Mike Trout said Friday he is unlikely to participate in the All-Star home run derby in Philadelphia because of his strained right hamstring.
Trout expects to return from the injury in plenty of time to play in the July 14 All-Star Game, but it likely will prevent the Angels center fielder from joining the home run-hitting contest the night before.
“They asked me when we were in Sacramento [last weekend], but I probably won’t do it,” Trout said before the Angels’ game against the Athletics. “It would have been cool to do it, but the injury kind of threw things off.”
Trout, a three-time American League MVP and 11-time All-Star, has turned down numerous invitations to participate in the derby because he felt the high volume of maximum-effort swings the event requires would throw him off at the plate.
He always maintained that he would take part in the derby at least once before he retires, and this seemed to be the year to do it, with All-Star Game festivities in Citizens Bank Park about 45 miles north of his hometown of Millville, N.J.
Trout, who’s among American League leaders with 17 homers, fueled more speculation that he would participate in the derby last weekend when he told USA Today that he was “considering” it.
But Trout, placed on the 10-day injured list on June 18, had a change of heart over the last week.
“When it came out that the All-Star Game was in Philly, I thought it definitely would have been cool to do,” said Trout, who ranks second behind New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in All-Star voting for AL outfielders. “Then I hurt my leg, so I’m leaning toward not doing it.”
AIRPORT terminals – love them or hate them, you’ll find yourself killing time in one before your next holiday.
According to a study by YouGov in 2023, the average Brit spends as much as £20 before a flight, with common items being perfumes, alcohol and food gifts.
Our favourite (and worst) ways to waste time at the airport revealedCredit: AlamyThe Sun’s Head of Travel, Lisa Minot (left), with her family, at the only part of the airport she enjoys – the bar
Yet while some people enjoy a perusal of the aisles, others are more reluctant to.
While bargains can be found at Duty Free, you’ll find your cup of coffee or morning breakfast a lot more expensive than outside the airport – making your holiday more expensive before you even get on the plane.
The discussion of enjoying the airport terminal has divided even the Sun Travel team.
Here we share our biggest bugbears, best ways to spend a few hours at the airport, the freebies you can bag while there and the handful of duty-free items that are actually worth buying.
Lisa Minot, Head of Travel
As per usual, I am late. Airport security is a nightmare. Endless lines of stressed passengers are corralled into a hot, suffocating pen, awaiting the conveyor belts of doom.
I roll my eyes as my perfectly acceptable hand luggage is sent down the reject lane – and I stand fuming, knowing there’s nothing wrong with it. After another ten minutes and a ‘random check’, I am finally free to enter departures.
I am hot, bothered and hating life. So what could possibly be worse?
The winding ‘hell-no brick road’ through the World of Duty Free with its cloying perfume sprays, overpriced make-up and endless rows of ‘designer’ sunglasses.
Travellers slow to a snail’s pace as the brightly-coloured displays tempt them. And as I try to accelerate through the dawdlers, I get a full-on spray of aftershave in the face as the sales staff accost yet another unlucky victim.
Round and round we go. Past overpriced beauty brands I’ve never heard of – and will never be able to justify the price. Past rows of Union Jack tat and extortionate Fortnum and Mason biscuits.
Rounding another corner, there’s yet more retail hell – overpriced sweets and costume jewellery you know will probably disintegrate before you’ve settled into your airplane seat.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I’m spat out into the departure lounge. Except more retail hell awaits.
No, I don’t want a pair of overpriced shoes. I don’t need a ‘just in case’ shawl or a tech gadget promising to ‘transform’ my flight. I just want to sit down.
It’s bad enough I’m stuck in this soulless cavern, but the endless assault on my wallet is exhausting.
If I have forgotten something, God forbid, I’d much rather buy it at my destination. At least there it might have some meaning.
The lone sanctuary in the chaos. The one place where I can enjoy a cheeky albeit overpriced drink.
And as I finally sink into a chair to do a spot of people watching, the rage fades.
It might be twice the price of my local, but I’m jetting off… and this is my little slice of airport heaven.
BEST FREE ITEMS AT AIRPORTS
We’ve rounded up some of the best free items at airports, in you’re the type of person who likes to get there early…
Grab a ‘free suncream’ at the airport
Before you travel, get the Recycle at Boots app and find five empty health or beauty items that can’t go in your kerbside recycling collection, like electric toothbrush heads or toothpaste tubes.
Take a quick snap of them and upload them to the app. Once they’ve been added, you can bag them up and drop them in the collection point at your nearest participating Boots, before scanning the QR code on the side of the box for a voucher to claim £5 worth of Advantage Card points when you spend £10.
If you store up your points until you get through airport security, you can spend them on suncream at Boots airside.
I got a bottle of Soltan at Stansted for £6.05, so you’ll need more points than you get in one recycling transaction, but there’s nothing to stop you doing it several times and getting lots of points on your card, ready to spend at the airport.
Local drop-off prices or free
Residents who live near Stansted Airport can pay a reduced charge at the express set down at the terminal of either 50p or £1 for up to 15 minutes, depending on whether they live within five miles or 10 miles.
