BBC

The beloved crime drama first aired on the BBC back in 2001 and ran for seven years before coming to an end.

A popular BBC programme based on a bestselling book series has been hailed ‘one of the best of all the Brit mysteries’.

Over 20 years ago, BBC viewers saw a new detective duo hit the screens as actors Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small took on the roles of DI Thomas “Tommy” Lynley and DS Barbara Havers.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, which is based on the crime novels by author Elizabeth George, follows the unlikely duo as they solve complex murder cases.

With DI Lynley coming from an aristocratic background and DS Havers hailing from a working-class life, the pair frequently butt heads due to their conflicting personalities.

Originally, the show aired in 2001 and ran for seven years and features a range of odd cases.

Over the years, viewers saw public school disappearances, political conspiracies and aristocratic family murders.

Speaking about the show coming to an end, actor Nathaniel shared that the actors didn’t know the series wasn’t coming back when they filmed.

He told Entertainment Weekly in the past: “Well, it’s kind of strange because when we shot it we didn’t know it would be the end. They canceled the series after we finished shooting, so there is no tie-up to it.

“There’s been quite a sweet response, a wonderful response really, here and in Europe. I mean around the world, really. Lots of petitions and things like that sent to the BBC.

“It’s been slightly embarrassing. I was asked by a bunch of people in Amsterdam — 17,500 viewers — to accept their petition to take back to the BBC. But I think the BBC would look at me and say, “God, you must be really desperate for work!”

Although the series came to an end in 2008, with a revival airing last year, its still remained a beloved show with BBC viewers.

On IMDb, one person said: “A magnificent duo – up there with Holmes & Watson, Morse & Lewis […] Both characters are utterly convincing and indeed inspiring as people. There are many duos as detectives, but this is one of the best.”

Someone else wrote: “Better than the books by far. Having seen the television version before reading the books, I can heartily recommend the video version over the print one.”

Another shared: “One of the best of all the Brit mysteries. Everything about this show works well — the plotting, the acting, the direction, the sets — but what is truly above average is the relationship that slowly develops between the two stars, making this show both a mystery program and a character-based one. Watching these two actors grow into their roles while solving well-written cases is deeply satisfying.”

While a fourth commented: “Very Enjoyable Series. I find this series very satisfying. It is character-driven and has compelling dialogue between Lynley and Sgt Havers. Havers is the real star of the show.”

Inspector Lynley Mysteries is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

This winding path has been used for centuries – and is just as popular today.

A winding road which meanders through Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire is thought to be the oldest in Britain. The Ridgeway is an ancient path which has provided safe routes through the country for centuries.

The road follows a ride of chalk hills for 139 kilometres to reach Ivinghoe Beacon in northwest London. This same route is the one that travellers, farmers and soldiers have walked for more than 5,000 years.

Nowadays, the road is popular with cyclists and walkers as well as people who use mobility scooters.

Along the trail, walkers can gaze out over wide views of rolling chalk hills and find all kinds of archaeological marvels.

There are Iron Age forts, as well as the White Horse of Uffington, which is thought to be the oldest hill figure in Britain.

The White Horse is carved into the chalk hillside and is an incredible 374 feet in length. According to the BBC it’s thought to date back to 1,000BC in the late Bronze Age.

The path also takes walkers past Wayland’s Smithy – a Neolithic ruin that is thought to have once been the home of Wayland, the Saxon god of metalworking.

It’s an atmospheric area.

The visible ruin is actually a secondary structure – the original, which lies beneath the stones, is thought to have been a burial structure where 14 people were interred between 3460 and 3400 BC.

Wayland’s Smithy was constructed on top of the burial site, and has remained there over the centuries.

The track fluctuates between the wide open chalk paths along the hillside and the deeply embedded lanes between ancient beech trees.

Once you are East of the Thames, The Ridgeway travels through the sun-dappled woodland and the intimate hills and valleys of the Chilterns – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The walk is rich in history, but also makes for a stunning walk. You don’t have to tackle the whole thing at once – there are plenty of circular routes dotted along the trail, and multiple places to start and finish.

Need to know

Kris Marshall returns as DI Humphrey Goodman in Death in Paradise’s beloved spin-off Beyond Paradise.

