Traitors star Freddie Fraser, who found fame when he took part in the third series of the BBC hit, has been supported by fans after coming out and revealing his new relationship
18:50, 23 Aug 2026Updated 18:51, 23 Aug 2026
Freddie Fraser has revealed his new relationship (Image: BBC)
Traitors star Freddie Fraser has been supported by fans after coming out and announcing his relationship. The reality star, 22, found fame when he competed on the third series of Claudia Winkleman’s BBC hit, which aired in early 2025 and was eventually won by Jake Brown Leanne Quigley.
He simply captioned the post with a heart, but several of the TV star’s followers were quick to congratulate him over the happy news. One said: “LOVEEEEE!!!! SO CUTE,” and another wrote: “Gorgeous, so happy for you.”
A third wrote: “this is the best news xx” Amanda Lovett, who appeared on the first series of The Traitors, said: “Aww I’m so happy for you,” whilst former X Factor star Jack Remmington simply left a string of heart-faced emojis.
Freddie, who before finding television fame was a top-ranked sprint hurdle athlete in the years before he signed up for The Traitors, was a Faithful on the BBC show before being recruited as a Traitor by Charlotte Berman in episode 10.
But in a shock twist, he was banished from the castle following a slip up involving Minah Shannon less than a day later, and hastily exited the castle.
When he was banished – and had to reveal he was a Traitor – he told the group it had been “the honour of my life” to take part in the TV series.
Since then, he has carved out a successful career as an influencer, with a combined following count of almost 250,000 across various social media platforms.
His new relationship comes more than a year after it was reported that he had split from Nisha Davenport, whom he had met at university, and it was claimed that his new career had made it tricky to keep things going.
A source told The Sun: “Freddie quietly split from Nisha earlier this year, shortly after a loved-up trip to Budapest. She’d been by his side throughout his Traitors fame but Freddie soon found himself living a showbiz lifestyle that he’d always dreamed of.
“They were also both incredibly aware that after university it would be more difficult than ever to keep the romance going strong. The split was very amicable and there was no drama on either side”.
Bruce Forsyth’s former Wentworth mansion, once shared with widow Lady Wilnelia, has reportedly been left empty and deteriorating years after she sold it for £5.7million
07:08, 22 Aug 2026Updated 07:28, 22 Aug 2026
Bruce Forsyth died aged 89(Image: PA)
Bruce Forsyth‘s widow Lady Wilnelia has moved on from the lavish Surrey mansion she shared with the TV legend, but the once-glamorous property has reportedly been left abandoned.
The sprawling home, known as Straidarran, sits on the exclusive Wentworth Estate, where huge mansions owned by celebrities, sports stars and wealthy international buyers line the private roads.
Bruce lived at the property for decades before his death in 2017, aged 89, following a battle with bronchial pneumonia. Three years later, in April 2020, Wilnelia, 68, sold the mansion to a Bermuda-based businesswoman for a reported £5.7million.
But despite the hefty price tag, there appears to have been little visible activity at the property since the sale.
Locals say the home has been left largely untouched, with no obvious signs of residents or major refurbishment work.
Once the setting for Bruce and Wilnelia’s glamorous life, the mansion came packed with luxury features including a ten-seat cinema, swimming pool, tennis court, gym, library and wine cellar.
The gates still bear an “F” crest associated with Forsyth’s surname, while warning signs have been erected around the property.
One local said the situation was particularly unusual because overseas buyers on the estate often demolish older properties and replace them with new-build mansions.
“Normally overseas owners on the estate knock these old homes down and build a new one. So it is a very strange situation with Bruce’s old home, where seemingly nothing has happened since Wilnelia sold it six years ago,” they told The Sun.
The source claimed the only noticeable change had been the arrival of security following break-ins. They added: “The only thing I have noticed is that security is present there, the owners certainly aren’t, but that only followed break-ins.”
Security was reportedly stepped up after urban explorers targeted the property, with police confirming reports of break-ins to the publication.
Wentworth Estate manager James Perotin previously said the mansion was now being monitored around the clock. He said: “Security has been increased at Bruce Forsyth’s old house, there is now a van permanently on site, and it is monitored 24 hours a day.”
Perotin also suggested that some wealthy homeowners on the estate spend much of their time abroad, partly because of tax reasons, leaving some properties unoccupied for years.
Wilnelia, meanwhile, downsized after selling the family mansion and bought another home on the same estate for around £3million. The former beauty queen and Bruce were married in 1983 and remained together until his death.
