influencers

NEWLYWED model Roxy Horner soaks up the romance during her honeymoon on the Orient Express.

The 34-year-old took a bath as she and comedian hubby Jack Whitehall, 37, travelled from Venice to Paris.

Posting snaps of the train and dining carriage, Roxy wrote online: “Having a bath on a train is so romantic.”

The couple, who are parents to Elsie, two, married at a lavish ceremony in the Cotswolds last month.

We revealed earlier this month how Roxy wowed onlookers with her dazzling diamond wedding rings after marrying Jack Whitehall.

Mum-of-one Roxy showed off her multi-layered rocks while on a night out with Laura Whitmore at the launch of blow-dry specialist Duck & Dry at The Whiteley in Notting Hill.

rock on

Roxy Horner flashes HUGE diamond wedding rings after marrying Jack Whitehall

BRIDAL ERA

Roxy Horner strips to bridal underwear in unseen snaps from wedding

The show-stopping multi-stone ring boasts a huge pear-shaped diamond sat next to a white gold oval eternity diamond ring, thought to cost around £13,300.

The 34-year-old looked stunning in a casual combo of flared diamante jeans, a nude crop top and leather jacket as she posed with the former Love Island presenter.

With her long blonde hair down in waves, she accessorised with red lips, tanned heels and the eye-popping jewellery.

Pregnant Laura matched her look in a leather jacket and red lipstick with her hair slicked back.

LOOK Mum No Computer is competing for the UK at the iconic Eurovision Song Contest tonight.

As one of Eurovision’s “Big Four” (formerly “Big Five”), the UK gets an automatic place in this Saturday’s final.

But the competition gets real this evening for Sam Battle, who is representing the UK with his single Eins, Zwei, Drei, because there can only be one winner.

Speaking about Eurovision in a press conference ahead of the final, the artist said: “It has been a lot of work, especially as I have just become a new dad at the same time as prepping for Eurovision.”

Who is Look Mum No Computer?

Sam Battle, widely known as Look Mum No Computer, is an English musician and electronics enthusiast from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

On his YouTube channel with more than 700k subscribers, he posts videos about making pro audio gear and synthesizers, as well as original music tracks.

Read more on Eurovision 2026

CLEMMIE MOODIE

Celebs calling for Israel to be axed from Eurovision are parroting Hamas

MILLS OUT

New Eurovision host revealed after Scott Mills axed from coverage

Battle is known for playing unusual musical devices made from vintage technology, such as a classic Raleigh Chopper bicycle and a Game Boy.

The YouTuber also runs This Museum Is Not Obsolete, a museum in Ramsgate, Kent, showcasing vintage devices repurposed for comic uses.

Sam has been curious about mechanics since early childhood, when he spent much of his time building rockets and robots.

After starting a university course in chemistry, he realised that he “was really not cut out for that” and switched to a music tech course instead.

However, he still quit his studies halfway through to join a music band in London for three years.

Stuck with an album that wasn’t being released and no gigs, Sam used this time to learn electronics.

He worked in numerous jobs, from fixing bicycles at Halfords to cooking in a restaurant, before before setting up indie-rock group ZIBRA with his three friends.

They performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2015 as the final act on the BBC Introducing stage.

The musician launched his YouTube channel in 2013, primarily posting content for the the band — until its end in 2016 when he switched to his solo music project.

His younger sister Jodie Bartle, who appears in the music clip for Eins, Zwei, Drei by Look Mum No Computer, plays football for Wrexham.

In 2025, Sam developed a video game in collaboration with German indie studio The Bitfather and publisher Headup Games.

The game, called Look Mum No Computer, was nominated for the German Developer Award for Best Audio Design.

Who is Look Mum No Computer’s wife Melanie?

Sam Battle has been married to his wife Melanie for more than a decade.

On her Instagram, Melanie shared that she met Sam after “nicking a piece of plastic from outside of [his] house”.

The couple tied the knot in 2012 and have three children together.

Dr Melanie King is an awarded artist and curator based in Ramsgate who specialises in astronomy, alternative and analogue photography.

She works as a co-director of Lumen Studios, an art collective exploring the themes of astronomy and light, and super/collider, an independent agency that “celebrates and champions the connections between science, creativity and culture”.

In 2013, Melanie founded the London Alternative Photography Collective, which has grown from a small group of analogue and alternative photography practitioners to a collective producing large-scale symposiums, exhibitions and workshops.

Recently completing her PhD in Fine Art at the Royal College of Art, the mum-of-three also teaches Photography at Canterbury Christ Church University.

The couple welcomed their baby boy Max in April 2026, as Sam had been working hard on his performance in the iconic song contest.

On his Instagram page, the musician has recently posted more photos of the baby, adding: “Not long till he (Max) will be holding a soldering iron and helping!”

IT’S no secret that Pete Davidson has been quite the ladies’ man in recent years, as evidenced by his string of high-profile partners and Hollywood hookups.

The 32-year-old comedian’s love life often made headlines for its unconventional stories, including impulsive weeks-long engagements and explosive cheating allegations from his famous exes.

It was thought that the Saturday Night Live alum was settling down for good with his latest girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, after she got pregnant with their first child.

However, things took a turn following the birth of their daughter, Scottie Rose, in December, and the pair parted ways, The U.S. Sun exclusively reported on Thursday.

Now that Pete is back on the market again, interest has piqued about his dating history and the A-listers with whom he’s been romantically linked.

Cazzie David was one of the first well-known names to have dated the comic, and their relationship perhaps had the most surprising ending.

FOR PETE’S SAKE

Pete Davidson & Elsie Hewitt SPLIT just 5 months after welcoming daughter

SAD SALE

Pete Davidson FINALLY sells Staten Island condo at shock $400K loss after split

Pete was romantically involved with the actress for two-and-a-half years from 2016 to 2018, but the decision to call it quits wasn’t exactly mutual.

Cazzie opened up about their split in her 2020 memoir, No One Asked for This, claiming that Pete’s mental health had taken a serious toll on her toward the end of their relationship.

Pete has been open about struggling with anxiety, depression, and borderline personality disorder.

She recalled eventually breaking things off after a long internal battle, but changed her mind days later and attempted to reconcile.

However, Pete said he was “the happiest he had ever been” and wanted to continue their time apart.

“This 180 wasn’t what I’d expected, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. I said okay, and that I loved him, tears streaming down my face, and he hung up quickly,” Cazzie wrote.

The screenwriter alleged that shortly after, she discovered on social media that Pete had covered up his tattoos dedicated to her.

She also spotted a startling image of Pete with his new girlfriend, pop star Ariana Grande.

Pete and Ariana had a whirlwind romance that neither Cazzie nor fans saw coming.

The couple began dating in May 2018 and fell head over heels for one another.

Their relationship blossomed so quickly that they got engaged just three weeks into dating.

However, just like Pete, Ariana was also freshly out of a relationship with her ex, Mac Miller, when they got together.

Ariana dated the rapper for two years before they split the same month she began her romance with Pete.

When Mac passed away in August of that year from an accidental drug overdose, Ariana’s heartbreak put a major strain on her and Pete’s relationship.

The duo eventually broke off their engagement in October after only five months.

This sparked the beginning of Pete’s long list of A-list partners, and more eyes were drawn to the Staten Island native.

In early 2019, the actor briefly dated Kate Beckinsale, who is 20 years his senior.

They were spotted getting cozy at a Golden Globes afterparty and at a New York Rangers game during their time together. 

At the time, Kate told Extra that she was most attracted to Pete for his humor, saying, “Funny. I like funny.” 

However, after four months of dating, they decided to part ways.

Sources told People that their long distance was the primary reason for their split, though they remained “friendly.” 

Months later, The King of Staten Island star struck up a romance with model Kaia Gerber.

While also a brief relationship, the couple were pretty hot and heavy in the beginning, especially during their PDA-filled trip in Miami.   

They dated from October 2019 to January 2020, when Kaia began to notice red flags about Pete’s mental state.

An insider told Page Six that Cindy Crawford’s daughter was “overwhelmed” by the relationship and by Pete’s concerning, “intense” behavior.

Multiple sources also claimed that Pete’s mental health and addiction struggles were too much for the young supermodel to handle. 

Pete reportedly checked himself into a treatment program shortly after their breakup. 

After taking some time away, he was soon back on the dating scene and sparked another unexpected romance with newly single Kim Kardashian.

Kim and Pete began dating in October 2021 after meeting on the set of SNL.

The beauty mogul was a guest star on the show and performed a memorable Aladdin skit with Pete, who was a cast member.

Their feelings intensified into a full-fledged romance, in which they regularly hung out with each other’s families, including Kim’s four children, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Kanye West.

Pete even got a tattoo commemorating their relationship, which read “My girl is a lawyer,” and a branding on his chest that read “KIM.” 

