Adam Thomas has claimed David Haye lied to him while they were in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa camp, leaving the actor at a complete loss for words
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
22:37, 29 Apr 2026
Adam Thomas has opened up about a conversation with David Haye(Image: YouTube/AtHomeWithTheThomasBros)
Adam Thomas has claimed David Haye lied during their time on I’m A Celeb. The Waterloo Road star was crowned the winner of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa last week during a tense live final.
Throughout the series, former boxer Haye came under fire for comments he made, including branding his girlfriend, Sian, an “ugly duckling”. He said: “She’s like tall, blue eyes. She’s lovely. She’s got the personality of a proper ugly bird.” He added that “ugly girls” need to have “a personality and banter,” to overlook “the fact that they’re not aesthetically amazing”.
Elsewhere, when Adam, who suffers from psoriatic arthritis, stated he didn’t feel physically able to take part in a trial, Haye branded him “useless,” adding he didn’t “give a s**t”. While the pre-recorded show was airing, Adam explained that he felt “broken” in the camp and considered leaving.
Adam has now spoken out on his podcast, claiming that David lied to him in an attempt to rile him up. Despite his struggles in the camp, Adam never spoke to anybody about his feelings. “I didn’t talk about it to anyone,” he told his brothers, Scott and Ryan on At Home With The Thomas Bros.
He went on to say: “It wasn’t until I was with David, and I came back from this trial, and he was goading me about fainting, that’s when I finally had the courage to go, ‘Listen, shut up now, enough is enough’.
“He got pulled to the Bush Telegraph, and then he came out and he sat me down and said, ‘They’re worried about your mental health. They’ve told me to stop now. Have you been crying about me in there?’
“So that was when I realised, I was like, ‘So, they know, they know what’s been going on’, and that upset me more. Because it’s the fact that I’ve never once talked about [David] or mentioned what [David’s] done to me in here to them.”
Adam later confronted the producers of the show to ask why they would disclose such information to David, who confirmed that there had been no conversation about Adam’s mental health. “I asked David when I got out and he said ‘Yeah, I just made it all up,'” Adam said.
He fumed: “I was like, ‘Wow, you really fu***ng manipulated the s*** out of me!'” Following the dramatic final, Ant and Dec broke their silence tonight, branding it “weird”.
In the preview to their podcast Hanging Out with Ant & Dec, the duo joked about the chaos from the event, with Ant joking, “If you didn’t see it, I bet you read about it!”
“It was quite the night!” said Dec, promising to explain the “ins and outs” of the event. Ant replied: “It was a weird night of TV,” adding that there were “walk-outs” Highlighting the main topics of the upcoming podcast episode, the pair promised to discuss Jimmy Bullard as Dec said: “The first question was to Jimmy about why did you call I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.”
Ant added in response: “On the night I said I disagreed with him,” likely speaking about Jimmy Bullard, whom Ant publicly disagreed with when Jimmy asked him to confirm that Adam was aggressive on the show.
Adam Thomas has revealed David Haye reached out to him following his I’m A Celebrity win, but admits he fired back a blunt response as he opens up on his tough journey in camp
07:39, 29 Apr 2026Updated 07:42, 29 Apr 2026
Adam Thomas and David Haye(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Days after the chaotic final, Adam Thomas has candidly opened up on his time in the I’m A Celebrity camp and explained exactly what went on between him and ex-boxer David Haye. The duo were embroiled in a bullying row on the ITV show and soap star Adam has now had his say.
The actor said he feels ‘dead inside and numb’ and claimed he wouldn’t have appeared on the show again even if he was paid ‘£10million’ , saying the ordeal has ‘eaten away at his soul.’ Adam said he felt the colour ‘drain from his face’ when Ant and Dec announced him as the winner as his worst nightmare came true.
While David is reportedly planning to sue the broadcaster for their portrayal of him in camp, Adam admits he believes the footage showed was the truth. He also revealed that David, who insists his alleged ‘bullying’ was nothing but ‘banter’ reached out to him over the weekend.
Speaking on his The Thomas Bro’s podcast with brothers Scott and Ryan Thomas, Adam said: Adam went on: “The most disturbing is that I look at David and even after the show and after everything he did, you know he sent me a voice note and was like ‘oh mate, what a great show that was. I’m so happy you won. Congratulations.'”
And he revealed the blunt message he sent his former campmate back. “I just sent him a message back just saying, you know ‘I think this is where we draw the line and I hope that you find happiness bro, but I’m done.'”
Adam said: “The relationship with me and David is even after the camp, even after he told me [out of camp] ‘you’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met and I just wanted to break you’, like, it’s cool. He apologised. I moved on.
“You know, we had voice messages back and forth and we’d just been bantering and having a laugh. I’d just put it all to bed. I think for David and some of the campmates that have come out and been on the live show and everything, I feel like it’s just a show for them. It’s entertainment. It’s fun. For me, it’s not about entertainment. I’m not playing a character or here for anyone else’s agenda. I’m just here to have a laugh and have fun and enjoy this experience.”
The actor said he felt he was “exploited” in the live show. “I think you can see at the end of it, I felt like I was just in the mist of it all and it wasn’t even about me.”
In camp, David was slammed for branding Adam “useless” after he declined to participate in a trial due to a medical condition. Meanwhile, Adam and Jimmy clashed when Jimmy withdrew from a trial, leaving Adam at risk of being sent home early.
Despite the show being filmed months in advance, things hadn’t eased between the trio. On Friday, as Adam was crowned, Haye reportedly goaded the star saying: “You’re not a worthy winner,” before Adam fumed: “This is bullying.”
Gemma Collins stuck up for Adam after his win, calling out David and Jimmy’s actions. Sharing a snap of the star wearing his crown, Gemma fumed: “What a show up!!! Absolutely disgusted with Jimmy and David’s behaviour, the biggest show up in TV history!!! What an embarrassment! To all the took part in the show it was a discredit to the production crew, cast, Ant and Dec biggest disrespect ever!
“Last night was meant to be a celebration instead it was very upsetting!! X Let’s hope Adam will find some energy to absorb his victory!”
Gemma Collins has doubled down on her opinion that David Haye and Jimmy Bullard’s behaviour was ‘disgusting’ in the live I’m A Celebrity final, which crowned Adam Thomas as Jungle Legend
07:17, 27 Apr 2026Updated 07:18, 27 Apr 2026
Jimmy Bullard, Gemma Collins and David Haye
The I’m A Celebrity fallout continues and Gemma Collins isn’t prepared to let it lie. The former Towie favourite is very much Team Adam in the feud between Adam Thomas, David Haye and Jimmy Bullard.
And she has once again hit out at the former sports stars, doubling down that their behaviour in the live final was “disgusting”. The GC reposted claims the duo had been kicked out of the live show and again took aim at the pair.
Referencing the alleged kicking out Gemma wrote: “Good job!” She went on: “Behaviour [sic] was disgusting for rest of cast the right move was made as we all felt so uncomfortable.”
The words echoed Gemma’s statement a day earlier as she once again raged at the pair’s antics. While Jimmy called Adam’s behaviour “intimidating” after the former Fulham player’s decision to quit the show almost cost Adam his place, David has been labelled a “bully”.
David admitted in his exit chat he may have taken the “banter” too far, but Adam says he actions left him “broken”. And Gemma firmly stuck up for her soap star pal.
Tristan then said: “Because someone was bullying Adam.” Gemma went on: “And it was hard to see wasn’t it?. And did it ruin our night? Upset us very much? And what has it taught us in life?
Tristan continued: “Never bully.” As she spoke to her fans, Gemma added: “Adam, it was really difficult to sit there and watch you go through that last night. It was disgusting. And what a shame because we all…I mean the jealousy is real.”
During the live show, Gemma stormed off stage as the heated arguments took place. Ant McPartlin, who initially had tried chatting to the trio about the events, even appeared agitated with how things were playing out.
Body language expert, Judi James, told the Mirror: “You could see the rigid, unhappy and blank poker faces of Gemma [Collins], Scarlett [Moffatt] and Ashley [Roberts] as the lead men continued to steal the spotlight by continuing their arguments during the live final. Gemma, Scarlett and Ashley looked drained and resigned here while the battle for screen time raged about them.”
She added: “When Gemma walked, Ant reached peak anger signals. Dec stopped mirroring him here and it was Ant taking total control as authoritative leader.
“His angry stare suggested this was not an act for the camera, and he stabbed both hands onto his own chest in a gesture that signalled he was in charge before engaging in a pointed finger ‘duel’ with Jimmy. There was one final, stabbing point gesture from Ant that should have warned Jimmy that he needed to stop.”
After back-to-back appearances at both weekends of Coachella, David Lee Roth popped out Saturday at Stagecoach to sing Van Halen’s “Jump” with Teddy Swims for the third (and final?) time. To discuss what he called his “three-peat,” I caught up later with the 71-year-old singer, who wore a bedazzled jacket and a leather vest.
Have you bought property in Indio? Do you just live here now? No, I’ve bought property in the American musical fabric that extends beyond time frame, that extends beyond shoes and haircuts. It includes cowboy hats and yarmulkes.
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Next weekend this place is gonna be barren. Will you be back to sing “Jump” with nobody? There’ll be plenty of people here for the Diamond Dave Big Rig Trucking School and Day Care Center.
You’re on your own tour right now. How are those shows going? They go exquisitely because if you enjoy what you saw onstage [tonight], it’s that times 22 songs.
Twenty-two songs in the set. Oh yeah. I wrote every word that I sing, I wrote every note that I sing — all the melodies — and I stacked all the harmonies. Ed [Van Halen], of course, contributed all the great guitar parts. And we wrote all of those parts literally sitting in a tiny little alcove room where you put a washer and a dryer. We would sit knee-to-knee the room was so small, and he’d play the electric guitar. His mom wouldn’t let him plug in because it would be too loud, so I had to lean over. Every song that you know of Van Halen, I heard from an unplugged-in electric guitar from four inches away, going, “Too long.”
Tighten it up. Cut it short. All great musicians finish long after the ending.
Last time we talked, you said you were wearing Artemis II. What’s the outfit tonight? This is classic Nudie’s western wear from Lankershim. This is from the ’50s. This has been all over the world. This is made by Nudie’s of Hollywood, who made all of Roy Rogers’ and Jean Autry’s [clothes] and all of “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “Rawhide’s” wear. Look up Nudie of Hollywood, OK? This baby’s worth more than my shoes, and they’re custom-made. This jacket’s worth more than my teeth — same thing.
