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Alison Hammond has expressed her ‘relief’ at This Morning’s win at the NTAs last night after Dermot O’Leary said the show has been ‘through the mill’

Alison Hammond has expressed her ‘relief’ at This Morning’s big win at the National Television Awards last night. The presenter, 50, provides cover on ITV’s flagship magazine show alongside Dermot O’Leary on Fridays and phoned into the programme after the big win to tell regular hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard just how grateful she felt that they had emerged victorious from the public vote.

The programme, which has aired on ITV since 1989, won in the Daytime category, having fought off competition from Scam Interceptors, Loose Women and James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen. The show managed to claim the title back after two years of losing out to The Repair Shop and The Chase.

Alison said: “I’m still buzzing from last night, what a brilliant night. It was just lovely. We hadn’t had it for two years running now and what’s so incredible is when our audience vote for us, we know we’re doing okay. It was just such a relief and we’re just so grateful that everyone picked up the phone and voted for us.”

READ MORE: Phillip Schofield’s full earnings revealed amidst career collapse and family loyaltyREAD MORE: Ant and Dec’s co-star shares pair’s honest thoughts about losing to Gary Lineker at NTAs

The former Big Brother star has also made a name for herself interviewing A-List celebrity guests on the programme and has chatted to superstars like Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and once ‘married’ The Rock on the show. But just before hanging up, she teased that she was off to interview Barbie star Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell.

Over the last few years, the show has been through numerous lineup changes following the departure of long-serving hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. The duo, who began presenting together in 2009, first came under fire when they were alleged to have jumped the queue to file past Queen Elizabeth’s coffin in September 2022.

Then, Phillip, who first appeared on the programme in 2002 and initially presented alongside Fern Britton, admitted to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger colleague, and subsequently stepped down from the show and ITV altogether. Holly followed suit soon after security guard Gavin Plumb was charged in connection with a scheme to abduct and kill her.

He was found guilty and last year was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years behind bars.

A litany of hosts like Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Rochelle Humes and Andi Peters took their place over a period of weeks before Cat and Ben were given the top jobs.

But speaking in the winners room after their victory, former X Factor host Dermot, 52, acknowledged that the show had been ‘through the mill’ over the last few years, reports Manchester Evening News.

He said: “There’s a team that have worked on the show since I’ve started who have had to endure an awful lot of s**t.

“And they have turned up to work every day with the greatest grace and professionalism and uncertainty, and they’ve never done anything but put their hearts and souls into this job.

“Two and a half hours of live telly every day is quite something, but to endure it under the spotlight of being on the front page of the news. This show holds a mirror up to Britain and it also tries to entertain.”

He also noted that the team was thrilled to win, as he added: “There’s never an arrogance about this. We’re genuinely humbled by it. It means an awful lot, especially for those people who have been through the mill.”

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England all-rounder Jacob Bethell said he “probably should have played a bit more” during his testing first home summer in international cricket.

Bethell, 21, impressed in his first Test series last winter but has only played a bit-part role this summer.

Having missed the one-off Test against Zimbabwe while at the Indian Premier League, he lost his place in England’s Test XI and was the spare batter across the first four matches against India before coming in for the fifth.

He only played one County Championship match for Warwickshire in-between and as a result has only faced 387 balls in all formats this summer compared to 1,480 in 2024, leading to questions around England’s management of the talented left-hander.

“If I’m honest, when I wasn’t playing in those Tests, I should probably have played a bit more [in domestic cricket],” Bethell told Sky Sports.

“But I’ll take that on and learn from it. I’ve got a lot of cricket ahead now so maybe that gap was quite nice for me.”

Angela Rayner denies she wanted to dodge the extra tax, adding that she made a ‘mistake’ following legal advice.

United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has admitted she underpaid property tax on a flat she purchased, triggering calls for her sacking, as her party faces sliding poll numbers amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Rayner, who also serves as housing minister, confirmed she owed more tax on a property she bought in Hove, a seaside town in southern England, after initially relying on incorrect advice.

“I’m devastated because I’ve always upheld the rules and always have done,” she told Sky News on Wednesday. “I made a mistake based upon the advice that I relied upon that I received at the time.”

The admission has put her under pressure as Labour struggles in the polls, a year after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s landslide victory.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has surged ahead, with a June YouGov poll projecting Reform would win 271 seats in parliament, pushing Labour down to 178. The Conservatives, who suffered a historic defeat last year, would take just 46 seats.

Rayner, 45, is seen as a future leadership contender, but her future may hinge on an investigation by the government’s independent adviser on ministerial standards. Her opponents have accused her of avoiding 40,000 pounds ($54,000) in stamp duty on a second home by transferring ownership of her primary residence in northern England before buying the Hove property.

Calls to resign

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged Starmer to dismiss her. Starmer defended his deputy, saying she had gone “over and above” transparency requirements regarding her property dealings and that he was “very proud” to work with her.

The Labour government has already been rattled by a string of scandals, with four ministers resigning over misconduct since its election. Both Starmer and Rayner were also criticised earlier this term for accepting high-end clothing donations, a practice they later scrapped.

Known for her blunt style and strong working-class roots, Rayner is widely regarded as one of Labour’s strongest political assets.

She rose to prominence from a modest background, often using her story to connect with disillusioned voters. Political analysts say her appeal among working-class communities is a key part of Labour’s strategy, making her potential downfall a significant blow to Starmer’s leadership team.

The controversy comes as Labour grapples with slowing economic growth, discontent over cuts in welfare schemes, and frustration among voters who backed the party last year, hoping for sweeping change. Pollsters say Reform UK’s surge signals deep public anger at mainstream parties, with Farage positioning himself as the voice of working-class Britons.