There are similar schemes at other regional airports like Edinburgh and Manchester, which means that if you live near an airport or have family and friends who do, you might be able to avoid paying for airport parking.
If you want to eat something a bit more substantial before your flight, it’s often the case that chains likePizza Expressexclude their airport branches from popular deals and discounts.
Free glossy magazines
Did you know that many airports have free magazine stands?
They can often be found in the corridors when you are travelling to your gate, or even after you have gone through the gate agent and are waiting to board.
They vary depending on which ones they have so you can’t always be fussy.
On a recent flight, we’ve managed to pick up Wallpaper* magazine, as well as Escapism, Condé Nast Traveller and Stylist.
Kids eat free
Certain large airports like Heathrow operate a kids-eat-free policy at some of their restaurants during the school holidays.
So if an adult chooses an item from the main menu, your kids can eat for free.
Restaurants that have previously taken part at Heathrow include Giraffe, Wild Olive and The Grove.
Let the kids run wild in soft play
Plenty of UK airports have soft play areas and games zones in their terminals so kids can burn off some energy before boarding.
While some of them are pretty basic, some at airports like Heathrow are good enough that you’d pay a few quid for entry into the outside world.
There are only a handful of real bargains to be found at Airport Duty FreeCredit: GettyThe Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey enjoying a spot of duty-free airport shopping
Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey
‘We don’t need to be so early to the airport, Kara,’ my friends often moan at me when I turn up three hours early for a flight to Spain.
They, however, are wrong – the beauty of a holiday starts at the airport.
In fact, it’s one of the most exciting bits of my trip, especially when travelling through some of our London airports, which, dare I say it, are some of the finest in Europe.
There is something to be said for being stuck within the walls of a terminal where there is nothing else to do but explore the shops – you can’t go back through security, and you can’t go to your gate.
If it’s an early morning flight, I embrace my overpriced Pret coffee, often chased by a just as expensive cheese turnover to keep me going.
I’ll check the time for my gate to be revealed (often at least 1hr30, with how early I arrive), and that’s when the fun starts.
I peruse Waterstones, picking up a new book that I forgot to pack myself but will inevitably never read, opting to pass out as soon as I get on the plane.
There’s the swimsuit I also forgot to pack that I must pick up from Accesorize, before being tempted into some new earrings, where I shall return from the trip with just one of them.
And I’ve been burnt before by inedible economy meals, so my trip to Boots is a must, picking up the same Meal Deal as always – Elderflower and Mint CBD drink, Korean Fried Chicken Rice Bowl and a Big Bag of Hula Hoops.
All of that, and I still have time to perhaps try some of the designer beauty products I can only dream of affording, but will happily smear samples on my wrists and neck.
How people hate the airport experience is beyond me – I simply say you aren’t doing it right.
I will never be that person you see frantically running through the airport, face frazzled as they barely make their flight.
For I, with my coffee, book and earrings to join me, settle in with another hour to kill while calmly waiting to board.
Who needs spa treatments when you have an airport terminal to peruse?
Our anonymous flight attendant blogger reveals which items you should never buy at airports and how you can find the best bargains before your flights.
The worst offender for thisis chocolate– no matter which airport you’re in, you’ll be ripped off for it.
And the worst thing is, it’s not even good chocolate – it’s run-of-the-mill, ordinary stuff that you can find in shops everywhere.
It’s also often in novelty-sized bars or massive tubs that are both far too big and cost an absolute fortune.
It’s such a false economy, and I don’t understand why no one’s figured that out yet.
Perfume is generally the same – you can find the bottles for the same price online.
That’s not to say therearen’t bargainsto be found if you know where to look.
Avoid the stuff that’s in the centre ofthe duty-free shop, and instead look at the shelves until you find the discounts or clearance sections.
They don’t always exist, but a lot of airports have them, often hidden on a small shelf that’s not immediately noticeable.
That’s where your bargains can be found.
The only other item I would say is worth buying at the airport is local booze, if you want to bring something back as a gift or souvenir.
The best places for that, in my opinion, are South Africa and South America, where you can get their local drinks for great prices at the airport – meaning you don’t have to buy it then carry it for the rest of your holiday.
US President Donald Trump says Iran has agreed to not acquire nuclear weapons and will ‘suffer unbelievable consequences’ if they do. His remarks came during a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim at the G7 summit in France.
NEW biometric checks for UK travellers at European borders may not “stabilise” for another two years, officials have warned.
The new EES system has caused chaos and long queues at airports with no plans to relax the checks during the busy summer period.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
EES system has caused chaos for UK travellersCredit: Alamy
The Entry Exit System (EES) involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photographs taken to enter the Schengen Area.
This Area consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU, and around 1,700 border crossing points requiring the use of EES.
For most UK travellers, the process is done at foreign airports with the digital record being kept for three years.
The airline body International Air Transport Association recently warned border queues could reach six hours this summer.
Airports in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy have been reported to be among the worst affected.
