Alongside a snap of her with Ross in their Movie Week outfits, Karen penned: “Absolutely gutted. Since the beginning of this show @therossking has been a rock for me and is one of the most genuine and funny people I’ve ever met.
“Have loved every minute of our @bbcstrictly journey and will miss you loads but know I’ll have a mate for life.”
Speaking on the Strictly results show, Ross said about his time on the show: “I have loved every single minute of it.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported us, all the people who voted – they’ve been amazing.
“I want to thank everyone here in this room, backstage, the judges, the crew – every single person here has made me so, so welcome.
“And, I want to thank a very special lady who has been with me through it all and has been absolutely everything: she’s been a mentor, teacher, carer and I could not have wished for a better partner, and I could not have wished to be on a better show. Thank you judges for all your remarks.”
Meanwhile, Jowita shared: “Thank you so much for all of your work. For everything you have done during rehearsals.
“We laugh a lot – but we also cried! Thank you so much, and I hope I’m going to be a little part in your life forever.”
Both Jowita and Ross will appear on It Takes Two on Monday in their first TV interview after their elimination.
Ross also shared a number of snaps from his time on the show on Instagram as he reflected on his journey.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday 18 October at 6:30pm, with the results show on Sunday 19 October at 7:15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Graham Norton has finally revealed the Hollywood star he deemed to be his worst guest while hosting his BBC chat show as he describes the interview as ‘hell’
Graham Norton has revealed the worst guest he’s ever had on his show(Image: PA)
It is one of the main questions asked of TV chat show hosts and now, Graham Norton has finally revealed who has been his worst guest on The Graham Norton Show. He has welcomed huge A-listers onto his red sofa for over 18 years but not all of them have been a joy to be around.
Step forward Hollywood royalty Mark Wahlberg. The legendary actor was invited on to the BBC show back in 2013 to promote his movie Broken City. And Graham believes that the star was under the influence, making the interview “hell.”
Presenter Graham, 62, was speaking at the Henley Literary Festival last week Friday when the claim was made. In a revealing admission, he shared: “Mark Wahlberg was a weird one because when he arrived, he didn’t seem drunk.”
He added: “He told me about his film, told me a couple of stories about stunts going wrong or whatever, and then it was only 15 minutes into the show when whatever the hell was in his system really took hold – and it was hell.”
Things became so bad, Mark interrupted other guests when they were asked questions, until Mark reportedly fell asleep while actor Michael Fassbender, was in the middle of recalling an anecdote.
According to The Independent, Graham continued: “I thought, ‘this one is going well – I wonder why’ and I looked over at Mark Wahlberg and he was asleep, so yeah, we don’t encourage that.”
Earlier this month, the future of his TV show was announced and it looks as though fans of the show can breathe a sigh of relief as it has been commissioned for another three series. The 34th series is set to air next year.
Speaking of the return of his hugely popular show, the legendary presenter said of the news: “Getting to host my own chat show is a huge pleasure as well as a privilege. I’m thrilled that the BBC are allowing me to continue for another three years. The whole team is looking forward to bringing the world’s brightest stars into the homes of the great British public!”
And Head of Entertainment Kalpna Patel-Knight said: “We are thrilled that The Graham Norton Show will remain a flagship part of the BBC’s entertainment offering for another three series. Graham sets the gold standard for celebrity interviews and continues to attract the best global talent to his sofa, it’s no wonder that the show remains so beloved by our audiences.”
Graham will continue to work with So Television production company as well as the BBC. Managing Director of So Television Graham Stuart, went on to say: “We began the Norton Talk Show journey in 1998 and have never felt like stopping. So happy the BBC feel the same way.”
But it’s not just his work life that appears to be busy, so too is his home life as the TV star is currently in the middle of moving home after selling both his London and New York properties. Informing his podcast fans of the move, he said that the whole situation has left him “frazzled.”
Addressing the move on his Wanging On with Graham Norton and Maria McErlane, he said: “I’m very frazzled. We are attempting to move. We are very lucky in that we are able to move slowly, bit by bit. But the house we are moving out of, which I didn’t think had that much stuff in it.”
The two best sides in the Super League lock horns at Old Trafford for the second year running as the Robins take on the Warriors for the Super League title.
The two best sides in the Super League lock horns at Old Trafford for the second year running as the Robins take on the Warriors for the Super League title.
Tanya Arnold is joined by Kevin Brown to present highlights of the ‘Big Dance’, as Hull KR Robins go for a historic treble and the Wigan Warriors look to end their season on a high, having already seen Hull KR take their league leaders shield and Challenge Cup trophy this season.
Commentary comes from Matt Newsum and Robbie Hunter-Paul.
