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Michelle Gayle played Hattie Tavernier in the BBC One soap and also had a pop career – and, unbelievably, she hardly seems to have changed more than 30 years later

EastEnders’ Michelle Gayle appears to have defied the ageing process, looking as youthful as ever despite her stint on the BBC One soap being more than three decades ago. The London-born actress, now 54 years old, was part of the groundbreaking Tavernier family – the first Black family to join the soap.

Her character, Hattie, was a waitress and then Ian Beale’s PA at his catering company, The Meal Machine. She was a hit with EastEnders viewers, navigating through intense storylines involving miscarriage and sexual harassment – famously kneeing Ian in the groin. She also frequently clashed with Cindy, Ian’s wife, who was jealous of their close working relationship.

But the star left Albert Square in 1993 to pursue a music career, enjoying seven top 40 singles on the UK Singles Chart, including hits like Sweetness, Looking Up and Do You Know. She also released two top 40 albums before parting ways with her record company in 1997.

Michelle stepped out at a charity ball last year, looking super-glamorous as she sported a black satin dress paired with a chic black bag, red lipstick and gold earrings, posing against a beautiful floral backdrop.

Previously, Michelle had set X, formerly Twitter, buzzing with her age-defying photos, prompting comments such as: “I’ve literally just had to google how old you are……as you look about 20! ! You look amazing! ! X,” and, “There is no way you’re in the 50+ bracket! ! My goodness.”

She went on to appear on stage at Mighty Hoopla 2024 at London’s Brockwell Park, singing a few of her biggest hits.

After EastEnders, Michelle made a return to television, making guest appearances on Doctors and Holby City, before landing a role in Channel 5’s short-lived soap Family Affairs in 2005. She’s also been a familiar face on various reality TV shows, such as ITV’s Reborn In The USA, where she competed against 80s popstars Sonia and Tony Hadley, and Channel 4’s The Games.

In 2007, she became a guest panellist for ITV’s Loose Women and ventured into writing in 2011, releasing her debut novel titled Pride and Premiership.

In 2019, she went on to play the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. At the time, Michelle revealed the hardest part of her job was her unusual working hours, saying: “My ‘weekend’ is Monday and Tuesday and all my friends outside of the show are working.”

She was married to ex-professional footballer Mark Bright for 13 years, and they have a son, Isaiah, together. Michelle also has another son, Luke.

Michael Jordan was nervous.

All he had to do was sink a free throw, but a lot was riding on that one shot.

It had nothing to do with a championship or a scoring title or the outcome of any meaningful game.

It had everything to do with being Michael Jordan, the man considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

In his new role as a special contributor to NBC’s coverage of the NBA — which returned to the network Tuesday night after a 23-year absence — Jordan was interviewed by Mike Tirico in a segment called “MJ: Insights to Excellence.”

In it, the six-time NBA champion who is still the league’s all-time leader in points per game made a somewhat startling admission.

“I haven’t picked up a ball in years,” Jordan said.

Pressed on the matter by a stunned Tirico, Jordan said he was last persuaded to shoot a ball when he was renting a house during the Ryder Cup (he did not specify that it was the most recent edition of biennial event that took place last month in Farmingdale, N.Y.).

The house had a basketball court, and the home owner wanted his grandchildren to see the legendary player in action. Jordan agreed to attempt one free throw.

“When I stepped up to shoot your free throw, it’s the most nervous I’ve been in years,” Jordan said. “The reason being is those kids heard the stories of the parents about what I did 30 years ago. So the expectation is 30 years prior, and I haven’t touched the basketball.”

But this is Air Jordan we’re talking about.

He swished it, right?

Right???

“Absolutely,” Jordan said. “The most gratifying event that made my whole week is that is that I was able to please that kid, not knowing if I could.”

Jordan retired as a player for the third and final time in 2003. Since then, he has become a highly successful businessman — he was the controlling owner of the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets from 2010-2023 (he still retains a minority ownership in the team) and is the controlling owner of the NASCAR Cup Series team 23XI Racing — with a net worth of close to $4 billion.

In addition to his business pursuits, Jordan told Tirico, he strives to spend as much time as possible with his family.