With the next election not due until 2029, Labour still has time to recover. But Rayner’s troubles add to a growing list of scandals that have chipped away at Starmer’s authority, fuelling speculation over whether the government can hold on to its massive majority.

Sept. 3 (UPI) — British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said Wednesday she mistakenly underpaid taxes on a home purchase by a mark of over a million dollars.

“I am committed to resolving this matter fully and providing the transparency that public service demands,” Rayner said in a press statement.

“It is for that reason I have today referred myself to the independent adviser on ministerial Standards, and will provide him with my fullest cooperation and access to all the information he requires.”

The independent adviser on ministerial standards is a nonpartisan position intended to advise the British prime minister in regard to the conduct expected of governmental ministers.

Raynor said she shorted the stamp duty on a property she purchased in May by around $1.08 million but alleged it was due to a misunderstanding.

According to Raynor, following her 2023 divorce, she maintained a residence with her ex to continue co-parenting their children, but that home was willed to one of their children, who due to having special needs, was named the eventual sole beneficiary of that house, which was placed in a trust for that child.

Raynor said some of the accrued interest on that home was transferred into the trust, and then sold her remaining stake in the residence.

She asserted that she still lives there, but bought another home in May, and used the lump sum received from selling the stake of her original home into the new property, in addition to using a mortgage to finance the rest of what was owed.

“When purchasing the property my understanding, on advice from lawyers, was that my circumstances meant I was liable for the standard rate of stamp duty,” Raynor said in her statement.

“However, given the recent allegations in the press I have subsequently sought further advice from a leading tax counsel to review that position and to ensure I am fully compliant with all tax provisions,” she continued.

Raynor further stated she has since been advised that “although I did not own any other property at the time of the purchase, the application of complex deeming provisions which relate to my son’s trust gives rise to additional stamp duty liabilities.”

“I acknowledge that due to my reliance on advice from lawyers which did not properly take account of these provisions, I did not pay the appropriate stamp duty at the time of the purchase,” she admitted. “I am working with expert lawyers and with [His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs] to resolve the matter and pay what is due.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared alongside fellow Labor Party member Raynor on Wednesday in Parliament and said he is “proud to sit alongside Rayner,” but political opponents from the Conservative Party have gone on the attack.

“It’s utterly extraordinary that while working families and businesses are being hammered by Labor’s tax hikes, Angela Rayner has failed to pay the right amount of stamp duty,” posted Member of Parliament, or MP Mel Stride to X Wednesday. “The Deputy Prime Minister should not be setting the rules when she fails to keep them herself.”

“The property tax-dodging free-loading Deputy Prime Minister has finally admitted breaking the law and evading paying taxes owed,” said MP Priti Patel in a social media post Wednesday. “She says that she’s sorry, but she’s only sorry that she was caught out.”

“If Keir Starmer had a backbone, he’d sack Angela Rayner immediately,” posted Conservative Party leader and MP Kemi Badenoch to X Wednesday. “She has to go.”

PETER Andre has said he isn’t perfect amid his ongoing fallout with ex wife Katie Price. 

The 52-year-old addressed his ‘nice guy’ image in a new interview, admitting “everyone makes mistakes”.

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The singer, who refused to speak directly about Katie for ‘legal reasons’, told The Telegraph: “’Well, look, nobody’s perfect. No-one’s perfect in this world. Everyone makes mistakes. But you get the measure of me by meeting me.

“You’ll either think I’m too talkative and annoying, or you’ll think, “he’s alright, he’s harmless.”

He added: “But over a period of time you build a picture of someone, it’s about consistency.”

His comments come just a few weeks after he publicly spoke out about his ex wife for the first time in 16 years. 

Pete and Katie have been devoted parents to kids Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, since their split in 2009 but the former glamour model has taken every opportunity to slam her ex.

Peter finally snapped in a blistering statement, following Katie‘s latest claims that their kids live with both Pete and her.

In her podcast, she claimed she had been frozen out of her daughter Princess‘s blossoming career, which includes glam photoshoots, brand deals, and a new ITV reality show titled The Princess Diaries.

In his statement Pete accused Katie of making “baseless accusations” against him, and claimed their children Princess and Junior have been in his care since 2018 “for their safety”.

Revealing plans to take legal action, Peter said: “Unfortunately, there are many more lies and baseless accusations that I have yet to address. Those will be dealt with in the coming months.”

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All about Peter Andre

The One Show hosts Roman Kemp and Clara Amfo spoke to England Lioness Lucy Bronze and Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts on Thursday’s show.

BBC The One Show hosts Roman Kemp and Clara Amfo welcomed two special guests onto Thursday evening’s programme (August 28).

The show, which recently featured JB Gill chatting with two EastEnders stars about an upcoming on-screen reunion, saw the BBC presenters invite England Lioness Lucy Bronze and Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts onto the famous green sofa.

But before the interviews got underway, Roman didn’t hesitate to pose a unique question to Lucy from a viewer – something he revealed had never happened before.

He explained: “I’ve got to say, we’ve been inundated with questions, I actually- this is probably a first. I’ve never been asked this question to a guest straight from a viewer.

“Gillian has gone straight in. How is your leg? I don’t think that’s ever been asked on here before! But how is it?”

Chuckling, the football star quipped that there was a first time for everything, reports Wales Online.

She responded: “Yeah, it’s doing better. Obviously, playing with it wasn’t going to help it, it wasn’t going to heal it. So, time is a healer isn’t it? I’m giving myself a few weeks to get better.”

