admits

Aston Merrygold of JLS fame has opened up about the devastating toll of his recent ankle injury during an appearance on Sunday Brunch

JLS star Aston Merrygold has gotten candid about his recent leg injury, admitting the emotional toll is “killing me”.

The Peterborough-born boyband icon, 38, underwent surgery late last year after suffering a painful injury on his ankle during rehearsals.

However, Aston has continued to perform with the band, which also includes Marvin Humes, Oritsé Williams, and JB Gill, either seated or using crutches.

During an interview with Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy on today’s (22nd February) edition of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Aston shared some more insight into his injury and recovery.

“I broke everything in my ankle, apart from the bone,” he shared. “So, I’m still here.

“Basically, jumping off a platform to end the show, I vanished through the stage and landed on some crash mats. Obviously, I got excited and probably jumped a bit too high, trapped my leg between the crash mats and my body kept going.

“So I had to have full ankle reconstruction surgery.” Tim quipped: “Got a team of lawyers on that?”, prompting laughter from Aston.

After revealing he had continued with the tour on crutches, Aston was asked about his history playing football and how his injury has affected his exercise regime.

“You used to be a good footballer years ago, didn’t you?” Tim asked. “So this must be killing you.”

Aston agreed: “It’s killing me. But everything, even in the week, going away with the kids for a few days is lovely.”

Tim interjected, “Can you do anything?” and Aston revealed: “I can’t run yet. So that’s kind of the extent of it. Stairs are good now, for the ankle progression.”

The presenter then mused: “You know what they say, and this is so true, a well man has 10,000 wishes and an ill man has one.”

“100 percent,” Aston agreed. “And the worst, worst part of the whole thing was that I had to be bed-bound at one point.

“Then, when I could stand up, it had to be no weight. So no picking up the kids, no kind of running around.

“Obviously I didn’t listen,” he then confessed. “You can’t have those special moments just taken away fully, so I was a bit like, ‘No, there are some things…’”

Simon then asked when Aston will be fully recovered, with the JLS star explaining: “The operation was in December. December 5th. And he said over six months.”

Sunday Brunch airs Sundays from 10am on Channel 4.

The former Top Gear presenter admits he was blindsided by what he now sees as one of the gravest dangers facing young people, confessing “I simply had no idea”

Jeremy Clarkson has confessed he was caught off guard by what he now considers one of the greatest threats to young people today, admitting, “I simply had no idea.” In his column for The Sun, the former Top Gear host revealed that while he previously worried about conventional teenage dangers, he overlooked the fact that the most damaging influences were already accessible through their mobile phones.

Looking back on his time as a father, Clarkson explained: “When my kids were teenagers, I worried about them taking drugs and going on motorbikes, and I simply had no idea that the real danger was lurking in their telephones.”

His remarks follow the Government’s plans to strengthen laws targeting the distribution of non-consensual intimate images online. Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer announced intentions to bolster legislation requiring tech firms to delete such content within 48 hours of being flagged.

However, Clarkson maintains that the rapid pace of online sharing renders that timeframe impractical. “This is laughable because if someone uploads a topless picture of you, all your friends will see it within 48 seconds,” he stated. “Forty-eight hours on the internet is about four million years,” reports the Express.

The Prime Minister has positioned the proposed reforms as a key element of a wider effort to tackle online abuse directed at women and girls. Through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, social media companies that don’t meet the two-day deadline for removing content could be hit with substantial fines or potentially banned from operating in the UK.

Starmer, who previously held the role of director of public prosecutions, said his past work gave him insight into the “unimaginable, often lifelong pain and trauma violence against women and girls causes.” He added: “As Prime Minister, I will leave no stone unturned in the fight to protect women from violence and abuse.”

Characterising the internet as an emerging frontline, Starmer stated: “The online world is the front line of the 21st century battle against violence against women and girls. That’s why my government is taking urgent action: against chatbots and ‘nudification’ tools. Today we are going further, putting companies on notice so that any non-consensual image is taken down in under 48 hours. Violence against women and girls has no place in our society, and I will not rest until it is rooted out.”

Clarkson, 65, doesn’t question the gravity of the problem. In fact, he believes it goes even deeper than politicians realise. He highlighted the HBO drama Euphoria, featuring Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, as a stark illustration of the challenges confronting today’s teenagers. “What Starmer needs to do is watch a TV show starring Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney. It’s called Euphoria and God knows what possessed me to tune in — teenage angst and a lot of male nudity is not my thing normally — but Lord, I’m glad I did,” Clarkson remarked. “I know it’s a drama but if only half of the issues are real, society has a serious problem.”

