Edwards

Wolves have made an approach to Middlesbrough about appointing Rob Edwards as their new head coach.

BBC Sport reported on Sunday that former Luton manager Edwards was among the leading contenders to replace Vitor Pereira, who was sacked following Wolves’ 10-game winless start to the Premier League season.

Wolves held talks with former boss Gary O’Neil, but the 42-year-old withdrew from the running on Monday.

Former Wolves player Edwards, also 42, has always been a strong candidate at Molineux and is emerging as the preferred choice.

It is understood the relegation-threatened club have made contact with Middlesbrough, who are third in the Championship, regarding their interest in appointing Edwards.

Whether that level of contact constitutes an official approach from Wolves to discuss the vacancy with Edwards is unclear, but the wheels are now in motion towards the Premier League side accelerating their plan to make an appointment.

It is understood Wolves would be required to pay significant compensation to Middlesbrough to secure Edwards, who only took over at the Riverside Stadium in June.

Wolves are bottom of the table with only two points after 10 games – eight points adrift of 17th-placed Burnley.

A MAN has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a 43-year-old man last month.

Michael John Edwards died in hospital after he was taken by an ambulance from the scene in a life-threatening condition.

Met Police and ambulance were called to reports of an altercation in Southwark just before 3am on Saturday, September 13.

He was believed to have been in the area for the Crystal Palace v Sunderland match.

Edwards from Nuneaton, Warwickshire was taken from the scene to a central London hospital.

He died from injuries four days later on Wednesday, September 17.

Lewis Macleod, 36, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Monday where he was charged with manslaughter in connection with Michael’s death.

He had previously been charged with one count of causing grievous bodily harm.

A trial will begin at Inner London Crown Court on April 13, 2026.

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Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a mental health break from the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce engagement vortex.

Three years after “The Terminal List” ended its first season, Prime Video’s prequel to the military-espionage thriller arrives. The debut season of the flagship series concluded with — spoiler alert! — Navy SEAL commander James Reece (Chris Pratt) discovering his closest ally, Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) was involved in the ambush mission that led to the death of his platoon, as well as his wife and daughter. “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” traces Ben’s journey from Navy SEAL to CIA operative. Creator and showrunner David DiGilio stopped by to discuss expanding the Jack Carr book universe and working with Kitsch.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations are different types of nostalgia plays: Noah Hawley’s timely television prequel to the ‘Alien’ film franchise that is set on Earth, and “Gunsmoke,” the classic western that first hit TV screens 70 years ago and is finding new life in the streaming era.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Olivia Colman, left, and Benedict Cumberbatch of “The Roses,” a remake of “The War of the Roses,” photographed in London in June.

(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)

Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch are a match made in heaven — or, in ‘The Roses,’ hell: They’ve known each other for years, but having the opportunity to spar in a savage new take on ‘The War of the Roses’ was too good for the longtime friends to pass up.

How Taylor Kitsch became Hollywood’s go-to actor (and veterans’ favorite) for military roles: The star of ‘The Terminal List: Dark Wolf’ discusses his new prequel series and how, with the help of military veterans, he learned to embody a Navy SEAL.

Telluride Film Festival returns with an eclectic mix of politics, auteur visions and the Boss: The 52nd edition blends star power and auteurs, with world premieres from Scott Cooper, Chloé Zhao and Edward Berger, plus new work from Yorgos Lanthimos and Noah Baumbach.

Inside romance queen Emily Henry’s literary empire and soon-to-be cinematic universe: The author has become the master of the contemporary romance novel, publishing six bestsellers since 2020. Now, five are being adapted into movies and shows.

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Sydney Chandler as Wendy in FX’s “Alien: Earth.”

(Patrick Brown / FX)

“Alien: Earth” (Hulu, Disney+)

Reimagining a nearly 50-year-old franchise like “Alien” isn’t for the faint of heart (or stomach). The iconic sci-fi horror saga has already spawned a tangled web of sequels, prequels and spin-offs of wildly varying quality. But Noah Hawley — who turned “Fargo” and “Legion” into bold, brainy extensions of their cinematic roots — brings a jolt of fresh, unnerving life to “Alien: Earth.” The horror is real, the xenomorphs still terrifying (and, yes, there are new critters too). But this isn’t just eight hours of people running from acid-blooded monsters. It’s a sprawling, idea-rich vision of a future ruled by tech oligopolies, where minds are uploaded into synthetic bodies and morality is outsourced to machines — a world as indebted to Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” as his original “Alien.” The monsters are back, but the deeper thrill is how Hawley keeps you thinking even as you’re bracing for the next kill. Now midway through its eight‑episode run, “Alien: Earth” doesn’t just extend a franchise. It reanimates it with a mind of its own and a brand-new set of fangs. — Josh Rottenberg

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone in “Gunsmoke.”