Everything we know so far about Beyond Paradise season 5

1. Beyond Paradise will be returning for a fifth season with actor Kris Marshall, Sally Bretton and Zahra Ahmadi returning for the new episodes. BBC Studios announced the news with a picture of a clapperboard featuring Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman’s silhouette in front of a rural church.
2. The broadcaster promised “sunny shores, secrets to solve and scones to scoff” as they return to Devon and Cornwall. Fans were thrilled by the announcement with one writing “Oh thank goodness!”, as another said “So happy as the best cast ever and love the storylines and just everything about it.”
3. Unlike Death in Paradise, its Caribbean predecessor, Beyond Paradise is set in the fictional Devon coastal town of Shipton Abbott. Filming takes place in South East Cornwall and Devon, with Looe standing in for Shipton Abbott. The town’s Guildhall doubles as the police station while Launceston portrays the town centre.
4. Zahra Ahmadi, who plays DS Esther Williams, officially confirmed the fifth series after Kris Marshall accidentally let slip the news early. She cheekily said: “It has been said by a certain Kris Marshall but he was not allowed, and he was very undisciplined and blurted it out but you are getting the true exclusive. We have a fifth series, we are very excited.”
5. When Beyond Paradise does return, the series is expected once again to revolve around head scratching investigations such as impossible burglaries and missing families An official release date hasn’t been announced just yet but Beyond Paradise is expected to return in 2027.

READ THE FULL STORY: Beyond Paradise fans say ‘thank goodness’ as BBC issues filming update

Justin Fletcher, best known as Mr Tumble on CBeebies, has been a staple of children’s TV for over two decades

It’s fair to say most people know who Mr. Tumble is, but what is the BBC legend like off-screen?

The beloved children’s entertainer is hugely famous among young audiences for his work on CBeebies and his popular sell-out tours across the country, but relatively little is actually known about TV star Justin Fletcher away from the cameras.

In reality, the widely-celebrated performer, who was awarded an MBE honour by the late Queen Elizabeth II, generally keeps his personal life out of the spotlight, though he has occasionally offered glimpses into his home life and upbringing.

During his childhood, Justin was required to move around frequently with his parents owing to his father’s career as a highly sought-after music writer, which meant the family often needed to relocate and would regularly welcome some incredibly famous faces to their home.

The beloved TV personality is in fact the second-oldest of five children – with a 12 year age gap between him and his youngest sibling. At an early age, the CBeebies favourite opened up to his father, Guy Fletcher, revealing his ambition to pursue acting and develop his drama studies.

Net Worth

The entertainer has been presenting beloved CBeebies programmes including Gigglebiz and Justin’s House. Yet his greatest achievement has undoubtedly been the show Something Special, which was specifically designed to help children with communication by weaving Makaton signs, speech and symbols throughout.

Having remained a children’s television sensation for more than two decades, it’s hardly surprising that his endearing characters have evolved into a multi-million-pound enterprise.

According to previous reports, his Something Special DVD shifted over 100,000 copies, generating more than £1 million, while an accompanying magazine brought in a monthly income of £180,000. His net worth has therefore been estimated at around £1.5 million.

Stepping down from BBC role

Last year, the television favourite left fans gobsmacked when he revealed he was stepping away from his proudest achievement, Something Special, confirming he was passing the baton to three other presenters.

Following a remarkable 22-year run, during which the show produced 12 series and five specials, Justin decided it was the right moment to hand over to TV stars Maddie Moate, Ben Cajee, and George Webster, who announced the news on social media.

Is Mr Tumble married in real life?

Justin recently revealed that he has fallen in love with his co-star Samantha Dorrance, who plays his best friend Tootsie.

Justin, 55, and Samantha, 34, reportedly fell for each other while working on a panto and travelling on their live tour. In fact, the pair are so smitten that Samantha has moved into his £2.5million farmhouse.

According to The Sun, the couple enjoy nothing more than a quiet life and looking after their chickens.

“Justin and Samantha are madly in love and couldn’t be happier,” a source told the paper. “They are both dedicated performers and bonded over their love of musical theatre. Although there is an age gap, it isn’t an issue between them.”

Who is Mr Tumble’s famous father?

Justin isn’t the only well-known face in the family – his father Guy Fletcher co-wrote songs for legendary artists including Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and Joe Cocker alongside lyricist Doug Flett.

Justin opened up to BBC 6 Music star Chris Hawkins about what it was like growing up immersed in music and the company of musicians, revealing that his character Mr ‘Cliff’ Tumble was in fact a loving tribute to Sir Cliff Richard.

He said: “I was always brought up around musicians and we had a recording studio built onto the house. My character Cliff Tumble is a homage to Sir Cliff, who I’ve met a lot and is lovely, very charming.

