Chris

His late grandfather is the all-time leader in NFL coaching victories.

His father was an NFL head coach.

So, yes, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula aims to become a third-generation NFL head coach.

Shula, the Rams’ defensive coordinator, is expected to take another step toward achieving that goal next week when assistants coaching in wild-card playoff games this weekend can be interviewed for head coach openings.

Rams coach Sean McVay fully expects teams to make requests through the Rams to interview Shula, who is preparing for Saturday’s NFC wild-card game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Shula said Wednesday that his mind remains focused on the Panthers, who defeated the Rams 31-28 on Nov. 30. He will follow his weekly preparation routine, “segment” his mind and “lock in” on the task at hand, he said.

“We have an opponent that’s extremely capable of beating us, obviously,” Shula said. “That warrants all of my attention, so that’s what they’re going to get.”

Shula, 39, has been on the Rams’ staff since McVay — his former college teammate at Miami (Ohio) — was hired by the Rams in 2017.

Shula coached inside linebackers, defensive backs and edge rushers for the Rams before he was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2024 after Raheem Morris left to become coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Now, in the aftermath of Morris’ firing on Monday, Atlanta has one of seven NFL head coach jobs that are open. The others are with the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.

Does Shula think he is ready to become a head coach if given the opportunity?

“If the right spot and the right context and the right situation presents itself, when that time comes we’ll decide that,” Shula said. “I’ll sit down with Sean and everybody I’m close to and make that decision.”

Shula’s grandfather, Don Shula, won 328 NFL games. In 1968, he coached the Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship — they lost to the AFL’s New York Jets in Super Bowl III — and he led the Miami Dolphins to Super Bowl titles to end the 1972 and 1973 seasons.

Shula’s father, Dave, was an NFL assistant for 10 years before coaching the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992 to 1996.

If Chris Shula becomes an NFL head coach, he would further expand McVay’s coaching tree.

Former offensive assistants Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) parlayed their experience working under McVay into NFL head coach jobs.

Former defensive coordinators Morris and Brandon Staley (Chargers) also were hired as head coaches after working with McVay.

“If those things happen, man, it’s like the best way to get your heart broken but you’re happy for your guys,” McVay said of assistants becoming head coaches.

Shula’s defense features an aggressive front that includes Pro Bowl edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young.

This season, the Rams gave up 20.4 points a game, which ranked 10th in the NFL. The Rams ranked 17th in total defense (327.5 yards per game), 12th in rushing defense (110.8 ypg) and 19th in pass defense (216.7 ypg). The Rams amassed 47 sacks (tied for seventh most in the NFL) and intercepted 16 passes (tied for sixth).

On Saturday, the Rams must improve on their Week 13 performance against the Panthers.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford did not help matters in that defeat. He had two passes intercepted — including one that was returned for a touchdown — and lost a fumble. He also was responsible for a costly delay-of-game penalty.

But the Rams defense also was at fault.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passed for three touchdowns, and Carolina amassed 164 yards rushing in a victory that ended the Rams’ six-game winning streak and knocked them out of the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

The Rams do not require any extra motivation, Shula said.

“It’s a playoff game and it’s an extremely tough team on the road in a hostile environment,” he said. “So I think we’ll be ready to go.”

Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Chris Redd is ready to be more open and vulnerable in 2026. He committed to the resolution by publicizing revelations about his “pill issues” and his relationship with comedian Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife.

“I saw everything that everybody said. Every single thing everybody said, I saw it,” Redd said in an emotional Instagram video shared Tuesday.

The 40-year-old comedian, whose tenure on the NBC sketch series lasted from 2017 to 2022, spoke candidly about how his “pill problems” during his time on “SNL” led to his relationship with Thompson’s ex-wife, Christina Evangeline, whom he did not name in his video. Redd explained in his video that the personal woes prior to his exit in September 2022 were a “very unique, nuanced thing that happened.”

In addition to struggling with substance abuse, the “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” actor said in his video that he sold pills to fellow “SNL” cast members. He kept their identities concealed, assuring them he wouldn’t “snitch on y’all.”

Redd, who said he suffered panic attacks behind the scenes, claimed his cast mates would talk about him behind his back and showed no concern for his health. “It’s crazy that somebody would watch you destroy yourself,” he said.

Evangeline, Redd simply called her “this lady,” was the only person to encourage him to seek treatment and therapy, he said. Her support and their bonding led to them falling in love.

