Ofcom has received more than 100 complaints from Married At First Sight viewers over the way groom Ashley was treated during his time on the hit E4 reality series
13:14, 05 Nov 2025Updated 13:14, 05 Nov 2025
Ofcom has received more than 100 complaints from Married At First Sight fans over the way a groom was treated by experts on the hit E4 show(Image: Channel 4)
Ofcom has received more than 100 complaints from Married At First Sight fans over the way a groom was treated. Earlier in this series of the hit E4 reality show. viewers watched as midwife Grace ‘tied the knot’ with Ashley but she was visibly not very keen from the start.
The couple made it past the initial wedding stage of the experiment, but various issues kept cropping up as they tried to embark on their new relationship and it all ended after one final argument that took place at a dinner party.
She added: “I expect you to act like a grown man capable of self-control. Sponsored by Canesten Duo.” The pair have been notably absent at various points within the series, and in the end, Ashley removed his wedding band when he decided that ‘couldn’t do anymore‘ for her without her taking issue with it as she accused him of ‘twisting’ everything.
But viewers have taken issue with the way that experts Mel Schilling, Paul C Brunson and Charlene Douglas seemingly enabled Grace’s behaviour during her time on camera. A spokesperson for Ofcom confirmed: “Complaints related to the experts allegedly enabling Grace’s treatment of Ashley.” In total, the regulator received 166 complaints from angry viewers.
It comes just one day after Grace took to social media to hit out at her ex regarding their final argument. She said: “I expect you to accept no for an answer. I expect you to prioritise my discomfort over your desire for sex. I expect you to act like a grown man capable of self-control. Sponsored by Canesten Duo.”
Things went from bad to worse for the couple during Wife Swap week, when Ashley admitted that he was ‘happier’ when his bride was not around. On the verge of tears, he explained: “I’d hate to hurt Grace’s feelings. I just feel like I can’t give any more to this. So I have to be selfish and put myself first. Grace then admitted: “I would have really liked if this had worked out I think we recognise now there was never anyway it was going to (work). But yeah, you do know that deep down.”
When viewers first met Ashley and Grace, she refused to accept a kiss on the lips when they were pronounced as husband and wife. Things got even more heated between the pair at the dinner following the wedding, when Ashley admitted that he had been raised with ‘old-fashioned’ morals and believed that a man should be the breadwinner. Grace was visibly shocked at this revelation, and in a confessional, she fumed: “God, here we go!”
Later on, Grace’s friend Georgina interrogated Ashley over his outlook on life and when he suggested he was not necessarily a feminist, she raged that someone like that was not going to be a match for Grace.
She said: “My advice was, she wants to know you respect her.” She then relayed her concerns to Grace, but insisted she had managed to warm to Ashley by explaining to him just what she thought a feminist was. This whole scene did not go down well with some viewers either, with one writing: “Grace & her friends seem like the type to bring about their own misery,” and another slamming it as the ‘most insufferable conversation’ they had ever heard.
Viewers will have to wait to see just how things pan out between Ashley and Grace on the next episode, but the trailer for next week teased that things might not be looking so good.
In a short clip, Grace raged: “Every now and then he says something, and it’s like ‘Do you know how that sounds?!'”
Columnist Jessica Boulton brings you her brutally-honest and wry rundown of Showbiz’s latest shenanigans: from Ibiza Final Boss to MasterChef muppets, she’s not holding back
Jessica Boulton works on the Mirror’s features desk, specialising in celebrity features and interviews. She also writes a weekly observational comedy column Jess Saying, which runs each Saturday. In addition, she oversees the entertainment pages, helps co-ordinate the Pride of Britain coverage and newsletter and guest edits The Diary. Jessica joined The Mirror’s sister paper The People in 2006, and has since worked on the Sunday Mirror and Now magazine. Most likely to be found raving about The Oscars, BAFTAs, Netflix, Friends or Star Wars.
