Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash’s TV series Stacey & Joe kicks off tonight and shows what the couple is really like behind closed doors.

Stacey is known for being a Loose Women panellist and clearing up clutter on BBC’s Sort Your Life Out.

Anyone who follows her on Instagram will know that she’s qualified after spending the last few years on a one-woman mission to make Pickle Cottage even more beautiful, armed with a paintbrush, a glue gun, and a dream.

It’s been quite the journey for Stacey with her public life beginning on The X Factor in 2009, and taking her to Loose Women, before starting a new chapter as a social media star, and TV’s hottest property.

Let’s take a look at her life outside of TV, and her career so far…

Stacey Solomon’s home

Stacey and her husband Joe Swash, 42, moved into their incredible house, reportedly worth over £ 1 million, in 2021.

The Essex abode, which is surrounded by over two acres of land, was sweetly named after Stacey’s nickname for her children, and she’s made the space perfect for her family’s needs.

She may be doing well for herself but that hasn’t stopped Stacey from getting her hands dirty with some DIY. For every project, she has documented the process on Instagram, or in her book, Tap to Tidy. We’ve seen her jet wash her swimming pool area, stencil her children’s rooms, and even surprise Joe with his own ‘den’. We’re just wondering when Stacey sleeps.

She doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon either, recently confessing: ‘I don’t think I’ll ever be done DIYing… Although don’t tell Joe that. It’s almost therapeutic for me.’

After months of getting everything to their taste, Pickle Cottage was used as a venue for a special occasion…

Stacey Solomon’s family life

On July 24 2022, Joe and Stacey said ‘I do’ in front of their loved ones after seven years of dating at the place they feel happiest.

Announcing their nuptials, Stacey wrote: ‘🕊Forever 🕊 Me and My Husband 😭 I don’t think I will ever get used to saying that. It all feels like a dream.’

She then quoted Dr. Suess: ‘You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.’

On their wedding date, the couple already had two children together Rex, five, and Rose, three, but there was an extra guest in Stacey’s stomach unbeknownst to them. Although it was a surprise, they couldn’t have been happier.

‘So grateful & can not believe I’m saying this… Another little pickle is on the way… 😭 A HUGE surprise, but one that we are so thankful for,’ wrote Stacey.

Belle was born in February 2023, with Stacey sharing: ‘We can’t wait to love you forever and ever we are so grateful we get to be your family.’

Their three children together also have older siblings – Stacey’s sons Zachary, 17, Leighton, 12, and Joe’s son Harry, 16 – making up their beautiful blended family.

There are two more beloved members of their clan – pups Teddy and Peanut.

Also in her tight-knit family is her sister Jemma Solomon, who runs the business The Label Laby, which was invested in by Lord Alan Sugar. Stacey can often be seen attaching her sister’s items to her pantry jars.

Stacey has a very useful family as her other sister, Samantha Stone is a personal trainer, who has been helping her utilise Pickle Cottage’s garage gym, while her dad David Solomon is a photographer and often captures beautiful family photos which Stacey shares with her 5.9 million followers on Instagram.

Stacey Solomon’s journey from The X Factor to TV star

Stacey first burst onto our screens in 2009 on the talent competition, The X Factor, where she made it to the final. From the moment she told Simon Cowell ‘Hiya’, British TV was forever changed.

When asked if she was good at singing, our humble Queen replied: ‘I hope so, you may not think so.’ Stacey, then 19, got four yeses from judges Simon, Louis Walsh, Danni Osbourne and Cheryl Cole, after singing What A Wonderful World.

Although her vocal range was impressive, her personality shone equally as bright leading to more TV work.

At the time, Stacey was a single mum after having her first child as a teenager. Speaking about becoming a parent at a young age, she said: ‘I haven’t done anything that thousands haven’t done’ and spoke of her privilege of having such a supportive family.

She now ‘barely remembers’ life before motherhood, but does remember the judgements she’d get.

‘I do remember all of the looks I’d get & all of the things that people would say when they saw a “child raising a child”. I can’t believe I am now a mummy of 5,’ she wrote on Instagram.

She continued in the defiant caption: ‘And all I can say is, not one of those judgments or opinions back then were true.

‘No matter how real they felt I look at each of them now and I have never felt so proud. They are the kindest most amazing people and I was a part of that.’

The following year, she appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and became Queen of the Jungle. The person who placed the crown on her head was none other than her future husband, Joe, as he was the reigning champ.

She went on to appear on The Jump, where celebrities learnt winter sports (and Stacey ended up in a relationship with Jackass co-star, Steve-O – the streets never forget), and was eventual host of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Extra Camp – a spin-off of the main show.

By 2016, she was a regular panellist on Loose Women, where she used that platform to create her own personal brand on social media.

She is currently the most-followed ITV presenter, with followers enjoying insights into her life as a mum-of-five, her friendship with fellow influencer Mrs Hinch, and watching her organise every inch of her home. A 60-second reel of Stacey restocking the snack cupboard is surprisingly entertaining, and we won’t be told otherwise.

Stacey often uses Instagram to celebrate small businesses and has recently begun investing her own money into them. She began with Rehab, who sell vegan and cruelty-free hair products. Someone needs to get Stacey on Dragons’ Den – she’s certainly got the funds as it was recently reported she’s almost taking home the average yearly salary of UK residents every single week, a whopping £27,000.

Although Stacey occasionally pops up on Loose Women, she’s mainly focused on her own shows, including Sort Your Life Out, which has won a Royal Television Society award, Crafty Christmas, and her 2024 offering, Stacey Solomon’s Renovation Rescue.

In an interview with The Mirror ahead of the new TV series, Stacey shared that she was excited to make this show so they can show the footage to their children.

‘This is such a lovely family album to have. In years to come, when the kids are getting married, we’ll have so much footage to show them what they were like,’ said Joe.

Stacey also teased that the show is set to be a very honest reflection of their relationship.

‘What you see is what you get,’ said Stacey. ‘What we’ve learnt about each other is that we’re not a perfect couple. We’ve never said we’re a perfect couple, but you get to watch yourself back, which is something that doesn’t happen often.’

Stacey & Joe begins tonight at 8pm on BBC One.

This article was originally published in April 2024.

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Today, the cost of a TV licence has increased in the UK – but before the change came into effect, many people rushed to cancel their subscriptions.

It was previously announced that on April 1 2025, the annual fee would be going up by an extra £5 from £169.50 to £174.50.

The money is used to pay for eight national TV channels plus regional TV services, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, 56 radio stations, the BBC website, BBC World Service and BBC apps.

‘This is a rise of just over 1p a day and is the second time the licence fee has increased since 1 April 2021,’ the TV licensing company said.

‘The Government decided that the licence fee would rise annually in line with annual CPI inflation from 1 April 2024 for the remaining four years of the Charter period. The BBC’s current Charter runs until the end of 2027.’

Although some viewers weren’t happy about it, it is legally required to have a TV licence if you watch live television – on any channel – or use BBC iPlayer.

Following the announced, some suggested that it should be scrapped altogether, or admitted that they were personally checking out.

‘I will say it again as I think it is important. We need to scrap the BBC TV Licence Fee. Who is with me on this?’ wrote Jamie A on X, which led to some followers responding in agreement.

ElizaT56623 urged others to cancel: ‘We should defund the BBC. If I can live without watching iPlayer or any live TV broadcasts then I’m pretty sure you can too. It’s really easy to cancel your TV licence, I even got a refund!’

‘If there is ever a reason not to pay your TV licence this is it,’ wrote Ian and shared a short clip of David Tennant presenting the Baftas.

‘I don’t buy a TV licence, I don’t watch BBC, iPlayer or anything live on any channel or platform. After reading the tweets about the Baftas I think I’m allowed to say that I win,’ added Cheekypinot. While Sentinel called the TV licence fee ‘blatant robbery’.

‘High time the licence fee was scrapped,’ stated Louise Greenan.

Of course, not everyone feels this way and some people appreciate the BBC for providing TV that leads to major talking moments.

From light-hearted entertainment shows such as The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing to Panorama documentaries on important issues. They also can break rating records with their beloved comedies.

In January, there was more fury when it was revealed radical new measures were being considered by the UK government.

Ministers debated whether to extend the fee to all streaming platform users to plug the BBC funding gap, according to Bloomberg.

Not everyone has to pay the rising costs of the TV licence.

State pensioners aged over 74 and receiving Pension Credit can apply for a free TV licence, and discounts are also offered for the blind, as well as those who live in care homes or sheltered accommodation.

Further information is available on TV Licensing’s official website.

A version of this article was originally published on February 17.

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Joanne Froggatt has spent 28 years perfecting her craft and is now one of Britain’s best on-screen talents.

It’s hard to imagine a world in which talented actress Joanne was struggling to find enough work to pay her bills, but the 44-year-old has recalled a period in her early 20s when things weren’t easy.

‘I’ve never come close to quitting acting but there were times when I thought, “Oh God, what would I do if I didn’t do this?” and when I’ve had the last mortgage payment in the bank thinking, “Oh, am I going to get a job before that goes?”, which I have managed by the skin of my teeth,’ she explained to Metro.

‘I have wondered if I was doing the right thing but that’s just part of life isn’t it? You have that in any career you’re in and I love acting.’

With knowledge that only comes through experience, Joanne has learnt to ride the ‘whole rollercoaster of life’ and deciphered that things often work out how they are meant to.

‘You struggle and you thrive, you miss out on opportunities, and you gain opportunities. There’s a saying, which I’m going to completely mess up, it’s good or bad, never believe your own press,’ she wisely shared and didn’t mess up.

Joanne, 44, expanded: ‘When things are going well, enjoy every minute, but don’t pat yourself on the back too much because you will go through times of struggle.

‘When times are a bit trickier just know they will pass. Don’t berate yourself for any choices you’ve made, learn from the mistakes and deal with the consequences to move forward.’

This is especially important when working as an actor. The nature of the audition process means that rejection is common for most people.

‘There are parts you miss out on that you go, “Yeah okay, I see why they got it” and then there are other times you go “No, I think I would have done that better” or “We actually played that quite similarly”.

‘You’ve got to roll with the punches. Often it’s got nothing to do with you and just that they wanted it to go in a different direction. It’s a tricky lesson, but you become better at letting things go when you’ve been doing it for a while.’

If Joanne’s acting career ever grinds to a halt we think she’d have a great career in motivational speaking. That hypothetical scenario doesn’t look likely as Joanne is very much thriving and is about to star in the new Paramount Plus series MobLand.

It’s a dream job for Joanne who’s always wanted the challenge of an ‘action-packed and high stakes’ gangster show that feels far removed from anything she’s been around.

In the upcoming release, Joanne is playing Jan Da Souza, the wife of ‘fixer’Harry Da Souza, portrayed by Tom Hardy. The Guy Ritchie-directed series also features Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan as Maeve and Conrad Harrigan, the heads of an organised crime family.

Joanne ‘loved’ working with Tom, 47, stating that they have the same taste when selecting a direction for their characters: ‘Tom and I wanted to bring in that these two are equals. She’s the one person who can be a voice of reason in Harry’s life and bring him up on things so that was a fun dynamic to play.’

‘Tom’s a brilliant actor – everything he does on set is great,’ she continued. ‘He’s such a fantastic scene partner as he’s a forensic thinker.’

Making sure Jan felt like a real person was something that Joanne took much care with. ‘I love that process of trying to build a backstory, and I got lots of creative freedom,’ she explained.

‘You don’t have to like every character you play but you do have to understand them.

‘I like Jan,’ Joanne quickly added, but also pointed out she doesn’t want to adopt any of her traits. The gangster’s wife is complicit in the criminal underbelly so that makes sense!

It wasn’t just Tom she enjoyed working with – Joanne recalled the fun scenes she shared with Pierce, 71, and Helen, 79, whose characters she describes as ‘bonkers’. What Joanne found most inspiring was how much the acting titans still loved their jobs.

‘To see them still having so much fun was lovely – that’s the key to success. If you’re enjoying the process that makes for better work because you want to be there,’ she said.

This is an early lesson Joanne also had instilled by her parents Keith and Ann Froggatt. The couple ran a corner shop before turning their attention to a sheep farm with Joanne even helping out with the milking and deliveries.

‘It was my dad’s dream to have a farm, and that’s what my parents did,’ she recalled.

‘One thing my parents always told me was to have a go at something you enjoy. They’d say “Find something you love, and you’ll have a much happier life because when you’re passionate, you’ll do your best”.’

Joanne found that passion young, leaving her family home in Whitby at age 13 to attend theatre school in Maidenhead. Packing her bags and moving five hours away was made easier because she knew what she wanted.

‘I’ve always wanted to be an actor since I can remember. Before I even knew I could do it as a job, I just knew I wanted to be on TV having all these adventures,’ she stated.

One of Joanne’s earliest memories was her grandmother recording What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? on VHS. ‘It was not a very age-appropriate movie for me to be watching but I was obsessed with that film, and these two women acting so grotesquely towards each other. I thought “Oh you can play all these people that aren’t like you – how much fun that would be”.’

Her hard work paid off with Joanne, still a teenager, being cast as Zoe Tattersall in Coronation Street.

She’s gone on to impress with leading roles in Angela Black, Liar, Breathtaking and Downtown Abbey, which will soon be getting a third movie. Joanne says that fans can expect the upcoming film to bring back the ‘heart of Downton’.

‘We come to the core of the family and the servants, what the future will be and looking back at where the family have got to now. It’s a beautiful full-circle moment that it comes to at the end,’ she teased.

Her time as servant Anna Bates marks a huge personal career high for her, having won a Golden Globe for the portrayal. ‘I’ll be forever grateful. It was a nerve-wracking, fabulous fairytale night. I’ll never forget it.’ Joanne also thinks it marked a turning point for British TV.

‘There was a stage where reality TV came in and it was all the rage. There wasn’t much drama being made in the UK. That was sad but then eventually it came good again and Downton Abbey was one of the first shows to sort of bring back the eagerness for good drama.

‘It’s been amazing to ride it all out and still be around to tell the tale,’ she summarised.

Was she ever tempted to take part in reality TV? ‘No, never tempted, 100% no. I’m an actor. My personal life is not for sale.’ However, when it comes to watching, she is a Gogglebox fan. To unwind Joanne also loves a good documentary because that way she isn’t analysing editorial choices.

Nearly three decades into her professional acting career, Joanne still talks about her craft with an undeniable enthusiasm. As for what the future holds, Joanne hopes to play more characters that are the complete antithesis of her.

‘I loved playing Mary Ann Cotton – the first known female serial killer. The character was so sociopathic, psychopathic, whatever you want to call her, that it was so opposite from anything I am. I’d enjoy doing something along those lines again,’ she explained.

She is feeling optimistic about the acting industry too. ‘The way women are depicted has evolved, and it’s still evolving in the right way, which is exciting to see,’ she stated.

MobLand begins on Paramount Plus March 30

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Friendship is at the epicentre of many teenagers’ worlds and this was no different for Brianna Ghey.

Over long phone calls, fun sleepovers and the desire to help each other navigate a time of life that can be equal parts joyful and testing, her relationships with friends Daisy, Lucie and Viv became pivotal. 

They were three of the most important people to Brianna, and in return, she was intrinsic to their lives. However, their bond was ripped apart on February 11, 2023 – a date forever engrained in their memory. 

On that day, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 15 at the time, lured 16-year-old Brianna to Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington and brutally ended her life.

Their heinous act snatched Brianna’s future and stole any remnants of a carefree childhood away from the trio who knew her.

Creating special bonds

Daisy, now 17, met Brianna at age 11 on their first day of high school after they were both sent to the administrative office to wait for their parents, who were late to pick them up. Such tardiness was something Daisy would end up being eternally grateful for.

‘Within minutes we were pulling ugly faces to take funny pictures. It’s like we were long-time best friends,’ Daisy tells Metro.

‘Brianna was a comfort but also absolutely hilarious. After she moved school, we would still speak every day.’ 

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

Read more:

• Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign
• Remembering the women killed by men in 2024

Lucie, 18, had a similarly sped-up friendship when Brianna joined Birchwood High School. In January 2022 they were both sat in the ‘Oak suite’ designed for students who didn’t always benefit from traditional lessons. Brianna had dyslexia, ADHD and ASD [autism spectrum disorder] and missed some schooling due to spending time in a facility for her mental health and body dysmorphia.

‘I told her that I liked her hair and in response, she followed me around and didn’t stop talking,’ Lucie fondly remembers.