(CBS)

“Gunsmoke” (Peacock, Pluto TV)

I long for the simple times when my family and I would gather around the television to watch the latest episode of “Gunsmoke.” The drama that featured James Arness as no-nonsense Marshal Matt Dillon was a staple in millions of households throughout its 20-year run, which ended in 1975. In the streaming era, “Gunsmoke” is now sparking a lot of new heat, and has ranked at least twice among Nielsen’s top 10 list of most-streamed acquired series. Beginning Saturday, MeTV will kick off a month-long 70th anniversary salute to the drama, airing specially-themed weeks such as “Best Characters of Dodge City” and five made-for-TV movies. — Greg Braxton

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), James Reece (Chris Pratt) in “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.”

(Justin Lubin / Prime)

Taylor Kitsch rose to fame with his portrayal of brooding football player Tim Riggins on “Friday Night Lights,” but he’s spent a good portion of his career since then stepping into the military mindset — as my former colleague Michael Ordoña astutely unpacked in his profile of the actor. With “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf,” which further expands Jack Carr’s book universe, Kitsch reprises his role as Navy SEAL-turned-CIA operative Ben Edwards in Prime Video’s prequel to 2022’s Chris Pratt-led series. Premiering its first three episodes earlier this week, the series takes place five years before the events of the first season of “The Terminal List” and explores Ben’s origin story and his crisis of faith that eventually led to his betrayal of James Reece (Pratt). Showrunner David DiGilio stopped by Screen Gab recently to discuss why Ben is a worthwhile character for a spin-off, the story behind that AC/DC needle drop and more. — Yvonne Villarreal

What was it about the story of Ben Edwards that resonated with you and made you so passionate about wanting to explore his origin story?

Ben is an ever-evolving character. He was different in the book than he was in our scripts for Season 1 of “The Terminal List.” Then Taylor arrived and brought a whole new layer of empathy, complexity and danger to the role. Unlike Reece, who represents a light wolf character pulled into a dark place by a conspiracy, Ben Edwards is a man with innate darkness inside him. But he also values loyalty, brotherhood and freedom. And that dichotomy in a character means we can give Taylor a ton of great stuff to play. It makes Ben unpredictable. And we get to watch how Ben evolves from a leader in the SEAL Teams to a Black Side Operator who thinks he can use his dark wolf for good.

You had involvement from real veterans in the making of the series, including in the writing of the season. There are seven episodes and five were written by veterans. Walk me through finding the voices to join the room and how did that enrich discussion as you broke stories?

As we were making Season 1 of the flagship series, we made a commitment to military authenticity. The lived experience is what defines Jack Carr’s writing in the books, and we wanted to make sure it translated to the shows. During Season 1 of “The Terminal List,” two military veteran storytellers in particular — Max Adams, a former Army Ranger, and Jared Shaw, a former Navy SEAL — really stepped up our action and authenticity and our storytelling overall. When it came time for “Dark Wolf,” we elevated Max and Jared to executive producer[s]. And we were able to include Jack Carr in more of the writing and creating side of the show as well. But we didn’t stop there. We brought writer-producer Kenny Sheard — also a former SEAL — into the writers room and brought back Ray Mendoza — a former SEAL and technical advisor on Season 1 — to second unit direct. So, between Max, Jared, Kenny, Ray and Jack Carr himself, I don’t think you have a show that’s more committed to getting it right for the military veteran audience.

Is there a personal connection — for you or the veterans who worked on the show — behind the use of AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” to score the time jump in the first episode?

Interesting story. We were trying to use Led Zeppelin for that training montage in the pilot. The band is notoriously tricky to clear, but we made it to about the five yard line before it got denied. Sadly, we’d been temp-editing with that song for months and were all quite attached. So we now had to pivot … quickly. We found AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” by asking our military veteran storytellers for bands/songs that were big for them during deployments. AC/DC was near the top of the list, and the civilian side of our EP team had connections to the music as well. We tried three AC/DC songs for the sequence, and “Hells Bells” was a no-brainer. But, truly, a classic example of the adage “don’t fall in love with the temp.” We made this music selection way tougher than it needed to be!

Tell us a good story about Taylor Kitsch and his time on the inflatable boat.

