, very big shoes to fill.”

Ms Kingston confirmed that the move to hire Johannes in the presenting role was a good decision, given his close connection with those actually competing on the BBC show.

“And as a consequence, I think it’s a very good move to have someone like Johannes, who is a professional,” she added.

“He absolutely knows what the contestants have been going through and the dancers, so maybe his role will be to bridge that gap.”

READ MORE: TV star Adam Henson talks retirement, Jeremy Clarkson and Cotswolds

Alex Kingston was born in Epsom. (Image: PA)

Moving on to Doctor Who, Alex was quick to react to the recent news that the show has been put out to tender by the BBC and that the 2026 Christmas special has been cancelled.

“Who knows what’s going to happen now that there’s been the sort of official announcement,” she said.

“It’s sort of been put on ice, let’s just say that it’s just been put on ice, and it’s been saved like River Song was.

“I know that’s going to be devastating for the fans because it is just one of those incredibly enduring shows. It’s part of English culture, like royalty and scones.

“We have this huge fan base all over the world, and they will be massively disappointed, but they are so unbelievably loyal that they will watch replays and listen to the audio stories, which we are keeping it alive with.

“I think that’s going to be where the fans will kind of continue that connection.

READ MORE: Richard Hammond talks Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear and Oxfordshire

Alex Kingston as River Song in BBC’s Doctor Who. (Image: Newsquest Archive / BBC)

“It is amazing because I do quite a lot of the Comic-Cons, and that’s lovely because I get to be with Doctors that I either haven’t worked with before or haven’t seen for ages.

“For us, it’s a way of sort of reconnecting and socialising, and you become such a family that even though you may never have worked together, you feel like you know each other completely.

“So I really think the Comic-Cons are a great way of connecting with those fans, and that keeps the show alive in people’s hearts.”

Alex worked alongside three Doctors onscreen during her travels in the Tardis, which saw her accompany David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.

When asked on which incarnation of the Time Lord she would have liked to star opposite, the 63-year-old said: “It’s partly because I’ve met her at Comic Con and we get on so well, but I would have loved to have done something with Jodie.

“She’s so great, and Mandip [Gill] as well is fantastic, but I think maybe it would have been too much estrogen in one room!”

READ MORE: James May talks about Oxford, Jeremy Clarkson and new Grand Tour

Alex Kingston, Arthur Darvill, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan as River Song, Rory Williams, the 11th Doctor and Amy Pond in Doctor Who, 2011. (Image: BBC)

When asked which of the three Doctors was the most fun to work with, Alex revealed: “To be perfectly honest, they’re all fun in their own different ways.

“Even though they’re all playing the Doctor, what’s actually so fabulous is that each regeneration just brings another facet to that individual’s personality.

“Of course, the actors who are cast bring their own personality into that role.

“I would say that because I’ve worked with him the most, it’s got to be Matt [Smith], and it’s not that he wasn’t as serious as the others, but there was quite a lot of room for play with him.

“I absolutely love him and Arthur [Darvill] and Karen [Gillan]; it was just a great time.”

Alex first appeared in Doctor Who back in 2008 alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate in the two-part thriller set in a library.

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David Tennant and Alex Kingston as the 10th Doctor and River Song in 2008. (Image: BBC)

When asked whether she knew she was going to be in the role for a long time at that point, the actress said: “I didn’t know, but I think that the announcement had either just happened or it was about to happen while we were filming.

“People knew that was going to be David’s last season, so there was just an element, it wasn’t melancholy, but there was just an energy that I was aware that somehow something had shifted.

“I don’t think he ever wanted to stop playing the Doctor, as he loved it so much.

“It wasn’t that he didn’t welcome me because he absolutely did, but I think it was him starting to already disengage with the character.

“I’m not even sure whether he knew he was doing that consciously or not, but there was just something there.

“Whereas with Matt, he was about to start, and was looking for that support to help him step into David’s very huge shoes, enormous feet!”

READ MORE: Doctor Who actress and former PM receive Oxford University degrees

Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor with Alex Kingston as River Song in Doctor Who, in 2015. (Image: BBC)

River Song’s story came to an end onscreen in the Christmas special of 2015 alongside Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor.

When quizzed on whether she knew it would be her final outing as the Doctor’s wife on the silver screen, Alex said: “Well, I didn’t know!

“I knew obviously from the storyline that they end up at Darillium and that there he’s giving her his sonic screwdriver, and coming full circle, but I couldn’t play that I knew because at that stage River doesn’t know.

“So that was incredibly hard for me, and those final scenes were really difficult to shoot.

“I just kept bawling my eyes out, and so did Peter [Capaldi], so it was really, really tough, but then at the same time, in this universe, anything can happen. She’s been saved.

“But I don’t think within that cycle of River, in that journey, that she can come back because I mean, my god, I’m old enough.