‘I thought “Okay, we’re friends”. I’ve never got on with someone as quickly as I got on with Brianna. There was no warming up phase.’ 

In the following months, if they weren’t physically together, the pair were always in touch somehow. They often spoke until the second they fell asleep, not even taking a break when Lucie showered. ‘I’d put my phone on the wall so we could keep chatting,’ Lucie remembers with a laugh, adding they would often be doing ‘anything we weren’t supposed to be doing!’

During one memorable sleepover in Brianna’s completely pink bedroom (‘She even painted the Playstation controller with pink nail varnish so when you touched it the colour melted onto your hands’), they dyed Lucie’s hair ‘bright orange’ much to her mum’s dissatisfaction. 

Although the pair had a lot of fun together, Brianna’s role in Lucie’s life was significant in another way too. When Lucie came out as bisexual while at school, things became more difficult for her. ‘We both loved being girly and were a little wild, but Brianna never judged me. I could tell her whatever and she’d say “As long as you’re happy”,’ she recalls. 

‘I was crying constantly and had a rubbish time at school, but she made life easier. She understood because she’d gone through stuff herself.’ 

Brianna was born Brett before transitioning at age 14 during the nationwide lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. When schools reopened she reintroduced herself to the world as Brianna. 

The teen didn’t just share herself with the people directly in her orbit, she also built a following on social media with makeup tutorials and dance videos, which Viv, now 17, first discovered in 2021. 

One day, she decided to comment on one of the TikToks, telling Brianna, ‘You’re gorgeous, I hope I’m like you one day’, which soon sparked a friendship between the two. Viv was also transitioning but wasn’t as far into the journey as her new friend, who was full of advice, from clothing choices to ‘passing’.

‘I struggled to accept being trans but Brianna was very proud of it. She helped me like that part of me a lot more,’ Viv tells Metro. 

Although their friendship lived online, Viv insists it was just as strong as anything that can be created offline. ‘There was no time limit to our conversations and we’d give each other pure, unbroken conversation,’ she remembers. 

‘I don’t always talk to every friend of mine for 30 minutes a day, but we’d often speak for three to four hours. We would prioritise scheduling time for each other. That is friendship.’

After two years of chatting, Viv and Brianna agreed to finally meet on a shopping trip at Manchester Trafford Centre. Their excitement was steadily building for their girly day – but just a week before their highly-anticipated hangout Brianna was murdered.

Saying goodbye

Daisy was happy for Brianna when she made a new school friend in Scarlett Jenkinson in November 2022. Unbeknownst to Brianna and everyone else around them aside from Ratcliffe, Jenkinson was secretly researching ways to kill and making plans to murder Brianna.

Just a few months after their first meeting, Brianna planned to take the bus alone to meet Jenkinson, Daisy felt proud of her, as it was something the teen had never done before.

‘I knew it was a big step for her,’ she says. They also met Ratcliffe, who had not previously met Brianna but knew Jenkinson from both previously attending the same school. Nobody could have known that Jenkinson and Ratcliffe had been plotting Brianna’s death over a series of messages. 

The pair stabbed Brianna 28 times before fleeing the scene. Dog walkers found the young girl’s body and called the emergency services but they were unable to save her. The offence was motivated by sadistic tendencies and hate against transgender people was also a motive for Ratcliffe, the court ruled. Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were handed minimum terms of 22 and 20 years respectively.

When Daisy was sent an article about the murder she thought it was a ‘sick joke’ by somebody bullying Brianna. She instantly went into protective mode and wanted to make sure her friend was shielded from such cruel taunts.

Having been granted access to Brianna’s social media to help deal with trolls, Daisy logged on to delete any posts about what she still thought was a hoax.

‘I cared so much for her, I always wanted her to be okay so I thought I’m gonna have to help her deal with this,’ she explains.

However, as more and more messages came through, Daisy slowly realised this wasn’t the work of vile trolls – her friend really had been murdered. ‘That’s when it hit me – this was real.’

Daisy’s mother, who was doing a grocery shop, rushed back home to be by her daughter’s side and didn’t leave her for weeks. ‘When my mum would go for a shower, she’d have to get someone else to sit with me. I couldn’t ever be alone,’ she remembers. 

‘It took me a while to return to school, then when I did I was sent straight out of my maths class because I was sobbing so much. I felt different from my classmates. Everybody else was talking about the stress of GCSEs while I was trying to grieve my best friend.’

Viv was sitting in her boarding school’s library revising for upcoming mock exams when she first became aware of the tragedy through a social media post: ‘I just started breaking down, so my two friends walked me back to my room,’ she remembers. ‘The journey is normally 15 minutes but it took me 35 because I couldn’t walk. People probably thought I was drunk.

‘For weeks I couldn’t eat, drink, or move. I didn’t even go to the toilet. It’s so grim, but it’s just the way it was. It was one of the most prolific murders of a trans person and she was a close friend so I was paranoid. I thought I would be next. 

‘When the police visited me because I was too scared to go to the station, they spent a lot of time reassuring me that I was safe.’

Lucie was making a sandwich when a friend sent her an article about Brianna’s murder. ‘I had a tomato in my left hand and my phone in my right hand. I dropped both,’ she recalls. ‘When I got into bed that night I was getting so many messages and calls that my phone started overheating.’

Brianna’s funeral in Warrington was the first that Daisy had ever attended, and she didn’t feel ready. She and others wore pink outfits as requested by the family, and the streets were packed with people. Not just those whopersonally knew Brianna, but also people who just wanted to pay their respects to the teen. They watched as a carriage with white horses carried her pink coffin. 

‘I understood that funerals were for goodbyes but it felt too soon for me. I hadn’t even processed that she’d gone,’ Daisy explains. There was a lot of attention on the funeral, but she was able to get a moment alone with Brianna’s coffin and gently placed a rose quartz bracelet on it.

‘Brianna used to wear one similar until my dog bit it off,’ she remembers, her voice momentarily sounding joyful. ‘She kept all the beads for years after it happened. When she passed away, I bought her a new one.’

Remembering Brianna

In a new ITV documentary, Brianna: A Mother’s Story, each of the trio has has spoken lovingly about their friend, alongside Brianna’s mum, Esther, who has campaigned tirelessly for more protection from online harm and mindfulness in schools since her daugher’s death. 

As part of the programme which looks back at Brianna’s life, and the murder investigation, the friends’ were adamant that her fun and loving personality was given an equal amount of precedence to the devastating end. They want to ensure that her legacy isn’t just sadness – something that Esther expressed gratitude for at a special first screening of the episode.

As the three girls now stand on the edge of adulthood, they are united in a mission to make sure their friend is never forgotten. ‘I talk about Brianna every day. I joke that my friends must be sick of hearing about her,’ Viv says with a laugh. 

‘I very much separate what happened to her from who she was. My therapist imposed that one.’

On her dressing table, she has placed a picture of Brianna so she can look at her every day. ‘Brianna helped with my recovery from eating disorders. When she passed, I thought “Okay, one of us needs to get better.” I feel like I’m living for both of us.’ 

Lucie becomes visibly emotional when talking about some of her final interactions with Brianna. ‘She was having a hard time and I reminded her that school is a very short part of your life. It’s just so sad that she never got to experience that future.’

She now looks for signs that Brianna is okay, and is adamant that she still contacts her. ‘I recently saw the sunrise from my office which isn’t usually visible from my window. It was bright pink – her favourite colour,’ Lucie says, as tears fall down her face.

‘She was just a girl living a life. What happened to her was a freak incident, and it shouldn’t stop anybody from living authentically because Brianna taught us all to be unapologetically ourselves.’

Brianna: A Mother’s Story will air Thursday at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

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Many of the residents at the Hughenden Gardens Retirement Village -the eldest being 95 – thought there was a hard limit to what they could do.

But then a ground-breaking experiment with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis at the helm has changed everything for them.

Not only have the OAPs’ opinions of themselves rapidly shifted, but their recent experience has the potential to smash the general public’s stereotypes about what the elderly are capable of doing with ease. 

This has all been achieved by doing one thing – learning British Sign Language (BSL).

The retirees were willing guinea pigs for an ambitious new scheme thought up by Rose, who has long believed that BSL has the power to positively improve the quality of life of the older population.

To test her theory, she started with Hughenden Gardens, with the plan to eventually make BSL lessons accessible for the ageing population. (Rose also wants other generations to pick it up, but that’s a whole other story). 

Although it sounds like it could be a B plot in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, the rationale behind it has merit. Currently, an estimated 75% of older people experience hearing loss, which is expected to increase to 80% by 2032.

However, hearing loss can be easily dismissed and go undiagnosed leading to further problems and barriers later in life, as when communicating becomes difficult it can lead to feelings of isolation. 

According to Age UK, approximately one in five older adults (aged 65 and over) report feeling lonely, and isolation is one of the biggest killers in the UK — so it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. 

One of the retirement village’s longest-standing residents Karen, 77, was an enthusiastic student during the process, which was documented by BBC in the playfully titled Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, but initially, she had her reservations. ‘How am I going to do this?’ was her first question.

‘It was daunting. Some of us might not look that old, but we are old,’ Karen tells Metro. ‘I’ve lost a lot of my knowledge and I didn’t think I was able to learn at all.’

She was quickly surprised though, by her brain’s ability to pick up a new skill under the guidance of BSL teacher Marios Costi and Rose. Not only did she enjoy learning the new langauage, but it also increased Karen’s confidence. 

‘Learning sign language has given me another dimension. My son says it’s given me a new lease of life. I’m like a big kid at the moment,’ she says.

Widower Karen admits to previously putting on a positive ‘mask’ that hid what was truly going on behind the scenes. When her husband David died in 2015, a month before their 50th wedding anniversary, she understandably struggled to adapt without the love of her life. ‘I couldn’t get used to the fact that I hadn’t got anybody living with me anymore. When I was on my own, I cried a lot of tears. I felt very lonely,’ she explains.

So in 2018, aged 70, she made the move to Hughenden Gardens and tried to be ‘strong’.

There, Karen discovered that having things to do would make her feel better, so she took on the role as a bingo caller and helps write the village magazine. Learning sign language has also become another positive and welcome addition to her schedule.

‘I still have my moments, everybody in my position does, but you have to live life to the full, and I’m doing that now,’ she explains. ‘I talk to everyone because it makes me feel better and also I don’t want them to feel how I’ve felt. Now I can speak to people with hearing issues too.

‘If you don’t talk to people, you’ll never find anything out about them. I discovered things about the lives of people I’d known for a while – both good and bad – by learning sign. I’ve had a couple of residents who have told me something funny about their life, which has gone into the magazine.’

Rose, 30, became the first regular deaf character on EastEnders and was the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, famously going on to lift the glitterball trophy in 2021. She won the TV Moment of the Year Bafta after briefly dancing to silence. The powerful choreography choice gave an insight into what she experienced every day.

Rose then used her fame to throw all her support behind MP Rosie Cooper’s bill asking for BSL to be legally recognised as a language, which was passed in 2022 and her passion for challenging labels and BSL has continued to be unwavering. 

The activist’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by Karen. ‘The whole project was Rose’s baby. She made us all feel special and became a friend,’ she says. ‘Hearing Rose’s story about some of the barriers she’s faced being deaf made me sad and gave us all the credence then to carry on with this because we felt it had to be done.’ 

After seeing the benefits firsthand, Karen knows that Rose is correct in encouraging a wider usage of BSL. 

‘I do believe that if other retirement villages and more elderly people could learn it there would be less loneliness,’ she adds. 

Hearing loss is a major public health issue –  in the UK, 11 million people are hard of hearing, while 1.2 million adults are unable to hear most conversational speech – and the hope is the documentary will demonstrate the value BSL can have in all our lives, the joy of communicating and the power of community.

Whether the messaging hits home and inspires real change is yet to be seen, but for Karen and her friends at Hughenden Gardens, the journey is continuing. They still have weekly lessons and regularly use BSL to communicate with each other.

‘I know plenty of deaf people but before this, it never actually occurred to me that if I learned to sign, I could talk to them,’ she admits. ‘Now I am on my way to being able to talk to anybody. You don’t need to be lonely in this village.’

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, produced by Rogan Productions, is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

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Dressed in an oversized black Balenciaga t-shirt, paired with gold earrings, Sarah Ashcroft enters her aesthetic neutral-toned lounge. Tears are already threatening to escape.

It’s only her in the room right now, but what is about to happen won’t remain private. Before sitting down on the cream sofa perfectly positioned to receive the best lighting, she flicks the switch on her vlogging camera to record. ‘So this is definitely not a video that I ever thought I would film…’ she begins after a deep exhale. 

When the finished footage was later shared on YouTube with the blunt title ‘WE BROKE UP’ it was watched nearly 300,000 times. Over 17 minutes Sarah details the ins and outs of her breakup from her long-term partner (and unfortunately, also her manager), with the sort of honesty you’d usually find exclusively at a hardcore two-hour bottomless brunch. 

Over the months that followed their split in early 2024, Sarah’s posts depicted everything from her solemnly putting up a Christmas tree alone for the first time to going on her first girls’ holiday post-split.

Today – and millions of views later – Sarah is once again sitting in that same London apartment that has become instantly recognisable to her 1.6 million social media followers. This time, it’s with Metro to talk about the realities of living life online. 

Considered one of the OG influencers, Sarah’s journey began 12 years ago when she posed in fast fashion brands on her parents’ drive. The best snaps would be uploaded to her blog That Pommie Girl with information on how to recreate the looks.

‘I just wanted something to say when I was quizzed in fashion PR job interviews about blogging,’ she tells us. Her original ambition of being the person schmoozing with the talent was quickly flipped on its head as brands scrambled to gift her their latest launches and whisk her away on luxury brand trips to Ibiza and Los Angeles. 

Sarah, then still a teenager, began outearning many of her peers thanks largely to affiliated links. ‘I was making around £1500 per month and that felt wild. I’d never seen that much money in my bank account,’ she remembers. 

Before long, her readers weren’t just interested in the clothes being worn but also the girl wearing them. So, Sarah decided to give fans what they wanted – unlimited access to her life. 

It is a tactic that has paid off as she has since navigated the shift from blogging to short videos, with stop-offs at perfectly curated Instagram grids and chatty hour-long GRWMs (get ready with me) along the way.

‘I’m now a dinosaur in this industry,’ the 30-year-old blurts out with a laugh. ‘I go to events now, and I sit next to people that were born in 2006 and think “Oh my God, I’m old”.’ 

Although Sarah jokes about the pain of often being the most mature person on the invite list, she’s pleased that she came to online stardom when she did. ‘The younger generation is often propelled to huge fame so quickly – they go from zero to a million followers overnight. My growth was more gradual so I could adjust. I’m grateful,’ she explains. 

‘I become a big sister when I meet the new influencers. I say “Do you want to talk? Can I offer you any advice?” I try not to be condescending but I want to help if I can.’

But, how hard is it to stay relevant with newbies constantly emerging? ‘It’s super saturated now,’ she points out matter of factly. ‘I’ve seen so many influencers come and go and I’m not sure why I’ve managed to stick, but I’m not complaining.’

When giving new content creators their induction-esque spiel, Sarah tells them they must protect themselves from the ‘dark side’. 

‘People glamorise influencing so much, but they don’t realise you have to be mentally strong. If you are a bit of a sensitive soul, putting yourself online can send you to a bad place because of the trolling.

‘Everyone thinks they want to go viral until they do,’ she warned. Sarah recounts the time a video of her saying: ‘I am fine being high maintenance because I’m the one maintaining it’ on the Branded by Amelia Sordell podcast appeared in millions of people’s TikTok FYP.

Sarah was ‘savaged’ in the comments but was able to laugh due to the thick skin she’s developed. There were also a few years when people regularly told Sarah she used too much lip filler. ‘To be fair, they were right,’ reflects Sarah, who now favours a more natural pout.

Certainly, influencing is now a popular dream – a recent survey* found that 57% of Gen Zers want to become influencers. It wasn’t always this way, having been around for over a decade Sarah has enjoyed a front-row seat to its rebrand. 

‘The word influencer wasn’t used back when I started out and then when it became more recognised people would still be like: “What is that?”

‘Even my dad would tell his friends I worked at Facebook and would say to me: “Can you get a proper job?” ‘He’s so proud now but I remind him of his early question,’ she adds with a smile.

After years of making money for other companies including In The Style and Pretty Little Thing, Sarah decided to emulate the likes of the Kardashians and Paris Hilton, who managed to turn themselves into billion-pound companies by launching her own brand in 2019.

