Forever synonymous with her six-season '50s sitcom, I Love Lucy, the starlet is truly loved by many with reruns of her show still making audiences laugh to this day."Give her an ashtray, and she could do 20 minutes of shtick; she was one of the greatest comedians of all time," mused one of Ball's closest friends, Lillian Briggs . Michael Ball has had a highly successful career as a singer, actor, TV and radio presenter. The staged concert was broadcast live to cinemas in the UK on 2 December 2019, and then encore showings in the UK and the USA. His father named Tony who wanted to become an actor was the head of global sales at British Leyland. He joined Plymouth College when he was just 11 years old. 10 Kylie Ireland. 1 on charts in November 2020. Ball's solo album Past and Present was released on 9 March 2009 by Universal Music. But just who is the singing sensation? The crooner recently opened up about why this was in an unearthed chat. Princess Diana's 30-year-old niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, has married 62-year-old billionaire Michael Lewis. However, as far as family goes, he is father to her daughter, Emma Bennett, from her previous relationship and grandfather to his girlfriend's grandchildren, Connor and Grace. 191 Following. Join Songkick to track Michael Ball and get concert alerts when they play near you. When you have so much shared history with someone, theres a lovely comfort to that, although the mad rush of youth is terrific.. . It was released along with a performance DVD of his 2007 tour, One Voice Live, filmed at London's Hammersmith Apollo. while Cousins was in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of Les Misrables, and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. Since reaching Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart with "Love Changes Everything" from Aspects of Love, Ball had lesser success with follow up singles, but in the main has concentrated on releasing albums, all of which achieved gold status within weeks, and in the case of The Movies album in 1998, platinum in seven weeks (released 26 October, confirmed platinum status on 12 December). When he returned to work he was still suffering from fatigue, and began to get on-stage panic attacks overwhelming anxiety, a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and problems with vision. Meanwhile, she also saved him from a house fire in 2000. Ball had his own TV series, Michael Ball, in 1993 and 1994 a Christmas Special in 1995 and a three-part series in 1998 filmed by BBC Cymru Wales Ball in the Hall. His birth name is Michael Ashley Ball. In 1992, Ball represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing second with the song "One Step Out of Time". Talking to the Official Charts Company, he said, "It's the most exciting news! Michael Ball is currently married to Cathy McGowan, his long-term girlfriend. Thank you so much for supporting the album, to the fans who've connected with it and bought it. Ball is stepfather to McGowan's daughter, Emma, and grandfather to Emma's children. His first regular show on Radio 2 was Michael Ball's Sunday Brunch in 2008, replacing Michael Parkinson whose show Parkinson's Sunday Supplement had ended the previous year. Michael Ball (Michael Ashley Ball) was born on 27 June, 1962 in Bromsgrove, United Kingdom, is a Broadcaster, actor, singer. Black wrote the lyrics for this song and the music was composed by John Barry for the film of the same name, Born Free. He took a leading role in Kismet in June and July 2007 for the ENO, and appeared on Channel 4's Richard & Judy on 22 June 2007 to promote this production. Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. By registering to HELLO! He explained: "It was a really scary thing. He also won the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Edna Turnblad. Ball played Alex in Aspects of Love, both in London and New York, and Giorgio in the London production of Stephen Sondheim's Passion. 1 charting songs; "Love Changes Everything" and "You'll Never Walk Alone". The album includes a compilation of previously released material celebrating Ball's 25th anniversary in the music industry, as well as six new tracks, including "You Can't Stop the Beat", from Hairspray. Speaking about their relationship to the Daily Mail in 2013, Michael said: "Theres something about the security and warmth of knowing that one person who, whatever happens, will always be on your side. But fortunately for him, she turned out to be a lifesaver, helping him overcome his illness. The very public breakup happened after allegations surfaced that he was cheating on her. Now we both say exactly whats on our minds. During a separate interview, the Phantom of Opera actor confessed he couldn't imagine his life without his partner. He has won 2 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. More info. In a dramatic personal. 2017 - Ball and Boe: Back Together Coming Home to You is Michael Ball's fourth UK number one album, his first solo number one album in the UK since his self-titled debut album in 1992. Michael Ball (1992-present) Children. Michael then added: If youve got someone fighting your corner, someone who loves you and you love, and is also really, really clever, the battle is so much easier. In late November 2020, Ball along with Alfie Boe hit the charts with the release of their fourth studio record, "Together At Christmas". Alfie is married to Sarah Boe, who he met while rehearsing La bohme in San Francisco, and the pair tied the knot back in 2004. He questioned irritably. They met around 1989 when she was an entertainment reporter for a BBC London magazine show and interviewed him during rehearsals for Aspects of Love. 151.5K Followers. His wife Morgan is a writer and editor. I did get briefly talking once to one of his co-stars (Maria Friedman, very nice woman). In 2010, Ball presented 30 episodes of The Michael Ball Show, his own daytime series for ITV. Husband of Keziah (Osborne) Ball married 1695 in Christ Church, Middlesex, Virginia. Also, back on December 23, 2000, Cathy saved Ball's life by dragging him out of a house fire. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. His zodiac sign is Cancer. Soon after his graduation in 1984, Ball's singing career rapidly got off the ground. After a successful run with the Baltimore Ravens, Oher signed a five-year, $20 million deal with the Tennessee Titans in 2014. His first regular show on Radio 2 was Michael Ball's Sunday Brunch in 2008, replacing Michael Parkinson whose show Parkinson's Sunday Supplement had ended the previous year. Following the death of Sir Terry Wogan, Ball returned to the Sunday morning slot on 10 April 2016, with the show now titled The Michael Ball Show. All profits made went to this charity. In 2009, he became engaged to Nicole Murphy, former wife of. Whilst there, the University of Surrey awarded Ball with an honorary doctorate. The album features songs all written by Burt Bacharach and is entitled Back to Bacharach. She taught me that. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The singer and performer came second in the. So, how much is Michael Ball worth at the age of 60 years old? READ MORE:Loose Women fans accuse Michael Ball of miming. The couple was in a relationship since 2012. 1 on his 100th birthday.[19]. It wasn't long before Cameron Mackintosh and propelled his career to the bright lights of the west end. Michael Ball is a good-looking man with a healthy average body physique in his 50s. Later the same year he was a guest star at Clark's Concert, also broadcast by the BBC. In March 2019, he released the album "Coming Home To You". It was announced in February 2019 that Ball will star as Inspector Javert opposite Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean) in a staged concert production of Les Misrables. His next important role came when Cameron Mackintosh cast him as Marius in the original London cast of Les Misrables, but he caught glandular fever and he took six or seven weeks off sick to recover from the associated tonsillitis and post-viral fatigue. He shared feeling irritated every time their age gap was discussed. One summer he went to Pathfinder camp on the isle of Jersey. Casts of the current London, international tour and original 1985 London productions took part, comprising an ensemble of 300 performers and musicians. Im really hands-on with them and I wouldnt have it any other way. These also started happening at other times, such as when he was going to work. 1 on his 100th birthday. Ive always been in Connor and Graces lives. He is a member of famous Broadcaster with the age 60 years old group. In the picture above she's alongside Amber Rayne at a convention. Chatting about the children to The Daily Mail, Michael explained: "Theyre sort of my step-grandchildren, I suppose, but it doesnt feel like that. It entered the UK charts at number 10. He holds an English nationality. He stepped into the role of Count Fosco when Michael Crawford, who originated the role, fell ill. After a month-long concert tour throughout the UK in early summer, Michael went into the recording studio to record his 19th CD, titled Music. He celebrated his 59th birthday in 2021. Cathy was previously married to actor Hywel Bennett, the marriage producing a daughter Emma. His father Tony, who originally wanted to be an actor, trained as an Austin apprentice at the Longbridge plant and progressed to become head of global sales at British Leyland. You might be interested to know more about Michael Ball. His other West End roles include Giorgio in Passion (1997) and Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2002). The show premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre for six weeks starting 24 September 2011 before transferring to London in March 2012. Im too old to be a toy boy, and age has never been an issue or thought about. Get the details, Meet Escape to the Country star Nicki Chapman's husband, Holly Willoughby gives hilarious insight into marriage with Dan Baldwin, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield explain why they can't hug despite restrictions lifting. A post shared by Michael Ball OBE (@mrmichaelball). Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 58 years old? Cathy also has a granddaughter, Grace. [1] At about that time, Cameron Mackintosh asked Ball to play Raoul in the second casting of The Phantom of the Opera in London, which was necessary after Michael Crawford (who played the Phantom) and Steve Barton (who played Raoul) left the London show to appear in the Broadway staging in New York City. He said back in 2019: Its just not something that we need to do. [15] Within 24 hours,[16] the performance was recorded, and made into a digital single featuring the NHS Voices of Care Choir, and Moore's spoken words. I couldnt imagine my life without her." 6am - 10am, All Around The World He does have another child, with a former girlfriend, but he, the child, and her mother, and both families prefer to keep any history about that private. How much do you know about Michael Ball's family? I came into Emmas life when she was in her mid-teens. On 24 April it became No. Tiffany runs her online store and is also working as vice president of 'Beat The Odds Inc.'