SHOW BIZ

Lesley’s time in the Bake Off tent came to an end after a tough meringue-themed week saw her struggle to impress the judges and become the seventh contestant to leave the competition

Hairdresser Lesley has become the seventh baker to be eliminated from The Great British Bake Off after struggling during the show’s first-ever meringue-themed week.

In Tuesday night’s episode, the remaining contestants were faced with three demanding challenges designed to test their precision and patience.

For the signature bake, they were asked to create mini meringue tarts, followed by a classic yet notoriously tricky soufflé in the technical round.

Finally, the showstopper challenge required the bakers to produce a visually impressive meringue ice cream cake – a task that pushed even the most confident contestants to their limits.

Despite her best efforts, Lesley’s bakes failed to impress the judges, and she was told by co-host Alison Hammond that her time in the tent had come to an end.

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Business development executive Toby, meanwhile, was named star baker by presenter Noel Fielding after delivering consistently strong results across all three challenges.

Lesley, 59, from Kent, admitted she had expected her departure. “Do you know what, I knew it was coming,” she said.

“It’s like ripping the plaster off! Thanks so much for the experience, it has been amazing. I couldn’t get my meringue right and had resigned myself to the fact I’d be going. But I’m proud that I made it to week seven. The other bakers gave me a massive cuddle, which meant the world.”

Judge Dame Prue Leith praised Lesley for her enthusiasm and warmth throughout the competition. “I’m really sorry to see Lesley go,” she said.

“She’s a remarkable woman and, in a way, she’s my ideal baker – she’s just really having a good time. That’s what Bake Off is all about.”

Following her exit, Lesley reflected on how much she had gained from her time in the famous tent. “I think I’ve grown as a person and feel more confident in myself and my abilities,” she said.

“I’ve learned new skills, trusted my gut feeling, and realised you need to step through fear and take yourself out of your comfort zone, that’s how you grow. I’ve had the time of my life.”

Having baked since the age of ten, Lesley said her highlight on the show was “winning the technical in chocolate week.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to open a small baking school, run a “cake shed” where people can buy homemade treats, and write a cookbook inspired by her late grandmother’s traditional recipes.

Lesley will appear on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice with Jo Brand and Tom Allen on Friday, October 17, at 8pm on Channel 4.

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A LITTLE Mix feud has arisen once more after Perrie Edwards mysteriously removed her like on Jesy Nelson’s body positivity post – just hours after her “olive branch”.

The two women previously fell out when Jesy, 34, left the band in 2020, with Perrie describing her leaving as “losing a limb”.

Today Jesy, who gave birth prematurely in May following complications, posted a slew of sweet snaps on Instagram of herself with her post-pregnancy body holding her babies.

The singer told fans she had “never felt prouder” of her body, having always struggled with self image.

However, in what appeared to be an “olive branch” following a five year fall out, her former Little Mix bandmate Perrie Edwards “liked” the candid post.

This didn’t go unnoticed by fans who shared their excitement on X/Twitter.

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One tweeted:”Perrie Edwards liked Jesy Nelsons post on Instagram… I am dreaming?”

While another said: “Perrie liked Jesy’s post, mixerland is healing, I can go party with Jade in peace.”

Another said: “Perrie has extended an olive branch to Jesy!”

But their excitement was short-lived, as mysteriously Perrie no longer likes the post.

It’s not known why the singer suddenly removed her ‘like’ on Jesy’s post.

Perrie recently said “it was like losing a limb” when her friend left Little Mix in 2020.

Jesy quit the band in 2020 for health reasons, with the others taking a break since 2022.

Speaking about how their friendship ended after Jesy left Little Mix, Perrie said told Glamour UK: “It’s about a friendship that I once had, that I no longer have anymore.

“We talk about breakups and heartbreak, but we don’t normally talk about friendships that break down. 

‘And it was like losing a limb. I was with her every day. We lived in each other’s pockets.”

Although Perrie may have removed her ‘like’, Jesy’s post did receive a lot of positive feedback from fellow celebrity mums:

Singer Jessie J wrote: “This is the energy for life. YOU are beautiful.”

While Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan said: “I wish you could have seen yourself through our eyes, you have always been so beautiful.”

Love Island legend Shaughna Phillips added: “Incredible woman, incredible mama.”

Jesy’s full inspiring post read: “I never thought it would have taken two beautiful girls, that I could’ve potentially lost, to make me realise how incredible my body actually is.

“33 years of extreme diets, of putting myself down and almost going through with a boob job, to standing here having this photo taken.

“I can honestly say I’ve never felt prouder of my body and what it has been through!

“Yes my boobs hang lower and my belly is bigger and squishier — it doesn’t look how it used to, but my god it created the best gift that has happened to me.”

Jesy was trolled about her weight in her Little Mix fame.

She hit back in 2018, posing naked with bandmates Perrie, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall, with slurs written on their bodies to plug single Strip.

She adds: “I never want my girls to feel the way I did about my body for so many years.

“So to all the future mummies or those who have just given birth, if you’re struggling with how you are feeling in yourself or are maybe even feeling the pressure to ‘snap back’ just take a moment to remember what you did!

“Be kinder to yourself, and remember you are incredible.”

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A friend told The Sun: “Becoming a mum has been the making of Jesy.

“She has found inner peace.”

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, the former “Good Morning America” co-anchors who were embroiled in a cheating scandal in late 2022, are ready to tie the knot.

“We are sharing with all of you that we are engaged and we’ve been engaged for a month now,” Robach, 52, announced Tuesday on their “Amy & T.J.” podcast.

“We’re actually surprised we’re just now talking about it,” Holmes, 48, added. “We wanted to let you all know before anybody was able to. We learned that lesson I guess in the past about our relationship: We want to be the first to talk about it.”

The former ABC News personalities infamously found themselves at the center of controversy in December 2022, when several outlets reported they had engaged in a monthslong affair while they were still with their respective partners. Both Holmes and Robach began their ABC News tenures in 2014 and co-hosted the daily program “GMA3: What You Need to Know” starting in 2020. They were known among viewers for their playful interactions and onscreen chemistry.

News of the affair dominated headlines, prompting ABC to bench the anchors. Weeks after news of the scandal broke, ABC News parted ways with both Holmes and Robach. “We all agreed it’s best for everyone that they move on from ABC News,” a representative for the news division said at the time.

ABC filled the former co-anchors’ positions, and Holmes and Robach went Instagram official. Their respective ex-spouses also found comfort in their shared experiences and sparked up a romance of their own.

In December 2023, Holmes and Robach finally broke their silence together about their “year of hell.” The pair said they wanted to disclose their relationship before outlets including Page Six and the Daily Mail ultimately beat them to the punch. They also discussed the scandal’s toll on their mental health.

