Former The Only Way Is Essex sisters Sam and Billie Faiers, who have made their fortune off of reality TV, have announced their joint reality show has been axed after just one series
13:39, 27 Nov 2025Updated 13:48, 27 Nov 2025
Sam Faiers announced the news in an Instagram Q&A session today(Image: PR)
Sam and Billie Faiers have faced a bitter career blow as their joint reality TV show has got the chop after just one series.
The reality TV sisters, who shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex before taking on their own hugely-successful series The Mummy Diaries, joined forces yet again last year – four years after The Mummy Diaries came to an end.
Sisters Sam, 34, and Billie, 35, came back together in Sister Act, which was filmed last year and premiered in August this year. However, Sam has now revealed the programme will not continue, which she says is due to a heavy workload.
Sam, who has been with partner Paul Knightley since 2014, revealed the news during a Q&A session on her Instagram stories on Wednesday, after a fan asked: “Love watching you and Billie on Sister Act, will we see another series soon?”
Revealing the news, Sam replied: “Billie and I had the best time filming Sister Act last year. It was honestly such a special experience. We don’t have any plans for another series right now as work is pretty full on for both of us.”
Despite Sam’s claims that the decision was taken due to workload, it has been reported that unexpected low rating figures are a factor in Sister Act facing the chop. An insider told The Sun: “Sam hadn’t been on TV in a while and it doesn’t look like viewers missed her.
“Viewing figures weren’t what they hoped, and a lot of the show was based around the sisters selling products, which felt a bit like one long advert.” Sister Act came off the back of Sam and Billie’s ITV reality show, The Mummy Diaries, which documented their lives as parents.
Sam and her partner Paul Knightley – who share children Paul, nine, Rosie, seven, and three year old Edward together – quit the programme in 2021.
After Sam left, Billie and her husband Greg Shepherd – who are parents to Nelly, 11, Arthur, eight, and two year old Margot – continued with the show and renamed it The Family Diaries, which came to an end in 2024.
In one episode of Sister Act, some viewers slammed Sam for offering “dangerous” medical advice to Billie, ahead of Arthur getting his tonsils removed following “six” bouts of tonsillitis. Billie said: “Arthur is getting his tonsils out. He had tonsillitis, I’d say six times last year, and it made him so poorly.
“When the doctor looked at them, straight away he said to me, ‘Nah…’ he went ‘They are really, really unhealthy tonsils. But tonsils serve no purpose in your body.”
Sam feared that if Arthur had his tonsils removed, his body would not be able to tell him or other people that he is ill. Sam said: “Everything in your body serves a purpose.
“When you’re not well, and something inflames in your body, or your tonsils are raised, or your hair is falling out, or you’ve got a rash, it’s because your body is telling you something isn’t right.
“So it’s Arthur’s body’s way of telling him I’ve got an allergy, or you know, I’ve got a virus, and that’s his way. So when they’re out, how else is his body going to tell you that something is wrong?”
One viewer blasted Sam on social media, writing: “Don’t ever mess about waiting for tonsils out mine was left when I was you by 17 rushed into hospital because it made me soo ill had swollen all over from leaking I’ve had fibromyalgia for 15 years nothing can help and now serve arthritis all over from sport pus single parent disabled daughter I wish I could dream everything be OK with positivity or a cream or holistic but life not like that.”
And another penned: “She’s no doctor and shouldn’t be allowed to give advice that’s dangerous.”
RYANAIR has axed hundreds of thousands of seats across many routes in Europe resulting in Brits losing direct routes to some of their favourite holiday destinations.
If you’re trying to think of some alternative spots for your next holiday, the experts at MoneySuperMarket along with Sun Travel have found options some for you.
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Bergerac will no longer have direct flights after Ryanair cut the routeCredit: Alamy Stock PhotoBut a beautiful alternative is Carcassonne in the south of FranceCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
Carcassonne, France
In 2025, Ryanaircut many services to Franceincluding its route to Bergerac which is known for its half-timbered houses and medieval streets.
If you still want that for your next break, Carcassonne is a great alternative.
“For an aesthetic even closer to Bergerac, the village of Alet-les-Bains is only an hour’s drive away, with half-timbered houses that feel like a step back in time.”
