blasted

Chelsea FC footballers have been blasted on social media after they appeared to snub young mascots before their clash with Hull City ahead of Friday night’s match

Chelsea FC players have been slammed for the treatment of young mascots at their FA Cup game. Ahead of match against Hull City, the stars of the Premier League side appeared to snub the mascots of their opposition.

Ahead of kick off on Friday night, the official X, formerly known as Twitter page for the Blues, shared footage of players, led by Reece James, walking out, and completely ignoring the young mascots who were eagerly waiting to see them dress in their Hull kits.

While the smiling young lads appeared ready to engage with the Chelsea players, they were relentlessly snubbed by the players who walked on by without acknowledging them. Liam Delap looked as if he was walking towards the boys, but later hugged a member of the Hull team, having previously spent time on loan with the Yorkshire club in his earlier career.

The Blues’ actions have been slammed by stars including Baroness Sharron Davies, who said on X: “Very disappointing @chelseafc could no one be bothered to even say hello to those young footballers as they passed? 5 seconds of their time!”

Former Apprentice star turned GB News presenter, Michelle Dewberry, fumed on social media: “You should be ashamed your players act like this with little boys. Instead, you’re proud and desperate to share it. Gross.”

Meanwhile, fellow anchor Bev Turner commented: “Say hello to the children you fools!! You only kick balls for a living. But you would give these kids a massive thrill. Give them high fives! Anything!!”

Fans have also criticised the move, with one saying: “Not one Chelsea player acknowledging or high-fiving the mascots. Who stole the soul?” Another added: “(It would) be nice if they looked at the mascots at all, even a smile, a glance or a wave. Would mean the world to those kids.”

A third penned: “We have a great video of our overpaid, arrogant and self-centred players walking past a bunch of kids and ignoring them. Great for social content.” However, it remains unclear if the Chelsea players interacted with the mascots after the cameras stopped rolling.

Elsewhere, Jeff Stelling said on talkSPORT earlier today: “Chelsea players are getting a bit of stick online for apparently snubbing Hull City mascots on arrival. You can see the mascots in the background there, all standing to attention, and the Chelsea players do not bat an eyelid and walk straight past.”

Meanwhile, Ally McCoist added: “It’s not a good look!” Jeff went on to add: “It’s not a good look, is it? Do they need reminding that they have some responsibilities?” Ally went on to say: “Never mind not a good look, it’s not good. One of the best I’ve seen at it is Jack Grealish, right?

“Jack Grealish to me, plays a game with a smile on his face. He looks as though he’s very thankful to the opportunity that has been given to him to play football. I just think he’s brilliant, and I don’t know, I’m not watching him all the time, but any time I see him arriving at grounds, he’s always got a word for whoever that is, the guy at the front door, the kids waiting to see them. It costs nothing.”

Ally continued: “You may be underestimating how much it means to people, those kids, for sitting there. Imagine the kid in the playground, ‘You know, so and so came up and said hello to me.’ I’m loath to use the word wee things like that because those wee things are big things in the grand scheme of things, Jeff. That is not a good look at all. What does it take to come out of your way and walk and give the kids a wee high five on the way through?”

Chelsea eventually won 4-0 following a hat-trick from Pedro Neto and a goal from Estêvão, meaning that they’re in the hat for the fifth-round draw later today.

The Mirror has approached Chelsea FC for comment.

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MICHELLE KEEGAN has shared snaps from her second glam trip of the year despite being blasted by Essex mums over her gifted holiday.

The mum-of-one, 38, jetted off to Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago with husband Mark Wright and Palma but fans weren’t happy when they realised it was a paid for all-expenses trip.

Now the former Coronation Street star has jetted off to Los Angeles as she shared a series of pictures in America on her Instagram stories.

She posted snaps of a brightly coloured barista art coffee as well as a neon sign that read, ‘The Beverly Hills Hotel’.

A collage of photos showed the actress wearing a multi coloured buttoned up top with a pair of jeans and some brown boots.

As she smiled for the camera, she opted for a straightened hair look for her brunette locks and went for a subtle make up look complete with a nude lip, mascara and a bit of blush.

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It’s unclear whether Michelle is in the US for work or play, but it was previously reported that the Netflix star was in talks to star in Reese Witherspoon’s big-budget movie adaptation of her new novel.

Oscar-winner Reese, 49, wrote crime thriller Gone Before Goodbye with American author Harlan Coben, who was behind Michelle’s Netflix hit show Fool Me Once.

Harlan introduced the women to each other at the launch of the book at the ­London Literature Festival, held at the capital’s Festival Hall last weekend.

A source said: “Harlan has been singing Michelle’s praises to Reese and she was keen to meet her. They got on really well and it was clear Reese was really taken with Michelle.

“The plan is to turn the book into a film and Michelle is their first choice to take on the role of the lead character, Maggie McCabe.

“She is a combat surgeon and Michelle previously played an Army medic in Our Girl on the BBC, so it’s a role they know she could take on with style.

“It’s early days but Harlan and Reese think Michelle is tailor-made for this role and would love her to come on board when the time is right.”

Michelle’s trip comes just week after her freebie trip to the UAE in which she was slammed by Essex mums.

Michellle and Mark stayed at the lavish Rixos Premium in Saadiyat Island, but they didn’t pay a penny for the stay.

It got locals back in Britain, who have got to know Michelle since she moved into her £3.5m mansion in Essex, talking – and not in a good way. 

A source explained: “Local mums are incredibly jealous of the trip and the fact she got it for free.

“They feel like she is really out of touch and showing off something rotten by plastering it all over social media. They are used to it from Mark, but not her.”

And her outraged Instagram followers rushed to express their upset, with one person questioning: “Lovely, could you not have gifted it to a family who could never afford the experience??”

But insiders told us that Michelle has “had enough of the constant whispering and bitching from these so-called Essex wives and the trolls”.

They added: “These women are obsessed with her because they want to be her –  they’re jealous, plain and simple.

“They watch everything she does because they wish they could be as beautiful and famous as her, then sit around slagging her off just because Michelle is too busy to be their friend.