Body language expert, Judi James, gives her analysis of the battle between the male stars during the clash on the I’m A Celebrity… South Africa live final and she reveals who came out on top
Ant McPartlin was seen embroiled in a heated exchange with Jimmy Bullard(Image: W8)
Male dominance took centre stage as the stars of the I’m A Celebrity… South Africa final battled out their differences during the live final on Friday night. Campmates Jimmy Bullard and David Haye clashed with show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in tense scenes.
Speaking to the Mirror, leading body language expert Judi James shared her take on the shocking scenes that unfolded onscreen as she admitted seeing the men embroiled in a conflict rooted in a desire to obtain attention and the spotlight. Judi explained: “For this series the winning of that spotlight looked brutal, with arguments being the main form of currency to get attention on the final show here.
“You could see the rigid, unhappy and blank poker faces of Gemma [Collins], Scarlett [Moffatt] and Ashley [Roberts] as the lead men continued to steal the spotlight by continuing their arguments during the live final. Gemma, Scarlett and Ashley looked drained and resigned here while the battle for screen time raged about them.”
Judi also pointed out how Ant appeared to be particularly ‘angry’ as he fought to maintain his “professional authority” in the midst of the chaos. She continued: “And the rage did look real, especially from Ant, whose professional authority as host and as real star of the show with Dec also became compromised, leading to a stand-up spat between Ant and Jimmy.
“Jimmy made this show about him by dominating air time that should have been evenly dispersed. It became the Jimmy show and that appeared to be David’s cue to try to regain some attention by joining in. David’s body language display suggested a strong desire to gain profile interest and power by performing a full splay, throwing his arms out wide in a signature pose from his time in the ring.
“It suggested a desire to hold alpha status in the group too and it prompted Ant and Dec to try to close him down with an authoritative approach and some ‘cancelling’ hand gestures to stop a new conflict.
“At this point we could also see Sinitta vying to gain attention from her end with a raised arm and point. When she walked we could also see how she showboated to the cameras on the way out in an attention fight-back, whereas Gemma just walked out in what looked like genuine frustration.”
Judi then highlighted how one male cast member tried to disassociate himself from the antics of the others as Ant showed his position as the “authoritative leader.” She continued: “In one key moment of conflict we had David splaying, Jimmy standing and Harry Redknapp puffing dramatically and looking down to exit from any connection to the drama.
“When Gemma walked, Ant reached peak anger signals. Dec stopped mirroring him here and it was Ant taking total control as authoritative leader.
“His angry stare suggested this was not an act for the camera, and he stabbed both hands onto his own chest in a gesture that signalled he was in charge before engaging in a pointed finger ‘duel’ with Jimmy. There was one final, stabbing point gesture from Ant that should have warned Jimmy that he needed to stop.”
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Sir David Jason has opened up on the prospect of an Only Fools and Horses revival, saying ‘let’s go for it’
14:02, 25 Apr 2026Updated 14:03, 25 Apr 2026
Only Fools Horses was a huge hit for the BBC(Image: Getty Images)
Television icon Sir David Jason has spoken candidly about a potential revival of Only Fools and Horses – but acknowledges there’s one significant obstacle to resurrecting the beloved sitcom.
The BBC programme ran for seven series and 16 Christmas specials between 1981 and 2003 and is frequently voted the UK’s greatest ever sitcom. Only Fools transformed Sir David and co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst, who portrayed wheeler dealer brothers Derek and Rodney Trotter, into household names.
However, while there have been spin-offs in the subsequent 23 years, alongside a successful stage production, there hasn’t been a return to fresh TV episodes.
Sir David, 86, declared “let’s go for it” – but only if they “get a good script”. The actor believes this might prove somewhat problematic as the programme’s creator, John Sullivan, passed away in 2011. The Only Fools star described the scriptwriter as “a genius”.
He told the Daily Telegraph: “But the problem (with a TV revival) is that the man who created it is no longer with us. He wrote every episode and just happened to be a genius.
“I’m not so sure that we have a writer clever enough to take on his mantle. No one could write characters like he could. Providing we have a good script, let’s go for it!” reports the Express.
The Only Fools creator died in April 2011, six weeks after contracting viral pneumonia. Only Fools and Horses The Musical, penned by Paul Whitehouse and John Sullivan’s son Jim Sullivan, enjoyed a West End run spanning more than four years before concluding in April 2023. The programme centred on the Trotter brothers, market traders from working-class Peckham in south-east London, chronicling their schemes to strike it rich fast.
Sir David also shared his thoughts on cancel culture, as Only Fools and Horses repeats now feature trigger warnings. He revealed no one has criticised the programme to him directly.
The actor continued: “Not one person has ever complained about any show that I have done. No one has said they didn’t believe in it or didn’t enjoy it.”
Meanwhile, Sir David delivered a heartbreaking eight-word response after viewing a lost Only Fools scene.
The actor reunited with Tessa Peake-Jones, who portrayed his on-screen partner Raquel Turner. The duo filmed a new docuseries, Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive. The two-part programme featured the show’s stars watching previously unseen material from more than 10 classic episodes.
Grantchester actress Tessa has revealed that David made an emotional remark about the cast being “so young and so successful” while revisiting footage of himself and his co-stars.
Speaking on Lorraine, she shared: “David Jason was very, very poignant about it. There was one bit where he was like, ‘We were so young and so successful then.’ It’s quite depressing.”
Actor David Jason has reflected on the highs and secrets of Open All Hours as he took on one of the most iconic comedy roles on television in the 1980s
David Jason and Ronnie Barker were a perfect comedy duo(Image: BBC)
Sir David Jason famously landed two iconic comedy roles in the 1980s. One was the lead in Only Fools and Horses as wheeler dealer Del Boy Trotter.
The other was playing second fiddle to Ronnie Barker as unlucky-in-love errand boy Granville in Open All Hours. With such a workload, some actors might have ditched the co-star role and concentrated solely on being ‘the star of the show. But not Sir David.
Looking back on Open All Hours’ 50 th anniversary, he says he would never have turned his back on the loveable put-upon corner shop assistant. He says: “I was never grand about ‘Oh I’m above playing Granville.. I have got my own series.’ No, I was just happy to be doing another character which was so different. I had this character that was the total opposite. The leading man, the driving force, the wheeler dealer.”
Open All Hours is regarded as one of Britain’s top classic sitcoms. Viewers fell in love with penny-pinching stuttering shopkeeper Albert Arkwright (played by the late Ronnie Barker) and his endless efforts to woo ‘the lust of his life’ – the very buxom Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (the late Lynda Baron) while a string of regular customers would pop in and out of the shop in Yorkshire often being conned by his latest crafty tricks.
Added into the mix was Arkwright’s over-worked shy and awkward nephew Granville played by Sir David. The show was made for Ronnie in 1973 as one of seven new comedy pilots by the BBC who had lured him away from LWT to work for them.
Sir David, who is now 86, was excited to be among its cast as it meant working with the comic genius. Their paths had crossed when he appeared in his sketch show Hark at Barker in 1969 and he claims he learned so much from him over their years together.
In a new TV special called Open All Hours: Inside Out marking its 50 th anniversary this year, Sir David pays a fond tribute to the legendary funny man saying: “I couldn’t wait to work with him to see what I could learn from him.
“When we first started to work together he was a big star and I was in his shadow for years. Ronnie was at the top of his trade if you like. The rest of us crawled about underneath desperately trying to learn how to be as clever as Ronnie B but with that came the generosity of spirit he was so wonderful to work with he was good fun and he was respectful.
“It was a huge learning curve in my career to work with Ronnie B. It was a great journey to have travelled with him and learned his respect for showbiz and what it meant to be in it and to entertain people. A brilliant man.”
Audience research for the pilot of Open All Hours was very positive but the BBC wanted Ronnie for another show called Prisoner and Escort (which became Porridge). It meant Arkwright and Granville stayed on the shelf for three more years as the comedy was not fully commissioned until 1976.
But there was unrest about its scheduling on BBC Two on a Friday at 9pm. Writer Roy Clarke calls it ‘terrible’ and adds: “That was the equivalent of burying it.”
Even Sir David comments: “BBC One would have had the kudos over BBC Two but at least it was going out I suppose.”
Ratings for series one topped more than six million each week but, remarkably, the BBC went cold on the show. They wanted Ronnie to do more Porridge and more of The Two Ronnies with his pal Ronnie Corbett and writer Roy busied himself penning more episodes of Last Of The Summer Wine.
Meanwhile, Sir David landed the lead role in a new ITV sitcom called A Sharp Intake of Breath in 1977 and then in 1981 he was cast as Del Boy in a new BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.
It was an immediate hit.
But at the same time, the Beeb decided to revive Open All Hours for a second series. This time it was scheduled to go out on BBC One. Sir David had no hesitation in juggling both roles as he loved playing Granville and knew fans loved the character too.
He says: “Granville appealed to the viewers as people saw a bit of themselves in him – a dreamer who wanted to see the world. Granville was wistful and a bit romantic. I was so happy to be working with that sort of personality.”
Ratings for the sitcom soared with an average of 13 million viewers tuning in. In addition to its main stars, the shop’s badly behaved till became a character in its own right. And the Carry On style humour appealed to the masses especially when Nurse Gladys used to comfort Granville in her ample breasts – something which always made Arkwright jealous.
Sir David now recalls those scenes with a chuckle: “She was so padded everywhere you couldn’t get any pleasure about being pulled into her bosoms.”
Open All Hours bowed out in 1985 after 26 episodes and even beat Corrie in the ratings. It always remained popular whenever it was repeated but fans never expected to see the corner shop again especially since Ronnie passed away in 2005 aged 76.
However, in 2012, Sir David went to the BBC head of comedy with an idea for a sequel. He says: “I always wondered what would have happened to Granville if Arkwright left the shop to him.. and the rest is history as they say.”
And in 2014, Still Open All Hours was launched with the actor reprising the role. However, the new twist was that Arkwright had died and left the shop to Granville who had turned into a miser just like his uncle and was now tormenting his errand boy son Leroy played by James Baxter.