This comes after more than 100 easyJet passengers missed a flight from Milan Linate to Manchester in April because of delays at passport desks caused by the ramping up of EES.
Uku Sarekanno, deputy executive director of EU border agency Frontex, said some member states are “struggling” to adopt the new system.
During a summit of travel industry leaders organised by Abta in Westminster, Sarekanno said: “We expect that the situation will stabilise in one or two years.
“The most challenging part is the first enrolment, that is the moment where fingerprints and facial images will be taken.
“If a person is visiting the EU again (within three years), they don’t have to go through the same process, so they can have a more fast track of entry.”
Experts say queues are going to get even worse for British holiday makers this summer with queue times potentially stretching to as much as six hours.
According to The Times, Rafael Schvartzman warned that the EES systems are being operated differently between airports, which is causing the problem.
Schvartzman said: “What we are seeing is a very hard risk of really challenging times or waiting times, talking about expectations of three, four, five, six hours which is unacceptable.
“We know for a fact there are many cases where people have lost flights or their connectivity.”
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
A plane passenger has shared their shock after getting a mouthful for reclining their seat during a long-haul flight – sparking a heated debate over airline etiquette
It has sparked a debate online (stock image)(Image: AlxeyPnferov via Getty Images)
A plane passenger sparked a debate after reclining their seat without a second thought on a long-haul flight – leaving them questioning whether they had done anything wrong. The traveller took to social media to share the awkward encounter, which unfolded during a nine-hour economy flight aboard a Boeing 747-400.
Like many passengers on long journeys, they decided to get comfortable after the meal service had finished and prepared to recline their seat before trying to get some sleep. However, what happened next was the last thing they expected. As they pushed their seat backwards, they suddenly heard somebody shouting: “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”
At first, they assumed the noise was coming from the TV show they were watching on their tablet and carried on as normal.
But moments later, a passenger sitting behind them tapped on their seat and delivered a stern warning.
The traveller explained the man claimed they had almost hit his young daughter in the head when reclining their seat.
According to the passenger, the dad then told them they needed to notify him every time they wanted to recline so he could make sure the child was out of the way.
The unexpected confrontation left the traveller completely stunned.
They admitted they hadn’t even realised a child was sitting behind them until the man pointed it out.
When they later caught sight of her, they estimated she was somewhere between three and five years old.
Reflecting on the incident, they questioned how the child had managed to be in the path of a reclining seat in the first place.
The passenger wrote: “I am still absolutely baffled by this.”
Not wanting to risk an argument in the middle of the flight, they immediately returned their seat to the upright position and decided not to recline it again for the remainder of the journey.
While they felt guilty after being accused of almost hurting a child, they couldn’t shake the feeling the situation wasn’t entirely their fault.
Their partner believed the parents should have simply treated the incident as an accident and encouraged their daughter to sit properly in her own seat.
Meanwhile, their mother-in-law took an even firmer stance, arguing that if the family wanted extra room for the child to move around, they should have paid for seats with more space.
The incident has since sparked a wider discussion online about airline etiquette, with many travellers divided over who is responsible when it comes to reclining seats.
One user said: “A bit like reversing in a car, always good to take a quick look and make sure the coast is clear.”
Another user added: “He didn’t say you couldn’t recline your seat, he asked you to warn them. Three to five-year-olds aren’t known for being super cooperative.
“Maybe her head was down and her tray was out or something. Would you prefer he physically restrain her in her seat and she screamed the whole time?”
“Hell’s Kitchen,” the Alicia Keys musical that has landed at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in a blaze of rousing sound, deploys the R&B star’s glorious treasure trove of work in the service of a semi-autobiographical version of her coming-of-age story in the Manhattan neighborhood that gives the show its title.
The Hell’s Kitchen of Alicia Keys’ story, set in the 1990s, isn’t the gang-ridden Hell’s Kitchen of West Side Story, set in the 1950s. Keys grew up in Manhattan Plaza, a federally subsidized residential complex that provides affordable housing for artists. But for a teenager in rebellion from her watchful mother, the vibrant, music-filled street life comes with its share of dangers.
Kennedy Caughell as Jersey and Maya Drake as Ali in the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
(Marc J. Franklin)
Ali (Maya Drake, who’s making her professional debut in this North American tour production) is a 17-year-old ready to break out of the cage her mother, Jersey (Kennedy Caughell), has placed her in. Jersey, a single mom, isn’t a tyrant. She just doesn’t want to see her daughter make the same mistakes that she did, namely get pregnant at a young age before she’s had a chance to realize her own dreams.
The book by playwright Kristoffer Diaz (“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity”) is structured around a loving but combustible mother-daughter relationship amid the creative ferment of New York. This artistic neverland is crystallized in the apartment building that has music pouring out of every floor when Ali rides the elevator.
Maya Drake as Ali and the company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
(Marc J. Franklin)
The story isn’t the strong suit of “Hell’s Kitchen,” which is powered by Alicia Keys’ versatile catalog, which has been supplemented with original material. The hits — “You Don’t Know My Name,” “Girl on Fire,” “Fallin’,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” “No One” and “Empire State of Mind,” among them — reverberate inside the Pantages with a thrilling exuberance.
