Diane Keaton, the actor who made film history — and won an Oscar — as the title character in Woody Allen’s beloved 1977 romantic comedy “Annie Hall,” died Saturday. She was 79. Tributes poured in from those who worked with and admired Keaton, including Bette Midler, Kate Hudson, Steve Martin and Josh Gad.
Here are some notable social media posts:
For the record:
8:42 p.m. Oct. 11, 2025An earlier version of this article incorrectly cited films in which Diane Keaton co-starred with actors Kate Hudson, Rosie O’Donnell, Octavia Spencer and Elizabeth Banks. These actors did not co-star in the listed films with Keaton.
Bette Midler, the actor, singer and comedian who starred with Keaton and Goldie Hawn in the 1996 comedy “The First Wives Club,” about three divorced women who seek revenge on their ex-husbands: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me. She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was …oh, la, lala!”
Steve Martin, who co-starred as Keaton’s husband in the “Father of the Bride” films, reposted an exchange between Keaton and Martin Short:
Short: “Who’s sexier, me or Steve Martin?
Keaton: “I mean, you’re both idiots.”
Martin then commented on the post: “Don’t know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane.”
Josh Gad: “What a monumental loss. Diane Keaton in many ways defined my love of movies. From Annie Hall to the Godfather films, from First Wives Club to Baby Boom, from Father of the Bride to Something’s Gotta Give, here resume was nothing short of iconic and hall of fame worthy. I was very fortunate to work with her many years ago on an unproduced HBO pilot and what I found was one of the most humble, ruthlessly funny, and unbelievably talented human beings I’ve ever come across. In many ways, this year will be defined by the loss of a Hollywood we will never again see. There simply are no replacements for a Gene Hackman or a Robert Redford or a Diane Keaton. They were the mavericks who helped redefine movies for a generation. … My heart goes out to Diane’s entire family during this impossible moment. RIP”
Kimberly Williams-Paisley, the actor, author and director who played Keaton’s daughter in the “Father of the Bride” films: “Diane, working with you will always be one of the highlights of my life. You are one of a kind, and it was thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter. 🙏🏻🕊️💔❤️❤️❤️”
Rosie O’Donnell: “oh this breaks my heart – love to her children- what style what grace – she will be missed #ripdianekeaton”
Octavia Spencer: “Today we lost a true original. @diane_keaton wasn’t just an actress: she was a force. a woman who showed us that being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be. From Annie Hall to Something’s Gotta Give, she made every role unforgettable. But beyond the screen, she brought joy, laughter, and style that was all her own… Thank you, Diane, for reminding us that authenticity never goes out of fashion.”
Elizabeth Banks: “She was beloved in her industry. Every one of us idolizes her. Her influence on culture, fashion, art and women can’t be overstated. She was a delight. I am proud I have a career that allowed me to meet her and breathe her air.”
Viola Davis: “No!! No!!! No!! God, not yet, NO!!! Man… you defined womanhood. The pathos, humor, levity, your ever-present youthfulness and vulnerability — you tattooed your SOUL into every role, making it impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting them. You were undeniably, unapologetically YOU!!! Loved you. Man… rest well. God bless your family, and I know angels are flying you home”
Diane Keaton, the actress who starred in some of the biggest movies of the last half-century, including the “Godfather” and “Annie Hall,” while serving as a style trend-setter and a champion of Los Angeles’ past, has died. She was 79.
Her death was first reported by People and confirmed by The New York Times.
In an extraordinary run during the 1970s when she was dominant, her career spanned the high points of American cinema: Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia saga and several of Woody Allen’s urbane comedies, climaxing in an Oscar win for her culture-changing turn as the title character in 1977’s “Annie Hall.” Keaton’s catchphrase, “Well, la-di-dah,” became iconic.
Over her career, she received four Oscar nominations for lead actress, winning for “Annie Hall.”
Born in Southern California, Keaton achieved fame in the 1970s through her frequent collaborations with Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola. She appeared in three “Godfather” movies as well as eight Allen films. Her star turn as Annie Hall earned her critical raves and made her a fashion icon of the era with Annie’s fedora hats, vests, ties and baggy pants. The Times once called her look “fluttery, vulnerable, almost unbearably adorable.”
“Annie’s style was Diane’s style — very eclectic,” designer Ralph Lauren said in a 1978 story in Vogue, soon after the movie came out. “She had a style that was all her own. Annie Hall was pure Diane Keaton.”
She was often asked if she got tired of the notoriety “Annie Hall” brought her, including the magazine covers, think pieces and fashion homages.