Brits can fly directly from London Stansted to Carcassonne with Ryanair with a flight time of two hours.
Or fly from Manchester and arrive in the French city in just two hours and 10 minutes.
Marrakesh, Morocco
It’s not just France that’s affected, Ryanair announced it would be cutting its routes routes to Tenerife North starting from winter 2025 season.
However, if it’s winter sun that Brits are looking for, then there are a few other spots to fly to instead.
Marrkesh is a great alternative for anyone looking for a sunny holidayCredit: Alamy
Whether you’re looking for a city break or a beach destination – each city offers something different.
But all have souks to explore, pretty resorts and hotels as well as high winter temperatures.
Flying to Marrakesh takes under four hours from the UK and flights from London are as little as £15 in December.
Krakow is a foodie alternative for anyone who will miss the direct route to BriveCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
Krakow, Poland
Ryanair also cut flights to Brive in France as a result of the rising tax rate.
But if you still fancy the charm of the French city that’s known for its fantastic food, then you might find what you’re looking for in the Polish city of Krakow.
MoneySuperMarket added: “Brive is loved for its food markets, history, museums, and that artisanal distillery feel, but Krakow could be an alternative with a stunning medieval old town, lively markets, and rich museums.
“Krakow also offers its own vodka distillery experiences, bringing the same taste of local culture while also being an easy city to reach from many UK airports.”
Brits can fly to Krakow from major airports in the UK with flights taking just over two and half hours.
In January one-way tickets are as little as £15.
Ryanair is axing routes to the Azores from March 2026Credit: AlamyInstead, head to the pretty archipelago of Madeira in PortugalCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
The autonomous Portuguese islands are known for their dramatic volcanic landscapes and have long been a favourite with UK holidaymakers.
One alternative recommended by the team at Sun Travel is beautiful Madeira.
Still in Portugal, the archipelago has the lush greenery of the Azores as well as black sand beaches.
It’s not just about nature, though, as there are still bustling cities like Funchal where holidaymakers can explore the Old Town and visit the Mercado dos Lavradores market.
Or wander through the pretty Madeira Botanical Garden and Monte Palace Tropical Garden.
Flights to Madeira depart from the likes of Bristol, Manchester, Bournemouth, Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool and London for as little as £16.
Ryanair has axed flights to Vigo in SpainA pretty alternative is the city of Porto in PortugalCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
Porto, Portugal
In August 2025, Ryanair said confirmed that two million seats across Spain would be being scrapped including those to Vigo.
The city is known for its vibrant seafood scene, beautiful Atlantic coastline, and as a gateway to the Cíes Islands which are just a 45-minute ferry trip away.
For a different budget-friendly, and direct route from the UK – check out Porto.
The coastal city in northwest Portugal is known for its huge bridges, port wine production, and colourful, winding streets.
Its position by the sea means that, like Vigo, it has plenty of fresh seafood.
While you’re there, don’t forget to try the ‘Porto sandwich’ called Francesinha, which is made with layered meats like steak, ham, and sausage between toasted bread slices.
You can fly directly from the UK to Porto from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The flight time is under two and a half hours – and they’re as little as £15.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense has announced that NATO nations have dropped their plan to buy Boeing E-7A Wedgetail as the alliance’s next airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform. The decision comes after South Korea rejected the E-7 for its own AEW&C program and would appear to open the NATO door to Saab’s rival GlobalEye, which France has already said it intends to buy.
In a statement today, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said that the Netherlands, “together with a number of partner countries,” has decided not to purchase the six E-7s. These aircraft were expected to partially replace the 16 Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft that are operated by the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force (NAEW&CF), home-stationed at Geilenkirchen Air Base in Germany.
NATO E-3s on the flight line at Geilenkirchen Air Base. Melanie Becker/Luftwaffe
The Dutch Ministry of Defense said that the E-7 program has lost its “strategic and financial basis,” and confirmed the United States had withdrawn from the program in July, resulting in “significant changes” to the alliance’s AWACS replacement program.
The statement added that the members are now exploring alternatives for replacing the AWACS fleet.