Roman explained her injury to audiences – a fractured tibia – which he admitted sounded like ‘hell on earth’.

He questioned the England star about how severe the pain was during matches and how she managed to persuade boss Sarina Wiegman to let her continue playing.

Lucy revealed there was no convincing needed as she was determined to feature in the match.

She said: “It was like, ‘Ok, we need to look after you Lucy, we ned to make sure that you’re doing the right things’.

“I was like, I will, I know what I’m doing. So it was a lot of pain to manage and things like that but, our medical team are fantastic.

“Serena was really good, yeah I’ve had pain in my body for a number of years because of other injuries so what’s one more thing? Just get on with it.”

During their conversation, Lucy was stunned by a video message from teammate Chloe Kelly, who commended her for battling through her injury.

The One Show is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The TV star has revealed they are ‘very pleased’ with their decision to stop drinking alcohol

Gogglebox star Gyles Brandreth has revealed he gave up alcohol because he hated hangovers and feeling “groggy”.

The TV star opened up on ITV’s This Morning, where he is a regular on the sofa, sharing that he didn’t like not feeling “sharp” when he got up and that he also battled migraines after a tipple.

The 77-year-old ended up quitting booze altogether and hasn’t looked back, telling presenters Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson that he’s “very pleased” with his decision.

Opening up during a segment about how much time Brits spend recovering from drinking, he said: “One of the reasons I gave up drinking 25 years ago was because I did occasionally have a hangover. I felt groggy, I didn’t feel sharp in the morning.”

“Yeah, it’s the worst feeling,” host Rylan agreed.

“It is a terrible feeling,” Gyles replied. “I thought, ‘I don’t want this anymore.’ So I actually gave up for a month, then three months.

“Started drinking again and again having migraines , so I gave up forever. And I am very pleased that I did!”

As well as being a staple on This Morning, Gyles has been entertaining Celebrity Gogglebox viewers with his witty comments and observations since 2019.

He has appeared in the Channel 4 series with several different celebs, including Carol Vorderman, Sheila Hancock, Joanna Lumley and Maureen Lipman. Last year saw him do a stint with singer Lulu.

Gyles previously told OK! he’s been impressed with the co-stars that Gogglebox bosses pick for him – and that he’s got his sights set on his next fellow armchair critic.

“They choose the people for me – they choose the celebrity friend and they seem to give me all these Dames which is marvellous. Lovely Dame Maureen Lipman and Dame Sheila Hancock are fabulous – and the singer Lulu of course,” he said.

He went on: “I have a wish list, though, for who I would love for next year if they ask me again – I would love Dame Twiggy… I’m keeping my fingers crossed!”

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

The cast of the terrifying new Alien series have admitted they weren’t particularly scared of the iconic space menace on set for one simple reason

Alien: Earth’s cast have revealed the man inside the iconic Xenomorph suit was anything but frightening behind the scenes.

Created by award-winning Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley, the new FX series, premiering this week on Disney+ in the UK, serves as a prequel to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi nightmare from 1979.

The series’ ensemble cast includes newcomers and familiar faces, including Timothy Olyphant, Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther and Babou Ceesay.

Of course, no entry in the Alien franchise is complete without the terrifying titular extraterrestrials and Hawley has emphasised a return to visceral practical effects to bring the horror to life.

Previewing the series at Alien: Earth’s London premiere, the cast revealed performer Cameron Brown was primarily inside the classic black suit that’s been horrifying fans for over 40 years.

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“It was Cameron Brown, who’s a vegan,” Ceesay shared. “Dressed in an eight-foot suit.

“Snarling in your face, K-Y jelly dripping out of his mouth. Yeah, scary.”

However, Ceesay and the rest of the cast couldn’t help giggling as they fondly remembered their time with Brown on set.

Lawther added: “It’s really easy to run away scared from a Xenomorph when it’s really a man who’s a Xenomorph chasing you.”

The cast also revealed their alien-suited co-star would frequently take breaks to munch on carrot sticks and hummus, in stark contrast to his flesh-eating screen persona.

During a panel discussion at Comic-Con’s Hall H, lead actress Chandler previously admitted she was “giddy” to be chased by a Xenomorph, calling Brown “the sweetest person in the world“, per GoldDerby.

And Lawther agreed at the time: “There’s something hysterical about the fearsomeness of the Xenomorph, but then he takes off his head, and he’s from New Zealand, and he doesn’t eat meat.

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“If you think me and Sydney are soft-spoken, just wait till you meet the Xenomorph.”

Die-hard fans of the original film by director Ridley Scott, as well as its subsequent sequels, will be thrilled to discover that Hawley relied on practical effects and sets as often as possible.

Elaborating on the advantages of practical techniques versus CGI, he explained: “I think it’s meaningful, both to the cast and, I think audiences know when something’s real or not real.

“We’ve gotten very good at tricking them, but, usually, what you need is some realistic element in the shot.

“The thing with horror is your imagination does most of the work for you, so you don’t want to see the monster for too long. You want to see the shadows, you want to see the open door.

“The shot is half a second and you’ve got a tail on a fishing line and that’s probably gonna work, you know what I mean?”

Critics are saying the Alien franchise is better than ever with the new TV prequel, but will it win fans over who think the Xenomorphs should have stayed in space? Find out soon.

Alien: Earth premieres Wednesday, 13th August on Disney+.

For a limited time only, witness the first stage of the life cycle of the Xenomorph up close with a thrilling new display at London’s Natural History Museum.