“I felt bad from the start,” Redd said, adding that the relationship was an “emotional double-edged sword” given his collaborations with Emmy-winning “SNL” fixture Thompson.

He added: “I hate doing something to somebody that I know would hurt them.”

Thompson filed to divorce Evangeline in 2022 after more than a decade of marriage. They share two young daughters. That same year, Redd left “SNL” and celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi posted a blind item speculating on the circumstances of his departure. TMZ also reported on Redd and Evangeline’s romance, noting “there was no overlap or cheating” when the pair got together.

Redd said in his video that he chose love, though it made him “look terrible to people that I love and a lot of my fans.” The comedian spoke about his therapy revelations (“I realized I’m more sad than angry”) and assured followers he doesn’t feel “cool” about dating Thompson’s ex-wife. Still, he said, Evangeline was someone who made him “feel like I didn’t know what love was and I just felt like I couldn’t miss out on it.”

Though Redd acknowledged there was probably another way to balance his friendship with Thompson and his relationship with Evangeline, he said, “I was in love and I was spiraling out.”

Redd was known on “SNL” for his impressions of prominent figures such as former New York City Mayor Eric Adams and rapper Kanye “Ye” West. In recent years, he turned his focus back to stand-up comedy and is promoting an upcoming project set for Jan. 28.

JESY Nelson has been flooded with support after sharing the heartbreaking diagnosis of her twin girls – including her ex, Chris Hughes.

The former Little Mix star took to Instagram on Sunday to open up about her twins, Ocean Jade and Story Munroe, revealing they have been diagnosed with a rare muscle wasting disease that could be fatal.

Speaking from her home, Jesy said the pair have been diagnosed with SMA Type 1, or Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, the most severe form of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

The tearful star told the camera: “If it’s not treated in time, your baby’s life expectancy will not make it past the age of two.”

Her stunningly honest discussion prompted a wave of support from celebrity pals, with Chris – who dated Jesy from 2018 to 2020 – one of the first to back her up and send her love.

“A warrior Jess. Be easy on yourself,” he told her. “Sending prayers to you all, everyone behind you guys 🤍”

BRAVE BOY

My son has the same disease as Jesy Nelson’s twins & was given one year to live

‘DADDY LOVES YOU’

Jesy Nelson’s partner Zion speaks out on twins’ devastating diagnosis

Amy Childs added: “I’m so sorry jesy what your going through ❤️xx sending love and strength to you and your beautiful girls xxx”

Megan McKenna wrote: “My heart is breaking for the pain you are in right now. Sending so many prayers and love to your beautiful girls ♥️♥️”

Jess Wright also commented, telling Jesy: “Sending you so much love Jesy. Love & strength ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Ashley James also noted: “Jesy I’m so sorry. I’m thinking of you and your girls and sending love ❤️❤️’

“Jes, There are no words big enough for how unfair and heartbreaking this is. I am so deeply sorry,” wrote I’m A Celeb star Shona McGarty. “My heart aches for you and for your beautiful little girls.

“Please know that their lives, no matter what, are already filled with love because of you. That love matters. It always will.

“You don’t have to be strong, and you don’t have to find the right words. However you feel, whatever you need, it’s okay.

“You are not alone in this, Jes. You are so loved, and your girls are so loved. I’m holding you all in my heart. 💔🤍”

While Shaughna Phillips also added: “Sending you and your girls so much love and positive prayers, you are a superwoman and they are lucky to have you ❤️❤️❤️”

Jesy’s Journey

Jesy has shared that her babies had to endure “months and months” of doctors appointments before finally getting diagnosed with SMA Type-1.

The twins, which Jesy shares with Zion Foster, were born two months premature in May 2025, following a difficult pregnancy that saw her diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a rare but serious condition in which blood flows unevenly between identical twins sharing a placenta.

In her newest video, Jesy revealed that her mother, Janice, raised concerns after the twins didn’t show much movement in their legs.

While their initial concerns were chalked up to the twins being premature and therefore unlikely to hit milestones at the same pace as other children, Jesy and Zion pushed for more tests after they had trouble feeding.

According to Jesy, it took three to four months of appointments before they finally got a diagnosis, with the pair then being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

“I feel like I’ve almost had to become a nurse in the space of two weeks,” Jesy added, explaining how she has had to put her daughters on breathing machines.

“The reason I wanted to make this video was because, the last few months has honestly been the most heartbreaking time of my life. I feel like my whole life has done a 360.

“I’m grieving a life I thought I was going to have with my children,” she emotionally said, before acknowledging that she is grateful to have them.