“Dad wrote his Eurovision entry Power to All Our Friends. The biggest hit he wrote for Elvis was Just Pretend, which he used to perform in his Vegas shows. Pretty cool, really.”

Adam Rowe joined BBC Breakfast presenters Emma Vardy and Roger Johnson on the famous red sofa to discuss his thoughts on the cancellation of Live at the Apollo.

A comedian has shared his thoughts on the axe of BBC’s Live at the Apollo, arguing that comedy audiences still “need something”.

34-year-old stand-up comic Adam Rowe appeared on Sunday’s instalment of BBC Breakfast to discuss his career highlights at the Apollo.

Talking to news presenters Emma Vardy and Roger Johnson, Adam said he wasn’t “surprised” the BBC decided to let the show go.

However, he did mention that it would still be good to have a programme that showcases talent live on stage. He said: “It was a massive platform.

“I think it should still be there; I think there should be a home for British stand-up.” He later added: “We need something. We need something like ‘you can watch the best of British stand-up here’ and if it’s not going to be Live at the Apollo, it’s going to have to be an independent that does it online. Maybe YouTube or something.”

The star also added that Live at the Apollo introduced a whole “generation” into the world of stand-up comedy, adding: “It’s not going to be there now.”

After more than two decades, it was recently announced that Live at the Apollo has become the latest casualty of the broadcaster’s cost-cutting plans. The stand-up series, filmed at London’s iconic Hammersmith Apollo, will not return after its next run, the BBC has confirmed.

The decision forms part of wider savings measures as the corporation looks to reduce spending by hundreds of millions of pounds in the coming years. Describing the move as a “difficult decision”, BBC bosses paid tribute to the programme’s legacy, highlighting its role in introducing audiences to both established comedy stars and rising performers in a prime-time slot.

Since launching in 2004, Live at the Apollo has become one of the broadcaster’s most enduring entertainment shows. It has also provided a platform for countless stand-up comics and helped many of them rise to mainstream success.

Before the curtain falls, one final series will be recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo later this year, giving the long-running format a final send-off.

Despite the bad news, Live at the Apollo is not the only show to be affected by the changes. The BBC has also confirmed that Blankety Blank and Celebrity Mastermind have been dropped as part of the same round of cuts.

Part of an official statement from the BBC reads as follows: “We are incredibly proud of all three of these much-loved shows and would like to thank everyone involved, both in front of and behind the camera, for bringing them to screen and making them such a success over many years.”

BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One.

BRITISH filmmaker Justin Hardy, who directed the sequel to his dad’s horror classic The Wicker Man, has died aged 61.

The director’s family said Hardy died on Friday – just weeks before his latest film premiered – after suffering a heart attack.

In a statement the grieving family said: “Our family is devastated to share that Justin Hardy passed away last night.

“He was so full of life right to the end, and incredibly energised to be working towards premiering his latest film this month.

“We are all so proud of him and heartbroken he won’t be with us at his premiere.

“He was a man of family, of boundless creativity, and of devotion for everyone he held dear.”

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Hardy studied history at Oxford University before going on to study film in Bournemouth and scriptwriting in California.

During his career Hardy directed series and films including The Bill, Princes In The Tower, Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, The Relief Of Belsen, Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen and London’s Burning.

He was also nominated for an Emmy and a Bafta, and in recent years had been teaching screenwriting at University College London.

His brother, Dominic Hardy, said Justin would be remembered as someone “with an incredible appetite for life.”

In 2024 the brothers released the documentary Children Of The Wicker Man.

It covered their complicated relationship with their dad’s hit film, which initially bombed at the box office before becoming a cult classic.

Filming of The Wicker Man saw dad Robin sacrifice his family life for a film that performed poorly initially.

Before his death aged 86 in 2016 the legendary director of The Wicker Man – Robin Hardy – spoke publicly about his desire to complete trilogy after he released The Wicker Tree in 2011.

After he died, the brothers were contacted and asked about plans for the third film, which Dominic said they then saw as the “impetus to close the chapter on the films.”

The brothers then decided to wrap up their father’s film trilogy.

Released this month, Wrath Of The Gods was inspired by a concept discovered in a recently unearthed script written by Robin and stars Game of Thrones’ Francis Magee and Norwegian actress Christiane Schaldemose.

Dominic: “I really love writing projects like this and if I could write things like this for the rest of my career, that would be great.’”

Justin Hardy is survived by his wife Larissa, and children Sam, Ludo, Nico and Summer.

Wrath Of The Gods will premiere at FrightFest in Leicester Square on August 28.