Kanye, however, wasn’t thrilled about his ex’s new lover and went on numerous wild rants on social media slamming the Pete Davidson Show host.

Their romance didn’t last much longer, as Kim and Pete split in August 2022 after their relationship “ran its course,” sources told People. 

A few months later, Pete fell into the arms of supermodel Emily Ratajkowski, who had recently separated from her husband Sebastian Bear McClard. 

Rumors circulated in mid-November 2022 that the pair were an item after reports surfaced that they were in the “very early stages” of a relationship. 

They confirmed the chatter later that month when they arrived arm in arm for a New York Knicks game.

Their romance was short-lived as they split in December 2022, around the same time that Pete began dating his Bodies, Bodies, Bodies co-star Chase Sui Wonders.

Pete and Chase met when they were shooting the film in August of that year, though things didn’t turn romantic until later.

The pair were seen at a New York Rangers game and shopping at a Whole Foods Market in Brooklyn in the first days of their relationship. 

Although they initially denied their relationship, Chase was caught near Pete’s apartment, and the duo was seen enjoying a date night in New York City in January 2023, further fueling romance rumors.

Chase was also a passenger in the Mercedes that Pete crashed into a Beverly Hills mansion in March 2023, which earned the Bupkis star a reckless driving charge. 

The couple eventually ended things in August 2023 after less than a year of dating. 

Pete had a few other romantic flings over the last decade, including Carly Aquillino, Margaret Qualley, Phoebe Dynevor, and Madelyn Cline. 

However, right now, his suspected closest connection is with his most recent ex-girlfriend, Elsie, with whom he’s navigating co-parenting their less than five-month-old daughter.

A source exclusively told The U.S. Sun that Pete’s hectic work schedule and constant traveling while Elsie was at home with their daughter led to their breakup.

Another insider said, “Finding the best co-parenting solution is their top priority.”

Last summer, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed the former couple was experiencing challenges in their relationship while Elsie was in the early stages of her pregnancy.  

A source claimed that their arguments were “out of control” and that the pair were “secretly recording one another.” 

Pete and Elsie began dating in early 2025 and announced their pregnancy that July. 

Both have yet to address their split.

WASHINGTON — In recent weeks, several social media influencers have popped up in online feeds touting the California gubernatorial campaign of billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer.

Some complain about the price of gasoline. Others mention environmental concerns. One cites her newfound sobriety as evidence that people can change — a nod to Steyer’s self-proclaimed metamorphosis from hedge fund titan to scourge of big corporations.

“I did not expect the most progressive governor candidate to be a billionaire, but look at the policies you guys,” said one content creator on TikTok with the user name Jaz R. “Hear me out. I know Tom Steyer is a billionaire, but he also is for the people.”

The posts include direct-to-the-camera appeals, with personal details interwoven into messages of support for Steyer. An influencer goes for a stroll as onscreen text touts Steyer’s policies. Some seek to convey authenticity, if occasionally ham-fistedly; one influencer mispronounces Steyer’s last name.

What they do not include is a disclosure that their creators were paid by the Steyer campaign to produce the videos, according to a complaint filed this week with California’s Fair Political Practices Commission and a Times review of the posts.

The complaint alleges that the Steyer campaign failed to notify the influencers it hired of their obligation to inform their audience when their posts have been sponsored by the campaign.

California passed a law in 2023 requiring that influencers disclose if they have been paid to create promotional content for or against a candidate or ballot measure, one of the few jurisdictions in the country with such a requirement. There is no such requirement at the federal level.

“Every time there’s a new technology, you have to create legislation that requires them to disclose,” said state Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Orange), who sponsored the bill.

Violating the law doesn’t carry criminal, civil or administrative penalties, but the FPPC can take influencers who break the law to court and ask a judge to force them to comply.

The complaint was filed by two California women — political influencers themselves — who said they noticed a number of new accounts that suddenly started posting similar-sounding videos promoting Steyer earlier this month.

“They had the exact same language, they had the same talking points,” said Beatrice Gomberg, who worked with Kaitlyn Hennessy in their digital sleuthing efforts.

The FPPC did not comment on the complaint.

Steyer’s campaign appears to have relied on paid influencers more than any candidate for governor, according to the most recent campaign finance filings.

That spending represents only a small fraction of the massive campaign war chest Steyer has seeded with nearly $180 million of his own money. But the complaint highlights the growing degree to which political candidates have come to seek out the authenticity that social media influencers seem to offer.

Steyer campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao said the campaign had properly followed the rules in hiring influencers and that the campaign is “confident” that Gomberg and Hennessy’s complaint is “baseless.”

“Creators make their living generating content. The campaign believes in compensating people for their time and work product and has paid creators to generate content,” Liao said in a statement. “Payments for creator content are disclosed in campaign finance reports, and we notify creators we directly work with of their disclosure requirements.”

While many of the new Steyer influencers have few followers, Steyer’s campaign disclosed in its most recent campaign finance report that it had paid thousands of dollars to numerous social media influencers with massive audiences, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Several of the videos produced by these popular social media personalities also failed to disclose that they had been paid by the campaign, according to the complaint and The Times’ review of the content.

But even accounts with few followers can still have a big impact if they are producing a steady stream of content supporting Steyer, said veteran California political strategist Mike Madrid.

“What they’re trying to do is trip the algorithm,” he said. “It looks like it has a bigger audience than it really does. It’s taking the concept of astroturfing into the digital age.”

Gomberg and Hennessy said they became friends after meeting at an April campaign event for Xavier Becerra, Steyer’s chief Democratic rival in the race, who holds a narrow advantage over Steyer in several recent political polls.

The pair have been prolific social media supporters of Becerra’s campaign ever since, though they insist they are not being paid for their efforts.

They said they discovered that many of the new pro-Steyer accounts seemed to be run by influencers — mostly women — who had previously created different social media accounts to hawk other products.

One of the pro-Steyer influencers had an online portfolio listing numerous clients, including the Steyer campaign and a gummy designed to boost arousal, according to the complaint and the Times review of the publicly accessible website.

The pair said they stumbled on an advertisement placed by a vendor for the campaign on a platform used by creators to find work. The advertisement indicated that creators would be paid $10 for each post, with bonuses for posts that amassed large viewership.

The vendor who posted the ad did not respond to a request for comment.

The advertisement has since been updated to say that it pays $1,000 per month and that creators will have to disclose that it is paid content.

As Gomberg and Hennessy dug deeper, they determined that some of the influencers promoting a candidate for governor weren’t even based in California.

A TikTok account using the handle jess.votes, for example, appears to be connected to a woman registered to vote in Florida. Other accounts were connected to women who indicated elsewhere that they were based in Pennsylvania, Missouri and Michigan.

Several influencers who created seemingly paid content promoting Steyer did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Times.

The brouhaha over paid social media content is just the latest instance of the growing political impact of online creators.

Eric Swalwell’s campaign for governor — and congressional career — came to an end after multiple women accused him of sexual assault. A pair of influencers had publicly raised concerns about Swalwell’s behavior and helped connect victims with journalists who produced highly detailed reports of the allegations.

The California law requires influencers to disclose in a political post’s audio or text that it was sponsored and who paid for it.

The onus is on the creators to make the disclosure, but campaigns are required to tell them that they must do so. Despite passage of the law, the issue has so far remained largely under the radar.

“I have dozens of candidates and campaigns and I have not heard this issue come up one time,” said a campaign finance lawyer who requested anonymity because they represent numerous candidates with active campaigns.

Gomberg and Hennessy said that they were driven to call attention to potential violations of the disclosure requirements because of their concern about the corrosive influence such paid content could have if left unchecked.

“You have people who have trust in these creators,” Hennessy said. “You have a responsibility to your audience.”

THEIR podcast was supposed to be a safe space for unfiltered conversations about relationships and families, but instead, it’s become a cause for concern for Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey’s fans.

This week, things reached boiling point as Louise, 36, and her fiancé, 35, giggled about children going to school without being potty trained or being able to eat on their own on the He Said, She Said podcast. Listeners branded the conversation “disgusting and disappointing”, and now insiders tell us how the bubble is about to burst for the Made In Chelsea star.

Our source explained: “Louise has, of course, been through a hell of a lot in her life and is entitled to an opinion, but she has really hit a nerve with this one.

“She seems to have forgotten that she is in an incredibly privileged position with a healthy four-year-old son and lots of time and money, which of course all play a part.

“It’s a real shame she didn’t think before she started laughing because it would have upset a lot of people.

“It’s very surprising considering how much work she has done for mothers in the past.”

In a clip, which has now been deleted from social media, Louise and Ryan discuss the number of children who are attending school without being potty-trained. 

Outraged by the stats, Louise insisted: “I think a basic human right is to teach your child before the age of four how to use the loo and how to wipe their bum.”