Bruce, who entertained generations of viewers, became a household name through shows including The Generation Game and Play Your Cards Right, before becoming the face of Strictly Come Dancing. He presented the BBC dance show for a decade before stepping down in 2014.
Wilnelia, originally from Puerto Rico, was crowned Miss World in 1975. The couple shared a son, Jonathan Joseph, now 40, with Bruce’s entire estimated £15million fortune being left to his third wife rather than his six children.
In 2018, Wilnelia spoke about the final days she spent with Bruce before his death. She said she felt “lucky” that all the close family members managed to say goodbye.
In December, Tess Daly held back tears as Wilnelia sent her and Claudia Winkleman a sweet message before their Strictly Come Dancing exit. It was shown during the spin off show It Takes Two.
Tess had presented Strictly alongside Bruce from the show’s launch in 2004, with Claudia taking over in 2013. “Hello Tess and Claudia,” Wilnelia told the hosts.
“Sending you both my warmest wishes as you step into this exciting new chapter. Tess, you shared so many wonderful years on Strictly with Bruce and I know he would be so proud of you.”
She continued: “And Claudia, your sparkle and wit have brought so much joy to everyone. Thank you both for the laughter, the elegance and the heart you have given to the show.
“All my love and the very best for the future ahead.” Signing off on her husband’s famous catchphrase, she said: “Don’t forget, life is too short, so… keep dancing!” Tess replied: “What a woman! She’s just a goddess.”
Television favourite Claudia Winkleman is still amazed that she is asked to present Channel 4 talent show The Piano when she has zero musical knowledge. Speaking ahead of the launch of the fourth series on Sunday, she says: “I still know absolutely nothing, but nobody seems to mind. They haven’t shouted at me, so I’m like the idiot of the group.
“I know what moves me, but I’m just there as a conduit. I’m there to chat to people and make them as comfortable as possible and try and hear as much of their story as possible, so that the mentors can then get to know them a bit before they play.”
The show sees amateur pianists showing off their skills on instruments placed in bustling railway stations, unaware that professional musicians are secretly watching and judging them. Claudia, who will be working alongside Lebanese-born pop star Mika, known for hits including Grace Kelly and Lollipop, would love to see more Elton John numbers on the show. She says: “I am longing for someone to play some Elton John. I just want somebody to play his amazing music.”
Claudia and Mika will be joined by new mentors, including Jamie Cullum and Jools Holland, who will help to weed out stars of the future. Claudia, 54, says of The Piano: “I love it so much. We’re so lucky because when we did it for the first time, we thought we’d only get one go.
“It is an absolute privilege to wait in stations for these amazing pianists who surprise us. We learn about their lives, meet their friends and family and we learn about why playing the piano is important to them. For all of us involved it’s an honour. I can’t wait to see who we’re going to meet. What’s so thrilling about this amazing show, is you have no idea who’s just around the corner and is just walking towards you through the station.”
Welcoming her new army of mentors, she says: “They all bring very different perspectives. In every location, they will choose somebody to play at the final concert, so it’s going to be fascinating.
“What I loved about having different mentors is that they love the idea and they love the show. So, what was brilliant was to have people who were so enthusiastic. I love the fact they wanted to be part of it. It’s not glamorous and we adored them for wanting to be there. It was ‘hello, welcome to Birmingham New Street station, can I get you a Greggs?’ They were all absolutely up for it.”
Now a household name after 30 years in showbusiness, which has seen her present hit shows like Strictly and Traitors, Claudia would advise wannabe media stars to go for hands-on experience over a degree. She says: “Don’t study at university. Go, but don’t study subjects like media studies. I would study something else. It is just about experience. I don’t think you need to study media. Just work around it.”
Claudia comes from a media background. Her mum, Eve Pollard, is a former newspaper editor, who was once at the helm of The Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express and her dad, Barry Winkleman, was a book publisher.
When she felt the urge to try TV, after working in a gallery, she says: “At the age of 24, I applied to the former TV company Planet 24 and got a call from Janet Street-Porter’s office and I just continued. I worry about people who know what direction they want to go in. That is nerve wracking. It is OK not to know. “
But Claudia admits that her career has involved some weird assignments. She says: “Once I dressed up as a fruit for Fruit Awareness Week on This Morning. I was a kiwi! I remember going ‘we are going to go live as a fruit.’”
Claudia graduated with an honours degree in fine art from Cambridge University, although her cheeky charm was nurtured during her days as a pupil at the City of London School for Girls. She says: “I had the most amazing history of art teacher, but my friend and I thought it would be easy. We wore fishnets, smoked fags and flirted with boys. It was like ‘paintings? Yada-yada.’ We were not bad but naughty.