“I truly believe that my girls will defy all odds. And with the right help, they will fight this, and go on to do things that have never been done.”

“They probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled,” she revealed, adding it’s also unlikely they’ll ever be able to walk.

“So the best thing we can do right now is get them treatment and just hope for the best.”

Jesy then said that she wanted to make the video because if the disease is detected early enough in the first few months of a baby’s life “a lot of this stuff could be prevented”.

Shortly after Jesy shared the highly emotional video, her partner Zion Foster spoke out about their daughters’ diagnosis.

Taking to his Instagram page, Zion shared a photo of his daughters in what looked a stroller.

With tubes attached to their noses, the two tots could still be smiling widely.

Alongside the photo, Zion wrote: “Still smiling through all the challenges. Daddy loves you so much.”

Alan Shearer was one of Cushin’s first heroes, but his idol as a kid was a Toon player who stopped goals, rather than scored them.

“I first went to St James’ when I was very young, but my first proper memory was against Stoke in 2008,” he explained. “We were 2-0 up at half-time, and I remember being on the concourse at half-time and thinking how great it was to be a Newcastle supporter.

“That didn’t last long – we ended up throwing the game away, conceding a couple of late goals and drawing 2-2 – but it was watching Shay Given pull off some big saves that day which made me want to be a keeper.

“Everyone else looked the same, wearing the same shirts, and it was just that one player, the goalkeeper, standing out. You are the last line of defence and you can be the hero, and I always liked that gamble – if it went wrong it was my fault, or I could be the reason why we get the points.

“I was quite keen on that, and then I suppose that transitioned into me being a musician, where it is my name on the poster. I guess I’ve always liked the attention!”

Cushin’s career between the sticks saw him play in the youth team for non-league Newcastle Benfield, but he has had to hang up his gloves to focus on playing the guitar.

“It was a sad day when I had to stop playing, but it came after I’d spent some time in the studio with Noel Gallagher, and I realised I couldn’t afford to carry on as a keeper and risk breaking my fingers,” he added.

“So I always say it was Shay who inspired me to put the gloves on, and Noel who told me to take them off again!”

Chris Sutton and Andrew Cushin were speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat – we simply asked the tool to ‘predict this weekend’s Premier League scores’.

In October, Taylor told BBC Sport that he was unsure how long he would continue refereeing, adding that he was “quite old for somebody to be operating at this level, running around after people a lot younger than you”.

Taylor said that the main focus was to have “two refereeing teams at the World Cup”.

Prior to 2018, 2013-14 was the previous time England had three elite officials: Atkinson, Mark Clattenburg and Howard Webb.

The elite list of referees take charge of tournament and Champions League games. The first list is for the Europa League and Conference League. The second list is for Conference League games and qualifying ties.

Germany continues to lead the way with four referees in the elite category. Kavanagh’s promotion finally puts England on a par with France, Italy and Spain, who all have three.

England still lags behind across the two key categories, elite and first, with fewer officials than all the other top leagues.

John Brooks is the only English referee on the first list, meaning there are four in total. Germany has seven, with France and Spain on six and Italy five.

The Premier League has six referees on the second list: Stuart Attwell, Sam Barrott, Darren England, Jarred Gillett, Rob Jones and Andy Madley.

Meanwhile, Emily Heaslip has been promoted to the women’s first list. England has been unrepresented on the elite list of the women’s game since Rebecca Welch retired at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood is set for a further spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.

The New Zealand striker has been out since mid-October with a knee problem and is yet to feature under Sean Dyche since he replaced Ange Postecogolou as manager.

The 34-year-old excelled at the City Ground last term, scoring 20 times in 40 appearances as they qualified for Europe.

His playing time has been more limited this campaign, with Wood having managed two goals in nine appearances.

Wood did not specify the nature of his surgery, but he has been seen wearing a knee brace while watching recent Forest matches.

“The Christmas I didn’t expect, you can never know what football throws at you,” Wood wrote on Instagram.

“From the highs of last season to now the battles and the lows personally of this season. You have to be ready for anything.

“Truly gutting and frustrating that I’ll be on the sideline for another period of time. It’s what’s needed to come back stronger and better to help my team-mates do the job needed in the Premier League and in Europe.”

Wood’s last appearance came in Postecoglou’s final game in charge, the 3-0 defeat by Chelsea on 18 October.

CHRIS Rea became the third of his siblings to die in just three months – sending his heartbroken family “into shock”.