Clearly amused, Louise is heard giggling as she explained: “One in four children are sent to school before they’re potty trained, which means that the teachers are having to change their nappies and then wipe their bum. 88% of kids are going to reception, unable to eat and drink on their own.”

Looking horrified, Ryan replied: “They’ve got nappies on, and they can’t feed or drink themselves.”

Musing on why she thinks it might be the case, Louise said: “Maybe it’s like a bit of a cop out there, like, oh my child’s crying, and they’re being a bit difficult, I can’t be bothered with the hassle. 

“I think that people are so distracted these days with screens that they can’t be bothered to dedicate the time.”

But shockingly, they then revealed that their own son Leo was potty-trained by Ryan’s parents while they were on holiday without him.

He admitted: “My parents pretty much broke the back on the potty training for us with Leo because we went away for a week and he went to his grandparents and they got him out of nappies in a week. It was quite convenient to be honest.”

A recent survey found that one in four children who started reception in 2025 were not toilet-trained. The stats did not count delays that may be related to disabilities or special educational needs. 

It’s a highly sensitive topic, and understandably, the comments have sparked a huge debate.

Reality star, entrepreneur and mum-of-three Lateshya Grace has been vocal in her upset. She shared: “Mocking children for wearing nappies, struggling with toileting, feeding, communication, or developmental delays is honestly disgusting.

“So many families are already dealing with enough without hearing people laugh at situations they clearly don’t understand. Not every child develops the same, and many children facing these challenges have disabilities, additional needs or medical conditions that are nobody else’s business to judge.

“Calling parents “lazy” because their child needs extra support is such an ignorant and privileged take. Most parents in these situations are doing everything they possibly can behind closed doors while fighting battles people never even see.”

Lateshya continued: “Deleting the clip without properly addressing it or apologising doesn’t take away from the damage caused either.

“Children deserve compassion, patience and understanding, not to be mocked for content or podcast conversation. Please educate yourselves before speaking on topics that affect vulnerable children and families.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. Some people honestly don’t even deserve a platform.”

Her thoughts were echoed by lots of parents online as the clip went viral, despite their best efforts to remove it. 

Holly Steer, who runs the Instagram account autismandourworld, dedicated a whole post to the podcast.

She wrote: “Platforms that should be used to promote kindness, compassion, and understanding are instead being used to mock and ridicule children with special needs, and to blame parents for developmental delays that are often far more complex than people realise.”

Her own harrowing story and her past work have only added to her fans’ confusion.

Indeed, Louise has dedicated much of the past few years to improving maternity care after her own life-threatening situation, which means she now wears a colostomy bag.

In 2021, she suffered a near-fatal birth with son, Leo, after an emergency C-section led to catastrophic bleeding. She later required a stoma bag and revealed how she suffered PTSD from the traumatic labour.

She also suffers from lupus, a chronic autoimmune condition that has left her with exhaustion and joint pain, and said she was diagnosed with hydrosalpinx – a condition where a fallopian tube becomes blocked and swells with watery fluid.

Others also pointed out that Louise’s own brother – fellow TV star Sam – was recently diagnosed with ADHD and ASD, adding: “I really expected more from a person who has a brother who is neurodivergent.”

And she won’t be getting much sympathy from her former Made In Chelsea co-stars either, after she made it clear how she had moved on after the show.

After attending the Baftas this weekend, Louise took a swipe at the likes of ex Spencer Matthews and her one-time arch nemesis Lucy Watson as she failed to acknowledge them.

Posing with Millie Mackintosh at the awards, she also shared a throwback with her former cast mates, and wrote: “Here are some photos of Millie and I (and other cast members) attending the BAFTAs in 2013, when we won a Bafta for Made in Chelsea… THIRTEEN years ago.”

Our insider said: “Louise has made it quite clear that she’s got very little interest in some of her old castmates. After what she went through having her son, she made a decision to distance herself from MIC drama, and it’s fair to say there’s no love lost with some of them.”

Just last week, Louise met the then Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss her petition to appoint a maternity commissioner and improve care for mothers and babies. She left feeling “genuinely optimistic”.

Some NHS practitioners have expressed concerns about her appraisal of the service, which they believe could be damaging to expectant mothers.

One midwife, who has worked for the NHS for ten years, expressed upset about “being blamed for women’s traumas” and pointed out that there have been issues with funding and resources for more than twenty years, which is something midwives have been fighting for day in, day out. 

Louise is clearly playing an important part in advocating for change, but whether her fans will be able to forgive her faux pas is yet to be seen. 

PLUCKED from obscurity and then dropped when fans lose interest, men in reality TV shows often fare worse than their female counterparts.

While women regularly earn a fortune from brand endorsements, the guys can find themselves struggling after they are no longer on our TV screens.

Now the untimely deaths of The Only Way Is Essex cast members Jake Hall and Jordan Wright within a few months of each other has raised fears that ITV is failing in its duty of care for former reality TV stars.

Jake, 35, died last week in a Spanish villa following a night of partying while Jordan, 33 was found dead in a ditch in Thailand in March.

A TV insider told The Sun: “The tragic deaths of Jake and Jordan have raised some serious red flags.

“No one is blaming ITV but there is definitely a pattern which emerges time and time again on all reality shows.

“Measures were put in place a number of years ago but it doesn’t seem to be enough.”

Artist and designer Jake, who joined Towie in 2015, had been living in Spain.

He was found dead in a pool of blood in a villa in Majorca last Wednesday morning after he seemingly crashed through a window.

A police source said witnesses described Jake as “agitated”, possibly from “alcohol and other substances he may have consumed”.

He had a number of struggles in recent years, from losing his fashion brand Prevu to being hit with a restraining order by ex-girlfriend Misse Beqiri, a model and the mother of his eight-year-old daughter River.

Yet right from the start of his telly career, Jake was open about being uncomfortable with fame.

Shortly after his debut on Towie, Jake said on This Morning: “The privacy part has been quite difficult because everyone knows your life within days of being on the show.”

Jordan, from Basildon, Essex, also admitted he struggled with life in the spotlight.

The former firefighter said: “I had an enjoyable career for six years before I resigned to pursue a life in the limelight of reality TV — a choice that left me hugely unfulfilled, stagnant and lost.

“People think it’s glitz and glamour but the truth is very far from public perception.

“I really struggled.

“When I left I lost a huge part of myself and my sense of purpose.”

Jordan returned to firefighting in 2023 but he struggled to settle and in December moved to Thailand where he was looking forward to a “very exciting year ahead”.

He shared his new life with his 21,500 Instagram followers, but in March was found dead face down in a drainage canal on the island of Phuket.

CCTV footage appeared to show Jordan pacing erratically outside a hotel before bolting out of the complex shortly before his body was found.

Unfortunately, the two deaths were not Towie’s first.

In January 2021, Mick Norcross took his own life, aged 57.

The Sugar Hut owner and businessman had joined the show with his son Kirk, who now runs a waste removal business.

Addiction has also taken hold of a number of cast members, including James Argent, who suffered two near-fatal overdoses at home.

Arg’s drug binges cost him his relationship with co-star Lydia Bright, his job on Towie and other high- profile TV work.

Last year he was in trouble after pushing his former Miss Sweden partner Nicoline Artursson down some steps on holiday in Spain.

He admitted an offence of gender violence and was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Jake and Jordan’s deaths sent shockwaves through fans of Towie and its stars.

Charlie King, who was on the show in 2012 and 2013, has faced his own demons since he left the programme but believes his fellow cast members must “take responsibility”.

He told The Sun: “Reality stars in general are seeking something — whether it’s fame, attention or validation.

“It’s a two-way street — stars want to appear on the shows for that lifestyle and experience, and shows need the participants.

“I can’t say Towie gave me the best support when I finished on the show.

“I remember feeling lost and redundant, trying to navigate a life post the show and still having eyes on me.

“It was hard.

“I missed the show deeply and all that came with it.

“I think access to a counsellor or therapy in those first months or years after appearing is always a good idea.

“But I also don’t think it’s fair to point the finger at these shows for how individuals live their lives after — we have to take responsibility.”

Charlie added that producers offer much better support for their on-screen talent these days and that ITV “isn’t afraid to pull out cast members if they think it’s getting too much or they need a breather, which is great to see”.

Following his stint on Towie, Charlie was diagnosed with body dysmorphia and had a botched nose job.

Other lads from the show have also gone under the knife in a quest for perfection.

Bobby Norris is now almost unrecognisable after having a full deep plane facelift, neck lift and lower eyelid surgery.

James Lock has also battled body dysmorphia and says he has spent around £100,000 on getting work done.

On rival ITV show Love Island, telly bosses brought in a revised set of welfare measures in 2021, including “comprehensive” psychological support, after former stars Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis took their own lives.

Their relatives blamed a lack of support from the show for contributing to their mental anguish.