For Clarkson, the programme highlighted how online culture has amplified adolescent experiences. He outlined the troubling aspects he believes have become widespread: “The bullying. The d*ck pics. The revenge porn threats. And a very real sense that if you say or do something that is considered out of line by an ‘unseen woke police force,’ that’s you done.”

While he acknowledges that Starmer is correct to concentrate on social media’s effect on teenage girls, he doubts whether a 48-hour takedown requirement is adequate in reality. “Starmer is right to be thinking about the effect social media has on teenage girls. But suggesting that a platform must take down revenge nudes and deep fake pictures within two days demonstrates he does not understand the scale of the problem.”

MILLIE MACKINTOSH has admitted she spent Valentine’s weekend “sobbing” following her split from husband Hugo Taylor.

It was revealed earlier this month that the couple had parted ways after seven years of marriage.

As she celebrated Valentine’s Day as a newly-single woman, it turned out to be an emotional one for the 36-year-old mum-of-two.

She went to watch the new romantic drama Wuthering Heights in cinemas before coming home and reviewing the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi film in a video.

The movie follows the love story between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, a woman from a wealthy family in 18th-century England.

Millie said: “So I saw Wuthering Heights over the weekend, it was very spicy. The way Heathcliff loved her ah! Everyone in the cinema was just sobbing.

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SPLIT TO SALSA?

Millie Mackintosh ‘lined up for Strictly’ after marriage split

WARNING SIGNS

Millie Mackintosh’s husband Hugo Taylor threatened to divorce her 3 years ago

“I would definitely recommend to go and see it. They had great chemistry and the costumes were so good.”

It comes after she opened up about having an “alternative” Valentine’s Day this year as she nurses her heartbreak over the end of her marriage.

She took to Instagram on Friday to share a photo of a London Underground board titled: “Valentine’s Day Alternatives.”

The suggestions included: “Galentine’s Day” with the girls, “Malentine’s Day” with the lads, and “Palentine’s Day” with friends.

According to the Daily Mail, Millie and Hugo, 39 – who share two daughters – went their separate ways after a series of discussions in the New Year.

An insider told the publication: “Millie and Hugo are currently going through a separation and have sadly decided to split.

“They have known each other for many years, and in recent weeks, have had serious conversations about their future, ultimately deciding it’s better for them both to part ways.

“Their main priority remains their children and family life, and separating is not something they ever hoped would happen.”

The source added they are living a part and figuring out how best to co-parent.

The pair got married in 2018, seven years after initially dating on Made in Chelsea.

However, they ended up parting ways, with Millie marrying rapper Professor Green in 2013.

But, following their divorce in 2016, Millie and Hugo got back together before tying the knot themselves two years later at Whithurst Park in West Sussex.

Millie said at the time: “Even in my wildest dreams I didn’t imagine it would be this ­perfect. I am so excited to finally be married to Hugo — he’s the love of my life.”

They had their first daughter, Sienna, in 2020 and second daughter, Aurelia, in 2021.

After the news broke of their split, Hugo was pictured still wearing his wedding ring while Millie was seen without hers.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ showrunner has confessed cutting the scene feels like an error in retrospect.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms returns in just a few hours for its fifth and penultimate episode.

Ahead of episode 5 of the Game of Thrones spin-off, showrunner Ira Parker has admitted they decided to cut one scene that fans have argued is key to understanding the heart of the story.

It comes after one fan pointed out that the HBO and Sky Atlantic show hadn’t included a notable exchange between Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkour) in the build-up to the fateful Trial by Seven from George RR Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas.

In the books, Dunk passes the Smallfolk on the way to the joust when he asks Pete “Why? Who am I to them?” before Pete replies: “A knight who remembers his vows.”

Posting in a Reddit AMA, the fan noted that many readers view this to be “the soul and the moral of the entire novella”, with showrunner Parker admitting he had some regret over cutting the scene from the original script.

“Honestly it was a mistake on my part,” he responded. “Not my first, not my last on this show. That scene was in the script at one point, then fell out.

“I agree that ‘a knight who remembers his vows’ is the soul of this story, but I think that is still very much at the core of the show, even if I stupidly left out this scene… it may not be said explicitly, but Dunk’s actions remain the same.”

Fans respected Parker’s refreshingly candid answer, with one observing: “It’s been so long since the last time i saw showrunner being able to admit they made a mistake.”

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This delivers live and on-demand TV without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The Trial by Seven requires Dunk to find six other knights to battle the cruel Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) after the hedge knight attacked the royal in order to save young actress Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford) from his wrath.

HBO’s synopsis for episode 5 suggests we will get some insight into Dunk’s origins, as it reads: “Before Ser Duncan the Tall can learn the fate of his future, he must relive his past.”