“No, I’m not. Everything is because of ‘Annie Hall’ with Woody. He has a great ear for women’s voices. I’m so grateful to him; he really gave me an opportunity that changed my life,” she told The Times in 2012. “I’m never disappointed about people talking to me about ‘Annie Hall.’ But I will say, a lot of people don’t know ‘Annie Hall’ exists, and that’s just the way it goes — goodbye! It’s bittersweet.”
She managed to capture the cultural zeitgeist in later films. In 1987, she played a successful businesswoman who upends her life to care for a relative’s baby in “Baby Boom.” In 2003, she won acclaim in “Something’s Gotta Give” for playing a successful writer navigating with romance in her 50s.
Keaton also got Oscar nominations for “Reds” (1982), “Marvin’s Room” (1996) and “Something’s Gotta Give.”
Keaton was a patron of the L.A. arts scene and also gained note as a champion of architecture preservation, remaking grand homes across the region. In collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, she edited a book of tabloid photos called “Local News” that ran in the Los Angeles Herald-Express.
In a 2018 interview with The Times, she said she felt privileged to still be working.
“I know what I am by now,” she said. “I know how old I am. I know what my limitations are and what I can and can’t do. So if something appeals to me, I’m definitely going to go for it.”
Later in life, Keaton became a major voice in architecture preservation.
She grew up Santa Ana during the post World War II housing boom in the 1950s and told The Times in an interviews she loved going to open houses with her father
“My father took me to see model homes, which I thought were palaces,” Keaton said.
She began buying and fixing up landmark homes around L.A., especially those of the Spanish colonial style.
“You have to get to know a house and try to keep its integrity. I try to honor the architect,” she said. “I love to go into an empty house. You look at the house and start to feel what it might need.”
“There are so many house treasures, unsung gems, all over Los Angeles,” she said.
Explaining how she came to edit the book of L.A. tabloid photos, Keaton told The Times the L.A. city library came up to her at a swap meet.
The librarian said, ‘There’s these files in the basement of the Central Library’ — the most beautiful building. I took a look. There are books and books to be made out of those images. This is a brilliant archive.”
In recent years, Keaton had become a hit on Instagram, posting photos of architecture, fashion and more. In an interview in 2019, she said she was still very active, eager to work and try new things but was also thinking more about her mortality.
“Of course, you think about it. How can you not?” she said. “I mean, I’m 73. How long do you live? It’s really important what those years are like.”
Keaton death brought tribute across Hollywood and beyond.
“She was a very special person and an incredibly gifted actor, who made each of her roles unforgettable. Her light will continue to shine through the art she leaves behind. Godspeed,” said Nancy Sinatra.
Paul C Brunson called MAFS bride Sarah out on her behaviourCredit: Channel 4
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Sarah began to cry following Paul’s commentsCredit: Channel 4
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Sarah tried to justify her behaviour to DeanCredit: Channel 4
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The MAFS experts pulled Sarah up for her behaviour towards Dean at last night’s dinner partyCredit: E4
Tonight the experts called Sarah out at the first Commitment Ceremony.
They were left disgusted at her behaviour during last night’s dinner party, as they thought she had acted disrespectfully towards Dean, after she complained to the other couples about her husband’s appearance.
It came after Sarah told everyone she spoke to that there was “no spark” or “attraction there” and doesn’t think there ever will be.
The girls confirmed that she had the “ick” while the boys persuaded her to give him a chance as he is a “lovely guy”.
But Sarah was having none of it.
This evening, viewers watched as Married At First Sight expert Paul pulled her up on her behaviour.
“What are you willing to change?,” he asked Sarah.
“Do you think that you were rude while talking about your partner at the dinner party?”
Not holding back Paul continued: “| get the challenge around physical attraction, but where you absolutely lost me is when you went around gossiping about your husband to other people and you were laughing at it.”
But Sarah didn’t take well to the criticism and she started to cry after she and Dean made the decision to “stay” in the experiment.
MAFS ‘most hated bride’ breaks down in tears after fat-shaming groom
Sobbing she said: “It was really hard to hear what Paul had to say and I apologize, and yeah, I’m sorry, it’s not me, it’s not who I am.
“And maybe if I did have that spark, I wouldn’t have said anything like that because I wouldn’t have.
But there’s not the spark there, so that’s, that was the only reason why I said it.”
Fully crying now, Sarah continued: “I haven’t meant it maliciously at all. I don’t want to hurt anyone.
“I’m being true to myself, but then it’s coming across really badly.”
MAFS UK decsended into chaos once again tonight, as one groom broke down in tears after his wife told him he was ‘too negative’ during a camel ride in Morocco
22:35, 25 Sep 2025Updated 23:06, 25 Sep 2025
Another honeymoon spiralled into disaster during tonight’s episode of Married At First Sight, as Julia-Ruth and Divarni headed off to Morocco.