“You never really know when you in the prime of your career how much time you really do not have for family,” Jordan said. “That’s what I have time to do now. I mean, the most valuable asset I have is time. So that’s probably why you don’t see enough of me, because that time I’m trying to spend with family members and things that I’ve been missing out on for such a long time.”

All that said, however, Jordan admits he still loves basketball and does wish he could be out there on the court playing at his peak.

“In all honesty, I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today,” Jordan said. “Because that’s who I am. That type of competition, that type of competitiveness is what I live for, and I miss it. I miss that aspect of playing the game of basketball, being able to challenge myself against what people see as great basketball.

“But it’s better for me to be sitting here talking to you, as opposed to popping my Achilles and I’m in a wheelchair for a while, but it’s nice to be able to share the things that can still make the game great going forward.”

That is not meant as a slight on the community Shelvey has left behind.

Though Shelvey has uprooted from the UK, the 33-year-old said the north east was “the only place there he would want to live”.

“There’s this debate about whether Newcastle are able to attract the big players compared to the Manchester clubs and the London clubs but, until you go there, you don’t understand what it does to you,” he said.

“There are loads of things to do. I don’t care what anyone says. If players are going to listen to this, it’s a no-brainer to go there and play football.

“You will not find love at a football club like I found at Newcastle, with how they take to their players and how much they back you.”

Shelvey spent longer at Newcastle than any other side – seven years in total following his move from Swansea City – and said he was “honoured” to have represented the club and worn the captain’s armband on occasion.

As well as sticking around following relegation, in 2016, and playing his part in taking Newcastle straight back up, Shelvey also helped ensure the club then stayed in the top flight.

He even scored what proved to be a “massive” goal against Leeds United as Newcastle started to pull away from danger three and a half years ago.

It ended up proving a turning point in head coach Eddie Howe’s reign.

“If I had not scored that, the club would have gone down!” he said. “I’m joking. Looking back at it, you don’t realise how big a goal it was and, to be fair, the keeper [Illan Meslier] chucked one in for us. I scuffed the life out of it.

“But I’ve only got good things to say about my time at Newcastle. I loved it. Even when I first got the call about going there, I drove 12 hours from Swansea because of the traffic. I just wanted to get up there, get my medical done and get signed.

“I had experienced playing against Newcastle at St James’ Park and you get a real buzz, but you never understand how big the club is until you are there.”

In a shifting world order, New Zealand’s foreign policy faces new tests, from Gaza to the Pacific.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about why his government has stopped short of recognising a Palestinian state, how small nations can stay neutral amid the United States-China rivalry, and whether multilateralism still protects the weak from the will of the powerful.

They’re still together … for now.

UCLA’s football team appeared to have a full roster of players at its disposal Monday after the Bruins reached the four-game threshold for redshirting and the halfway point of the 30-day window for entering the transfer portal following the dismissal of coach DeShaun Foster.

Interim coach Tim Skipper said no player had informed him of an intention to redshirt or transfer, though there’s still time to mull those decisions before the Bruins (0-4 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) face No. 7 Penn State (3-1, 0-1) on Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl.

Once a player participates in a fifth game, he can no longer redshirt.

Giving any player considering such a move pause might be the situation at Virginia Tech. An attorney tweeted that he was representing a redshirting Hokies player whose decision, in the eyes of the school, constituted “ ‘opting out’ and fraudulent misrepresentation under the NCAA’s bylaws, justifying immediate termination of scholarships and revenue-sharing payments under the House settlement. Redshirting is a standard practice to preserve eligibility, not voluntary withdrawal from a program, and schools cannot void revenue-sharing payments on pay-for-play grounds.”

As of last weekend, three Virginia Tech players had reportedly entered the transfer portal and two had decided to redshirt.

What fate might await the Bruins in the coming days and weeks?

“It’s going to be fluid through the rest of the season,” Skipper said. “You know, as far as when you get to your fourth game, you decide [whether] to keep going. But my whole thing on that is that’s the rules, and if guys decide to do that, we’re not holding them hostage. They can go ahead and do that.

“We’re coaching them hard. We’re showing them a blueprint to go win games, and that’s what we’re going to do. And people that want to be a part of it stay, and then guys that choose to go the other way, they go the other way. But right now that’s not been a big emphasis in anything that we’re doing day to day. It’s getting better and trying to get us a win.”

