crown

IT was the row that erupted all over TikTok a year ago – with insiders insisting there was no way back for Charly Anne and the Welsh 5.

But for the first time in more than a year, The Sun can reveal how Charly is attempting to make a ‘return’ to the social media stars for a very savvy reason – and the real reason she’s still secretly fuming with Becki Jones.

The Sun were the first to lay bare the feud between Charly and the other four members of the Welsh 5 – Cory, Lea, Kane and Ieuan – last year and told how it had even led to a devastating fallout between Charly and her own mother, Trudi Anne.

The rift originally began with a row over Charly’s relationship with girlfriend Emily Woodfin, with the other four members claiming she was controlling – an accusation which both Charly and Emily deny.

But bridges were left officially burned when Trudi sided against her own daughter by uploading a series of dance videos she made with Cory and Lea as well as Becki Jones, who also fell out with Charly amid the feud.

Now it seems that Charly may finally be having something of a change of heart – but is it all for the right reasons?

Sources close to Charly have told The Sun how the Welsh influencer is secretly considering publicly reuniting with her sworn enemies as part of a savvy business decision.

Our insider told us: “Things have all gone quiet on the Welsh 5 feud front in recent months.

“Everything exploded last year and it seemed there was zero chance of reconciliation when Charly’s own mother snubbed her in favour of the others.

“But amid the silence in the months that have followed it seems that some very interesting conversations have been going on.”

One of Charly’s pals has conceded that, since separating herself from the group, potential work opportunities have begun to slowly dry up.

Industry experts suggest that, for brands, the appeal of the Welsh 5 as a group is what drew them in – with Charly now no longer having a piece of that pie.

Our source told us: “Charly views her life as a business – like many influencers do.

“She was at the top of her game amid the Welsh 5 hype but things have certainly been slower since then.

“After the split, it is almost like she has ended up becoming the ‘problem child’ – and it has put people in the industry off wanting to work with her.

“For the first time, she has quietly been considering if now could be a good time to publicly reunite with her former pals but not necessarily because she wants to build relations but in order to continue building her career.

“Charly knows deep down that if everyone is seen to be on friendly and amicable terms, the interest in her could ramp up again.

“Her followers would have a field day if she started sharing content with Cory and Lea again!”

Moreover, Charly is still feeling annoyed that her greatest rival Becki is continuing to get bigger and bigger.

Her pals admit it is a sting every time she sees Becki’s success as she always felt she was destined for the same fate.

They told us: “Charly is determined to become as well-known as Becki – even all these months on.

“If a reunion with the Welsh 5 is what it takes – she thinks she’d be ready to do it.

“But, ultimately, this is all just private talks at the moment.

“It is very much speculative thoughts that Charly is having – no one knows if it is something she will actually go through with.

“Plus, the others in the Welsh 5 might also not be ready to make amends.

“The channels for a reunion are definitely there though. They still have the same team around them, it wouldn’t take much for a few strings to be pulled behind-the-scenes.

“It has all been a bit of a mess but for the first time it seems that the mess may be ready to come to an end.

“Only time will tell but it is certainly closer than ever to happening.”

The Sun has reached out to the Welsh 5 and Charly’s reps for comment.

A revamp of the points system for 2025 was welcomed by Evans; it also brought his tightest title race yet.

After second place to Ogier in the Monte Carlo curtain-raiser, the re-energised Welshman won in Sweden and Kenya – rallies the Frenchman sat out.

With a 36-point advantage, Evans had opened up the largest championship lead ever recorded after three rounds of a WRC campaign.

But he would not win again that season and though he never finished lower than sixth, Ogier gradually whittled away at his lead until it came down to just three points with one round to go.

That race was a brand new entry to the calendar, and there was uncertainty over what lay ahead at Rally Saudi Arabia.

The terrain proved brutal for all the drivers. Tyre problems galore saw the leaderboard shifting like the sand. It ended with Ogier in third and Evans in sixth.

The points-swing was seven. The Frenchman had won a record-equalling ninth WRC title by four points, and Evans had fallen just short for the fifth time in six years.

“We’ve done what we can, that’s it,” was his reaction.

“We’re competitors at the end of the day, we always want better, we always want more.”

Fans of dark crime dramas have a new thriller to look forward to, with a familiar face set to lead Sky’s latest big adaptation.

Fans of dark, gripping crime dramas have a new series to add to their watchlists.

David Oyelowo is set to lead the cast in Sky’s new series The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, alongside rising star Viola Prettejohn, who is known for playing young Princess Elizabeth in the sixth season of The Crown.

The eight-part Sky Original is adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium novels. It could be perfect for viewers who enjoyed shows such as The Fall and The Capture, with a dark mystery, complex characters and a dangerous investigation at its heart.

David, who is known for his roles in Selma and Interstellar will take on the role of investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Viola Prettejohn will play Lisbeth Salander, the brilliant but troubled hacker at the centre of Larsson’s story.

The story follows Blomkvist as he is hired by wealthy businessman Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece Harriet.

Harriet vanished more than 30 years earlier from the Vanger family’s isolated island home, but Henrik remains convinced that a member of his own family was responsible.

Blomkvist soon teams up with Salander, an exceptionally talented hacker with a complicated past and a fierce determination to uncover the truth.

Together, they begin to uncover secrets buried within the Vanger family, leading them towards a far more dangerous mystery than they initially expected.

The new adaptation will bring Larsson’s story into the modern day, exploring themes including power, misogyny, secrecy and technology.