The face that launched a 1,000 snips? Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay must follow rules to cash in(Image: TikTok)
It’s a strange, strange world when I’m feeling sorry for a bunch of Love Island contestants. But in this social media age, it is sadly what it’s come to. For the poor lovelorn bedhoppers at the Mallorca villa have been putting in weeks of seriously hard graft – flashing their abs and parading around in thong bikinis – to get the one precious thing, (I suspect) their hearts truly desired. No, not love. Fame. Glorious, generous, glittering FAME.
But in the days after Monday’s final, the Islanders soon found themselves getting a cold hard lesson in the pitfalls of success: There’s always someone waiting in the wings – ready to cut short your 15 minutes….
Cach Mercer and Toni Laites have been revealed as the winners of Love Island 2025(Image: ITV)
For it wasn’t the winning Islanders “Breaking The Internet” this week. It wasn’t the winning Islanders batting off the biggest brand deals or most enticing DMs from Blue Tick TikTok. And it wasn’t the winning Islanders getting excitable TV companies all in a lather, begging for interviews. It was….a HAIRCUT.
Yes, the biggest celebrity getting buzz online this week wasn’t even a celeb when the week began. He was Jack Kay, a literal normal down-to-earth 26-year-old Jack-the-lad, from Newcastle on holiday in Ibiza.
He’s been offered free holidays, brand endorsement deals, flights on a £5million private jet, and a whole list of big-money nightclub appearances. He’s signed with Joey Essex’s agent and has landed his own tour and – according to media experts – he could be well-placed to launch his own merchandise range and even bag a possible spot on a reality show. All in all, it’s predicted he could rake in a whopping SIX figures by the end of the year.
For nowadays you don’t need to work summer seasons in Blackpool or win a talent show to become a star. You can become ‘famous’ just by making the right people laugh, at the right moment in time, as they absent-mindedly scroll through their phone while listening to podcasts. Yep, Fame has reached Peak Fickledom.
So, when the stars and algorithms do align to make you a viral hit, you need to make the most of it. And while Jack’s ‘success’ is all thanks to what is ON his head, it’s what’s inside it which will prove his biggest asset. For in 2025, turning your viral moment in the sun into a longer-term earner is all about savvy strategy, clear thinking and mindset:
Are Jack Kay/Ibiza Bob’s fellow Geordies Ant and Dec jumping on the Ibiza Final Boss bandwagon?
(*Okay, okay, PhotoShop may have lent a hand). As for the rest of the week? Well, Celebland was throwing us all sorts of surprises…..
Monday mayhem
Be afraid, be very afraid! For the stars of an upcoming new theatre tour have been doing the press rounds this week. And from the sounds of it, there will be no one safe this Halloween and autumn. Indeed, it’s expected to have many a celeb not just quaking but SHAKING, QUAKING, QUIVERING, TREMBLING AND OUTRIGHT SHUDDERING in their boots.
No, it’s not a new take on Phantom of the Opera (albeit some may be haunted by what’s said). Nor is it Saw: The Musical (although that is a multi-million pound idea). It’s the terrifying new two-hander: An Evening With… Katie Price and Kerry Katona. The pair’s tell-all 33-date UK tour was feared to have been cancelled earlier in the summer due to… well, whatever Katie’s snoresome crisis-du-jour was at the time.
Katie Price and Kerry Katona are getting ready for their new tour (But I have a few notes!)(Image: Instagram)
But the pair are back and have now been hitting the interview circuit to give fans a little taste of what to expect. Target one? “Snobby” Strictly – which they publicly dissed this week for having never asked them to take part. (One suspects they’ve now said “Foxtrot Oscar” to any future possibilities too).
Of course, we all know the real dirt will be saved for the show itself. Yet however juicy the eww -some twosome’s tete-a-tete promises to be, I can’t help but wonder if the panto frenemies could have come up with a slightly more, er… spicy format… A WWE-style grudge match with lookalikes of their many nemeses, perhaps? Imagine the commentator yelling to the roaring crowd: “Get Ready to say mi-OWWW! It’s our very own….. Nuclear Cheetah aka Kerry Katona! – from Atomic Kitten to a one-woman weapon of mass destruction…”
Or maybe… they could make it a dramatic retelling of Four Weddings And A Funeral, where Katie’s the bride each time and the funeral’s for her tragic lack of taste? Or finally, what about a musical? After all, KP’s been Defying Gravity for years (with the help of her plastic surgeon).
