controversial

MARRIED At First Sight groom Adrian Sanderson has slammed the show experts after the show was permanently axed.

Channel 4 confirmed yesterday that the dating show had officially been axed, six months after The Sun first revealed the series would be canned over rape allegations.

The broadcaster shared findings of a bombshell external review and confirmed MAFS UK, including a series filmed earlier this year and a planned all-stars spin-off were all axed.

Adrian, who starred on season seven in 2022 and was paired with Thomas Hartley, hit out at MAFS UK experts Paul C Brunson and Charlene Douglas for staying silent after news of the axing broke.

Mel Schilling had been the third expert since 2021, but sadly passed away in March following a battle with colon cancer.

Adrian wrote: “Isn’t it interesting that Channel 4 chose to release its MAFS review findings, well a summary of, on the very day Russell Brand’s courts case is dominating the headlines?

MAFS AXE

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The MAFS UK 2026 stars that you’ll NEVER see on screen as entire series axed

“Coincidence? Perhaps. But the timing is certainly interesting.”

Adrian added: “Thoughts on the fact the ‘experts’ from MAFS haven’t spoken on this?

“Funny I bumped into one last night at a restaurant.”

Findings of the MAFS UK review were published on Thursday morning, hours before the court in the Russell Brand trial reconvened and came to a verdict.

Execs fervently denied The Sun’s story from May that MAFS’ ‘lost’ series six, which was shot in March, would be canned and even slammed it in Westminster, when chief executive Priya Dogra was grilled by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

As recently as last week, cast of that season have told The Sun that producers were reassuring them all would be well.

It meant they were blindsided to learn yesterday that their footage would be scrapped – devastating those who had engaged media agents ready to build a profile.

One told how they received an email four minutes before the news broke, so most learnt through media reports.

Another, who asked not to be named, told The Sun: “We were being told that the investigation was nearly over, things were looking positive and the programme would still air.

“I feel like we were repeatedly given false hope and reassurances that everything was going ahead, only to discover through the media that two months of our lives were wasted.

“Ever since the scandal broke, production has been in regular contact, repeatedly reassuring us everything would be fine.

“Some of us genuinely hoped to find love but others saw the programme as an opportunity to build a career and potentially change their lives and that’s now over.”

Separately, a cast member lined up for Second Marriage At First Sight – the planned spin-off – has told how a call with execs last month had left them under the impression filming would commence soon.

Two women who appeared on past runs of the show claimed to have been raped by their on-screen husbands, and another – Shona Manderson, who waived her anonymity – accused her TV partner of sexual misconduct.

All three men deny the claims.

The Met police confirmed one groom who was arrested on suspicion of rape on June 18 remains on bail.

Emily Hewertson was sensationally evicted on her first night in the Big Brother house before making a shocking return

Big Brother’s 2026 winner will be crowned in just a few days, but whatever happened to last year’s memorable finalists?

The race for the ITV2 crown is heating up as the public is set to vote for their winning housemate this Thursday, October 5. Fans will then be treated to a reunion episode on Friday, October 6, which will bring all the housemates back together for one last time.

As well as bagging the title of BB winner, the champion will also take home a huge £100,000 cash prize. But there can only be winner. Emily Hewertson was one of the contestants who narrowly missed out on the crown last year, where she finished in fifth place. But her journey wasn’t exactly smooth-sailing.

Emily first joined the experiment on day one and was evicted just hours later in a brutal twist. But the political events manager made a surprise return to the show on Day 20 in yet another twist. And this time she held onto her place in the house until the final.

Just 25 years old at the time, Emily also became one of the most controversial figures in the series. Viewers often disagreed with her conservative politics and called out her “offensive” remarks on the show. However, the Northampton-based star brushed off the backlash and has opened up about how Big Brother changed her life.

Where is Big Brother star Emily Hewertson now?

Emily currently has over 50,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, where she often shares behind-the-scenes truths about her time in the famous house. In a recent Instagram video about her life after the show, she said: “I thought I would tell you exactly how my life has changed since being on the show. First of all, one thing that has changed since leaving the house is I have some new friends.”