The couple tied the knot during last night’s E4 episode, and they instantly bonded, with Divarni even going as far as to say it was “love at first sight”. However, tonight things took a huge U-turn with Divarni left in tears after a ‘disastrous’ camel ride date.
Things started to change the morning after the wedding, when Julia said that she’d woken up with a different thought, and despite being a sexual person, the desire wasn’t there for her.
Things took an awkward turn when they arrived at their destination, and began talking about their first impressions of each other after walking down the aisle.
“I think there was an expectation around height,” Julia-Ruth told her new husband. “I have dated taller guys,” she said, before crying to the cameras, telling them she “didn’t want to be mean to him”.
Divarni was left shocked, telling cameras he was hurt by the admission. However, they didn’t let it put a halt to the honeymoon, as Julia-Ruth seemed bored in her husband’s company.
Things got too much during their camel ride, as Julia-Ruth asked Divarni what his greatest fear was – but the answer isn’t what she was expecting.
“Growing up, I was always alone,” he said. “I think knowing that I could probably be alone for the rest of my life, that would be the worst.”
Speaking to the cameras, Julia-Ruth said: “That’s not what I meant at all. With Divarni it’s quite hard to see the fun, light-hearted side. It’s just too deep, he doesn’t see any positives, it’s just too much.”
She then went on to tell her groom that he “focuses on the negatives” which will make him attract it. “The camel ride was a disaster,” she told cameras. “I can’t lift us both up.”
Later at dinner, the pair talked it out, with Julia-Ruth saying she needed positivity and fun. “I don’t want you to feel that you can’t open up to me because that’s not what the case is. There just needs to be a balance and a time and place for things.”
Divarni responded that it wasn’t his intentions to “be Mr Negative” – while his bride responded: “The last thing I want to do is have a talk about traumas and then, like, get into bed with you,” as they slept in separate rooms.
Opening up once again to the cameras, Divarni said: “The thing that hurt me the most is sleeping in separate rooms, but if she needs her space, I’lll give her space.”
He was then seen with his head in his hands as he sat on the floor in tears, but can they come back from this?
Married At First Sight fans were less than impressed with Sarah’s answer tonight when a producer asked what Dean needed to do for her to feel a spark with her new husband
(Image: E4)
E4 Married at First Sight viewers were left outraged by bride Sarah’s comments about her new husband Dean, as the two honeymooned in the Maldives.
From the get go, it was obvious Dean wasn’t Sarah’s usual ‘bad boy type,’ and things started off on the wrong foot when he rapped his vows, leaving Sarah and her friends cringing.
Things didn’t stop there however, the former redcoat performer had written his own song to perform at the wedding reception, and this time, Sarah was left in tears.
Breaking down backstage, she told cameras: “I’m not an over romantic person at all and anything over the top does put me off. I don’t know how to react to that. The song is just a bit too much for me, too much too soon.”
In tears, she continued: “I’m struggling a little bit, I can’t lie. More than I thought. I can see why we’ve been matched I can. It’s just not there.”
However, the 31-year-old recruitment consultant didn’t let it get her down, as she headed off on honeymoon with Dean. She did however, kindly tell her husband the singing was getting annoying – later revealing that she was feeling friend vibes.
Lats night, Dean also asked Sarah if she’d ever been with someone bigger, as she said she hadn’t.
In tonight’s episode, the pair went for an intimate dinner on the beach, and behind the scenes, one of the producers asked Sarah: “Is there anything that Dean could do to ever get a sexual spark?”
“Get some tattoos and lose some weight, maybe?” she replied to the producers, which left many fans outraged.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: “What’s Sarah’s deal with Dean’s weight? He’s not very big. Get tattoos and lose weight?! Rude.
“Noooo pls tell me Sarah has not just said she’d fancy him if he lost weight n got tattoos.. on national television?? Girl are you okay ???” a second questioned.
“Now if Dean told Sarah to lose weight, the experts would step in,” said a third.
Sarah later continued: “The longer the honeymoon has gone on for, the last couple of days there have been certain parts of his personality that are beginning to grate on me,” before she debated being “completely honest” with him.
Things continued to spiral further towards the end of the episode as Dean continued to make more jokes, which Sarah said was “becoming an ick”.
Opening up, Dean told Sarah he didn’t want to get hurt, revealing that he found himself “going back to being that fat kid at school who didn’t get the girls.”
Cutting straight to the point, Dean asked if things would be different if he “wasn’t as big” to which his bride responded: “Probably. I think there maybe would be more of that attraction and sexual chemistry.
“Sorry. I want to be open and transparent with you, I don’t want to pretend,” she said.
But will the two find a spark in the coming weeks?
MAFS icon Emma Barnes’ warning for couples(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)
The autumn chill is settling in, and what better way to celebrate than with a dose of wedding chaos!