“We have had each other through it all,” Robach said during the debut of their podcast. “It has been the most beautiful relationship I have had in my life.”

Married At First Sight UK couple Sarah and Dean called time on their troubled marriage in an emotional commitment ceremony after weeks of tension, criticism, and viewer backlash over their rocky relationship

A dramatic exit rocked Married At First Sight UK as Sarah and Dean became the latest couple to quit the experiment following a tense and emotional commitment ceremony.

The pair’s relationship had been hanging by a thread for weeks, marked by awkward exchanges, lack of affection, and mounting viewer complaints over Sarah’s remarks about Dean’s weight.

During the ceremony, Sarah insisted she wanted to give their marriage “one more week,” telling the experts: “For me things have been moving positively… I want to see if romance develops. I think we’re at that point now. If I take a step back, I worry I’ll regret not trying.”

But her plea was met with firm opposition from the panel. Relationship expert Mel Schilling cut in, saying: “Sarah, I think you know how you feel. You’re clutching at straws here. We’re halfway through this experiment.”

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Sex and relationships expert Charlene Douglas agreed, adding: “I think perhaps you’re making excuses. There isn’t any desire here at all. At what point do you call it quits? You’ve said the affection is too much. You’re both in denial.”

Paul C Brunson then chimed in on the whole situation, telling clashing Sarah and Dean: “We all see it.”

After a series of brutally honest interventions, Mel told the couple: “You two know what the smart thing to do is. You’re just not ready to say it.”

Initially, both Sarah and Dean wrote “stay” on their commitment cards, but changed their decisions after the confrontation.

Through tears, Sarah admitted: “I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I just don’t think we’re right for each other romantically.” Dean quietly replied: “Thank you for being honest,” adding that he “just wanted to be loved.”

Their relationship had been strained since the wedding day, when Sarah admitted she wasn’t physically attracted to Dean.

In one uncomfortable exchange, Dean asked if she had ever dated someone “overweight,” to which she bluntly replied: “No, never.” When asked what he could do to change that, she said: “Get some tattoos and lose some weight.”

Dean handled the comment with grace, later revealing he had “never been the boyfriend, always the best friend.”

However, Sarah’s behaviour drew much criticism from viewers, who accused her of fat-shaming and unforgivable disrespect.

Despite brief attempts to show a lighter side of their relationship, including honeymoon photos captioned “TV gave you the drama but here’s the real Maldives… fun, drinks & a lot of laughs”, tensions only deepened between Sarah and Dean.

Sarah later told the cameras: “I don’t think I can do this anymore,” before confirming their split at the ceremony.

Their departure brings an end to one of the show’s most turbulent marriages the show has ever seen, with both Sarah and Dean leaving the experiment in tears.

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BROOKS Nader has showcased her bare breasts in an entirely see-through top while leaving a talk show appearance in New York City.

Photos obtained by The U.S. Sun captured the reality star donning the sexy ensemble.

Brooks, 28, paused to acknowledge the cameras, showing off her sheer black top, exposing her boobs, and a short black skirt.

She completed the look with a black blazer, pointed-toe black high heels, and her blonde hair flowing straight down.

The pictures were taken outside of Sherri Shepherd’s talk show, where Brooks is a guest on Wednesday’s show.

The TV star regularly rocks daring outfits and wore a very similar ensemble last week while attending Paris Fashion Week.

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Photos again captured the star wearing no bra and putting her breasts on display in a sheer top and miniskirt.

She was seen departing the famed Siena party hours after wearing an even more revealing number at the Grand Palais party with her sister, Sarah Jane.

Brooks rocked a form-fitting gold dress, zipped in the front, which proved dangerous as she kept falling out of it.

She also experienced an unexpected moment when a big gust of wind came, revealing she’d gone commando that night.

The week before, the Hulu star wore another sexy dress with an extremely low-cut neckline while at Milan Fashion Week.

Brooks became a household name after winning the Sports Illustrated Swim Search competition in 2019, which skyrocketed her modeling career.

Dancing With The Stars fans would also remember her from last season, when she competed with her partner, Gleb Savchenko.

The pair were eliminated after reaching ninth place, but their names continued to circulate in the media due to the romance that blossomed during their partnership.

However, their relationship ended not long after when Brooks accused Gleb of cheating on her, which he vehemently denied.

Brooks is now romantically linked to Spanish professional tennis player Carlos Alcaraz.

In addition to her modeling career and stint on DWTS, Brooks stars on the new reality TV series, Love Thy Nader, which premiered on Hulu earlier this year.

The show follows Brooks and her sisters —Mary Holland, Grace Ann, and Sarah Jane —as they navigate building careers in the Big Apple.

There’s been no word on whether a Season 2 of the series is on the horizon, as per this writing.

The Latin Recording Academy unveiled the first slate of performers for the 26th annual Latin Grammy Awards, which will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 13.

Among the artists announced were música Mexicana acts Carín León, Pepe Aguilar and Los Tigres del Norte; sad sierreño singer-songwriters Ivan Cornejo and DannyLux; Latin pop icon Gloria Estefan, and Colombian rock band Morat.

“Happy to be at the biggest Latin music festival! Even more so because it features music from my Mexico. Long live Mariachi!” Aguilar told The Times. His latest project, “Mi Suerte Es Ser Mexicano,” is nominated for ranchero/mariachi album.

“Very honored to be part of this musical celebration,” León wrote on Instagram. The 36-year-old singer nabbed three nominations, including for album of the year, contemporary Mexican music album for his LP “Palabra de To’s (Seca),” as well as regional song for “Si Tú Me Vieras,” which features Maluma. León will make history next year by being the first Latin music act to perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The one-of-a-kind venue features a 16K resolution wraparound LED screen.

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“It’s crazy to even say that I’m performing at the Latin Grammys. I think of my parents, all their struggles, and how far we’ve come,” DannyLux shared in a statement. “This isn’t just my moment. It’s for every kid who grew up watching their parents fight for a better life.”

The 21-year-old Coachella Valley native celebrated his second Latin Grammy nomination (“Leyenda” is up for contemporary Mexican music album) by unveiling a billboard on Sunset Boulevard that paid tribute to his parents.

Spanish singer Raphael, who will receive the 2025 Person of the Year award, is also expected to grace the stage. The honoree’s career spans six decades, first wowing crowds during Eurovision Song contests in 1966 and 1967, where he gained recognition for his love-struck ballads “Yo Soy Aquél” and “Hablemos del Amor,” respectively.

Emmerdale have confirmed they will be airing three special standalone episodes featuring key storylines this autumn as we delve deeper into the biggest storylines in the Dales

Emmerdale will air three special standalone episodes featuring key storylines this autumn including a reflective look behind the bars of Robert Sugden’s incarceration and Bear’s recent disappearance.