At first, SLA the Label experienced year-on-year growth, and in 2023, the business made almost £4 million in sales. However, a manufacturing issue led to a domino effect of issues and the company’s sad closure last month. 

Sarah’s story is far from unique – many influencers turned business owners have faced an early end. For every Molly-Mae Hague Filter or Kylie Jenner lip kit, there is Sydney May Crouch’s fashion brand 48FORTYNINE finishing abruptly, or Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics closing its doors as ‘tough realities’ set in. 

Despite not being the only one to fall victim Sarah admitted to feeling like a ‘failure’ and ‘lonely’. Knowing she couldn’t save SLA the Label, Sarah began to dread having to let the world know. It was not unusual for her to lay in bed at night ‘catastrophising basically everything’ about the reaction. 

‘My ego was massively bruised, I’m not going to sit here and act like it was not,’ she admits.

‘I’ll be honest, it’s been the worst year of my life. I’m definitely going to start therapy at some point because I need to process everything but what I have realised is sharing the lows is just as important as chronicling the highs. 

‘I’ve always built my career on transparency – I mean even my boob job is all over YouTube,’ she adds with a giggle. ‘To not talk about these life changes – my business breakdown and breakup – would have felt so wrong, even bizarre.’ 

After all, if a TV show abandoned a plot midway through a season and never spoke of it again fans would have something to say, and this is often also the case now we’re keeping up with real lives on social media. Passionate followers will be vocal if they don’t get answers, flooding Reddit threads, and comment sections, and in the worst of times, Tattle, until they get their information.

Aside from ending speculation, Sarah also hoped her story would bring comfort. ‘People may find it embarrassing to say “I got dumped” or “my business collapsed” but that’s what happened, and I knew talking about it could help people who’d also been through it,’ she explains. ‘I was inundated with messages of support and they ended up helping me.’

Although she’s built a strong community, Sarah can’t escape the fear that it won’t last forever. She worries that one day she’ll wake up and the social media platforms that pay for her lifestyle will be gone. 

The scary prospect isn’t completely out of the question – TikTok briefly went down in January ahead of a federal law requiring its parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform or face a ban, before President Donald Trump reinstated it. 

When the 2020 algorithm changed on Instagram, Sarah says her audience stopped growing and engagement dropped massively. ‘I mentally struggled with it, and it led me to a really bad place. It fully drove me insane,’ she remembers.

‘I felt like everything I’d worked for was gone. I’ve now had to come to terms with the fact that I am literally working with a robot. You can’t control it, so you have to go along with it.’ 

However, Sarah insists that despite such a hard year in the spotlight, living her life with thousands of people may have made the lows lower, but it’s also made the highs higher. Knowing she’s the person who can influence women to buy everything from Chanel bags to M&S dips has served her well and she plans to continue doing it for the foreseeable future.

‘I want to keep showing the less polished side. People are bored of seeing curated manicured lives,’ she says. ‘I’m the first person to admit that I’m sometimes guilty. In the last two years of my relationship with Joe, we weren’t in a good place but you wouldn’t have known that.

‘When I was unfiltered the general response was “Thank you for the truth because life is so hard”. Pretending is quite toxic for everyone.’

*2023 Morning Consult survey, **2023 Collabstr Report

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

Netflix’s latest series Adolescence has become a national talking point with its hard-hitting but truthful look at the prevalent manosphere and its potentially dangerous consequences. 

The drama created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham follows 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) as he is accused of murdering female classmate Katie (Emilia Holliday).

The whydunnit exposes Jamie’s disturbed set of views about women, which become most clear when the teen is assessed by clinical psychologist Briony (Erin Doherty). In one tense moment, the youngster claims he should be admired for not sexually assaulting Katie before killing her. 

The influence of extreme misogynist Andrew Tate – a sort of frontman for the anti-women content online – is mentioned during the investigation. Eddie and Manda (Stephen and Christine Tremarco) also admit their son spent hours on the internet alone in his bedroom, alluding that this contributed to his attitude.

Although the four-part series is fictional, it is inspired by the alarming increase in real-life knife attacks. Ministry of Justice convicted or cautioned upwards of 18,000 knife-related crimes over one year – 17.3% of the offenders in the attacks are between the ages of 10 and 17. In the same week as Adolescence’s release a 15-year-old boy was found guilty of the attempted murder of a 14-year-old girl with a samurai-style sword during a Halloween camping trip.

While many have praised Adolescence’s unflinching exploration of the complicated topic, it begs the question, what have younger viewers made of the show as it attempts to reflect some of their reality?

‘The culture is everywhere’

Speaking to Metro, Alex, 18, calls Jamie’s actions ‘disgusting’ but adds that unfortunately the character’s attitude is not unfamiliar. 

‘The way he acts and speaks is what I’ve witnessed from people around me. He gets angry when the girl says no to dating him, that entitlement, I definitely see that.

‘A lot,’ he quickly adds.

‘I’ve had a friend send me a misogynistic video and tell me to watch it. That was the point I stopped speaking to him.

‘I’ve noticed such a change in my friends when they became involved in consuming that kind of stuff to the point they are not the people I want to hang out with.

‘Even people who don’t watch the videos can end up in an indoctrinated state because the culture is everywhere.’

However, Alex is keen to highlight that it’s far from everyone that thinks this way, with some of his classmates even calling out people for spreading the viewpoint.

‘Adults don’t understand teenagers and social media’

Isabel, 15, was struck by how Adolescence reflected the impact social media has on young people today.

‘What felt really truthful was how much it is a big part of the school children’s lives. I don’t think adults always understand that,’ she explains.

‘I’ve been told to spend less time on social media but it’s easier said than done because although it has its bad parts including people using it to intimidate each other, you also miss out if you leave completely. We’ve had assemblies at school to try and get a handle on it but they can’t really do anything about it.’

Teenager Isabel says the language used in the series is also very real. ‘What also felt accurate was the way they use words like frigid and incel to insult each other,’ she says. ‘Even though Jamie got rejected I didn’t feel any sympathy for him, only Katie. I found it intriguing to find out about his motivations – but also upsetting.’

Isabel tells Metro that she has made a point of speaking with male classmates who idolise figures who share anti-women messaging and having purchased the feminist book Women Hating by Andrea Dworkin with her own pocket money, she feels confident poking holes in their arguments.

‘There was a period a few years ago where a lot of boys talked about Andrew Tate in a positive way. I had to say something,’ she says. ‘They usually didn’t have much to say back.’

‘Nobody cares about Andrew Tate any more’

While Isabel says she understood the editorial decision to mention Tate directly, she also acknowledges that he’s not as relevant today.

Jack, 15, agrees – he feels that the controversial figure isn’t as influential as people think any more. ‘Nobody seems to care about him now,’ he says matter of factly.

In one episode, investigating officer DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) learns that the emojis and red pills commented on Jamie’s Instagram by Katie was her way of calling him an incel. The scene has since sparked widespread panic about the secret meanings behind the emojis – however, not all teens are aware of them, insists Jack.

‘I didn’t know about the red pill and all the emojis until I watched the show, but then I don’t really hang around in a crowd that might use,’ he says. ‘It was really intense to watch. My main takeaway was not to have anything to do with knives or people like Andrew Tate, and it’s just not worth sending or sharing nudes.

‘Katie had bullied him and I didn’t really understand why she did that other than to just be mean – but she certainly shouldn’t have been killed for it. It felt like a waste of so many lives.’

Parents are grappling with raising young people in a tech-addled masculinity crisis. 91% of people own a mobile phone by the time they are 11* – and therefore have access to potentially harmful content. Nikki and Ted know this all too well – they’ve raised a teenage girl and their son is still in that unique chapter of time.

‘Kids go upstairs to their room at 13 and emerge at 18’

‘I found the whole show quite scary. We think we know our kids but there is a possibility we don’t at all. It made me feel really sad,’ says Nikki.

Ted adds that he was particularly moved by the ‘look of disbelief on Eddie’s face’ when he saw the video of Jamie beating Katie as it highlighted just how much of a stranger his own child was. 

‘When Stephen’s character kissed his son’s teddy and said “I’m sorry, I should have done better” I felt heartbroken,’ recalls Nikki. ‘I’m such a fretter anyway so it made me glad I always check in with my children.’

Their son Mase, 19, said the show was an ‘accurate representation’ of how boys can behave, but the extreme violence is not something he has ever encountered and so he found that part ‘disturbing’. However, he still thinks it’s worth parents paying closer attention to what is going on with their children to prevent things from ever reaching irreversible consequences.

‘They need to be more vigilant about what their kids are looking at online, especially because of how easy it is to access anything that you search,’ he warns. ‘It shouldn’t be as easy as it is to access anything on the internet.’

Ted highlights that can be difficult as it felt like their children ‘went upstairs to their room at 13 and emerged at 18.’

‘Adolescence showed that it doesn’t really matter how good you are as parents, you can be decent people, but the power of social media can just completely take over somebody’s mindset and that’s terrifying,’ says Nikki. 

Dr Nihara Krause, who is part of the British Psychological Society believes the show has inspired such strong reactions as it’s a ‘kind of terror experience’ for parents.

‘Give young people credit’

‘It shows the potential vulnerability of their children and how that might impact them,’ she explains. ‘There’s danger, fear, and threat. It’s very timely because there is so much about online harm and boys’ mental health now. It has struck a chord.’

However, Dr Krause notes that we should ‘give young people credit’ and remind ourselves that what happened in Adolescence is a very rare occurrence. She also adds that teenagers have control over what happens next. 

‘Rather than be like “this is my reality” they can think it doesn’t have to be my reality,’ she says. The show could be the perfect time for parents and children to begin an important dialogue.

‘This is a good opportunity for parents to have conversations with children about what they are accessing online.  

‘But children are much more influenced by their real-life relationships, so working on being healthy role models and reminding them the difference between right and wrong is going to be the best way to address the issues raised, rather than panicking.’ 

*Statista

Adolescence is available to stream on Netflix now.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

Lady Gaga was honoured with hosting Saturday Night Live for a second time and impressed viewers with her comedic skills.

The singer and actor was unafraid to roast herself and she even took aim at her most recent movie – Joker: Folie à Deux. In the film, Lady Gaga – real name Stefani Germanotta – played Harley Quinn and Joaquin Phoenix, 50, starred as the Batman villain.

‘I know you might be thinking I’m here to promote my album, Mayhem, but I’m actually here to remind you I’m an amazing actor,’ is how the 38-year-old chose to begin her opening monologue.

She later said: ‘I’m an actor now and I’ve been very diligent about selecting films that showcase my craft as a serious actor. Films such as Joker 2, apparently, people thought it was awesome.’

At the box office it massively paled in comparison to the first Joker, which grossed over $1billion (£774m) upon its release in 2019. The sequel, which hit the big screen in October, made around $800m (£619m) less.

Warner Bros greenlit a production budget for number two that was reported at around $190m (£147m) – and that’s before any marketing costs, which would be tens of millions more, are taken into consideration.

On the the long-running comedy show Lady Gaga then acknowledged that the film had won two Razzies – an awards ceremony that celebrates the titles they think have been the most terrible that year. Lady Gaga and Joaquin picked up worst on-screen duo and the movie as a whole took home worst sequel at the annual event.

‘Jokes on them, I love winning things. My Razzie brings me one step closer to an Egort; it’s like an Egot, but it’s hurtful.’ Artists with Egot status have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award.

‘I respect everyone here so much, so tonight, I promise to act, to sing and to not do Joker 3,’ she added.

The star also mentioned her last appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2013. In the previous episode, she performed with disgraced singer R Kelly.

‘I’m so happy to be back at SNL. The last time I hosted was in 2013 and every aspect of my performance aged amazingly because there’s no need to Google SNL 2013 featuring R Kelly. We all won’t,’ she stated.

‘I won’t bring it up because that would be bad.’

R Kelly is serving a 30-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering. 

Viewers enjoyed Lady Gaga taking the helm of the show and flooded social media with complimentary remarks.

‘Lady Gaga is a comedic, self-aware ICON,’ wrote account PopTartNow on X.

‘Lady Gaga joking on JOKER 2, i really love this woman,’ weighed in Andres_Serrato1, and Gagafvr said she ‘killed’ the whole thing.

‘OH SHE’S SO NATURALLY FUNNY AND AMAZING I CAN’T WITH HER,’ typed DanyDan452 on YouTube.

Popculture072 remarked: ‘I’m cryingggggg she turned everything into jokes! that’s why I love her.’

‘She’s actually hilarious, we need her in a comedy or sitcom,’ insisted @eduardod14s.

During the episode, she also performed songs Killah and Abracadabra, as well as appeared in multiple sketches, including singing a tune which mocked the overuse of the word ‘slay’.

Saturday Night Live airs on NBC in the U.S.

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Maura Higgins was spotted arriving in Los Angeles just one week after an alleged kiss with Danny Jones.

The former Love Island star is taking a little break from the UK after jetting off to California following the apparent incident with her I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! co-star at a Brits afterparty.

She was seen after getting off the plane in LA as she left the airport in a fitted black one-piece and white zip-up jumper, while she kept her face hidden under a black baseball cap and shades.

She wheeled a Louis Vuitton suitcase and matching bag through security, occasionally looking at her phone.

Maura, 34, looked fresh despite the long haul flight, but kept a straight face as she arrived in the city.

She recently took to her Instagram stories and gave her followers a much anticipated update as to what she’s spending her time doing.

In the wake of the controversy around her and Danny, the TV personality has left the country for an undisclosed amount of time.

She did not reveal if this was planned before or after recent events but did let fans know she was heading to LA.

Sharing a photo of her plane setup, it was clear Maura was not sitting in economy.

Instead, she was heading stateside in the comfort of a spacious booth, and she appeared to be indulging in a glass of rosé wine which was resting on her tray.

‘Exciting shoot,’ she simply wrote alongside the image, indicating that is is a working holiday.

Maura and McFly singer Danny reportedly shared a kiss at the Universal Music party hosted at the 180 Studios on The Strand in central London on March 2.

The pair spent the night together at the bash, with onlookers then filming them appearing to lock lips around 3am.

Soon after they left the party, each later being seen at the Sony party in Nobu Hotel where they were ‘still grinning and joking about’. It has been claimed by Daily Mail that they ‘stayed up until 6am drinking wine’.

Danny, 38, has been married to Georgia Horsley for over a decade, and they share a son Cooper, five. He hasn’t yet returned to his social media platforms but has appeared on TV in a pre-recorded segment.

It’s been reported Danny and Georgia, 38, are holding ‘crisis talks’ in the aftermath but now want to ‘move past it’.

‘This saga has been embarrassing, and Danny had a lot of explaining to do,’ a source has said.

According to the insider, the couple are ‘keen to just move past it and get on with their lives’.

‘They’ve been away for a few days, and they are focused on being a family unit,’ they said while speaking to The Sun, emphasising that the married couple are ‘both committed to each other’.

From around August, Maura was dating former The Only Way is Essex castmate Pete Wicks, but the pair are said to have called it quits around Valentine’s Day.

Pete, who was also an attendee at the Universal afterparty, is reportedly glad they parted ways when they did.

An insider close to Pete, 36, told OK! Magazine: ‘This sort of attention is exactly what Pete doesn’t want.

‘He’s seen this sort of media circus happen when he was on Towie and it’s not the sort of relationship he wants.’

They added: ‘It’s a shame because it will probably bring his guard back up and he just wants to find someone he can genuinely love.’

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Spencer Matthews has said leaving his children a huge inheritance would be detrimental.

The former Made In Chelsea star has three children with his wife Vogue Williams – Theodore, six, Gigi, four, and Otto, two – and naturally wants to give them the best chance of happiness.

He has decided that allowing them to earn their own money and feel the ‘sense of achievement’ that can come with that is a better gift than a huge bank transfer.

‘Suffer is too strong a word, but it’s very important that my kids have to challenge themselves and experience things on their own,’he stated to The Mirror.

‘There’s no point in doing well in life and then giving it all to your kids. It’s doing them a huge disservice.’

Spencer, 36, is the son of multimillionaire Eden Rock hotelier David Matthews. He attended the same school as Prince William – Eton College – where fees are currently £63,000 a year.

He has gone on to launch his own business, CleanCo, which sells alcohol-free spirits. Alongside the company, he has capitalised on the interest in him with podcasts and TV appearances. He has been a part of Celebrity MasterChef, The Jump, and Watchdog. Spencer is also an investor in his parent’s hotel, Eden Rock in the Caribbean.

