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A Sunday Brunch star was forced to make a quick exit from the Channel 4 programme during its latest episode

The Sunday Brunch set had one guest missing from the line-up halfway through the programme.

The hit Channel 4 show returned to TV screens on Sunday (February 8) with its usual three hours of celebrity interviews, culinary demonstrations and light-hearted entertainment.

Joining hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer were another batch of famous faces. On the long-running programme, the pair chatted to the likes of Shazad Latif, Vanessa Williams and Michaela Strachan.

Rock band James – best known for hits like Come Home and Sit Down – spoke to the hosts and also performed at the end of the show in a pre-recorded performance.

However, after James’ interview – in which they spoke about their new greatest hits album, James: Nothing But Love – The Definitive Best Of – Simon revealed the band would soon be heading off and leaving the Channel 4 studio.

He said: “We’re going to be saying goodbye to you guys aren’t we because you have to shoot off and do a show.”

Simon added: “Where’s the show,” before the band confirmed: “Liverpool.” Simon then said: “Oh great, best of luck with your travels.”

It comes after Sunday Brunch sparked complaints from fed-up viewers minutes into the show last month. Comedians Bridget Christie and Russel Howard, actors Malachi Kirby and Mark Benton, musician Bellah and chef Jeremy Pang were the guests at the time.

However, the line-up left viewers divided with some claiming they “didn’t know any of them”. Taking to social media, one fan penned: “Another week of z list “celebrities” time to knock this show on its head.” A second added: “Don’t know any of them.” A third person said: “Sorry but used to love it …getting past its used-by date.”

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However, some fans were delighted with the celebrity guests, with someone else writing: “A way better and funnier line-up than last week.” Another agreed: “I love Sunday Brunch! It’s a must-watch tradition in our house.”

Meanwhile, a week prior viewers branded an interview on the show “a tough watch”. The exchange between Tim and Simon with Black Ops and The Wheel of Time actor Hammed Animashaun was criticised by fans watching at home.

Sunday Brunch airs every Sunday at 10am on Channel 4.

Stacey Hamilton has stayed in hundreds of hotels and says a simple visual reminder has saved her from costly mistakes when checking out

If you’re a seasoned jet-setter, you’ll be all too familiar with the minor irritations that come with hotel stays. From inconveniently placed plug sockets to baffling air conditioning controls and light switches that seem to operate something in another postcode.

Stacey Hamilton, a travel guru from Private Tours England, who has clocked up hundreds of hotel stays both in the UK and abroad, has revealed her go-to trick for hassle-free hotel living. From securing valuables to smarter packing and ensuring a good night’s sleep, she claims these simple hotel hacks have saved her time, money and a fair few early morning scrambles.

One particular technique she swears by might sound a bit odd, but it’s come to her rescue on numerous occasions.

Stacey admitted: “For years, I avoided using hotel safes because I was convinced I’d forget what I’d put in there. It sounds silly, but when you’re rushing to catch a train or heading out early with guests, it’s very easy to walk out and leave valuables behind.”

To combat this, she now always stashes one of her shoes in the safe along with her passport and jewellery, reports the Express.

She explained: “I physically cannot leave the room without realising something is missing,” she says. “It’s usually a heel for me because I need them for work, but the principle works with anything you wouldn’t dream of leaving behind.”

“If you travel with trainers, pop one trainer in there. If it’s winter, your coat works just as well. The idea is to create a visual reminder you can’t overlook.”

Before checking out of the hotel, after retrieving her shoe and other valuables from the safe, Stacey always makes sure to take one item with her. She never departs a hotel without pocketing one of the complimentary shower caps.

She explained: “They’re perfect for covering shoes when you’re packing to come home.”

If your shoes have become dirty from extensive walking or hiking, it’s not ideal to pack them directly against your clothes in your suitcase. That’s where the shower cap comes in handy.

She said: “Instead of wrapping shoes in plastic bags or hoping for the best, I slip a shower cap over the sole. It keeps everything else clean, and it packs neatly.”

Stacey also revealed another clever use for the shower cap.

She shared: “I also use shower caps on TV remotes. Let’s be honest, those things are filthy. It’s a simple barrier that makes me feel a lot better, especially if I’m staying somewhere for a few nights.”.

The star told what lay behind her dropping one and a half dress sizes reaching a svelt size eight

Carol Kirkwood is well known in front of the camera. As a BBC weather anchor and best selling author she was known for her curvy figure and had even spoken of plans to lose weight.

However, it took something out of her control for the pounds to suddenly drop off. It was at the start of 2025 that she suddenly found herself struck down by a “terrible” illness which led her to drop around one and half dress sizes.

The now 63-year-old developed a tough bout of food poisoning which saw her losing weight and led to a complete switch in her lifestyle. This not only changed her eating habits but transformed her complete outlook on life and what she ate.

The presenter announced on Tuesday she is quitting the broadcaster after more than 25 years to spend more time with her husband, Steve Randall, who she married in 2023. She said the two have been “like ships that pass in the night” thanks to her early starts.

But she previously told how her life changed after suffering food poisoning. She told OK magazine: “Afterwards, I just ate two slices of toast for two days and I wasn’t hungry.

“I’m a snacker. I love chocolate, a glass of wine, crisps, and I thought, ‘Right, you don’t need all this food’. Now I eat when I’m hungry rather than just eating because I can.”

The star did not say how much weight she’s lost saying at the time “my weight is a state secret” but admitted that she was “probably a dress size-and-a-half” smaller. She said she now fitted comfortably into a size 10, and sometimes even an eight.

She said: “I’ve got lots of clothes from years of doing telly. When I couldn’t get into them, I put them away. Now I can. It feels like I’ve got a whole new wardrobe, but I don’t. It’s old clothes that I’m wearing again.”

Carol said she had now discovered how to balance what she ate. She said: “I’ve done every single diet going but now I’m not depriving myself of anything. If I want a piece of chocolate, I’ll have it, but then I actually don’t. It’s like somebody’s flipped a switch in my head.

She told how her day starts at 2.45am. She added: “By 9.30am, if I’m a bit peckish, I’ll have an apple or a banana, then, after my shift, I get home and eat whatever the dickens I want, perhaps a toasted pitta with rocket, tomatoes, sweetcorn, peppers and chicken. In the evening, I might have another pitta with hummus, or some peppers with hummus and, because I’m eating this way, I’m not hungry between meals any more.”

She also was quick to quash any rumours that she had used weight-loss injections. She said: “I have had a couple of emails saying, ‘It’s obvious you’re doing this.’ Each to their own. If somebody wants to do that, I’m not going to judge them — it’s their bodies, their life — but I’m glad I’m doing it this way,” she insists.

The star will leave the BBC in April and today explained her reason behind the decision. She told presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay: “I love my job, I’ve loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job. More than everyone, I should say.

“We only got married a couple of years ago and we’re ships that pass in the night so I’m so looking forward to [spending more time together]. The future is rosy and the time is right, absolutely right for me to go.”

After starting her BBC presenting career on the News channel, Kirkwood went on to appear regularly on BBC One. She has been the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010.

As well as fronting the daily bulletins, Kirkwood often presented the weather on location, including from Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show and royal events. She has also reported for The One Show and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, reaching week eight with her partner Pasha Kovalev.