Earlier this year, Emmerdale fans were left in shock when Ryan Hawley made his dramatic return to the soap, reprising his role as Robert Sugden, crashing the wedding of his brother John Sugden and Aaron Dingle. Robert was sent to prison in 2019 after being sentenced to life for the murder of Lee Posner.

Now, this autumn, fans will be able to see what really went down over those six years – and if it changed him forever. Fans are aware that Robert has a ‘secret husband’, Kev, whom he met in prison, who has recently been released and is living in the village.

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Elsewhere, another episode will answer all the unanswered questions about Bear’s disappearance. The soap will explore the hundred missing days of Bear’s life, and viewers will learn that he is sadly trapped in an all too common situation for a forgotten generation…

When Paddy and Bear found life under the same roof difficult, Bear decided to leave for another life in Ireland. Paddy believed his estranged father was safe with friends in Ireland, but it becomes apparent that he wasn’t there at all – but where did he disappear to?

Lastly, another special episode set to air in Autumn will explore this fragile and possibly broken relationship between April Dingle and her father, Marlon, as she slips further away from his grasp.

It comes after April’s storyline in which the teen is at the mercy of the merciless drug dealers.

Emmerdale have not confirmed an exact date for these standalone episodes, but fans can expect them to air sometime this autumn.

Fans of the ITV soap can expect a lot more twists and turns over the final months of 2026 as stars including Bradley Riches, Shebz Miah, Lisa Riley, Ash Palmisciano, Beth Cordingly, Rosie Bentham and Bradley Johnson spilled the beans to the Mirror at the Inside Soap Awards.

After the special standalone episode, we’ll be getting ready for all the Christmas drama – and it’s set to be dramatic.

So much so, Lewis Barton actor Bradley said fans would be saying “what the f**k” when they see what goes down.

Vinny Dingle star Bradley Johnson and Mandy Dingle star Lisa also teased a devastating storyline for Bear, which will run through to Christmas and then past Christmas too. Bradley said: “We’ve got the Bear storyline coming up!” whilst Lisa added: “We don’t know where Bear is.

The drama on Emmerdale continues Friday at 7:30 PM on ITV1 and STV, or from 7:00 AM on ITVX and STV Player.

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OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

♈ ARIES

March 21 to April 20

Working with what you have, in terms of ideas or emotions, could be better than starting over.

So even if the impulse is strong, do sit with this for a while.

A new way forward can show itself.

The way Neptune is guiding your heart may feel puzzling sometimes, but deep down you can sense the true strength.

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♉ TAURUS

April 21 to May 21

The foundations of your chart matter so much to you to feel secure.

But the one person who can really control this today is you.

So ask yourself honestly what you could do differently.

At work, letting small niggles go can leave extra energy for a big final push – towards a top team or a signed-off document.

Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♊ GEMINI

May 22 to June 21

Your zodiac gift is your charm and conversational flair – and it’s a day to use this at every chance you get.

A stranger you exchange a few words with could be player in your future, so give everyone you connect with the radiance of your Gemini light.

Partners who play together can be winners in a luck contest.

Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♋ CANCER

June 22 to July 22

That noise in your mind around money could be feeding off memories more than facts – today you are star-supported to see the difference.

But you also recognise any unfairness in a bond or deal, and can start to correct the balance.

Jupiter ups your ability to be spontaneous, and to seize prize opportunities.

Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♌ LEO

July 23 to August 23

A role in someone else’s romance may have worked once, but no longer fits you – so find the words to break free.

This can create the space in your heart you need to manage your feelings better and end a time of love hesitation.

If you’re single, someone who posts on social media every day can be a source of passion.

Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♍ VIRGO

August 24 to September 22

You are hiding something important – perhaps for the best of reasons.

But you sense this has to end – and today you have the right chart to start this process.

Security is so important to you – and Saturn backs this up.

When it comes to cash, saving is good, but not if it stops you spending on genuine needs.

Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♎ LIBRA

September 23 to October 23

Lending or borrowing are not a good fit for your chart today – especially among friends.

It’s more important to find out why certain favours are requested, and what this means for two or more people.

You are the zodiac love-leader and partners can be back in tune, while new love links to a shared selfie.

Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♏ SCORPIO

October 24 to November 22

You want to try something daring in terms of image or style? This can be your moment.

Rip up the fashion rule-book and go your own way – there can be an eager audience waiting to see what you do next.

Learning-based prizes can be a feature for you – to explore any opportunity to expand your knowledge.

Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♐ SAGITTARIUS

November 23 to December 21

Solving mysteries, in person, or in a drama or literature setting, comes naturally when you try.

You have a knack for seeing beyond the surface, and for bringing people along with you.

So ask those big questions, of others and of yourself.

Being picky in passion terms clears the decks for “G” to appear.

Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♑ CAPRICORN

December 22 to January 20

Staying flexible in financial terms, rather than rushing to fix some figures fast, can lead you towards the big break you need.

So do resist any pressure to sign up to, or sign off, a deal before you’re ready.

You will know when you are, and this is your decision to make.

Love asks more of you, in ways that can heal your heart.

Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

2

♒ AQUARIUS

January 21 to February 18

You may not feel you need togetherness – but you can still want it.

Love bonds on every level are the focus of your moon chart, and this allows you to be, and seem, more vulnerable than usual.

If you start the day single, you only have to hear one word uttered in an intriguing accent, to be totally hooked.

Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

♓ PISCES

February 19 to March 20

Mars’ rebellious streak could sabotage a work or love task that should be so straightforward.

If you recognise this urge, be ready to respond, and tap into your personal store of patience.

If you’re single, however, this planet clash can pair you with someone who appears 100 per cent “trouble” – yet irresistible.

Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

British vloggers Dan Howell and Phil Lester — known for their gaming and comedic slice-of-life style videos — are taking ownership of their long-rumored romance after more than a decade of incessant fan “shipping” online.

The longtime collaborators revealed Monday that they have been dating for more than a decade, pretty much since they gained popularity in the late aughts. The YouTubers confirmed they have been an item in a 46-minute video titled “Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?”

“We fell into it hard and fast in 2009,” Howell, 34, said. “And here we are almost 16 years later.”

Before Howell and Lester, 38, spoke about the origins of their couple-dom, the YouTubers— who both came out as gay in 2019 — talked extensively about why they waited go public with their relationship. First, they tackled some fans’ obsessive behavior.

Howell and Lester began appearing in each other’s YouTube videos in the late aughts and eventually, in 2014, launched their shared gaming channel — that page currently boasts 2.95 million subscribers. The pair documented their lives together, opening the door for fans to speculate on their relationship and foster a parasocial connection, Howell explained in the video. Among the most prominent internet personalities at the time, Howell and Lester often became the subject of fan fiction and fan edits on Tumblr.