Visitors can touch real pieces of the solar system at the Museum’s blockbuster exhibition, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, and discover more about one of pop culture’s most iconic and frightening creatures just by the entrance until Friday, 22nd August.

THIS is the shock moment one Love Islander admitted that he doesn’t know his own girlfriend’s middle name.

On the long-running ITV2 show, fans have been watching as Dejon Noel-Williams and gotten to know Meg Moore.

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In the villa, the pair were having a humorous discussion with each other when a concerning point of conversation came up.

Megan asked her Love Island boyfriend what her last name was, to which he answered correctly straight away.

However, she then asked him to identify her middle name, and there was great hesitation.

He replied: “I honestly don’t know.”

This was before she interjected: “It used to be a kids [TV] program.”

As he continued to hesitate, she decided to simply put him out of his misery as Meg stated the word, ‘Beaker’ in reference to the iconic kids drama, Tracy Beaker.

“Oh, yeah!,” he exclaimed. “Megan Beaker Moore.”

But she was still left unimpressed as he didn’t actually say her real name, Tracy.

She laughed off the quip as she said: “Not Beaker!”

However, viewers simply did not buy into the conversation as they questioned whether their connection is actually genuine.

Many users took to X – formerly known as Twitter – as they accused the couple of being ‘fake’.

One user commented: “Meg doesn’t want her “enemies” to feel like they have a one up on her and Dejon doesn’t want to look like “the bad guy” when he’s on TV.

“Both of them trying to prove something to someone else. Fake couple.”

A second claimed: “Dejon is more bothered about how he looks and is the biggest fake on the show.”

“Megan came back on some fake a** b* after seeing how the public perceived her,” noted a third user.

While a fourth stated: “Dejon has always been fake. How are people only seeing it now?”

In the last few weeks, viewers doubts have been creeping in as one interaction with Yasmin raised eyebrows.

In the moment that set off alarm bells among fans, his co-star asked: “I have a question for you, it’s a bit rogue, would you have a threesome with me and Toni?”

We’ll continue that question.

Dejon to YasminLove Island

Dejon laughed – but was soon saved from answering as Meg called out, “Come here please!”

He joked: “You called me at a good time! Oh my god! We’ll continue that question.”

Later, Harry’s actions in the Grafties led to his close pal and confidant washing his hands of him.

As the shamed star headed outside to sleep on the day beds, fans accused Dejon of backstabbing his best pal in the villa.

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Love Island continues on ITV2 and is available to stream on ITVX.

EXCLUSIVE: Amy Dowden talks about returning to Strictly, menopause, IVF and marriage to Ben as she discusses life after chemotherapy and finding her new normal

When she rang the bell to mark the end of her breast cancer treatment, Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden thought her nightmare would end. Instead she found herself at an “all time low” as she came to terms with her new reality – she was bald, menopausal and too weak to dance.

Amy told The Mirror: “I thought my life was going to get back to normal. I was deluded. I honestly thought that I’d be back dancing on Strictly in no time and that my hair was going to grow back far quicker than it did. I thought that I’d be back to the old Amy, and it hit me really hard. I was scared and petrified. It was a very daunting, difficult time as well as being put into menopause.”

Amy had been diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, less than a year after marrying her husband Benjamin Jones. She was 32 and preparing for a new series of Strictly. Almost immediately, she had a mastectomy, followed by IVF two weeks later to try and preserve her chances of having a family.

Amy said: “I started IVF treatment two weeks after the mastectomy. I was still recovering from surgery and then that was another journey. And then two weeks after I started chemo.”

After eight rounds of chemotherapy, Amy completed her treatment and rang the bell. Sadly it didn’t herald an instant change in fortune and just a few days later Amy broke her foot, compounding her fears she’d never dance again. Amy said: “A few days later I broke my foot. I felt more of a cancer patient than ever. I felt isolated and lonely. And I didn’t know what my life ahead was going to be.”

Menopause is a notoriously difficult time for any woman, but coming after chemotherapy, it left Amy exhausted, emotional and suffering debilitating hot flushes. She said: “When I finished treatment, I actually hit an all time low. I went from this super fit young lady used to the spotlight and hair and make up to not liking to look in the mirror. But also there was a voice in my head saying, ‘Cancer can’t take away your dancing.’”

Amy has always dreamed of being a mother and thanks to the IVF wedged in between her mastectomy and chemotherapy, she has five frozen embryos that could hold the key to her future happiness.

However, doctors have warned Amy that even though she’s cancer free, she cannot yet risk undergoing IVF as the hormones she would have to take could raise her risk of the cancer returning.

Amy said: “I always wanted the honour of being a mother. My oncologist said he won’t speak to me about it yet. It’s too soon. We were lucky enough to get five embryos, but right now, it’s still too soon. I only finished active treatment just over a year ago. My body has just got to recover first, hopefully.”

Amy is sharing her recovery story after making a short film called Beyond the Bell, which is part of the Keep Ahead campaign from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, to shed light on life post-breast cancer.

While ringing the bell might appear as a moment of joy for people outside of cancer treatment, Amy wants to prepare people going through treatment for the reality.

Last year (2024), Amy triumphantly re-joined Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with singer JB Gill. However, she was forced to withdraw in November with a stress fracture, and was replaced by Lauren Oakley, who made it to the finals with JB.

In hindsight, Amy realises her return to Strictly was too soon for her physically – though she believes dancing on the show was vital to her mental and emotional recovery.