The ITV star went on to reveal that she has stayed in touch with fellow 2025 housemates Sam Ashby, Nancy Nocerino and Cameron Kinch. She added: “I’m still on good terms with the rest of the cast but they’re the people that I speak to the most.”

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The reality star also revealed that her career as a political commentator has reached new heights since the show. “I think I have been on TV every single month since being on the show, which is literally amazing,” she shared. She is a regular panellist on GB News, as well as Jeremy Vine on 5.

Despite her newfound fame, the 26-year-old says she still juggles her nine-to-five job with attending industry events. Before missing out on the prize money, Emily had hoped to spend the winnings on her close friends.

She told ITV: “If I win the money, I want to go on holiday. First and foremost, treat the girls. But then, I think I’d be a bit sensible and maybe put some aside. But that’s kind of boring, so who knows, I might just end up splashing it all and having a good time!” Now a whole new group of housemates are hoping to bag the life-changing prize.

Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX

ROBBIE Williams has been cleared over controversial tax scheme links — paving the way for a gong in the King’s New Year’s Honours.

The pop superstar, 52, is in line for recognition for his charity work with Unicef and Soccer Aid after he founded the all-stars event in 2006.

Sources said the She’s the One singer’s tax affairs had been “green-flagged” after a probe, meaning Whitehall chiefs can put him ­forward to for an honour — and he could even be made a Sir.

He has previously been linked to investments in Ingenious Media, a financing company designated a tax avoidance scheme by HMRC.

Footie stars and other celebs — including David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Ant and Dec — were caught up in the battle between Ingenious and investigators.

Becks, also a Unicef ambassador, was knighted in 2025 after HMRC conducted financial checks.

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And former Take That member Robbie is now set for a gong.

A source said: “Robbie’s name has been put forward and if he gets anything it’s likely to be a knighthood or possibly an OBE.

“He has raised hundreds of ­millions for charity and this year was the 20th year of Soccer Aid — which was his idea. So his name has been put on the list by the charity and philanthropy committee after it was green-flagged. There are more hoops to get through, and it needs to go forward to the main honours committee and then the PM and ultimately the King.

“Anyone who is high-profile is checked and vetted thoroughly.

“And one of those checks is their tax affairs, so it is a good sign for him that HMRC have given him the thumbs-up.”

It was reported in 2019 that he was barred from receiving an OBE over his links to the tax scheme and placed on an “honours blacklist”.

But he is understood to have now satisfied Treasury bosses over his finances.

Robbie, who with wife Ayda, 47, and their four kids lives part of the year in California, has a home in London and pays tax here.

Stoke-born Robbie — catapulted to fame when he joined Take That in 1990 — founded Soccer Aid with pal Jonathan Wilkes and the annual fundraiser has so far made more than £137million.

This year’s event at a sold-out London Stadium, screened live on ITV, raised more than £16million for Unicef.

Robbie started working with Unicef after seeing the organisation’s efforts in Sri Lanka in 1998 and became a UK ambassador in 2000.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “We do not comment on speculation regarding honours.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio — President Trump said Thursday that Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, should keep running a controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton, posting on social media that it was “hitting pay dirt.”

Trump also denounced Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who criticized the ad as “deeply, deeply troubling” earlier in the day. Acton previously served in DeWine’s administration as a health official. Her mother lost custody of Acton and her brother after her husband — the children’s stepfather — was indicted on a charge of raping Acton.

“He strongly suggested that Vivek should, ‘take down the Ad,’ ” Trump wrote. “He probably wants a Dumocrat to win, and certainly doesn’t want someone who will do a much better job than he is capable of doing. I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals!”

At a gathering with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine recalled the painful experiences of rape victims he dealt with as a county prosecutor and state attorney general.

“It’s wrong to run this ad,” he said. “And, even at this late time — my wife, Fran, saw the ad just run this morning on TV — I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down.”

The term-limited DeWine’s remarks place him at odds with Ramaswamy, whom he has endorsed. The biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate plans to spend $4 million to broadcast it online and on television.