What’s most impressive, however, is the way these tracks have been arranged both musically and dramatically. Jukebox musicals are notorious for shoe-horning in beloved songs without regard for storytelling integrity. “Mamma Mia!,” which crammed in as many ABBA hits as possible, hardly even bothered to find pretext for their inclusion. The lucrative example paved the way for more than two decades of musical theater shamelessness.
The company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
(Marc J. Franklin)
“Hell’s Kitchen,” directed by Michael Greif, takes a more dignified approach, raiding Keys’ greatest hits in a way that doesn’t cause dramatic offense and better yet, adds a layer of surprise to music that is so well known.
The songs are allocated in unexpected ways. Numbers that you might think belong to Ali are divided among the company. Jersey is first in line, and Caughell makes the most of her opportunities. But sharing in the bounty are Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington), Ali’s mostly absent and chronically unreliable father; Knuck (Jonavery Worrell), Ali’s forbidden love interest; or Miss Liza Jane (Roz White), a pianist who lives in the building and becomes Ali’s formidable mentor.
There are other characters who offer luminous assistance, but these are the principals in a musical tale built around Ali’s central relationships. Keys’ origin story is more dynamic on an atmospheric than dramatic level. A mother having difficulty with her boy-crazy teenage daughter isn’t exactly breaking any ground, and Diaz avoids venturing into more turbulent territory. Ali’s divided identity, stemming in part from an all-too-present white mother and all-too-missing Black father, sets up issues that are touched on but never deeply engaged.
Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and Kennedy Caughell as Jersey and the company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
(Marc J. Franklin)
Miss Liza Jane spots Ali’s musical gift right away and fills her with a sense of pride and responsibility in her Black heritage. But her character’s role is somewhat earnestly compartmentalized. Knuck recognizes that Ali’s fascination with him stems in part from the way she sees him, much as her mother does, as a “thug.” But their tentative affair is secondary to the complex bond between Ali and Jersey, whose troubled connection with Davis helps Ali understand why her mother is so paranoid about her romantic choices.
But these concerns fall away when the performers start singing. Drake has a beautiful voice, but her Ali is slighter than that of Maleah Joi Moon, who won a Tony for her Broadway debut performance. I didn’t mind that Davis sings “Fallin’,” as Ellington has a voice of luscious thunder. Worrell’s Knuck more than holds his own with his duets with Ali. (In fact, I was more taken by his velvety interpretation of “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” than Ali’s more straightforwardly pretty version.) White’s Miss Liza Jane takes the Pantages audience to church in her numbers. And when Caughell magnificently directs “No One” to Ali, I can’t imagine there’s a dry eye in the house.
Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and Maya Drake as Ali in the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
(Marc J. Franklin)
This tour production isn’t crisp in all areas. The dancing isn’t always smooth, the costumes struck me as a road show idea of New York cool, and the acting didn’t do much to compensate for some of the book’s less subtle moments.
But the energy of the production is infectious. “Hell’s Kitchen,” a New York story of a wunderkind discovering her gift, helped me get over my allergy to the jukebox genre. The soaring quality of the orchestra and the delectable company of voices pay exhilarating homage to a singular artist, who seems right at home at the Pantages.
‘Hell’s Kitchen’
Where: Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. (Check for exceptions.) Ends June 21
Tickets: Start at $57
Contact:BroadwayInHollywood.com or Ticketmaster.com
The prodigal “Daughter From Hell” returns: Gracie Abrams just announced her upcoming tour, and it includes four nights in her hometown of Los Angeles.
The 64-date Look at My Life tour hits arenas across North America and Europe starting Dec. 2 in Denver, before the singer lands in L.A. later that month. Abrams will take the stage at Inglewood’s Kia Forum for four nights: Dec. 14, 18, 19 and 20. The North American leg of the tour concludes in Brooklyn in March, and she kicks off the European leg in April.
The tour will follow the release of Abrams’ third studio album, “Daughter From Hell,” which drops July 17 via Interscope Records. Abrams took to Instagram to share her upcoming tour dates, teasing fans with the caption, “we’re baaaaaack.”
At the Kia Forum, Abrams will be supported by openers Rachel Chinouriri and Holly Humberstone, both popular British singer-songwriters. Fans can sign up on Abrams’ website for access to the June 2 pre-sale for all dates before tickets go on sale to the general public June 5.
Abrams most recently played in L.A. as part of a three-night residency at the Kia Forum in August 2025 for the Secret of Us Deluxe tour. There, she brought out surprise guest Audrey Hobert, Abrams’ longtime best friend and collaborator. Abrams’ other frequent collaborator, musician and producer Aaron Dessner, co-wrote and produced her latest single, “Hit the Wall,” which dropped in mid-May in advance of her new album.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t tell either of them, so it makes it easy to be completely open when writing,” Abrams told The Times of Hobart and Dessner in 2024.
Her September 2024 shows at L.A.’s Greek Theater sold out so quickly that the singer-songwriter had to add two additional dates to meet demand. At the time, Abrams told The Times that she would keep performing if the fan support continued.