What a royal twit Tuesday
It’s not been a good week for Royal affairs – of any kind. But a new bombshell biography has cemented one unassailable truth: Young kids fed on fairy tales and Disney movies are far more likely to find themselves a talking warthog or a flying elephant than a real-life Prince Charming.
Yes, a new book by historian Andrew Lownie has claimed Prince Andrew allegedly strayed “more than a dozen” times before his first – yes, first – anniversary with Fergie. Clearly their wedding certificate was not worth the paper it was printed on.
Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York in 1986 – the year they married. They divorced 10 years later(Image: Hulton Archive/GettyImages)
Fergie did have a little something in common with Cinderella however. She was sporting some rather fetching slippers this week. They weren’t glass ones though – they were fluffy numbers emblazoned with the unofficial Royal motto “Never Complain, Never Explain”. It warms the heart, it really does.
Wok you gonna do? Wednesday
The BBC took a leap with its MasterChef dilemma by airing the first episode of the pre-recorded series on Wednesday. Surprisingly they went for primetime BBC1 instead of hiding it on iPlayer only. Presumably they figured they were in for a roasting whatever they did – so they might as well fill a hole in the schedule.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace in the new series of MasterChef, recorded before their two scandals(Image: BBC)
The real stars of the series are the editors who faced the unenviable task of trying to cut out as much of the under-fire Gregg Wallace and John Torode as possible – which from the looks of the results is a bit like trying to remove excess garlic from a pasta dish. You can’t. Everything’s already tainted.
What I don’t understand is why the Beeb didn’t go with my previous suggestion: just do some deep fake trickery. So what could they replace them with? Let’s see: Option 1: A literal toxic trigger warning; Option 2: Bradley Walsh and Rylan Clark (they’re on everything else anyway); Option 3 (and perhaps most apt): Statler and Waldorf. A couple of muppets… who are completely stuffed.
Half-baked deep fakes? What the BBC could have done to solve their MasterChef problem with hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode
No relief for kangaroo testicles Thursday
Talking of show formats (see Monday), there was one news story this week that left me feeling a little… well, antsy . What was it? This: “ITV bosses are planning the next five years of I’m A Celebrity…” (really? another FIVE?); “With talks under way to film in the jungle until 2030….” (Wait, 2030 is only five years away??); “When it’ll reach its landmark 30th season”. (30 years? 30? 3-0?)
You mean to say we’ve been watching the same show with the same hosts, same sort of trials, same prize, same location, same set and same set of scandals just with different faces… for nearly 30 YEARS? They say doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome is the very definition of insanity. So either, we can all relate to Peter Andre’s infamous jungle-penned hit Insania – written while a campmate in 2004 – or we really don’t mind the deja vu.
So what can we expect over the next few years? Well, I have two predictions:
Ant and Dec have been doing I’m a Celeb for 25 years and counting (Image: ITV)
1. Princess and/or Junior Andre will follow in their parents’ footsteps, going back to the scene of the crime special place where the Katie and Peter’s “love” story first began.
2. Following the “success” of political hires Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage, bosses will make a “bigly” play for President Trump at the end of his term. (If he doesn’t rewrite the US Constitution, that is.) After all, there’s been quite a few (thousand) of his type involved in the show before. Fatima Whitbread even got one stuck up her nose… Much to the chagrin of her and the cockroach, I suspect.
Foolish Friday
It was a mixed day for Richard Osman. On the plus side, Netflix released the first trailer for the movie adaptation of his bestselling crime novel The Thursday Murder Club (starring Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren).
Richard Osman gets loose-lipped on podcast (Image: SKY)
On the downside… Osman – who has produced a number of game shows including Pointless, Total Wipeout, Prize Island, and my absolute FAVOURITE Only Connect – inexplicably decided to tell podcast listeners that quiz shows often use “an algorithm” to stop contestants winning too much money.