Welcome to our special cricket edition of our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day of The Hundred there’s a new cricketer taking part in the tournament who we want you to guess in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Callum Matthews.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Sports Quizzes page and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

Following the news of her surprise exit, BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty was missing from her usual presenting slot on Saturday morning.

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty was noticeably absent during the latest episode of the popular news show.

The 51-year-old normally co-hosts the morning programme alongside Charlie Stayt from Thursday to Saturday and appeared on the show on Friday (July 31st). But on August 1st, BBC Breakfast underwent a presenter shake-up as Naga was replaced by journalist Emma Vardy.

The BBC did not provide any updates or comments regarding Naga’s absence from the famous red sofa. But her leave comes after it was announced that Naga is set to step down from BBC Breakfast after 17 years to take on a new role as co-presenter of BBC Radio 5 Live’s breakfast programme.

Her move follows the announcement by current hosts Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, who revealed during Tuesday’s broadcast that they will leave the breakfast show in December.

Munchetty, who has hosted Radio 5 Live’s weekday mid-morning programme since 2021, will join the station’s flagship breakfast slot alongside a new co-host, who is yet to be appointed, the BBC confirmed.

Earlier this week, Naga shared the news on her Instagram, reposting the statement from the official BBC 5 Live account and the clip of Rachel and Rick announcing their departure.

The caption read: “5 Live Breakfast hosts, Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, announced this morning that they will step down in December.

“Naga Munchetty will become the new co-presenter of 5 Live Breakfast, taking the helm of the station’s flagship morning programme five days a week from January 2027.

“As part of the changes, Rachel Burden will move to present the weekday mid-morning programme, Monday to Wednesday 11-2pm, following 15 years on the station’s Breakfast show.”

Opening up on her new role, Naga said in a statement: “I’m thrilled to be joining 5 Live Breakfast in January. Live news, great conversations and connecting with audiences are what I love most about broadcasting, and 5 Live does all of that brilliantly.

“It has been a privilege to be part of the BBC Breakfast TV team for the past 17 years, working alongside an incredibly talented and hard-working group of journalists who are not only outstanding colleagues but also great friends.

“Presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live is an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. It will take a huge amount of work and require 100% of my focus and energy, and I’m really looking forward to throwing myself into the role.”

The star also mentioned that she will continue to present both BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live from now until January.

BBC Breakfast airs Mondays-Sundays from 6am on BBC One.

Welcome to our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day, there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess, you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Joe Rindl.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

The Hairdresser Mysteries aired its latest episode on Friday, where viewers instantly recognised one guest star

The Hairdresser Mysteries fans were left doing a double take as they instantly recognised a guest star on Friday’s episode.

Jim Cartwright’s six-part cosy detective series launched earlier this month with all episodes available to watch on BBC iPlayer and weekly instalments on Fridays at 2pm.

The new series sees Sally Phillips plays main character, Lily Petal, who is forced to turn from hairdresser to amateur detective when crimes keep happening in the sleepy village.

She is helped in her investigations by brilliant analytical hair salon assistant Clary Coombs, played by Charlotte Jordan, and eager PC Adam Watson, played by Ben Castle-Gibb.

A synopsis for Friday’s episode, which was series one, episode three, read: “As the village prepares for a celebratory concert at the theatre, Lily and Clary realise the sudden death of one of the acts is not what it seems. Singer Heather Small guest-stars.”

Viewers were left open-mouthed during the episode as they instantly recognised one of the episode’s guest stars. In the instalment, Gabrielle Glaister played Mrs Rind.

Gabrielle, 65, is best known for playing Patricia Farnham in Brookside from 1990 to 1996. Other roles include Trish Wallace in Family Affairs, Cora Blyth in Death in Paradise and she also played Bob/Kate/Bobbie Parkhurst in several episodes of Blackadder. Soap watchers will also recall she played Hilary Benshaw in Emmerdale in 2019.

Taking to Twitter, now X, one person said: “#thehairdressermysteries Anyone else recognise Gabrielle Glaister from Brookside and Blackadder ? (Mrs Rind).”

A different account put: “I’m surprised at the calibre of actors that #TheHairdresserMysteries have attracted.”

Another show watcher commented: “Watching the first episode of #TheHairdresserMysteries and I absolutely love it! So many talented actors I recognise, such a cosy atmosphere too. And it’s filmed in the beautiful West Midlands! More plans!”

Gabrielle isn’t the only recognisable guest star as just last week Coronation Street legend Wendi Peters appeared as Gloria Crudd in the series.