Amy said: “I went back to Strictly far too early last year because I just wanted to get what I thought was my normal back. I needed it mentally to go back, otherwise I don’t think I would have ever gone back. I needed that normality. I couldn’t have watched another series from the sofa. It was killing me. Physically I wasn’t ready, but I thought I was. The BBC put so much in place to ease me back in gradually and I’m so grateful for them and they constantly had my best interests at heart.”

With the 2025 series of Strictly looming, Amy believes she’s fitter than ever and is grateful that her body has adjusted to the menopause.

She said: “I still get the occasional hot flush. This time last year it was really tough but now I really feel my body’s adjusted to it.”

Amy and Ben have just celebrated their third wedding anniversary and despite the traumatic start to their marriage, their love is deeper than ever before. Amy said: “We’re even closer than ever now, especially this past year getting our life back together, enjoying holidays and doing our house renovation. My husband said to me earlier this year, ‘I love my life and I’m really happy.’ It makes you realise how precious life and your loved ones are after a cancer diagnosis. We just enjoy every little bit of time we get together.”

Part of Amy’s new normal is saying ‘no’ more often and prioritising her recovery. She said: “I would always work myself into the ground. I wouldn’t take a day off. I’d run Dance Academy, I’d be saying yes to absolutely everything and I’ve learned that now, actually, I need time off to recover. I need a day off or I need to go and see my family. That’s what I learnt most about cancer – life is precious.”

Another unexpected side effect of cancer is that Amy has lost close friends who never reached out to her after her diagnosis, leaving her hurt and confused. Amy said: “There were people sat at my wedding six months before and I still haven’t heard from them today. Everyone deals with it differently, but it’s still very tough. So much has changed for me.”

However, cancer has brought new people into her life and her true friendships and relationships have strengthened. Amy said: “I learned who my true friends and family were and I only surround myself with them, that’s the new normal for me.”

Amy has shared her early breast cancer journey from the beginning, hoping her story helps others who are also affected by the disease. She said: “If a lady’s diagnosed with cancer she can say it, ‘Well, Amy got back on the dance floor or she can say to her little girl, ‘Look, Mum’s got what Amy’s got and she’s back on Strictly, she’s got a smile on her face.’”

While her recovery has been gruelling, Amy believes that she’s now fitter than she’s ever been. She said: “Everyone is different but actually I feel stronger and fitter than I did now before my cancer treatment. I’ve done that hard work in the gym and I’ve really loved seeing the differences made and doing one up on cancer.”

So it’s with an unflinching smile that Amy heads into this year’s Strictly.

While she dreams of being victorious and lifting the glitterball trophy with her celebrity partner, Amy admits just completing the competition would mean the world to her.

She said: “Watching your celebrity fall in love with dancing, that for me is a win. It would just be wonderful to be able to complete the whole Strictly series. I just can’t wait to just soak myself in all the Strictly magic.”

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July 21 (UPI) — The new chief executive officer at Astronomer is speaking out following last week’s Coldplay concert kiss cam controversy, as he acknowledged the now viral video has raised brand awareness for the tech firm.

Pete DeJoy, co-founder and interim CEO, issued a statement Monday — called “Moving Forward at Astronomer” — after former CEO Andy Byron and Astronomer’s head of Human Resources, Kristin Cabot, were caught in an embrace Wednesday night on Coldplay’s jumbotron at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Both Byron and Cabot, who are married to other people, ducked out of the camera shot when they saw themselves on the screen.

“The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies — let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world — ever encounter,” De Joy said.

“The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team, and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this,” he added, “Astronomer is now a household name.”

DeJoy stepped into his new role at Astronomer, “a company that I’ve proudly poured my entire professional life into helping build,” over the weekend after Byron tendered his resignation.

On Monday, DeJoy seized the company’s current spotlight to highlight its true mission.

“Over the past few years, our business has experienced incredible growth. What was once a mission to help companies with Apache Airflow has turned into so much more,” DeJoy said.

“We’re privileged to sit at the center of our customers’ data and AI strategy, powering data pipelines behind in-game analytics of your favorite sports team, LLM powered chatbots for customer support, training AI for self-driving cars and every mission-critical process in between,” DeJoy continued in an attempt to steer attention away from the controversy.

Astronomer’s “mission is bigger than any one moment,” he said.

Fox News host Jesse Watters acknowledged Thursday that his program made a mistake in reporting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s phone conversation with President Trump during last month’s immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Newsom filed a $787-million defamation lawsuit against Watters and Fox News on June 27 after the host reported on comments Trump made about a phone call with the governor as tensions heated up over the raids and the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard.

Newsom’s lawsuit said Watters lied on his prime-time program about the timeline of his conversations with the president.

After the lawsuit was filed in a Delaware court, Newsom’s lawyers said they were prepared to drop the suit if the governor got a retraction and a formal on-air apology. The suit claims Fox News willfully distorted the facts about the Trump call to harm the governor politically.

Asked for a reaction to Watters’ remarks about the matter, Newsom showed no signs of backing down. “Discovery will be fun,” he said in a statement. “See you in court buddy.”

Watters’ on-air persona is snarky and tongue-in-cheek and he did not deviate from it when he addressed the Newsom matter. He acknowledged he misunderstood Newsom’s social media post on Trump’s remarks and used the words “I’m sorry.” But it was far from a fulsome apology.

“Fox News invited [Newsom] on the show to talk it out man to man, but he said no,” Watters said.

The dust-up began after Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on June 10 that he spoke to Newsom “a day ago — called him up tell him you’ve got to do a better job, you’re doing a bad job.” Trump’s comment gave the impression that the two spoke on the same day 700 Marines were deployed in Los Angeles.