“I remember one day our teacher, Mrs Dale, in the first lesson, clicked her fingers and made us all walk to St Paul’s Cathedral. She said ‘I have had enough. You look up and this is what we are going to teach you’. She was unbelievable and the way she introduced art to us was great. She took us to Venice and made us appreciate Titian. She was brilliant.”
Her father, Barry, who was divorced from her mum Eve in 1975, when she was just three, also loved taking her to galleries. She says: “My parents impacted me massively. My dad used to take me to The National Gallery and the only rule was we were only allowed to look at one painting.
“He did not want to bore me to death. Now, when I take my kids, we are in for the duration. But there was no rush when my dad took me and it made me want to go back. My dad taught me so much. My mum and dad both taught me things like, ‘make the tea and be early. Be the last one to leave. Don’t worry what you look like. It is just a shell and that is going to go’.
“I was brought up by a brilliant feminist. Once I asked my mum for a Barbie doll and she was like ‘don’t be ridiculous. That is not what you are supposed to look like’. I was told to ‘be interested, don’t worry about being interesting and ask questions.’ I was told ‘don’t be one of those tools who sits there and waits.’ I was never daunted by what they did. Only grateful. I always felt grateful that they worked so hard.”
Claudia, in turn, passes on her experience to her three children, Jake, 23, Matilda, 20, and Arthur,15, who she shares with her film and television producer husband, Kris Thykier. And she says they teach her too. Claudia continues: “I have learned everything from my kids. Life before was just waiting for them.”
Like many parents, she has steered her children away from social media. She says: “Social media is awful. It is an absolute nonsense. I would never put my kids on it. I have tried to explain to them how awful it is. I don’t post a lot of stuff on social media. I have posted six times this year.”
Instead, Claudia – who likes the ethos of her favourite filmstar, ET, whose catchphrase is ‘be good’ – gets her thrills from doing live TV. The Traitors presenter, whose BBC1 chat show – which launched in March – was recently axed after lukewarm reviews, says: “Live is exciting. It is like doing exams at school, I know it is weird but I like being tested. I like a test.
“Not a driving test as I failed many of those. Turns out head on chin is not helpful. I do get incredibly nervous though but it wakes you up. I like the nerves. When I used to do Strictly with Tess I just used to grip her upper arm all the time.” Let’s hope there’s no arm-grabbing on The Piano – to avoid any bum notes.
*The new series of The Piano continues on Channel 4, Sunday at 9pm.
Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis have shown their public support for Johannes Radebe ahead of their debut as Strictly Come Dancing presenters by turning up at his West End show
The trio are set to host Strictly later this year(Image: josh_widdicombe/Instagram)
Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis have shown their public support for Johannes Radebe ahead of their debut as Strictly Come Dancing presenters. It was announced earlier this year that comedian Josh, 43, along with former Big Brother host Emma, 50, and Strictly pro Johannes, 39, would be the new trio to head up the BBC Saturday night favourite in place of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
On Wednesday, Josh revealed that he and Emma had paid a visit to the London Coliseum where the show is running so they could see their co-star in action.
Alongside a picture of them backstage, along with X Factor winner Matt Cardle, who plays Charlie Price, Josh wrote on Instagram: “Incredible evening watching @johannesradebe absolutely smash the west end in Kinky Boots. Emma and I a bit too in love with him in the second pic.”
The trip were previously seen expressing their excitement for their new roles at a photoshoot for the BBC dancing competition, in a behind-the-scenes video posted to Strictly Come Dancing’s Instagram.
The announcement was a long time to come, and fans have waited almost a year to find out just who will step into the roles once held by Tess and Claudia. But following the first public appearance of the trio, several fans were left divided about what is to come, with some predicting that the lineup will change again after just one series.
One fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I’m so sorry but even this photo backs up my theory that it’ll just be Emma + Johannes after 1 series. This is just so odd and you can’t keeeeep dancing like this!”
Another said: “I would have put Emma with Rylan, not sure about Josh or Johannes,” and a third, writing on Reddit, said: “producers were thoroughly surprised and impressed with Johannes during the screentest.
“I wouldn’t be surprised they added the 3rd host role specifically for him. If Josh doesn’t work out for them, they can slot Johannes right in that spot upstairs, with a year of experience under his belt. If it does all work out, they have 3 amazing hosts!”
Others had an optimistic outlook, with one viewer writing: “Good luck Josh, Emma and JoJo, looking forward to the new line-up!”