. Ball embarked on an extensive British tour during March and April 2007. Having his career started initially with a theatre show, "Les Misrables" in 1985, Ball has come a long way up establishing himself as one of the prominent actors in his field. Tweets & replies. He then appeared as the solo artist in a controversial 'Musical Theatre' Prom on 27 August 2007 for the BBC at London's Royal Albert Hall. Ball and Colm Wilkinson anchored the encore, with four Jean Valjeans singing "Bring Him Home": Wilkinson from the original London cast, John Owen-Jones from the 25th Anniversary touring production, Simon Bowman from the current London cast and Alfie Boe, who sang the role in the concert. He is not dating anyone. English singer, presenter and actor (born 1962), Jody Abrahams, Loukmaan Adams, Mandisa Bardill, Junaid Booysen, Salie Daniels, and Alistair Izobell, United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, Les Misrables: The Dream Cast in Concert, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Les Misrables 10th Anniversary The Dreamcast in Concert, "The man in the Mini is a Rolls-Royce speaker", "Les Misrables:the staged concert becomes the biggest one-night live stream event of all time", "Michael Ball CD, "Both Sides Now," Features New Songs by Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber", "Paul O'Grady misses show after heart emergency | Television & radio", "Michael Ball to take over Sir Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 slot BBC News", "Captain Tom Moore launches You'll Never Walk Alone charity single with Michael Ball", "Captain Tom Moore scores UK's top trending song", "Captain Tom Moore and Michael Ball land UK number one with charity single", "Michael Ball receives Honorary Doctorate from GSA", https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/grace-crompton, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Ball&oldid=1142166762, Eurovision Song Contest entrants for the United Kingdom, Officers of the Order of the British Empire, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from August 2022, Pages using infobox person with multiple partners, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2008, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Articles containing Swedish-language text, Articles containing Serbian-language text, Articles containing Icelandic-language text, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles containing Luxembourgish-language text, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing Norwegian-language text, Articles containing Turkish-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Note: Entries scored out signify where the United Kingdom did not compete, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 21:54. Besides, Ball is quite active on social media sites with over 114k followers on Twitter: @mrmichaelball and over 56k followers on Instagram: @mrmichaelball. On 24 April 2020, Ball entered the UK Singles Chart at number one with a cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone", with combined chart sales of 82,000 making it the fastest-selling single of 2020 so far. The 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misrables was held at The O2 Arena. Descendants. . His albums include; "The Movies", "One Voice", "Both Sides Now", "If Everyone Was Listening", "Coming Home To You". On 18 November 2013, Ball guest presented an episode of teatime chat show The Paul O'Grady Show after Paul O'Grady was taken ill. On 24 November 2013, he guest starred as himself in the British sitcom Toast of London. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. For most of the next nine months he lived alone in his flat feeling depressed; he did not seek therapy and left Les Misrables. 'I was right,' confirms Michael. He has recorded 3 albums with Alfie Boe. Seeing the passion in Ball, his father took him to see shows in the school holidays. Michael Ashley Ball OBE (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles Chart with "Love Changes Everything", a song taken from the musical Aspects of Love, where he played Alex. Michael Ball was born as the second child to his Welsh mother, Ruth Ball, and an English father, Tony Ball. ", Michael opened up about their 20-year age gap. The concert was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the 5 January 2020. Ball took part in many promotional activities at the end of the 2006 to coincide with the release of his album One Voice. [10] Claudia Winkleman took over the vacant Sunday evening slot later that month. It is believed to be correct at the . He continued in the role of Edna Turnblad in the musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 29 April 2009. In 2007, he made his West End return starring as Edna Turnblad in the hit musical Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. In 2013, Ball was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts from University of Plymouth[13], In 2017, Ball backs children's fairy tales app GivingTales in aid of UNICEF together with Roger Moore, Stephen Fry, Ewan McGregor, Joan Collins, Joanna Lumley, Michael Caine, Charlotte Rampling and Paul McKenna. Michael Ball, 58, is well-known as a singing sensation after he has been performing in the West End since the 1980s. Michael Ball appears on Channel 5 tonight with his show Wonderful Wales but who is his long-term partner? Michael Ball has enjoyed a very successful and varied career over the last 20 years, both in the West End and on