“The goal remains to have other, quieter aircraft operational by 2035,” said State Secretary for Defense of the Netherlands, Gijs Tuinman. The minister was referencing the fact that the E-3s will reach the end of their service life in 2035 and have been criticized for their excessive noise signature.
State Secretary for Defense of the Netherlands, Gijs Tuinman, meets with soldiers operating a leased German Leopard tank in Amersfoort on May 14, 2025. Photo by Vincent Jannink / ANP / AFP VINCENT JANNINK
Originally, the Netherlands was one of seven partner members in the AWACS replacement program, alongside Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, and the United States. Apart from the United States, which stepped away in July, it’s unclear from the Dutch statement whether any of the other partners decided to depart the program. However, the statement says that the “remaining countries” are now “looking for new partners.”
Regardless, at this stage, it seems highly unlikely that Boeing and the E-7 will find a way back into NATO’s plans.
That would appear to leave European rival Saab and its GlobalEye AEW&C platform, which is based on a Bombardier Global 6000/6500 long-range bizjet airframe.
A prototype Saab GlobalEye aircraft. Saab Anders Bergstrand
In his statement, Dutch defense minister Tuinman also appeared to suggest that a European solution would be preferred, with Saab being the only realistic candidate.
“The withdrawal of the United States also demonstrates the importance of investing as much as possible in European industry,” Tuinman said.
A Saab spokesperson provided TWZ with the following statement today:
“We are aware of media reports related to NATO’s AWACS program. There is a significant increase in global interest for GlobalEye, and we believe GlobalEye makes an excellent solution for many countries that need long-range detection and identification capabilities of objects in the air, at sea, and over land. We are open to discuss and explore how our technology can support the needs of our potential customers.”
In its favor is the fact that the GlobalEye has already been earmarked by France to replace its E-3F Sentry fleet.
At the Paris Air Show this summer, Saab and the French defense procurement agency, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), signed a joint declaration of intent regarding the sale of two GlobalEye aircraft to France, plus two options.
“Our solution will enable France to maintain full sovereign control of its airborne early warning and control capability,” Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, said at the time.
A pair of Saab GlobalEye aircraft over Sweden. Saab
Sweden, now also a NATO member, has placed orders (two firm and two options) for the GlobalEye, too, while Saab also pitched the aircraft to Denmark and Finland, with a view to them potentially jointly operating the type.
NATO had not yet placed a firm order for the six E-7s, but back in 2023 had announced its plan to “take steps toward acquiring” those aircraft, via U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels. This was the first part of an effort known as Initial Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (iAFSC).
The original NATO decision in favor of the E-7 had been made after a “rigorous assessment process,” including an assessment of requests for information (RFI) and price and availability (P&A), and studies of previous E-7 acquisition programs, namely in Australia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The United Kingdom is already well underway with its E-7 procurement, but this program has been dogged by delays and cost overruns and has been trimmed to just three aircraft.
The U.K. Royal Air Force’s first E-7 Wedgetail AEW1 flies over the English countryside. Crown Copyright AS1 Iwan Lewis RAF
At the time, NATO had determined that the E-7 was “the only known system currently capable of fulfilling the strategic commands’ essential operational requirements and key performance parameters and available for delivery within the timeframe required.” This decision has now been turned on its head, apparently spurred by the U.S. decision to withdraw from the NATO program.
There remains the possibility that NATO might forego buying a crewed AEW&C platform altogether.
When the E-7 acquisition plan was first announced, NATO said it was “an initial element to mitigate the risk of airborne surveillance and control capability gap,” but the Wedgetail would be just “one contributing element […] to the overall Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) system of systems capability.”
This indicated that the alliance ultimately planned to field the E-7 within an integrated network of sensors, also including drones, and other aircraft types that can operate in a surveillance-gathering capacity, and space-based systems.
In a graphic that NATO provided alongside the original E-7 announcement, the Wedgetail was shown as one part of a multifaceted surveillance enterprise that also included uncrewed airborne surveillance (illustrated with a NATO RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude long-endurance drone), space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), maritime-based ISR, land-based radar, and MILSATCOM. Also featured were a digital backbone and combat cloud, while a final segment is left empty, suggesting the potential for other platforms or capabilities to be added at a later date.
