The climate activist, who was played by Julia Roberts in the movie, told Sky News: "My girlfriend, who was a chiropractor, was giving me a chiropractic adjustment and asked me why I had mud on my stilettos. "I said, 'Oh, I've been collecting dead frogs'. She goes, 'What is wrong with you?' So, I started telling her what I was doing." Then just a junior paralegal, Brockovich was in fact pulling together evidence that would see her emerge victorious from one of the largest cases of water contamination in US history in Hinkley, California. Her hard work would see her win a record settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric Company - $333m (£254m) - but that was all still to come. Little did Brockovich know, but her tale of a muddy stiletto would get back to actor Danny DeVito and his Jersey Films producing partner Michael Schamburg, and through them to the film's director Steven Soderbergh. Brockovich says Soderbergh was "wowed" by what he heard. She says he realised her image "was something that Hollywood might be drawn to that I was never thinking of - the short skirt, the attitude, the big bust, the stilettos, the backcombed hair. Somehow, it came together." 'I was always going to be misunderstood' Released in 2000, the powerful story of one woman's fight for justice made Brockovich a household name, and the film won actress Julia Roberts an Oscar. Now, 25 years on, Brockovich says she believes her legal victory was helped in part by an unlikely ally - her learning difficulty. Brockovich says: "Had I not been dyslexic, I might have missed Hinkley." Recently named a global ambassador for charity Made By Dyslexia, she's been aware of her learning differences since childhood and still struggles today. She says "moments of low self-esteem" still "creep back in", and she long ago accepted "I was always going to be misunderstood". But for Brockovich, recognising her dyslexic strengths while working in Hinkley proved a pivotal moment: "My observations are wickedly keen. I feel like a human radar some days… Things you might not see as a pattern, I recognise. There are things that intuitively, I absolutely know. "It will take me some time in my visual patterns of what I'm seeing, how to organise that. And it was in Hinkley that that moment happened for me because it was so omnipresent [and] in my face. Everything that should have been normal was not." 'A huge perfect storm' Brockovich paints a bleak picture of what she saw in the small town: "The trees were secreting poison, the cows were covered in tumours, the chickens had wry neck [a neurological condition that causes the head to tilt abnormally], the people were sick and unbeknown to them, I knew they were all having the exact same health patterns. To the green water, to the two-headed frog, all of that was just I was like on fire, like electricity going, 'Oh my gosh, what's going on out here?'" She describes it as "a huge, perfect storm that came together for me in Hinkley". But a side effect of the movie - overnight global fame - wasn't always easy to deal with. Brockovich calls it "scary," admitting, "when the film first came out the night of the premiere, I was literally shaking so bad, I was so overwhelmed, that Universal Studios said, 'If we can't get you to calm down, I think we need to take you home'. It was a lot". Brockovich says she kept grounded by staying focused on her work, her family and her three children. With Hollywood not always renowned for its faithful adherence to fact, Brockovich says the film didn't whitewash the facts. "I think they really did a good job at pointing out our environmental issues. Hollywood can do that, they can tell a good story. And I'm glad it was not about fluff and glamour. I'm glad it was about a subject that oftentimes we don't want to talk about. Water pollution, environmental damage. People being poisoned." 'Defend ourselves against environmental assaults' While environmental awareness is now part of the daily conversation in a way it wasn't a quarter of a century ago, the battle to protect the climate is far from over. Just last month, Donald Trump laid out plans to slash over 30 climate and environmental regulations as part of an ongoing effort to boost US industries from coal to manufacturing and ramp up oil and minerals production. In response, Brockovich says, "We're not going to stop it, but we can defend against these environmental assaults. "We can do better with infrastructure. We can do better on a lot of policy-making. I think there's a moment here. We have to do that because the old coming into the new isn't working. "I've recognised the patterns for 30-plus years, we just keep doing the same thing over and over and over and over again, expecting a different result. "For me, sometimes it's like, 'Oh my gosh, just get your ego out of the way'. We have to accept that this might be something greater than us, but we can certainly defend ourselves and protect ourselves and prepare ourselves better so we can get through that storm." You can listen to Brockovich speaking about her dyslexia with Made By Dyslexia founder Kate Griggs on the first episode of the new season of the podcast Lessons In Dyslexic Thinking, wherever you get your podcasts.