the Concert Stage, working with some of the 20th century's most prolific musical theatre composers.After graduating from the Guildford School of Acting, his professional debut was in "Godspell," playing the role of John the Baptist/Judas. Since reaching Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart with "Love Changes Everything" from Aspects of Love, Ball had lesser success with follow up singles, but in the main has concentrated on releasing albums, all of which achieved gold status within weeks, and in the case of The Movies album in 1998, platinum in seven weeks (released 26 October, confirmed platinum status on 12 December). Nicholas Ball was previously married to Pamela Stephenson (1975 - 1981).. About. Shes done it all. Alongside regularly collaborating with his musical partner, Alfie Boe, Michael released a single with Captain Tom Moore in April 2020. In 2010 and 2011, Ball guest presented six episodes of Lorraine for ITV Breakfast. The 37-year-old star of the hit musicals Les Miserables and Aspects Of Love suffered appalling injuries when he took part in a charity parachute jump. On 29 March 2019, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Michael Ball is in a long-term relationship with Cathy McGowan, 79, but have never married. The show aired on Sunday mornings between 11a.m. and 1p.m. until September 2011, latterly sharing its time slot with Weekend Wogan presented by Terry Wogan. He was also a regular stand-in presenter for Ken Bruce until 2016 on the station. Ball went to Plymouth College when he turned 11 years during the same time, he joined his fellow junior boarders on Sunday morning at the Pathfinder bible group in St Andrew's church. You have to enable javascript to fully function this website. He called her "the best" at giving him professional advice and strength. This song was released as a single by Ball in 1989 and stayed in the British pop charts for fourteen weeks. In April 2020, Ball recorded a duet with 99 year old World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, in aid of the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 10 April 2013, Ball guest hosted The One Show for the first time as a stand-in presenter. Lucy was married in the Fall of 1994 and Emma married Jeremy Bevan in November, 1994 in England, UK. From 6 April 2008, Ball took over Michael Parkinson's Sunday Supplement on BBC Radio 2 every Sunday from 11a.m. to 1p.m. Ball won the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Michael Ball is currently in a relationship with his long-term partner, Cathy McGowan. It destroyed all my memorabilia gold records, videos and CDs and it didnt matter because everyone was all right.. The Shooting Star Children's Hospice and CHASE Hospice Care for Children joined together to become Shooting Star CHASE in 2011 and Ball is a patron for this charity. Ball also has a stable music career as he has released several albums including his no. and Ruth Ball of Bridgwater, Somerset, England. He has twice won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Meghan Mountbatten Windsor, The Duchess of Sussex. As an actor, Ball briefly appeared as Malcolm Nuttall in Coronation Street in 1985. There were 23 dates on the tour covering England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Michael Ball and Cathy McGowan at the Savoy Hotel (Picture: Tom Wargacki/WireImage) The other partner in his life is Cathy McGowan. This was during the run of "Woman in White". Following the death of Sir Terry Wogan, Ball returned to the Sunday morning slot on 10 April 2016, with the show now titled The Michael Ball Show. He explained: I could never have achieved what Ive achieved without Cathy. Cathy got divorced from her husband at the end of the 1980s. Known for his role in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". According to our records, Nicholas Ball is possibly single. On 24 April 2020, Ball and Captain Tom Moore entered the UK Singles Chart at number one with a cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone", with combined chart sales of 82,000 making it the fastest-selling single of 2020. It saw Ball perform in Ipswich and Northampton before ending his tour in Cardiff. Entertainment & Recreation linktr.ee/michaelballobe Born June 27 Joined November 2009. Ball is a concert artist: he tours frequently around the United Kingdom and has also performed concerts in Australia and the United States. However, some fans will be keen to know a bit more about his life outside of. Ball continued saying how no one would mention if he were the older one. [citation needed], In November 2005, Ball returned to Broadway as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, which transferred from London's West End. Heidi and Mike 'went to sh*t' - her words (Picture: Nine) Heidi Latcham and Mike Gunner. "I was in a bad place when we first met. He continued in the role of Edna Turnblad in the musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 29 April 2009. In April 2020, Ball recorded a duet cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone" with 99-year-old World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore. He's the father of four children. Michael Ball and his partner Cathy McGowan have been together since 1992, although they have never married. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. In March 2008, he was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal. 2019Ball and Boe: A very Merry Christmas. In August 2007 he made his BBC Proms debut with An Evening with Michael Ball at the Royal Albert Hall, which marked the first time a musical theatre star had been given a solo concert at the classical music festival. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. His latest album Coming Home To You reached number One in the UK making it his 4th number one album to date. Ball also has an established career as a recording artist with his hit songs; "Love Changes Everything". "I can't properly explain it, but I don't mind admitting I suffered a breakdown," Ball said in his recollection. If you wish to change your mind and would like to stop receiving communications from hellomagazine.com, you can revoke your consent by clicking on "unsubscribe" in the footer of the newsletter. In March 2008, he was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal. Born 27th June 1962, he is renowned for his work in musical theatre. Relationships. The pair decided not to get married as husband and wife due to personal reasons; somethingBall had always refrained from discussing in his interviews. [7] This began a run of top 20 albums released over the next two decades. Towards the end of 2007, Ball recorded his 15th solo album for release on 15 October of that year. During his 2019 interview with Express, Ball blasted the topic of their age difference, calling it an irrelevant subject. In 2010 and 2011, Ball guest presented six episodes of Lorraine for ITV Breakfast. A Blu-ray and DVD version of the 2010 broadcast was released in November 2010 in the UK and in North America in February 2011. Amazing!"[3]. Originally from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, Michael's father was English and his mother Welsh. The BBC Concert Orchestra provided the orchestral backing for Ball on both songs for this performance. Michael Ashley Ball, OBE (born 27 June 1962) is an English actor, singer and radio broadcaster. [6] He is also the godfather to Emma's son, Connor. [11] 2016 - Ball and Boe: One Night Only , money, salary, income, and assets. Their home was on fire back in the early Noughties, and Cathy woke in the early hours and searched the house for Michael, eventually dragging him to safety. presenter when she interviewed him during Aspects of Love. [citation needed]. Their cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 24 April, not only giving Ball his first chart-topping single at the age of 57, but also making Moore the oldest ever person in history to score a number one hit. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of Les Misrables, . He has a fair complexion with brown hair and blue eyes. As fans know, this is not the first time Hall has been married, and he was actually married to his Dexter co-star Jennifer Carpenter from 2008 to 2010. Towards the end of 2007, Ball recorded his 15th solo album for release on 15 October of that year. Although he never had singing lessons, Michael Ball learned his craft making a bit of extra cash as a busker when he was a student studying at the Guildford School Of Acting. Ball starred as Mack in Mack and Mabel, which toured the UK in 2015. They were broadcast in 2016,2017,2019. Born Michael Ashley Ball on 27th June, 1962 in Bromsgrove, West Midlands, England, UK, he is famous for Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. The dad of three eventually fell in love with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and he decided to marry her. Find out more about Michael's ex-wife here. At first she was reluctant, but finally agreed and made that interview. The hard work has been worth it and this is just the icing on the cake. The staged concert was broadcast live to cinemas in the UK on December 2, 2019, and then encore showings in the UK and the USA. Michael Ball is an English actor, singer, and broadcaster who is well known for his performance as the lead character in the West End production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and also as Raoul in "The Phantom of the Opera". Shes Irish and Im in musical theatre!". Donald Trump. Two reached number 1; Ball & Boe: Together in 2016 and Ball & Boe: Together Again in 2017. He was, however, forced to leave the show because of a viral infection supposedly caused by the fat suit required for the role; this reportedly raised Ball's body temperature by several degrees during the show. Four of his concerts were released on DVD, "Musicals and More," "Live At the Royal Albert Hall," "This Time It's Personal," and "Live in London. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. Before he met with McGowan, Ball admittedly was battling depression. Ball took part in many promotional activities at the end of the 2006 to coincide with the release of his album One Voice. Smooth Breakfast with Eamonn Kelly The 59-year-old singer and presenter has been in a relationship with Cathy McGowan since 1992. However, the couple are yet to make it official. He also won the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, his first Olivier Award. "In May 1992 he represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "One Step Out Of Time." In 2010 Ball took part in the BBC Cymru Wales programme Coming Home about his Welsh family history. Ball co-hosted the Olivier Awards with Imelda Staunton on 13 March 2011 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. In 2002 he took on the role of Caractacus Potts in the Sherman Brothers musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was largely considered his comeback role.
What Happened To Gabs From Woody And Kleiny,
Business For Sale Columbus, Ohio,
Why Is Everyone Holding Up 4 Fingers,
I40 Road Conditions New Mexico,
Is Megalodon Still Alive In Mariana Trench,
Articles W