EAGLE-EYED Strictly fans have been left baffled after spotting a live show shake up.
Tonight’s show was the Musicals Week special with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo acting as a guest mentor.
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Eagle-eyed Strictly fans have been left baffled after spotting a live show shake up
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Karen Carney was supposed to perform fourth during Musicals WeekCredit: PA
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The running order was shared online ahead of the show
Before the show started, pro dancer Julian Caillon shared a blurry picture of the running order.
But as the show got underway, Strictly viewers noticed that Karen Carney was moved from the fourth slot in the line up.
The former footballer was dancing a Cha Cha Cha to She’s a Lady from Miss Congeniality with her pro partner Carlos Gu.
She was supposed to perform after YouTube star George Clarke, but he was followed by Drag Race star La Voix instead.
The eagle-eyed viewers immediately took to X to question the change, with one writing: “I wonder why they changed order with Karen and Carlos and they weren’t in Clauditorium.
“Maybe some wardrobe problem.”
Another added: “why did we skip karen and carlos in the running order.”
In the end, Karen and Carlos performed seventh and scored 25 points.
STRICTLY viewers have spotted a last minute wardrobe change as George Clarke danced his first Couple’s Choice – but did you see it?
Podcaster and social media personalityGeorge, 25, is competing on the show alongside new pro partner,Alexis Warr, 25.
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Strictly viewers have spotted a last minute wardrobe change as George Clarke danced his first Couple’s Choice – but did you see it?
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Viewers noticed that he had removed his blue wig before taking to the dance floorCredit: x/@Imogen_Alanah
George and Alexis took the floor tonight with their couple’s choice accompanied by Soda Pop from K-Pop Demon Hunters.
The lively hip-hop dance thrilled the audience but viewers spotted a last minute costume change.
Taking to social media one wrote: “Thank GOD the wig changed.”
Another added: “WHYD THEY GET RID OF THE WIG.”
While a third exclaimed: “Not George taking that ugly blue wig off.”
“The fact he said NO WIG for the show,” added another.
Wicked actress Cynthia Erivo praised the dancers and declared: “I am so proud of you because earlier I felt you were not taking yourself as seriously as you could.”
Shirley Ballas agreed and said: “You were flying like an angel.”
However, Anton Du Bekestated: “You came alive…but I thought it lacked a bit of edge.”
Strictly Come Dancing fans brand huge judge shake-up ‘awkward’ as they beg BBC to make last-minute decision
But Oti Mabuse added: “You’re doing a beautiful job and keep going.”
When the scores came in George and Alexis received 6 points from Criag, 8 from Oti, 9 from Shirley and 8 from Anton giving them a respectable total of 31 points.
Cheers rose from the audience and the adorable pair looked very happy with their scores.
Cynthia has spent the week working with the celebrities and their partners to help them with their performance and offering up her advice during their training.
However, when the live show kicked off, hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirmed that despite the huge hype surrounding Cynthia being on the panel, the actress was barred from scoring the couples.
As she wasn’t allowed a paddle to mark the pairs, Cynthia found herself sitting awkwardly among the judging panel as the other four judges offered up their scores.
It left fans at home begging the BBC to let Cynthia have a paddle last-minute after branding her inclusion on the panel “awkward”.
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The judges were conflicted about the standard of the dance
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However, the couple were very happy with the judges overall score of 31 points
Shirlie Kemp talks about being married to a rockstar and mum to Roman Kemp and Harleymoon – and the real reason she refuses to take part in Strictly Come Dancing
17:00, 11 Oct 2025Updated 17:08, 11 Oct 2025
Shirlie Kemp has just taken Bupa’s Medication Check DNA test(Image: LORNA ROACH PHOTOGRAPHY)
She toured with Wham!, had two Top 10 hits, married a Spandau Ballet superstar and appeared in a Spice Girls video — but Shirlie Kemp never wanted to be famous. Shirlie, 63, who grew up with four siblings on a London council estate, has had such a wild life and career, you’d be forgiven for thinking it must have been planned and executed with military precision.
“It just felt like destiny, like everything happens for a reason,” says Shirlie, who started singing backing vocals for Wham! during an early romance with Andrew Ridgeley before forming pop duo Pepsi & Shirlie when they split. “I was where I was at that time… As I get older, I realise, ‘Wow, my life felt like it was actually mapped out for me.’ There is that saying ‘God laughs at your plans,’ which I really love. For me, I just see space and I don’t know what’s going to come in but I’m always attracting the positive.”
Touring the world and performing to millions is miles away from the life Shirlie expected. “I was told you leave school, get a job, get married and then have kids,” she explains. “But in my heart I knew there was so much out there. I’ve never put limits on myself.”