Wendi, 58, is best known for playing Cilla Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street from 2003 to 2007, she returned to the cobbles once again in 2014.

The Hairdresser Mysteries airs on Fridays at 2pm and all episodes are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Actress Diane Morgan takes on the role of a social humanoid robot called Linda in the new BBC comedy.

This month, BBC viewers have been treated to a brand-new comedy series.

Ann Droid features the likes of Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston as they play robot Linda and lonely widow Sue.

When Linda’s son Michael (Paul Ready) gets her an AI eldercare robot to help her, it’s clear she’s less than thrilled with the decision.

Although she initially wanted to return her new robot companion, Linda quickly changed her mind, and what follows is a hilarious, unlikely and unconventional relationship.

Appearing on The One Show, actress Diane Morgan spoke to Alex Jones and Vernon Kay about the lengths she went to accurately play the robot.

Diane commented: “It’s really hard! I got an ulcer, did I tell you I got an ulcer? Yeah, I didn’t blink.

“I made the stupid decision to not blink. What an idiot. I was wearing these really thick blue contact lenses.”

Vernon cut in to share her confusion as she highlighted that Diane already has blue eyes.

The BBC star replied: “I know! I got an ulcer, so I stopped wearing them. I said, ‘Oh, how are we going to film the rest of it?’

“They just said, ‘We’ll do it in post’. I was like, ‘Well, what’s the point of me wearing them?!’”

As her co-star shared that he thought it was worth it, Vernon added: “You suffered for your art.”

Since the series was released earlier this month, BBC viewers have had nothing but praise for the show, with many admitting to binge-watching it in one sitting.

One person online commented: “Love ANN DROID.” Another wrote: “This show was amazing!! Sad, happy, funny and emotional.”

Someone else commented: “Absolutely loved it and Diane is just fabulous.” While a fourth wrote: “Binge watched on iplayer… so so good!!!!”

Another added: “Excellent series – funny, poignant and current – congratulations.”

Ann Droid is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

More than 1,150 cases have been referred to the National Crime Agency (NCA)’s Cyber Choices scheme in the last eight years – nearly 600 of those were in the last three years.

Authorities warn teenage hacking groups are playing an increasingly prominent role in serious cyber-attacks.

Young, English-speaking hackers have been linked to attacks on major organisations including Transport for London (TfL) and MGM Grand in 2024, and Marks and Spencer and the Co-op in 2025.

Individuals are also being increasingly targeted in hacks for their cryptocurrency holdings.

“It certainly has become more of a problem,” said Paul Foster, who leads cyber prevention work at the NCA.

“Certainly English-speaking, western world individuals that we know are now more active in cyber-crime.”

He said young people were engaged with online activity and devices at increasingly young ages exposing them to criminal communities and influences.

Police say many young offenders do not initially set out to become criminals.

Instead, they often begin by experimenting with technology, testing systems or trying to bypass restrictions before becoming drawn into online communities where hacking is encouraged.

Ted Lasso star Annette Badland played villain Babe Smith in EastEnders for three years, and her portrayal was so convincing that the BBC received serious death threats on her behalf

BBC bosses issued a rare “red alert” safety warning to former EastEnders actress Annette Badland after a crazed fan sent death threats that were deemed credible by security experts.

The individual behind the chilling threats was never definitively identified, Annette said. Speaking on Sally Lindsay’s podcast, Annette explained on Sally Lindsay’s podcast: “Because I was leaving, they racked up my villainy and I actually got thrown out of, literally, thrown out of the pub by Danny and cursed them.

“But I had death threats. I got the call from the BBC security saying, ‘We’re getting death threats. There are red alert code words in this, so we have to take it seriously’.”

She was warned that she should only leave her house if it was absolutely necessary, and that if she did go out, she shouldn’t tell anyone where she was going.

Annette says she was effectively under house arrest throughout the six-week investigation: “They eventually traced it to just outside Liverpool. It was in a school, but they didn’t think it was a child. But because it was a public computer they didn’t feel they could get much further.”

Despite that harrowing conclusion to her EastEnders tenure, Annette says she cherished her time on the BBC soap. She holds particularly warm memories of Danny Dyer, whom she describes as “bright, kind-hearted…and daft.”

She recalled Danny’s extraordinary generosity, revealing he taught her to “say the C-word,” which proved tremendously useful when she moved on to Ted Lasso and was handed a script riddled with crude language. She joked: “I said to myself, ‘I’ve worked with Danny Dyer, I can do this’.”