Love Islanders are offered a minimum of eight therapy sessions when they return home.

They also get advice on coping with their finances.

But unlike Love Island, Towie cast members often appear on the show for years at a time.

A number of its former stars, including Yazmin Oukhellou and Tommy Mallet, have praised the support they have received while on the show — but what happens when the cameras stop rolling?

A telly insider revealed: “When women finish on a reality show, brand deals, an influencing career and other avenues are open to them — but it’s very different for men.

“They can get club PAs but that involves late nights and lots of booze.

“Some people like Jake or Tommy launch a career in fashion, but many struggle to achieve the dizzy heights they once enjoyed.”

Women, meanwhile, have made millions off the back of Towie, thanks to very successful business models.

Former glamour model Sam Faiers owns global collagen brand Revive and is worth £9million, and Gemma Collins is now a huge TV star with £7million in the bank.

Lucy Mecklenburgh — famed for throwing drinks on cheating Mario Falcone — now owns a thriving fitness brand and shows off her happy life on social media.

But there have also been a number of male Towie successes too.

Mark Wright landed I’m A Celebrity and Strictly at a time when Z-listers were reportedly banned, as well as enjoying a stint on US TV.

Now a radio DJ, he is married to actress Michelle Keegan, and the couple live in a £3.5million Essex mansion with one-year-old daughter Palma.

Joey Essex also became a huge breakout star.

These days he is worth at least £10millon thanks to a lucrative reality TV career, savvy personal branding and business ventures.

Another success story is Tommy Mallet, who launched luxury footwear and apparel brand Mallet London and more recently Ctrne trainers.

Tommy, Joey and Mark are living up to Towie’s theme tune The Only Way Is Up — and fans will hope there will be more men from the show who enjoy similar success.

ITV was approached for comment but declined.

A HUGE British TikTok star has given birth to her third child, and shared the unique name they’ve chosen. 

Imogen Horton, a 32-year-old YouTuber and TikTok star, shares two daughters with her husband Spencer, and they’ve now welcomed a baby boy into the mix. 

The star, who boasts a whopping 600,000 followers on TikTok, could be seen cradling her son in her arms. 

She wrote over the top of the clip: “He’s here,” while sharing another sweet photo of the tot and telling fans she and husband Spencer are “absolutely besotted.” 

Imogen also posted a clip of her two daughters, Renaelia and Oriavella holding him, and wrote: “His name is…Hero Boy Horton.”

Explaining the meaning behind his name, Imogen told her fans how they’d thought their first child would be a boy. 

Read More on Celebrity Babies

worked it out

Molly Mae fans convinced they’ve ‘worked out’ baby’s gender after HUGE clue

STRIKE A POSE

Holly Hagan shows off huge baby bump as pregnant star poses ahead of birth

They then ended up having two girls, so they always had one special boy name in mind for if they ever had a baby boy. 

“This was the ONLY name we ever loved,” Imogen shared. 

But it was the meaning behind the middle name ‘boy’ that has left people in tears. 

Imogen wrote: “When my dad was born he unfortunately had a very difficult childhood and was eventually given up for foster care.

“His parents never actually named him on his birth certificate so he was given the default name of Boy.”

She continued: “Giving our son the middle name Boy is our way of honouring my dad and the love that he gave us after so much hardship. 

“We wanted to give meaning to a name that didn’t have any meaning to start with, and it’s a reminder that even the hardest beginnings can lead to something deeply beautiful.”

Imogen has been flooded with messages of congratulations from her fans, as one wrote: “Now we’re crying,” while a second penned: “The thought that has gone into picking names for your children is absolutely beautiful.” 

And a third wrote: “The story behind the middle name is one of the most thoughtful things I’ve ever heard. 

“To see your dad be a fantastic parent and only now know what a horrendous start in life he had fills me with so much admiration. I honestly have never heard a more perfect name for a perfect reason.” 

Imogen is able to give her family a “privileged life” after years of going viral for opening up online – from filming her births to revealing health struggles and failed friendships. 

The Brighton mum recently opened up to friend and fellow parent content creator, Caroline Parker on her podcast Don’t Touch It, about managing her busy life. 

The podcast host and mum-of-three Caroline said to her: “Spencer is a stay-at-home dad, and I love that.”

Imogen, who boats over 300,000 Instagram followers, said: “I’m glad you said that, because you know what’s really funny, just quickly, I don’t get it anymore I don’t think, but for a long time I got ‘poor Spencer’.”

“Lucky Spencer,” insisted Caroline.

Imogen added: “Yes, I’m also thinking in my head he’s not forced here.

“He’s not held against his own will.

“He will live a very privileged life – we know how fortunate we are, but also they [trolls] wouldn’t say that if I was doing the cleaning and the cooking.”

“They wouldn’t say ‘poor Imogen’,” she pointed out. 

TIKTOK star Becki Jones has been praised by fans as she showed off her excess loose skin after her huge weight loss.

The social media sensation, 33 took to the platform and shared a video of her dancing up and down to Queen’s hit song, Don’t Stop Me Now.

In the clip, Becki was seen wearing a gym top and shorts and a black cap as she lipsynced to the words.

She wrote over it: “No I’m not embarrassed of my loose skin, I’ve got it it everywhere but it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come.”

Becki captioned the video: “I’m not bothered (as much) by it so you shouldn’t be either.”

Her loyal fans flocked to the comments section to praise her as one person said: “Loose skin is a way to know how far you have come!! You look incredible.”

READ MORE ON TIKTOK STARS

BIG GIG

Huge TikTok star with 34M followers ‘tipped to join BBC’ as Blue Peter presenter

baby joy

TikTok star Fred Asquith reveals wife has given birth to their first baby

Another TikTok user penned: “You’ve done amazing and I hope you never feel any pressure to explain any of your weight loss journey as so many negative comments.

“You are 100% able to naturally lose weight like you have in the time you’ve taken.”

Somebody else commented: “That loose skin is a mark of a warrior. Wear it proudly! You’ve earned it!”

Yet another gushed: “You look amazing Becki, your journey is motivating me to be healthier, thank you hun.”

While a fifth added: “I’m so proud of how far you’ve come!! Seeing you happier is so nice.”

Becki has been at the centre of plenty of speculation about just how she lost her weight, with many people thinking she used fat loss jabs or opted for weight loss surgery.

Whilst Becki has stopped short of saying exactly how she managed to lose the pounds, she has previously alluded to withholding some information regarding her weight journey from public view.

Speaking recently on the Not My Bagg podcast, Becki admitted she would not be divulging any further information but revealed she was still going through something in regards to her weight.

She expressed: “I’ve been through, this is quite upsetting but I’ve been through quite a bad time with food, and I’ve fell out of love with food.

“I’m going through something, still to this day now, that I’m not comfortable talking about anywhere.

“I think people are getting that confused with me, they think I’ve had something done.

“Anything that I’m gatekeeping, as they call it, it’s nothing that would benefit people, it’s nothing that’s a quick fix for them.

“It’s nothing that would bring anything to their life.

“It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever been through.”

Becki gained popularity online thanks to her candid food diaries and lifestyle content.

She went viral in 2020 after posting a video of herself making a slow-cooker hot chocolate, which quickly amassed over 900,000 views.

SOPHIA Grace and Rosie were the viral child stars who went from their Essex bedrooms to rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s finest – landing roles alongside the likes of Ariana Grande, appearing on the Ellen Show and even bagging their own movie.

But fast forward 15 years and the cousins have traded the bright lights of Tinseltown for very different lives back home in the UK, as The Sun lifts the lid on how they coped after they were no longer the cheeky youngsters the world fell in love with, and avoided the dreaded child star ‘curse’.

Sophia Grace, now 23, and Rosie, now 19, were cousins who rose to prominence by uploading videos from their Essex bedrooms to YouTube.

In 2011, it was a video of the duo, who were then eight and five, respectively, performing a cover of “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj that caught the attention of US megastar Ellen DeGeneres.

She invited them to fly across to the US to appear as guests on her eponymous show, which led to a regular slot for the girls and exposure to fans across the pond, who fell in love with the tutu-wearing duo and their British charm.

The girls had their own segment on the show where they would chat with A-listers, from Justin Bieber to Hugh Grant and Taylor Swift. This then led to them bagging appearances on Nickelodeon show Sam and Cat, which featured Ariana Grande in the titular role, and their own movie by the channel, Sophia Grace & Rosie’s Royal Adventure.

Read more influencer news

baby joy

TikTok star Fred Asquith reveals wife has given birth to their first baby

‘IT’S INSANE’

Influencer forced to apologise after locking 6 month old in hotel room alone

However, as Sophia Grace and Rosie got older, the high-flying opportunities also came to a halt, with the young women no longer as in demand as their younger selves once were.