Due to the multiple ventures, he has been able to amass quite the fortune – Spencer is estimated to be worth around £12.5 million according to The Sun.

Talking further about his decision, Spencer praised comedian Jimmy Carr, who became a father when his son Rockefeller was born in 2019, for his standpoint.

‘Jimmy quite eloquently talks about trust fund kids who are given everything, and he sees them as just being really unfortunate, actually and I would completely agree,’ he said.

The 52-year-old previously claimed on the Diary of a CEO podcast that children who inherit large sums of money are often ‘mentally tortured’.

‘Having stuff isn’t fun. Getting stuff is fun, right? It’s not the pursuit of happiness, it’s the happiness of the pursuit,’ he reasoned.

Spencer shared similar sentiments: ‘If you’re a young man who’s just given everything, or a young woman, who’s just given everything, you may not ever understand the need to work because you have what you think you want, and then, therefore, you won’t ever feel proud of yourself.

‘You won’t ever have a sense of achievement.’

He certainly is no stranger to graft as ultra-athlete Spencer has been training for yet another challenge.

Later this year, he will be attempting to complete seven full Ironman Triathlons in seven continents in just a month. The challenge will see Spencer complete a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and a full 42.2km marathon in each of the seven continents, finishing in Antarctica. 

His journey will begin in South Africa, before heading to Australia, Europe, North and South America, and ending in Antarctica.

Spencer is aiming to do all this in under four weeks, but reckons it could be possible in two weeks. This is to beat the current record of a person who completed the challenge in four years.

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A social media sccount dedicated to tracking how often Lorraine Kelly turns up to work has been shut down after she admitted it was ‘hurtful’.

The TV presenter hosts her weekday show titled Lorraine five days a week, but in recent years has been absent from her programme on Fridays.

In February 2023, a satirical X page called Where is Lorraine? was set up with the handle of @LorraineKWatch.

It quickly garnered an audience and, upon the time of its closure, had over 26,000 followers, having posted updates on whether Lorraine hosted her own show that day or not.

Their posts often read something like: ‘Lorraine Kelly hosted her own show this morning. Congratulations #Lorraine, you have hosted 32 out of 46 (69.6%) episodes this year.’

LorraineKWatch would also post a ‘Bonus Lorraine’ anytime she appeared on another TV show, such as Loose Women, The Masked Singer, or The Last Leg.

On December 31, the account posted its ‘Lorraine Wrapped’, which revealed the Scottish broadcaster had fronted 59.7% of the episodes of her self-titled show in 2024.

But while the account has often gone viral, with many people amused by their oddly specific knowledge of Lorraine’s TV show comings and goings, Lorraine has stopped laughing.

So, to respect her feelings, LorraineKWatch has officially come to an end. The account owner confirmed the news exclusively to Metro before publishing a statement.

They told us: ‘I am really sorry to hear that Lorraine has found the account hurtful after previously agreeing that it was lighthearted fun.

‘As I’ve said throughout, this was never meant to cause any harm so in light of Lorraine’s recent comments, it only feels right to stop here.’

In a fuller post, the X page wrote this evening: ‘I have always said that if Lorraine or her team reached out and asked me to stop this account then I would.

‘While I have not had contact with Lorraine or anybody affiliated with her, her comments in this weekend’s The Guardian make it clear that the joke has run its course and it is time for it to end.

‘I have said time and time again that this was only ever meant to be fun and I’m very grateful to everybody who has enjoyed it with me.

‘There was never any intention of hurting Lorraine’s feelings and I am sorry if I have done so.’

The tweet signed off with a goodbye to the ‘Lorrainvirstines’, which merges Lorraine’s name with Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh, who often host on Fridays.

Reacting to the very niche moment of heartbreak in British pop culture, social media users declared it the ‘end of an era’.

‘This is history, medieval people had the plague, we have this. Wow’, wrote d_a_v_e_m_a.

‘A really good run. Fair play’, said DiscoBiscuit138.

‘Oh no! This is both heartbreaking for us, and also I hope Lorraine is ok’, added ThisIsMeUK1.

‘Actually devastated right now’, stated MrAlParr, as memes and edits flooded in.

In her earlier quotes, Lorraine, who began working in TV in the 1980s, said of the page: ‘It’s really hurtful, actually. It really is. I’ve not spoken about it before.’

‘I’m a grafter and I work really hard and I’ve had to take Fridays off for the past year. I just thought it was weird to care so much,’ she added to The Guardian.

Explaining her absences, she continued: ‘Initially, it was for my mum who has been ill. And it sort of brings you into line with everyone else because if you look at This Morning, everybody else does four days.

‘And as I’m getting older, I want to do other things, more writing, all of that. Mate, I’ve been doing this for 40 years, working my a**e off.’

The problem is that Lorraine’s show is self-titled, so when she isn’t presenting it, there is arguably grounds for comedy.

‘I get that. I get that 100% because This Morning is just called This Morning and GMB is just GMB,’ Lorraine said.

‘Maybe it just started off as a wee joke, but it’s the way that everyone piles on. It starts off as a wee tiny thing and it gets bigger and bigger. I find it really sad.’

Previously, Lorraine spoke about the account on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, when she said: ‘The amount of space I occupy in people’s heads is quite bizarre. It’s hilarious.’

At the time, she didn’t seem too bothered about the account, insisting: ‘It’s fine, I don’t mind, I don’t care, I probably would have cared before but I really don’t now. It’s absolutely fine.’

Adding why she takes time away from the show, Lorraine said: ‘To be honest, you should never comment on things like that if you don’t know what is going on in people’s lives, but I am having to take quite a few Fridays off because my mum really isn’t well.

‘So I can go home now and spend some more time with her and help her a bit more than I’ve been able to. That’s happening just now, but that will change.’

Speaking to Metro about their standpoint in response to Lorraine’s Woman’s Hour comments, the anonymous creator of Where Is Lorraine? said in January: ‘I hope it doesn’t come across as being critical because it wasn’t meant to be like that.’

They added: ‘It is a joke at the end of the day. It was never meant to be serious.’

Making their position clear, the poster said: ‘I’m not slagging her off for not going to work or shaming her for not hosting the show, but I just think it is funny that Lorraine is the name of the show. If it wasn’t called Lorraine, I wouldn’t care.’

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Ashley James has revealed a This Morning co-star reckons she’s scarier than a world leader after becoming known for her ability to hold her own in fiery debates.

Often speaking for the underrepresented communities, she has become a voice for the people, and has scored immense praise for her respectful and eloquent delivery while debating the likes of culture wars.

It’s not just on the ITV daytime show that she’s fighting the good fight and putting the world to rights as Ashley also uses her social media account to be an ally to many.

In fact, the 37-year-old, who is collaborating with The FA and Barclays ahead of the Biggest Ever Football Session to promote The FA’s equal access in school ambition, has revealed one of her co-stars thinks she’s tougher to debate with than those actually ruling the world.

In an interview with Metro, when asked if the clashes on TV ever get too much for her, she explained: ‘No, the best thing about getting to do This Morning is that you are put on a sofa with someone with a different opinion because it allows healthy debate and I think it’s really important in an era of culture wars and division to show that two people can really respect each other and debate things, and also that we learn through different opinions.

‘So for people at home, it’s not like I’m telling people that my opinion is right, but I’m maybe making them consider an experience or a perspective that they haven’t experienced before or thought of before, so therefore they’ll change their opinion.’

Ashley flagged one example of women she’s spoken to who wouldn’t identify as feminists because they consider it ‘extreme feminism’, but when she then questions them on what extreme feminism is, they have no answer, having not thought about it.

‘We have to be able to have conversations to be able to implement positive change,’ she continued.

‘But I love doing This Morning, and especially with Nick Ferrari – we have such different opinions. But he is really respectful towards me, and gives me the floor to and I like to think I change his mind.

‘We have a joke that he can interview world leaders, but no one’s more scarier than Ashley James.

‘That is also how we keep fighting for equality. Just keep using our voice and offering different opinions.’

Over the years, Ashley found her voice through ‘insecurities and setbacks’, and became ‘angrier, more determined’ to make a difference.

But as a child, she admitted, she was certainly ‘opinionated’, though felt ‘dismissed as being bossy or being told I was too loud’, remarking that it’s often girls who are told that.

‘Hopefully I’m showing women and girls who watch that show that it’s okay to have an opinion and deserve an opinion,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks – an opinion is an opinion, and we can all make positive change by using our voice.’

Having first started using her voice at the age of 16 during an internship for BBC Radio Cumbria, to featuring on various reality TV programmes and becoming a DJ, Ashley admitted she thinks it took a long time for people to take her voice ‘seriously’ or give her a platform to use it.

She then added: ‘Now I feel really proud that I can hopefully show other people that they can have a voice and also enjoy girly things and still be taken seriously.

‘I don’t think women and girls should have to choose. Girls can like Taylor Swift and still want to take part in a session. And we’re trying to break down those outdated stereotypes that girls can be one thing or the other in all walks of life.’

Sometimes, it can feel like the world is going backwards and we’re not really progressing, but Ashley revealed that although she many not always be able to stay positive on such powerful issues, she’s channelling her anger into something positive.

She said: ‘Whether that’s being on This Morning and trying to use my voice, use facts and offer a different opinion to try and change people’s minds and push us forward, or going into Parliament, I think it’s channelling all that worry and concern and anger into something positive.

‘And I feel really grateful that I have the platform and community, both on This Morning but also on my social media to be able to feel like I can make a difference.

‘That’s the thing for all of us, we can all make a difference by using our voice, and it feels like never has there been a more important time to keep using it and keep fighting.’

Ashley is a parent to Alfie, three, and one-year-old Ada with her partner Tommy Andrews.

Not only does she want to be a role model for her youngest, but the star revealed the importance of her son growing up with a strong, positive, female role model, stressing the significance of the work she does and the campaign she’s partnering with.

‘I want my son to grow up seeing women represented and seeing strong, positive, female role models, and not just in the women’s game, but also in the men’s game.

‘I think it’s really great that there are so many male allies involved in this campaign as well, and for my son to see women represented in the men’s game, so hopefully a lot of those outdated sexist attitudes disappear.’

She added: ‘No matter what happens, I want my children or my grandchildren or whoever it is to be able to look back and be like, “Oh she spoke up and she did her bit and she used her voice.”‘

Collaborating with The FA and Barclays for the Biggest Ever Football Session holds a special meaning to Ashley, not only for promoting representation of women and girls in sports, but having come from a family of ‘massive football fans’.

‘I grew up with it, my dad had the same seats at Newcastle United since he was young, and I started going to games when I was three,’ she told us.

However, she never felt represented. She said: ‘I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest men’s football fan, but my sister is, and growing up, I never really felt represented.

‘I always saw it as a very male-dominated space, both in terms of playing obviously – like none of us played football at school – but also in terms of watching it as sport.

‘It had very sexist attitudes, and I think it’s been amazing to see the shift in the last few years that so many women are represented in men’s sports.’

She pointed out Alex Scott now being one of the biggest inspirations but commented that seeing the Lionesses on television as a young girl would have changed how welcoming the space felt for her.

‘But it’s the same for anything, isn’t it?’ she continued. ‘It’s like if we’d have seen more astronauts or scientists, and I think that’s why it’s such an exciting time that not only will my daughter hopefully grow up and see that she can be anything, but also my son will grow up seeing that girls can be anything.’

Returning to football, Ashley recalled being ‘fascinated’ with the women’s game after the success of the Lionesses, leading her to follow them at an international and a club level.

‘I feel like there’s this really nice atmosphere at women’s sports, and I spend a lot of time with the work that I do with young girls.

‘I said to a group of eight-year-olds recently, “What’s your favourite thing about being a woman now?” And they were like, “Oh, that we get to play football at school, and that we get to wear shorts”.

‘It really made me realise what a difference representation is making, and the fact that they’re growing up, and their role models and heroes are footballers and commentators.

‘What I love about The FA is the fact that they are putting so much focus on the campaign, and I thought what’s really great about the Biggest Ever Football Session is it not only focusing on women playing sport but also being involved in sport in another capacity.

‘Lots of people might love football, but might not be the best players, or might not have the confidence to play, but they might be fascinated in becoming a journalist or a referee, and so I think it’s such an amazing thing to get behind and I feel like I’m really excited – especially in a world that sometimes feels like we’re going backwards – to see companies putting their names behind equality and I’m seeing the excitement of girls.’ 

The FA, in collaboration with Barclays, are holding the Biggest Ever Football Session (BEFS), across schools up and down the country today. The flagship day in the calendar is central to The FA’s equal access in school ambition. You can find out more information here.

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Harlan Coben is known for his ability to captivate people with twisty thrillers that have us suspicious of every character from the next-door neighbour to the fun-loving parent.

As a result, the 63-year-old has managed to sell over 80 million copies worldwide and his work has been translated into 46 languages.

With his crime books attracting so many engaged readers, it made complete sense to translate the magic onto the small screen and so over the past decade, he has been creating and executive producing TV adaptations. Through this avenue, he has found himself even more fans, who are kept on their toes from the opening credits until the very last scene.

Coben is currently signed into a multi-million contract with Netflix to adapt 14 of his books into TV series, so there is always a new treat just around the corner and plenty of back catalogue to get stuck into.

If you’re a long-term fan with gaps in your viewing history, or new to his work and want to know where to begin we’ve got you covered.

The best Harlan Coben TV dramas to stream

Here are the seven most highly rated Coben creations on review site Rotten Tomatoes…

The Innocent

The 2021 Spanish thriller The Innocent follows ex-con Mateo Vidal Rivera (Mario Casas) whose life is led down a dark hole of intrigue and murder after an accidental killing in a nightclub. Nine years later he has finally found love with his wife Olivia Costa (Aura Garrido) and freedom, but one phone call brings back the nightmare.

The show is the perfect watch for those hoping to delve into the world of non-English language thrillers, especially as it’s scored the elusive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Netflix

Stay Close

In the eight-parter, Megan Pierce (Cush Jumbo) is blissfully happy with her loving family and gorgeous home. Her whole vibe would be on many people’s ‘dream life’ Pinterest boards. 

However, she’s keeping secrets from a past life, which make their way into her present when a detective begins investigating the mystery disappearance of local man Stewart Green again.

Netflix

The Woods

2020 Polish miniseries The Woods follows prosecutor Paweł Kopiński (Grzegorz Damięcki) as he returns to his hometown to investigate the disappearance of his sister 25 years earlier in the local forest.

Taking place in two different timelines – the present-day and 1994 – this complex crime proves a challenge for Paweł who digs way more than he ever expected to.

Netflix

Shelter

Shelter follows Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) who heads to Kasselton, New Jersey to start afresh.

Things aren’t peaceful for long as he becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro), a student at his school. The quiet suburban community’s dark underworld is quickly discovered.

Amazon

The Stranger

Richard Armitage plays Adam Price who is told a secret by a, you guessed it – a stranger. Not long after, his wife goes missing and he’s sent on a path to get answers.

It’s addictively tense as lives begin to unravel and unexpected connections appear.

Netflix

Safe

At the start of Safe, we meet the widowed father of two, Tom (Michael C. Hall).

In the wake of her death, he is struggling to connect with his teenage daughters. When one of his children goes missing, he discovers a lot he didn’t know about while frantically trying to get her home safe.

Netflix

Fool Me Once

The addictive thriller begins in the aftermath of the brutal murder of ex-Army Officer Maya’s (Michelle Keegan) husband Joe (Richard).

However, the investigation is thrown off-course when Joe mysteriously appears alive on Maya’s nanny camera, hugging their daughter, which unravels a web of dark secrets.

It was watched by 108 million people globally, making it one of Netflix’s most-watched shows of 2024. 

Netflix

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There are a few special TV presenting duos that have been able to capitalise on their chemistry to make great TV and earn plenty of money.

Over the years, we’ve been witness to many different partnerships. There are the ones still in the honeymoon period, such as Will Best and AJ Odudu on Big Brother, while others are more fleeting flings – Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding on The Great British Bake Off was short but sweet.

However, one, in particular, has stood out and proved its staying power – we’re of course talking about Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

Let’s find out just how they’ve managed to become a huge part of the British TV landscape and why working together is so important for their brand…

Ant and Dec’s winning formula

Starting out on Byker Grove in 1989, they quickly pivoted from acting to presenting five years later with the Saturday morning children’s show Gimme 5 on ITV. 

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, Saturday Night Takeaway and Limitless Win are just some of the shows that have made them household names. Finding somebody in the UK who hasn’t enjoyed, or at least seen, an Ant and Dec show is harder than locating a four-leaf clover at this point.