“Some think that shipping real-life people is problematic. I think that humans cannot stop this natural tendency,” Howell said, later adding that “a line gets crossed” when fan speculation turns into investigation.

The pair recalled fans combing through their old social media posts, reaching out to their loved ones and filming them out in the real world. “If all this digging, investigating was small it could’ve been ignored,” Lester said.

“The problem is this became so big we could not ignore it,” Howell continued.

Howell and Lester also recalled fans dissecting their on-camera interactions and spreading the romance rumors during live events. Ultimately, the rumors became “too loud to ignore,” Lester said.

Howell said he was wary about how going public with Lester would impact their professional dynamic and spoke candidly about how his struggles with his sexuality affected their relationship.

“I had an extremely homophobic childhood,” Howell said, adding that the constant fan pressure to address the rumors took a toll on his mental health. He said that when he and Lester gained popularity he felt he “had to hide the relationship because I was still hiding who I was to my friends, family, myself.”

Online chatter didn’t help and “hit a nerve,” he said. Howell said Lester was “like a literal ray of light in my life back then” and committed to protecting their relationship.

“So when other people tried to grab it and drag it into the light, I felt completely violated,” Howell continued. “Having all of these people trying to out us and being so hostile to me when I tried to hide it was so triggering. Honestly, it could’ve killed me.”

Lester added: “It’s sad because those should’ve been the happiest times of our life. It was so amazing and we were having so much fun personally.”

Invasive fan behavior hung over their success “like a curse” and that led to anxiety and panic attacks, Howell said. Lester also recalled a “breaking point” in their relationship where a personal video leaked on YouTube and spread online, with re-posters refusing to take it down.

As they acknowledged the negative impact of some fans’ invasive behavior, the YouTubers said they don’t hold a grudge. Howell said the skeptics “were just young people that had absolutely no idea what the effects of their actions were.”

“In the same way that we all want people in our lives to give us patience and grace and benefit of the doubt if we ever make a mistake, I have to extend that to the world in regards to this story,” he added. “So I understand and I forgive.”

Howell and Lester, whose work also includes BBC Radio programming and several live tours, ended their video announcing the launch of a new podcast.

Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies recently announced that she will be stepping away from the BBC show

Dragons’ Den favourite Sara Davies has dropped hints about an “exciting” twist that’s never been witnessed before as she prepares for her departure.

The businesswoman, 40, first entered the Den in 2019 and during her time she has helped a range of entrepreneurs with her expertise.

The TV personality has now revealed she’ll be ‘stepping back’ from the BBC programme to concentrate on her own enterprise.

Before her poignant farewell, Sara graced Tuesday’s (October 14) instalment of BBC The One Show with presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp.

Roman was eager to discover more about her final series as he hinted at a ‘remarkable’ scene that’s still to be broadcast, reports the Express.

The television host continued: “There is a very special moment this week as part of Dragons’ Den history. What can you tell us because I know you can’t say much.”

Sara began by revealing: “I don’t want to give too much away but there was a moment that happened in filming last year, which is what you will see this Thursday on Dragons’ Den between Steven (Bartlett) and I.”

The personality hinted: “We do something that has never ever happened in the Den before and as a result of that something pretty exciting happens and let me just tell you it’s a pretty good business. You’ll love it.”

Dragons’ Den viewers will witness the extraordinary moment unfold on Thursday’s (October 16) show and judging by Sara’s teaser, it’ll be utterly unforgettable. This follows Sara’s confirmation in an Instagram statement that she had “taken the decision to step away from the Den for now, to focus on my own business” – a crafting enterprise she established in 2005.

She will continue to feature in the latter half of the current series and judging by her statement’s phrasing, there remains potential for her comeback down the line.

The BBC is yet to reveal her replacement.

In her social media post, Sarah declared: “As this last run of Dragons’ comes to an end I have to say I’ve loved every minute of this series so far and I’m so proud of the businesses I’ve invested in this year!”.

“As a lot of you will know, I’ve taken up my position again as CEO of Crafter’s Companion and my business is my big priority this year. And when I commit to a business, I really commit, which is why I find Dragons’ Den such a rewarding role.

“As well as filming an incredible show, being a Dragon requires so much dedication and time behind the scenes as you join the life of each business you invest in.

“It means seeing through your investment and committing to your part in that organisation. It’s so much more than a TV show. That’s why taken the decision to step away from the Den for now, to focus on my own business, which was my first baby! So I won’t be filming with the team this year for the next series.”

The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer and Dragons’ Den is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

Spotify video podcasts are coming to Netflix, further diversifying the types of content on the Los Gatos, Calif.-based streaming service beyond movies, TV shows and games.

The move reflects how many people are consuming their podcasts not just by listening, but by watching the podcasters conduct their discussions on video.

Roughly 70% of podcast listeners prefer their shows with video, according to a Cumulus Media study. Netflix and Spotify said the partnership will bring podcasts to Netflix that complement the streamer’s “existing programming and unlocks new audiences and wider distribution for the shows.”

There will be 16 Spotify video podcasts initially on Netflix in the U.S. in early 2026, with plans to include other markets, the companies said. Those video podcasts include sports programs like “The Bill Simmons Podcast” and “The Ringer Fantasy Football Show,” culture/lifestyle podcasts like “The Dave Chang Show” and “The Recipe Club” as well as true-crime programs like “Serial Killers.”

“At Netflix, we’re always looking for new ways to entertain our members, wherever and however they want to watch,” said Lauren Smith, the streamer’s vice president of content licensing and programming strategy.

Roman Wasenmüller, vice president and head of podcasts at Spotify, said this partnership helps creators reach new audiences and unlocks “a completely new distribution opportunity.”

Spotify began offering video podcasts on its platform about five years ago, offering an option to its podcasters who had previously been posting videos of their audio programs on YouTube.

Last year, the Swedish audio company unveiled new features that make it easier for creators to earn money from their video content and track their performance on the streaming service.

Netflix has also been diversifying the types of content it offers on its streaming service. Last week, Netflix unveiled a slate of games, such as versions of Boggle and Pictionary, that can be played on TV and are included with its streaming subscription.

The TV star is passionate about helping young men to get support in their roles as new dads, after losing his own father at a young age

As a father of six kids aged between two and 17, Joe Swash knows a thing or two about parenting. But the TV star says that when he first became a dad, aged 25, he felt “vulnerable, under-prepared” and ignored by society.

And he fears that things might have got even worse since then, which inspired him to make a film to highlight the desperate situation that many young fathers trying to raise their children find themselves in.

Joe, 43, lost his own father when he was just 11 and had no role model to guide him through while he was raising baby Harry, now 17, with his former partner Emma Sophocleous.