Shirlie and Martin married in St Lucia in 1988. After their daughter Harleymoon was born in 1989, followed by Roman in 1993, Shirlie retreated from the public gaze. “I lived in baseball caps and sunglasses when I was younger,” she admits. “Then after I had children, I backed out of it. I didn’t go anywhere to be seen. I just wanted to be a mum and devote myself to my children.”
Even when Martin swapped Spandau Ballet for EastEnders in 1998, Shirlie stayed out of the limelight. And these days Martin and Shirlie’s children are eclipsing their fame. Roman is a successful documentary maker, TV presenter and DJ, while Harleymoon is a singer-songwriter, who recently duetted on stage with Ronan Keating.
“It’s such a stupid saying. It’s like farmers, are they called the ‘nepo baby farmers’? I have so many friends whose sons have gone into business with the dad because the dad wants them to take over that family business. With my kids, it was in their DNA. Harley’s been singing and songwriting since I can remember. And Roman, when he was about three or four years old, we called him Roman the Showman. He would watch Frank Sinatra and next minute he was doing a show for us.”
Watching her children grow up, Shirlie knew they had what it takes to thrive in the entertainment industry. But despite her instincts, she decided to let them carve their own path. “I actually thought they should go to stage school,” says Shirlie. “I would love to have gone to a drama school. But then we thought, ‘No, we don’t want them to go down that route.’ So I purposely did not put them into any type of drama school. But they’ve taken that route and they’re not after it for the fame, they’re after it because that’s their joy area. That’s what they can do and they can do it really well. It just comes naturally.”
Roman is currently spearheading a new campaign called Together Against Suicide in partnership with the Premier League. It follows his 2021 BBC documentary Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, which saw him shine a light on the mental health crisis affecting young men after his friend Joe Lyons took his own life.
Shirlie is incredibly proud of her son’s work. “I was in Marks & Spencer and this young lady came up to me and she said, ‘Roman’s documentary was so powerful. My brother committed suicide. I wish he could have seen something like that.’ And I stood there crying and holding her, because you realise that if there is just one person you can save, that’s enough. So I am proud of him for doing that. It’s the heaviest of topics, but it has to be done.”
Like her son, Shirlie doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects and she’s proactive about her wellbeing and mental health, making sure she lifts weights, plays tennis and regularly socialises with friends. “As you get older it’s a necessity because there is that saying, ‘Use it or lose it.’ Well, that’s true! You get muscle waste, you get aches and pains. And also for your mental health, for your brain health. Tennis is great for hands and eye brain coordination, which is also preventative. So I look at everything I’m doing now as a preventative [measure], but I wish I knew this when I was younger. I just thought, ‘Keep fit, then you can fit into the dress you want to wear,’ not realising the real goodness that it was doing.”
As part of her effort to stay healthy, Shirlie has just taken Bupa’s Medication Check DNA test, to help us understand which medicines are more likely to work, and which might not. And the results shocked her. “I’ve always said that prevention is half the cure,” says Shirlie. “So when Bupa approached, I put my hand up straight away. Shirlie swabbed her mouth and sent her DNA back where it was analysed before a GP talked her through her results, which revealed that anti-inflammatory tablets were not suitable for her. “When I was younger I had endometriosis, and excruciating pain,” shares Shirlie. “The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets. So I took them constantly for the pain. Now I know I have to find an alternative.”
With good fitness and a can-do attitude, Shirlie sounds like the perfect candidate for Strictly Come Dancing. She could even do a quickstep to Heartache, Pepsi & Shirlie’s biggest hit. However, Shirlie isn’t keen. “I couldn’t take the pressure,” she admits. “I love going to the supermarket, going to the gym and being out. I would hate, ‘Oh, you’re off Strictly!’ I’ve done what I did, and now I’m enjoying everything.”
“Shirlie Kemp in partnership with Bupa – learn more about their genomics products and Medication Check here “
Casualty aired a dramatic final episode of its latest boxset recently – but the BBC show’s cast has teased some huge scenes ahead, new arrivals and much more drama
08:00, 11 Oct 2025Updated 08:05, 11 Oct 2025
Casualty aired a dramatic final episode of its latest boxset recently but there’s more drama ahead(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC STUDIOS)
Casualty ended this latest boxset with a dramatic series finale, which saw drama, heartbreak and a tragic death. The BBC show is very popular amongst their fans – and it looks like there’s some huge drama ahead in the coming months.
The BBC drama ended last month with some devastating scenes, as it seemed Ngozi had died after suffering a relapse at the airport as her and her young son plan to travel back to Nigeria. Elsewhere, there was trouble for Iain and Faith, who seemed on the verge of splitting from one another as Iain continues to struggle over his mum’s death.