The easy chemistry that comes from their authentic friendship has meant the British public is far from tired of them – they’ve won the National Television Award for most popular TV presenter 23 times!

It’s almost unimaginable to picture Dec without Ant, both 49, (although we had to for a brief period in 2018), and without their winning combination it’s unlikely they’d ever have made so much money.

‘Our whole career has been built on our friendship,’ Dec stated to Fault magazine.

‘That’s one thing that I think sets us apart a little bit – we have a career that’s built on friendship, not a friendship that’s built on a career. It’s a very significant difference.’

Ant weighed in: ‘There’s not very much of that around. I think that’s partly why people enjoy watching what we do – everybody’s got a best friend. I think people see themselves and their best friends reflected in us.’

Their USP has been reflected in very healthy bank statements – they have a combined net worth of £124 million, reports The Sun.

The pair are so aware of their need for each other that they have taken out insurance that protects them in the worst-case scenario. ‘I just know that if he, Ant, kicks the bucket, I get a massive payout. I don’t know how much,’ Dec revealed to the Evening Standard in 2012.

Ant added: ‘We have people who look after that. I don’t think we’re insured if we fall out, though.’

Who are the other longest-running TV duos?

Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer (2000-)

Their TV marriage is so strong that some people have in the past falsely believed that Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp actually live in holey matrimony.

Happily married to other people they may be, but their purely platonic relationship has served them well.

They’ve been helping house-hunters find their dream gaff since the millennium on Location, Location, Location, and have riffed off into Love It or List It too. Over two decades in, they are still competitive with each other to be the person credited with finding the best house, which has given us hundreds of entertaining episodes.

It may be surprising to some that before the start of their TV careers, they didn’t know each other at all, instead they were put together and much to the producers’ delight, magic happened.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman (2014-)

It takes two to tango and not many do it better than Strictly’s Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

When the late great Sir Bruce Forsyth stepped away from the series, the task of replacing him on Strictly was huge. Going for a different vibe entirely, Claudia brings some edginess to the glittery proceedings. Claudia’s quick wit perfectly combines with Tess’s more straight-down-the-line approach.

They adore working together so much that they’ve vowed that they’ll never do the show without each other. When one of the Waltzes away, the other will be Quickstepping right behind them and through the fire exit door.

Claudia has her own lane too with The Traitors but seeing her reunited with Tess each autumn has become a significant part of the UK’s TV calender.

Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong (2009-)

Students together at the prestigious Cambridge University, Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong instantly hit it off. Their friendship was introduced to the world on Pointless in 2009, and their shared geeky sense of humour (complimentary) helped to make the ITV gameshow a success.

Richard, who created the format, left the main show after 1,300 episodes and nearly 30 series in 2022 to focus on other projects. However, the small-screen duo still get back together for the celebrity specials so all is not lost.

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins (1996-)

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, never Sue and Mel, also met as students at Cambridge University.

They first appeared on TV in the sketch show French and Saunders in 1996, with both also contributing to the writing. One year later, they got their big break as presenters, landing Channel 4 daytime comedy chatshow Light Lunch (later called Late Lunch). The pair got their biggest gig – The Great British Bake Off – in 2010 and stayed put for seven years. Their innuendo-filled style set the tone for the successful cookery show.

Their most recent joint project was an acting endeavour when they costarred as contract killers in the Sky/Peacock comedy series Hitmen between 2020 and 2021.

Although not currently on our screens together, they have not ended their working relationship. ‘We’re each the trampoline upon which the other one bounces,’ Sue once told The Guardian. Mel called their relationship ‘blooming special’, adding: ‘When we work together, we revert to being 19 again, which is bloody annoying for anyone around us because we’ve so much shared history and comedy.’

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville (2014-)

Throughout their playing career, footballers Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville were on rival teams. They may have been against each other when playing for Liverpool and Manchester United but now things are very different.

Sky Sports scored a winning goal when they placed them together, and their football coverage is now considered to be one of the best.

Their analytical assessment of the matches and fun banter has made them indispensable to the channel. Sweetly, they’ve also formed a real-world friendship with Jamie stating that they are barely off the phone from each other.

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Kaleb Cooper’s bank balance is looking mighty healthy just two years after paying himself a 50p-per-hour salary.

Signing up to Clarkson’s Farm was not only a beneficial move for viewers who’ve been entertained by his antics but it’s been an advantageous career choice for Kaleb.

The 26-year-old has been able to capitalise on his fame from the popular Amazon Prime Video show, helmed by Jeremy Clarkson, to create multiple streams of income.

Let’s take a look at his journey to find out just how he’s earned his fortune…

From farmer to reality star

He may not have been a known figure as a teenager, but Kaleb was very much already doing his thing. He started his first business after being gifted some chickens on his 13th birthday, and then at 16, he began a contracting venture.

As a farmer, Kaleb was earning a more modest wage: ‘I worked it out the other day, do you know how much my hourly rate is, how much I pay myself? 50p an hour,’ he previously said.

However, things changed dramatically when Kaleb accidentally fell into the TV world in 2021. Rather than apply to be on a reality show, fame happened upon Kaleb when the farm he worked on was brought by Jeremy.

The Top Gear presenter opted to keep Kaleb around to help him learn how to run Diddly Squat farm. He also famously invited cameras to document the process and it quickly became clear Kaleb was a natural on camera.

The unfiltered gent was unafraid to speak back to Jeremy and their slanging matches, which always had respect at the core, became a beloved part of the show. Their growing bond has been a core part of every episode, as well as Kaleb’s witty one-liners.

Producer Andy Wilman recalled the team’s excitement at Kaleb’s first scenes. ‘Here was this 21-year-old, completely unselfconscious about bollocking the big beast of Top Gear. He took Jeremy apart with such charm and wit. We high-fived in the editing suite: it was TV gold,’ he told The Times.

Three series later, and with at least two more on the way, Kaleb continues to be central to the storylines as ‘farm manager’ but that isn’t all he does.

Capitalising on his popularity

Kaleb quickly got to work turning his screen time into more cash in his bank.

First on his list of extracurricular activities was releasing a book, The World According to Kaleb. The title sold over 150,000 copies so naturally, his publisher wanted more. Two more books followed – Britain According to Kaleb: The Wonderful World of Country Life and Life According to Kaleb.

In 2024, it was time for Kaleb to hit the road with his tour, The World According To Kaleb: Kaleb Goes On Tour. Those in the audience heard Kaleb give his thoughts on everything from personal style to sheep and of course, Jeremy. The 33-date show hit up theatres all across the UK, adding to his money pot.

His tactics are working as his company Kaleb Cooper Productions Ltd’s 2024 annual filing hit £908,860 in cash and assets, which is an increase of £242,000 from the previous year. His second firm Kaleb Cooper Holdings Ltd also has more than £46,000.

Future goals

He’s already achieved a lot in his 26 years but Kaleb is far from done. In the future, Kaleb – who is dad to Oscar, three, and one-year-old Willa with fiancée Taya – would like to invest his money into a farm of his own.

‘Farming is not a job for me, it is a way of life and I love that way of life. My dream is to buy my own farm and that is what I am aiming towards,’ he told Farming Life.

He is currently working 115-hour weeks to fit in his day job and media work, in hopes he can retire young. He revealed his master plan to The Times: ‘I’ll make all the money now, hopefully, have a farm, then chill out, go partying and be in Ibiza, though I can’t think of anything worse than being in a nightclub.’

For 100 acres in Chipping Norton, where Kaleb lives and Diddly Squat is located, the price is upwards of £4 million so he’s got a little more work to do.

For now, you can continue to keep up with Kaleb on the next series of Clarkson’s Farm. The new episodes are set to arrive on the streamer in May 2025.

Clarkson’s Farm is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

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When Naomi fell in love with Mark Stone, she had no idea that he was being paid to spend time with her.

The former couple met through their joint involvement in the same environmental campaigns and Naomi was instantly impressed by ‘Stone’. His shared passion for making the world a better place was one of his positive attributes.

‘He was such a kind, loving, and warm person,’ she recalled to Metro.

‘Nothing was too much trouble. He would really listen to me and if I cared about something, he cared too.’

After a few years of friendship, they became romantically involved in 2003. ‘Our relationship was so positive and happy. I felt that he could be a significant part of my future,’ Naomi stated.

Two years of dating later, he unexpectedly ended things with a letter. ‘I was proud that we were able to stay friends. He even went on to date a close friend of mine,’ she told us. However, in 2010, she found out that every aspect of their time together was fake, even his surname transpired to be a lie.

Mark Stone was actually Mark Kennedy – an undercover cop, who was instructed to infiltrate an environmental campaign group to gain information about their plans. Becoming romantic with environmental activist Naomi was another way to gain trust.

‘The thing that really gets me is many people were organising that and it was paid for by the state. People pay their tax and national insurance, and then they’re provided with healthcare and protection. This was not protection, this was the opposite of that,’ she said.

Kennedy told Naomi he was working as a rope access technician and so would be required to leave for long periods – during these trips, he was returning home to his wife and children. When Kennedy was having a romantic evening with Naomi that was his job.

‘Finding out the truth was a terrible process because I had to re-remember everything with the new information,’ she said.

‘I physically went into shock. I went numb. It was almost indescribable.

‘I couldn’t understand it. I felt scared actually, because when you understand that the police force has been in your life, and in your bed, it is completely destabilising. You don’t know not just who you can trust, but what you can trust.’

Describing the extent of his lies, Naomi shared: ‘He came to my brother’s wedding, we went on holiday together, there were many parties and conversations. He was being paid to do those things with me. Any gifts were put through as expenses. He introduced me to his uncle – I found out that was his case officer.’

‘I did not ever consent to a sexual relationship,’ she firmly stated.

‘If I had known who that person was, what they were doing and why they were there, I would never have consented to that.

‘It is a terrible, shocking thing to find out that your own government has been paying somebody to sleep with you. I’m still processing that, it’s going to be a lifelong thing.’

Naomi wasn’t Kennedy’s only victim, and he wasn’t the only undercover officer. Her mistreatment is part of a much wider story, which is shown in the ITV documentary The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed.

For over 40 years, a secret unit of undercover police was paid to spy on ordinary members of the public. This included more than 60 law-abiding female victims, who were often just involved in campaigning for environmental causes. The women were deceived into intimate relationships and had no clue they were part of covert operations. Police officers stole the identities of deceased children to create new aliases and even fathered children with the women they spied upon whilst undercover.

The ‘spycops scandal’ is the subject of an almost decade-long £88 million public inquiry into their tactics.

Creepy similarities between the women’s experiences come to light from the way they were seduced into their relationships, to the almost identical letters they received when they were abandoned – and ghosted – by the men they loved.

‘I got a very amazing, warm letter telling me how much he valued me as a person, and what a special time we’d had together. He said he’d always be there for me as a friend,’ Naomi said of her own letter.

‘When we all read our letters together, we could see that they were trained to write certain things and to make us feel certain things. They were very manipulative to make us believe that they were on our side.’

The officers employed similar tactics to make their way into the women’s worlds too. They made themselves indispensable by owning vans and offering to drive the women and their fellow campaigners home. They would often share family trauma so they’d appear vulnerable and open – Naomi was told a false story by Kennedy that his dad had abandoned him.

‘When I first found out about the deceit I felt so shocked, isolated and couldn’t believe it, but meeting these other women, hearing their stories, and working to make sure our voices are heard has been powerful,’ she added.

‘We’ve had to really chip away at this and we’ve got such a connection from doing it together.’

Their tireless work has exposed the secret unit and the institutional sexism that enabled it. As a result, some compensation was awarded to the women, and in 2015, they finally received an apology.

Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said: ‘Thanks in large part to the courage and tenacity of these women… it has become apparent that some officers entered into long-term intimate sexual relationships which were abusive, deceitful, manipulative and wrong.

‘These should never have happened. They were a gross violation of personal dignity and integrity.

‘They were deceived – pure and simple. Whether or not genuine feelings were involved on the part of any officers is entirely irrelevant and does not make the conduct acceptable.’

The apology left Naomi feeling proud that they’d acknowledged it wasn’t the women’s fault, but she says their work is far from done. She points out that the public enquiry that began in 2015 – and was set to take three years – still isn’t complete. Naomi is yet to be asked to contribute to the investigation.

‘I haven’t seen the behaviour change that should have come with it,’ she added. ‘The apology was to try to get us to go away but we’re not going away.

‘We are still waiting for so many answers. They are still hiding and covering up so much. Real change can’t happen until they are completely honest.

‘What are the fake names of all the undercover officers? How many were there? I still haven’t seen none of the files that must have been held about me and my family and my friends.’

The women would also like to see the covert human intelligence sources act that was passed in 2021 to be scrapped so undercover officers have fewer permissions.

In 2025, Naomi lives a happy life with a supportive partner and their children.

‘I have been very lucky that I was with my current partner when I found this out – she’s a special person.

‘I’ve had a different journey from some of the other women who haven’t had a relationship since because their trust is so damaged,’ she explained.

However, the actions of the police still had consequences for her, including a struggle to make new friends.

‘For a long time I thought about what happened to me every second of every day,’ she remembered.

‘I don’t think about it every day anymore but I would say that whenever I see a police car, a police officer, or I hear about the police, that’s when it comes back. It is always with me on some level.’

The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed is on ITV1, STV and ITVX from March 6

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Linda Robson opened up about the moment she realised that something was different about Pauline Quirke.

The 65-year-old Birds of a Feather actress’ husband Steve Sheen recently revealed Pauline has been battling dementia, a condition that causes a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills. Although she received the health diagnosis in 2021, it was kept private until January.

Her longtime friend Linda, 66, said a lunch date with Pauline and their fellow Birds of a Feather co-star Lesley Joseph, 79, highlighted the change in her.

‘Lesley and I went for lunch with her and that’s when we realised something wasn’t right with her, and that was three years ago,’ she told Bella magazine.

She also noted that Pauline wasn’t returning her messages and that’s when Steve called her. Linda said: ‘I managed to keep it a secret. It was very important that I did because it was up to her family when it was time for them to let everyone know.’

School friends Linda and Pauline are still in contact. ‘I’ve been FaceTiming. There’s not much conversation but it’s just nice to see her face really,’ Linda explained.

‘She doesn’t know who anybody is. She doesn’t know who I am or who her kids are,’ Linda previously told The Sun.

‘Dementia is terrible – I’d rather get cancer because at least then you’ve got a chance.

‘She’s not the Pauline that I knew growing up. She’s got a good support around her, that’s the main thing.’

As well as Birds of a Feather, Pauline is known for appearing in shows such as Broadchurch and Emmerdale.

She’s enjoyed a successful career spanning several decades, which included fronting her own comedy sketch show, Pauline’s Quirkes, in the 1970s.

Pauline and Steve launched The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in 2007, which now has over 200 branches across the UK and the alumni includes rising star Lenny Rush.

In 2022, she received an MBE in the late Queen’s final Birthday Honours, recognising her work with young people and contribution to entertainment.

In a statement to MailOnline earlier this year, Steve said: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I announce my wife Pauline’s decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties due to her diagnosis of Dementia in 2021.’

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Sally Nugent has been a beloved presenter on the BBC Breakfast show for over a decade.

Alongside Naga Munchetty, Charlie Stayt, and Jon Kay she is a fixture on the popular morning show, which features the headline news and topical interviews.

She grafted her way to the top – starting as holiday cover and roving reporter, before eventually replacing Louise Minchin as a main host in 2021.

You can now catch Sally, 53, on Monday and Wednesday mornings, but what does she get up to when she’s not on our screens, and how did she secure the job?

Here is everything you need to know about the presenter…

Is Sally Nugent married?

Sally was married to businessman Gavin Hawthorn for around 13 years, but their romantic relationship reportedly ended in 2023.

She has always kept details of her personal life very private, so she rarely commented on her marriage and her stance didn’t change during the claimed split.

‘It’s very sad, but they are no longer together. I think they tried to tough it out for quite a while as they didn’t want to split up if they could possibly help it for the sake of their son, but they clearly couldn’t make a go of it,’ a source told Daily Mail.

She was said to be ‘heartbroken’ and ‘devastated’ by the collapse of her marriage, and his departure from their family home in Cheshire.

Does Sally Nugent have children?

Sally has a 17-year-old son with Gavin but prefers to keep him away from the spotlight too. She has never disclosed his name or shared photographs.

In an interview with The Sunday Times in 2022, she gave a very small insight into her home life.