READ MORE: Millie Gibson unrecognisable in Forsytes role after sudden exit from Doctor WhoREAD MORE: Bake Off’s ‘bingate’ sabotage returns to tent in dramatic show scenes

“From what I’ve found, there’s not a lot of support out there for young dads, and if there is some, it’s very, very difficult to find,” says Joe, who now has a large blended family with his wife Stacey Solomon.

“I’ve got six kids that I look after. Being a dad is a really big part of my life. And I remember being so vulnerable, so under-prepared for my first child, not really knowing anything, not really having anywhere to go for some help. My dad wasn’t around. There were no charities geared towards young dads.When I’d go to,a child parent club, it was always going to the mother-child club. I never felt really included.”

Joe’s relationship with Emma broke down just a few months after Harry’s birth and Joe wonders whether the large number of single parent families in the UK could be partly down to the lack of support for young fathers.

“I feel like it’s an area that’s been overlooked,” he explains. “There are lots of absent dads out there and I just want to know whether all of them are absent because they want to be or because there wasn’t enough support for them. If that’s the case then I want to shine a light on that and let people know that there’s got to be something done to make the situation better.”

In his new documentary, Joe meets several young men who are learning on the job and trying to be good dads to their kids. He believes that having positive male role models is not only beneficial for the children – it’s a massive help for men too. Without his own dad to learn from, Joe admits he found the transition into fatherhood really difficult. “I do think it sort of really shaped who I am as a person. You know, not having a dad. I didn’t really know there’d be any issues with it until I’ve got older. I struggle with my identity,” he admits. “What sort of man am I? Am

I expected to be an alpha male? There’s lots of things I struggle with because I never had my dad there.”

One young man in the film is Wyatt, who is currently living separately from his partner and their child because of their circumstances, but is determined to make it work out. Joe says: “I always get this feeling, you now, we should be celebrating people like Wyatt and his partner, because not only are they young but they’re doing a fantastic job and we should be celebrating these positive role models.

“I can definitely feel Wyatt’s pain, you know, because all he wants to do is be with his partner and his child, be a family.”

Looking at the young men who features in the one-off show, he recognises himself in all of them. “I can see a lot of the vulnerabilities in the young men that we met in this documentary because I felt that way,” Joe says. “It’s a real big gulf in your life when you haven’t got a dad or a positive male role model. I remember being young and just craving someone to sort of put their arm around me and look after me, but I never had one.”

Without these types of influences, Joe is concerned that there are plenty of young men who will make the wrong choices or take the wrong path. “That’s the danger,” he reasons. “They’ll fall into places with people that are not positive because they crave just someone looking out for them.”

He’d like teen dads, or those their twenties, to have somewhere to turn for help and advice. “It would help if there was more set up for young dads where they could be around other young dads and they can start the conversation,” he says. “When you first get a baby in your hands, it’s so delicate. You’re so scared of it. The thought of changing a nappy is quite daunting. You know, if you’re not taught it and no one’s showed you it, how are you going to learn it? So I just feel like there’s got to be more places out there for dads wanting to be dads.”

And he points out that the biggest killer of young men is suicide. “We suffer in silence, we don’t open up or talk about our problems. But you put us in a room of other people that are going through the same sort of things, you don’t feel the pressure, you feel open, you want to express yourself. If we can get young dads in the room together, they would know that they’re not the only ones that are feeling these things, that are going through these emotions.

“I got to travel the length and breadth of the country meeting these young dads, listening to their stories, and the whole way along I just kept thinking to myself, ‘we’ve just got to get them talking, you know, open the conversation otherwise everyone’s just suffering in silence.”

Viewers who watch Joe’s film, Forgotten Young Dads, will see that while the group all have their individual struggles, they’re also pretty resilient. After meeting them, Joe feels both inspired and hopeful for the future. “From the time that I spent with them, I think that all of those kids are going to have great dads,” he smiles. “They were all completely hands-on. They’ve done everything from change nappies, feed them and put them to bed. And I just think that is the modern-day alpha male.”

Joe wants young men to realise that being a man isn’t about boozing and bust-ups – it’s about raising your family and getting properly involved in the next generation. “Anyone can go down to the pub and have a fight, or watch the football at the weekend. But not every man can change a nappy, get up in the middle of the night and do all the things that a real dad should do. I was very proud of them.”

– Joe Swash: Forgotten Young Dads, 8pm, Monday 20 October BBC3, Tuesday 21 October BBC1, and iPlayer

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A DNA test on a Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann has “conclusively” proved she is not the missing child, a court has heard.

Julia Wandelt, 24, had a sample analysed after she was arrested in February over the alleged stalking of Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry.

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Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell told a court today that when Ms Wandelt’s DNA was compared with Maddie’s the results were clear.

When asked what they proved, Cranwell replied: “A comparison took place and it conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”

The trial over Ms Wandelt’s alleged stalking of the McCann’s is ongoing as a court heard this month she is said to have bombarded Kate and Gerry with calls, letters and messages over almost three years.

Leicester crown court was played clips she left after she got the family’s phone number from Portuguese police records.

In one, Polish national Wandelt, 24, tells Kate: “I know you probably think Madeleine is dead, but she is not. I am her.”

She denies the stalking claims.

Pay TV providers have a new message for consumers: Your ex wants you back.

While the media industry watches the once massive number of subscribers to cable and satellite services diminish like a slow-melting iceberg as audiences move to streaming, the companies are aggressively developing ways to slow the trend and perhaps win some business back.

Spectrum and DirecTV have both recently held fancy press events in New York to tout their efforts to offer a more consumer-friendly experience and services that add value for the still substantial number of customers they serve. Giving consumers more choice and flexibility is their new mantra.

The latest evidence of this emerged last week when Spectrum introduced an app store, where customers can get subscriptions to the streaming platforms such as Disney+, Hulu, AMC+ and ESPN, and access them alongside the broadcast and cable channels that still carry the bulk of high-profile sports and live events.

The Stamford, Conn.-based company’s 31 million subscribers can now get ad-supported streaming apps as part of their TV packages, which would otherwise cost an additional $125 a month. Ad-free versions are also offered at a discounted price.

Over the last year, El Segundo-based DirecTV rolled out smaller packages of channels aimed at consumers who no longer want a big monthly bill for the panoply of networks that have accumulated in the pay TV bundle over the years. The satellite TV service now offers smaller “genre packages” of channels and streaming apps that cater to a particular interest available at a lower price — designed for news junkies, sports fans, kids and Spanish-language speakers. There is one for entertainment channels as well.

There are early indications consumers are responding. In the second quarter of this year, Spectrum reported a loss of 80,000 cable customers due to cord-cutting, a significant decline from the same period in 2024, when 408,000 homes ditched cable.