James says: “I had the toughest role. I was nervous at the beginning but I was in very safe hands with David. He built this world, him and Ronnie and Roy so I never felt too scared. Arkwright and Granville are icons of British comedy. I will stand in that shadow. That is fine by me.”
Some characters from the original made appearances too including Lynda Baron, Stephanie Cole and Maggie Ollerenshaw. It was a huge hit and ran for six series. A seventh was planned but ended up being cancelled when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and the series was shelved for good.
Sir David – who has also starred in The Darling Buds of May, A Touch Of Frost and A Bit Of A Do – comments: “I always felt it would be nice to see how we round it all up so that we the audience would go ‘Oh that’s lovely, you know’.”
His wish is granted in the new TV special as he gets to dust down his old shopkeeper overcoat one more time as Granville for a final sketch penned by Roy Clarke. And he jokes about the script: “It might be rude. Knowing Roy Clarke it might be very rude.”
On the show’s 50 th anniversary he concludes: ““It’s as much as that? 50 years? Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun? I was so lucky to work with such lovely people who were so good at their job and had a wonderful sense of humour because this is what it is all about.”
*Open All Hours: Inside Outairs onU&OriginalsonThursday 7 Mayat8pm.
ATLANTA — U.S. Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat and the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has died. He was 80.
Scott, who was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party, was once a leading voice for Democrats on issues related to farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the party’s moderate Blue Dog caucus. But he faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health, enduring a primary challenge in 2024 and facing another one at the time of his death.
Democrats on Capitol Hill praised the longtime lawmaker.
“The news of Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on Wednesday.
“David Scott was a trailblazer who served district that he represented admirably, rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House Ag Committee,” Jeffries said. “He cared about the people that he represented. He was fiercely committed to getting things done for the people of the great state of Georgia, and he’ll be deeply missed.”
News of Scott’s death came during the Congressional Black Caucus’ weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill. The Black Caucus’ chair, Rep. Yvette Clarke, told lawmakers at the outset of the meeting, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss a private conversation. Many lawmakers in the room, some of whom had served with Scott for decades, were shocked and saddened by the news.
Scott’s death slightly widens Republicans’ narrow House majority going into the thick of this midterm election year.
The congressman was not especially active on the campaign trail in 2026. But he had been dismissive of pressure to retire.
“Thank God I’m in good health, moving and doing the people’s work,” Scott said in 2024.
David Albert Scott was born in rural Aynor, South Carolina, on June 27, 1945, in the era of Jim Crow segregation. He graduated from Florida A&M University, one of the nation’s largest historically Black college campuses — and in office he was an outspoken advocate for federal support of HBCUs. Scott also earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
He was already a veteran state lawmaker in Georgia before being elected to Congress in 2002.
Barrow, Brown and Amy write for the Associated Press. Brown reported from Washington.
It’s not only easy to get lost in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries, it’s inevitable, intentional — and one of the best things about the place.
The museum has deconstructed the traditional, boxy narrative of art history and rendered the story itself a matter of curves and continuities. Art in the collection is freed from its departmental silos and put into conversation across genre lines, place and time.
The museum has physically invalidated the binaries of center and periphery, major and minor arts. In a startling and largely gratifying way, LACMA has done what the poet Audre Lorde, alluding to a different but not unrelated aspect of patriarchal dominance, deemed impossible: used the master’s tools to dismantle the master’s house.
The change goes far beyond a remodel. It’s a reinvention, a recalibration, a revisionist fever dream.
The vision conceived by museum director and Chief Executive Michael Govan and architect Peter Zumthor is not perfect, and brings with it a modest set of frustrations, but as a whole, the installation registers as ravishing and bracingly fresh. It thrusts us midstream into the ageless, ceaseless flow of makers worldwide reckoning with life, earth and being.
It prompts us, as we bob about, to reflect on our own proclivities and preconceptions, our patterns of reception and perception.
It compels us to recognize that what matters is not just what we see in the museum but how we see, what pulls us close and why, what private histories we bring to the occasion, what expectations, what tools.
Over two visits to the new building, getting my physical bearings mattered less and less as I surrendered to the generative sensations of not knowing. The museum has produced a dense guidebook to the new galleries, whose title, “Wander,” doubles as invitation and imperative. Even at 430 pages, the book is only minimally useful as an orientation device. For help with that internal navigation, Rebecca Solnit’s moving 2005 book, “A Field Guide to Getting Lost,” proved a better compass.
LACMA’s guidebook to the David Geffen Galleries, called “Wander,” doubles as invitation and imperative.
(Museum Associates / LACMA)
Solnit, citing the cultural critic Walter Benjamin, writes, “to be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully present is to be capable of being in uncertainty and mystery.” She goes on to recall how roaming freely as a child was key to developing self-reliance, which feels apt to the LACMA strategy. We are put in charge of making our own way, through tapestries and tea sets, past ancient jug and contemporary sphinx, without heavy-handed authoritative direction.
The history of art reads here as one long, free verse poem-in-progress, gorgeous and absorbing. Even so, many of the most memorable moments come in the form of cogent micro-essays, smartly curated ensembles of work bearing a legible, lucid premise. Some of these are contained within four (rectilinear) walls; some occupy less demarcated spaces. “Tonal Variations: Photography and Music,” for instance, gathers images by Paul Caponigro, William Eggleston, Lisette Model and others. These artists were also serious pianists, attuned, no matter which instrument they were using, to the qualities of rhythm, pattern and progression.
Lisette Model, “Window at 5th Avenue,” 1940, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
(Museum Associates / LACMA)
In a section headed “The Global Appeal of Blue-and-White Ceramics,” a long display case houses a timeline articulated sculpturally. The sequence advances from a 9th century bowl made in Iraq to a 13th century vessel from China, a 14th century example from Thailand, another from 15th century Syria, up to work by a 20th century German artist who transformed a functional vessel into personal adornment by cutting a string of beads out of the planar surface of the bowl.
Dish, Turkey, Iznik, c. 1530-35, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
(Museum Associates / LACMA)
On the wall facing this display is a huge vitrine containing an 18th century Talavera jar from Mexico, paired with a 2025/26 color photograph by Brooklyn-based Stephanie H. Shih. In the still-life composition, a cheeky visual lesson on the collision and convergence of cultures, the jar holds flowers, cactus and edible Mexican treats influenced by Chinese and Filipino flavors.
Top, Stephanie H. Shih, 梅國 “(Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo),” (2025- 26); bottom, Jar (c. 1700-50)
(Museum Associates / LACMA)
Shih is one of a handful of artists commissioned to create new work using the museum’s collection as muse. L.A.-based Lauren Halsey is another. Her formidable, untitled 2026 sphinx regally commands its space among ancient Egyptian and Roman sculpture, a marvel of the cross-temporal and cross-spatial, spiked with specific references to Black self-determination.
Setting recent works among older ones is an effective element of LACMA’s overall plan to shed outworn hierarchies. It recasts every piece of art by every artist throughout the single-story space as equally relevant. The seamless integration of old and new feels stealthy, and a touch subversive, a doubling-down on the museum’s approach to time as nonlinear, sinuous and delightfully slippery.
Lauren Halsey’s untitled 2026 sphinx.
(Museum Associates / LACMA)
That said, a few words readily available would help connect the dots without undermining the provocation. Text — where and how it appears, or doesn’t — is my only major complaint about the installation of the new galleries.
Text panels announce, in one or two paragraphs, the themes of each given section: “Images of the Divine in South Asia”; “The Evolution of Abstract Painting in Modern Korea”; “Textile Conversations: Africa and Black America.” Individual object labels are kept minimal, containing only basic identification about each work, no commentary. When asked about this decision during my first walkthrough, Govan replied that more time reading means less time looking — “and we have the internet.” Every thematic text panel has a QR code that links to the Bloomberg Connects app, an aggregate guide to museums and other cultural sites that offers selected, augmented entries.
Determining how much didactic information is insightful and sufficient, and how much constitutes excessive artsplaining, is a delicate, ongoing challenge for museums. Where LACMA landed on this contested plain strikes me as unfortunate and counterproductive.
A few lines of explanation or context on a wall label can add perspective for even the most informed visitor, and provides crucial support to those with less foundational exposure and access to art.
You can take or leave text on a wall without breaking your stride, but text accessed via QR code is another matter. (Never mind that connectivity is spotty inside a sprawling concrete shell, and several times when I tried to get information from the app, I couldn’t.) Encouraging us to shift our gaze from the wall to our devices — to assume that accursed downward tilt of the neck when splendors abound before our eyes — is simply detrimental. It breaks the spell of being fruitfully lost in the present, and retethers us to the digital distractions that dominate our days.
Wall text beside Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies of Lucian Freud” (1969), at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
(Museum Associates / LACMA)
Shouldn’t the imaginative minds that created this space, this opportunity to revel in direct sensual experience, want us to keep our attention where our bodies are? Why this fallback to current convention, when the rest of the experience is about radical reinvention? This feels like a missed opportunity. I’m hoping a more experimental, exploratory approach to providing information, context and interpretation, in keeping with the rest of the enterprise, might yet come.
Does the new structure serve the art? Mostly, very well.
The lighting is varied, treated as another texture in the space, palpable and rich. There’s a generous amount of natural sunlight, but some spots are noticeably dim. Some gallery walls are glazed in deep hues (reddish and eggplant), and the intensity of the color is jarring at first. But neutral, white-box viewing spaces (with even, predictable lighting) can be found elsewhere on LACMA’s campus and pretty much anywhere art is shown. Here, the very irregularity of the interior environment, including the concrete surfaces — richer and more textured than I expected — heightened my alertness. And keener senses tend to make for more consequential experiences.
In deciding how to organize roughly 2,000 works of art across 110,000 square feet of exhibition space, LACMA devised a conceptual schema that isn’t apparent in the galleries themselves. The “Wander” guide maps out the division of the space into four regions correlating to bodies of water: the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. While the zones and their boundaries aren’t indicated by obvious signage, and I caught one laughable categorization (Ansel Adams’ photographs of the Pacific shoreline landing in the Atlantic section), this schema at least doesn’t get in the way.
And what does work about the propositional structure is its comprehensive realignment. It moves to retire art historical frameworks of the past, dependent on borders between places and times.
Throughout this installation, we are repeatedly reminded of the impact of trade and migration, the fluid movement of resources and belief systems. We’re reminded of porousness and simultaneity, and that all art histories are, in the end, propositional structures.