The Mirror got all the gossip from the cast at the Inside Soap Awards, where the stars dropped some huge hints about what’s coming next and what the future holds for their characters.
Two new arrivals
Olly Rix – who plays Flynn – teased there would be drama ahead, and some new arrivals. “We have two new characters coming into Holby and that’s a big part of the next season,” he said.
“When any new character comes in, everyone has to re-orientate themselves. So you see everybody across the breadth of the NHS dealing with these two people.”
Relationship drama
Anna Chell – who plays Jodie – warned it wouldn’t be plain sailing for some of the couples. She said: “There’s quite a few relationship break-ups and new relationships formed. Some maybe the audience don’t expect.”
Naomi Wakszlak – who plays Indie – also gave us an insight on what we can expect for Indie and Cam (Barney Walsh) after the pair finally found love with one another this series.
“We’re going to see them getting a lot closer, which is really nice. I think at first Indie is a bit more into it than Cam is so we have to pull Cam out of his shell, which is really nice. It’s been a lot of fun, I love Barney so it’s been really great working with him. We don’t really get to go inside that much and be with the doctors and nurses so it’s nice to do a bit inside!” she said.
Past wounds revealed
Last series, we learned that Flynn had suffered a devastating loss of a child. This devastating past trauma is set to continue to be explored over multiple boxsets going forward.
“I think when you join this show, everybody’s so well drawn that when you come in, you’re relentlessly exploring this new character and you have to serve everybody else still,” Olly said.
“So it’s something that you do over quite a dragged out period of time, so each boxset, we’re pulling another thread and there’s space to do it over multiple boxsets.”
Real-life drama
Documenting the real life struggles of the NHS – like the BBC drama did one Christmas about the issues with blood supply – is important to the cast, and raising awareness of conditions that might not be well documented on TV.
Sammy Dobson – who plays Nicole – shared: “Doing the postpartum psychosis storyline, the amount of people that reached out to me who have been in a similar situation who have never ever seen that reflected in TV.
“Casualty finds those stories and connects with people who might not see those things on TV and in other places. I think it’s so important to tell those stories.”
Milo Clarke, who plays Teddy, added: “It’s a privilege to be able to tell these stories. For as long as we’ve known, we’ve all been affected or used the NHS or known someone who works for the NHS. It’s very important to represent that.”
The Celebrity Traitors made its way to our screens after months of speculation and hype and, among the 6.5 million viewers to tune in this week, was Prince William
03:19, 11 Oct 2025Updated 03:29, 11 Oct 2025
The Celebrity Traitors features an all-star cast ready to play the ultimate game of deceit and betrayal(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/Artwork – BBC Creative)
Guards had to stop The Celebrity Traitors stars sneaking between bedrooms at the hotel at which they stayed, it has emerged.
But the personalities did not get the VIP treatment. During filming, the stars had to stay at a £80-per-night Courtyard by Marriott hotel near an airport, which remained open to the public. The celebrities, which also included Alan Carr and Clare Balding, were only allowed out at certain times for cigarette breaks and short walks, it has emerged.
The guards kept close eyes on the contestants at the hotel, the same one used in the non-celebrity version of the BBC programme, and they weren’t even allowed to go, alone, to visit other stars in their rooms.
The titular “Traitors” must work together to eliminate the other contestants to win a grand prize, while the remaining contestants become “Faithful” and are tasked to discover and banish the “Traitors” by voting them out to win the prize. Knowledge gathered only be succeeding in tasks during the show will help the teams achieve these goals.
And the production team ensured they maintained the same tough rules for the household names as they had done for the non-famous counterparts in the original show, much to the “shock” of some stars.
“They must have had a shock, some of them would never have stayed anywhere that s*** before, it was hardly salubrious,” one source told the Daily Mail today, days after the first episode of the series aired.
Celebrity Traitors: First look teaser trailer
The series was filmed over three weeks in May and, while tasks were often held in the famous castle, none of the contestants got to stay in the building – and had to make do with the hotel near Inverness Airport. Celebs were put on one floor and a lockdown-style curfew was imposed. Mobiles were confiscated and a “production phone” was issued for emergencies, it is reported today. The same source continued: “There was to be no social media, just old-fashioned phone calls.”
It is thought the BBC ensured transmission of the programme was quick – less than five months after filming – to avoid any leaks. The VIPs have been paid the same flat rate for their time – unlike the civilian version, for which contestants get a small stipend to subsidise time away from work.
Some friendships have already become strained. It has now emerged Alan Carr, for instance, “murdered” his good friend Paloma Faith in episode two by rubbing poison lily on her face. Faith said: “If the shoe was on the other foot, I would not have touched Alan’s face.”
The next episode of The Celebrity Traitors is on Wednesday on BBC One at 9pm.