DirecTV does not disclose its subscriber numbers, but Vincent Torres, the company’s chief marketing officer, said the smaller and more bespoke channel packages are drawing younger consumers who have bypassed pay TV subscriptions up to now.

For Spectrum, the deal to get the Disney apps came out of an ugly carriage dispute in August 2023 that for 12 days left customers without programming, including the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the start of the college football season. The standoff followed comments by Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger that taking the company’s program services directly to the consumer and bypassing its traditional pay TV partners was inevitable.

Spectrum CEO Chris Winfrey suggested his company could get out of the video distribution business and stick to selling its far more profitable broadband internet services.

The dispute was a sharp example of the pressure on cable providers that have been asked to pay more to carry the channels from Disney and other media conglomerates as they feel the pressure of rising programming costs and sports rights fees. The costs are passed along to customers who are paying more for content that is available on streaming services. Spectrum insisted on a deal that made Disney’s streaming apps available to its customers at no additional cost.

The tensions subsided and, in June, Spectrum reopened and extended its contract with Disney before it was up — a rarity in the contentious arena of carriage negotiations that lead to channel blackouts.

DirecTV’s slimmer cable packages came after a similarly bruising dispute with Disney last September, with customers losing access to the channels for 13 days.

But there was a new spirit of unity on stage at Spectrum headquarters, where ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro, the architect of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer strategy, was among the guest speakers.

Although Pitaro has long hammered away at how ESPN needs to be accessible to sports fans wherever they are, he touted the value of the cable subscription and described the relationship with Spectrum as “the best it has ever been.”

Spectrum customers already get ESPN channels through their cable subscription, but adding the direct-to-consumer app allows them access to its features such as enhanced real-time stats during live games and a personalized “SportsCenter” that uses AI to create a custom highlight show for users.

Spectrum has enlisted the networks it carries to make promotional spots touting its new services. Speaking at the Spectrum event, Winfrey acknowledged it will take some time for consumers to get used to the idea of getting more from their cable provider at no additional cost.

“Our No. 1 issue is — and this may shock you — but customers don’t trust the cable company,” Winfrey said. “Maybe with good reason. For how many decades did the cable industry go out and say HBO is included for free? And it was for three months and then, $10 would show up on your bill. We’ve conditioned people to think it’s a free trial period.”

Torres notes that more consumers are experiencing what he calls “content rage” as the prices of individual streaming services such as Peacock and Disney+ continue to rise. As programming gets sliced and diced for the growing number of services, consumers are finding that more than one subscription is necessary, especially for fans of the NFL or NBA, which have spread their games over several services.

“You see a growing frustration that ‘I can never find what I want to find when I want to watch it,” Torres said. “The fragmentation of the content is creating customer dissatisfaction. They can’t always find what they’re looking for.”

Along with its slimmer channel packages, DirectTV recently introduced a new internet-connected device called Gemini that combines streaming apps with traditional TV channels.

Pay TV companies are also offering voice-controlled remotes to help consumers find what they want to watch, whether on streaming or a traditional channel.

Executives say more enhanced viewing experiences are coming to keep the pay TV customer connected.

Starting this season, Spectrum’s SportsNet channel will be offering its Los Angeles customers several Lakers games in an immersive video format that can be streamed through an Apple Vision Pro device. The technology will give users a courtside view of the game at Crypto.com Arena. All that’s missing is a seat next to Jack Nicholson, but as AI advances, who knows?

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

Disney’s sci-fi sequel “Tron: Ares” got off to a weak start, opening with just $33.5 million in North American theaters.

The results were well below 2010’s “Tron: Legacy,” which opened to $44 million. The production budget for “Tron: Ares” was reportedly $180 million.

Still, Disney does have two potential box office hits later this year with “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and animated sequel “Zootopia 2.”

Finally …

Stacy Perman’s deeply reported piece on fake collectible movie props is a must read. Bonus points for an appearance by notorious movie and TV executive Jim Aubrey, known as “The Smiling Cobra.”

The Great British Bake Off star Iain Ross has been a firm fan favourite on the Channel 4 baking show, but some viewers have only just noticed one thing about him

The beloved Channel 4 programme The Great British Bake Off has returned to our television screens as hopeful contestants compete to claim the title of Britain’s finest amateur baker, with Iain Ross, from County Derry, Northern Ireland, already capturing the hearts of countless viewers. Yet some are only now cottoning on to exactly who the 29-year-old software engineer bears a striking resemblance to.

Iain, who harbours a passion for live music alongside his sourdough obsession, originally had zero intentions of gracing the show with his presence, but when his girlfriend Dervla refused to accept defeat, he eventually submitted his application. Channel 4 audiences are undoubtedly thrilled he did, with legions branding him ‘adorable’ across social media platforms.

However, others are now spotting another fascinating detail about him – his uncanny likeness to a particular children’s television character.

Which character might that be, you wonder? None other than Sir Gadabout from the beloved children’s tale Zog, which has since been transformed into an animated BBC production.

A viewer named Katie recently took to X to highlight the remarkable similarity, penning: “For weeks I’ve struggled to think of who Iain reminds me of and it took my son wearing his Zog pyjamas for me to finally realise that it’s Sir Gadabout. #GBBO.”

Clearly, numerous others shared her observation, as the post accumulated over 66,000 views alongside thousands of likes.

One individual responded: “Thank you. I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing!”.

Meanwhile, another chimed in: “Oh my goodness! Absolutely nailed it!”

A third chimed in: “Thank you, I’ve been so confused why he looked so familiar,” while a fourth said: “You are not wrong!”

A further fan exclaimed: “It’s literally him,” while another simply concurred: “Yes!”

Speaking about securing his spot on the programme, Iain told Radio Times: “Every step of the way I kept it a secret from everyone apart from Dervla, I didn’t think I’d make it to the following stage and I didn’t want to let anyone down.

“Then when I got the call to confirm my place I was in sheer disbelief, I had no idea it would actually happen.”

He added: “I thought it was a prank at first, I got a call a few minutes after being told and I thought they were going to tell me they made a mistake and I wasn’t actually on the show!”.

“I was in the office at work and had to go out to the foyer to take the call and speak in code, everyone who was walking past heading to the toilet looked very concerned and confused.”

Iain, who lives in Belfast with Dervla and their cat Victor, disclosed on the programme that he was planning to pop the question to her, and has since announced on his social media pages that she said yes.

His heartfelt post featured Dervla flaunting a dazzling ring with Crawfordsburn waterfall in Northern Ireland as the stunning backdrop.

Captioning the snap, he penned: “Don’t suppose you know anyone who can make a decent wedding cake?”