A close friend of the cousins tells The Sun: “People don’t realise how intense it was back then for the girls. One minute Sophia and Rosie were just kids playing dress-up, and the next they were everywhere – on TV, interviews and cashing in on big brand deals. 

“It felt like the world couldn’t get enough of them. But that kind of spotlight doesn’t really grow with you, it stays frozen in time.

“I remember when things started to shift. It wasn’t dramatic, the calls just slowed down. Not because they weren’t talented, but because they weren’t those tiny girls in tutus that the world couldn’t help but fall in love with anymore. The industry loves a moment, it’s not always about the person behind it.”

Now, Sophia Grace is a doting mum-of-two and often shares mumfluencer content with her little ones to her Instagram page, which still boasts an impressive 1.5 million followers.

Whilst Rosie, who has just shy of one million followers, is an aspiring pop star and often shares music videos and new songs to her profile.

Despite the pair still successful online, that doesn’t mean it’s been an easy transition, as they navigated being shunned from Hollywood for simply growing up.

The friend said: “They had to go through that strange identity thing a lot of child stars face. Like, who am I if I’m not that version of me everyone fell in love with? It’s not just about losing jobs, it’s about outgrowing a character the whole world still expects you to be.

“There was definitely a period where it hurt. They’d worked so hard, and suddenly it felt like they had to prove themselves all over again, but as completely different people. That’s exhausting, especially when your past success kind of boxes you in.”

This had the girls thinking about what is next as they reinvented their careers, rather than remaining stuck.

“What people don’t see is how much strength it took for them to step back and rethink everything. They didn’t just cling to what used to work. They had to start asking bigger questions like what do we actually enjoy now? What kind of life do we want outside of all that?

“They’ve had to evolve and figure out who they are without the glitz glam and cameras. And I think that was harder than actually being famous in the first place.

“There’s something bittersweet about it. Now they’re building something quieter, more personal and it actually belongs fully to them this time.”

Child stars who have been catapulted to fame so young are famously at risk of falling victim to the “curse”, which has seen numerous celebrities fall off the wagon after earning their careers at such a young age.

From Drew Barrymore to Macaulay Culkin and Britney Spears, several stars have spoken out about their struggles with mental health, addiction, financial issues and more after being put under such pressure so young.

But Sophia Grace and Rosie have managed to successfully manage becoming household names so young whilst avoiding being plagued with the curse.

“People always expect a sad ending with child stars, like it’s inevitable that something will go wrong once the spotlight fades. But that was never going to be their story,” said the friend.

Explaining how they managed to remain grounded, they said that the pair have always been “normal and down to earth”, even when things were “unpredictable” in their careers.

“Sophia was always the one with that natural warmth. Even as a kid, she had this way of making people feel comfortable around her, what you saw was exactly what you got,” said our insider.

“Becoming a mum didn’t change her either, it’s been the making of her. She talks a lot about wanting to give her child stability, something consistent and safe, because she knows firsthand how unusual her own childhood was.

“What people see online is only a small window into their world – behind the scenes she’s very careful, and very protective of her family life. She’s also been smart financially, which people don’t expect. She made sure early on that she wasn’t just spending what she earned, she was thinking about the future. She’s got investments, savings and she’s financially fine for a very long time.”

And for Rosie, it seems that music was always the long-term plan.

“She stepped back, took time to grow up outside of the spotlight, build up her confidence and then came back to it on her own terms. That’s something I really admire about her. She’s spent years working on her voice, writing, figuring out what she actually wants to say as an artist instead of trying to recreate something from the past. 

“There’s a lot of discipline there, and a kind of quiet confidence that people may have otherwise overlooked. She’s not chasing attention at all because she’s building something meaningful and long term.

“The thing that really stands out about both of them is that they never lost themselves in it. They had good people around them from early on, family who kept things steady and didn’t let the fame become everything. And they listened to that. They made choices that weren’t the flashiest, but they were the right ones for the lives they all wanted.”

The duo were also meticulously careful about money, our source says, despite having an influx of earnings so young.

“At the end of the day, they didn’t just grow out of being child stars, they grew into adults with lives that are  real and wonderful. And that’s something you can’t fake for likes.”

MOVIE hardman Jason Statham and his model partner Rosie ­Huntington-Whiteley have bought a £20million beachfront “forever home” — and are spending another £5million renovating it.

The actor, who has two children with fiancée Rosie, bought the six-bedroom mansion in the South of England, Land Registry records reveal.

The contemporary new-build is set on 20 acres and has its own private beach, ­enormous tree house, boating lake and wild swimming pond.

Building work has been going on for some time, with experts estimating a further £5million is being spent.

Public records show Jason, 58, who has amassed a £90million fortune from movies including the Fast and Furious franchise, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, paid £20million for the site in 2024.

He has always been upfront about his life goals, saying: “I just want to work hard, make money and eat with good people and love the same woman over and over again.”

touch down

Bella Ramsey leads Celeb Traitors stars arriving in Scotland after cast revealed

GOLDEN BOY

David Beckham poses in tiny speedos as Victoria shares gushing birthday tribute

Several high-profile celebrities also own homes in the area. Jason also has extensive properties in Hollywood and Cornwall.

The couple, who have a home in London, met at a party in 2009 and got engaged in 2016.

Rosie, 39, has a £30million fortune via fashion collaborations with M&S and ­Burberry, and acting roles in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Mad Max: Fury Road.

She recently revealed she was moving to the countryside.

Rosie said: “I’ve been dreaming of this since I left home.

“It will be mud and kids climbing trees.” The couple were approached for comment.

JUST weeks after Mimii Ngulube revealed she was in a fresh relationship, The Sun can reveal the identity of her hunky new man.

The Love Island winner hard-launched her other half by sharing a TikTok dance clip with him this week, but fans have been wondering who the man behind the screen really is.

Mimii’s new boyfriend, Denzel, keeps a much lower-profile than the reality star and has just 2.3K followers on Instagram – with little about him on the internet.

The pair have been getting close over recent months, and a source tells The Sun that the smitten couple are “really happy” after making their romance official.

They revealed: “Mimii and Denzel are really happy together.

“She keeps a fairly low profile compared to a lot of the Love Island winners, so for her to hard launch him on her socials means she is definitely smitten.

STEPPING BACK

Zayn Malik cancels two UK gigs after hospitalisation and Louis punch-up

ROCK ON

Moment Lewis Capaldi forced to halt US gig after huge blunder

“He is a good guy, with good values. He is very religious, as is Mimi, so they have that in common.

“Friends have commented how she hasn’t been this happy in ages and it’s great to see her with such a huge smile on her face.”

In March, Mimii first revealed that she was seeing someone new as she dubbed Denzel “Mr. Mimii”.

However, she kept details to a minimum, other than revealing he treated her to some luxury birthday gifts.

But in Mimii’s latest TikTok, fans finally got a glimpse into the romance as she danced whilst Denzel was spotted busting a move in the frame behind her.

However, she still refrained from naming or tagging Denzel, who has around 2,000 followers on Instagram and is thought to hail from Kent.

Mimii won Love Island in 2024 with her ex Josh Oyinsan.

However, the pair split shortly after appearing on the show as they failed to make things work outside of the villa.

Whilst the ITV2 show may not have found her lasting love, Mimii has, however, maintained friendships with several her co-stars.

Showing they approve of her new romance, a number of Mimii’s fellow Love Islanders commented on her new TikTok with Denzel.

“Ugh YES You’re GLOWING,” wrote Uma Jammeh.

While Matilda Draper wrote: “love this for u”.

TV star Simon Cowell’s fiancée Lauren strongly believes social media MUST be made safe for our children. 

The US socialite, 48, is a determined campaigner for tougher curbs.  

Her passion for change is driven by her sons – Adam, 20, from a previous relationship and 12-year-old Eric with music mogul Simon – plus the anguish of parents who blame online content for their child’s death.  

This week, the Government finally agreed to bring in stronger, age-based restrictions for under-16s following pressure from grieving mums and dads. 

Here, Lauren – who does not allow Eric to use social media – explains why more needs to be done . . .  

WHEN I heard what had happened to 14-year-old Jools Sweeney, it broke my heart. 

SICKO SNARED

Moment smirking ex-Spandau Ballet singer arrested for raping & abusing 6 women

home truths

Katie Price says she’s never had one-night stand but sister calls her a ‘liar’

After he had been playing ­happily with his friends one afternoon, his mother Ellen Roome came home to find his lifeless body in his bedroom. 

Jools was one of several British children who died in 2022 having seemingly copied a deadly challenge shown on TikTok. 

I thought, “God forbid, this could have been my child”. 

My youngest son Eric, 12, isn’t much younger than Jools was, and my eldest Adam, 20, is close to the age Jools would be now. 

Since then, myself and Simon have met Ellen, who is a remarkable woman taking on the big tech giants. 