Luckily, we have Married At First Sight legend Emma Barnes here to give her verdict for the Mirror on all the weekly tears and madness the E4 show…
Firstly… Welcome to my weekly column! Honoured to pen my thoughts on, let’s face it, the UK’s welcome to Autumn. Darker nights, drama-filled dinner parties and clinging onto the hope of some happy endings while our dating life is in tatters: MAFS IS BACK PEOPLE!
What a first couple of episodes! The series will fly by with this new format, switching between weddings and honeymoons. We all get a bit bored of the often repetitive nuptials and personally I’d send Mel, Charlene and Paul to the honeymoons, some of these couples need them.
The cast seem a kind, calmer collective than the previous couple of series (for now, we all know!). I think I’d totally fit in with this group had I not made it into last series. Love that there’s two same sex couples, and I want to be bezzies with Nelly immediately.
This week Davide and Keye hitched in a classy, emotional day (round of applause on their guest’s pure style please!). Sarah’s asked for a bad boy and her new husband pre-wrote an acapella number that went down like a lead balloon, and we all learnt some lessons in feminism from Grace’s protective pal.
If you go into this experiment expecting the full package, you’re going to be disappointed, and emotions were running high. Types come up every year, two brides had tears after their vows. Sarah’s never dated someone like Dean. She likes a flirt, a cheeky wink and someone to through her down on the bed and rip her clothes off. Dean with the dimples is a kind, gentle, poet, and that’s not helping his sex appeal.
Grace expected an instant spark, (Ashley is going to have queues at his door if this doesn’t work out, he’s totally a bit of me!) but here’s the thing; from my experience women are more open to getting to know the person if the spark isn’t there. It will be a refreshing twist on blokes wanting fit birds and nothing else. Mark my words I predict one of these couples will go some distance with a sprinkling of expert help.
This is why we get hooked, the twists, turns, feedback and growth. The happiest couples on their wedding day face rocks in the road, while what starts off Grace’s tears after the ceremony could turn in a river of love by Christmas. Plenty of weddings to go so strap in, get hitched onto that sofa and get a wine and crisp in hand.
P.S I hate taking out the bins – totally a blue job if I had a boyfriend…
Married at First Sight UK returned tonight and E4 viewers saw bride Sarah getting emotional before walking down the aisle as she spoke about the loss of her late mother
MAFS UK: Sarah opens up about missing her late mum
One of the brides on the new series of Married at First Sight UK was seen emotional just minutes into the launch episode whilst discussing her life. Sarah spoke about losing her late mother Julie ahead of walking down the aisle.
Sarah, 31, from Aberdeen, was introduced on the E4 show tonight in the first episode of the latest series. She brought up the loss at her joint hen do with some of her co-stars ahead of her match in the experiment being unveiled.
The recruitment consultant said that she would be walked down the aisle by her dad, who she described as her “rock”. Sarah then spoke about her mother Julie, saying: “I lost my mum was I was 22. She passed away. So she won’t be there.”
Married at First Sight UK bride Sarah was emotional talking about her family in a confessional ahead of her wedding being shown(Image: E4)
In a confessional on the show, Sarah told viewers: “My mum was my hero but round the age of 12 I noticed that she had a problem with alcohol. I would come home from school and I would find her intoxicated on the couch so I had to take on a carer role, essentially, at a really young age.”
Sarah was seen looking through a photo album with her father as they reflected on the past. Moments later, she was seen in tears as she opened up about her mother’s death in a confessional that was shown amid the hen party scenes.
She shared with viewers in the scene that was broadcast earlier this evening: “By the time I was 22, she was admitted to hospital for the final time.” Visibly emotional, bride Sarah then added: “She passed away three days later.”
As she wiped tears from her eyes, Sarah said that she took “comfort” from her mother being “at peace”. She said: “We went back to see her and she was so at peace, which is the comfort that I take from it and I miss her all the time.”
She shared with viewers that her late mother Julie had died when Sarah was in her early twenties(Image: E4)
At the party with her co-stars, Sarah said: “So [I’ve] sort of gone into most of my adult life obviously not having my mum.” She shared that she particularly finds it “quite hard” going into life events and “not having her there”.
Sarah, who moments later suggested that she didn’t want to get “upset” at the party, added: “One of those things like it’s never really like the same but you just get on with it.” She then told the group that mother will be “so proud” of her.
The bride said: “She’d be absolutely buzzing and I know she will be watching this being like ‘go on Saz’. Like ‘you’ve got this girl’ so she’s gonna be so proud of me.” The group then raised a glass to her late mother Julie in the scene.
If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction, advice and support can be found at alcoholchange.org.uk.