Ironically, however, that “very funny” scene ended up on the cutting-room floor and has never been seen by the public.

It was an unscripted moment, early in her EastEnders stint, that made the show’s writers recognise that in Babe Smith, they had the foundations of a truly iconic villain: “I had a scene with Tim [Timothy West, who played Stan Carter on the show] and he was watching the television.

“I’d been in love with him when I was young and he’d married my sister and I didn’t like that – that was the cause of all my pain and anguish.

“It wasn’t scripted,” Annette added, “but I picked up the remote control and turned the television off. I told him what I thought, put the telly back on, and left. And I think they thought, ‘Ooh, she can be nasty’.”

What followed was three years packed with drama, reaching its peak when Babe was locked inside a freezer and left for dead by an unknown attacker, who was ultimately unmasked as Lorna Fitzgerald’s Abi Branning.

In a dramatic farewell, Babe was caught red-handed stealing from the Queen Vic’s safe, but it was her savage outburst at Linda [Kellie Bright] – branding her a “stuck-up cow” – that saw Mick Carter finally remove her from the pub, and banish her from Walford for good.

Gladiators star Cyclone, whose real name is Lystus Ebosele, has featured on the BBC show since January 2025 but is now said to have been axed along with two others

Another one bites the dust… Cyclone has become the third professional to be axed from BBC show Gladiators. The TV star, whose real name is Lystus Ebosele, joined Bradley and Barney Walsh’s BBC revival of the 1990s classic last year, and has so far filmed two series.

But just as production got underway at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield for the next series of the reboot, Lystus, 25, is said to have been cut from the line-up and is not impressed with bosses.

A source told The Sun: “Cyclone won’t be back and she’s not happy about it. She’s now cut all ties with the show – it’s a pity as fans absolutely loved her.” The powerlifting champion has also unfollowed the official Instagram account for the programme and deleted all pictures of herself on the show.

News of Lystus’ exit comes just days after it was reported that Matty Campbell, who stars as Bionic, and Karenjeet Kaur Bains, better know to fans as Athena, had also been axed from the show, having missed out on a considerable amount of the last series after both suffering injuries.

A source said: “They won’t film this year for the show but could be back for the tour, depending on how they recover from their injuries.”

Earlier this year, Giant, 40, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, departed Gladiators amid much controversy when he went public with then-girlfriend Taylor Ryan, 28, and it emerged that she worked as a model on OnlyFans.

Execs were quick to air their disapproval, and the athlete said that he was “shocked and disappointed” by the move, which he directly linked to his partner’s racy work. It was then reported that body builder and fitness instructor Ahmad Rabus, 37, would act as his replacement, and it became apparent that he would be one of several new faces on the show.

Team GB medallist Tabby Stoecker, along with fitness influencer Florence Wong and World’s Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman are reportedly in the lineup, whilst The Sun also reported that former England rugby star Joe Marler would be making an appearance.

The new series will introduce a soon to be revealed event, as well as the other well known challenges such as Duel, Hang Tough and the Eliminator. Popular additions from the previous series — Everest, Destruction and Suspension Bridge — are also set to return after receiving a strong response from viewers.

Produced by Hungry Bear Media in partnership with MGM Alternative UK, part of Amazon MGM Studios, Gladiators remains one of the BBC’s flagship entertainment programmes.

The most recent series, which came to an end in March, attracted an average audience of 4.6 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer over a 28-day period, while continuing to perform particularly strongly among younger audiences.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, BBC’s Head of Entertainment, said: “Since Gladiators burst back onto screens in 2024, it’s been amazing to see families across the UK rally behind the contenders and champion our phenomenal Gladiators as the true stars of Saturday nights.

“With a brand‑new series confirmed and another celebrity special on the way, audiences can look forward to even more colossal clashes, even more edge of your seat excitement and plenty of opportunities to raise those foam fingers high once again.”

The Mirror has contacted representatives for comment.

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BBC viewers bid farewell to another contestant during the latest episode of The Great British Sewing Bee.

The Great British Sewing Bee is back with the BBC competition officially in full swing.

During Tuesday’s episode of The Great British Sewing Bee (July 28), BBC viewers saw the remaining contestants tackle three challenges to earn their place in next week’s episode.

First, they needed to make three pairs of knickers from an old T-shirt in the Pattern Challenge.

They were then tasked with making a garment from items that were heading to the landfill in the Transformation Challenge.

Finally, the sewers had to make an outfit with an environmental message made to measure their models.