DeWine stops short of pulling his endorsement

But the governor stopped short of pulling his backing of the Republican for now. DeWine recalled a previous line of attack by the Acton campaign had mentioned Ramaswamy’s mother and said that also was wrong — “family members have always historically been off limits” — though he noted it was never used in a multimillion-dollar ad campaign.

That critique from the summer cited an investigative report into Geetha Ramaswamy’s role at a pharmaceutical company run by her son, whom Acton and Democrats described as “hiring his own mother to manipulate clinical trial data.”

The Ramaswamy campaign called those claims “slanderous” and said he’s being held to a different standard than Acton and other Democrats who have attacked Republicans’ families.

“Governor DeWine is correct that the first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent in this race was Amy Acton,” spokesperson Connie Luck said in a statement, adding, “We refuse to accept the media’s double standards.”

Ohio Republicans divided over the ad

By chiming in, DeWine has entered the fray of a growing rift among Ohio Republicans over the advertisement — as both the governor’s race and a race for U.S. Senate appear far tighter than expected in a state Trump won handily three times. The video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues.

Acton, Ohio’s COVID-19-era health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather, Arthur’s husband, was indicted on a charge of rape involving Acton. Acton’s campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother, who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused.

Republican Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native son, expressed disgust during an Ohio campaign swing Wednesday with Republicans “whining” about the ad as low and in poor taste. But Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, DeWine’s former lieutenant governor — running in a tight retention race against Democrat Sherrod Brown — has said he would not have run the ad, as has Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is running for state auditor.

Another influential Ohio Republican, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, posted a lengthy essay on X overnight, suggesting that “the floor may have just fallen out from under the Republican campaign for Ohio Governor” and urging every Republican to distance themselves from it.

Amid the turmoil, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou posted what sounded like a warning, or a threat.

“The final days of a tough campaign are always the best time to find out who is really with you and who just posts and pretends,” he wrote. “Yes—we are keeping score.” The quote was followed by a winking-eye emoji.

Ad has faced bipartisan rebukes, support in conservative media

The ad is also dividing Republicans nationally.

Nikki Haley, who sparred with Ramaswamy during the 2024 Republican presidential primary over the personal nature of his attacks, called him “a bad guy” in a social media post Tuesday. “It’s a shame he continues to get away with it,” she wrote.

At the same time, Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, has reported that many within the national conservative media are promoting and praising the ad. Ramaswamy’s campaign manager, Jonathan Ewing, characterized it as “a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton.”

Wayne Allyn Root, of Gateway Pundit, called it “absolutely hilarious” and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles described it as “brilliant.”

Police and court records show Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with the rape of Acton in July 1978, when she was 12, after her biological father lodged a formal complaint against him. The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur failed to show for a court appearance and became a fugitive.

Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004.

Smyth writes for the Associated Press.

JOEY Essex has confirmed he will be returning to the boxing ring after signing a ‘big fight deal’.

It comes a week after he took on Dapper Laughs in a Misfits Boxing event last weekend, with the clash ending in a controversial draw.

Freshened up and having swapped the gloves for a suave suit, Joey walked the Pride Of Britain red carpet on Monday.

Talking to The Sun at the event, he shared: “I feel great, there isn’t a scratch on me! I feel like I’ve come out the ring better than when I first went in – I look even better.

“But yeah, feeling good and very proud of myself, it was a good night.”

Last week, we told how an investigation was underway into the result of the fight after some fans claimed it shouldn’t have been a draw.

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Answering whether he was happy with the result, Joey replied: “Yeah of course, it’s boxing – you know?

“It’s how it goes. Win, lose or draw, you’ve got to look back and to learn. You just keep learning, experience is a massive thing in boxing so onto the next.”

And the next won’t be too far away, he says.

“I’ve signed a big fight deal, so I guess I’ll be back in [the ring] soon. I don’t know who against, but yeah, I’ll be back in soon,” confirmed Joey.

While he may appear fighting fit now, Joey says he was in the depths of a tough training camp this time last month.

“The training for boxing is very intense, the training is harder than the actual night itself.

“This time around my camp was only about 5 and a half weeks, so it was a very short camp. A lot of my opponents were dropping out and stuff so longer camps are harder. But you learn and the harder you train the better you fight.”