I think the biggest thing we learned from putting Taylor on that boat in the pilot is that we weren’t in Kansas anymore. Meaning, Budapest production is very different than production in the U.S. In the States, you would have a full “marine unit” dedicated to getting a scene like that. Half a dozen camera boats and follow boats built specifically to capture that sequence. In Budapest, we were tying camera men down on the boat itself, and turning tourist river boats into parts of our armada. Boats could not keep up with those beastly gunship engines. Smaller boats got waked. We got the scene, and we got it safely. But after the ease of filming the flagship series in Los Angeles, I think that day told all of us that Budapest would be a city with unique production challenges. But I give a huge hat tip to the Budapest crew, because even on a day like that, they never complained. And I think having the cast and American crew together in a foreign city really helped bond us all into one big family.

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

My last watch was probably while flying to and from South Africa and Toronto for the filming of “The Terminal List” Season 2. I downloaded and binged “Adolescence” [Netflix] and Season 2 of “Andor” [Disney+]. I’m surprised more folks don’t talk about “Andor.” It’s probably the most smartly-written show on streaming these days. A World War II resistance film wrapped up in incredible sci-fi visuals. And on “Adolescence,” the performances were incredible. But note to all, whatever you do, don’t watch that show’s finale in a crowded airport lounge in London. I was bawling.

What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?

Might not surprise folks to hear, but it’s either “Saving Private Ryan” [Prime Video, Pluto TV] or “Gladiator” [Prime Video, Paramount +]. Both movies capture the warrior’s ethos and sense of brotherhood that we strive for in the “Terminal List” shows. They also combine great action with big emotional character-driven scenes. Hollywood’s balance of VFX and character work was probably at its zenith right around the turn of the century. So I love to rewatch those films as a reminder of the balance I strive for in my writing, and for the balance we try to build into the Jack Carr Universe shows.

FABIAN EDWARDS sensationally replicated brother Leon’s famous head kick knockout – almost three years to the day.

Leon won the UFC welterweight title against Kamaru Usman in the dying embers on August 20, 2022.

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A left high kick KO’d Usman with just seconds to go – crowning Leon champion in one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in UFC history.

Fast forward three years and his younger brother Fabian challenged American Dalton Rosta in the Professional Fighters League middleweight final.

In round three – in what proved to be a remarkable dejavu moment – Edwards connected with the exact same left kick to the head.

Edwards – joined by his brother Leon in the cage – collapsed in celebration as he was crowned the 2025 PFL winner.

He also collected the $500,000 cash prize – having won the three-stage tournament with prior wins over Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira.

Flanked by ex-UFC champ brother Leon in the cage, Edwards, 32, said: “That is team head shot dead. That is crazy. God’s got a funny way of working.

“I’m so grateful. Last October, I lost a championship fight to Johnny (Eblen) less than 12 months on I’m PFL champ. It’s crazy.”

Rosta, 29, had built up a lead in the opening two rounds after a succession of takedowns.

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But the American tired heading into the third – allowing Edwards to land the trademark kick they had practised.

He said: “I said to my brother, he likes to paw, so I said to him I’m gonna try that shot.

“I do that shot good in the gym and look, it worked beautifully.”

Edwards’ mum Denise has a Caribbean restaurant called Sweet’s Kitchen in Birmingham town centre – where the family moved to from Jamaica.

And the newly-crowned champ plans to celebrate with a feast when he returns back on home soil.

PERRIE Edwards has revealed how her ex Zayn Malik contacted her after his split with Gigi Hadid – and how her footballer fiance Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain reacted to this.

The Little Mix star’s very public engagement to first love Zayn, now 32, fell apart before millions of fans.

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Just one year after Zayn found fame in One Direction on The X Factor, Perrie burst onto the scene on the same show in 2011.

Both teenagers at the time, they met when 1D returned to perform on the ITV singing contest that her band Little Mix went onto win.

Just months later, the young stars were a fully fledged couple, sharing sweet selfies from places like Disneyland.

But it was never plain sailing as Zayn was alleged to have cheated with an Australian waitress in a London club, and was later hit with more claims of infidelity.

In 2013, he demonstrated his commitment by getting a portrait of Perrie tattooed on his arm and even bought her mum a house in Dorset.

But in 2015, they split — and she was left devastated, with reports at the time that he had ended their almost four-year romance by text.

The ordeal inspired one of Little Mix’s biggest hits, the chart-topping Shout Out To My Ex.

‘TOXIC’ RELATIONSHIP

Now 32, the mother-of-one, who is happily engaged to her fiancé, footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. has discussed her “toxic” relationship with Zayn.