The new series of MAFS UK continues tomorrow night on E4 from 9pm. The first episode is available on demand.
DAVINA McCall’s dating show has proven life-changing for one bride after it unlocked a hidden disorder.
Gorgeous Millie Thompson, 30, has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD after taking part on Stranded on Honeymoon Island having realised her OCD was so intense she considered smuggling in a pair of socks.
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Millie Thompson, 30, has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD after taking part on Stranded on Honeymoon IslandCredit: instagram/@millie_thompson
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Millie realised her OCD was so intense she considered smuggling in a pair of socksCredit: instagram/@millie_thompson
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Millie tied the knot with her groom Jordan after only a brief speed dating meetingCredit: BBC
One of the DJ and model’s quirks was she cannot bear to be barefoot, so she thought about sewing a secret set into her wedding dress.
The BBC show sees singles marooned on a deserted beach in only their wedding attire.
Millie told The Sun: “Coming back from the show, I ended up getting tested for ADHD and autism and I found out I have both.
“I have learnt so much about myself, someone described it as being ‘neuro spicy’ and I love that for me.
Read More on Davina McCall
“It’s lifechanging really.
“I always knew things like I couldn’t be without a pair of socks, I always have to be wearing a pair, but being on the show made everything clear.
“This sounds crazy but I was contemplating sewing some socks into the boob bit of my wedding dress, I was like ‘can I smuggle in some socks?!’ but then I was like, no they’ll be disgusting.
“Now I know that’s why I am how I am.
“I’ve changed so much from it but in such a good, positive way and everyone has noticed.”
Millie was so conscious of being without her comforts, she had her wedding dress custom made with the experience in mind.
Davina McCall hosts new reality show Stranded on Honeymoon Island
She included a bodysuit she could wear like a onesie, and a skirt she could detach and use as a mosquito net.
Millie, from Cheshire, added: “I am such a girly girl, I was combing my hair extensions with a fork.
“But the experience makes you strip everything back and I thought I’d struggle because I’m so OCD but I actually coped really well.”
Viewers saw her struggle with the show’s dramatic jump into the sea that kicks off their stranded experience.
“With Love Island there’s other couples and you can escape, but there’s nothing like Stranded for this, you’ve just got each other.”
Millie Thompson
After meeting at the altar, the couples then take a boat out to their deserted beach and then plummet into the sea ahead of a swim to land.
But poor Millie can’t swim and she had to fit a life vest over her gorgeous wedding dress.
She said: “That was a massive thing for me because I literally will not get in the water, I can put my feet in but that’s it, so to have to do that was massive.”
But she reckons being out of her comfort zone kickstarted a connection with her groom Jordan in a way that could never happen on Love Island.
While she can’t give away what happens on her journey, Milile added: “You are on a beach with absolutely nothing, you are relying on each other for everything.
Top dating trends of 2025
Swamping: When you find someone you can comfortably share your ‘swamp’ with and let go of the pressure to be anything but your true authentic self.
No-habiting: When you choose to wait longer to move in with your partner because you value your personal space.
Fiscal Attraction: When you won’t settle for less and you’re seeking a match who is financially secure and who you find attractive.
Rejuve-dating: When you cast away the blues and grow from past experiences so you can fully embrace the future of your dating journey.
Thrift-matised: When you like to go on dates but hit that sweet spot between being cheap and frugal. Hidden gems, loyalty cards – these are all your type on paper.
Loud-dating: Cutting to the chase, being open and to the point with what you want so you don’t waste your time.
Marmalading: When you literally put your other half ‘before anything else’, much like Britain’s most beloved bear’s love for marmalade.
Digital Ex-pression: The stage after a break-up when you are done grieving and turn to social media to share how you are healing to confidently get back out on the dating scene.
Fine-wining: Proactively finding people to date who are older than you and who’ve aged just like a fine wine.
“With Love Island there’s other couples and you can escape, but there’s nothing like Stranded for this, you’ve just got each other.”
Stranded on Honeymoon Island continues on BBC One tonight at 9pm, then returns next week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
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Millie couldn’t swim so had to get over that fear to jump into the sea to get to the islandCredit: BBC
The first episodes are already available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Coronation Street spoilers reveal a wedding takes a horrifying turn next week on the ITV soap, with the bride in a bad way while there’s also another dark crime exposed
Coronation Street spoilers reveal a wedding takes a horrifying turn next week(Image: ITV)
There’s worrying scenes ahead on Coronation Street, including a hospital dash, an outburst, and a possible arrest.
There’s exciting times ahead for Lisa Swain and Carla Connor, and a gesture from the former leads to smiles. One pair’s fling continues, and comes under threat.
There’s more trouble for Theo Silverton and Todd Grimshaw, and soon there’s a possible arrest amid a “violent crime”. Then there’s a new and surprising romance teased as two residents could find love.