NATO
Overall, NATO’s future AEW&C vision had some similarities with the U.S. Air Force’s plans in this domain.
Increasingly, the U.S. Air Force has viewed the E-7 as a solution to bridge the gap between the retirement of its own aging E-3s and a future space-based radar capability and other classified systems.
In general, the U.S. military has increasingly been looking at the possibilities for future distributed space-based networks that would ultimately exist as large, meshed constellations that could persistently surveil the skies of nearly the entire globe, opening up a whole new set of tactics and situational awareness capabilities. At the same time, these would be more resilient and less vulnerable than traditional surveillance assets. The Pentagon is also looking at ways to rapidly replace any satellites that are destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable, reflecting the fact that even space-based assets are far from invulnerable to hostile actors.
It is far from clear what kind of progress NATO might have made in the development of radar-equipped satellites that could provide capabilities similar to crewed AEW&C aircraft. Also questionable is whether European NATO allies would be able to afford such a system, although buying into the U.S. constellation could be an option. Outside of the classified realm, meanwhile, many countries, as well as private companies, now publicly operate various space-based radars, albeit primarily for imaging purposes.
Concept image of a future U.S. Air Force E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C jet. Boeing
The program remained in limbo until this week, when the federal government shutdown lifted and appropriators approved spending for the U.S. Air Force’s E-7 program. The next tranche of funds, just under $200 million, will ensure that research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) for the E-7 continues, alongside rapid prototyping activities. Remaining procurement funding from fiscal 2025 is directed to be allocated to the RDT&E effort.
There are, meanwhile, increasing concerns about the survivability of crewed surveillance aircraft like the E-7. While these kinds of platforms may be more relevant in the European scenario, there remain questions as to whether aircraft like these can get close enough in wartime to be effective at all.
Potentially, NATO could forego buying an interim crewed AEW&C platform altogether, although previous statements from officials make this sound less likely.
Referring to the choice of the E-7 for the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, said in 2023: “Surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft are crucial for NATO’s collective defense, and I welcome allies’ commitment to investing in high-end capabilities. By pooling resources, allies can buy and operate major assets collectively that would be too expensive for individual countries to purchase. This investment in state-of-the-art technology shows the strength of transatlantic defense cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world.”
Once again, should NATO decide to move forward with an alternative crewed AEW&C aircraft, the GlobalEye would appear to be the only realistic option given the timeframe.
It is notable, meanwhile, that interest in these kinds of aircraft is currently growing in the European region, a direct result of the growing threat from Russia, combined with other operational contingencies that demand broad-area surveillance and airspace control.
The sudden emergence of Russian drones as a threat within NATO airspace has further underscored the value of AEW&C assets, which have a critical look-down capability against uncrewed air vehicles as well as cruise missiles. Aircraft like these can keep watch over the alliance’s eastern flank to monitor Russian military aircraft and missiles, as well as potentially hostile movements on the ground and at sea.
Time will tell what path NATO follows as it sets about replacing its veteran E-3s, which are now getting so old that their availability will likely continue to degrade toward 2035. In another blow for Boeing, the E-7 would seem to be out of the picture as a NATO AWACS successor. If the alliance does opt for a crewed AWACS solution, the GlobalEye could end up playing a much bigger role across NATO.
Back in August, Ryanair said confirmed thattwo million seats across Spainwould be being scrapped.
The destinations is said it would be closing operations and ceasing flights to were:
Santiago de Compostela
Vigo
Valladolid
Jerez
Tenerife (North)
Tensions over increased airport charges had affected relations with the state-owned Spanish operator Aena.
Mr O’Leary said at the time: “If the costs in regional Spain are too high, I will fly elsewhere.
“We are better off flying at the same cost to places such as Palma [on the island of Mallorca] than flying to Jerez.”
Germany
In October, Ryanair announced it was dropping 24 routes to and from Germany, cutting nearly 800,000 seats in total.
It was revealed that nine airports would be affected, along with the plans of those wanting a winter break, and including to major cities that are popular with tourists.