Speaking on this week’s Paul C. Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast, she said: “I think definitely, at the time, I thought everything we experienced in our relationship was normal. Because it was my first relationship, first love.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this is how it’s supposed to feel. It’s supposed to feel a little bit toxic. In some ways, this is probably normal, right?’.

“And then, when I became single, I was almost thinking, ‘I never, ever want to go through that again’. I didn’t even want to meet anybody. I was like, that’s me done. I don’t think I could bear that pain.

“But now, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, that probably wasn’t good’. And I’ve noticed it a lot.”

Perrie also talked about how her past pain affected the early days of her relationship with Alex, who she started dating in 2017 – two years after her Zayn split.

“Like in the start of the relationship, I would handle things differently with Alex, and he’d come at it with such a level head that it would throw me,” she said.

On what kind of man Alex is, Perrie continued: “He’s very mature. He’s very laid back. He’s very level-headed.

“He’s not the type to get mad or get angry or get funny about things. It might sound boring to some, but it’s so unproblematic.”

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ZAYN GETS IN TOUCH

Following his split from Gigi, Perrie said Zayn got back in touch with her – something that left her “uncomfortable”, especially when she had to tell Alex.

She shared: “My ex reached out and I didn’t know how to handle the situation. I’d only been with Alex like a year and a half, two years. And I felt a bit uncomfortable about it.

“And I remember sweating and panicking, thinking, ‘I’ve got to tell him that obviously I’ve spoken to him.’ And I would be terrified… And he was like, ‘Okay, well, I really appreciate you telling me, thank you for letting me know. That’s fine. Like, hopefully he doesn’t contact you again.’

“And I was thinking, ‘Okay, cool. That’s it.’”

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Perrie is now embracing life as a wife-to-be, and a mother-of-one.

The singer and her fiance Alex welcomed their son Axel, four, in 2021, and the pair are enjoying being parents.

The footballer asked Perrie to marry him in 2022, when he got down on one knee on holiday.

The happy couple have been together since November 2016, although they didn’t make their relationship public until February 2017.

WITH huge smiles, cheering crowds and an incredible ten-year career of hits under their belt, Little Mix went out with a bang in 2022 as they completed their biggest ever UK tour.

Backstage, Perrie Edwards knew she was about to enter an exciting new chapter of her life because, just as the girl group was preparing to go on a break, she was secretly expecting her second child.

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But in a devastating new interview, the singer revealed that, months later, she lost her baby at 24 weeks.

Perrie, 32, who now has son Axel with footballer fiance Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, said she had discovered she was pregnant again “not even a year” after his birth.

She recalled: “I was rehearsing for the last Little Mix tour, and I thought, ‘I don’t feel good’. Every symptom under the sun. I was like, ‘I think I’m pregnant’.”

But as her pregnancy progressed past the five-month mark, Perrie began to suspect that medics had spotted something wrong with her unborn baby.

‘Loved being pregnant’

She said: “We went for what was a 20-week scan, but we were actually 22 weeks, and that was just the worst day of my life. Like, horrendous.

“I just knew something was wrong in the scan. I’ve never experienced an out-of-body experience where everything goes in slow motion.”

Two weeks later, Perrie and Alex were given the heartbreaking news that there was no heartbeat. She said: “So then I remember sobbing. Alex was injured at the time and couldn’t really drive.

“He was struggling to drive, but I couldn’t see straight. I was just distraught. We basically lost the baby at, like, 24 weeks.”

Perrie bravely opens up about her anguish on the We Need To Talk podcast with Paul C Brunson, out this morning.

And she revealed Axel, who turns four on Thursday, was a “rainbow baby” — the term used for a tot born after a previous pregnancy loss.

The star explained: “I had a miscarriage very early on with my first ever pregnancy.

“I remember finding out I was pregnant. Obviously, I started bleeding not long after, and I went to hospital and I had the scan and they were like, ‘There’s no baby.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve made this up.

“Maybe I got a false positive or something’. I remember being on my own at the appointments.” Perrie said of the cherished son she went on to have in August 2021: “Axel’s a rainbow baby.”

In heartbreaking detail, she also recalled how she had already planned out her baby’s bedroom before her second miscarriage.

She admitted: “It’s weird, because the first time it happened, I think because it was so early, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s hard’.

“But I think when you’re 24 weeks and you’ve planned out that room and all these things, it’s really hard. And nobody knows other than immediate friends and family.