Here’s a new one, the Geffen Galleries say. Try it out. You might get lost. Indeed, you will get lost. And what wonders await you in the uncertainty and mystery.
NATALIE Appleton’s son Ace looked every inch the grown-up rockstar as he attended a new Bowie exhibition with his famous Mum.
The pair posed on the red carpet at the opening night of David Bowie: You’re Not Alone at The Lightroom in London.
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Natalie poses with her rockstar son Ace at the Bowie exhibitionCredit: GettyNatalie and Ace spent some quality time together at the eventCredit: GettyNatalie posed proudly on the red carpet alongside Ace who towered over herCredit: Getty
Natalie also has an older daughter, Rachel, 33, from a previous relationship with Dreamboys stripper Carl Robinson.
Despite their fame, Natalie and Liam have kept their family life relatively private, choosing to let their son carve out his own path.
And it seems that approach has paid off, with Ace now making a name for himself on the London music scene in his own right.
Following in the footsteps of his musical parents, Ace is bass guitarist for the Camden-based group, Pedestrian Band, with his proud Mum known to plug his music on her socials.
Ace’s band Pedestrian are still emerging on the London indie scene, but they’re already turning heads with their experimental sound.
The trio have released their debut EP and built a cult following, earning a reputation as one of Camden’s most exciting up-and-coming acts.
The exhibition received a thumbs up from AceCredit: GettyAce’s Auntie is All Saints star Nicole AppletonCredit: GettyAce is making a name for himself on the Camden music sceneCredit: Instagram/Natalie Appleton
Prodigy star Liam and Natalie have been a couple for 25 yearsCredit: Getty – Contributor
While he isn’t relying on his famous surname, Ace is well-connected in music, with cousin Gene Gallagher, son of Nicole Appleton and Liam Gallagher.
Meanwhile, Natalie and her sister Nicole shot to fame in 1996 alongside Shaznay Lewis and Melanie Blatt in the girl band All Saints.
The group proved a massive hit and brought fans songs like Pure Shores, Black Coffee, and Never Ever.
The foursome became huge stars, with Nicole and Natalie going on to date some big celebrities, before settling down with Liam.
Nicole once had a high-profile with Robbie Williams between 1997 and 1999, which included an engagement and a terminated pregnancy.
Natalie and Ace attended the launch of Lightroom’s latest exhibition of immersive Bowie content projected onto it’s 11-metre-high walls and floor.
The hour-long experience features live recordings, interviews and unseen footage from the David Bowie Archive.
With a huge sound system and Bowie as narrator, it’s considered the closest to experiencing the late icon live.
Tickets are priced from £25 for adults and £15 for students and concessions.
Nicole Appleton and Liam Gallagher shortly after Gene was born in 2001Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdAll Saints were one of the biggest acts of the 90sCredit: Getty
Amid the bustle and glitz of last week’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, one question loomed over the annual trade convention — how will the proposed Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery deal affect the movie theater business?
That anxiety showed up in a state of the industry speech from Cinema United trade group President Michael O’Leary, who reiterated his organization’s opposition to further industry consolidation.
It showed up in a trailer for Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming film “Spaceballs: The New One,” when a voiceover poked fun at Hollywood studios “merging willy-nilly” as images of the Paramount sign and Warner Bros. water tower flashed across the screen.
And the subject again took center stage — literally — when Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison himself gave a speech during his studio’s presentation at Caesars Palace. He sought to reassure the assembled movie theater operators and exhibition executives that the combined company would indeed release a minimum of 30 films a year.
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“I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and give you my word,” he said during an onstage speech, in which he also committed to a 45-day theatrical window and 90-day period before films go to streaming services. “People can speculate all they want, but I am standing here today telling you personally that you can count on our complete commitment. And we’ll show you we mean it.”
It’s true that Paramount has nearly doubled its theatrical releases since Ellison took over. As he noted in his speech, the storied studio is now planning 15 films this year, up from eight in 2025.
But as I’ve written previously, theater owners and other studio executives question how releasing 30 movies a year across the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. would work — not only in terms of giving each film the proper marketing campaign to succeed in theaters but also because of the massive cost cuts that will inevitably occur once the merger is final.
Still, Ellison’s commitment to 30 films a year got a round of enthusiastic applause — and at least one high-profile boost.
A day earlier, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Adam Aron told me in an interview that he backed Ellison’s takeover of Warner, saying he and AMC believed in the tech scion’s talent as a filmmaker and a movie executive, as well as his pledge to release those 30 films a year.
“We’re enthusiastic that David will fulfill his promises,” Aron said. “And that in the end, this will prove to be a good thing for our company and our industry.”
Not everyone shares that enthusiasm.
More than 4,000 people have now signed an open letter opposing the Paramount-Warner deal, arguing that consolidating two studios will lessen consumer choice and job opportunities for creatives, particularly at a time when Hollywood is already struggling. (Notable signatories include “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, actors Glenn Close and Emma Thompson, as well as director and producer JJ Abrams.)
O’Leary of Cinema United similarly wasn’t convinced.
“While recent pledges attempt to address the threats of consolidation to our industry, they are not yet sufficient in addressing our concerns,” he said in a statement released hours after Ellison’s speech. “We remain open to tangible commitments that will ensure a vibrant global theatrical exhibition industry for years to come.”
Elsewhere at CinemaCon, the mood was upbeat.
Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy struck a triumphant tone after an award-winning year for the studio, capped off by the best picture win for “One Battle After Another.”
They unveiled footage from new films like the upcoming “Digger” from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and brought out lead actor Tom Cruise to a sustained standing ovation from the audience. And both De Luca and Abdy espoused optimism for the future of the theatrical business. The studio plans to release 14 films this year and as many as 18 for 2027.
“The film business has always required smart betting, and we have 4 billion reasons from last year to think we’re holding the right cards,” De Luca said during the presentation, referring to the studio’s worldwide box office revenue last year.
“We all know they’re not all going to work. That comes with taking swings,” Abdy said of the studios’ films. “There’s no version of this business that’s risk-free. But our job is to step up, make our bets and own it when it doesn’t work.”
But the end of the presentation felt more somber, with the executives asking the heads of Warner Bros.’ labels to come to the stage and be recognized. Shortly after, they asked Warner Bros. employees in the audience to stand for applause. It was hard to escape the feeling that this may be the end of an era.
As my colleague Meg James reported, the cuts hit Disney’s television and movie studios, sports giant ESPN, its product and technology unit, corporate functions and marketing. Even Marvel Studios’ visual development team was affected.
The layoffs are one of the first major moves under new Disney Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro, who took the reins of the company last month. In a message to employees, he said the company needed to “constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs.”
What I’m watching
Some friends and I watched “Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare” this past weekend, a truly eye-opening documentary that explains what happened during the March 11, 2011, nuclear accident and whether the world has learned anything from it.
During a recent Zoom interview from his studio in Switzerland, Peter Zumthor offered a candid look at the making of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries.
The Pritzker Prize-winning architect addressed long-standing criticisms of the building and answered questions about his craft. He noted that the structure is a rejection of the overly “slick” architecture he believes defines the present moment, and shed light on the building’s early development, describing a contained process in which the concept was shaped before being presented to the public.
Finally, he discussed the broader ambition of the endeavor: dissolving traditional circulation and prioritizing emotional experience over institutional order.
The following interview excerpts have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
You are well–known as both an architect and a craftsman. I think the biggest place for that focus was the concrete. I’m curious about how you formed it. It’s not the typical museum concrete.
I work like an artist in building. This means I custom-make buildings. I can use a few standard details or products, like in the basement. But where the building has an identity, becomes visible, it’s almost all handmade. I have an image of what I want to do, what the building should do, how it should look. So I need people who can help me make custom-made products.
The people who did the formwork — the concrete pouring — [worked in] groups of 100 or more. They were fantastic. They loved their work. At the beginning, formwork leaked on a door, and it looked terrible. They said, “Peter, we’re sorry. We made a mistake. We can fix this. You will not see this afterwards.” But if you make a mistake, you cannot mend it, because what you’re doing here is a concrete sculpture. Sculptures are never mended.
It’s not a perfectly smooth concrete. I’m assuming that’s on purpose?
I love this kind of rawness. This was what I gladly learned. Michael [Govan] in a very friendly, careful way let me know that he would like more “American details” and fewer “European details.” OK, my European details, they stand. That’s what I did 20, 30 years ago. My background as a furniture maker shows, and I can do this. But the challenge in this museum is to get the right “American” roughness. And I think I pretty much succeeded.
What I learned in California [came] back to Europe, and many times we now say in the office, “Let’s do this more L.A.-style.” Because we have too many slick magazines in the world. We have this corporate architecture which doesn’t want to see any touch of a hand. No mistakes. What we need is not refinement. We need wholehearted directness. This is what I take back from America. There’s a certain freshness. It’s not overly refined. I’m proud of that. The roughness has to do with our times. Because our time is slick and glossy, right? The time to make refined, slick architecture is over.
Horizontal light enters from floor-to-ceiling windows around the perimeter of LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries, which use concrete as a kind of living building material.
(Iwan Baan)
In a 2023 interview with [architecture critic] Christopher Hawthorne, you said there were no “Zumthor details” left in the building. Do you think there are any Zumthor details now?
Of course there are Zumthor details. And I love them. They are not Swiss details. I think Christopher got this wrong. I was actually proudly speaking of how I learned a new way of looking at details. It doesn’t have to be refined all the time.
[Editor’s note: Zumthor told Hawthorne verbatim, “There are no Zumthor details any more,” in the 2023 interview with the New York Times.]
There’s always a tension with every building when it comes to value engineering. Were there any other places where you would want [David Geffen Galleries] to be different?
Basically, I say no. I’m very proud of this building. This is what I wanted to do, and this is what Michael helped me to do. This is exactly it. It’s one of my children and I love it.
Do you see this approach as an evolution in your work? Or is it more specifically for L.A.?
L.A. has changed me. And it’s in a good way. I would [not] have changed and reacted to our slick times the same way without L.A.
There were complaints that the project, and the process, were not as public as some people thought they should be. What is your reaction to that criticism?