“As long as they’ll have me, I’ll do this,” she said.
REBEKAH Vardy insists that “hell will freeze over” before she ever apologises to former pal Coleen Rooney over their Wagatha Christie row.
The wife of footie star Jamie said she must live with her libel loss to Wayne Rooney’s missus.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Becky Vardy insists that ‘hell will freeze over’ before she ever apologises to former pal Coleen Rooney, Jamie and Becky look the part in the new showCredit: Refer to sourceFormer pals Becky and Coleen at the 2016 EurosCredit: Splash News
But Becky, 44 — accused of leaking stories about Coleen — said: “I’m never going to apologise for something I didn’t do. Hell will freeze over before I do that.”
Rebekah says her Wagatha Christie beef with Coleen is “done, it’s over” — and does not care what her ex-pal thinks about her.
The wife of former Leicester striker Jamie insists her own “peace” is more important amid the fallout to their legal battle.
In new ITV reality show The Vardys, she admits to still suffering from a public backlash after losing her libel case against Wayne Rooney’s missus. Becky, 44, had taken legal action after Coleen claimed stories about her were leaked from her Instagram account.
And she says: “I’m living with the judgment the judge made but, still to this day, I believe she was wrong.”
The mum of five goes on: “People constantly go, ‘Well, it’s not going to change anything unless you apologise’ — but I’m not apologising for something I didn’t do. Like never, ever, going to apologise for something I didn’t do — it’s never going to happen. Hell will freeze over before I do that.
“It’s over, it’s done, I’m not going to carry on living in the past. I’m so f***ing bored of it.”
Becky, 44, was accused of leaking stories about ColeenCredit: Dan CharityRebekah says her Wagatha Christie beef with Coleen is ‘done, it’s over’ — and does not care what her ex-pal thinks about herCredit: Getty
She says: “I don’t have any negative feelings towards her whatsoever. Some people might go, ‘That’s bull’, but whatever, that’s your opinion. If I ever saw her or bump into her, people will assume it’ll be like handbags at dawn, or ‘Birkins at dawn’, whatever they want to say. ‘Wag War 4’. I’ve forgotten how many headlines have been ‘Wag War’, but my peace is too important.”
She adds of her one-time friend: “I’ve got no idea what she thinks of me, but I’m not bothered.”
In new ITV reality show The Vardys, Becky admits still suffering from a public backlash after losing her libel caseCredit: Dan CharityThe wife of former Leicester striker Jamie insists her own ‘peace’ is more important amid the falloutCredit: Dan Charity
Becky’s Prem-winning hubby has stayed silent on it, until now.
He says: “Becky’s a strong woman. If she wasn’t, it would definitely have broken her 100 per cent. But that’s not her.”
He adds: “People thinking that Bex was a villain, it’s just a load of s but everyone close to her knows, that’s all she needs. It was really tough seeing Bex in pain, obviously with all the crap coming her way. As a husband, the only thing you can do is be there for her.”
The couple celebrate their tenth anniversary today — and their close bond is evident during The Vardys’ opening episode.
Becky with Jamie at the trialCredit: Splash
Timeline
OCT 2019: Coleen Rooney says stories about her were leaked from Rebekah Vardy’s Insta account.
JUN 2020: Becky launches libel proceedings.
FEB 2022: WhatsApps emerge between Becky and agent Caroline Watt, who claims her phone was lost in the North Sea.
APR 2022: Becky blames Caroline for the leaks.
MAY 2022: Blockbuster trial starts at the High Court, with Coleen and Becky’s husband there.
JULY 2022: Becky’s claim is dismissed, with a judge ruling that it is likely she “knew of and condoned” the leaking.
MAY 2025: She is ordered to pay Coleen’s legal costs of around £1.2million.
Whether it’s playfighting in their home gym, Jamie’s disdain for her “banana breath” or Becky’s utter bewilderment at how “chilled out” her husband is, they are perfect reality TV material.
Becky says: “We have five kids, but if you include Jamie in that, we have six.”
Jamie is seen telling his young children about him leaving Leicester after 13 years.
But the transfer was far from straightforward — as he was initially bound for a Dutch club.
Coleen and Wayne pictured leaving the courthouseCredit: Getty
VIEWERS of The Vardys will see Jamie get off to the worst possible start at new club Cremonese.
Their biggest-ever signing — and highest-paid player — suffers an untimely injury ahead of his debut against Parma.
Vardy says he’s torn a thigh muscle and adds: “The kids and everyone have come over to watch the first game and Daddy’s not playing.”
His injury concerns start to worry Becky, who questions whether they were right to relocate.
She asks: “Why have we moved? What’s the upheaval for?”
Her mood then darkens in the second episode, which is teased as the opener comes to an end.
The Vardys’ new villa is raided by robbers, leaving them shaken — and Becky without a much-loved piece of jewellery.
She screams: “They’ve taken my f***ing watch.”
Becky says to the camera: “When something like this happens it makes you question everything.”