“I remember shortly after, friends would message and be like, ‘How’s the bump?’ And I’d be like, ‘There is no bump’.”

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The You Go Your Way singer said her first pregnancy loss had made her naturally apprehensive when she learned she was expecting Axel.

She explained: “When I was pregnant with him, I loved being pregnant, it was one of the happiest times of my life. I just love carrying babies.

“And it was lovely. But I was a bit on edge, thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I want to get past the 12 weeks. I want to get past this’. And when I get past every scan, that pregnancy was complete bliss, it was perfect.”

Thankfully, Perrie had former England midfielder Alex, 32 — who fans nickname The Ox — by her side. The couple have been together since 2017 and got engaged in 2022.

I didn’t even want to meet anybody. I was like, that’s me done. I don’t think I could bear that pain.

Perrie Edwards

Their relationship came two years after Perrie’s engagement to first love Zayn Malik, of One Direction, fell apart before millions of fans.

They had met in 2011, when X Factor stars One Direction returned to perform on the series of the singing contest that Little Mix won.

Months later, they were a fully fledged couple, but it was never plain sailing. Zayn was alleged to have cheated with an Australian waitress in a London club, and was later hit with more claims of infidelity.

In 2013, he demonstrated his commitment by getting a portrait of Perrie tattooed on his arm and even bought her mum a house in Dorset.

But in 2015, they split — and she was left devastated, with reports at the time that he had ended their almost four-year romance by text.

The ordeal inspired one of Little Mix’s biggest hits, the chart-topping Shout Out To My Ex.

‘Always the underdogs’

However, Perrie held a dignified silence on the ins and outs of their relationship and how it ended.

Reflecting on it now, she explained: “I think definitely, at the time, I thought everything we experienced in our relationship was normal. Because it was my first relationship, first love.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this is how it’s supposed to feel. It’s supposed to feel a little bit toxic. In some ways, this is probably normal, right?’.

“And then, when I became single, I was almost thinking, ‘I never, ever want to go through that again’. I didn’t even want to meet anybody. I was like, that’s me done. I don’t think I could bear that pain.

“But now, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, that probably wasn’t good’. And I’ve noticed it a lot.

“Like in the start of the relationship, I would handle things differently with Alex, and he’d come at it with such a level head that it would throw me.”

On what kind of man Alex is, Perrie continued: “He’s very mature. He’s very laid back. He’s very level-headed.

“He’s not the type to get mad or get angry or get funny about things. It might sound boring to some, but it’s so unproblematic.”

During her time in Little Mix, Perrie — alongside Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and, up until the end of 2020, Jesy Nelson — sold over 75million records, released six albums, had five No1 singles and became the first girl band in 41 years to win the British Group gong at the Brit Awards.

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Since then, she has signed a deal with Columbia Records, which has a roster featuring Adele, Beyonce and Harry Styles, and released a handful of solo singles, including Forget About Us, which peaked at No10 last year.

This Friday, Perrie is back with her latest single, If He Wanted To He Would. But she still feels like Little Mix were underestimated.

She said: “I still think they looked at us and thought it was four little girls in a pop group.

“I don’t think they really saw the graft and the dedication and the numbers and the success that we had. I still think people kind of overlook it a little bit.

“And we were always the underdogs. Like from the very beginning, it was like, ‘You won’t do very well. Bands don’t do that well and it won’t last’.

“That’s what gave us the fire in our bellies to want to work so hard to prove everybody wrong.”

Despite her later success, the Black Magic singer had a tough childhood as she was born with oesophageal atresia, a condition where the oesophagus doesn’t fully develop, and she was in and out of hospital as a youngster.

She told the podcast: “I was there every other week for an operation, so I was used to being put to sleep.

“Instead of counting down from ten, I’d be like, ‘Meet me downstairs in a van,’ (singing), off I went.”

It was Perrie’s passion and talent for singing which meant her mum Debbie was always confident she would make it in music.

She said: “I remember sobbing that I failed my GCSEs, and my mum was like, ‘It’s OK, darling, you’re going to be a singer’.

“I was like, ‘Why is she such an irresponsible parent? I’m never going to get a job.’ And she was like, ‘Well, you’re not going to need a job. You’re going to be a singer’.”

SHE has always loved experimenting with her image and has debuted some dramatic looks over the years.

But I have heard that Little Mix star Perrie Edwards is set to show off her natural beauty after landing a lucrative deal with beauty giant L’Oreal.

The Black Magic hitmaker has secured an agreement, understood to be worth £300,000, with its skincare brand CeraVe, which prides itself on working with dermatologists and developing products for sensitive skin.