Anna impressed judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young during week three, earning garment of the week.

However, Angie’s time in the competition came to an end, and she was eliminated from progressing further in the show.

As her fellow contestants rushed to give her a hug when her name was announced, one of them praised her for being ‘amazing’ during the competition.

Speaking about her time in the programme, she told the camera: “It’s been so special sharing this love of sewing with other like-minded people. I feel really fortunate.

“You’d think, having spent, you know, day after day sewing and planning sewing, that I’d want a rest. No, I’m going to make a coat, might make some trousers, might make a few more knickers. You know, loads.”

Issuing a four-word remark before leaving, she added: “Not going to stop.”

Next week, the show celebrates the rich fashion and textile traditions of Mexico.

A synopsis reads: “The pattern challenge sees the sewers create a folkloric top, using fabrics created by indigenous communities in Mexico’s Oaxaca region.

“For the transformation, they use a tablecloth to create a garment with an eye-catching structure, before coming up with a made-to-measure outfit inspired by one of the many Mexican festivals found across the country.”

The judges will also be joined by guest judge Erika Alvarez, the renowned fashion designer.

The Great British Sewing Bee continues Tuesday’s on BBC One from 8pm.

John Hannah made an awkward quip about his pay for the new Channel 5 crime drama Benidorm Is Murder

A famous British actor has made a cheeky swipe about the pay he received for his upcoming Channel 5 drama.

During the latest episode of The One Show, BBC viewers saw Alex Jones and Vernon Kay speak to Scottish star John Hannah about his new comedy drama, Benidorm Is Murder.

The six-part Channel 5 series, which will air on July 30, follows the life of a retired detective who moved to Spain to run a bar. However, he quickly finds himself solving murders in Spain alongside Rosa (Carolina Bécquer), a barmaid who loves true crime.

When speaking about filming the series, the actor didn’t hold back on letting the presenters know his thoughts on the pay for the show.

Touching on some of the guest stars in the show in the third episode, John commented: “A bunch of Irish actors turned up, and they all knew each other a bit.”

He went on to say it was a “good script” and “two weeks in the sun” and that there was “great chemistry” present.

He continued: “Simon and I were talking at the end of that episode, we were like, ‘Wow, they’ve set the bar really high. There’s something about a good script, a bit of sunshine, regardless of the pay… which wasn’t the best, but anyway it doesn’t matter.”

The studio erupted in laughter as a surprised Vernon could be heard reminding John that they were broadcasting live, reports the Express.

He added: “I mean no disrespect, but it was Channel 5, you know.”

Actress Diane Morgan, who was on hand to promote her upcoming BBC programme Ann Droid, then waded in advising him “not to ge into money”.

He fired back: “No, let’s not because we’re not doing it for the money, right? Of course not. It was brilliant, everyone came out. We were all getting paid….a bit.”

Channel 5 has been approached for comment.

Benidorm Is Murder will feature a plethora of guest celebrities including the likes of Denise Welch, Alistair McGowan and Tamzin Outhwaite.

Praising the show in the past, John added: “Benidorm is Murder is a gem of a show, filled with joy and humour, but there’s a balance of comedy and serious emotional weight to the stories, which is testament to the writing. We have a such a brilliant cast on this, everyone is pitch perfect for their roles, and I can’t wait for viewers to meet Carolina who was born to play Rosa.”

The One Show continues weeknights on BBC One from 7pm. Benidorm is Murder airs Thursday 30th July on Channel 5 from 9pm.

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Andy Burnham has told the BBC “the NHS will collapse” if social care is not reformed but said he could not put a timeline on changes.

In his first major interview since becoming prime minister, Burnham said he would not want to leave office without bringing in “substantial change” to the social care system.

The prime minister also suggested making it harder to claim benefits, saying the country had to get serious about getting the welfare bill down.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has meanwhile written to the prime minister, saying he should rule out tax rises or increased borrowing to fund social care reform.

Burnham told the BBC that if the government did not reform social care, the NHS would “collapse under the weight of trying to care for people who’ve really not needed to end up in the NHS system”.

But pressed on whether he would create a new system before the next election, he said he “couldn’t put a timeline on it right here, right now”, though he would put “whatever political capital I have into fixing broken social care”.

Burnham first proposed a universal system of social care in England in 2009 when he was health secretary under Gordon Brown and pursued the idea of a compulsory levy to fund it.

That Labour government also floated the idea of allowing people to defer the payment until after they died, which led to the Tories branding it a “death tax”.