SYDNEY Sweeney has brushed off criticism of her controversial sports betting campaign by sharing another previously unseen clip from the advert.

Despite the backlash, the actress is sticking to her guns with another racy glimpse of the shoot.

The 29-year-old took to Instagram to share the footage with the caption: “No BS. Just sports.”

“There are grown men making spreadsheets betting on what colour underwear I’m wearing,” she says, looking doe-eyed into the camera.

She adds: “I mean, I’m flattered?”

Holding two American footballs over her breasts, Sydney finishes with the tagline: “Novig is just sports.”

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The Euphoria actress sparked backlash earlier this month after posing naked in the campaign promoting the sports betting app.

Female athletes were among those who criticised the racy images, accusing the campaign of sexualising women’s sports.

The advert features Sydney in a series of revealing poses, using sports equipment to cover parts of her body.

Some images show The Housemaid star straddling a basketball hoop, while others feature her in a locker room wearing nothing but shoulder pads or holding footballs over her breasts.

Team GB sprinter Amy Hunt slammed the campaign during a post-race interview, saying it painted a misleading picture of women’s sports.

Australian Olympic water polo star Tilly Kearns also voiced her disapproval on Instagram.

British sprinter Hannah Williams made her feelings known on social media, arguing that female athletes already have to fight to be taken seriously.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Wayne Rooney says VAR made the wrong decision in awarding Crystal Palace their second goal, which saw the home side take the lead as they went on to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 in the Premier League.

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WHEN Ferne McCann said she wanted followers who were “coachable and consistent and quietly sick of where they are” to join her business, nearly 3,000 people replied that they were ready.

The former Towie star, 36, didn’t however say what the opportunity actually was or what it involved – instead claiming it pays for her family’s security and her daughter’s education – and can even be done around a full- time job. 

The business in question? Ferne wants you to join her and become an independent distributor for the controversial company Herbalife.

For nine years Ferne has been encouraging people to sign up for the global multi-level marketing (MLM) corporation that develops and sells dietary supplements. 

But behind the glossy facade troubling questions have been asked about the multi-billion pound company.

Herbalife was once regularly pushed by reality stars, but now Ferne is among a handful, alongside Danielle Armstrong, who continues to work with them after a string of concerns.

From the very beginning, Herbalife was a direct-selling company, peddling products to the public through a network of members.

Nothing wrong with that. Plenty of other companies – such as cosmetics giant Avon – have the same model.

Where Herbalife has attracted criticism, however, is in their own particular version of the model.

In the past, members would receive money not just from selling products, but also from bonuses following sales made by new members they had recruited to the brand. New recruits were encouraged to buy a substantial amount of starter ‘inventory’, which meant the person who recruited them earned commission straight away even if the products had not yet sold.

But in 2016 the company was subject to a two-year investigation by America’s Federal Trade Commission.

They concluded that the structure incentivized recruitment over actual retail sales. Herbalife was ordered to pay £147million compensation and told to revamp its compensation structure so that distributors are rewarded for what they sell, instead of fundamentally rewarding recruiting over actual retail sales.

Since the ruling, the recruiter will only get paid commission after the new recruit actually sells those products to real customers and shows receipts.

The ruling did little to quell the fears of some that Herbalife still peddled unrealistic dreams to those who could least afford them.

And despite concerns, last month Ferne was busy recruiting again – sparking outrage and concern amongst ‘victims’ of MLM schemes in the past, who felt she had failed to declare she would be earning money if people signed up and started selling.

A spokesperson for Herbalife confirmed she would not make money just from people being recruited, which appears to be a common misconception about the company.

They said: “Many distributors simply sell products to consumers at a profit. Those who choose to can build their businesses further by coaching their own sales teams of independent distributors and earn a commission on their sales as well as their own. Herbalife distributors are not paid to recruit new members – a practice which is illegal in most countries globally.”

In a surprising move, Ferne admits that MLMs are ‘vague’ but doesn’t explain why – or indeed spell out her business model.

Alongside a series of glam images of herself, Ferne wrote: “Almost 9 years ago I joined a business I didn’t fully understand, with a baby on the way and no plan B.