These are:
Berlin
Hamburg
Memmingen
Baden-Württemberg
Cologne
Frankfurt-Hahn
Dortmund
Dresden
Leipzig
Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said back in August: “Germany’s air travel market is broken and needs an urgent fix.
“As a result of these high government taxes/fees (the highest in Europe), and Lufthansa’s high-fare monopoly, German citizens/visitors now pay the highest air fares in Europe.”
France
Ryanair cut services to France in 2025 – with the loss of 25 routes and some 750,000 seats this winter following the decision to drop services to Strasbourg, Brive and Bergerac.
Now though, it has been revealed that further cancellations are possibly looming.
CEO Jason McGuiness has confirmed thar Ryanaire will leave France’s regional airports in the summer of 2026.
However, as yet, no official destinations have been named yet.
The actions of the airline earlier in the year caused a 13 per cent reduction in its capacity in France.
Mr O’Leary told French newspaper Le Parisien: “You have this crazy situation where your government increases the solidarity tax on airline tickets (TSBA), which has gone from 2.63 euros to 7.40 euros per ticket. 180% increase! It’s totally unjustified.”
He added that commercial flying was a “rotten sector that does not bring in a lot of money.”
He also accused the French government of viewing airlines as their personal “tax collectors,” as well as making the claim that “French air traffic control is by far the least effective in Europe.”
Plus, here is everything you need to know about whether you can use a printed boarding pass, including rules for Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and Jet2 explained.
Routes to destinations in France, Germany and Spain are all being slashedCredit: Getty
The latest series of Strictly Come Dancing is off to a brilliant start and plenty of celebrity faces have been taking to the dancefloor to impress the judges
10:26, 09 Nov 2025Updated 10:26, 09 Nov 2025
The results show may be changed(Image: PA)
The Strictly Come Dancing results show could be axed due to ongoing leaks, it has been reported. The results show has been a Sunday staple for years but it could be coming to an end.
Despite the results show airing the day after the main programme, it is all actually filmed on the same night. However, this means that the person who has been dumped from the show tends to be leaked.
Many viewers are fed up with the Saturday night leaking and are calling for both episodes to be aired on a Saturday instead. Strictly bosses are now under pressure to make a change due to the undercover mole ruining the results for thousands of fans.
The Daily Mail has reported that some BBC bosses think that the hit show needs to go back to its original format. This included the viewers voting after the Saturday main episode while The National Lottery was aired.
The live results programme then followed afterwards and the contestant with the least public support left the show.
There was no dance-off like there is now which meant that the judges didn’t have the opportunity to save anyone. However, with the current format, within just an hour of filming finishing at Elstree Studios, the Strictly mole leaks the results online which means that thousands of people know the results before the Sunday episode airs.
The current Sunday show brings in more than seven million viewers but these views would most likely be transferred over to Saturday evening if it was to be moved.
It was reported that a source said: “It’s become a complete farce, everyone watching knows that it was filmed the night before – but more significant than that, the result is out on the internet almost immediately.
“It’s fair to say that this mole is a thorn in the BBC’s side. You can find out by 11.30pm on a Saturday night what happened.
“A full readout appears on social media and they have no way of stopping it. Fans have to spend all day Sunday trying to avoid the spoiler online or hearing who went in the dance-off over their Sunday lunch. With Tess and Claudia (Strictly’s hosts, who are leaving at the end of this series) going, it is the ideal time to change things.”
Strictly Come Dancing is broadcast live on BBC1 on a Saturday night then after a break, where the judges and presenters change their outfits, they start pre-recording the Sunday night results show.
The presenters, judges, celebrities and professional dancers all refer to what happened “last night” as it is revealed who is in the bottom two and will face the dreaded dance-off despite it actually being on the same night.
This isn’t the only potential Strictly shake-up as presenters Claudia and Tess also revealed that they wouldn’t be back next year. They announced via Instagram that they would be leaving the show despite being fan favourites.
Emmerdale’s Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards spoke to the Mirror about his devastating standalone episode, as we finally find out where Bear is and what’s happened to him
Emmerdale’s Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards spoke to the Mirror about his devastating standalone episode(Image: ITV)
It’s been almost four months since Emmerdale‘s Bear Wolf was last on screen, with Paddy Kirk’s father vanishing as part of a top-secret storyline.