Devastated relatives of the Driving Home for Christmas singer revealed he had welcomed his first grandchild shortly before his “tragic” death.

Chris died in hospital following a short illness, a spokesperson for his family said on Monday.

In a statement on behalf of his wife and two children, they said: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.

“He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”

The singer songwriter’s death – just three days before Christmas – becomes the latest heartbreak for his family.

His older sister, Camille Whitaker, revealed two of Chris’ siblings had also sadly passed away just months ago.

She told how her youngest sibling, Nicholas, died in hospital aged 66 in October after battling brain cancer.

Just days after his funeral, Camille’s twin sister Geraldine Milward died suddenly – sending the family into shock.

She told the Daily Mail: “It is an awful pain. It is gut-wrenching what happened. The family has been quite shocked by it.

“It is tragic. We can’t sort of get around it.”

Camille, who says she last spoke to Chris less than a week ago, admitted his family will be “wrecked” by his passing.

The iconic hit writer lived with his wife and family at home in Buckingham and remained “very close” with his family.

Camille also told how Chris was “very pleased” when he became a grandfather for the first time this year.

Prior to his death, the singer-songwriter battled a number of health issues after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over 40 years ago.

Chris reportedly went under the knife for serious ops nine times, spending over half a year in hospital following his cancer diagnosis at the age of 33.

Discussing the shock prognosis with Saga, he told how it had been his “Mount Everest” to climb.

Chris explained: “The original illness hit me hard. I almost had a nervous breakdown with the shock of it. That was the Mount Everest to climb.

“When they said it was pancreatic cancer, I could not believe it. It seemed that if your DNA says you are going to have cancer, then you can.

“They did not think I would recover from the first operation, but I was determined to do so for my wife and the girls.”

Arsenal are sitting top of the Premier League at Christmas, but it is BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton who leads the way when it comes to predictions.

“I’m number one at Christmas – again,” said Sutton, who as a player led the Premier League table at this point with Norwich in 1992 and Blackburn in 1994, and went on to win the title with Rovers.

“It’s a big deal for me to be top, as well as for Arsenal.

“AI is the go-to for virtually everyone in the world whenever they have to ask anything, so the fact that I am beating it – and let’s face it, I have stuffed it for half a season now – is pretty incredible. It says a lot about me, and I’m delighted.

“Rather than asking AI about everything, maybe people should come to me to tap into my intelligence instead?”

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

For week 18 – the festive fixtures on Boxing Day and the weekend of 27 and 28 December – he takes on Jonny Stewart, bass singer with sea shanty folk supergroup The Wellermen, who is a Newcastle fan.

The Wellermen were the originators of the sea shanty trend on TikTok, with their versions of Misty Mountain, Nancy Mulligan and Hoist the Colours racking up billions of views.

Do you agree with their scores? You can make your own predictions below.

The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

BOB Mortimer is leading the tributes for Chris Rea following the Driving Home For Christmas star’s tragic death.

The legendary British singer-songwriter penned the festive favourite in 1978, which later became a regular hit on the UK Singles Charts.

Rea passed away in hospital, just three days before Christmas after battling with ill health for several years.

He made a huge impact in the entertainment industry and following his passing a host of celebrities have shared their tributes to the late singer.

Comedian Bob Mortimer branded the star a ‘brilliant bloke’, taking to X to pen a heartfelt message, he wrote: “So so sad. A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man….RIP Chris .. Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends”.

On the post the comedian added a sweet picture of Chris in a bubble bath holding an egg, which features in Bob’s memoir recalling a time on Would I Lie To You ? where Chris had ‘supposedly’ put an egg in his bath, after the episode Rea sent him the pic.

LONG ROAD

Why Chris Rea never wanted a Christmas hit – and how his loving wife inspired it

HITMAKER

Who was Chris Rea, what happened during Oxford gig & his biggest hits explained

Bob was good friends with the late star, the pair even making the song Lets Dance together in 1997 for Middlesbrough’s Football Club’s FA Cup Final.

The football team also wrote a tribute on their own page for Chris, who hails from Middlesborough, they wrote: We’re deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Rea. A Teesside icon. Rest in peace, Chris.”

TV star Lizzie Cundy also took to X to express her own condolences, she said: “I’m so sad to hear Chris Rea has died. I was lucky enough to star in his music video Driving home for Christmas. 

“I loved every minute and was an honour to work with him and be in his iconic music video . He will always be an inspiration and legend to me. Rest in peace Chris.”