The accompanying teaser also shows flashbacks to Dunk’s childhood and his friendship with a young girl, who tells him not to lose his nerve in following the path that lies ahead of them.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 airs on Monday, February 16 on Sky Atlantic and streaming platform NOW at 3am GMT.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website**.

MOLLY-MAE Hague has opened up about her second pregnancy as she revealed the “irritating” symptoms she’s experiencing.

The influencer, 26, announced that she and Tommy Fury are expecting their second child together – and she is already six months pregnant.

Molly returned to her YouTube vlogs to share an update for the first time since the big reveal, but admitted that it was the “worst kept secret”.

She said: “I don’t really know how we got here, but I’m pregnant, legitimately the worst kept secret.

“But that’s honestly my own fault because towards the end, I got really lazy trying to hide it. We weren’t even trying to hide it. We were at a spa over the weekend and I was openly saying to people that ‘I’m pregnant’, to the staff.

“I wasn’t even trying to hide it.”

READ MORE ON MOLLY-MAE HAGUE

COSY

Molly-Mae Hague hides baby bump with jacket after revealing she’s 6 months pregnant

big mouth

Moment Tommy Fury almost exposed Molly-Mae’s secret pregnancy

Before filming her sweet black and white pregnancy announcement clip with Tommy and daughter Bambi, Molly said she was tempted to just put out a simple statement to confirm the pregnancy news.

She continued: “We still in this current moment, we don’t have anything filmed, I felt like posting a black statement on my Instagram saying ‘Yes, I am pregnant’, we don’t even have anything to post.

“But I am pregnant, but plot twist I’m five and a half months.

“I haven’t really been documenting anything, it’s been so different this time, it’s just feels really chilled and I feel really at peace weirdly.

“I feel very content, I don’t feel like I’m trying to capture stuff for content.

“I just feel like this is happening and it’s really special and nice.”

Molly-Mae then reveled her pregnancy symptoms – including irritated skin, snoring and and shortness of breathe.

She said: “One of my symptoms is my skin, my eczema, my skin is so so irritated and flared.

“It was the same in my last pregnancy, I’m just struggling with little things to hide it.

“I’m constantly out of breathe as you guys have noticed in my videos. I’ve got quite a full on bump which you guys have seen in my last video in all the reflections.

“What I will say, I absolutely love you sticking up for me saying ‘stop talking about her body’, luckily for me I don’t get affected by stuff like that.

“I am pregnant and yeah my body is changing and there are differences visibly emotionally, mentally, physically.

“There are so many changes in me, you guys know me so well and you know that something has not been clicking.”

Molly continued: “It sounds like I’ve got a rotten cold and one of my symptoms has been congestion.

“I woke up this morning to an empty bed and Tommy wasn’t there and I came into the spare room and said I was snoring so loudly.”

Molly added: “I’m so lucky to say that I’ve had a really amazing pregnancy, I’m so beyond blessed that I’ve had a very smooth experience.

“I don’t get sick, I’ve not had symptoms that are debilitating, I can kind of pretty much crack on as usual, which is amazing for me because I’m not one of those women, you amazing women out there that have horrendous morning sickness and still get up and get your things done.

“Best believe if I felt like that, I’d be done for, the whole world would hear about it.”

BABY REVEAL

Molly-Mae confirmed last week that she’s actually six months pregnant already.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, she shared a snap from her L’Oreal catwalk in late September and wrote above it: “Little baby with me in this moment…and I didn’t even know.”

She also reshared her pregnancy announcement video and wrote below it: Nearly 6 months on and it still hasn’t sunk in.”

Molly-Mae then shared a video from last weekend showing her growing bump in a black top and jogger bottoms as partner Tommy bent down to kiss her stomach.

The Influencer, who also has three-year-old daughter Bambi with Tommy, had filmed her pregnancy reveal video on January 23, and captioned it: “Soon to be four.”

However, some fans had guessed she was pregnant the week before, when they spotted her reflection in the window of one of her videos.

Molly dropped various clues about her pregnancy before announcing the news, which is said to have strengthened her relationship with Tommy after they got back together early last year.

A source told The Sun: “Finding out Molly is pregnant has really helped bring them close together again.

“Tommy is determined to do things right this time he has cancelled all of his summer trips with his friends, as he wants to stand by Molly every step of the way.

“Their new home is in a better place for both of them and has more than enough space for two children.”

The couple quietly broke the news to family and close pals months ago, but shared the surprise video with their fans last week.

Molly posted a sweet black and white clip on Instagram filmed on January 23, captioning it: “Soon to be four.”

It included their three-year-old daughter Bambi together, who they welcomed in 2023, excitedly wearing a “big sister” jumper.