Things continue to spiral as their new life in Italy moves from one disaster to the next.
Jamie says of his wife: “It’s horrible — she’d happily go home right now.”
Becky rants: “The last 24 hours has been a total s*** show. Yesterday morning we were all on holiday in Portugal, chilling, rosé, life couldn’t get any better. And then Jamie tells me, ‘I’m going to sign for a Dutch team.’ I ask him, ‘Are you sure?’ And he seems pretty sure at that point.
“So I thought, ‘OK, that’s fine then, we’re going to Holland’ and literally, just as we’re boarding a flight home from Portugal, he changed his mind — standard Jamie.
“We landed back in the UK at 3pm, dropped the kids off, went straight back to the airport and back out on a flight to Italy.”
The Vardys starts on ITV, June 2, 9pm, with all episodes on ITVX.
May 21 (UPI) — President Donald Trump has said he will speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te about a stalled $14 billion arms deal, a call that would be precedent-setting for a sitting U.S. president and likely anger China.
“I’ll speak to him,” Trump said Thursday from the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
The president was responding to a reporter’s question on whether he planned to call Lai before making a final decision on the Congress-cleared weapons deal, the future of which remains uncertain following Trump’s visit last week to Beijing for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Taiwan has requested the weapons package as it faces an aggressive China, which claims sovereignty over the self-governing island it views as a breakaway province and has said it will take it back by force if necessary.
The weapons deal was pre-approved by Congress in January 2025, and Taiwan’s legislative body earlier this month approved a special defense budget of $25 billion to buy weapons from the United States. The package now requires Trump to sign off on it.
But Trump on Friday told reporters aboard Air Force One while en route back to the United States following his visit with Xi in Beijing that they had “talked a lot about Taiwan” and that he would “make a determination over the next fairly short period” on whether to give the arms deal final approval.
Taiwan was a significant topic during the trip, with Xi warning Trump that the island was “the most important issue” in bilateral ties and that, if mishandled, could trigger “clashes and even conflicts.”
Amid the uncertainty, Lai issued a Facebook post Sunday night stating Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and arms sales “are key elements in maintaining regional peace and stability” and that the island’s security is the region’s security.
Trump did not say Wednesday when he would speak with Lai or discuss specifics concerning the arms deal.
“We have that situation very well in hand,” he said, adding that he had an “amazing” meeting with Xi.
“We’ll work on that,” he said.
Trump spoke with Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, when he was the president-elect, but no sitting U.S. president is known to have spoken with the leader of Taiwan since Jan. 1, 1979, when the Carter administration formally severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan’s government, and established relations with the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.
Spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian of Beijing’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office gave reporters a standard answer during a press conference Wednesday, stating: “We firmly oppose the United States conducting any form of official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region, and we firmly oppose the United States selling weapons to China’s Taiwan region.”
“This position is consistent and clear,” she said.
UPI has contacted Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry for comment.
Democrats and some Republicans have urged Trump to approve the arms deal and expressed concern over its future as the president was in Beijing.
The Republic of China, the current government of Taiwan, once governed mainland China but retreated to the island following its defeat by the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The Chinese Communist Party views Taiwan as part of China under its One China principle and seeks reunification with the island — an act Taiwan says would amount to an illegal annexation.
As LeBron James sat at the podium following the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night, he was asked about his future.
He had just completed his 23rd season in the NBA at 41 years old and he will become a free agent this summer.
James has been asked about retirement all season — and if he would return to the Lakers next season or play for another team.
So after finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the 115-110 loss, James addressed the situation again.
“With my future, I don’t know, honestly,” James said. “It’s still fresh from obviously losing. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously. As it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I’ll sit back, like I think I said last year after we lost, I think to Minnesota, to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them. And then when the time comes, then obviously you guys will know what I’ve decided to do.”
James said he’ll talk to his wife, Savannah, his daughter, Zhuri, and his son, Bryce.
James was asked what his decision process will be like.
“I don’t know,” he said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to practices, 11 o’clock practice, I’m there at eight o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in.
“So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process and not the aftermath of, OK, we won that game, or we won a championship. I’ve always enjoyed the process and not the outcome. So, I think that would be a big factor.”
LeBron James, center, celebrates with his Lakers teammates after defeating the Miami Heat for the NBA title on Oct. 11, 2020.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
James has been with the Lakers for eight seasons. He helped the team win an NBA championship in 2020 in the COVID-19 bubble in Orlando, Fla.
James was asked what has stood out during his time with the Lakers.
“Obviously winning a championship in 2020 would stand at the top,” James said. “That was the reason why I came here, to restore that level of play and restore this franchise back to what it was known for, winning championships and playing at a high level. … So that would be at the top.”
James was asked if those were the last handshakes of his career.
“Last handshakes? No, I don’t know. ‘Cause I don’t, I have no idea,” James said. “None of us even know what the future holds. None of us.”
The Lakers know that they could have eight unrestricted free agents in their immediate future.
After James, the next biggest potential free agent is Austin Reaves. He is expected to opt out of his deal that will pay him $14.8 million and become a free agent, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment. The Lakers can pay Reaves a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season.