“Today it pays for my girls’ education, it’s given my family a level of security I didn’t think was an option for me any more.

“I want to be real with you about what this is, because I think the MLM industry does itself no favours by being vague!

“It is flexible. You genuinely can build it from your phone, around school runs, around a full-time job, around whatever your life currently looks like. That part is true and it’s why I’m still here.

“I’m looking for people who are properly ready. People with a work ethic. People who are coachable and consistent and quietly sick of where they are. If that’s you, you already know it.

“I’ll train you, I’ll be in your corner, and I’ll show you exactly what I do.”

There was no direct mention of Herbalife or how anyone signing up, or indeed Ferne, would actually be financially rewarded. I took the plunge and followed the others, who mostly appeared to be women, by writing I was ‘ready’.

I instantly received a DM telling me: “There’s never been a better time to start, it’s exploding…we have such a slick system for anyone who’s ready.”

There was also an invite to watch a 20 minute Information Opportunity Video, hosted by Ferne, which is the point where I got cold feet.

Hundreds will no doubt be desperate to join – tempted by the promise of being able to work around the school run. 

There are clearly still some concerns. Many followers were shocked to see Ferne promoting an MLM, with one person remarking: “It’s so disingenuous isn’t it. She knows that her downline won’t be as successful as her, because the only reason she has a decent downline herself is due to her being a celeb and having followers that way.”

Finding someone willing to talk about their experience with Herbalife is tricky – there appears to be a wall of silence surrounding former distributors. 

One woman, who didn’t want to be named, told me how there have been issues with the company for decades and she lost around £15k when she signed up back in the nineties. 

She explained: “I signed up through an old work colleague who looked like they were making good money. 

“Little did I know they were doing it by piling stock onto the people they signed up, encouraging them to get to the next level or event.

“I trusted them and had no experience of MLM before and thought well if she can do it so can I.”

But it was far from an easy ride.

“Hindsight is a great thing isn’t it?” she said. “I lost around £15k I’d say over a two-year period of trying to make it work. I never encouraged customers to do what I did and that’s maybe why it didn’t work as it did for my referrer. I couldn’t sit with people getting into massive amounts of debt so I could earn commission.”

More recently there have been a lot more stories of MLM nightmares.

Laura Whitby, creator of The Nuance Nurse, with several years’ experience in network marketing and direct selling, spoke out after seeing Ferne’s post.

She still works within the direct selling industry but believes the criticism of MLMs is ‘justified’. She has not worked with Herbalife.

She explained: “I spent nearly three years with another company selling thousands of pounds of products every month. But between the money I was spending maintaining rank and trying to qualify for commissions, I barely earned anything.

“Three years of work, thousands of pounds spent, and God knows how many hours. I’ll never get back. And that’s where I want to discuss the difference between network marketing and community commerce. Because in my experience of MLMs, you open your back office and there’s quite literally a group of people with you at the top.

Laura added: “If a business is supposedly about selling products, why is there so much emphasis on recruiting people? And when we’ve got celebrities with enormous platforms promoting these opportunities, I think we need to be asking some serious questions about what they’re actually signing up for.”

Herbalife have denied this is the business model they are using.

The company is a long way from its humble beginnings.

It was founded in 1980 by diet product salesman Mark Hughes who formulated his own protein shake.

The business which he first ran from the boot of his car quickly snowballed and by 2011 its sales had grown to more than £3bn in around 90 countries.

The investigation by America’s Federal Trade Commission in 2016 was a minor setback.

It ruled that it had operated unfairly, cheating hopeful salespeople out of hundreds of millions of pounds with its high-pressure multi-level marketing scheme.

FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez branded Herbalife’s sale of a “dream” career working from home as “an illusion” and many members “made nothing or lost money on their initial investment”.

And as one bruised former distributor put it: “I would be very wary of something that sounded too good to be true!”

Italy’s parliament is voting on Thursday on a new electoral law that would make it easier for election winners to form a majority government.

The law, proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, would award extra seats to any party or coalition that obtains more than 42 percent of seats in both parliamentary chambers, ensuring it holds a majority.