Molly-Mae spoke candidly about hopes to expand her family with boxer Tommy during the first instalment of her Amazon Prime documentary, Molly-Mae: Behind It All, which aired to viewers last year.

Opening up about the future, she revealed: “All I want in this life is to be with him, and to have another baby with him, and to grow old as a family. And to live in a nice house together and have a nice life together. That’s all I want.”

Jamie Theakston has revealed he is constantly anxious that his cancer could come back in a new health update.

The 55-year-old said he now expects the worst every time he attends a check-up, despite being cancer-free.

He explained he is “still in treatment” due to regular monitoring, with appointments every two months because of the “fear it could come back”.

Speaking on his Heart radio show on World Cancer Day, Jamie said: “So I was diagnosed back in August 2024. I was offered the choice of chemo or surgery. I opted for surgery and after three operations my cancer had gone. It was a success.

“I never rang a bell though. Most people ring the bell after chemo or radiotherapy, when treatment finishes.”

He added that he continues to attend check-ups to make sure he remains cancer-free.

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his battle

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brave star

Jamie Theakston issues health update after cancer treatment

“Mine was slightly different because I had surgery. I then had monthly check-ups for a year, and I’m still in that cycle.

“So in year two I now go for check-ups every two months, because it can come back.

“Obviously there is always that fear. So I’m slightly reluctant to ring the bell technically because I’m still in treatment. But I also think, if it inspires anyone else, then we should all give it a go.”

Jamie was diagnosed with stage-one laryngeal cancer a form of cancer affecting the voice box – after a routine check-up following changes in his voice.

The diagnosis came as a huge shock after regular listeners to the show he co-hosts with Amanda Holden noticed hoarseness in his speech.

He took time off Heart Radio to undergo surgery with Jason King filling in hosting duties while Jamie recovered.

Following treatment, the former kids TV star said his prognosis was “very positive” thanks to the cancer being detected early.

Jamie has previously revealed the hardest part of his journey was telling his young sons.

Breaking the news, he said: “I had to explain that I was going to be fine, but they were too young to understand. When you tell a 14-year-old you’ve got cancer, they think you’re going to die.

“My youngest had been with me when I was told my mum had died of cancer -so he knew exactly what it meant.”

Jamie shares two sons, Sidney, 17, and Kit, 18, with his wife British actress Sophie Siegle.

The pair married in 2007 after meeting through mutual friends at an Oscars afterparty the year previously.

Jane McDonald was a favourite with TV viewers on Loose Women but she quit the show in 2014

Jane McDonald has become a household name thanks to her travel shows and singing career, but many fans still remember her from her Loose Women days.

The 62-year-old star used to be one of the ITV programme’s most popular presenters, chatting over the hottest topics of the day for a decade before announcing that she was permanently vacating her seat on the panel.

While fans of the daytime show have become used to a rotating cast of presenters, many were disappointed to see Jane go when she stepped down in 2014.

So why did she leave Loose Women? And will she ever go back to the show?

When was Jane McDonald on Loose Women?

Jane was already well known for television programme The Cruise and a string of albums when she joined the show as a presenter in 2004.

She featured on Loose Women along fellow stars such as Carol McGiffin, Andrea McLean, Sherrie Hewson and Denise Welch and became hugely popular with viewers.

When did Jane McDonald leave the ITV show?

However, in January 2014, the star announced that she was leaving, telling fans that the time was “right” for her to move on as she had an album and a tour in the pipeline.

She said in a statement at the time: “It has been an incredible 10 years for me on Loose Women and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve got a busy and exciting year coming up with a new album and national concert tour.

“So the time is right for me to step aside from Loose Women and concentrate on new opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again on tour and I thank you all for your continued support, loyalty and best wishes.”

Would Jane McDonald return as Loose Women panellist?

The star has previously suggested that she isn’t likely to make a permanent return to the programme, as she was widely quoted as telling Woman magazine: “It was a period in time when everything was different. We could get away with things that we could never do now.

“And it was an era of girls who were not just colleagues – we were a force to be reckoned with. We were like Sex And The City when we hit the town. We’d have taken a bullet for each other.”

However, she did add: “Never say never.”

Guest appearances

Jane has gone on to make guest appearances on the ITV show over the years.

In 2021 she returned to the programme to talk about the death of her fiance Eddie Rothe, who had passed away that year after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Opening up in a moving segment, Jane told how it had been a “privilege” to nurse her partner before he died.

“At first I thought, ‘How am I going to do this?’” she said. “But then you get a strength when you are nursing your loved one. I learnt how to do it. I changed all the dressings and I cared for him and I nursed him and I’m glad I did.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website.

Cruising with Jane McDonald is on Channel 5 at 1.05pm on Sunday (February 1).