While sharing her after-work routine, she said: ‘I’ll either go for a run or take Sadie for a walk. It’s important to get some daylight. I’ll often meet a friend for lunch. Then I pick up my son from school before doing some news research.’

She added that her alarm clock goes off at 3:45am (ouch!) and she’s got ‘years of experience’ not waking her sleeping family.

Sally Nugent’s career so far

Born near Liverpool on the Wirral, Sally is a journalist and broadcaster with a degree in Communication Arts and French from the University of Huddersfield.

She started her career at BBC Radio Merseyside, before moving on to present sports news on BBC North West Tonight.

Sally has a long history with BBC Breakfast, first joining the programme on a freelance basis back in 2011. She would regularly present the sporting segments with Mike Bushell, and step in to take the helm of the show when presenters were on annual leave.

In 2021, the impressive TV star was promoted to be a main presenter. On her appointment, Sally said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to become the new presenter of BBC Breakfast and bring the nation the latest news, top entertainment guests and stories that matter every week.

‘It’s an honour to take the reins from Louise and be part of the UK’s most-watched breakfast show.’

She is also well known for presenting or narrating several documentaries including Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope, Rob Burrow – Living with MND and Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children.

Her journalism was recognised at the 2021 Royal Television Society Journalism Awards when BBC Breakfast’s coverage of free school meals was given the scoop of the year award.

In 2023, Sally put on her dancing shoes to partner Graziano Di Prima in the Strictly Christmas special.

Speaking about finally saying yes after years of being asked, Sally said: ‘I just thought it was time to do something joyful and fun and happy, and escape from the real world for a little bit, and go into this bubble of glitter, and sequins and happiness and giddiness.’

The show was won by EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick, but Sally scored a very respectable 38 for her festive Foxtrot.

Sally is fairly active on her Instagram, which has the handle @sallynugenttv. She gives updates on her daily life, and lavish holidays – most recently she jetted off to Paris for a girls’ weekend away.

BBC Breakfast airs weekdays at 6am on BBC One.

A version of this article was originally published on October 27 2021.

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Martin Compston has teased the future of Line of Duty and it’s good news for the fans.

The actor has predicted that the BBC drama will get a series seven at some point.

‘We are all quite busy but I’m sure you will get to it at some point,’ Martin replied when questioned about its future on the Lorraine show.

‘We don’t want to get people’s hopes up. I’m sure there are ideas though.’

However, Martin (DI Steve Arnott) said just days ago that there is nothing in the immediate future. ‘There’s nothing coming soon’ were his exact words.

The actor did quickly add that despite this he still enjoys people always asking about the show’s return.

‘It will be a sad day when people stop asking about Line Of Duty. I appreciate that people want it back,’ he told The Sun.

Martin also highlighted that the cast is booked and busy, which adds a bit of a barrier as it’s difficult to get everyone free at the same time.

‘It’s just a case of… one of the great benefits of that show is that it’s given us great careers outside of it,’ he explained.

‘I just started my new show yesterday [the thriller Red Eye], so I’m filming in London and Vicky [McClure]’s working on Trigger Point.’

At least there was a mini-reunion of sorts over the weekend as Vicky, 41, (DI Kate Fleming) and Martin, 40, got up on stage at the Brits to present the international artist of the year to Chappell Roan.

Martin also recently met up with writer Jed Mercurio in Las Vegas. He told the publication that the whole group remain very close so naturally they’d be ‘gutted’ if anyone was killed off in a potential reboot.

When it was pointed out that series seven should be soon as Hastings is nearing retirement, Martin laughed and warned to ‘not f*****g say that’ to Adrian Dunbar, 66, who plays Supt Ted Hastings.

‘To be fair, Ted Hastings has been retiring since series three,’ he continued.

‘Believe me, there’s life in the old dog yet. He’s one of my great friends and he’s one of the most energetic people I know.’

Just last month, Christina Chong, who starred as DI Nicky Rogerson hinted she’d been asked to partake in new material.

‘So I have been asked about a season. Is it seven? Yeah. Potentially, Nicola Rogerson will be back for season seven,’ she said at the Hollywood Saturn Awards according to The Mirror.

Viewers were totally hooked for six series, and, at one point, the show, centred on anti-corruption unit AC-12, became the highest-rated series on BBC Two in 10 years.

The last episode of season six in 2021, which revealed the identity of the mysterious antagonist ‘H’, was watched by an estimated 16.44 million people.

Line of Duty is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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Tan France is a very nice man but soon you’ll be seeing him in an entirely different light.

Don’t worry, he hasn’t suddenly had a personality transplant, instead, he is trying out a new avenue – acting.

The 41-year-old is swapping his day job on the reality show Queer Eye for playing fictional baddie Zubair in the Disney Plus series, Deli Boys. The intriguing character is described as ‘a British Pakistani gang leader who is smart, intimidating and dressed to kill.’

Tan may have had no professional acting experience, but he credits his lifelong obsession with one soap as a tremendous help.

‘I was an EastEnders kid. I’ve lived in EastEnders my entire life, sometimes even now I watch EastEnders in the US on a VPN,’ he excitedly blurted out to Metro. 

‘I loved it, and I used to take the p**s out of Barbara Windsor, Babs’ accent,’ he recalled. The late Windsor played Peggy Mitchell in the long-running BBC show for over 20 years. ‘I used to put the accent on. That’s why I did an okay job with the accent in Deli Boys because I’ve been doing it for so long in my private life.’

Despite the years of practice, he’s still nervous for the Brits to hear his Cockney accent.

‘They might rip me apart because you can hear an English accent. I’ve lived in America for 17 years.’ Tan resides in Utah with his husband Rob France and their sons Ismail and Isaac.

‘I don’t know the exact nuance of a Cockney accent anymore, but I think it’s passable,’ he concluded hopefully.

This isn’t the first time Tan has been asked to join a TV show, but he declined until now because producers only wanted him to play a version of himself. This wasn’t of interest.

‘Mostly I say no, or actually almost every time I’ve said no,’ he stated.

When Tan read the ‘profound’ script for Deli Boys he was all in, especially as the project feels like a step forward for Pakistani representation.

‘Deli Boys is a story about brown people, South Asian people, but told in a way I’ve never seen before. They are fully formed characters. Brown people are funny, we are entertainers. It’s also violent,dramatic and layered. I just thought it was so beautifully done,’ he explained.

‘It’s a show I’ve never seen before so when I found out they were considering me I couldn’t believe it. I need you to know they put me through the wringer. It wasn’t a, “Hey, do you want to do this job?” It was, “Would you audition for this?”

Tan experienced the audition process for the first time and endured four gruelling rounds. ‘I tried so hard because even though it was a one-episode arc I so desperately wanted to be part of something that I thought was possibly going to change the world.’

Deli Boys centres on Raj (Saagar Shaikh) and Mir Dar (Asif Ali), a pair of spoiled Pakistani American brothers, who find out that their recently deceased father was a drug lord rather than a deli tycoon as they believed.

‘The freaked-out boys are ushered kicking and screaming (literally) into the underworld by their Lucky Auntie and her nemesis Ahmad Uncle. As Raj and Mir fumble from one ridiculous catastrophe to the next, every move they make is life or death. Because when your trust fund is gone, so is the luxury of screwing up,’ the synopsis teases.

Rather than shy away from playing someone evil, Tan found great joy in it.

‘I’m usually walking sunshine like a smiley, giggly person, and it was so nice to not be myself,’ he unexpectedly admitted.

‘I loved being the complete opposite of me. Even though it’s a dark comedy, there’s nothing comedic about my role. I’m just aggressive and violent – I loved that. I’m hoping the audience is completely shocked.’

It also allowed Tan to utilise his boxing skills, something he’s been practising since he was a small child. When producers asked how he felt about walking more aggressively or participating in stunt scenes, Tan was game: ‘That part is easy. The stunt guy was like “Oh, I can tell you fight.”

‘That’s a part of me that I don’t usually share with the audience because they need me to be sunshine.’

Sweetness and light are exactly what is required in the Netflix reality series Queer Eye, in which Tan alongside Jonathan van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown and Jeremiah Brent, meet people who need a little help with life. While fashion expert Tan’s job is officially styling the ‘heroes’, the series, which was rebooted in 2018, is much more than that. Rather than being just about superficial changes, the emotionally charged scenes usually involve heartfelt conversations on important subjects covering everything from body confidence to accepting everyone.

Tan has also gone on to co-present Next in Fashion with Alexa Chung, and Say Yes to the Dress. Acting was never really part of his plan, despite taking classes for the past eight years.

A career in the industry wasn’t the motivation behind the hobby, instead, Tan started attending in hopes it would help him tackle the crippling nerves he felt before interviews. He enjoyed participating so much that he continued long after conquering the fear.

‘I’ve been taking classes for ages thinking it is just for fun, I’m never going to turn this into anything. I never thought I would action this skill, but then this came along,’ he told us.

Asked whether any of his reality TV background has helped him in this new realm, Tan summarised that it’s made him more comfortable.

‘Queer Eye is obviously massive, so being on a set isn’t intimidating. I think if I’d never done that, and this was my first job ever I would be bricking it.’

He continued: ‘If I screw up something, it doesn’t scare me. I pick up, I dust myself off and I continue. That is a real talent on set, to tune out all the noise. It makes for a better performance.’

Tan has now fully caught the acting bug. ‘I pray that I get to do it again because it was the greatest week of my adult life,’ he summarised.

His next goal? ‘You know what I would totally do EastEnders,’ he shared with a laugh.

Deli Boys will be streaming on Disney Plus from March 6

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The Brits 2025 provided many talking points, but there is one sweet gesture that viewers at home miss out on.

From Danny Dyer ripping into Sir Keir Starmer to Sabrina Carpenter’s racy performance attracting Ofcom complaints, the latest awards ceremony, and the afterparties, had it all going on.

To run proceedings Jack Whitehall returned as the shindig’s presenter for the fifth time.

The 36-year-old comedian kept the show running, seamlessly introducing the various segments, but also taking the time to make plenty of jokes.

Some of his best material came from when he plonked himself on the famous guests’ tables and did some good old-fashioned mickey-taking.

Although he went in pretty hard on some stars (sorry KSI) Jack always showed it was all in good spirits with a sweet gesture.

Being inside London’s O2 for the evening meant I could see exactly what happened in the immediate aftermath of the interactions. I can reveal that when the cameras turned away from Jack and his latest victim, sorry interviewee, he would initiate a big hug.

Viewers at home were sent to an advert break, or back to the stage, so they didn’t get to see that Jack’s ridicule was always followed by the sign of affection.

The move wasn’t ever rejected, instead all the stars including KSI, Jade and Five, enthusiastically reciprocated.

Their acceptance indicated that they didn’t take too much offence to any insults. The classy move instead suggested that they were all firmly in on the joke and nobody’s feelings were too badly hurt.

KSI, 31, perhaps had the toughest time when it came to Jack’s digs. Jack repeatedly questioned just how KSI had managed to be nominated for Thick Of It.

‘The guy that will have a go at literally anything – YouTuber, rapper, boxer, energy drink Willy Wonka, rapper – yes, his drink is Prime and his music is slightly past its prime, KSI,’ Jack remarked. He also said KSI judging Britain’s Got Talent was like ‘like Stephen Hawking judging Strictly Come Dancing’.

It didn’t end there, Jack then played a snippet of his song before hitting a red buzzer, similar in design to the one used on Britain’s Got Talent, to end it.

‘I listen to Kendrick Lamar and I think I couldn’t do this, but I listen to your stuff and I think ”Oh yeah I could do this”,’ he cuttingly said.

The YouTube star later acknowledged being one of Jack’s main targets in an Instagram post.

‘Went to the @brits. Got nominated for song of the year. Lost. Got cooked by @jackwhitehall What a night 😂😭 Thanks @itv for having me.’

Best hip-hop/grime/rap act winner Stormzy — real name Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. — also faced comments about his controversial collaboration with McDonald’s.

He has received backlash for linking himself to the company that has appeared to support Israel. The actions conflicted with the artist’s own alleged beliefs, as he has previously shared pro-Palestinian messages online.

Avoiding the political aspect of ‘The Stormzy Meal’ Jack instead said: ‘In the 90s, you’d find your rappers doing drive-bys; this one you can find at the drive-thru – nominated for two Brit Awards this evening – we didn’t send him a limo tonight, we ‘deliverooed’ him here, it’s Stormzy. The grime scene’s Ronald McDonald. He’s loving it.’

Stormzy, 31, alluded to the topic himself during his acceptance speech, telling fans ‘it was a ‘mad, funny time’ to receive the honour.

The recently reunited Five couldn’t escape a few jibes. He asked them to do two things on their upcoming tour – to avoid dynamic pricing and to not bring out any new music.

In another funny conversation, Jack brought up best pop act winner Jade’s NSFW merchandise, including edible underwear, lubricant and butt plugs.

Initially, Jade, 32, looked uncomfortable and pointed out that her mother Norma Badwi was sitting right next to Jack. However, after overcoming the initial shock of the subject quick-witted Jade fired back: ‘Is this your way of saying you’ve bought one of my butt plugs?’

Jack went along with the direction of the chat and said he was wearing it right at that moment and it was ‘very comfortable’.

Catch up with the 2025 Brit Awards on ITVX.

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Maura Higgins and Danny Jones surprised many people by reportedly sharing a kiss at a Brits afterparty.

While a romantic connection comes as a surprise – particularly as Danny is married to Georgia Horsley – there were some signs the pair shared a bond.

The stars both competed in the most recent series of the ITV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and got to know each other well while camping in the Australian jungle.

Eventual King of the Jungle Danny, 38, and Maura, 34, could be seen enjoying banter-filled conversations and supporting each other through the tougher moments.

Let’s take a look at some of the ‘secret signs’ they became close before they hit the headlines…

Joking around

It was clear Danny and Maura were comfortable joking around with each other to pass the time and appreciated each other’s sense of senses of humour.

This was evident when they were sitting beside the campfire one evening discussing Maura’s musical ‘talent’.

Maura jokingly asked Danny if he would sign her up to his hypothetical record label. He bluntly replied ‘No’ before softening the remark with a laugh. In the humorous exchange, Maura said she usually sounded like Celine Dion before the jungle ruined their vocals. It was clear they both knew the best way to make each other giggle.

Maura ‘in awe’ of Danny

The campmates were treated to a night in pop-up pub Jungle Arms, where they got access to a few glasses of alcohol and a karaoke machine.

The McFly star couldn’t resist showing off his vocal prowess with a rendition of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer – the campmates, including Maura, were suitably impressed.

Maura demonstrated just how much of a fan she was by enthusiastically singing along and waving her arms high up in the air. The visible support was a sign she could appreciate his talent and was unafraid to show it.

Danny reacts to Maura’s romance revelation

Maura opened up about her previous relationships during her time on the show. In one honest chat, Maura admitted to dunking an ex’s toothbrush into a toilet as revenge after finding messages on his phone.

Rather than being put off by her extreme punishment, Danny seemed almost impressed.

‘You don’t want to mess with Maura,’ Danny said after laughing at the anecdote.

First meeting

When Maura first joined I’m A Celebrity she stayed in a separate camp with Reverend Richard Coles, and the pair had limited interactions with the other stars. However, Maura and Danny came into contact at a trial called High Street of Horrors.

It’s fair to say that Maura wasn’t looking her most glamorous self as she’d covered herself in muck and feathers to attempt to convince Danny and Dean McCullough they were roughing it (their private camp was actually luxury).

They were instantly friendly towards each other as they also were with other co-stars.

Danny comments on ‘romantic’ remark

After weeks without her usual beauty products, Maura complained that her future husband was never going to fancy her.

Jane Moore and Richard picked her up with plenty of compliments. Although Danny didn’t initially get involved he did chime in with: ‘That was romantic wasn’t it?’ after Richard said ‘If I was heterosexual, I’d be kneeling before you with a bunch of roses.’

Danny inserted himself into the conversation without actually saying anything that could get him into trouble as a married man.

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The Vivienne’s sister has given a rare interview following the death of her brother, describing a tribute to them as ‘bittersweet’.

Chanel Williams, who was at the Metro Pride Awards on Wednesday night with her dad Lee, said that The Vivienne would have been ‘so overwhelmed’ by the outpouring of love.

Speaking to our team at the event, she said: ‘We’re just really honoured to be here and the fact that Metro Pride Awards have gone to the effort to put on a tribute to my brother The Vivienne is just amazing for us as a family to be here and be a part of it.’