He then added: “A picture at this waterfall every year for the past 8 years, and a special lil one to complete the frame.”

A FOOTBALLER has been arrested on suspicion of killing an opponent more than a year after the brutal brawl.

Luis Torres was killed following an alleged attack by Moisés Pulido on 9 September 2024.

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The incident happened during a seven-a-side amateur football match between Torres’ Viper 3.0 and Pulido’s Deportivo Esmeralda on a synthetic pitch in Guadalajara, north west of Mexico City, Mexico.

Torres, 16, is said to have been charging through the midfield in the second half when he laid the ball off before having a go at a rival for a mistimed tackle.

Pulido, 25, is then reported to have rushed over and punched the teen in the face multiple times during the Cannán League game.

After Torres fell to the ground, Pulido allegedly carried on striking him in the back of the head, which caused fatal trauma.

Emergency services were called to the scene but Torres had died by the time they arrived after he was seen convulsing.

Pulido is then said to have fled the scene.

He was arrested on Friday, October 10 after a court order was issued for him to be tracked down.

A court judge charged him with intentional homicide, and he remains in police custody as the investigation continues.

In a statement the Public Prosecutor’s Office said: “On the night of 9 September 2024, Moisés ‘N’ was taking part in a soccer game with the victim on opposing teams.

“At one point, the suspect allegedly hit the victim in the face and then continued to hit him on the back of his head.”

Madonna’s “MDNA.” Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising.” Mariah Carey’s “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.”

According to the Recording Industry Assn. of America, none of these albums — each the 12th studio LP by its respective maker — has sold 4 million copies in the United States in the decade or more since it was released.

Yet that’s what Taylor Swift just did in a single week with her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which Billboard reported Monday had moved 4.002 million copies in the seven days between Oct. 3 and 9.

That figure, which combines sales and streaming numbers, represents the biggest opening week for an album in modern history, breaking the record set by Adele 10 years ago when her “25” moved 3.482 million units in its first week.

Swift marked the achievement on Instagram on Monday with a note to her 281 million followers.

“I’ll never forget how excited I was in 2006 when my first album sold 40,000 copies in its first week,” she wrote. “I was 16 and couldn’t even fathom that that many people would care enough about my music to invest their time and energy into it. Since then I’ve tried to meet and thank as many people as I could who have given me the chance to chase this insane dream. Here we are all these years later and a hundred times that many people showed up for me this week.

“I have 4 million thank you’s I want to send to the fans,” she added, “and 4 million reasons to feel even more proud of this album than I already was.”

The speed with which Swift hit the 4-million mark is undeniably impressive. Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” the biggest album of 2025 so far, has sold and streamed the equivalent of 4.2 million copies, according to the trade journal Hits. But “I’m the Problem” has been out since mid-May; “Showgirl” will almost certainly have surpassed Wallen’s LP by the end of this week (if it hasn’t already).

What’s more remarkable is where “Showgirl’s” blockbuster success comes in the arc of Swift’s career.

Madonna and Springsteen were both in their early 50s when they released their 12th LPs; Carey was 40 when “Imperfect Angel” came out. Swift, in contrast, is only 35 — one advantage of starting out professionally as a teenager.

Still, Swift has been a star for nearly two decades, a point at which many pop musicians have shifted the focus of their work to touring even as they continue to make new records generally ignored by all but their most devoted fans. In 2024, according to Pollstar, Madonna’s and Springsteen’s latest road shows — each drawn from a catalog packed with hit songs — were among the year’s 10 highest-grossing tours.

And indeed Swift has been amply rewarded on the road: At No. 1 on Pollstar’s list was her Eras tour, which sold more than $2 billion in tickets across 149 dates on five continents.

Yet unlike virtually every other veteran act in music, Swift’s recording business is growing along with her live business.

“Everything that’s happening here is historic and unprecedented,” said Hits’ editor in chief, Lenny Beer. “Maybe if the Beatles had stayed together, we’d have seen something like it.”

Also worth considering: Nobody seems to think “The Life of a Showgirl” is Swift’s best album. Reviews have been mixed, and even some fans have expressed disappointment with the record on social media — a once-unthinkable development among the fiercely loyal Swifties.

So how did the singer pull off such a feat?

First, a little math: Of “Showgirl’s” 4 million units, approximately 3.5 million were sales of either digital or physical versions of the album (including CDs, cassettes and vinyl LPs); the remaining half-million came from streams of the album’s songs on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, which the data firm Luminate counts toward what it calls streaming equivalent albums.

“Showgirl’s” 12 songs racked up 681 million streams in all, Billboard said — the fourth-biggest streaming week of all time, behind Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” and Drake’s “Scorpion” and “Certified Lover Boy.” But the album’s sales number is the largest ever recorded since Luminate started tracking sales electronically in 1991.

Among Swift’s strategies to get to that number was selling more than three dozen editions of the album, each with its own artwork and bonus material designed to lure collectors. On vinyl alone, “Showgirl” came out in eight so-called variants, which helped drive the album’s first-week vinyl sales to a modern record of 1.3 million copies.

Offering something for sale doesn’t necessarily mean anyone will buy it, of course. Yet Swift was positioning “The Life of a Showgirl” as a juggernaut from the moment she announced it. Appearing with her fiancé, the NFL player Travis Kelce, on his “New Heights” podcast in August, the singer described the album as a return to the hit-making ways of albums like “Red” and “1989” after the relatively experimental “Folklore” and “Tortured Poets Department.”

To make “Showgirl,” she reteamed with the Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she’d collaborated on some of her biggest singles, including “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” On “New Heights” she and Kelce talked about the new album as a “180” from the moody confessions of “Tortured Poets,” whetting appetites for the kind of crisply hooky Taylor Swift songs that blanketed Top 40 radio in the mid-2010s.

Promised the football star: “12 bangers.”

Fans visit an activation for Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” at the Westfield Century City mall on Oct. 4.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Once “Showgirl” was out, Swift jumped into the promotional fray with more gusto than she’d summoned in years, sitting for numerous radio interviews and putting in appearances on Graham Norton’s, Jimmy Fallon’s and Seth Meyers’ late-night shows; the weekend after the album’s release, a glorified sizzle reel called “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” played in AMC movie theaters across the country.

On Monday, Swift kept the conversation going with the announcement that two Eras-related projects are headed to Disney+ in December: a six-part behind-the-scenes docuseries and a concert film of the tour’s finale in Vancouver.

“One of the hardest parts of ensuring you have a record-setting first week is making sure that everyone who could possibly be interested in your album knows about it,” said Bill Werde, director of the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University. “I’m not sure anyone has ever covered that need the way Taylor did with this album cycle.”

Yet “The Life of a Showgirl” has not been greeted as enthusiastically as some of Swift’s earlier work.