Popstar Katy Perry, author Lauren Sanchez, journalist and TV presenter Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn are due to launch in Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket on Monday. It will be the latest flight of the New Shepard programme, named NS-31, and is aiming to "create a lasting impact that will inspire generations", with the women forming the first all-female crew since Russian engineer Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight to space in 1963. The trip is only expected to last around 11 minutes, with the reusable self-driving rocket taking off from Launch Site One in West Texas, at 8.30am local time (2.30pm BST) on Monday. It will reach a maximum height of 100km (62 miles) above Earth, with the women technically entering space as the capsule crosses the Karman line, which is internationally recognised as the boundary of space. They will not, however, be classed as astronauts by the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA or US military, which all have different eligibility requirements for people to become commercial astronauts. While in space, the crew will have about four minutes of weightlessness to float around and take in the views of Earth from the capsule's large windows. The crew capsule will then descend back to Earth using three parachutes. So far, 52 people have been taken into space as part of billionaire and Amazon chief Mr Bezos's programme, including the man himself, who joined the New Shepard's maiden voyage in 2021. Star Trek actor William Shatner became the oldest person in space when he joined the mission at the age of 90. How the crew was picked Mr Bezos' fiancee is leading the mission. Sanchez told Elle magazine she chose her fellow crew members because each had "proven their ability to inspire others". She said all the women will be able to spread the word on what they felt like during the trip, and also expand on ideas of what the next generation of space explorers will look like. Perry, who is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, told Elle that she has been wanting to go to space for almost 20 years, so it was a no-brainer when she got the call. She said: "Even when Blue Origin was first talking about commercial travel to space, I was like, 'Sign me up! I'm first in line'. And then they called me, and I was like, 'Really? I get an invite?'." For King, who is best known as the co-host of US breakfast show CBS Mornings, the decision wasn't quite so easy. "When I got the call from Lauren and Jeff, my first reaction was a no," she said, adding that she still has "a lot of trepidation" ahead of the trip. Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and chief executive of technology company STEMBoard, said she feels like she has been "training for and waiting for this moment [her] entire life", while civil rights activist Nguyen and film producer Flynn both said the opportunity was a dream come true. "I can't wait to touch down on Earth and share what we bring back with the world," Flynn said. Glammed-up astronauts? As well as making history by being the first all-female crew in space, the women may also be the first group of astronauts to have their hair and makeup done for a mission. "Who would not get glam before the flight," Sanchez said, before joking that fake eyelashes would be "flying round the capsule". Bowe said she had already tested out the hairstyle she plans to have on launch day - by skydiving in Dubai. "I think it's so important for people to see us like that," Nguyen said. "This dichotomy of engineer and scientist, and then beauty and fashion. We contain multitudes. Women are multitudes. I'm going to be wearing lipstick." Perry put it another way: "We are going to put the 'ass' in astronaut." The women also shared details of what they plan to take to space, including the original flag from Apollo 12 - the second mission to the moon - a stuffed animal, shells from Malaysia, and conch chowder, the national dish of The Bahamas, which Bowe grew up eating. Read more:Is Bezos chasing down Musk in the billionaire space race?SpaceX tourists return to Earth As a singer, Perry said she feels like she should perform while floating above the Earth, which would make her the first artist to sing in space. She added that she is also taking part in the flight for her daughter Daisy Dove Bloom, who she shares with British actor Orlando Bloom, to teach her that "any type of person can reach their dreams".