The Viv, who’s real name was James Lee Williams, posthumously received the icon award at the ceremony on Wednesday night.

Chanel continued: ‘He’d be over the moon with what’s happening here tonight, and the fact that we’re here as well, I think he’d have a bit of a laugh about that, that we’ve managed to get out tonight.

‘It’s a bit bittersweet because he should be here, but it’s a celebration of him and we’re really grateful to be a part of that.’

During the awards ceremony, Drag Race UK stars performed a sensational tribute to The Vivenne, lip-syncing to Dead or Alive’s You Spin Me Round (Like a Record), one of their favourite songs and choreographed by Cheryl The Queen.

The Vivienne’s dad, Lee, appeared on stage with Chanel to accept the icon award to a standing ovation from the crowd.

In an emotional speech that he struggled to get through at times, Lee said: ‘James loved being a part of the entertainment world and I know he would have been happy. I know he would have absolutely loved tonight’s events.

‘When he was nominated for the Metro award for rising star last year, he was honoured and made up to be here.

‘While it is extremely bittersweet to be here tonight without him, being under this roof meant the world to him. Thank you to everyone for your huge love and support.’

The special tribute routine was choreographed by Cheryl, 31, to one of The Vivienne’s favourite songs, You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive.

They each expressed their love for The Vivienne, who they describe as ‘the brightest light that almost blinded everyone’.

‘We’re all energy-saving lightbulbs but she was a true filament,’ stated Michael during preparations for the big moment.

After being introduced by host Rylan Clark, they dazzled the room with their beautiful performance.

Perfectly in sync, they span around together as the chorus encourages, and each person lip-synced perfectly to the lyrics. We’d expect nothing less!

They encouraged the audience to clap in support, and everyone happily obliged.

At the crescendo of the tune, the group made their way through the audience and even climbed onto chairs, which led to many delighted reactions and enthusiastic dancing from the guests.

The routine ended with the queens blowing kisses at the audience as a picture of The Vivienne was displayed prominently behind them.

The star-studded bash was hosted by Rylan and saw the likes of, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, Rob Rinder, and John Bishop in attendance as Metro celebrated the LGBTQ+ community at swanky The Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.

The Vivienne, who was the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019 and went on to appear in TV shows including Dancing On Ice and Emmerdale, died in January at the age of 32.

The star, real name James Lee Williams, posthumously received the icon award at the ceremony on Wednesday night, with the accolade presented by their publicist, Simon Jones.

Explaining exactly why The Vivienne was chosen for the prize, Rylan, 36, said: ‘The Vivienne as we know was a true force of nature in the drag world, breaking barriers and inspiring so many of us with their talent, wit and heart. They were a true icon and the legacy will live on in everything that they did.’

The Vivienne’s publicist Simon Jones also shared what made their friend so special. He became emotional as he spoke about their talent, and was later comforted by kind Rylan.

Simon was back on stage later in the evening to accept the LGBT+ trailblazer award, which was presented to him by Girls Aloud stars Nicola and Kimberley, sweetly dedicating his win to The Vivienne.

‘Viv was the absolute definition of a trailblazer and her light will shine on us forever,’ he stated.

Michael, 41, told Metro why taking part in the tribute was an obvious decision: ‘It’s so important that we honour her because she paved the way – no one’s done it like her.

‘She was moving in spaces that drag queens weren’t able to move in for a long time, and now all of us, in some way, are moving in those spaces. She didn’t just do it first, she did it first professionally, so we could jump in.’

The Vivienne was the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019 and became a TV regular with appearances on Dancing On Ice, Emmerdale, Celebrity Mastermind and Celebrity Hunted. They also starred as the Wicked Witch of the West in a touring production of Wicked.

Danny, 32, completely agreed with Michael’s sentiments, and said that their hard work ‘opened doors’.

‘She ran so that we could walk. She was a born entertainer and it’s why so many of us looked up to her.

‘The Vivienne was the first person in my life who cared about it so much and wanted to take it to the next level.’

Although the room was filled with incredible stars including GK Barry and Anastacia, the person they really wanted to see was The Vivienne.

Michael wishes that The Vivienne was still here to see the ‘outpouring of love’ they’ve received from so many people. ‘I would have loved for her to have been able to just see that for five minutes. Nobody feels like they have that,’ they said.

When the group are reunited, rather than be sombre, they spend their time talking about the good memories, and whenever possible, laughing. They are all resolute that this is exactly what The Vivienne would want them to do.

‘Although we’re together because it’s a sad time we’re cracking jokes and having lots of laughs. That’s what we do best, and that’s what The Viv did best. It’s what she would have wanted,’ stated Danny.

‘Even though she was professional, she does take the p**s,’ Baga, 35, added in her usual no-nonsense terms.

Baga exudes joy as she recalls their gossipy rationed cigarette breaks on RuPaul’s Drag Race or the time they hunted for vapes in Australia only to find out they were illegal. She told us with a huge grin that one of their favourite subjects was soap storylines. Baga wishes she could still call her up to talk about the latest twisty episodes. Michael wanted to share their own memory, recalling building a wooden Titanic boat and spray painting it just for a fun sketch.

‘The thing with The Viv as well, she never changed. All the success, all the stardom, she was still down with the working class,’ they said. ‘She was rough as the roads, and liked being laughed at.’

‘I wouldn’t have grown as much without them. I’m a massive Drag Race fan, so I gagged that she even cared that I existed on this planet,’ Tia, 34, contributed to the love-fest.

‘Becoming friends with her gave me a lot of confidence and opportunities. She included me in her world and gave me so much advice, not just with my makeup, but with me as a person inside.

‘The Viv was such a good person. She would auction off her clothes, and give money to the local drag scene,’ Danny shared. The Vivienne worked particularly closely with Sahir, an LGBTQ+ charity based in Liverpool, donating her time and money to the cause.

‘She was always putting us forward for jobs. The Vivienne is such a champion for everyone, never competitive and doesn’t gatekeep opportunities. As a cheerleader by nature, she wants everyone to succeed.’

Each of the five drag stars still often speak about The Vivienne in the present tense, and Cheryl believes the subconscious decision is for an important reason. ‘Her legacy will always live on. Her past will always be our present and future so they will always be,’ they explained.

‘She was such a big part of my life and drag so she always will be,’ Michael continued.

Aside from remembering The Vivienne at the Metro Pride Awards, the group also mingled with people equally passionate about making the world a better place.

The event brought together the most influential and inspiring LGBTQ+ individuals and organisations to honour and celebrate the extraordinary talent, resilience and passion that defines the community. The group agreed that the event was very much needed.

‘In this day and age where you can see everything that’s going on around the world and how it feels like we’re going backwards, it’s so important to have events like this and to have a publication like Metro champion us,’summarised Michael.

‘We’re 100% in saying this community is going nowhere. We’re getting stronger. We’ll stand for that like The Vivienne did.’

Also in attendance at the Metro Pride Awards was Tasha Ghouri, who looked stunning in a glamorous silver dress. It marked her first red carpet since splitting from long-term partner Andrew Le Page.

Tulisa, Oti Mabuse, Ella Morgan and Ashley Roberts also headed out on a rainy Wednesday night to support the worthy cause.

‘I wanted to be here as I’m a big, big, big ally, and I really appreciate that people are being celebrated for who they are. We should be doing more of that to make people feel confident in who they are and who they love,’ shared Dancing on Ice judge Oti.

Married at First Sight star Ella added: ‘I’m a fan of Metro because they always back me and big me up. I love that. The fact that a big publication is doing pride awards is an honour to us as a community because a lot of the time press can be negative when it comes trans, non-binary, gay, or anything like that.

‘I couldn’t miss tonight, hopefully, it is the first of many.’

Rylan said: ‘We’ve celebrated the absolutely incredible achievements of the LGBTQ+ community.

‘It’s been a year of highs and lows, glitter and grit and, honestly, it’s like we’re living in the middle of a Drag Race lip-sync battle.

‘Some countries seem to be going forward, others well, let’s just say they’re still stuck in the bottom two. But regardless, this was a wonderful event about celebrating what we’ve achieved.’

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star GK Barry, 25, won the rising star gong and gave an inspirational speech while collecting the award.

She spoke about feeling accepted by her parents when coming out, and how she’s been getting sweet messages from fans after sharing this story during the jungle last year.

‘People were messaging me saying “You gave me the confidence to come out” or parents messaged me like “I knew how to deal with that same situation because of you”. It just felt really amazing, it feels amazing to be part of the community.’

Broadcaster of the year went to TV personality Robert Rinder, who shared his intention to always use the platform he’s been given for good.

Veteran actor and TV presenter Sir Stephen Fry was given the lifetime achievement award, and popstar Anastacia won the Metro global recognition award, while former editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful received the celebrity of the year award.

Among the other winners was singer Will Young, who was presented with the music hero of the year award, he spoke candidly about being advised not to speak about his sexuality twenty years ago.

‘I knew I wanted to be true to myself, and we’ve moved on so much in so many ways in other ways we haven’t,’ he shared. Will, 46, spoke about receiving death threats and hearing horrific things being said about him.

He added: ‘I always felt the support of you guys, the community, and that really kept me going. I’m deeply appreciative. It’s nice to get a chance to say thank you 23 years later.’

Speaking about the evening, executive editor of Metro, Richard Hartley-Parkinson, said: ‘The Metro Pride Awards provide an important platform to recognise those who are making a real difference in the LGBTQ+ community.

‘It was an inspiring night and we were thrilled to honour so many incredible individuals and organisations who continue to fight for equality.

‘Huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees.’

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Kelly Brook has been stocking up on lubricant for a different reason than you may expect.

The always-honest TV star revealed that her recent purchases are linked to the fact she’s taking part in the upcoming 2025 London Marathon.

In a recent conversation with a running expert, Kelly, 45, got chatting about how she was going to prevent her boobs from chafing during the sporting challenge on April 27.

‘She said, “What are you going to do about your boobs?” And I said, “Well, what do you recommend?” She said, “You need silicone lubricant, so you don’t get chafing,”‘ she recalled to Prima.

With the advice at the forefront of her mind, she sought out a ‘pleasure shop’ in New York while on a trip with her husband Jeremy Parisi.

‘I said, “I need to go in here and see if they’ve got this.” And Jeremy said, “What’s it for?” And I said, “It’s for my breasts.” I didn’t tell him it was for the marathon.”

This will be Kelly’s first marathon and Jeremy will also be joining her for the gruelling 26-mile course.

The couple have been keeping fans updated on their training progress through Instagram. They’ve been heading out on long runs whether it’s raining or shining to prepare for the big day.

Kelly recently took on a different challenge altogether – Celebrity Race Across the World. With Jeremy, 39, she travelled from Brazil to Chile trying to get there quicker than three other celebrity pairs.

They had a limited budget and no access to technology, which led to some tricky moments on the BBC series eventually won by Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan.

In some episodes, competitive Jeremy would clash with Kelly, who seemed to view it as more of a holiday.

However, Kelly admits that some parts of what we saw weren’t entirely real.

‘Ultimately, I’m an entertainer. I’m an entertainer at heart and cameras are there. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say that,’ she explained.

‘Some of the arguments we had were genuine and some of them we didn’t really need to have. But I thought, “The cameras are there, it’s what they want.”

‘I think Jeremy was sometimes a bit shocked by things I would say, or my little quips and one-liners.

‘But you’re amped up, you’re in show mode and you’re like, “No, we need to have this conversation on camera because this is what we’ve signed up to do.”‘

The April 2025 issue of Prima is now on sale

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Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen quite enjoyed being a divisive figure but his most recent stint on Celebrity Bear Hunt has meant getting used to being liked by many.

The new Netflix show saw the 59-year-old interior designer and 11 other stars get dropped into a Costa Rican jungle to face 50-year-old adventurer Bear Grylls.

Plenty of viewers admired Laurence for tackling the programme’s gruelling challenges – with one resulting in him nearly dying due to becoming trapped underwater for several minutes after jumping from a boat. The Changing Rooms star’s popularity has been boosted, but he is finding that hard to deal with.

Laurence has bluntly said he’s ‘not happy about being accepted and popular’.

He is quoted by Closer magazine as saying: ‘I was in Tesco the other night at exactly the moment where all the builders stop in to buy their tea.

‘They kept coming up to me and saying things like, “Oh my God, I’ve been watching you on Bear Hunt, I always thought you were a total prat, but I really like you now.”

‘I’m slightly concerned because I’m not sure I’m ready to move away from my king prat status.

‘I’m not happy about being accepted and popular, I always liked being the one that people didn’t really know how to react to.’

The star is pretty certain he won’t take part in anything like Celebrity Bear Hunt again.

Laurence insisted: ‘My wife is adamant, but not quite as adamant as I am, that I’m never doing that again.

‘It was an absolutely marvellous thing to do, and as 60th birthday presents to yourself go, quite spectacular and unforgettable…

‘Judging by everyone’s reactions, I think I’ve shown that us 60-year-olds are not to be written off.

‘Obviously, it’s going to end appallingly badly, but we can still roll up our sleeves and drown for entertainment!’

Laurence previously spoke to Metro about the moment he nearly drowned in shark-infested waters, and even recalled thinking host Holly Willoughby, 44, was an angel.

‘It was a really, really weird thing, because, yes, I could tell that I was quite close to not existing but I didn’t feel panicked about it,’ he explained.

‘That’s entirely down to Bear and Team Bear, who are this extraordinary collection of pirates – these sort of ex-SAS guys who’ve all had their teeth done. They’re all in camouflage, you can’t see them, and then there’s this slit of Simon Cowell.

‘I had a dodgy moment with Holly though, because there was a point where I blacked out and I came to and all I could see was this beatific blonde. Ok, it’s happened!’

The show, which also featured Boris Becker, Mel B and Shirley Ballas on the cast list, was eventually won by Big Zuu.

The prize for his efforts was… a rope, which has an unusual odour attached.

Celebrity Bear Hunt is available to watch on Netflix.

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The family of Gabby Petito found it ‘hard to hear’ the AI version of her in the recent Netflix documentary concerning her death.

She vanished during a US road trip in August, 2021, and was found dead the following month. Her fiancé Brian Laundrie confessed to the murder in a notebook before dying from suicide.

True-crime series American Murder: Gabby Petito recounted her final days and, at the start of the series, which premiered on February 17, a message informed viewers that AI technology has been used to help them tell her story.

‘Gabby Petito’s journal entries and text messages are brought to life in this series in her own voice, using voice recreation technology,’ it reads.

At the time of the release, the filmmakers explained that they had received ‘blessing’ of Petito’s family to do so.

However, in a new interview, those closest to her shared how strange they found it to hear the AI version of their loved one, despite giving full permission.

Petito’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, told the Independent: ‘I think it’s weird and because we know her actual voice, [it] is a little off,

‘It’s just hard to hear.’

Jim Schmidt, her stepdad, added: ‘AI or her real voice, I still get upset hearing it knowing she’s gone.’

Michael Gasparro previously spoke about how he and fellow filmmaker Julia Willoughby Nason made the decision to include the AI voice.

‘We had so much material from her parents that we were able to get,’ he told US Weekly.

‘All of her journals since she was young and there was so much of her writing. She documented her trips and most of her life from a young age. We thought it was really important to bring that to life,’ Gasparro told

‘At the end of the day, we wanted to tell the story as much through Gabby as possible. It’s her story.’

Before deciding to go ahead they contacted Petito’s family to get their permission: ‘We reached out to the family to get their blessing and then we worked diligently to represent it in exactly how it was written. That allowed you to hear it through her own words.’

However, some viewers have expressed discomfort at the editorial choice.

‘Watching the Gabby Petito doc, absolutely invested… until the part it started using AI to make HER read out her texts and journal entries. That is absolutely NOT okay. She’s a murder victim. You are violating her again,’ wrote Jodie on X.

Laura said that it was a ‘deeply unsettling use of AI’. ‘Watching the Gabby Petitio documentary on Netflix and the way they AI recreate her voice is insane????????’ added viewer Lil B***h.

Ash typed: ‘So in the Netflix documentary, they read Gabby Petito’s journal entries and texts using “voice recreation technology” from her own voice and I do not think that’s okay. It’s very weird – even disrespectful maybe – and truly off-putting.’

Remus weighed in: ‘She couldn’t have consented to that and I don’t care if her parents consented for her. That is just so weird.’

In addition to using travel vlogger Petito’s own journals, texts and footage, the three-part docuseries also features interviews with her loved ones.

‘Her parents were the source for us that was key to uncover really what was going on,’ Nason explained.