One character’s secret could finally be exposed too, while one teen is struggling and there’s a disturbing discovery about a child. Let’s kick things off with the big wedding, as Dev enjoys his stag do, and Bernie’s hen gets underway.
Something at the stag leaves Bernie furious, and soon as the wedding arrives there’s hiccup after hiccup. As her grandchildren fall ill, Bernie is mortified when she forgets her lucky charm locket containing a photo of her late son Paul Foremam.
There’s worrying scenes ahead on Coronation Street(Image: ITV)
She races home to get it only to disturb a burglar. She seems to be okay though and heads back to the venue, where Debbie Webster has been keeping everyone entertained in her absence.
So much so, there’s cheers when Debbie sings a song for partner Ronnie Bailey and ends up proposing. Kit Green walks his mother Bernie down the aisle meanwhile, but just as she and Dev prepare to say their vows devastation strikes.
Suddenly, Bernie struggles to breathe and collapses in front of her groom Dev. He watches on helpless as Bernie gasps for breath in a bad way, with her stepdaughter Asha Alahan, a paramedic, rushing to her aid.
An ambulance is called as everyone panics, but will Bernie be okay and will the make it to the hospital in time? Soon Asha announces the family need to get to the hospital – has something happened?
Carla’s nephew Ryan Connor is on hand(Image: ITV)
Also next week, Kit’s son Brody continues to act out. As Kit is upset to hear about how bad his son’s upbringing was with Mick and Lou, he wants to help and spends the day with him at a match.
As this happens, Sally and Tim Metcalfe are shocked to discover that Brody’s younger sister Joanie has old bruises on her arm and they feel duty bound to let social services know. What has happened to Joanie?
Soon Brody is left taking his anger out on Kit’s new flame Sarah Platt, but will he keep pushing his family away? Elsewhere, there’s joyous scenes for Swarla fans, as Carla and Lisa get on with moving into their new home.
Carla’s nephew Ryan Connor is on hand to help pack up their flat ready for their new life a few doors down. But when he describes his new living arrangements and his weird flatmate, both Carla and Lisa feel sorry for him.
There’s exciting times ahead for Lisa Swain and Carla Connor(Image: ITV)
As Carla and Lisa get on with the move, suddenly Ryan arrives carrying his rucksack with his belongings. Carla’s confused, only for Lisa to tell her partner the good news that she’s asked Ryan to move in with them and he’s said yes.
Carla is thrilled, touched by her partner’s generosity with her and Ryan being so close. With that, Ryan is officially back in the household with the pair and Lisa’s daughter Betsy Swain.
Carla looks emotional as she thanks Lisa, with the pair holding hands and taking in the moment. Lisa realises just how much it means to Carla, as the pair move forward after tough times recently.
Someone who could be left out in the cold next week is Aadi Alahan who is found knocking back booze in Victoria Gardens. Ignoring new flame Lauren Bolton’s calls, she heads out to track Aadi down and he’s clearly in a bad way.
Aadi decides it is time to confess about what really happened at the party. When Dev and Bernie arrive home they are horrified as Aadi decides to come clean to them too – will this lead to his exit from the show?
Aadi decides it is time to confess about what really happened at the party to Lauren(Image: ITV)
Also next week Carl Webster and Abi Franklin’s affair is in full swing, as Abi fumes over her husband Kevin Webster’s cancer lie. She heads out for passion with her brother-in-law, while Kevin knows full well he’s losing his wife.
Back at the hotel, Abi is shocked when she sees a message on Carl’s phone from dodgy Fiona and Carl confesses he’s been doing illegal MOTs amongst other dodgy deals at the garage. Back on the Cobbles, Debbie’s revealed to have booked Abi and co a family holiday in Mallorca as a treat.
But how will she react and will she go? She ends up spilling all to Kevin about the MOT scam only to realise he knew. Debbie urges her sister-in-law to think about things before ending her marriage, urging her to stay with Kevin.
But a chat with Carl sees Abi realise Kevin has been lying to her, so will she be tempted to move on with Carl? As the week goes on it’s clear the pair want to be together, continuing to meet up in secret but will they be rumbled?
Carl Webster and Abi Franklin’s affair is in full swing(Image: ITV)
Also next week Tracy Barlow sparks suspicions, and it would appear Jenny Connor has the hots for George Shuttleworth who is looking for love after his split from Eileen Grimshaw. Finally next week, Theo and Todd consider moving in together, but Theo remains irritated by Todd’s harmless antics at the stag do.
When Todd spends time with Summer Spellman Theo has enough, and refuses to join them. Things get worse when a moment with drunken Aadi leads to the latter falling and hitting his head, and Theo gets the blame.