I think I can say this: Michael said, “We cannot make a competition or anything like it, because competitions in the U.S. always end up with a winner who doesn’t build because he found out his own way of staging this whole procedure. The first, the most important thing, is that we start on a small budget, just the two of us.” That’s what we did. So when we started to talk about this museum, it was him and me, basically, and he gave me a little bit of money. And he said, “There will come a time when we will have to show something to the public. Let’s see whether people say yes.” They could have said no, but I think what they saw at that point was already too convincing.
Architect Peter Zumthor speaks at the press preview for the David Geffen Galleries at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
(LACMA/ Museum Associates / Gary Leonard)
Because the museum’s not organized in a traditional way, it might be harder than normal to navigate for some people. It might be a little confusing. What do you say to that concern?
This will take some time, to see the benefits of this new type of museum. I think if you start to like this building in one corner or in another, or you get lost, you start to understand what it is all about. When something new comes, you have to learn, right? But I hope you can see this building never looks down on you. This building is, in a way, deeply human. And it lets you have your opinion.
There are people who have said, very loudly, this space shouldn’t have lost square footage. What is your response to that?
Small museums are beautiful, big museums tend to be really difficult. And the bigger the museum gets, the more difficult it is to make it easily accessible. So I’m very glad that this is not bigger. But it feels bigger.
What is this with bigness? What kind of a hang-up is this? You don’t have to be big. It has the right scale. We were often asked, “Can you experience this building and this collection in one day?” And we said, “Maybe. But maybe it will be better to come back.” Start from the other end. You have your own personal path. And then you research a little bit further. I think these are the beautiful ideas of how to experience the building. And I think it’s endless.
The interior of LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries encourages guests to wander and make their own connections rather than follow a linear path.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Can you go back to the beginning and talk about the core concept for the museum?
There are three major things that I always have to answer, whatever I do. What does the building do with the place? Does it help the place? Does it interpret the place? And then, what is the content of the building? What does the building have to do? Why are we building this?
To start out, there was a museum here which was modeled a bit after Lincoln Center. Later, it got clogged up with new buildings and you didn’t recognize the initial idea anymore. These things we took away. Whenever a building is there, whether it’s beautiful or ugly, it will always have grown into the soul of somebody. There will always be people saying, “No, no, I want to keep it.” This is part of my life. I understand this kind of thing always comes up.
The place was rather difficult because I couldn’t see any big urbanistic concept in L.A. L.A. [is] not urban in the European sense with, for instance, the market square.
There was a master plan, which was made by Renzo Piano. And this presented a long axis, and I tried to follow it. It just did not feel right. So I started to react in a more organic way, inspired by the tar pits. This whole area, which to me, is the ancient part of the site, became the starting point.
There was more: like the idea that side light is the most human light. Yeah, no skylights. And another thing was the museum had to be open to its surroundings. So contemporary L.A. should be present at all times. It should come in, whenever you can look out.
Another important thing … was to create or enlarge the public space that Michael [Govan] had started to create between his buildings. Friday evenings, Saturday, you saw so many families there. There is a desire here, a wish, for public space. This is not exactly the strength of L.A. So I think it was amazing that we were allowed to lift up the building and have the whole ground free for people.
Also, let’s do the museum on one level only. Classical museums have a main level, then they have a second level and a third level, a south wing and north wing and so on. And then, as an artist, you can have your work on the main level in the most beautiful spot. But as an artist, you can also land top left, third level near to the attic. So let’s make a building type which treats everybody equal.
LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries are hoisted above the ground on discrete piers, allowing for ample public space below.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
And then we started to think about how we wanted something open for wandering, experiencing and dreaming. This is always difficult to explain — let’s have the knowledge of art, of the history of art, coming second. It’s not because I think this is a secondary thing. It’s just because our experience should come first.
As a boy, I saw the opposite. There’s a tour and there’s a guide, and the guide starts to tell you what you should think. And I never liked this. We thought we should lay out things on a big plane where you can stroll and wander and develop your interest in art. Follow your own path.
You’re overturning a lot of unspoken rules in the art world. And I guess that’s the point in a lot of ways?
This is our point. You see other rules. For instance, if you do a new museum, the conservators say art can be exposed to less daylight. I told them as a joke, “If it goes on like this, soon the art will be in the basement, locked away.”
We have a building wide and long enough that within the building, you can find strong daylight for, let’s say, china or pottery, which love daylight. Then you can go deep into the building where it gets darker, and you can put pieces you don’t want to expose too much to the light. All without having to flip a switch.
David Haye and Gemma Collins have been booted out of I’m A Celebrity in a shock double exit, leaving their fellow campmates reeling – and closer to being named King or Queen of the jungle
21:25, 20 Apr 2026Updated 21:32, 20 Apr 2026
Two stars are heading home(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
David Haye and Gemma Collins have been booted out of I’m A Celebrity in a shock double exit.
Fans were stunned to see two of the camp’s biggest personalities leave the ITV jungle show. The pair have both hit the headlines during their time on the show – but for very different reasons.
They were booted out of camp tonight, decided by their fellow campmates and their departure will no doubt change camp considerably. Speaking after his exit, David said: “I’m ok. I’m happy. I’ve had an amazing time, great new friends and lots of experiences. You’ve cranked up the trials and the challenges. Ten days it was fun, I enjoyed it.
“Today and yesterday people started cracking, there was a bit more beef between people. Me and Adam had a bit of back and forth, but the banter, he didn’t really like the banter, he kind of got to the limit he was willing to receive.”
Asked if he pushed it too far, he added: “Probably… I’m an extremist and I can’t help myself. It’s all love, I love him really. He’s a cool guy. It’s all perfect now.”
Gemma also opened up on her departure, explaining how she has no bad feelings towards David.
“I’ve got no bad feelings to David, everyone has their time. I’m so happy I’ve got to relive this whole experience again ,last longer, i was much more determined this time and had a lot to prove,” he said.
“Just to do a trial was such a moment in my life because I never thought I could do it. It’s always easy to be outwardly confident but sometimes inside you’re a little bit less confident. I’m going back GI Jane, I’m going back yeah baby. God knows what I’m going to do next. I just don’t think I’ll be as scared of everything.”
“Going on All Stars is a real moment for me in my career – it’s redemption. To be able to do this again is the greatest honour ever. I am going to be the best campmate and get those stars. None of us will be starving under my watch,” she said.
“I am dreading the whole lot, I don’t think anyone goes into the jungle going ‘woohoo’. It’s not normal to be faced with animals, but I am going in as Gemma Collins. Gemma Collins is a self-made woman. I have been to hell and back to get to where I am today. I am just looking forward to proving to people I can do it.”
David, meanwhile, has caused quite a stir during his time on the show, firstly for comments about calling his girlfriend the “personality of a proper ugly bird”.
In a rant, he said: “Most ugly girls realise they don’t they’re not pretty enough to… they gotta have a personality to banter and to tell jokes and s**t, so people overlook the fact that they’re not aesthetically amazing, straight away. Which is what’s called Ugly Duckling syndrome, where girls are ugly, when they start off, and then they and then they kind of they, they get pretty as they get older. But they still got the personality of when they’re ugly. Does that make sense?”
HE has long been known for his enthusiasm for so-called throuples.
Now David Haye‘s ex has spoken of the day he asked her to “bring your girlfriends” to his hotel room, where he was waiting in his boxer shorts.
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Model Zoe Gregory, 51, has now opened up about her time with the boxer David HayeCredit: John Chapple – The SunThe former heavyweight boxer, 45, has been accused of “sexism” by furious viewers after a controversial rant in front of his campmatesCredit: AFP
Model Zoe Gregory says the I’m A Celeb star seemed fascinated by her unconventional romance with Playboy boss Hugh Hefner, with whom she shared a bed along with six other women.
In an exclusive interview Zoe, 51, revealed: “He asked me what group sex is like and I said, ‘It works.’
“He seemed fascinated and very curious. He probably thought, OK I’ll have to give that a try one day. After I gave him my number, he asked me to visit him and he said: ‘Bring your girlfriends to the hotel too.’
“He was on a high after the boxing match and he probably thought, they all want to smash me. I was in awe of him so it didn’t put me off. He’s a smooth operator. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he was charming and persuasive.
“He was very complimentary when I turned up to the hotel but I knew he just wanted to get in my pants.
“When I reached his hotel, I thought we would chill by the pool, but he said, ‘No come to the room, I’m still getting ready.’
“He opened the door in his boxer shorts and I wasn’t expecting that, but I wasn’t mad either. He literally grabbed me out the doorway and threw me on the bed so that was that.”
Zoe opened-up about her time with the boxer after he was slammed for his “sexist” comments while competing on the all-star version of I’m A Celeb in South Africa.
Referring to his long-term girlfriend Sian Osborne as having the personality of “a proper ugly bird,” he went on to claim that most good-looking women are “idiots” and that less attractive girls work harder on their personalities to win attention.
Singers Ashley Roberts and Sinitta were left shaking their heads while Corrie actress Beverley Callard later complained: “I’ve never heard anything so sexist in my life.”
Fashion model Sian, 33, defended him, saying in an exclusive interview: “I consider it a compliment.
“A big one. I’m fluent in David by now and my family find it hilarious.”
Miami-based Zoe, who cheated on Hefner with Haye, also backs him.
She explains: “I totally agree with him because everyone judges a book by its cover. People will look at me, blonde hair and big tits, and assume that I’m a bimbo.
“That’s because most blondes are bimbos, unfortunately. Blondes are very ditzy and that’s why they get that label. I’ve found myself saying the same things as David.
“Being around the girls at the Mansion, the ugly ones were always overcompensating with their personality. They would feel, I’m not that great looking so I’m going to have to do cartwheels to compete with the favourites.
Former Playboy bunny has backed Haye’s ‘ugly bird’ argumentCredit: AlamyDavid was involved in a rumoured throuple with singer Una Healy and model Sian OsborneCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
“When I go the gym, I see girls wearing next to nothing and they don’t have a body to be wearing that – or a face. They don’t even look like they work out but sometimes people go that extra mile to overcompensate, to fit in.
“I feel bad saying it, but it’s true. It’s the way society is and social media has made it even worse. You are always going to have girls that get bent out of shape by comments like David’s and they are usually the fat ugly ones.
“David has met enough women to be an authority on this. If this is his opinion based on all the women he’s met, I can’t say he’s wrong.
“But he is in a corner with the public and he’s got to take a beating. Everything he says, people are watching and listening and they will use it against him to make out he’s a bad person. But he’s really not a bad person.