‘They had access to her personal archive of video and artwork. We were able to really bring her to life through her own perspective, which we were very lucky to have.’

The documentary also aims to show who Petito was before her tragic death.

Nason said: ‘I was just in awe of Gabby and how industrious she was around building this YouTube channel and this focus on her career.

‘She was such a talented artist and designer. She really created that world from top to bottom.’

Metro contacted Netflix for comment.

This article was first published on February 18.

American Murder: Gabby Petito is available to stream on Netflix.

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The reunion fans thought would never thought would happen is becoming a reality – Five are making a comeback after 24 years.

The band’s original line-up – Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Sean Conlon, Jason ‘J’ Brown and Abz Love – were active between 1997 and 2001, before Sean’s exit.

The group the got back together without J in 2012, taking part in 2013 ITV2 series The Big Reunion, before Abz’s departure in 2014.

Singer Abz recently confirmed his surprise return with a post on X, and even his own bandmates were seemingly shocked by the news.

‘As of today I am once again a member of @itsfiveofficial Thank you to all the fans who support us, I love you all..’ Abz typed on the social media platform.

Now former band member and vocalist Jason Brown also confirmed the news much to the delight of nostalgic fans.

‘Mic check…is this thing on?’ he shared before tagging his bandmates.

He added: ‘Five bad boys with the power to rock you.’

However it was Abz’s humorous post that tickled his bandmates Scott Robinson, Sean Conlon and Ritchie Neville.

Scott, 45, didn’t know that Abz, also 45, was coming back. ‘Wow what a way to find this out! Love you brother,’ he remarked.

‘C’mon Abz!! Cracking up over this,’ added Sean, 43. ‘You really sure this time? That’s 4 out of 5 now…’ joked Ritchie, 45. Jason Paul Brown or ‘J’ is currently the only original member not currently involved in the upcoming reunion. However, some fans are hopeful that he could make it a full house.

After releasing their debut single Slam Dunk Da Funk in 1998, Five went on to score three number-one singles, and a number-one album. Just three years after the release of their debut single, with the world at their feet, Five split.

In the BBC documentary Boybands Forever, former manager Simon Cowell concedes that Five is the band that ‘got away’. The group were close to breaking America but disbanded before fully making their impact.

They have reunited several times over the years, most recently on ITV show The Big Reunion in 2013, but J was not involved.

J wasn’t entirely happy with the claims they made about his ‘bullying’ behaviour: ‘I thought, “I actually can’t believe what I’m hearing and who I’m hearing it from”.

‘I was loud and a bit aggressive at times, and I was physically bigger than them so I can see how that could have been taken a certain way.

‘But never in my mind was I so-called bullying people.’

It appears the past has been left in the past as four days ago, the official account for 5ive began teasing that big news was coming soon.

‘27.02.25 Loading…’ they wrote alongside a video of a train station, with the lyrics to their hit Keep On Movin’ featuring on a ticker board.

Earlier today they reposted Abz’s words with the same message, and once again, they included a link to their website.

Information is currently sparse but fans are invited to enter their email addresses so they can be first to know the big news, whether that be an album, a tour or something else entirely.

Another big sign that all five men are going to be involved is the group’s decision to wipe their individual Instagram profiles. Additionally, a new company called All Five Ltd was started on Companies House last year, and all five band members are listed as directors.

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Mariah Carey will be performing a summer concert at the Royal Sandringham Estate and is set to be joined by two guest acts – Nile Rodgers & Chic and Eternal.

The gig will be held on August 15 as part of the Heritage Live concerts, which also include evenings with Stereophonics and Michael Bublé.

Taking to Instagram Mariah, 55, said she was ‘excited’ about headlining the show and getting to see her ‘UK lambily’.

Although plenty of fans were excited about the news, others were critical due to Eternal’s inclusion. The band now consists of sisters Vernie and Easther Bennett and new member, Christel Lakhda, as original members Kéllé Bryan and Louise Redknapp decided to not partake in the reunion.

It was claimed by Louise’s publicist in 2023 that Easther and Vernie did not want the band to play Pride or other LGBTQ+ festivals. It was alleged that they believed the gay community was ‘being hijacked’ by the trans community.

‘Unhook Eternal please Mariah’ wrote Adam Robert on Mariah’s X announcement.

Krisenner wrote that they are ‘disappointed’ that Eternal has been chosen as Mariah’s support act.

ThatAbsolutelyAnthony added on Instagram: ‘Eternal? Nope. Know your audience.’

There were similar comments on Neil’s posts about the upcoming concert.

Putasinghonit weighed in by saying ‘Eternal? No thank you!!!!!!’ and made clear their reasoning was due to the claims previously made about the Bennett sisters.

RichieChuff didn’t think Eternal should be involved either due to their alleged comments.

In 2023, there were talks for the original band to reunite, but Louise, 50, and Kéllé, 49, eventually decided not to be involved.

‘Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kéllé told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead,’ Louise’s publicist, Simon Jones, said in a statement to BBC.

‘The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.’

Louise posted a picture of the progressive pride flag on her Instagram with the caption ‘Always and forever’ following the claims from her publicist.

Fourth bandmate Kelle Bryan also shared her thoughts and wrote: ‘Opportunities to reunite for an Eternal reunion tour with the girls has been discussed many times over the years. As mothers, the right opportunity and timing for all of our schedules have been tricky to arrange.

‘The relationship with our fans and the joy of celebrating our success was, and still is, my motivation. My stance and allegiances have always been that I am an advocate for inclusion and equality for all.

‘Thank you for your continued support over three decades. God bless, Kelle.’

Vernie, 53, also spoke to fans saying: ‘I am “Eternally” grateful for the family, friends, and amazing fans who have and continue to support our incredible journey and artistry.

‘I’ve been blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career. You all have a piece of my heart.

‘Though it is impossible and counterproductive to respond to the overwhelming number of statements and allegations made online recently, I place this moment in God’s hands.

‘I truly appreciate all who continue to express love and support for my family and Eternal.’

At the time, former manager Denis Ingoldsby, who now represents the Bennett sisters, called out Louise and said she had thrown the band ‘under the bus’.

He accused the media personality of ‘bullying behaviour’ saying she was trying to get them cancelled.

However, Louise’s representative disputed this and stood by their decision to address the issue publicly, telling Metro in a statement: ‘Denis Ingoldsby was not involved in the discussions about the Eternal reunion including all four members over the last two years.

‘The fact remains that the duo said they would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included.

‘Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from the band’s touring plans, and as such notified the duo that she would not be taking part.’ 

The girl group rose to fame in the 90s with hits like Just A Step From Heaven and Power Of A Woman, selling over 10 million records worldwide.

The R&B band officially split in 2000, before briefly reuniting in 2013 without Louise for the ITV show The Big Reunion. The new lineup of the group began performing together in 2024.

Mariah Carey is a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. She has publicly advocated for their rights and performed at Pride events.

‘The LGBTQ+ community has always been a part of my life and has always been there for me, and I will always be there for them. They inspire me with their courage and resilience,’ she previously told Billboard.

Metro has contacted Mariah Carey and Eternal’s representatives for comment.

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The White Lotus is always full of surprises and the latest episode included an unexpected cameo from a megastar.

The third season of the wildly popular social satire is well underway with the second instalment providing further information about our intriguing holidaymakers.

Patriarch financier Timothy (Jason Isaacs), who heads up the wealthy Ratliff family, is having a particularly tricky time.

His latest troubles lead to a phone call with his former business partner Kenny. The character was voiced by none other than Ke Huy Quan, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2023.

So far, we’d only heard Kenny being referenced by journalists, who were questioning Timonthy on shady financial dealings he was involved in a few years ago. Desperate to find out how much trouble he could be in, Timothy leaves Kenny a voicemail.

After securing a burner phone, Kenny finally contacts Timothy and it’s at this point we get a voice cameo from Quan.

‘Why’s The Wall Street Journal calling me, Kenny?’ asks Timothy.

A very stressed-sounding Kenny replies: ‘I don’t care about the f*****g story because 20 agents just raided my f*****g office! F**k me. I’m done.’

An unhappy Timothy then scolds Kenny for previously swearing this situation wouldn’t happen. ‘I didn’t think some whistleblower b***h in my office was going to rat me out to the media and the fucking FBI,’ he offers as an explanation.

It’s unlikely Timothy is going to be able to enjoy relaxing in the Thailand luxury retreat that he is currently staying in with his wife Victoria (Parker Posey) and three children – finance bro Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), shy high schooler Lochlan (Sam Nivola) and earnest college student Piper (Sarah Catherine Cook) – as Kenny informs him that he is implicated in the wrongdoings. His family have got some weird things going on themselves so they’ve barely noticed their dad’s shifty behaviour.

‘I didn’t wanna do it! This was all you, and now I’m wrapped up in some money laundering bribery situation, and I only made $10 million off of your stupid f*****g scheme!’ Timothy fumed.

Timothy then threatens to kill Kenny, to which he says: ‘If it makes you feel any better, I’m gonna f*****g kill myself.’

Viewers who were able to recognise 53-year-old Quan’s voice on the show took to social media to share their excitement.

‘LOVED hearing Ke Huy Quan drop countless “f**k/f*****g/f*****g b***h” in his roughly 2mins of screentime. Iconic,’ wrote DowntownChocolate94 on Reddit.

Thefilmer added: ‘That was phenomenal acting by him. He has such an unmistakable voice but he was doing such a great “I’m so f****d” act that I didn’t realise it for a minute.’

‘It took me like halfway through their conversation to realise it was him. It was driving me crazy the moment he started talking and then it clicked. He did a great job as the voice of someone who seems to be truly f****d,’ weighed in Redsnapper24.

This isn’t the first time that The White Lotus creator Mike White has called on award-winning actors for small parts. Such is the power of the murder mystery show that big stars are up for getting involved in fun ways. In the second series, Laura Dern plays the estranged wife of Michael Imperioli’s character, Dominic. Once again, it was a voice-only role.

Although viewers are hopeful Quan could pop up again, they are doubtful.

‘He is probably just like Laura Dern in season 2 talking to Michael Imperioli on the phone without making an appearance (although I’d be so happy to see him show up for real 😍🤓). But I’m sort of guessing that could’ve been a hint that Timothy might shoot himself and his family at the end…’ said Striking-Treacle3199.’ Meanwhile, Defying_gravityyyy is dreaming he gets a ‘full-time role in season 4’.

Despite his recognisable voice feature, Quan is not in the end credits and his contribution also isn’t featured on his IMDB page.

The White Lotus is available to stream on Now.

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Anton Du Beke’s hips were swinging. His cheeky chappy smile was on full beam and his arms swooped up into the air in one gracefully smooth manner.

The scene may have you thinking I was rewatching one of his Strictly Come Dancing routines on YouTube, perhaps his Paso Doble with Ruth Langsford or Viennese Waltz with Emma Barton, but, actually, Anton, 58, was doing something else entirely – playing golf to celebrate a new direction in his new career.

While his love for dance is pretty obvious to anybody who’s ever turned into BBC on a Saturday evening in the autumn/winter since 2004, he’s equally fond of golf. Such is his love for the sport that if timing had been different, he may never have become a professional dancer. This would mean not joining Strictly as a teacher to celebrities, and eventually sitting behind the judging desk.

‘I could have quite happily taken up golf if I’d stumbled into it before dance,’ Anton revealed to Metro and a small group of media. Instead, he started playing at age 16 after a man at his dance school in San Francisco suggested Anton join him at a golf course. This was a whole six years after he began dancing so golf became a hobby rather than a way to earn a living.

A world in which Anton doesn’t drag Ann Widdecombe across the Strictly dance floor is not one we want to live in, so we’re glad the cards fell this way.

‘Dance and golfing are not a thing of perfection so you’re always striving for the next level. You’re always trying to bring more to the role so I would have taken up golf with the same mentality and mindset as dancing,’ he said about his alternative life.

Although, he added with a smile: ‘But I’m not sure if I’d have made any money.’

He’s now letting the world know about his passion with a brand-new podcast Putt & Strut. To celebrate the launch, Anton and his co-host Sarah Stirk invited us to Pitch, a fancy golf club in central London, to discuss their new project.

In between taking swings at the virtual golfing game, Anton was just as enthusiastic and chatty as when he is sat behind the desk on Strictly.

After asking us what we want from life, and insisting I talk him through my vision board (yep, that happened), we made Anton the subject of questioning as he’s the person of interest after all. We asked if he’d be up for The Traitors. Only if he can be a Faithful.

It’s just days after his episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? aired, in which Anton ended up paying £15,000 of his own money to The Sick Children’s Trust after getting a question on musicals wrong, so we couldn’t help enquiring about that too. Anton informed us he was getting the bank details that afternoon to make the transfer. He doesn’t think watching the episode back is something he’ll ever be able to do.

When the conversation turned back to golf, Anton pointed out that the age at which a person begins a sport is often a factor in how successful they can become. He was proud to tell us his seven-year-old twin children George and Henrietta with his wife Hannah Summer are starting to express interest in golf.

‘I do hope that they become massively successful so they can keep their father in his old age,’ he joked.

‘I love nothing more than playing golf with my wife, and I’m looking forward to the children getting a bit older, not rushing them mind you, so we can do golf days. I can’t think of anything more thrilling for me than that.

‘The first day we sit on a golf buggy and roll out the first tee will make my entire life.’

Although golf isn’t Anton’s primary source of income, it helps him in a different way. Playing a few rounds is what helps Anton take care of his mental health.

‘It’s the place I go to, to get away from it all is a bit sort of extreme, but it’s my happy place, which is a bit extreme as well,’ he said, debating with himself on the definition of its role.

‘I like to grab the clubs and go play golf on my own. It gives you time to mull things over, and most things are dealt with better by not doing anything, just thinking.

‘Somebody said to me, you’re better at dealing with a situation by thinking for half an hour and after that, you’ll find you can deal with it. It quietens the mind.’

The chatter about all things green has Anton feeling like a walk down memory lane, specifically, reminiscing about golf fan Sir Bruce Forsyth, who is his ‘great hero’. His impact on Anton’s life cannot be underestimated, it was Forsyth’s name being attached to Strictly that convinced him to sign up.

‘That was the real hook for me,’ he summarised.

He first got to be in the same room as Forsyth, who died at age 89 in 2017, for the Strictly press launch held at Claridge’s hotel. He claims that even members of the press were silent as what went on to become the BBC’s biggest show was introduced to the world.

‘We got chatting that day in May, and by July, he’d invited me and Len [Goodman, Strictly judge], who was a wonderful man [Goodman died age 78 in 2023] to come to his house,’ Anton recalled.

‘We drove up the gate in Len’s car because he had a nicer one than me. We played at Wentworth Golf Club and then went back to Bruce’s house which overlooked the course for afternoon tea. We were a bit giddy, to be honest with you, it was the most wonderful day. I couldn’t believe it. We sort of pinched ourselves a little bit.

‘I was fortunate enough to become firm friends with Brucey for many years and we did lots of things together but he never let me win.’

Despite Forsyth refusing to let Anton win, there are no hard feelings of course and he’s still celebrating the man that went from hero to friend.

‘Brucey was the number one entertainer. I always felt that if he was in America, he’d have probably been even more famous. He was the most famous person in this country, but he’d have been a global sensation because he was that good,’ he stated.

Now, Anton is celebrating his own career as it enters an era of complete freedom. He’s built up enough of a fandom that he can pack out theatres on his dancing tour, write bestselling novels, and even start up a podcast about a seemingly random subject with his friend, Sky Sports presenter Sarah. The pair have become firm friends due to their shared passion and dreamt up this podcast idea together.

Each week they’ll chat to stars including Jodie Kidd, James Nesbitt, Adrian Chiles, and Anton’s former Strictly partner Judy Murray about their golfing game and life in general. ‘Judy is the nicest person in the world, by the way,’ Anton divulged, before sharing that they spent just as much time playing tennis together as dancing during Strictly. That could explain some of the threes!

Sarah explained their new project’s joint mission to us: ‘There are lots of very golfy podcasts out there, but we want to really kind of fuse the two elements of golf and entertainment, and just show it’s such a wonderfully addictive, brilliant game that appeals to the masses.

‘People may be put off thinking it will take a lot of time and money, but there are ways for everyone to enjoy it. There are driving ranges you can go to for £12,’ Sarah argued.

Anton continued: ‘We are more excited about non-golfers listening than the golfers.’

Putt & Strut with Anton Du Beke and Sarah Stirk is available to listen to now on Global Player, and all major podcast platforms

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