It’s obvious to be fair, and while not quite a Gerald Ratner-level own goal, it wasn’t terribly clever. I wouldn’t want to overtly criticise him in a family newspaper, so here’s my verdict – in the style of Only Connect’s Missing Vowels Round. Enjoy! WH TTT LPLNK R*
Picture of the Week
Being a 30-something in today’s world must be tough. There you are, juggling career, love life, social life and saving for an inexplicably-expensive “micro-loft” – and somehow you also have to make time for what’s really important: taking impossibly perfect pics for the ‘Gram.
But it looks like a certain 35-year-old Oscar-winner has got this careful balancing act all figured out. For, Avengers star Brie Larson posted THIS video on Instagram this week.
Brie Larson’s quirky balancing act – HOW IS SHE DOING THAT?(Image: Instagram)
Brie as Captain Marvel: yes, she can save the universe and the fabric of time itself, but can she balance on one stiletto heel atop a can of peaches?(Image: Handout)
And while she might be steady as a rock, I – as Gen Z would say – “am shook” . In fact I’m more impressed by this feat than by any of her big screen Captain Marvel antics.
Brie, who is promoting her new tome, Party People, accompanied this video with a quip: “My social media manager said this will sell 1,000 books. So here I am.” The book in question is a “cookbook for creative celebrations” with “endless ideas for weird and wacky parties” – which goes some way to explaining this impressive-yet-leftfield marketing campaign.
Personally, I’m most amazed by her superhuman pain threshold. For, anyone who has experienced the inherent cruelty of the modern-day torture device known as a stiletto heel, will appreciate that this is not just a demonstration of core strength, stability and precision… but of sheer, sheer, sheer ENDURANCE.
So how did she do it? The way I see it, there’s only one explanation: she’s in the wrong franchise… the girl’s a Wonder Woman for sure.
What do you think? Have you seen some funny celeb moments this week? Let me know in comment or on X/Instagram via @JessicaBoulton
*Answer To Missing Vowels Round: “What a plonker”
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Home and Away actor Tristan Bancks is best known for his role as Tug O’Neale on the popular Australian soap and, since leaving the show, has landed a string of impressive roles
Tristan found himself at the heart of numerous high-profile storylines
From its debut in 1989, Home and Away became a must-watch for soap fans With its gripping plotlines and the beautiful backdrop of Summer Bay, it’s no wonder audiences continue to enjoy the Aussie soap after more than three decades. Over its impressive 36-year run, Home and Away has seen a host of stars grace its screens, including Tristan Bancks, who played the character Tug O’Neale. From 1992 to 1994, Tristan was a regular fixture on the soap, having been chosen from among 200 hopefuls for the role.
As Tug, Tristan found himself at the heart of numerous high-profile storylines, tackling issues such as mental health and bullying. However, after two years, he decided to step away from the show to explore new opportunities. After leaving Home and Away, Tristan, now 50, relocated to London for a short time where he secured several presenting roles, including hosting the game show Don’t Try This At Home.
Tristan was friends with Dieter Brummer, who played Shane on Home and Away(Image: Twitter/@tristanbancks)
Upon his return to Australia, Tristan resumed his acting career, with roles in the short film Dust and the 2002 feature Beneath Clouds. He has also ventured into directing, with his short comedy Soar being showcased at both the London Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival, reports OK!.
Tristan seemingly remains ever-youthful, and has carved out a successful career as an award-winning author, penning popular children’s and young adult books such as Two Wolves, The Fall, and Detention. His latest work, Scar Town, hit the shelves recently, with Tristan attending a flurry of book launch events.
Tristan doesn’t seem to have aged a day
With over 5,000 followers on Instagram, the ex-soap star frequently offers glimpses into his life as a writer, sharing moments from writing retreats, literary talks, and book festivals.
Beyond his professional achievements, Tristan enjoys a private life with his partner, editorial and wedding photographer Amber Melody. The couple are proud parents to two sons and although he keeps much of his personal life under wraps, Tristan occasionally shares heartfelt posts about his family on Instagram.