“He’s an opinionated person and he’s got a right to his own opinion. David is known for talking his mind and having a crazy sex life and being open about it.
“I can’t fault him for being like that.”
Mum-of-one Zoe moved from London to Los Angeles in her early 20s to work as a model and erotic B movie actress. She was accompanied by her husband, DJ Chris Paul and their young son, who is now in his 30s.
But once offered the chance to live with Hefner at his £150m LA mansion – having met the magazine boss at one of his notorious parties – she decided the opportunity was too good to turn down.
HE’S SEXIST RELIC
By Julie Bindel
SOMETIMES a sexist is easy to spot.
Take the boxer David Haye who, while on I’m a Celebrity South Africa, described his girlfriend Sian Osborne as having “the personality of a proper ugly bird”.
His deeply offensive remarks, which also included saying “pretty girls’ ugly friends have got to work a bit harder”, go to show that he’s not only misogynistic, but stupid as well.
The deeply old-fashioned myth that women who are not conventionally attractive develop better personalities to compensate does nothing to explain why men lacking in looks do not do the same.
Haye genuinely disrespects women and I just hope no women will ever be fooled into thinking him a catch.
Men: don’t be like Haye. Never underestimate a woman.
She lived with Hef, who was then in his 70s and relying heavily on Viagra to perform in bed, from 2001 to 2004.
But still married to her first husband, she always living with Hef as a job rather than a romantic relationship and she walked out following a series of rows with his number one girlfriend Holly Madison.
In 2024, she published a memoir called From Britain to Bunny in which she detailed her “hot 15 minutes” with Haye, which she described as “crazy and electric.”
Looking back on that day, she recalls: “David did seem fascinated by Hef. He asked me lots of intimate questions about him.
“He said, ‘So you’ve got to sleep with him?’ I said, ‘Yes, but it’s more of a job for me.’
“He said, ‘That’s weird.’ Then he asked, ‘Can Hef still get it up?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’
“I told him what went on in the bedroom – the orgies and Hef’s harem of women – and he seemed impressed by that. He was very complimentary towards me – he told me I have both beauty and brains.”
Zoe, who now works in promotions, last bumped into Haye at a restaurant in Miami two years ago just before her book was released. He was with girlfriend Sian, who has allowed him to spend time with Saturdays’ singer Una Healy and DJ Mica Jova – relationships that have been described as ‘throuples.’
Zoe continued: “David and Sian were over for a boxing event and it turned out we had a mutual friend, a photographer.
“David was surprised to see me. He was like, ‘Oh!’ It was a bit awkward because I wasn’t sure if Sian knew about our history.
“David said, ‘You look really well.’ I said ‘Yes, you too.’ It was a flirty moment and it was funny. And I swear David looked exactly the same as I remembered him. He’s aged very well.
“I got to meet Sian and she’s lovely, sweet girl. When I first met her, she didn’t say much and wasn’t very outgoing. She just sat there.
“I introduced myself and was doing extra to make her feel comfortable and after a few minutes, she warmed up. I kept the conversation away from him because I didn’t know what she knew and the book hadn’t come out yet.
“I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh by the way I f****d your boyfriend.’ I would never have a conversation like that. I do think David has got used to women throwing themselves at him.
I told him, ‘You need to go for an older woman that doesn’t get intimidated by you and can put you in your place.’
“Because otherwise he is just going to walk all over a girl, because it’s his way or the highway. He’s got his cake and he’s eating it – and I love him for that.”
Zoe claims to have cheated on Hefner (seen together) with HayeCredit: AFPDavid Haye says his girlfriend Sian Osborne has an ‘ugly bird’ personalityCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Inside the ornate Bovard Auditorium, Larry David kept a full audience in stitches as he discussed the creation and legacy of his improv hit, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which concluded in 2024 after 12 seasons.
In a conversation with Lorraine Ali — who wrote “No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which retraces the show’s long run with cast interviews, episode guides and behind-the-scenes material — David reflected on the separation between himself and the abrasive on-screen persona he adopted for more than two decades.
“I wish I was that Larry David,” he said.
David spoke about the outrageous audition process for “Curb,” wherein actors tried to navigate a brief written scenario without any dialogue to guide them as David lambasted them in character. Out of this process came iconic one-liners and beloved characters, such as Leon, played by J.B. Smoove.
“People bring out certain things, and when I would act with them, some of them would make me seem funny,” David said. “I go, ‘Oh, that’s good — let’s give him a part.’”
David cited “Palestinian Chicken” as one of his favorite episodes of the show. In the episode, David is caught between a delicious new Palestinian chicken restaurant, a Palestinian girlfriend and an outraged inner circle of Jewish friends.
He also spoke briefly about his upcoming episodic HBO series, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a historical spoof that will retrace United States history for the country’s 250th founding anniversary. The series will premiere on Aug. 7.
“A lot of wigs, costumes, beards — fake beards,” David said. “Nothing worse than fake beards.”
The controversial ending of “Seinfeld,” which David co-wrote with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, was polarizing among fans when it was released, David said. After a recent rewatch, however, David said he thought it was “pretty good,” to a round of applause from the audience.
Near the end of the panel, an audience member asked a question some definitely had on their mind: Will “Seinfeld” ever get a reunion?
Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas has admitted that he wishes he had “stood his ground” when David Haye bullied him on the set of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…South Africa
21:59, 19 Apr 2026Updated 21:59, 19 Apr 2026
Adam Thomas has spoken out about his tough time in the jungle(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Adam Thomas wishes he had “stood his ground” when David Haye ‘bullied’ him on I’m A Celebrity…South Africa. The Emmerdale star, 37, is currently on-screen in the all-stars edition of Ant and Dec’s reality survival show, having initially competed on the regular edition of the ITV series a decade ago.
The programme was all filmed towards the end of last year but as it was being broadcast to the nation, viewers got to see boxer David Haye trying to force Adam into doing a Bushtucker Trial, even though he was unwell.
Adam has arthritis, which he has been open about. Explaining how it affects him, he said previously: “It is an autoimmune disease. Basically means my immune system is attacking my own body. It causes a s**t-load of pain,” and on Sunday evening, the former Strictly Come Dancing star took to social media where he admitted that it has all been a struggle to watch his time on I’m A Celebrity play out on TV.
As part of his lengthy statement, Adam explained that he just wished he had stood up for himself during the tense moment but has decided to choose “peace” since it all happened.
He wrote: “I won’t sit here and say I handled everything perfectly, because I didn’t. I wish I spoke up for myself sooner. I wish I stood my ground instead of trying to keep the peace, but I’ve learned that being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and sometimes it takes going through tough moments to find your voice.
“Since coming out, I’ve taken time to process everything, and I’m in a much better place now. I let go of the anger, had the conversations I needed to have, and chose peace.”
Adam’s twin brother Scott, who found fame himself when he appeared on Love Island in 2016, was amongst the first to show his support publicly as he wrote: “It’s tough watching my twin bro go through that in there…makes my blood boil!
“To see someone’s pure heart be tested like that is hard to watch, especially my brothers. But I understand he had to go through his own journey in there and the man he’s become during/since this experience has made me so proud! I love you @adamthomas21 and will always have your back.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Thomas, who is best known for having played Jason Grimshaw on Coronation Street, also showed brotherly support as he wrote: “I would like to say I would stick up for you in there but hes not the guy to pick a fight with! We need to give [fellow boxer] Tony Bellew a call bro!”
Gogglebox legend Scarlett Moffatt, who won I’m A Celebrity in 2016 and is also back for the all-stars series, wrote: “Aww Adam I bloody love you. You’re one of the kindest men i know, if my little boy ends up being as caring as you then I know I’ll have done a good job as a mam. LOts of love [heart emoji].”
Loose Women panellist Denise Welch, who starred alongside Adam in Waterloo Road, wrote: “Love you Adam [heart emoji], whilst Liam Scholes, who also appeared in the BBC school drama, wrote: “An incredible individual my man, so much love xx”
Michelle Hardwick, who plays Vanessa Woodfield in Emmerdale, said: “You handled yourself incredibly Adam and the rest of your campmates were right behind you,” whilst Isabel Hodgkins, currently on maternity leave away from her role as Victoria Sugden, said: “Never been prouder.”
Danny Miller, who took time away from Emmerdale in 2021 to compete in, and eventually win, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! himself, said: “You’re a beautiful man and those who really know you know what you bring to their lives. Love and laughter, you’ve handled yourself incredible. Love you, brother x”
It all came to blows as Adam tried to sleep and admitted it would be hard for him to undertake a Bushtucker Trial because he was feeling dehydrated. David raged: “Dehydrated?! We’ve all got the same amount of water! Adam is doing it and that’s it!”
“When is your top form gonna come? Why aren’t we forcing this dude to go and do it? Coincidentally, every time there’s something to do, he’s not feeling well.” It was at that point that Gogglebox legend Scarlett Moffatt, who won I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016, weighed in as she begged David to “stop it.”
In an unusual move, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have spoken out about an I’m A Celeb camp-mate after criticism of David Haye amid his Adam Thomas ‘bulling’ row
Im A Celebrity David Haye calls out camp mate
Ant and Dec have piled into David Haye saying the incident that sparked bullying complaints was “not nice” to watch. The boxer was already at the centre of controversy thanks to sexist comments he made about his girlfriend and other women before he scolded Adam Thomas after he said he wasn’t feeling well enough to take part in Termite Terror.
It was the latest comments to shock the South Africa camp, with Gemma Collins since saying she had to “protect” the actor. Now the hosts have spoken, and in a rare move criticised the behaviour of a I’m A Celebrity contestant. The Geordie duo says David doesn’t know when to stop after his remarks last week continue to spark outrage as the show’s fans turn on the sports star.
Ant was talking on ITV1 show’s podcast I’m A Celebrity . . . Unpacked and seemed unimpressed with his choice of words. He said. “It’s not a nice watch. He just kind of picks and picks at them. Adam has had a bit of a tough time and he’s not coping well. Clearly the banter has got too much. But David won’t stop.”
Agreeing with his co-star, Dec said. “It’s kind of crossed the line from banter. I don’t find it comfortable to watch.” Adam suffers with autoimmune illness psoriatic arthritis and requested to sit out the Bushtucker Trial on Friday because he felt unwell and dehydrated.