A source said: “Perrie wants to show that taking care of your skin can be affordable and people don’t need to break the bank with fancy creams.

“She has always loved testing different make- up looks, but knows that taking care of her skin is a priority. Perrie will also be able to show off her edgy side with the advert.”

The singer, who has a three-year-old son, Axel, with former Premier League footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, told Fabulous magazine in 2018: “I have very sensitive skin, and I used to use loads of products on my face because I thought that was best.”

She added: “The worst thing I used to do was go out partying and drinking and just sleep with my make-up on.

“You think, ‘Oh it’s only one night, I’m too tired, I really can’t be bothered to take all my make-up off’.

“But it only takes one night for a week’s worth of acne, so you have to be strict with it.”

It comes as Perrie teased new solo music this week to her 18.8million Instagram followers with a montage of footage.

She reacted with a raindrop emoji to a fan who commented: “The drought is over!! So happy and excited for you.”

Pop star Perrie last released music in February, with her single Rollercoaster, about the ups and downs that come with love.

With this skincare deal and new music on the horizon, little wonder Perrie has such an unblemished career . . . 

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EMILIA FEELS ‘LUCKY’ BEING LEADING LADY

EMILIA FOX has revealed that she is “lucky” to have never experienced misogyny – thanks to her leading role on hit series Silent Witness.

The actress, who has played pathologist Sam Ryan for over 20 years, said: “I haven’t experienced it, and certainly, at my age now at 50, I’ve been very lucky.

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“I’ve been part of a show, which was led brilliantly by actress Amanda Burton. It was her legacy that really left the mark on the show.

“Sam Ryan was written for a leading female actress, playing a woman in a man’s world when Silent Witness first began.

“I think I got very, very lucky being able to play a lead, which I’ve been playing for two decades now.”

Emilia who is working with My Pension Expert, to encourage people turning 50 to take control of their future, said she is encouraging her teenage daughter Rose to save money.

She said: “She puts away a few pounds every week so that she will see, hopefully, a benefit in the future to saving every week.

“I hope that will be the example she then grows up with. I think having a good work ethic and savings ethic is insurance for life.”

SABRINA CARPENTER, who caused a stir with her new album cover, has unveiled an alternative one for Man’s Best Friend.

The singer wears a sparkling turquoise dress at a formal dinner. In the original, she was on all fours while a man pulled on her hair.

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Sabrina posted: “The final alternate cover for Man’s Best Friend features a special bonus track ‘Such A Funny Way’ available on vinyl. Three weeks left!!! Can’t wait for it to be yours x.” I can’t wait.

DOJA LIKE MY ZEBRA CATSUIT?

DOJA CAT gave her best zebra impression as she performed at Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco.

The Say So hitmaker looked hot in the monochrome catsuit at the festival held at Golden Gate Park on Friday night.

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Doja, who is set to release her fifth studio album Vie later this year, has also been working hard in the fashion world.

The American star recently shared snaps from a shoot with Marc Jacobs and posed for fashion mag V Magazine.

ONLY WAY IS ESSEX FOR EKIN-SU

SINCE her triumph on Love Island three years ago, Ekin-Su Culculoglu has remained one of the most successful contestants.

Now I can reveal that the beauty, currently starring on ITV’s Cooking With The Stars, has snapped up a £900k four-bedroom mansion in Essex, near her parents.

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Ekin was close to investing in Surrey, and even looked around some properties with ex Curtis Pritchard, but did a last minute U-turn to stay more local to her family.

A source said: “Ekin’s worked really hard since winning Love Island with ad campaigns and a steady stream of telly appearances.

“She has snapped up this home and chose somewhere more modest so she could be closer to her parents, who she spends a lot of time with.

“She’s looking forward to getting stuck in and fixing it up to her perfect style. She’s really proud of everything she’s achieved and ready to lay down roots.”

Since appearing on Love Island: All Stars in January, Ekin split with Curtis, with the star calling it “unfortunate” – but she has been concentrating on her career instead, with a focus on acting.

She better not get too comfortable in the UK as Hollywood beckons…

NOEL’S GOT S-MASH HIT ON HAND

HE famously sings that “Sally can wait” in hit song Don’t Look Back In Anger.

And it seems that Noel Gallagher’s girlfriend Sally Mash is firmly by his side during their Oasis Live 25 Tour.

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I can reveal that she has been his “secret weapon” during their sold-out tour – with the Gallagher brothers on stage for their second gig at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, last night.