The Lakers value Reaves and are expected to meet his demands. Reaves could sign with another team that has salary-cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.
“I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” Reaves said. “I make good money. But like I said, don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future. Just day by day.”
Center Deandre Ayton had an inconsistent season, averaging 12.5 points on 67.1% shooting and 8.0 rebounds. He can opt out of his deal that pays him $8.1 million next season and become a free agent. But Ayton hasn’t yet made a decision, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment.
Lakers star Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Thunder on Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Marcus Smart, a locker room leader and their best defensive player, also has a player option for next season at $5.3 million. He hasn’t made a decision yet on whether he’ll test the free-agent market. According to several NBA executives, a few teams probably will show interest in him.
The deadline to exercise or decline an option is June 29.
Rui Hachimura’s ($18.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million) are also in the final year of their deals.
Doncic, who missed the playoffs and the last five games of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, signed a three-year, $165-million extension last summer, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.
Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht (4.2 million), Bronny James ($2.2 million) and rookie Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are under contract for next season.
Lee Andrews and Katie Price have scrapped their first joint TV interviewCredit: InstagramThey were due to appear on ITV daytime series GMB togetherCredit: ITV
Though after the self-styled businessman failed to travel to the UK, GMB media posts advertising the segment were hurriedly removed from the programme’s social media accounts after ITV staffers were told Lee would be unable to reach the UK.
GMB anchor Susanna Reid then confirmed Katie would appear on-screen solo.
She told viewers during the live show: “Katie Price is back with us in the studio.
“We invited them both [Katie and Lee] into the studio and initially yes, we though that would happen.
Katie confirmed the businessman would not be travelling from his home in DubaiCredit: GettyA source again confirmed to us how Lee has a travel ban and cannot leave the UKCredit: wesleeeandrews/Instagram
“But Lee didn’t make his flight from Dubai, we are going to find out why when Katie joins us alone after 8”.
Katie, 47, then posted on her social media – in a video which has now been deleted – to confirm the switch up.
She said on social media: “Where The Hell Is My Husband? Lee will not be on Good Morning Britain with me!!”
Our source said Katie ‘believed’ Lee would be travelling to London for the chatCredit: GettyHe has previously denied being subject to a travel banCredit: Instagram/mistraesthetics/
She added: “Well he is not coming, gutting really as he said he was coming, so I’m getting the house ready for me”.
A source mocked the cancellation and told The Sun: “Lee has a travel ban so he was never going to make GMB for a sit down interview with Katie.
“He assured them he was flying over, even Katie believed him – then it was all cancelled.
“Lee is still in Dubai because he has a travel ban that stops him from leaving.
Who is Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews?
KATIE Price tied the knot with Lee Andrews in January 2026. Yet who is he?
Failed actor is just another title to add toLee’s questionable CV, after he claimed to have once worked as the Director of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust (now The King’s Trust)
Lee also shared images – since proven to be AI – of him working with Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian
It’s been revealed shameless Lee told former girlfriends that he had studied at Cambridge University, and has a PhD in biotechnology science
But The Sun has seen a response from the university explaining it could not find a record of Lee being registered as a student with a date of birth they had provided
His LinkedIn profile says Lee has been a Member of the Board of Advisors to the Labour Party since 2015
Lee was also mocked for repeating theexact same wedding proposalon Katie – that he did for another woman just four months ago.
“The sooner people stop falling for his claims he can leave Dubai the better.
“It’s a waste of time and energy.”
Katie returned to the UK from Dubai without Lee – who she married within just weeks of meeting him in at the start of the year – last week.
Despite the change, he has continued to re-post GMB uploads about their interview.
US President Donald Trump said he is “not happy” with the latest peace proposal from Iran and warned that the alternative to talks is to “blast the hell out of” the country.
WASHINGTON — President Trump says he’s nominating Fox News Channel contributor Nicole Saphier for surgeon general after Casey Means’ path forward stalled in the Senate over questions about her experience and her stance on vaccines.
In a social media post Thursday, the Republican president said Saphier is “a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment.”
Senators of both major political parties grilled Means on her vaccine stance and other health topics during a tense confirmation hearing, deepening doubts about her ability to secure the votes she needs for the role.
Earlier Thursday, Trump on social media commended Means as “a strong MAHA Warrior,” also criticizing the “intransigence and political games” from GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who interrogated Means about vaccines during the hearing.
The withdrawal of Means’ nomination to be the next U.S. surgeon general is a blow to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his movement, which championed Means for the role as the country’s top doctor despite her nontraditional path in medicine and some controversial past remarks on vaccines and other health topics.
The withdrawal comes after tense exchanges between Means and lawmakers of both parties threw into question whether she could secure enough votes to advance out of the Senate health committee. Her nomination had languished since her confirmation hearing in late February, even as activists from Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement orchestrated a push to support her bid by surging phone calls to Republican senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who had both indicated reservations with the pick.