Meloni has framed the legislation as a route to greater stability in Italy’s political system, which has often been run by fragile coalition governments. Her critics, however, say the move is actually aimed at boosting her own chances in elections next year.

Here’s what we know about the electoral law and what it means for Italian politics:

What is Italy’s current electoral system?

Italy currently has a mixed electoral system for its 600-seat parliament, with about 36 percent of members of parliament elected directly in constituencies where the candidate with the most votes wins, and the rest decided through proportional representation.

The system, called “Rosatellum”, has been in place since 2017. It encourages coalition-building but can produce fractured results that make a governing majority hard to forge.

What would the new law change?

The new legislation would replace the mixed electoral system with a fully proportional one, as well as awarding extra seats to the party or coalition that wins the most seats if it secures at least 42 percent in both chambers.

The bonus would be as many as 70 seats in the 400-member Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, and up to 35 seats in the Senate, which has 200 elected members.

That means if a party or coalition meets the 42 percent share threshold in both chambers, it would have stronger power to govern. If no party or coalition meets the threshold, representation would be decided proportionally.

The new law would also force coalitions to announce their candidates for prime minister before the elections. Rado Fonda, head of research at Italian pollster SWG, told the Reuters news agency this provision could “prove problematic for the centre-left, potentially forcing an early leadership contest and exposing divisions that could weaken the bloc”.

Meloni, who currently leads the country’s longest-serving government since World War II, has said the reform will help stabilise the country rather than serve any one political group. “Whoever wins the elections will have the numbers to govern,” she said.

What stage is the legislation at?

The proposed law has already been approved by the Senate and must now undergo a final secret-ballot vote in the Chamber of Deputies.

Giovanni Orsina, a political scientist at Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli University, predicted that the law is “extremely likely” to pass.

If it fails, Meloni has said she will resign.

Why is the legislation controversial?

Opponents say the law is undemocratic because it could potentially grant a winning coalition a disproportionate level of power in parliament.

They also say that the legislation is intended to favour Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party (Fdl) is bracing for a tough election battle next year.

Riccardo Magi, head of the liberal More Europe party, who is on a hunger strike to protest the proposed reform, has called it an “anti-democratic law” that risks giving a minority bloc a huge majority in parliament.

Senator Matteo Renzi, who leads the Italia Viva party, has accused Italy’s governing coalition of pushing the electoral reform due to a fear of losing power.

Other critics have pointed out that the law would do little to stabilise the political system if no party or coalition reaches the 42 percent threshold in both chambers – a relatively high bar.

“This could produce a hung parliament, making post-electoral negotiations necessary to form a government,” Vincenzo Emanuele, a political science professor at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome and a member of the Italian Center for Electoral Studies (CISE), told Al Jazeera. “Even relatively small changes in coalition composition could make the difference between a clear parliamentary majority and a situation of political deadlock.”

When are Italy’s next elections, and what do the polls show?

Italy’s next general election must be held by December 22, 2027, although the government can call elections earlier if it wishes.

Currently, Meloni’s Fdl is polling ahead of all other parties, with 27 percent support, according to Politico’s polling aggregator. Her coalition partners, Lega and Forza Italia, have a combined 12 percent support, according to Politico, bringing the coalition share to 39 percent.

Fdl’s polling has been dented by support for a new far-right group, Futuro Nazionale (National Future), Reuters reported. It currently has 7.8 percent support, according to Italian polling institute SWG.

In opposition, the Democratic Party (PD) has 21 percent support, the Five Star Movement (M5S) has 12 percent and the Alliance of Greens and Left (AVS) has 6 percent, according to Politico. The Italy Viva (IV) and More Europe parties have 2 percent support each.

Emanuele said the current landscape means the proposed electoral law would not necessarily favour Meloni and could even benefit the opposition.

He said recent simulations by the CISE have shown that a centre-left coalition including the PD and M5S could potentially reach 44 percent of the vote, securing a “comfortable parliamentary majority”, though that could change if Meloni allies with National Future.

“The reform does not inherently favour the incumbent government: Its effects will depend crucially on how the competing coalitions are formed,” said Emanuele.