Another said: “Love Emma! Don’t know too much about Josh so will stay open minded before making judgements. I’m sort of gutted we won’t see Jojo with a partner, but I will love to watch him on my screen every week!!”
James Jordan thinks the recent Strictly Come Dancing “bloodbath”, which saw a string of professionals axed from the BBC show, was just “getting rid of dead wood”
James Jordan has said the recent culling of several Strictly Come Dancing professionals was “getting rid of dead wood”(Image: Rex)
James Jordan has said the recent culling of several Strictly Come Dancing professionals was “getting rid of dead wood”. The TV star, 48, served as a professional on the BBC Saturday night favourite from 2006 until 2013, and has now spoken out on the mass shakeups that have occurred ahead of the next series going to air.
It was then confirmed earlier this year that professional dancers Karen Hauer, the longest-serving pro on the series, along with Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas would not be returning to the series.
But James has now insisted that the changes were what was “needed” to give another set of pros a chance. He told the Press Association: “When you join Strictly, you’re taking someone’s job, OK? And people forget that because they’re on the show, but then when they’re asked to leave, and then they’re replaced, they’re only worried about that.
“But they forget at some point, they took someone’s job. It’s just showbiz, that’s what it is. Enjoy it for what it is – it is a juggernaut of a show, and it was an honour for all of us to be part of it for so many years.
“But you have to remember that it will come to an end at some point, and all this controversy around, ‘oh, they’re changing so many of the pros’… it needed a shakeup. Some of the pros have been on there for 14 years… dead wood… get rid of them and bring someone younger in, in my opinion.”
But fellow former Strictly professional dancer Ian Waite said: “In my opinion, they got rid of the wrong ones.” He said: “All the professional dancers are amazing in their own right, but you can’t stay on there forever. At some point, you have to give the younger ones a chance, because there’s so many amazing dancers out there.”
James then claimed that bosses could have “got rid of some of the judges as well,” with the panel currently made up of Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood, before hitting out at how “politically correct” he thinks it has become in recent years.
He added: “It’s all got nicey-nicey now, isn’t it? It’s all politically correct, and ‘you can’t say this, and you can’t say that’. You can’t be negative because they’re (the contestants) are gonna cry. It’s a dance show. You need that baddie… but even Craig now is kind of toned down a lot.” He then called for the “reality” of the series to be shown to viewers.
“It’s all like everyone loves everyone, and we’re all one big happy family. That’s not life, that’s not real life. I want to see how hard they’re working in the training room. I want to see the tears. I think that’s the magic that needs to come back.”
James’ own exit from the show came as a result of him choosing to turn down the offer of a reduced role, which would have meant that he would have not been paired with a celebrity on the main programme having previously competed with the likes of broadcaster Vanessa Feltz, actress Denise Van Outen and The One Show’s Alex Jones.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were leaving last year and will be replaced by Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe, and Josh Widdicombe.
Casting the Big Brother host to present the new series was hailed by James as an “amazing” decision, but wasn’t sure what to make of her new co-stars and would have “preferred” another big name from the TV world.
But he said: “I would have preferred someone like Bradley Walsh or Vernon Kay, or someone like that, because they’re tried and tested. But at the same time, sometimes you got to take risks, and I’m not going to say it’s not good, because I haven’t seen it until I see it.”
Later this year, James and Ian will be teaming up with fellow former Strictly pros Brendan Cole, Pasha Kovalev and Vincent Simone for the dance show Vegas: After Hours.
The show will see them bringing the spirit of Sin City to life with routines set to a soundtrack inspired by Las Vegas performers. James said following their previous Legends Of The Dance Floor in 2024 and The Return Of The Legends last year, they were approached to do another show with the “old geriatrics from Strictly”.
Ian then joked that although they had asked producers to be sent to Vegas for “research purposes”, money was “too tight”. He said: “They said they couldn’t afford James’s casino bills and Vincent’s drinks bill.”
James then said: “These guys are amazing and inspire me every single day that I watch them on stage. They’re all so different and so brilliant at what they do, but I think what separates our tour from any other Strictly tour is the realism in between with the chat, the camaraderie between us, and the fact that we take the mickey out of each other. If we were still working for the BBC, we wouldn’t be able to say some of these things… but it’s all very real and honest and funny.”
The 30-date tour starts in Fareham on October 3 and wraps up in Cardiff on November 8. Tickets are on sale now, available from the venues, Ticketmaster and on The Legends in Vegas: After Hours | Concert Tour.