An American pop culture institution, SNL launched the careers of stars including Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell. It's also featured a host of celebrity and political guests, including tech billionaire Elon Musk and Donald Trump when he was a presidential candidate. SNL celebrated 50 years on air in February. British comedians will be cast in the UK spin-off, which will be overseen by US producer Lorne Michaels alongside the US version. Along with his production company Broadway Video, which has made The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and 30 Rock, the show will be led by UK production team Universal Television Alternative Studio. The beginnings of SNL, which started in 1975, was recently made into the 2024 film Saturday Night, featuring Spider-Man star Willem Dafoe and Succession actor Nicholas Braun. The success of SNL, which airs on NBC in the US, has led to past attempts at international versions of the programme, with a French version Le Saturday Night Live running for just one season in 2017. Cecile Frot-Coutaz, chief executive of Sky Studios and chief content officer at Sky, said: "For over 50 years Saturday Night Live has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture, reflecting and creating the global conversation, all under the masterful comedic guidance of Lorne Michaels. "The show has discovered and nurtured countless comedy and musical talents over the years and we are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the SNL team to bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year - all live from London on Saturday night." Saturday Night Live UK will be broadcast on Sky Max and streaming service NOW in 2026. Details about the UK version's cast, hosts, and premiere will be announced in the coming months.

Lyle, 57, and Erik, 54, received life sentences without the possibility of parole after being convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Lyle was 21 at the time, Erik was 18. Last year, Los Angeles district attorney George Gascon asked a judge to change the brothers' sentence from life without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. That would make them immediately eligible for parole because they committed the crime when they were younger than 26. But Mr Gascon's successor Nathan Hochman submitted a motion last month to withdraw the resentencing request, saying the brothers must fully acknowledge lies they told about the murder of their parents before he would support their release from prison. Separately, Governor Gavin Newsom, who has the power to commute their sentences, has asked the parole board to consider whether the brothers would represent a public safety risk if released. In light of Mr Hochman's opposition, Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Michael Jesic ruled on Friday that the court can move forward with the hearing. "Everything you argued today is absolutely fair game for the resentencing hearing next Thursday," he said. From prison, the brothers watched through a video link and could be seen in court seated next to each other in blue prison uniforms. Speaking after the hearing, the brothers' lawyer said: "Today is a good day. Justice won over politics." Read more:Menendez brothers 'hopeful' they will be freed - but could it actually happen? Prosecutors accused the brothers of killing their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance, although their defence team argued they acted out of self-defence after years of sexual abuse by their father. The brothers have maintained their parents abused them since they were first charged with the murders. A Netflix drama series and subsequent documentary about the brothers thrust them back into the spotlight last year, and led to renewed calls for their release - including from some members of their family.

Mike Jeffries has Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia and the "residual effects of a traumatic brain injury", his defence attorneys wrote in a letter filed at a federal court in Central Islip, New York. The 80-year-old needs around-the-clock care, they added, citing evaluations by medical professionals. Prosecutors and defence lawyers are calling for Jeffries to be placed in the custody of the federal bureau of prisons for up to four months. They say he should be admitted to hospital to have treatment that could allow his criminal case to proceed. The business tycoon, who led fashion retailer A&F from 1992 to 2014, pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges in October, and was released on a $10m (£7.65m) bond. A total of 15 men allege they were induced by "force, fraud and coercion" to engage in drug-fuelled sex parties. Prosecutors have accused Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith, and the couple's alleged "recruiter" James Jacobson, of luring men to parties in New York City, the Hamptons and other locations, by dangling the prospect of modelling for A&F advertisements. Smith and Jacobson have also pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. 'Progressive and incurable' In their latest letter on Jeffries' health, his defence lawyers said at least four medical professionals had concluded his cognitive issues are "progressive and incurable", and that he will not "regain his competency and cannot be restored to competency in the future". These issues "significantly impair" his ability to understand the charges against him, they wrote. Read more from Sky News:Tech executive and family die after helicopter crashes in New York'Wolf of Wall Street' speaks to Sky News about Trump tariffs "The progressive nature of his neurocognitive disorder ensures continued decline over time, further diminishing his already limited functional capacity," said Dr Alexander Bardey, a forensic psychiatrist, and Dr Cheryl Paradis, a forensic psychologist, following evaluations made in December. "It is, therefore, our professional opinion, within a reasonable degree of psychological and psychiatric certainty, that Mr Jeffries is not competent to proceed in the current case and cannot be restored to competency in the future." Jeffries left A&F in 2014 after leading the company for more than two decades, taking the retailer from a hunting and outdoor goods store founded in 1892 to a fixture of early 2000s fashion. His lawyers did not immediately respond to requests by the Associated Press news agency for comment. The US attorney's office for the eastern district of New York declined to comment.