As the police reveal there’s been a report of an incident at the precinct and he needs to answer some questions, Theo is led away to the station as seen by Billy Mayhew. But it’s when a comment is made about Theo having been involved in a “violent crime” in the past that Todd is left concerned and begins to investigate – but what will he find out?
AS Andrew Drury made his way through a Syrian camp looking for notorious ISIS bride Shamima Begum, his mind began to race.
Although the intrepid filmmaker had been in far more perilous situations – his nerves started to get the better of him.
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Andrew Drury with Jihadi bride Shamima BegumCredit: Supplied
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The filmmaker said his view of Begum changed as he got to know herCredit: Supplied
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The Al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria where Begum livesCredit: AFP
But when he was introduced to Begum – who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS a decade ago in 2015 – he was taken aback.
“She was very shaky, very nervous, very shut, emotional, tearful,” Andrew told The Sun.
Father-of-four Andrew met Begum, who grew up in East London, for the first of six times at the Al-Roj campinSyria in June 2021 while filming for a documentary, Danger Zone.
In less than two years his view of Begum – accused of serving in the feared IS “morality police” and helping make suicide vests – completely changed, however.
He saw a colder side when she talked about how the death of her three children no longer upset her and even expressed support of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi.
Extreme adventurer Andrew, who has made treacherous journeys to North Korea and Iraq, said at first Begum was a “thin, ill-looking, sad character” who was “very apologetic”.
“We took a long walk around the camp, She started to relax, and she said she used to take this regular walk right around the perimeter of the camp to clear her head,” he said.
“After the interview finished, we walked back to the room. Normally she’d go off to a tent, but she wanted to come back to the room to get a cold drink.
“Then I didn’t want to insult her at that point, I wanted to say goodbye – I thought I’d never see her again.
How Shamima Begum camps are fermenting twisted next generation of ISIS as kids make ‘cutthroat’ gesture & hurl firebombs
“I said, ‘Can I shake your hand?’ and she asked for a hug.
“So she gave me a hug and started to cry.”
Andrew, from Surrey, said he felt they had formed a connection and believed she regretted turning her back on Western society to join the murderous death cult.
“At that point I kind of believed that she was sincere,” he said.
I actually don’t think the death of her children actually bothered her in the slightest. She was not at all affected by it
Andrew Drury
“I kind of felt sorry for her. I thought at that point she’d been radicalised online, sent out as a prescribed bridge to somebody.
“She said she’d made a real bad mistake and really regretted what she’d done.
“She owned up to being this person that everybody hates in the UK.
“And I felt sorry for her, I’ve got young daughters, not a lot of difference in age, so I thought people do make mistakes, and I should give her a chance.”
Andrew – whose book Trip Hazard details his experience in dangerous areas – returned to the camp months later after GMB asked for his help to get an interview with Begum.
The author, who has exchanged hundreds of messages with Begum, said he noticed a “subtle change” in the former Brit.
Begum, who was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019, appeared to have undergone a more “Western” makeover – ditching her hijab and abaya.
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Andrew secured the Bafta-nominated live interview with Begum for Good Morning BritainCredit: Alamy
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Begum, then 19, pictured in 2019Credit: Times Media Ltd
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The former Brit at the camp in 2021Credit: Getty
“She had changed as a character,” Andrew said.
“She was more short. She wasn’t this nervous-cry sort of character.
“She looked assured, and she didn’t seem such a waif character, and she seemed to be in control of herself and her emotions.”
Andrew told how Begum spent the night before the live interview “rehearsing” with three of her friends In the camp, which is controlled by armed guards.
He added: “Her friends said they’d had their music playing and they were tutoring Shamima what to say.
“They seemed pretty together about what she should say, and they were schooling her.”
Begum married an IS fighter soon after arriving in Syria and went on to have three children, none of whom survived.
Andrew – who said he had formed a “bond” with Begum – told how after the interview, Shamima opened her purse and showed him photos of her children.
The tragic loss of his own brother Robert as a child made him sympathise with Shamima’s plight.
“One of them was a scene where the child must have been eight, nine months old, had chocolate around his face,” he recalled.
“I said, ‘What’s that?’ and she said, ‘Oh we used to like baking cakes’.
“And it actually makes me quite sad. It was really quite sad knowing the child had died.
“She made it sound like an honour that she had shared these pictures with me, which I guess it probably was, because she hadn’t shared them before she said.”
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But it was Begum’s attitude after Andrew returned to the UK that shocked him – and began to shatter their relationship.
“I said to her, ‘Those pictures you showed me really upset me, I hope you’re okay’,” he said.
“She messaged back and said, ‘Oh, they don’t bother me anymore. That doesn’t make me sad’.