Newsom refuted the claim in a post on X. The governor had already said publicly he spoke to Trump after midnight Eastern time on June 7 and the National Guard was not discussed. They never spoke after that.

“There was no call,” Newsom posted on X. “Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to.”

Newsom’s lawyers allege in the complaint that by making the call seem more recent, Trump could suggest they discussed the deployment of troops to Los Angeles, which they had not.

Trump sent Fox News anchor John Roberts a screen shot showing the June 7 date stamp of the phone call, which Watters showed on his program to assert that Newsom was lying when he said they did not speak.

When Watters showed a clip of Trump’s June 10 comments about the call on his program, it omitted the portion where the president said he spoke to Newsom the previous day. A banner at the bottom of the screen read: “Gavin lied about Trump’s call.”

Watters told viewers Thursday he believed Newsom’s X post asserted that the two had not spoken at all.

“‘Not even a voicemail’ — we took that to mean there was no call ever,” Watters said.

“We thought the dispute was about whether there was a phone call at all when he said without qualification that there was no call,” the host continued. “Now Newsom’s telling us what was in his head when he wrote the tweet. He didn’t deceive anybody on purpose, so I’m sorry, he wasn’t lying. He was just confusing and unclear. Next time, governor, why don’t you say what you mean.”

The $787-million figure in the lawsuit is the amount Fox News paid to Dominion Voting Systems to settle another defamation case in 2023. Fox agreed to pay the company, which said the network aired false claims that its voting equipment was manipulated to help President Biden win the 2020 election.

Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.

Keeley Hawes stars in Prime Video’s upcoming thriller series, The Assassin, opposite Freddie Highmore

Keeley Hawes admitted, “I find them funny”, as she made a rare family admission.

The Bodyguard actor is set to star in Prime Video’s upcoming thriller series, The Assassin, which comes from The Tourist writers Harry and Jack Williams.

The six-part drama follows a retired assassin called Julie, played by Keeley, who has made a new life for herself on an idyllic Greek island.

However, when her estranged son, Edward (Freddie Highmore), turns up with questions about his father, Julie’s dangerous past soon catches up with her.

“With questions around Edward’s paternity and Julie’s past life as a hitwoman, the pair go on the run across Europe, working together in a fight for survival,” reads the official synopsis, reports the Express.

“Along the way, their dysfunctional relationship is tested to its limits. They uncover a dark conspiracy they believe to be their only threat, but a greater danger emerges that could destroy their relationship entirely.”

The description concludes: “In a race against time, Julie fights to save Edward and salvage their relationship as past and present collide in a showdown across the globe.”

Alongside Keeley and Freddie, the series also stars Shalom Brune-Franklin, Devon Terrell, Gina Gershon, Jack Davenport, Alan Dale, Richard Dormer and David Dencik.

Speaking to Reach and other press ahead of the show’s premiere, Keeley shared how her real-life parenting experiences helped inform her character Julie’s relationship with her son.

The 49-year-old actor shares 20-year-old daughter Maggie and 18-year-old son Ralph with her husband, Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen, and is also mum to 24-year-old Myles McCallum, whom she shares with her first husband, Spencer.

“I have two sons – three children, two sons… So, I can totally relate to it,” Keeley said.

“What I loved about it is quite often you see relationships on screen and it’s people getting along and they don’t feel particularly real. Whereas, this feels very honest, very authentic.”

Reflecting on her own home life, she added: “You know, you do get p***** off with each other when you have children, and they certainly get p***** off with me. There is quite a lot of sarcasm and my kids, I find them very funny so I really related to this and loved how truthful it felt.”

When discussing Julie and Edward’s dynamic, Keeley noted: “They’re brutal with each other a lot of the time, and those relationships that you have with your children, sometimes they’re the only people that you can be that brutal with, because they can’t get rid of you.

“It doesn’t matter what you say or what they say, so that’s what I took from it that was quite useful for me.”

Keeley went on to reveal that she is “great friends” with her eldest son, which she feels translates into Julie’s layered on-screen relationship with Edward.

“My oldest son is 25 next month… I was young when I had him,” she shared.

“I am his mother, I’m very much his mother but at the same time, we have a relationship that is not like siblings, but we’re great friends as well. And I think something similar has happened there.”

The Assassin will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, July 25

The television personality is one of nine celebrities taking part in a new plastic surgery reversal programme

90 Day Fiancé star Larissa Lima has confessed fears her OnlyFans career will be impacted by her decision to reverse various plastic surgery procedures.

The reality star admits she regrets her 1,500-cc breast implants in E! Entertainment’s new series, Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind.

Hosted by RuPaul’s Michelle Visage, the candid show follows nine celebrities as they decide whether to ditch their cosmetic enhancements for a more natural look.

In the first episode, streaming now on Hayu, Larissa reveals how many procedures she has received since 2018. She detailed: “Lipo on my knees, thighs, tummy tuck, BBL three times. I removed it and got a butt lift. I got two boob jobs, fat removal, lipo in my chin. And I think that’s it. Oh, nose job. I also got a six-pack, vaser liposuction.”

But the Brazilian-born star has since grown to regret the enhancements. “I just wish I could go back in time,” she told fellow castmate Alan McGarry.

Explaining how her surgery journey began, Larissa said: “I got my first surgery [when] I was doing 90 Day Fiancé. After I got my boobs and my nose [done]. I said ‘Oh this is amazing.’ Like I won the lottery.”

After launching her OnlyFans account in 2020, the 38-year-old decided to enlarge her breast implants with hopes it would increase her income.