Ellen is one of the parents behind a campaign called Raise The Age, which wants the restriction on access to social media to be raised from 13 to 16. 

The policy was opposed by the UK Government, but they finally saw sense this week and agreed to introduce stronger controls on what young people can and cannot do online.  

There is no issue more important to parents right now. It’s what everyone cares about.

Making social media safe is the topic that dominates all my parent group chats.  

In our family we have already made up our minds. 

Me and Simon won’t allow our son Eric to access social media. 

We recently gave him a brick phone so he can communicate with his friends by text and WhatsApp. 

A lot of his friends use Snapchat, but I said no to that platform because I believe it is one of the least safe products. 

Eric is fine with that decision because we have had so many ­discussions about the dangers. 

But a lot of parents are not aware of the risks, particularly on seemingly innocuous sites such as Discord, Pinterest and CapCut. 

It is unreasonable to expect ­parents to monitor everything their children do online. 

Instead, it should be the government which keeps them safe. 

The evidence we hear is sick.

The tech companies knew their ­platforms were addictive and yet they kept going, inventing new ways to keep our children hooked.  

Some told our politicians that their products were safe, even though their own internal research showed they did not believe it.  

In my opinion, these firms put profits ahead of children’s safety, and that is absolutely unacceptable.  

We have seen groundbreaking court cases in the US which ruled that these platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive and were endangering children.  

Our children could not wait any longer because they were dying as a result of what they saw and experienced online. 

This movement isn’t about a total ban on the internet.

It is about a restriction on unsafe and harmful social media.  

We want an end to infinite scrolling where children are sent ­material they did not ask for, and an end to strangers being able to message them.  

Those firms that make their products safe will be available — those that don’t must restrict access by law or face massive fines. 

I met with Lord Nash, who has been calling in the House of Lords for tougher controls on social media. 

It was his pressure which forced the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to commit to implementing social media restrictions for under-16s. I hear people saying that restrictions won’t work because children will find workarounds.  

However, we haven’t given up on age restrictions for alcohol just because some children still get their hands on booze.  

When seatbelt laws were first passed, many people ignored them. 

But eventually, the message got through that they save lives.

Now, it is natural to strap in safely. 

The Government U-turn doesn’t mean the fight is over.  

Far from it. 

We need to keep the pressure on them to act quickly. 

Our children cannot wait years, because they are dying every month as a result of what they see online. 

I made a vow to Ellen, who I consider to be a close friend, to not give up until social media is safe for our children. 

I have huge respect for the families that are campaigning for this change.

They know it won’t bring their children back. 

But they want to do everything in their power to stop anyone else experiencing these horrors. 

LOUISE Thompson is locked in a new feud with Alex Cooper after claiming the Call Her Daddy star stole her podcast name.

The former Made in Chelsea star, 36, posted a TikTok video as she began: “I don’t know how well this is going to land but I’m going to say it anyway because I’m feeling like a big, brave dog.

“I was just on Instagram, I shouldn’t be doom scrolling on my way home, and I saw a Bloomberg business post that is essentially a takedown of Unwell, which is the podcast production company set up by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper and her husband.

“So there have been claims they’ve been treating staff badly, they have been shouting, they’ve been disrespecting people and obviously there’s been this very public feud that Alex Cooper has had with Alix Earle.

“I’m just gonna say something, karma is a b***h. Here’s a little story that none of you guys know, so I had a meeting when I was peak unwellness shall I say, a couple of years ago with an exec that come from the US who worked with a big talent agency about doing a podcast with us.”

Louise admitted that she wasn’t mentally in the right frame of mind during the meeting but she did suggest the name ‘Unwell’.

READ MORE ON LOUISE THOMPSON

AISLE SAY!

Louise Thompson shares real reason she’s not married Ryan after 8 years engaged

LOVED BY LOUISE

Fashion fans race to buy Louise Thompson’s floral midi dress for spring

“I thought it would be a really clever play on what I’ve been through to call this new business and this new project or podcast venture, Unwell or Unwellness. I have it written in my list of notes that I wrote years ago when I was recovering early doors.

“Then I noticed four or five months later, she announces that her entire podcast thing is going to be called Unwellness and I think it’s just a little bit too suspicious that we both had exactly the same name idea, especially given that I had the conversation with people who a part of her overall management team.

“What are they saying? Copying is the highest form of flattery,” Louise concluded.

She wrote over the video: “Alex cooper nicked my brand name… and karma exists.”

The mum-of-one captioned it: “Never thought I’d share this, but in the interest of being honest… this happened and in the words of carrie Bradshaw…. I can’t help but wonder.

“Sometimes I hate how dog eat dog this industry is… but stealing names isn’t cool.”

Alex, 31, founded her Unwell network in 2023, which has extended into wellness with Unwell Hydration and the Unwell Creative Agency last year.

Louise has faced a number of health issues since the traumatic birth of her son Leo in 2021, which has culminated in her living with a stoma bag due to chronic ulcerative colitis.

She launched her own podcast, He Said, She Said, with her partner Ryan Libbey in late 2024, before joining Staying Relevant Productions this year, which is owned by her brother Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks.

The Sun have contacted Alex’s representatives for a comment.

IT’S one-kneel to supermodel Heidi Klum as she scores a bikini shoot for brand Calzedonia.

The mum of four, 52, still loves posing and said: “I’ve been photographed nude or in lingerie since 1992, way before Instagram.”

Heidi is married to musician Tom Kaulitz, 36.

Kaulitz is a German musician who has been dating Heidi since March 2018.

The pair were first spotted together on 14 March leaving Delilah in West Hollywood.

The Sun recently told how Heidi and fellow model Stella Maxwell took a pet dog for walkies on the catwalk.

HEI-FASHION

Heidi Klum goes braless and flashes side-boob at Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere

KLUM’S BUM

Heidi Klum bares all with mold-style dress showing off body at Grammys

The pair were both glammed up in silver while strutting with Stella’s pet Trip, a chihuahua terrier mix.

They were on set filming for Germany’s Next Topmodel series in LA.

Heidi wore a plunging gown with a see-through skirt, while Stella, 35, was in a slashed minidress.

Stella calls Trip her “most treasured possession”.

A week previously, Heidi changed tack and joined forces with Robbie Williams at the World Cup 2026 draw in Washington DC.

She donned two different dresses, switching up from a red sparkling number to a black blouse and diamante skirt.

LOVE Island winner Cach Mercer has shared a new video with a stunning TikTok star as they appeared to get to know one another better, weeks after his split from Toni Laites.

The ITV2 star won the show with Toni last summer and she even moved from Vegas to London following the series, but things took a turn for the couple following a row at the BRIT Awards in February.

Toni and Cach attended the star-studded awards ceremony together earlier this year, but The Sun revealed they had an explosive row inside the ceremony.

This led to them unfollowing one another on social media, before promptly adding one another back. We revealed they had split the following month.

Now, Cach has been getting cosy with influencer Tallulah Metcalfe, who boasts over half a million followers on Instagram and a whopping 5.4 million on TikTok.

In an unexpected crossover, the pair recorded a video dancing together on Tuesday, which Tallulah shared to her Instagram.

SICK BAG READY

Watch as Bradley Walsh throws up in horrific plane challenge on Breaking Dad

NASTY FIB

Adam Thomas reveals David’s lie that led to confrontation with I’m A Celeb bosses

She captioned the post: “Made this dance ourselves btw”.

Fans were shocked to see the pair together, with several commented that they were an “unexpected duo”.

Cach and Tallulah were both staying at celeb hotspot Soho Farmhouse for an event with Snapchat when they filmed the dancing clip.

Also in attendance was the likes of new couple Samie Elishi and Tyrique Hyde.

Tallulah is thought to be single since her split from fellow social media star Owen Lazenby late last year.

Whilst both Cach and Toni are yet to speak out on their split.

However, it appears things are over for good this time around as the former couple unfollowed each other on Instagram yet again earlier this month.

At the time of their split, a source confirmed to The Sun: “It’s definitely over with Toni and Cach and they’ve called it quits.

“It’s a really sad situation but after being on the rocks for a while, the Brits ended up being the final straw and they couldn’t make it work.

“They kept talking and tried to make things work but have now called it a day.”

WITH a rocketing career and A-list girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter on his arm, Barry Keoghan had the world at his feet in 2024.

But after his relationship soured — amid false claims the actor cheated — he was so badly burned by the fallout that he has become a recluse.

Barry has quit all social media, stopped seeing his mates and has even moved house — all while internet trolls continue to hurl insults his way.

The strife all stems from a rumour that he had an affair while seeing Espresso singer Sabrina, 26, which she herself has said was false.

Saltburn actor Barry, 33, who is currently filming the upcoming Beatles biopics as Ringo Starr, said: “I have been avoiding stuff.

“I’ve stopped socialising. And again, it’s because there was a narrative that’s not true.