“I thought, was that because she’s been traumatised so badly?
“But I think she is that hard. I think she’s calculated.
“I actually don’t think the death of her children actually bothered her in the slightest. She was not at all affected by it.”
After meeting Andrew a couple of times, Begum started asking him to bring stuff into the camp for her – including clothes.
The dad said he felt “at a crossroads” about whether to take what she wanted.
“I felt bad and guilty that I’d be taking somebody that carried out what could have been some atrocities, clothes,” he said.
“But then, probably on the soft side of me, and the fact is, she was a young girl, so I was playing with these emotions, but I took her the clothes from Primark.
“We had a bundle of stuff, we took some toys for the children because it’s not their fault.”
But then Begum’s requests started turning into demands, Andrew said.
“The messages continued,” he added.
Camps breeding next ISIS generation
Exclusive by Henry Holloway, Deputy Foreign Editor and Alan Duncan
A CHILD no older than eight draws his hand across his neck in a chilling throat-slitting gesture – the message is clear, “You are not welcome here”.
Other kids hurl stones, shout and scream – while one exasperated camp official shows us CCTV of two youngsters hurling a firebomb.
Welcome to camps al-Hol and al-Roj in northern Syria – the fates of which remain uncertain after the fall of tyrant Bashar al-Assad.
It is warned these stark detention centres are now the breeding ground for the next generation of the bloodthirsty cult.
And much of this new wave of radicalisation is feared to be coming from the mothers inside the camps.
Senior camp official Rashid Omer said: “The reality is – they are not changing. This is not a normal camp – this a bomb.”
He went on: “They are saying it was ISIS who ‘liberated’ Damascus – and soon they will be coming here.”
“And then they want to spread to Europe, to Africa, and then to everywhere.”
The two sprawling sites hold a total of nearly 60,000 including ISIS fighters, families and children.
At least 6,000 Westerners are still held among them – including infamous jihadi bride Shamima Begum, the 25-year-old from London.
“This time they became slightly more angry, slightly more direct.”
Before he planned to return to Syria again, Begum told him she wanted two books – Guantanamo Bay Diaries and Sea Prayer – which is inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis.
Andrew said she was also being schooled by her lawyer about her media presence.
He added: “What she declared by then is that she was hostage in a prison camp – where they were legally held.
“That’s how she started to see herself. All apologies had gone.
“She’d done a documentary with the BBC and was on the front of The Times magazine.
“She’d become a celebrity and was loving all the attention. She’d read all the newspaper articles.”
Andrew – who returned to the camp with a friend and no crew – took some clothes for Begum with him.
I could see things in her I didn’t like. I didn’t trust her. Her behaviour was poor. She was angry and aggressive
Andrew Drury
But it was his decision not to take the books she had demanded that revealed her true colours.
“I did go back again, but my feelings were already changing towards her,” Andrew said.
“It was a little boy’s birthday, and I felt so sorry for him.
“He wanted a Superman outfit, so I would have gone just for that, because I spend a lot of time in refugee camps. It’s not fair for these kids.
“I didn’t take the books Shamima wanted because I didn’t want to. I didn’t want her to have that opportunity to what I saw as studying how to be a victim.
“She opened the clothes, said she didn’t like them. I mean, this is a girl in a prison camp.
“She said, ‘I didn’t really care about the clothes, it was the books I wanted’. So she became quite aggressive in her nature.”
Who is Shamima Begum?
ISIS bride Shamima Begum, who was born in Britain, was stripped of her British citizenship on February 20, 2019.
Begum’s attitude then worsened when Andrew became interested in another girl’s story.
It was one of the final nails in the coffin in the bond Andrew believed they had initially formed.
“Shamima had a tantrum that the attention had been taken away from her,” he said.
“She was like a child that was pretending they were ill.
“So during this period of time I was beginning to feel like the connection was gone.
“It was broken, and I was beginning not to like her.
“I could see things in her I didn’t like. I didn’t trust her. Her behaviour was poor. She was angry and aggressive.
“I had found out from other girls what she was accused of, and they told me the same thing that I had heard before, like sewing suicide vests
“Things were ringing in my head like she said early on that the Manchester bombing was legitimate because of what happened in Iraq and Syria.
“So I didn’t trust her.”
Andrew’s last contact with Begum was around two years ago in a fiery text exchange.
She accused Andrew of “selling her out”, to which he shot back: “You’ve sold your country out.”
Begum last year lost her final appeal challenging the removal of her British citizenship.
She can now no longer fight to overturn the revocation of her citizenship within the UK legal system.
Andrew said: “I think she’s a danger for what she stood for, and I don’t think she could ever come back.
“I think she needs to go on trial in Syria for the crimes she committed against the Syrian people.”