Pitchfork said “her music’s never been less compelling,” while The Guardian called the album “dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled.” Fans on TikTok have complained that Swift’s lyrics — which take up her romance with Kelce, the burdens of fame and an apparent beef with Charli XCX — are unusually shallow; some have even formulated a kind of tradwife critique of “Showgirl” in which Swift is seen as upholding regressive ideas about marriage and domesticity.

The album has also attracted criticism from people who say Swift’s songs recycle familiar elements from other pop tunes without giving credit: the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in “Wood,” for instance, and the Jonas Brothers’ “Cool” in the LP’s closing title track.

“When every song is a derivative of another song, that’s an issue,” said one hit songwriter who asked not to be named in order to speak freely. “That one song is the Jonas Brothers song — the exact same melody. And here’s how lazy that is: It’s the same key and the same tempo.”

In Werde’s view, Swift’s place atop the pop hierarchy makes such carping inevitable. “Anytime an artist gets this big, there’s going to be backlash,” he said — a take with which Swift would likely agree.

“I welcome the chaos,” she said in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “The rule of show business is: If it’s the first week of my album release and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping.”

Even so, the polarized reaction to “Showgirl” — Swift’s 15th album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — raises questions about the breadth of Swift’s popularity as compared to its depth. Should the album’s gargantuan numbers be taken as a sign that she appeals to a wide spectrum of pop music lovers or to a committed group of hardcore Swifties willing to spend untold amounts of money to demonstrate their loyalty?

“Showgirl’s” second-week stats should provide the beginnings of an answer, given that they won’t be shaped by one-time sales of all those limited-edition variants.

Then again, another unprecedented chart achievement from the album’s first week is already shedding some light on the matter: “The Fate of Ophelia,” the album’s lead single, is the first song ever to debut inside the top 10 of Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart — an indication of the heavy Top 40 radio play it’s getting along with the millions of daily streams that have kept it atop Spotify’s U.S. Top 50 tally since the song came out.

That’s one banger certified, with more perhaps to come.

A horror series that has been described as the “most terrifying” TV show ever made is streaming for free, and fans are being warned to prepare for a chilling experience

One of the most spine-chilling horror series ever made, which viewers insist ‘just gets scarier’ after each episode, is now available to stream for free in the UK.

The Terror, adapted from the acclaimed sci-fi and horror author Dan Simmons’ book of the same name, depicts the ill-fated Franklin Expedition of 1845, which aimed to discover the Northwest Passage, the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Arctic Ocean.

Simmons, also the author of the Hyperion Cantos, fictionalised the accounts of the expedition’s Captain Sir John Franklin as two British ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in Arctic ice, eventually vanishing without a trace and leaving no survivors.

Across 20 episodes, featuring Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, and Ciaran Hinds amongst others, historical fact is woven with supernatural horror as the crew aboard the Terror succumb to starvation and cannibalism whilst grappling with the mysterious creature that haunts them.

The series, which was recently revived in 2025 following its first two seasons in 2018 and 2019, has received rave reviews on both IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes film and TV review platforms, scoring 7.8 stars out of 10 and an approval rating of 87%, respectively, reports the Express.

Evidence of its bone-chilling nature can be found on Reddit’s Horror subreddit, which boasts over 3 million members who post reviews and pose questions to the site’s leading horror entertainment community.

Horror enthusiasts can watch the programme without charge in the UK via ITVX’s streaming service, following account registration and enduring several advertisements.

Reddit user gtr011191 put forward a query to the online forum: “So just finished The Haunting of Hill House again, just looking for something else now to watch. What, in your opinion, is the most terrifying TV series?”.

Numerous Reddit contributors were swift to suggest The Terror, alongside other programmes, with user Hookums garnering more than 40 upvotes for their comment, “The Terror, season 1. F***ing horrifying. Episode one has some really chilling moments, and it just gets scarier from there.”

On IMDB, a verified critic named mohahaa13 awarded the programme nine out of 10 stars, cautioning audiences: “Going into the series with no expectations or impressions from the novel, and barely reading about the series at all before binge watching it, I was expecting a high-paced master and commander type of series.

“And, while it’s set in roughly the same time period, it’s unlike anything I was expecting. It’s quite suspenseful and chilling.

“Much thanks to the great acting, casting and details. The ambient soundtrack (R.I.P. Marcus Fjellstrom) is fantastic and really helps with the eerie feeling.

“There were some moments that made me feel really at unease. Right up there with the top series for sure. Well worth a watch.”

A MARRIED At First Sight star warned fans “a smile hides a lot” as she broke down in tears in an emotional Instagram upload.

The E4 show contestant admitted “I have my struggles” and told how she “feels like a failure” amid a tricky patch in her personal life.

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Ella Morgan‘s raw confession came after the Celebs Go Dating alum posted a series of cryptic messages to her Stories, including one which read: “Remember who checks on you when you get a little quiet.

“Those are your people.”

Now Ella, who saw sparks fly with JJ Slater on MAFS as the show’s first transgender contestant back in 2023, has pleaded for fans to “be kind”

The 31-year-old bravely posted an image which showed her in tears in her car.

In a far cry from her ordinarily glam look, Ella was seen donning a pink sports top and going make-up free, brushing her hair into an up-do.

In a lengthy text post uploaded underneath the sad snap she wrote: “Sometimes a smile hides a lot.

“I can be the loudest most outgoing person in the room but inside it’s a very different story.

“Maybe I’ll regret posting this story because I care what others think.

“But I never talk or post about my feelings or when I’m not in a good place.

“But I felt like I needed to post this.

“Maybe it’ll help me or make me feel better or maybe it’ll help somebody else who is struggling right now.

“The reality is, everyone is going through something.”

She continued: “I have my struggles and a lot of you have noticed me going quieter on socials and I have reasons why.

“And social media a lot of the time gives off the impression that life is amazing but the truth is, it isn’t always.”

Ella then told how “constant trolling” and negativity around the trans community, as well as feeling run down and unwell, had also taken its toll.

She also confessed the “pressure of being a role model” felt like a “huge weight.”

In a heartbreaking conclusion Ella put: “Sometimes I feel like a failure and being sent horrible DMs doesn’t help when I’m having a bad day already.

“I took this picture this morning so I can look back when I’m in a better place and remind me how far I’ve come. Not for attention.

“Sometimes the feelings of failure and loneliness and negativity get the better of you and override the positive feelings.

“But I know tomorrow is a new day and hopefully it’ll be an easier one.

“Thank you for you continued support. Please be kind to one another.”

Ella then posted a snapshot of her dog, who she hailed her “best friend.”

Her poignant post came just weeks after the Bristol lass slammed a well-known celeb who called her a transphobic slur behind her back.

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