Read more on Barry Keoghan

BARRY’S TRUTH

Barry Keoghan breaks silence on Sabrina Carpenter cheating rumours

manchild

Sabrina Carpenter jokes she’s ‘had to train men’ – as she strips off for shoot

“I never confirmed or said anything about it, and, you know, I just disappeared.”

Pushed on what that narrative is, he continued: “It’s that I cheated.

“I don’t want to ever bring anyone else into it, but unfortunately having a relationship in the public eye, we all know this, it gets put out there, and it’s amplified.

“A girl made a video and then the girl actually made [another] video and went, ‘Sorry for making that up’, but no one seemed to latch on to that video.”

Gossip site DeuxMoi and social media influencers had claimed he was seen at a members’ club and steakhouse with another blonde woman while he was dating Sabrina.

Fans believed he had cheated with influencer Breckie Hill, although she insisted it was untrue and that they had never even met.

Barry now says that despite deleting his accounts, he is still drawn to the vicious things people write about him online, almost 18 months after his year-long romance with the chart-topper ended.

He explained: “I’m not on Instagram or Twitter or any of that but I still go on and have a little . . . I go on my brother’s account. I can access it that way.

“I do go on and have a look because I’m curious, but there’s a lot of hatred towards me for just looking like this. It’s just crazy.

“There’s videos on TikTok that literally go, ‘I hate him’.

“I went through addiction myself and then sobriety, and to battle all of that, to then want to drag that person down . . . ”

Sabrina did little to suppress the online noise against him when she released her No1 album Man’s Best Friend last August — on which she sang about dating a “manchild”.

And Barry says he struggled in the aftermath, as he did not want her to have to deny the cheating rumours following their split.

He explained: “It’s a hard one because I never want to speak on behalf of other people. And I also never want to mention other people or involve them.

“And even if it is those people that were in a relationship, it’s not their place to come forward and speak on my behalf.

“It’s unfair to them. They’re also in a relationship. It’s both of us being out there, so I’m very aware of that.”

Barry, who hails from Dublin, said he has even relocated from London to the Oxfordshire town of Henley-on-Thames due to the mental toll events have taken on him.

But it is fair to say he has faced plenty of other challenges in his life, having largely grown up in foster homes.

His mum died when he was 12 after years spent battling a drug addiction.

Now, speaking on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, Barry has talked about how he fell into a similar spiral of addiction and has only managed to overcome his substance dependence in recent years.

Barry said: “I’m clean now. But my mum died at 32 from heroin and my dad passed away. But the curiosity of still wanting to do this, for me, was absolutely . . . 

“It took me three attempts at rehab and it was finally Malibu, The Pointe, where there was a sudden switch and it was when I was 32, the same age my mum was. Like, ‘That’s it, I’m not doing it’.”

Asked if he ever drinks now, he added: “I don’t do anything.

“I used to try to justify it by going, ‘Maybe I’ll be off the drink for a while’, but now I like to think I’m allergic to alcohol because my reaction is: Cocaine. That reaction can make me die.”

And he claims he actually has died — and was brought back to life — in 2021 due to being high on drugs.

He was hit by a bottle in a pub and developed the rare bacterial infection necrotising fasciitis.

Barry explained: “This is a flesh-eating bacteria infection that I got and almost died.

“I got it right before I filmed the movie Banshees Of Inisherin and literally, I got it three weeks beforehand. I got it because I went through psychosis.

“An event happened and I got hit with a bottle, and something happened to my arm. It went to my blood system and whatever. But it’s a very rare infection.

“This basically eats your limbs and they have to remove it.

“I technically did die for a few seconds.”

He went on to deliver an outstanding performance in The Banshees Of Inisherin, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars.

But the infection was so touch-and-go that he even believes he had a “post-death vision”.

He said: “I did. I swear to you, it was almost like a f***ing painting. It happened in London. I went for a few seconds and there was this sort of image. There was this girl walking away and she wouldn’t look back.

“She had blonde hair, but she was walking away and I kept calling her.

“She just kept walking and I wanted to see who it was.

“It was almost like she was walking away to get me to follow.

“On this side was council flats, it was black and white, and this side was in colour.

“On this side, there was loads of lads stabbing me and trying to push me over and, obviously, it was the doctors doing the work on me, you know, that’s what I was feeling.

“But in this vision, they were stabbing me and pushing me, and I was holding on to them, and they were trying to push me over to this side.

“I swear, I was begging them that I could stay. I said, ‘Please let me stay’.”

In 2022 he was arrested in Dublin for public intoxication. Months later he became a dad to a little boy with partner Alyson Kierans, a dental nurse. But they split in mid-2023.

Later that year, he got together with Sabrina, and gained mainstream success in the dark comedy Saltburn.

That led to an outpouring of love and support, which no doubt helped him land his next role — and the most important one of his career so far.

He is playing Beatles drummer Ringo in the four-film cinematic biopic being created by director Sam Mendes.

Asked about how he is finding work on the project, which is halfway through a year-long filming schedule, he said: “I’m loving it.”

He will appear alongside Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

However, Barry revealed the tight work schedule is having a major affect on his body — and he has lost a stone since the cameras started rolling.

He said: “I’ve lost so much weight on this movie. I was 65 or 66 kilos and I’m like 58 kilos now. But it’s because of my ADHD meds as well.

“No one tells you to lose weight and I don’t need to lose it for Ringo either. But it’s more of getting into character and the stamina.

“Movies usually last six or seven weeks and I always lose weight by the end, but by that time I’m gone. But this one’s a year.”

He is expected to spend the majority of this year finishing the movies, before they hit screens in April 2028.

And hopefully by that time, at least, he will feel able to leave the house with his head held high.

TIKTOK star Becki Jones has admitted she “fell out of love with food” after losing a considerable amount of weight.

Becki, 33, has been subjected to countless rumours about how she slimmed down with many of her followers assuming she used fat jabs or opted for weight loss surgery.

Whilst Becki has stopped short of saying exactly how she managed to lose the pounds, she has previously alluded to withholding some information regarding her weight journey from public view.

Now, in a new interview, Becki has opened up on her relationship with food and her epic weight loss journey, which has seen her lose close to 11 stone.

Speaking on Not My Bagg, Becki admitted she would not be divulging any further information but revealed she was still going through something in regards to her weight.

Becki said: “I’ve been through, this is quite upsetting but I’ve been through quite a bad time with food, and I’ve fell out of love with food.

difficult time

TikTok’s Becki Jones breaks down in tears as she reveals depression battle

oh mother

Why Trudi Anne’s wants to reconnect with daughter Charly & her Becki Jones regret

“I’m going through something, still to this day now, that I’m not comfortable talking about anywhere.

“I think people are getting that confused with me, they think I’ve had something done.

“Anything that I’m gatekeeping, as they call it, it’s nothing that would benefit people, it’s nothing that’s a quick fix for them.

“It’s nothing that would bring anything to their life.

“It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever been through.”

Becki had previously made cryptic comments about her “not being honest” about how she lost the weight on a TikTok livestream.

CHRISTINE McGUINNESS has revealed she is closer than ever to Paddy – even though their marriage ended four years ago.

In fact, the former model claims Paddy has even checked out the women she is dating, branding herself a “five star lesbian” in her most revealing interview to date.

Mum-of-three Christine, 38, who finalised her divorce from ex-Top Gear host Paddy, 52, in 2024, spoke of her decision to date men and women last year.

And, with the pair still living under the same roof as their three children in leafy Cheshire while they wait for it to sell, she says Paddy is fully supportive of her choice,

But now she is looking to the future — and plans to have a woman by her side as a life partner.

“I would love to have a wife one day,” Christine explains on new podcast It Started With A Kiss out today.

NO KIDDING

How celeb mums including MIC star cash in on their kids BEFORE they’re born

DOUBLE LIFE

Love Island star’s abusive ex ‘on run for attempted MURDER’ before his death

“Not like a legalised marriage, but like a blessing, a celebration of love.

“I’ve been there, done it, spent an absolute fortune and probably aged about ten years throughout it all.

“I don’t want to do that again.

“I would love to just be saying, ‘This is my wife.’”

Christine’s unusual set-up with Paddy means the pair juggle dating outside of the home.

“I love a double life,” Christine added.

“It’s ideal for me because I don’t want to bring somebody into my personal life too quick.

“I like the separate life.

“My family, my kids, my home is up there, then I come to London, step off that train and I can work, have fun, sleep in and I don’t need to worry about everything.”

It is the freedom of Christine’s new lifestyle, and the support of Paddy, which she says has allowed her to start again.

Although her openness with Paddy may shock some.

On the podcast Christine is asked: “Are you showing him pictures like, ‘Oh look at her, she’s fit. What do you think of her?’

And Christine tells the hosts Amy Spalding and Gareth Valentino: “There’s times where we have, yeah.”