David said he was being “useless” and stated that he “doesn’t like men like that”. Gemma Collins was one of the stars to appear uneasy at David’s comments and she spilled on I’m A Celebrity: Unpacked. Gemma said: “I think David Haye might have seen a weakness in Adam, there were times where I had to protect Adam in there.
“If I was going full GC mode on David Haye, and a lot of them, then it would’ve been a disaster in there but I had to remain calm and composed and just remember that I’m not here to be performative. I am here as me. I think the fact that I stretched my arms out, I’m sort of saying to ’em all, without biting their heads off, ‘enough’”.
She went on: “I knew if it was ever gonna get too bad I would be taking David on. You know, bring on the next heavyweight champion fighting the world….. because if I feel that something’s too much, I’m not afraid to step up.”
Explaining how his health issues impacts his life, Adam said previously: “It is an autoimmune disease. Basically means my immune system is attacking my own body. It causes a s**t-load of pain.”
Today, he spoke out and alongside an image from the show, which was filmed towards the end of last year, Adam wrote on Instagram: “Not going to lie,this picture breaks my heart, as I know on the inside what I was dealing with and truth be told I thought it was all my fault. I now know that’s not the reality… My time in I’m a Celebrity South Africa was one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“Watching it back hasn’t been easy at all. There were moments I felt pushed to my absolute limit, and if I’m honest, times I didn’t even recognise myself. Living with arthritis is something I don’t really talk about, as much as I should do…but in there it really took its toll. My biggest fight was pretending to put on a brave face and trying to hide the pain! that can be exhausting within itself.
“There were days my body just didn’t want to keep going, but I did. “I won’t sit here and say I handled everything perfectly, because I didn’t. I wish I spoke up for myself sooner. I wish I stood my ground instead of trying to keep the peace, but I’ve learned that being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and sometimes it takes going through tough moments to find your voice.
Finding a revolutionary artist during cocktail hour at the opening gala of Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries was like shooting fish in a barrel.
Gaze over the rim of your glass to notice Jeff Koons and Ed Ruscha talking closely beside the DJ booth. Mark Bradford strides by with a beneficent smile — towering over everyone, including AI art maker Refik Anadol. Todd Gray, whose 27-foot-long photo sculpture “Octavia’s Gaze” graces the hallway near the building’s south entrance, chats with Wim Wenders, who is making a documentary about architect Peter Zumthor’s controversial new $724 million concrete behemoth. Zumthor is there too — in bright red sneakers — talking to LACMA director and chief executive Michael Govan before Govan turns to take a selfie with immersive installation artist Do Ho Suh.
Jeff Koons, left, talks with Ed Ruscha at the opening gala for LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries on Thursday.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
Lauren Halsey walks by in her distinctive white shirt, long shorts and ball cap, beset on all sides by friends and admirers.
“It’s beautiful, it’s fantastic,” she said of Zumthor’s creation.
It’s an artist’s world on this breezy evening, as the sun sets golden over the looming gray concrete of the building, and the lights that gird the structure’s underbelly flicker on and twinkle like stars overhead. In this milieu, Hollywood A-listers like Will Ferrell and Sharon Stone, who occupy separate cliques nearby, pale in comparison to the mingling artistic luminaries.
Architect Peter Zumthor, left, and Michael Govan attend LACMA’s opening gala for the David Geffen Galleries. Govan said he hopes the building lasts 500 years.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s ready for us,” Bradford said of the building. “It’s ready for artists. I walked in and I was overwhelmed with a space that was made for us, and I can’t wait for everything I can do.”
“Snazzy. Does the job,” said Ruscha, looking bemused and speaking in short bursts of headline-style phrases like one of his famous paintings.
Gray said he was glad to see his art during “magic hour,” noting how the setting sun shone warm through the building’s glass windows — diffused by textile designer Reiko Sudo’s chromium spattered curtains — to imbue his photo installation with a distinctive warmth.
“I’ve never seen it at dusk,” Gray said with a smile. “It was a totally different experience to see it at that time of day. And [the light was] actually yellow, so the piece changed … and the concrete warmed up because of that warmer light. It was a lovely chromatic experience, which is wonderful because then you’re aware that you’re experiencing something in a very particular space and time.”
James Goldstein, the owner of architect John Lautner’s famed Sheats-Goldstein Residence, which he promised as a gift to LACMA in 2016, agreed with Gray that the gloaming light was lovely.
“If it were up to me the curtains wouldn’t be closed,” Goldstein said, noting that the curtains in his home — which is also made of concrete and glass — are never closed, and that the views from the Geffen Galleries are extraordinary and worth leaning into.
Koons said the building, and the moment in time that defines its unveiling, has the potential to bring the world together.
“It’s an amazing evening for all these people that love and believe in the value of art and humanity to be together and to celebrate architecture,” said Koons, noting that he looks forward to showing his art inside the new galleries. “LACMA is a place that’s here for future generations and Peter’s building is amazing.”
Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin were among the major Hollywood stars at the gala.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Chatter about the building could be heard in every cluster of guests. One group talked about how striking it was to see ancient Greek sculptures juxtaposed against the rush of traffic along Wilshire Boulevard; another discussed their hope for more landscaping, noting that the concrete ground and concrete building begged for some lush greenery.
Govan basked in the limelight nearby, shaking hands and doling out hugs and back pats. His vision for the building has been 20 years in the making, and he’s faced an enormous amount of pushback, but the structure is here and his enthusiasm for it has not waned.
“I’ve just always imagined people in the building — it’s for people,” Govan said. “And I want it to last 500 years, I want those little drill marks to accumulate, I want change. I want this to be something that generations will care for.”
Zumthor also seemed deeply pleased with the moment, saying, “I’ve always been happy,” and emphasized that working in L.A. taught him to embrace a certain frontier-like lack of refinement.
LACMA’s staff was elated, especially those who have been watching the project develop for decades and absorbing the large amounts of criticism that have accompanied its manifestation.
Stephanie Barron, LACMA’s senior curator and modern art department head, said, “This is the first night with our art world colleagues and donors, and it’s thrilling to see how they are responding, and how they are a little confused, at first, about where to go. Then they realize, that’s the point of this — and they are just going with the flow and they are smiling and happy and looking at the art. It’s a game changer.”
“I’ve been here nearly 20 years and seeing this going from concept to reality has been the greatest thing,” said Tiffany August, associate vice president of LACMA’s people and culture department, which oversees human resources. “So much soul and heart and effort went into this.”
Arun Mathai, budget officer and head of finance, has also been with the museum for 20 years and said it’s exciting to finally be on the other side of the project. “To see it happen in such a beautiful way is very gratifying. The notion of no hierarchy, of wandering around and seeing art from all over the world, from all time periods beautifully juxtaposed, it’s just so enlightening,” Mathai said.
Michael Govan, left, Peter Zumthor, Holly J. Mitchell and Mayor Karen Bass attend the opening gala.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Later, during a four-course meal of broiled oysters, tuna tostadas, braised Wagyu short ribs and berry meringue, various LACMA supporters, including board co-chair Tony Ressler; life trustee and major donor Lynda Resnick; and L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, whose district houses LACMA, took to the stage in a tent set up west of the new building to sing the praises of the Geffen Galleries — and to note that the evening’s dinner raised a record-setting $11.5 million. (The Geffen Galleries’ ongoing fundraising campaign now stands at $869 million.)
“This is a great, great example of what can be achieved when government and philanthropy work hand in hand for the public good,” Ressler said before thanking Govan for “taking bold risks.” “Your legacy is now permanently etched in the stunning galleries that will open to the public very soon.”
Mitchell was full of praise for Govan and Zumthor.
“The Geffen Galleries didn’t come to fruition overnight. And frankly, nothing that changes the status quo ever does,” Mitchell said. “To Michael, Peter, David [Geffen] and our dear Elaine [Wynn], thank you for your patience, because visionaries like yourselves often have to wait for the rest of the world to catch up with you.”
Resnick got a big laugh when she described her first meeting with Govan and his wife 21 years ago.
“An exquisite couple walked into [vice chair of the board] Bobby Kotick’s house. There was Michael Govan, a true intellectual, Zen thinker, movie star handsome, and under consideration to run LACMA. By the end of the evening, I was sitting on his lap feeding him peeled grapes.”
She concluded on a more serious note, calling the Geffen Galleries a “masterpiece of public art.” “Only one person in the world could have done all this with the signature elegance and his provocative style,” she said of Govan. “Generations will cross that bridge and watch the cars stream below, and feel the power of being embraced by art above all the gorgeous chaos of our city.”
After a standing ovation, Govan introduced musicians Sean Watkins, Gabe Witcher and T Bone Burnett, who sang — quite fittingly — “The Times They Are A-Changin.’”
Coronation Street couple David and Shona Platt could be about to split up after some worrying scenes aired during Friday night’s episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap
20:45, 17 Apr 2026Updated 20:46, 17 Apr 2026
David and Shona could be about to split up on Coronation Street
Coronation Street’s David and Shona Platt could be about to split up after worrying scenes aired on Friday night. The couple have been together since 2016 and met after it emerged that Shona was the mother of Clayton Hibbs, who murdered David’s first wife Kylie in broad daylight.
David (Jack P Shepherd) and Shona (Julia Goulding) tied the knot in 2019 and whilst the marriage has so far survived numerous ups and downs but their troubles really seem to have started since the mysterious and calculating Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances Brown) turned up earlier this year.
Having arrived in the soap’s crossover with Emmerdale, Shona immediately recognised Jodie as her long-lost sister, whom she had never mentioned before, and after moving into number eight, Jodie has insisted on meddling in their lives whilst posing as some sort of saint who takes care of household duties. This suited David and Shona nicely they went back and forth to the hospital to see their daughter Harper, who is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit after being born prematurely.
Over the last few months, Jodie has made a habit out of stealing various items that belong to other Weatherfield residents, and, earlier this week, she stole a tablet from a little girl by claiming she was a police officer. On Friday’s instalment of the world’s longest-running TV soap, Jodie decided to hand the stolen tablet over to her niece Lily and pass it off as a gift, much to Shona’s dismay.
Shona told her stepdaughter that she was not to accept the tablet, and the schoolgirl stormed off upstairs in the huff. Later that day, the conflict was clearly not resolved as David reasoned: “Look, I don’t want the hassle, babe. Can we not just let her keep it?”