A source said: “Sally has been his secret weapon throughout the tour so far.

“She has been at every one of the gigs alongside brother Liam’s girlfriend Debbie Gwyther.

“Their relationship has gone from strength to strength and Sally has loved watching Noel in his element on stage.”

Noel’s daughter Anais has also been at every gig.

Last year The Sun revealed Noel was dating events organiser Sally – after confirming his split from wife Sara MacDonald, with whom he shares sons Donovan and Sonny.

Speaking about Sally, Noel previously said: “She says she sees a steely look in my eyes.”

When asked what she makes of him singing the hit 1996 song Don’t Look Back In Anger, referencing “Sally”, he said: “She’s cool about it.”

It sounds like the name Sally has been a hit all round over the years.

KYLIE JENNER certainly did not have the birthday blues as she posed in a plunging black bikini.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, who turned 28 today, took to Instagram ahead of the celebrations.

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Sharing the sizzling selfie to her 393million followers, the mum of two wrote: “Last Friday as a 27-year-old.”

Her pal Hailey Bieber commented: “Twenty eight is better I promise.”

Trust me Kylie, the best is yet to come.

KYLIE’S TICKLED PINK

KYLIE MINOGUE sizzled in hot pink as she performed in Argentina as part of her worldwide Tension Tour.

The Aussie pop star wowed in the PVC outfit as she took to the stage at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on Thursday – her first show in the Argentine capital for 17 years.

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Posting on Instagram to her 3.2million followers, she wrote: “Buenos Aires, how do you describe a show feeling?

“I’ve only ever dreamt of this. WHAT A SHOW!! Thank you so much.”

Kylie performed in Chile last night and will head to Sao Paulo in Brazil next Friday, with the 66-date tour wrapping up at the end of the month in Mexico.

ED AND RUPERT’S FAM WEEKENDER

ED SHEERAN has got fans seeing double in the music video for his new track A Little More.

His doppelganger Rupert Grint stars in the video – 14 years after he appeared in Ed’s hit Lego House.

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Ed, who shares daughters Lyra and Jupiter with wife Cherry Seaborn, invited the Harry Potter actor, his partner Georgia Groome and their daughters Wednesday and Goldie to stay at his home in Suffolk while filming the video.

And it was a family affair, with Ed saying: “Our daughters [Lyra and Wednesday] are exactly the same age – they get on”.

Sounds perfect.

PETE AND JOWITA GO SUPERSONIC

It seems Pete Wicks cannot let go of his Strictly Come Dancing pro partner Jowita Przystał.

The happy pair were spotted arm-in-arm at last Wednesday’s Oasis gig at Wembley Stadium.

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An onlooker said: “Pete is very fond of Jowita and they shared a sweet moment during the set.

“They have both expressed how much they mean to each other following their close bond on Strictly.”

It comes after Pete recently revealed that Jowita was “one of the most important people” in his life.

Pete, who split from Love Island’s Maura Higgins in February, revealed on his podcast with I’m A Celebrity winner Sam Thompson that he invited Jowita to the gig.

On the Staying Relevant podcast, he said: “Well the reason that Jowita and I are going [to Oasis] is because we danced to Oasis on Strictly.”

Ahead of the new Strictly series, Pete said: “I will be vetting her new partner!”

Jowita recently posted a snap of her with Pete on Instagram.

Looks like her new Strictly partner will have big shoes to fill . . . 

Japan: Ichigo Nakakusu; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Halatoa Vailea; Seungsin Lee, Naito Sato; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Keijiro Tamefusa, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (capt), Jack Cornelsen, Faulua Makisi.

Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Shuhei Takeuchi, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shinobu Fujiwara, Sam Greene, Kazema Ueda.

Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Chris Coleman, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles.

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)

Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Damian Schneider (UAR)

Television Match Official (TMO): Glenn Newman (NZR).

Sciver-Brunt understandably did not comment on whether there would be any changes in the immediate aftermath of the Bristol defeat, saying she had “full confidence” in all the players.

She also highlighted England’s significant improvement in the powerplay, where they restricted India to 35-3, but India’s counter-attack appeared to catch the bowlers off guard and they deviated from their plans.

In the powerplay 33% of their deliveries were on a good line and length at a run-rate of 4.2, but that dipped to 15% in the middle overs as India added 103-1 and 11% in the final four overs as Amanjot Kaur and Richa Ghosh took the game away from England.

Lauren Bell was one of few England players to come away from the Ashes with credit and has continued that form this summer, taking 2-17 at Bristol as she now leads the attack with much-improved maturity and consistency.