As the troubled character finally returns next week in a harrowing special episode, actor Joshua Richards says fans will be “furious” when they finally find out what has been going on. The last time Bear was in the village he was suffering from mood swings, forgetfulness and appeared depressed, before a bust-up with his son led to him taking some time away.
As Paddy realises his father never made it to Ireland back in July, it dawns on him that something horrifying may have happened. Joshua, 66, has revealed that the standalone episode will flash back to the moment he fled in his car, with fans finally finding out what’s gone on in the days since.
With that, it’s explained that Bear is at the centre of a modern slavery storyline, and Joshua says that anyone can be exploited, even a “strong” character like his own. “I found it a bit disconcerting, really. I found it a bit frightening,” Joshua told us.
“What experience do I have to bring to the table? It was a bit discombobulating at first. Of course Bear has been experiencing this depression and confusion. It’s a great thing to find him so vulnerable – a big strong man being vulnerable and exploited.”
Joshua has been working with the Salvation Army for the harrowing storyline, speaking with men who have found themselves in similar situations to Bear. He shared: “It’s something that you can slip into and if you’ve been manipulated a certain way, and being a certain age as well, where maybe you do think that you’re useless and redundant, if someone convinces you that no, you are worth something, that you do have some kind of currency.
“You can be somehow manipulated into a situation that you didn’t envisage seeing yourself in, in the first place. So it’s quite fascinating how these things actually do happen.” Joshua said the topic isn’t new to him, having appeared in a play in 2007 called Sold which focussed on modern slavery.
He now hopes the storyline has a similar impact to ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which shone an international light on the British Post Office scandal. “I think that soaps do have a responsibility to educate and maybe show things that go under the radar and you may not necessarily see on the main news,” Joshua said.
“I think it’s our job to do that and I’m very proud to be part of what ITV is doing with these wonderful writers and the great research which has gone on. Maybe it will prompt something and there will be action. But then again, we don’t hold hope for any government in light of the other scandals which have gone by and very little has been done.”
Joshua feared his time was up on the soap when Producer Laura Shaw warned him he’d be offscreen for a while. The actor was told he couldn’t cut his hair or shave his beard during his absence as part of the storyline, which went on for around three months.
“I became a raggedy old man while I was off,” he joked. Joshua said it adds to the confusion viewers will experience when they first see Bear onscreen again. “He’s at the real bottom, looking really filthy and scraggly and unkempt.
“Bit by bit we took it away. I’m almost back to where I was before now, but it’s been a very complicated way of portraying various stages in Bear’s journey and very confusing for all of us, because each day I’m in a different time zone or a different part of the story.
“So it’s been quite exciting and quite weird.” Joshua now hopes viewers will spot the signs of modern slavery, which he says “is going on under our noses”. He shared: “Be aware. We all have our cars cleaned and say: ‘Ooh, that’s cheap’. But who are the people cleaning your car? I mean, that’s just a very tiny part of it.
“It’s other things, it’s people who are picking your spuds, it’s people who are fixing your driveway, maybe there’s somebody doing work on your roof. You really don’t know. I mean, there are bona fide proper people – builders, farmers, other people – out there.
“But some are in the dark web of life, there are people who are gangs, who are criminals, who are ready to exploit people. Because the biggest bill you’ll ever get for anything you have done, for example your house extension, the biggest part of your bill is the labour.
“If criminal gangs can take that essence out, that you don’t have to pay for that labour, then that’s where big profits are made, people are exploited and misery begins.”
The popular Winter Fayre included food and drink stalls as well as a Santa’s grotto, plus children’s workshops and carol singers.
There were also winter night events for adults and live music which were deemed popular.
But, last year’s event was hit with a series of unfortunate events when it was forced to close due to the arrival of Storm Darragh.
Sadly, on opening day, the fair had to be evacuated due to high winds and a tent poll collapsing in a marquee.
Luckily it was reported that no-one was badly injured due to the incident and the team were quick to respond and make sure the marquee was cleared.
However, the fair’s final weekend also had to be cancelled due to more bad weather.
The Winter Fayre came after Brighton was left without a Christmas market back in 2023 when it was run under different organisers.