In nominating Means last May, Trump sought to hire a close ally of Kennedy as the nation’s doctor. Means, a Stanford-education physician whose disillusionment with the healthcare system led to her career as an author and entrepreneur, promotes ideas popular with the MAHA movement, including that Americans are overmedicalized and that diet and lifestyle changes should be at the center of efforts to end widespread chronic disease.
Beverley Callard cried in a new video posted this evening as she explained how I’m A Celebrity was the start of her struggles, which eventually led to her being diagnosed with breast cancer
22:42, 21 Apr 2026Updated 22:46, 21 Apr 2026
Beverley Callard cried as she told fans about her jungle experience
Beverley Callard broke down in tears as she said her I’m A Celebrity exit was the start of her cancer battle.
The Coronation Street star was forced to quit I’m A Celebrity days before the final on medical grounds. She departed the show after falling ill, with bosses telling her she had to leave for her health.
However, now Beverley has spoken out and explained how she lost consciousness whilst on the show, admitting “I didn’t know then that I had cancer” as she reflected on her time on the show.
Speaking after her exit aired on the ITV show, she said: “I just watched my exit on I’m A Celeb and it made me cry all over again. Of course, I didn’t know then that I had cancer but I just knew that it was the last couple of days there that I hadn’t felt very well.
“What happened was, I went into the Bush Telegraph and apparently, I lost consciousness for a little while. I just wasn’t feeling myself. They took me to a medical hut and they were amazing; they really looked after me and they said you can’t go back.”
She added: “And I said ‘don’t say that, don’t send me home, I’ll be fine. I wanted to succeed and make it through to the end but that was the start of everything. It’s made me really emotional but I will beat this. I will beat it.”
Announcing her exit to her campmates tonight, Beverley explained how she was told she had to leave. She gathered them around and cried as she said: “Hi guys, I’ve just got something to tell you all.
“I didn’t feel very well this morning… and the medics have advised I can’t return to camp. I’ve got to go home. I don’t want to go. I’m absolutely gutted. I wanted to finish.”
She said she “had a funny turn and they’ve said I can’t come back in and I’ve got to go out. I don’t want to go. I’m gutted I wanted to finish. I wanted to prove older women could do it.”
Scarlett then told her: “Your health is more important,” with Adam adding: “Look how far you have come. I’m so proud of you.” Craig said of her exit: “She gave a really good account of herself and can leave with her head held high.”
Since announcing her diagnosis in February, Beverley has been keeping fans updated on her health and recovery.
Katie Price’s husband Lee claims he’ll move to the UK in MayCredit: InstagramLee also posted this wedding announcement todayCredit: InstagramKatie’s husband currently lives out in DubaiCredit: InstagramKatie married Lee earlier this year after a whirlwind weddingCredit: wesleeeandrews/instagram
Speaking in her YouTube vlog, Katie said: “I love that I’m back [in the UK].
“I’m not going to go to Dubai now for a bit. I’ve done my bit in Dubai and with everything going on there, it’s all quiet and I‘ve got things to do back here as well.
“I still want to sort the house out, work, even though I can work there, I just like being home, everything is here.
“Where I’ve been in Dubai, it hasn’t even been sunny, it’s been raining.”
Revealing her husband’s plans to visit her over here, she said: “But hopefully Lee will be flying to the UK soon.
“When he can, he’ll come over and just do normal stuff here.”
We take a look back at the highs and lows of Katie Price’s relationship history.
1996-1998: Katie got engaged to Gladiators star Warren Furman – aka Ace – with a £3,000 ring. But their relationship didn’t make it as far as ‘I do’.
1998-2000: Katie described Dane Bowers as ‘the love of her life’ but she broke up with the singer after he allegedly cheated on her.
2001: Footballer Dwight Yorke is the father of Katie’s eldest child Harvey. He has had very little to do with his son throughout his life.
2002: Rebounding from Dwight, Katie famously had one night of passion with Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, allegedly taking his virginity.
2002-2004: Katie was dating Scott Sullivan when she entered the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. He threatened to “punch Peter’s lights out” when chemistry blossomed between her and Peter Andre.
2004-2009: The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying Aussie pop star Peter. They had two kids, Junior and Princess, before their bitter split in 2009.
2010-2011: Fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid. They split 20 months after their Las Vegas wedding.
2011: Katie briefly dated model Danny Cipriani… but it ended as quickly as it begun.
2011-2012: They didn’t speak the same language, but Katie got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. He later fled home to South America.
2012-2018: Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They eventually called it quits after a rocky marriage.
2018-2019: Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. They split for good in 2019.
2019: Katie was linked to Charles Drury during her on-off relationship with Kris. Charles, who also dated Lauren Goodger, has always denied being in “official relationship” with her.
2020-2023: Car salesman Carl Woods took a shine to Katie in 2020. Their relationship was up and down for three years. They broke up for a final time last year.
2024-2026: After weeks of rumours, Katie confirmed her relationship with Married At First Sight star JJ Slater in February 2024. The pair split in January 2026 after two years together.
2026: Katie shocked fans when she revealed she had married Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews after a 48-hour engagement and only knowing him a week.