Burnham is due to make a speech on adult social care on Wednesday.

The BBC understands the PM will stop short of unveiling plans for a new system in this speech, instead announcing he is speeding up the Casey Commission, an independent review that has been considering possible solutions for social care.

Baroness Louise Casey is not expected to give her final recommendations until 2028, but Burnham wants to bring her schedule forward.

Adult social care provides state support to help people live more independently, including assistance at home.

Unlike the NHS, social care is not free at the point of use. In England and Northern Ireland, people with savings worth more than £23,250 are not entitled to help with care costs from their council.

In Wales and Scotland, different rules apply in terms of eligibility.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of healthcare think tank the King’s Fund, said the current “punitive system” meant that “quite a lot of people go without care that they need”, with one in seven paying in excess of £100,000 for social care.

While Burnham has not yet outlined any plans, Woolnough told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that reforms could range from making social care free at the point of need to placing a cap on the amount people spend.

“The PM has for a long time mooted the idea of a social care system similar to NHS,” she said.

“It would be expensive but on the scale of what we spend on other public services – around £200bn on the NHS – we are talking for some of these options low billions per year.”

Adult social care has proved a complex issue to tackle for successive governments.

Two years ago Sir Keir Starmer was criticised when Labour scrapped plans for an £86,000 cap on the amount people in England would spend on social care in their lifetime.

Badenoch wrote in her letter to Burnham that “any solution to the issues around social care must also be fair to those who have made provisions and saved up over the course of their lives”.

Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP who chairs the Health and Social Committee, told the Today programme: “We do need to discuss where the money is going to come from but also we need to all be putting our political capital into this.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said he was ready to do “whatever I can to find a real and lasting consensus on social care”.

“Family carers must be at the heart of any new system, everyone must get the care they need and no one should lose their home as a result,” he said.

Reform Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said social care needed fixing but warned the party would fight any proposal for a “universal death tax”.

He said: “It’s not fair to raid people’s life savings and drags hundreds of thousands more families into paying tax when their loved ones pass away.”

The town beat well-known destinations like Bamburgh, Brighton, St Ives and Whitstable to be crowned the winner

A coastal town with a population of 60,000 has dethroned other popular destinations as the most charming the UK has to offer.

Bamburgh and Seahouses have seen their days of glory and renown, but now it’s time to give some love to another spot in the North East, which was recently named the most charming seaside destination by Lonely Planet magazine, just nine miles from Newcastle.

Tynemouth is an easy and accessible weekend day-trip destination, recognised for its sandy beaches, scenic walks, lively independent-shop scene, food, and attractions.

For the ultimate day out in Tynemouth, go on a Saturday or Sunday and pay a visit to Tynemouth Market, held inside the old Victorian metro station beneath a striking glass roof. There, stalls sell everything from vintage clothing to antiques.

From there, it’s a short walk to the main attraction – Tynemouth Priory and Castle, a headland ruin dating back to the 7th century that towers over the North Sea.

The place is Tynemouth’s most famous postcard, giving visitors a great view of the sea.

After looking around and learning some of the town’s history, it’s time to head downstairs to King Edward’s Bay, a sheltered cove where you’ll find some of the best seafood in the area, and get to lounge around if you manage to find a spot – it tends to get pretty busy during the summer months.

But for a proper swim, the place locals recommend is Longsands Beach, a mile-long stretch that regularly pulls top marks from visitors.

But if you’re not the sitting-down-and relaxing-by-the-sea kind, you’ll find some more active fun in Hadrian’s Cycleway – a 174-mile coast-to-coast route that begins right here in Tynemouth.

Nearby, the Lord Collingwood Monument offers one of the best free viewpoints in town, described by a visitor on TripAdvisor as having privileged views of “the docks at North Shields, the priory, and the castle.”

Families and people of all ages can also enjoy Tynemouth Park, home to an unexpectedly popular attraction. One online reviewer said they’d “had an enjoyable time playing the 18-hole dinosaur-themed crazy golf courses”.

Then, in July, Tynemouth gets ready for its big event. Every year, almost 100,000 visitors come to town for the Mouth of Tyne Festival, a free event that culminates in an open-air concert staged right at the Priory ruins.

Over the years, iconic headliners have included Sam Fender, Bryan Ferry, Elbow, and Paloma Faith.

You can reach Tynemouth from London in 3 hours and 20 minutes by train, or 5 to 6 hours by car. From Manchester, the journey takes under three hours by either mode. From Edinburgh, it’s about two hours by train or car.

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