Shona shot back: “We agreed not before her birthday. And if we decided not to get her one, no-one should be giving her one.” A row broke out as David said: “Can we not just let her keep the thing and save the headache?”
Shona raged: “Oh, a headache, am I?” as she stormed off. All this time, Jodie had pretended to be flicking through a magazine as she sat on the sofa in the living room but was listening in and rolling her eyes every time her long-lost sister spoke.
When Jodie apologised to David, he said: “To be honest, I don’t… I don’t care any more. I mean, when you’ve been at the hospital all day, there’s bigger things to be worrying about than flipping tablets. It’s not your fault. It’s just Shona. She’s only ever happy if everyone else is miserable.”
Jodie said: “Hey, come on, that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?” But, with a concerning reply, David said: “Harsh? Just you wait. You’ll see.” Fans have previously suggested that the storyline could follow a similar path Single White Female, the 1992 thriller that starred Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda and followed a woman whose roommate decides to steal her identity.
One said: “I am getting some single white female vibes, I won’t lie,” and another said: “Shona and Jodie. Remember the movie ‘Single White Female’? Jodie has copied Shonas hair.”
Another said: “I’m convinced Jodie is gonna try and steal Shona’s life, first her clothes, then her kids, then her fella!” There is definitely some mystery surrounding Jodie, as she was previously seen suffering from a panic attack after being harassed by an intrusive caller.
Coronation Streetairs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
Adam Thomas has been battling a health condition, brought on by an autoimmune disease, which means he struggles to walk and was enduring ‘pretty unbearable’ pain
20:00, 17 Apr 2026Updated 20:00, 17 Apr 2026
Adam Thomas has been battling his health for years(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Adam Thomas has been battling a health condition, brought on by an autoimmune disease, for years. During a conversation on I’m A Celebrity tonight, boxer David Haye will be seen trying to get Adam to take taking part in the Termite Terror, unable to accept that the former soap actor just isn’t feeling up to it.
Trying to sleep, Adam admits it would be hard to get through it today because he is feeling dehydrated, but David is seen raging: “Dehydrated?! We’ve all got the same amount of water! Adam is doing it and that’s it!”
David’s co-stars continually try to remind him that their campmate isn’t feeling well enough to get through it, but he becomes hellbent on trying to force Adam into it. He continues: “When is your top form gonna come? Why aren’t we forcing this dude to go and do it? Coincidentally, every time there’s something to do, he’s not feeling well!”
It is at that point that Scarlett, clearly in despair at the situation developing, says: “Stop it David, he’s not well!” Adam previously said he had been in pain every day since his diagnosis – but he had finally found something that would help.
“I’ve been struggling with this autoimmune disease now for about two and a half years. It’s been tough. I’m not overexaggerating when I say this but literally within two and a half years, every day I’ve been in pain,” he explained.
“It’s difficult but now I feel like I’ve found – because I’ve been on so many different meds and trying so many different things, back and forth from doctor’s and hospitals.” Back in 2024, Adam explained that he could “barely walk” and was enduring “pretty unbearable” pain due to his arthritis. Adam took to Instagram and told his followers: “The pain is pretty unbearable at the moment, it’s as if my whole body is seizing up!! The pain was bad before, but it’s a lot worse now… how why???
“Now I wish I never came off the methotrexate because I would take that pain to this every day of the week! I’ve just started my new medication today which takes 12 weeks to take effect and even then it might not work so am not too sure what I can do to ease the pain until then?? I’ve had my steroid injections and it literally lasted a week …
“Going to check in at the hospital tomorrow to see what pain relief I can get, because I can’t carry on like this!” Arthritis is a common ailment causing pain and inflammation in the joints, according to the NHS. Main treatments include lifestyle changes, physiotherapy, medication, and in severe cases, surgery. However, there’s no known cure.
An orthopaedic surgeon said that arthritis can be “very debilitating” and may appear in unexpected areas. He explained that while people often think of hips and knees being affected, they don’t usually consider the hands.
Talking about the pain which is often overlooked, Dr Tom Naylor said that “when you’ve got arthritis pain in the thumb right there (video below) it affects so much of what you do on a daily basis. And it really is debilitating for people who have this”.
Speaking on BBC Morning Live, he explained arthritis as a term that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in the joints. He said: “It literally means inflammation of a joint.”
Talking about CMCJ, which stands for Carpometacarpal joint, he said that it was all to do with the “joint down at the bottom of the thumb and what happens is the joint starts to wear away and the cartilage starts to get more and more worn.
“Even a deformity can start to form and it impacts everything that you do with your hands.” Speaking about treatments for this type of arthritis, the doctor said: “With all types of arthritis, we tend to follow was called a stepwise approach to treatment.”
KK, 14, could name Hernández’s favorite flavor of seeds — ranch — and had thought through the potential downsides of throwing flavored seeds instead of original — the seasoning posed a risk for the eyes.
So, when Hernández met KK on the field Tuesday before the Dodgers’ game against the Mets, he had a suggestion for a pregame activity.
“Do you want to be part of the celebration?” he asked, gesturing toward the dugout. “Come on, let’s go.”
KK, her parents and her sister visited Dodger Stadium this week for an experience coordinated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. KK, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of two, is an avid Dodgers fan from Northern California.
Those at the game Tuesday saw her throw out the first pitch to Freddie Freeman, her favorite player. In addition to the sunflower seed celebration with Hernández, KK’s wish — the 1,000th granted since Make-A-Wish and Fanatics partnered in 2023 — included a tour, field passes for batting practice, and extra time with Freeman before the game.
Kaylyn “KK” Alves throws out the first pitch before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium.
(Gary A. Vasquez / Los Angeles Dodgers)
“To see my kid meet her hero, basically — it’s indescribable,” said KK’s father, David.
KK inherited her Dodgers fandom from her dad, who was originally an A’s fan but made the switch when infielder Max Muncy did. It became a family passion.
David watched KK light up when they walked out to the field Tuesday and spotted Freeman going through his ground ball routine. And the day kept getting better. Freeman walked over and gifted KK a jersey with his number and her name on the back.
“It was amazing,” KK said. “He’s the sweetest.”
Freeman then led the family to the media room and took a seat next to KK at the podium. She asked him about his growing family — Freeman and his wife Chelsea have three sons and announced in March that they are expecting a baby girl.
Kaylyn “KK” Alves prepares to throw sunflower seeds with Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández to mimic the team’s home run celebration before Tuesday’s game at Dodger Stadium.
(Gary A. Vasquez / Los Angeles Dodgers)
Freeman asked KK about her interests. She grew steadily more talkative, nerves subsiding, as they talked about puzzles and video games. She even ran her thoughts on the seed celebration by Freeman.
“I’ve had sunflower seeds go all the way down my back, and into my shirt, and it’s quite uncomfortable,” Freeman said. “But if you’ve got sunflower seeds down your shirt, it means you’ve hit a home run, so you can take it.”
An hour and a half later, KK experienced just that, walking through a shower of sunflower seeds thrown by Hernández. Then they traded places and she returned the favor, both smiling ear to ear.
Gogglebox legend and former jungle queen Scarlett Moffatt will beg David Haye to “stop it” on tonight’s I’m A Celeb as the boxer causes tensions in the camp to rise even further
13:47, 17 Apr 2026Updated 13:47, 17 Apr 2026
Scarlett Moffatt weighs into a brewing row on tonight’s I’m A Celebrity…South Africa (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Scarlett Moffatt is seen begging David Haye to “stop it” as a huge row breaks out on tonight’s episode of I’m A Celebrity…South Africa. The TV star, 35, who became Queen of the Jungle on the regular edition of Ant and Dec’s reality survival show just two years after she found fame on Gogglebox in 2014, is back on the All Stars version of the programme and can be seen trying to keep the peace during tense scenes set to air on Friday night.
Trying to sleep, Adam admits it would be hard to get through it today because he is feeling dehydrated, but David is seen raging: “Dehydrated?! We’ve all got the same amount of water! Adam is doing it and that’s it!”
Adam has arthritis, which he has been open about. Explaining how it affects him, he said previously: “It is an autoimmune disease. Basically means my immune system is attacking my own body. It causes a s**t-load of pain.”
Some days he will need help doing simple day-to-day tasks and his mental health has been affected, but ultimately, it’s made him stronger. He can experience pain in his fingers and knees on some days, but others, he can be in pain all over his body
David’s co-stars continually try to remind him that their campmate isn’t feeling well enough to get through it, but he becomes hellbent on trying to force Adam into it. He continues: “When is your top form gonna come? Why aren’t we forcing this dude to go and do it? Coincidentally, every time there’s something to do, he’s not feeling well!”
It is at that point that Scarlett, clearly in despair at the situation developing, says: “Stop it David, he’s not well!” David has already caused a major stir during his All Stars stint, when early on in the series, he made comments about his girlfriend Sian. When talking about his partner cooking for them all, he then added: “She’s like tall, blue eyes. She’s lovely. She’s got the personality of a proper ugly bird.”
Despite Scarlett’s suggestion he should stop there, he continued his tirade as he added: “She has. Most ugly girls realise they don’t they’re not pretty enough to… they gotta have a personality to banter and to tell jokes and s**t, so people overlook the fact that they’re not aesthetically amazing, straight away.
“Which is what’s called Ugly Duckling syndrome, where girls are ugly, when they start off, and then they and then they kind of they, they get pretty as they get older. But they still got the personality of when they’re ugly. Does that make sense?”
In the rant, which left angry viewers fuming, he added: “You get a girl who’s pretty from day one, you get a girl who’s different day one. Everyone goes ‘You’re so beautiful. You’re amazing’. She grows up thinking, I’m amazing. Everyone loves me. I can open any door. I can go anywhere I want.
“They don’t have to have a personality, because most super pretty girls are just idiots. But then their ugly friend, they’ve got work a bit harder, be more personable. They got to be nicer to everyone. Gonna get you a drink.”
It was recently claimed that David made those comments because he could not rely on AI to tell him that they were “safe” to say out loud. The source insisted there was “no malice” but added he would use AI to “check he’s not offending someone before he comments”.
“His focus inside camp has always been the game, survival decisions and camp dynamics rather than trying to offend anyone. Those who know him best understand there was no malice behind the remark,” a source told The Sun.
“When AI started he started using it all the time to check he’s not offending someone before he comments. It’s a bit of a comfort blanket for him – but he didn’t have that in the jungle.”