The original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novel was published in 2005 and went on to become an international bestseller. The Millennium books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and have already been adapted for both Swedish and English-language audiences.

The first English-language film adaptation was released in 2011 and starred Daniel Craig as Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Salander, with David Fincher directing.

The new Sky series will offer a fresh interpretation of the characters and story for a new audience and it comes from Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind The Crown and The Day of the Jackal.

Meghan Lyvers, Managing Director, Scripted Originals, Sky, said: “Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist are two of modern fiction’s most iconic and compelling characters, and we’re thrilled to have Viola and David bringing them to life for a new generation.”

She added: “Our brilliant writing team, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s bold vision and our fantastic partners at Left Bank Pictures are creating a series that honours everything audiences love about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, while taking its characters, mystery and themes into a world that feels unmistakably of the moment. We can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

Filming is due to begin in Lithuania next month, with the series set to air on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland, as well as Sky platforms across Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo lands on Sky soon

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will meet Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday in Cairo to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, Al Arabiya News Channel reported, citing the Egyptian presidency.

The two leaders will exchange views on regional developments amid the latest tensions and changes in the region, while also discussing ways to strengthen Egyptian-Saudi relations and expand bilateral cooperation.

LONDON: Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah Al-Hashimi on Monday visited the baptismal site of Jesus, also known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan, to review preparations for the 2,000th anniversary of the historical event, which will take place in 2030.

He issued directives to enhance the site for the Christian pilgrims and other visitors who will visit the UNESCO World Heritage site to mark the bimillennial celebrations, the Jordan News Agency reported.

He said the upcoming occasion reaffirmed Jordan’s status as a premier destination for Christian pilgrimage. He emphasized the importance of efforts to promote the site of Jesus’ baptism, in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordan Tourism Board.

During the visit, the crown prince met Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed, chairperson of the board of trustees for the Baptism Site Commission, and his wife, Princess Miriam.

Jordanian Ministry of Tourism officials recently met Palestinian counterparts to discuss collaboration in the field of religious tourism ahead of the 2030 bimillennial celebrations.

Both Jordan and Palestine are home to important Christian holy sites, including Mount Nebo in Jordan’s Madaba governorate, where the Bible says Moses saw the Promised Land before he died, and, in the West Bank, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem, which includes the traditional sites of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection tomb.

The crown prince was also joined on his tour of the baptismal site by the minister of tourism and antiquities, Imad Hijazin, the director of the Office of the Crown Prince, Zaid Baqain, and the director general of the Baptism Site Commission, Abdullah Bawareed.

RIYADH: A total of 114 racing camels worth an estimated SR270 million to SR492 million ($72 million to $131 million) entered to compete in the four final rounds of the Crown Prince Camel Festival in Taif, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The festival’s closing program featured four championship races, with 35 camels entered in the first round, 13 in the second, 46 in the third, and 20 in the fourth.

The event, organized by the Saudi Camel Federation under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, offered SR50 million in prize money and attracted leading owners and competitors from across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

The festival’s most prestigious trophies, Al-Saif (Sword) and Al-Bunduq (Rifle), are awarded in the elite Hiyl (female camel) and Zumoul (male camel) championship races. Winning either title significantly enhances a camel’s prestige, breeding value, and market price.

Camel owner and racing specialist Abdullah Al-Sharif said the market value of a single camel competing in the Hiyl category typically ranges from SR3 million to SR6 million.

In the Zumoul category, camels are valued at between SR1.5 million and SR2 million.

Some elite camels command prices ranging from SR7 million to SR8 million, depending on their racing record, results, and bloodlines.

Qualifying for the closing championship trophy rounds can significantly increase a camel’s value, with previous achievements, breeding potential, lineage, prize money, and the level of competition all influencing market prices, Al-Sharif added.

Saudi Camel Sports spokesperson Murdhi Al-Khamaali said the festival has helped promote authentic Arab culture globally by bringing together traditions from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and the wider Arab world.

He said the event has grown beyond a sporting competition to become an economic, social, and cultural movement, while also helping revive Taif’s historical and cultural heritage.

Al-Khamaali added that bearing the name of the crown prince has transformed the festival into a cultural and economic destination for camel owners from across the Kingdom and the Gulf.

He said the festival’s rapid growth reflects its expanding importance as a platform for preserving heritage and supporting economic activity. Since its launch in 2018, the event has attracted more than 100,000 camels and earned multiple Guinness World Records titles.

The seventh edition in 2025 marked a major milestone, with participation surpassing 100,000 camels, building on the nearly 99,000 camels recorded across earlier editions.

The festival was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2024 for hosting the world’s largest camel race, with 21,637 camels participating. Held during the Kingdom’s “Year of the Camel,” the event highlighted the animal’s enduring cultural significance across the Arabian Peninsula.

The festival has also received several major accolades, including four Guinness World Records titles and the Makkah Economic Excellence Award in 2023, recognizing its contribution to cultural preservation, economic development, and the promotion of Saudi heritage.

In a separate update issued ahead of the finale, festival results showed Saudi-owned camels leading the standings with victories in 131 heats during the eighth edition.

Saudi-owned camels recorded 47 wins in the Al-Haqayiq category, 21 in Al-Laqaya, 15 in Al-Jadha’a, and nine in Al-Thnaya, for a combined total of 92 victories. They also secured 35 wins in the Intaj Al-Saudiyya races and four in the Sibaq Al-Hajjanah category, bringing their overall tally to 131 wins.

Emirati-owned camels ranked second with 35 victories, followed by Qatar with 27. Kuwaiti and Omani owners recorded three wins each, while Bahrain registered one victory.