She explained: “I make money on OnlyFans and I thought well ‘Bigger boobs [are] gonna make more money’ and I thought ‘What could go wrong?’

“When I started to make money on OnlyFans, I’m not gonna lie, I was very happy. But to make the big money you need to do a lot.”

But choosing to ditch the implants could negatively impact her career, and the Larissa is ready for that shift.

When asked how reversing the procedures will impact her OnlyFans audience, she confessed: “Maybe they will not like the reverse but [I already have] my foot out.”

Elsewhere in the show, Larissa opened up about her tough childhood. The TLC star revealed that she was bullied by other kids.

“Growing up, I was bullied and this really made me feel very sad. Kids are very cruel sometimes.” This led her to pursue beauty because, as she sees it, “people really love beautiful people”.

“I always wanted to look like Kim Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, Anna Nicole Smith,” she said.

Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind Episode 1 is available to stream now on Hayu.

EXCLUSIVE: Actress Kellie Shirley has revealed how appearing on BBC One’s EastEnders changed her life and helped her purchase her first home following her success

Former EastEnders actress Kellie Shirley has praised the show for completely changing her life. The actress appeared on the programme as Carly Wicks between 2006 and 2008, before making her final appearance on September 7, 2012.

Throughout her time on the programme, Kellie’s character faced a string of huge storylines, including fights, romances, and even secretly giving birth to a son behind her mum, Shirley Carter’s, back. Although she’s not been on screens in over a decade, Carly was last mentioned in 2022, following the death of her brother Mick Carter.

As Mick’s mum’s Shirley struggled to cope, she and Carly rekindled their bond and Shirley went to stay with her. Speaking about her time on the soap, Kellie exclusively told the Mirror: “I auditioned for it exactly 20 years ago, it changed my life as an actor because you’ve got a tiny bit of a profile that can open doors for you.

“I’m very grateful for that. I had a really good time there. Matt Di Angelo got in touch with me to ask for some advice,” she said of the friendships she made on the show. Kellie added: “That’s the best thing for me about the show, apart from being able to get on the property ladder.

“There are friendships that have stood the test of time for 20 years. Emma Barton (who plays Honey Mitchell), I always talk to her; she’s a friend for life. I don’t see her all the time, but when I do, it’s great. I’m grateful to the show.” But could fans expect to see Carly back on the show any time soon?

“People always ask me that, who knows?” she said. Kellie went on to say: “Anything’s possible, isn’t it, if they’re bringing people back from 20 years ago. But I’m enjoying my career, the variety, independent films and doing my own writing – that’s something that I really love as an actor. I feel like I’m getting somewhere with it, finally.”

Kellie has just written and starred in a short film, Croydon Cowgirl, set in Barry, South Wales, focusing on the life of two lonely strangers. Speaking about the career change, Kellie revealed that she was part of a roundtable with Stephen Graham at a BAFTA Elevate event, who offered invaluable advice.

She said that the Liverpudlian explained that actors shouldn’t moan if they want to play a certain part, and if a script doesn’t appear, they should write it themselves. “It just kind of dawned on me that all the people that I really respect have created it themselves. It was a lightbulb moment.

“I just started writing with a friend of mine, Phoebe Barron, and we work really well together. We’ve got three other projects that we’re working on. Croydon Cowgirl is doing various BAFTA BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) qualifying festivals, we’re developing it into a feature film, which is really exciting!” The actress is also set to play all seven characters in the production, Two, at Greenwich Theatre between August 21 and September 12, with Peter Caulfield playing all the male characters.

Kellie, who is an ambassador for Anthony Nolan, is now fronting the Omaze Million Pound House draw for the charity. “Ever since I was in EastEnders, I ran the marathon for them in 2008,” she said. Kellie added: “I went to see the amazing work that they were doing with stem cell transplants and I’ve met so many people along the way and different events and really seeing firsthand the work they do.

“They literally give people a second chance of life if you have blood cancer, the proof’s in the pudding. And when you hear people’s stories, you cannot help but have that connection and want to raise awareness and do as much as you can for the charity, because without them, it’d be really quite frightening.

“I think it’s four people every day they help, who have blood cancer and can save their life because of the register.”

Kellie Shirley is an Anthony Nolan Ambassador and is backing the charity’s partnership with Omaze, which is giving away a luxury contemporary home in Cheshire worth £4 million – along with £250,000 in cash – to raise money for the charity. Draw entries are available now on their website. The Draw closes at midnight Sunday July 27th.

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Since This Morning first began back in 1988 viewers have seen a string of well-known faces front the ITV show.

This Morning’s Cat Deeley took over the reins of the ITV programme alongside Ben Shephard in 2024, stepping into the shoes previously filled by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

Since their arrival, audiences have witnessed a roster of guest hosts including Rochelle Humes, Emma Willis, Rylan Clark and Paddy McGuinness filling in when needed.

But it appears one ITV personality has set their sights firmly on the coveted presenting position – and they’re certainly familiar with the programme.

Former Made in Chelsea star turned broadcaster Ashley James has disclosed her ambitions to secure the hosting role.

In conversation with The Sun, she revealed: “I’ve always said that I’m always there when the time comes. I would always love to host This Morning.

“I kind of follow where my interests are, and it’s got me to where I am today, and I’m always going to work harder than anyone else.”

The 38-year-old acknowledged her fortune, looking back on her entertainment career beginnings in 2012 when she had no industry connections whatsoever, reports Wales Online.

Ashley disclosed that upon leaving her previous employment, appearing on This Morning became her primary objective.

Her aspirations appear to have materialised, as ITV audiences regularly spot her as a guest panellist, frequently offering her perspective on current affairs alongside Nick Ferrari.