She executed her slower-ball plan effectively, setting the field accordingly and forcing India’s batters to adjust to her.

But India have been smart, and England have not responded quickly enough. Linsey Smith, who starred against West Indies with her left-arm spin, has been clearly targeted with 0-41 from three overs at Trent Bridge and 0-37 off three at Bristol.

It is unfamiliar territory for England, who are so dominant at home – prior to the Windies series, they had won 79.3% of their completed white-ball games at home since 2020.

They should not be written off after just two matches against a side that are turning into genuine World Cup contenders, particularly on home turf, and it is not yet crunch time for England or Edwards in terms of whether they can turn this around.

But the new coach is said by those around her to be ruthless, and unafraid to make tough decisions if best for the team.

This is England’s first challenge under her leadership, and how Edwards responds to it will reveal just how much has really changed in the set-up which was previously accused of cosiness and complacency.

Middlesbrough have appointed ex-Luton Town manager Rob Edwards as their new head coach.

Edwards, 42, moves to the Riverside Stadium on a three-year deal as the replacement for Michael Carrick, who was dismissed earlier this month.

He led Luton to the Premier League in 2023 but could not avoid relegation from the top flight 12 months later and was then dismissed by the Hatters in January when they were 20th in the Championship.

His job is now to improve a Boro team who ended last season in 10th place, four points outside the play-off spots.

“It’s a real privilege to be given the opportunity to be head coach of this great football club,” Edwards told the club website., external

“It’s something that’s not lost on me, how big this is, how important this is, and what it means to people. There is an amazing fanbase.”

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves overwhelmed the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 to tighten their NBA playoff series.

Edwards added nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range as the hosts Timberwolves pulled a game back to be 2-1 behind in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

“I was super happy about the physicality and energy we brought,” Edwards said on Saturday. “Being down 2-0, it’s all about bringing energy, and we brought high energy.”

Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota, which set a club record for points in a playoff game in ripping the NBA regular-season win leaders and NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who managed only 14 points.

“We got punched in the mouth,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “You get punched, it’s about getting back up. It’s about responding. That’s what the next challenge is.”

The Thunder, who won the first two games at home, face Game 4 on Monday at Minneapolis and Game 5 on Wednesday at Oklahoma City.

“I know everyone is happy about this one, but we know OKC is going to come out and bring hella-energy and they are going to be ready to go and going to try to win game four and we’ve got to try and exceed their energy and get a win,” Edwards said.

“We’ll be ready.”

Minnesota’s victory was crucial because no team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.

“We just didn’t bring it from an energy and focus standpoint,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “We just didn’t have it. They had the sense of urgency, knowing if they go down 3-0, it’s going to be pretty tough.

“They blitzed us pretty early, and we were never able to get back. We’ve got to start coming out with a sense of urgency.”

The Timberwolves set a club record for points in a playoff game and led by as much as 129-84 late in the fourth quarter.

“We do have to look at it and address the things that went awry for us,” said Timberwolves coach Mark Daigneault. “They really took it to us.

“They were just much more physical, much sharper, executed better, more forceful on offence. For the score to be what it was, they needed to outplay us in a lot of areas, and that’s what they did.”

Randle was benched late in game two and unhappy about it, but responded by taking out his frustrations on the Timberwolves.

“He knows not to take nothing too personal,” Edwards said of Randle. “I could see it in his eyes. He wanted his respect back, and he got it.”

Wolves dominate early

Minnesota seized a 72-41 half-time lead, with Edwards shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and producing 20 points and eight rebounds in the first half.

“We just weren’t able to bottle him up the way we had the first couple of games,” Daigneault said. “Credit him for the energy and force that he played with. He was really on it early.”

The Timberwolves led by as much as 68-33 in the first half and set a club record for playoff points in a half with 72. They scored 13 points off 10 forced turnovers in the first half, while the Thunder shot 12-of-40.

“The biggest thing is they came out and played with more force than we did,” Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren said. “Wherever they wanted to go, they got there. They didn’t let us stop them.”

Edwards scored 16 points in the first quarter, outproducing the Thunder as the Timberwolves seized their biggest lead of the series to that point at 34-14.

“Our intensity, from the first minute of the game, we set a tone,” Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert said.

“Everyone came out with the mindset to be physical. We did a good job staying with it consistently through the whole game.”

In the second half, Oklahoma City began with an 11-2 run, but the Timberwolves answered with a 10-0 spurt and went on to grab a 103-61 lead as the Thunder sent their starters to the bench late in the third quarter.