He posed with one of his sons for a picture on Instagram in September last year, saying: “First Father’s Day with my eldest son living away in Melbourne. Missed him a lot but he’s doing great things. And I did get to have lunch with my youngest son and his girlfriend and my mum and her husband. And my beautiful wife who I’ve been lucky enough to bring up our two fine boys with. Also, Lego!”
And one Valentine’s Day, he shared an affectionate post for Amber, referring to her as the “love of my life”.
His Instagram caption read: “Happy V Day to the love of my life, Amber Melody. [man and woman in love emoji] Great start to the day with brownie pain au chocolate and croissant French toast (breakfast of champions) at @bambam_bakehouse. :).”
The author happily posed with one of his lookalike sons(Image: Tristanbancksbooks/Instagram)
In another heartwarming post, Tristan uploaded a photo with his sons during a magical trip to Disneyland Paris, expressing that travelling with his family is his “favourite thing to do.”
His books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, and the YABBA children’s choice book awards. Scar Town was named the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year for Younger Readers.
But his talents don’t stop there, as Tristan’s website reports that “he is currently working with producers to develop a number of his books for the stage and screen.”
TOWIE star Amy Childs’ friends are worried about her relationship after she postponed her wedding to fiancé Billy Delbosq for the second time
08:40, 06 Jun 2025Updated 08:40, 06 Jun 2025
Friends have expressed their concerns about Amy Childs’ relationship after she postponed her wedding for the second time(Image: Instagram/amychilds1990)
Amy Childs has left friends and fans worried after calling off her wedding to fiancé Billy Delbosq for the second time, sparking rumours of relationship troubles among those who are close to her. The former beautician, who shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex nearly 15 years ago, became a household name thanks to her larger-than-life personality — and introducing the public to the concept of ‘vajazzling’.
After a romantic past full of ups and downs, Amy, 34, seemed to have finally found lasting love with Billy, a fellow reality star who once appeared on Channel 4 ’s First Dates. The couple got engaged in 2023 after welcoming twins Billy River and Amelia Mae.
Friends have expressed their concerns about Amy Childs’ relationship after she postponed her wedding for the second time(Image: @amychilds1990/Instagram)
But last month she postponed their wedding again, after already delaying it last year over doubts about whether Billy was truly ready to tie the knot.
This latest cancellation has caused speculation that not all is well in their relationship. Friends close to the couple have voiced their fears, with one source telling the Daily Mail : “Billy has always been a player. He’s one of the biggest players in Essex…now there are fears that all is not well, that something could have happened between them.”
Fuel was added to the fire when Amy was spotted in Brentwood looking visibly thinner and not wearing her engagement ring. However, another source close to the couple insisted the pair are still going strong, and suggested she only removed the ring to work out.
In the paparazzi snaps that sparked concern, she was indeed dressed in gym gear. However, Amy and Billy were also seen at Stansted Airport on Thursday while en route to Spain for TOWIE filming, looking “preoccupied and unsmiling”. One pal admitted: “They usually seem so happy together. This time they looked really down in the dumps, neither particularly looked like they wanted to be there.”
Behind the scenes, Amy has been privately coping with a family crisis. She recently told The Mirror that her mum Julie, who has also made appearances on TOWIE, suffered from a heart attack in April and had to be rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
She added: “It has been intensely stressful. None of us was expecting Mum to have a heart attack – it turned our world upside down.
“It was so frightening. She had a stent put in and was in hospital for six days. She’s now home but she’s being monitored daily and is on a lot of medication. It’s so tough for her – she sometimes struggles to walk upstairs.”
Amy and Billy made the difficult decision to postpone their September wedding at Cliveden House in Berkshire. The TOWIE star explained: “It’s upsetting, but I know we’ve made the right decision. Right now, we’re focused on looking after Mum.”
In response to the online abuse over her weight loss, Amy hit back, saying: “People don’t know what is going on behind closed doors…To be honest I do feel better when I’m a bit heavier than I am at the moment. There’s so much going on – it’s the result of pure stress.”
Despite facing these heart breaking family challenges, Amy is still hopeful that her and Billy will be able to get married abroad next year, and have planned for their kids to play a special role in the wedding. She concluded: “We just want it to be amazing, not rushed.”