E3 Events who organised the 2022 event was forced to end their deal earlier due to Covid, rising costs and supply chain problems.
Brighton and Hove City Council then faced a race against time to find a commercial partner able to chip in around £70,000.
Sadly, they were unable to find anyone in 2023 and the fair didn’t go ahead then either.
Speaking of this year’s event, Councillor Birgit Miller, cabinet member for culture, heritage and tourism at Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “As always there will be plenty of festive events taking place across the city but, unfortunately, following the decision by the private operators of the Brighton Winter Fayre to take a break this year, there is unlikely to be a market-style event.
“This was a privately venture, not a council event, and the reality is nobody suitable has come forward offering to run a similar event in its place.”
Shoppers enjoying a stroll around a Christmas marketCredit: Alamy
There is also a small area for toddlers to explore.
The only bad news is that Hermit’s Cafe and on-site toilets which is located within the woodland playground will close.
It’s a popular spot for families, especially during the warmer weather with one mum writing on Tripadvisor that it’s the best place for a “perfect day out with the kids“.
Another said: “The walk is lovely not huge but the kids loved it, log walking, making dens, and they loved the woodland climbing.”
The climbing area is open between 10am until 4pm each day.
Aside from the climbing frame, there’s plenty to do in Coombe Abbey Park as it has plenty of woodland and lakeside walks as well as other activities, and even Go Ape.
There’s plenty to do on the 500 acres of Coombe Abbey ParkCredit: http://www.coombeabbey.comThere’s a hotel there too with pretty gardens and a pondCredit: Alamy
The adventure chain is found within the grounds and there’s plenty to do from Treetop challenges, to axe throwing, archery, drivingmini land rovers.
Or head closer to the huge Coombe Abbey Hotel where you can stroll around the pruned gardens and mazes.
Visitors can pop into Café in the Park at Coombe Abbey where they serve up breakfast offerings from the ‘Full Park Breakfast’.
There are as well as toasties, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, or main meals like fish and chips, chilli and there’s a dedicated kid’s menu.
Coventry itself has been labelled as an ‘underrated’ city in the UK, and it’s seeing an increase in the number of tourists.
Some of the biggest attractions there include The Wave in Coventry which is an enormous indoor waterpark with one of the biggest wave pools in the country.
It has six water slides, one being The Crestar, which has two giant spheres with lighting effects.
The Cascade is another ride at the waterpark, as is The Torrent, which is a ride where the floor drops from beneath – and is arguably one of the scariest rides.
The Rapids, which has been described as the “Big Dipper on water”, is the park’s water coaster, where powerful jets hurl riders uphill before dropping them down through tight corners and tunnels.
One writer reveals what his stay at the Coombe Abbey Hotel was like…
On 500 acres of renowned beauty, this historic hotel is in Coventry situated in Coombe Abbey’s Country Park, just off the M6.
What is it like?
Next time somebody wants to send you to Coventry, stay at this complex, which dates back to 1150 and has links to royalty, the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII and the Gunpowder plot. Enjoy a view of the moat, the lake and the courtyard to the Capability Brown designed gardens, depending on where you are in the hotel.
What is there to do at the hotel?
The corridors and communal rooms are packed with artefacts, art, history and heritage, that are well worth exploring as you wander from bar to room to
restaurant, while the scenic lake, gardens and grounds are perfect for a stroll.
Enjoy one of the many choices of afternoon tea, from Abbot’s Afternoon Tea to Sparkling Afternoon Tea as a post-walk treat. For kids, you can discover Go Ape in the woodlands.
What is there to eat and drink?
Unless you want to drive, you’d better eat here as it’s about a ten-minute walk to the edge of the grounds and some way beyond that to any restaurants. That being said, you really do want to eat here. The ambience is classy, the food is great, and the breakfast really sets you up for the day.
The dinner menu features meaty dishes of beef shin with fondant potato and confit duck leg with spiced braised cabbage, as well as vegan, vegetarian and fish options.
What are the rooms like?
The minimum standard in basic rooms is real quality and comfort, while the decor and design in the feature heritage rooms are charming and characterful. Rooms start from £149 a night based on two sharing.