“I was the same age as Matt’s mum, and now I’m old enough to be someone’s grandmother, so I couldn’t do that again, but I feel like she could potentially come back because she’s been saved.

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Alex Kingston as River Song with Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor in Doctor Who’s 2015 Christmas special. (Image: BBC / PA)

“So she could carry on from where we left off, and in a funny sort of way, all of those crew members, too, because they were all ultimately saved.

“She could be saved and uploaded. 3D printed. You know, anything is possible!”

In the final scene of Doctor Who to date, Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor regenerated into a familiar face in Billie Piper.

The Swindon-born actress previously played fan-favourite companion Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.

Reacting to Ms Piper playing the Doctor, Alex said: “I don’t know what that was about! She’s not a Time Lord, so I don’t understand how she can be; I don’t know what on earth they were doing.”

“Rose was the companion who the Doctor sort of really cared about, and loved in a way, but not as much as River!

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The final shot showing Billie Piper’s face following Ncuti Gatwa’s shock regeneration. (Image: BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / James Pardon / PA)

“I wonder whether, in that moment of regeneration, that maybe sort of just was taking on her visual exterior.

“They’re not just going to randomly pick anybody- there’s got to be an absolute reason why and an explanation, because there always is.”

Ms Kingston went on to explain: “I love Billie, she’s fantastic, but I don’t know because she’s Rose!

“It’s like if people would say to me, ‘Would you like to be the Doctor?’ and I’m like, ‘No, because I’m River- why would I want to be the Doctor? I’m having great fun being River Song!’

“If it’s a one-off episode and if there’s a sort of transition in a way, then I don’t mind.

“In a funny sort of way, he could sort of transition into Rose; he could transition into River.

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Alex Kingston, Richard Schiff, and Damien Molony in Copenhagen. (Image: Marc Brenner)

“River gave him all of her Time Lord energy to save his life in Let’s Kill Hitler, so there could be a weird play a little bit like that Peter Gabriel music video for Sledgehammer where people’s faces are all morphing.”

Outlining her own picks for the next Doctor, Alex said: “I think it’s got to be somebody who has got fun in them, but also heart and soul.

“He’s now about to play [Hercule] Poirot, but I thought Edward Bluemel would be a brilliant Doctor.

“I’ve worked with him on Discovery of Witches, and he’s got all of the characteristics and qualities that would make a good Doctor.

“But then I also just worked on a theatre play called Copenhagen with Damien Molony, who just happens to be Bergerac.

“We had a lot of time sitting on stage, and I would watch him, and he was so physically energised and active that there were times when I was sitting there going, ‘You could be a really good Doctor’.”

READ MORE: Former Strictly Come Dancing star gives verdict on three new hosts

Alex Kingston at the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) Staff Recognition Awards. (Image: Ed Nix)

Ms Kingston then joked: “I shouldn’t have been thinking about that, yes, I’m the expert [having played the character’s wife].”

She added: “I mean, there are so many actors that could do it, but who knows.

“I think maybe it’s a good thing to just take a little bit of a breath now; it’s just been put on ice.

“The same thing happened in the late 1980s through the 90s, but it might just need a little bit of a moment to have somebody else come along who can take the reins of Russell T [Davies], take them confidently, and take the Doctor then in another direction.”

Discussing what’s next, Alex concluded: “I finished this play called Copenhagen recently, so who knows!

“Right now, I’m an unemployed actor, but something will come along. I have faith!”

Helen & Douglas House hospice, a charity which provides hospice services to terminally ill children in Oxford, announced today (Thursday, June 25) there was a fire at its centre.

Helen House in Magdalen Road, suffered a ‘small fire’ on Friday, June 12, the charity said.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire ambulance service ‘critical incident’ declared

It was reportedly ‘quickly and safely extinguished’ by firefighters on the scene, and no children, families or staff were injured.

A small area of the building was directly affected by the blaze, but the power supply to the hospice has been cut off as a result.

Helen & Douglas House hospice in Oxford (Image: Contributed)

Helen House has been closed to in-patient stays for until the power can be restored and the charity is ‘confident it is safe to reopen’.

A spokesperson for Helen & Douglas House said: “We know how important Helen House is to the children and families who rely on us, and we are doing everything we can to return to our usual in-patient service as soon as possible.

“If your planned stay is affected, we will contact you directly. 

“In the meantime we have secured alternative ways to provide in-patient care at Helen & Douglas House to families who need it during this time.

“If you have any questions or concerns, please email reception@helenanddouglas.org.uk.

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“Thank you for your patience, support and understanding.

“We are immensely grateful to the emergency services and our staff for their calm, swift response, and we look forward to welcoming children and families back to Helen & Douglas House very soon. ”

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue and Helen & Douglas House have been approached for comment.