Another fluid situation

UCLA didn’t just change the coach running its defense, it also changed the defense. The in-season overhaul led to only a portion of the playbook being installed in the first game under Kevin Coyle.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean the full playbook will be installed in a matter of weeks.

“Northwestern compared to Penn State, as far as what they do schematically, is totally different,” Skipper said, referring to last week’s opponent versus the next one. “So we’re going to have to have a different plan and do different things. Probably how we are right now, we’ll never just have the whole playbook in. We’re going to game-plan as we go week to week because we’re going to play so many different offenses, so many different looks.”

Penn State uses more pre-snap motion than Northwestern, presenting different challenges. The Nittany Lions also are a lot more potent than the Wildcats, averaging 39 points per game.

Skipper said he was pleased with Coyle’s playcalling debut during UCLA’s 17-14 loss to the Wildcats, noting that the team had given up an average of 36 points during its first three defeats. The Bruins also allowed 314 yards of offense, well below the average of 431 they had given up previously.

Etc.

UCLA moved Garrett DiGiorgio to right guard against Northwestern while using Reuben Unije and Courtland Ford at tackle before Unije went down because of an unspecified injury. The Bruins then put DiGiorgio back at right tackle and used Julian Armella at right guard. The extent of Unije’s injury was not immediately known. … Freshman linebacker Scott Taylor made his first career tackle against the Wildcats while enjoying more extensive playing time. “Scott’s a guy that’s flashed,” Skipper said. “He makes plays every day, whether it’s special teams or on defense, and I think he’s getting better and better and better. I think he can definitely be a guy that will keep having major contributions to the team.”

BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has seemingly never been one to follow the crowd and has since been hailed for going against the hosting grain

BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has been praised by a body language expert for her unique approach to presenting, which completely flips the traditional “TV husband and wife” dynamic.

Judi James, an expert in body language, has shared her insights following reports of tension within the famous red sofa studio, offering her professional opinion on what might be happening behind the scenes. Recent reports suggest that Naga and her co-presenter Charlie Stayt are embroiled in a “toxic feud” with the show’s editor Richard Frediani. Since these allegations surfaced, their on-screen relationship has been under scrutiny, with many speculating if cracks will start to show.

However, after observing the two news anchors, Judi offered a different perspective on what might be happening off-camera. She stated: “Some of the most friendly and bonded-looking TV duos have actively disliked each other in real life. Most performers, comics and journalists tend to be loners by nature and sharing a screen can often be a challenge for the ego.”

She further commented: “Naga and Charlie have quite a natural-looking on-screen relationship in that it tends to show up moments of tension or disagreement rather than papering over the cracks with cuddly, forced smiles fake laughter,” reports Bristol Live.

Judi, a body language expert, noted that the usual male and female roles were not followed by the two hosts. She pointed out that Naga’s often “dry humour” could come as a “shock” to fans accustomed to the traditional “TV husband and wife” roles.

She suggested that viewers might have interpreted Naga and Charlie’s “non-verbal displays” as a warning sign of something else happening. However, Judi speculated that their unconventional dynamic might explain some of their seemingly awkward and silent moments on-air.

Judi remarked: “Their on-screen ‘chemistry’ can tend to look spiky at times and although they can have their playful moments, some of their non-verbal ‘banter’ can show signs of genuine irritation or frustration, with Naga often throwing eye-‘asides’ to either the camera and therefore the audience at home, or to others in the studio and off-camera.

“It’s often a form of dry humour, but to anyone preferring the kind of smiley, giggly, ‘My TV husband/wife’-style on-screen performances it can be a bit of a shock.”

She further emphasised: “One other aspect of these non-verbal displays is the one of status. For many years it was traditional for the male newsreader to be the dominant character on-screen, looking solemn, serious and, at times irascible or irritated. The female would often be expected to provide the smiles, empathy and the softness.”

Praising the Radio 5 Live presenter for her unique approach, Judi said: “Naga, though, thankfully, seems to have turned this outdated tradition on its head, presenting a more assertive display complete with moments of irritation or disapproval, while Charlie seems to appear to be softer and more likely to smile.”

BBC Breakfast airs every day on BBC One from 6am.