Lizzie appeared in the smash festive hit’s music video back in 2009, alongside a host of celebs including Gail Porter and Martin Shaw.

TV presenter Timmy Mallet wrote in his tribute: “ #RIP Chris Rea I bought his house 1991 on garage wall is happy Christmas message his daughters sprayed it’s still there. 

“Chris is driving home For Christmas now singing for our nearest & dearest. Grateful for his wonderful gravely voice. God bless you Chris #RIP”

During Rea’s last TV appearance, on BBC’s Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing in 2020, the singer revealed a special gift he gave childhood sweetheart Joan.

He guest starred on the show for a special Christmas episode where he talked about his battle with serious health issues over the years.

Mortimer also spoke about how his health battles had strengthened the bond between him and his family.

Rea was quick to agree and beamed as he said he shared a similar experience with Joan.

The singer replied: “It was exactly the same for me. I was in hospital and the pancreatic cancer nurse comes in and tells me ‘it’s not grade three cancer phone your wife!’

“So I phone my wife and she pulled the car over and burst into tears.”

The musician had his pancreas removed after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001 and suffered a stroke in 2016.

The singer went on to make a light-hearted joke about leaving his wife the royalties to his famous hit.

“I gave her all the money, all the rights to all the songs, and now she won’t give them back,” he laughed. 

Rea’s wife of 57 years played a key role in writing his Christmas smash hit.

Driving Home For Christmas singer Chris Rea was making festive posts on social media hours before he died ‘peacefully in hospital’ at the age of 74 following a short illness

Chris Rea made reference to his famous Christmas song in his final social media post which he shared just hours before his sudden death. A spokesperson for the music legend announced on Monday that he had died following a short illness, at the age of 74.

The musician, who was from Middlesbrough, is arguably best known for his 1988 song, Driving Home For Christmas. And amid the 2025 festive season, he had been sharing social media posts about the countdown to Christmas.

On Sunday, the star uploaded a photo of a car driving through snow along a busy motorway. A Variable Message Sign was also in shot which had the message: “Driving home for Christmas with a thousand memories. Adding a caption of his own, Chris wrote: “Top to toe in tailbacks … If it’s a white Christmas, let’s hope the journey’s a smooth one.”

READ MORE: M&S’ coffee and cake hampers are now under £5 in time for Christmas giftingREAD MORE: Chris Rea dead: Driving Home For Christmas star dies

The singer added the hashtages #DrivingHomeForChristmas, #ChristmasSongs, #ChristmasMusic and #ChrisRea to the post – as well as a snowflake and a car emoji. Just hours later, family members of the singer were around the star as he died.

A spokesperson confirmed on Monday: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris. He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”

Chris had suffered from a number of health conditions in recent years, including peritonitis, pancreatic cancer and diabetes – while it has been reported that he would inject insulin up to seven times per day as he battled his conditions. Following the news of his death, fans have flooded social media with tributes and memories of the star.

One wrote on X: “Genuinely gutted to hear this. A proper Teesside legend. Safe drive home Chris… Damn… he lived for his cars, wonderful guitarist, and made so many great albums. RIP Chris Rea… Aah no! Bad news…”

Another typed: “Chris Rea has died. Shocked. Talented, he was also a really nice guy. I’m freaked because I mentioned him in a pre-Yule newsletter from my website. Chris had loads of friends in Ireland. He’ll be missed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam…”

Chris had previously discussed his health issues – revealing: “I’ve had nine major operations in ten years. A lot of it is to do with something called retroperitoneal fibrosis, where the internal tissues attack each other. No one knew it existed 20 years ago, and it’s completely unpredictable.. It’s affected the colon, the pancreas, the gall bladder, the liver – and then I get a stroke.”

The singer went on to explain that his health was something that could not be taken for granted, despite the chart and commercial success he enjoyed over the years. He said: “I made a lot of money, but you can dangerously let it lead you on…

“It depends what company you keep. I once said to Michael Winner, ‘I’m the poorest man on this Barbados beach.’ On days like today, the richest man in the world is the one who hasn’t got a bad shoulder.”

Chris is survived by his wife Joan Lesley, who he was together with since they were teenagers, and their two daughters; Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989. As well as Driving Home For Christmas, he penned tracks including On the Beach, Let’s Dance, and The Road To Hell.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Facing the biggest challenge of his life, Sir Chris Hoy opens up about his journey with terminal cancer and how the mental strength he honed as a six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist is now helping him to inspire others.

Watch Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage & Me on Thursday, 18 December at 21:00 GMT on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app.