She continued: “I wanted to be on This Morning because it’s a show that I grew up idolising. It was the goal. So I love it and it’s such an amazing team. I love everybody that’s on there, both in front of the camera and and behind the scenes.”

Although Ashley hasn’t taken up the mantle of presenter just yet, it was recently revealed that Love Island alum and Loose Women panellist Olivia Attwood will be taking the reins of the show this summer.

During a chat about her upcoming gig with Ben and Cat, she expressed her enthusiasm.

She said: “I’m going to be doing a couple of shows in the summer, I’m very excited to be joining you guys.

“It’s a huge honour, I’ve obviously grown up watching this show and being part of the Daytime team with the Loose Women has been the best experience and this just feels like a very natural progression of that.”

Ben and Cat have thrown their support behind Olivia, hinting that she’ll do a ‘brilliant’ job in her new role.

This Morning is available to watch on ITVX.

A Doctor Who showrunner has cast doubt on whether the beloved show will return for season 16 as they ‘don’t know what’s happening’ on the future of the show yet

As Ncuti Gatwa’s second season as The Doctor came to a close in an exciting two-part finale, a showrunner has cast more uncertainty on the future of the beloved show. The latest series saw The Doctor become trapped in a dystopian world which is controlled by the Time Lady and the future is left up in the air.

Doctor Who usually returns to the TV, no matter the amount of time between series, however, rumours about the show have cast doubt on whether it will return for season 16, as a showrunner said they ‘don’t know’ the future of the show yet.

Both the BBC and Disney will have a say in the show’s future as they made a deal which allows the show to be available on the streaming platform Disney+, making it available internationally.

Russell T Davies for Doctor Who Magazine recently shared: “We don’t know what’s happening yet, and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page… Hopefully, we’ll have news soon”.

Disney is labelling season 16 as season three online, with a BBC spokesperson saying: “As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs and any other claims are just pure speculation. The deal with Disney Plus was for 26 episodes – and we still have an entire spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, to air.”

Showrunner Russell T Davies has revealed to Radio Times that he already has ideas mapped out for up to three more seasons, demonstrating his strong commitment to keeping Doctor Who thriving. However, exactly when the series will return to our screens remains uncertain.

The lack of updates about the show’s future has left fans feeling uneasy. That said, a recent announcement offered some consolation as a new children’s series is in development for CBeebies which is set within the Doctor Who universe.

Ncuti Gatwa has concluded his time as the Fifteenth Doctor after only two seasons. The exact reasons for his departure remain unclear, but he shared a statement on Instagram alongside two costars.

He said: “Three queens of the sky. Twas an experience like no other and thank God we were by eachothers side. There aren’t quite the words for how much you both mean to me but I am so grateful I got the opportunity to work, learn from and laugh with you both everyday.

“You’re both just simply incredible and it has been nothing short of a blessing to share this journey with both of you. Ruby Sunday and Belinda Chandra will live in mine and the Whoniverse hearts forever. Also shout out to the CAPTAIN of all 15’s companions. Captain Poppy. Ultimate top dog of this season! (lil Sienna brought so much life and magic to us all on set ) I love you guys. We did it”.

Fans were sad to see him leave the iconic role as one person penned: “Best doctor since David Tennant, we wanted more time with you”, while another added: “You’ll be so missed”.

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Air staff can refuse to serve drunk passengers, but one former cabin crew member claims she would act when anyone started getting “tipsy” on-board

A former flight attendant has revealed one non-confrontational tactic she claims to have used when presented with “tipsy” passengers on-board.

The unnamed crew member said she had personally “watered down” alcoholic drinks of passengers who she felt were becoming intoxicated on-board. The revelation was made on social platform, Reddit, when curious flyers posed different questions about the role of cabin crew.

The topic came up on an Ask Me Anything thread where the question was asked if there is a limit to how much alcohol can be served to a passenger on international flights. The original poster (OP) shared that while there is no set limit, passengers “cannot be intoxicated” on-board.

When pressed further by another poster about what happens if passengers do start to show signs of being drunk, the OP revealed one sneaky tactic she had previously used.

READ MORE: Flight attendant’s one-word greeting to passengers and why the reply is vital

“We will watch and if we notice a passenger becoming tipsy we will start diluting the drinks,” the OP shared. While this has not been confirmed as a standard practice, research from Stratos Jets seem to back up the claim.

The study – which was viewed by The Sun – interviewed 119 flight attendants and more than 35% of cabin crew members admitted to watering down passengers’ drinks. Additionally, 74.8% of interviewees shared that they had refused service to an intoxicated passenger on a flight, something flight attendants have the right to do.

Cabin crew members reserve the right to stop serving alcoholic beverages to passengers. It is also against the law to be drunk on a plane and you can be refused entry if you’ve had one too many before a flight.

The official rules for drinking on a flight

According to The Air Navigation Order 2016: “A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft.”

Additionally, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority: “Disruptive passengers can lead to planes being diverted and, where this happens, the disruptive passengers themselves risk having to pay the cost of the diversion. They can also face criminal charges with severe penalties or even prison sentences.”

Passengers who also buy cheaper bottles of alcohol at duty-free are forbidden from opening it up on-board, and must wait until they have landed to enjoy it responsibly.

Ryanair announced on June 12 that disruptive passengers whose behaviour results in them being removed from the plane will now be fined £500.

Ryanair says “unruly passengers” is an “industry-wide issue” and the hefty fine will be the “minimum” punishment and will continue to pursue disruptive passengers for civil damages.