For now Christine insists she is still dipping her toes into the dating pond and has yet to properly settle down.

“I’m just seeing how things go, just figuring it out.

“I’m trying to not plan too far ahead,” she explains.

“I’ve dabbled in people who are in the industry.

“I’ve been trying to think what really works better.

“I quite like that people that aren’t in it are usually a bit more . . .  they’re happy to just take it slow and they understand that I don’t want to just put you on Instagram the next day because of my work and everything.

“So that’s usually quite nice.

“But I tend to just meet people out and about, at events and stuff.

“I’m quite lucky that I mix in circles with a lot of gay, bi, pansexuals.

“I’ve never gone too serious with anybody in the industry, it’s always been more of a fun fling type thing.

“I’ve spent time with a lot of women in sport.

“I’ve spent time with women in music.

“I’ve spent time with actresses.

“With me, I can panic and I can pause if I think of the future too much.

“So I’m just trying to enjoy the now.

“Enjoy the moment.”

Christine chose to speak about wanting to date men and women after signing up to E4 TV series Celebs Go Dating in April last year.

It came after Christine and Paddy announced their separation in 2022.

At the time, the pair released the news in a joint statement and said: “A while ago we took the difficult decision to separate but our main focus as always is to continue loving and supporting our children.

“This was not an easy decision to make but we’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children.

“We’ll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.”

The couple first crossed paths in 2007 at the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament when Christine was working as a model for boutique shop Cricket.

Months later they started dating and in June 2011 they married at Thornton Manor in Cheshire.

After being married for just over a decade, Christine said it was her late diagnosis with autism that gave her the courage to admit their marriage was not working.

She documented her diagnosis in a BBC documentary, Unmasking My Autism, in 2023 and said at the time: “Starting life on my own is scary, I struggle making decisions.

“I was only 19 when I met Patrick and for the last 15 years my role has been wife and mum.

“When I was diagnosed, I set out on a journey to find out who I was.

“I have separated from my husband in the process, I’m shedding my old identity and finding out who I am.

“I’ve only ever had this one man in my life, I don’t know what it is like to date.

“I can’t imagine being single or with another man.

“But I’m going into a new chapter on my own which is petrifying for someone who doesn’t like change.”

Two years later, she started to date both men and women and now says she has found her type.

“I’m a sucker for a stud and a masc,” Christine explained, suggesting she prefers more masculine women.

“I swear they come for me.

“This one date, well, it wasn’t a date, it was when I did the whole hotel thing and not the whole date thing.

“Because I didn’t want to ever just meet someone and it just be sex, but then kind of did find myself in a place in life where I was like, ‘Do you know what? I actually do just want to do that.’

“I’ve been married, I’ve had situationships, I was single, I was celibate for six months, and with all of that, I just had a moment of, ‘Do you know what, I wouldn’t mind just meeting up with someone and just seeing how it goes.’

“So I got to this hotel and I’m thinking, ‘This is just sex, it’s fine.’

“She was very, very beautiful, like that perfect, pretty, handsome, like masc stud type woman, really gorgeous, dark skin, like she had everything.”

Christine adds: “We’re just chatting away and she said that she was a Gold Star Lesbian.

“So I’m like, love that, love a Gold Star Lesbian.

“I went, ‘Stop . . .  because you might be a Gold Star Lesbian, but I’m a Five Star Lesbian.’”

Of her first kiss, Christine is just as open, saying: “The first time I kissed a woman, again after my husband and no disrespect to him, it had been a while.

“I remember that first kiss just being so soft and so nice and so feminine.

“I knew I always felt it and it wasn’t something that I was worried about never doing again because when I married, I married for life, genuinely.

“But I was really happy that I was doing it again.

“And I’m really happy that now I am dating women again and that I am having fun.

“I’ve got some of the best stories, some of the wildest memories, like the craziest experiences that only I and one other person would ever know.”

During the episode of It Started With A Kiss, Christine said she has drawn the line at introducing a partner to her children early.

Joking that women in same sex relationships move forward quicker when it comes to love, Christine says: “It’s two weeks and you’re moving in, you’ve got a cat and a flat . . .

“For us two, if we ever end up in something where it progresses and it turns into a relationship and then they want to live with you or whatever.

“I don’t want any more children because a lot of the women that I meet usually don’t have children and they want children, whereas I’ve had them.

“So that’s something that I try to be honest about at the beginning to anybody that I’m even talking to.”

Of settling down for good, Christine says neither she or Paddy are in a rush.

She adds: “We know it’s going to take a while because we’ve got children.

“Going back home, we both kind of get that reality check of we can’t just go and move in with somebody just yet.

“But we’ll talk, we’ll have a laugh, we don’t go into too much detail about anything.”

• Christine’s full interview on It Started With A Kiss is available on YouTube and all podcast platforms now

MOLLY-MAE Hague appears to have confirmed her second child may be her last.

Back in February, the businesswoman and influencer revealed she was expecting a sibling for her and partner Tommy Fury‘s three-year-old daughter Bambi.

Molly-Mae, 26, then seemingly revealed her due date in a social media clip, suggesting she is due in June, before dropping a huge hint about her unborn baby’s name.

Boxer Tommy, 26, who originates from Gypsy heritage, has never made any secret of his desire for a large family with his Love Island co-star, originally suggesting 10 kids before settling on four.

Though now Molly-Mae has hinted this pregnancy could be her final maternity journey.

In her new YouTube clip entitled A Week With Me and Prepping For My Baby Shower, she told how she had originally planned her celebrations to be an outdoor cinema event at her home.

FLAMING ‘ECK!

Molly-Mae Hague reveals scare at £5m home as she prepares for second child

Snub rumours

Paris Fury reveals the REAL reason Molly-Mae wasn’t at Venezuela’s hen do

Yet she changed things up after thinking she would be “dreading” it and feeling “anxious” about bringing friends together from different groups.

She said: “I thought no it’s just a lot, so I thought just swerve it basically.

“So I ended up swerving it – sorry I have really got verbal diarrhrea – but I also was like well this might be my last baby.

“I really want to do something to celebrate it”.

Molly-Mae then planned a baby brunch event in Manchester, with a jeans and a nice top dress code.

Though her family plans might have poured cold water on Tommy’s dreams of a bigger brood.

Previously, Tommy told a Love Island spin off show: “In 10 years’ time I’d definitely like to see myself married with kids; four kids, five kids, 20 kids – whatever.”

During the chat, Molly’s mouth then dropped open as she exclaimed: “FIVE kids?”

He smiled: “Yeah, I want an army of kids.”

Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury’s relationship timeline

From Love Island to a diamond ring and baby – we look at how Molly and Tommy have got to where they are today.

But the influencer refused to entertain the idea, and told him: “Well that’s not happening, we’re not doing five kids. Two, maximum.”

In another chat, he explained: “Apart from boxing, having a family is what I’m really looking forward to”.

Earlier this month, Tommy’s big brother Tyson admitted he wants 10 kids – and has sex five times a week.

Tyson admitted: “My love life’s thriving, I’m having sex at least four or five times a week.

“Paris, she is that ride-or-die chick. The woman’s been my wife for 20 years near on.

“Is she the luckiest lady on Earth? One hundred per cent.”

HE has long been known for his enthusiasm for so-called throuples.

Now David Haye‘s ex has spoken of the day he asked her to “bring your girlfriends” to his hotel room, where he was waiting in his boxer shorts.

Model Zoe Gregory says the I’m A Celeb star seemed fascinated by her unconventional romance with Playboy boss Hugh Hefner, with whom she shared a bed along with six other women.

She met heavyweight boxing champion Haye after he fought a bout at Hef’s notorious mansion in LA in 2003.

In an exclusive interview Zoe, 51, revealed: “He asked me what group sex is like and I said, ‘It works.’

“He seemed fascinated and very curious. He probably thought, OK I’ll have to give that a try one day. After I gave him my number, he asked me to visit him and he said: ‘Bring your girlfriends to the hotel too.’

REASON REVEALED?

I’m A Celeb fans ‘work out’ why David Haye is ‘bullying’ Adam Thomas

GC THROWS SHADE

I’m A Celeb’s Gemma takes swipe at David after ‘bullying’ co-star Adam

“He was on a high after the boxing match and he probably thought, they all want to smash me. I was in awe of him so it didn’t put me off. He’s a smooth operator. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he was charming and persuasive.

“He was very complimentary when I turned up to the hotel but I knew he just wanted to get in my pants.

“When I reached his hotel, I thought we would chill by the pool, but he said, ‘No come to the room, I’m still getting ready.’

“He opened the door in his boxer shorts and I wasn’t expecting that, but I wasn’t mad either. He literally grabbed me out the doorway and threw me on the bed so that was that.”

Zoe opened-up about her time with the boxer after he was slammed for his “sexist” comments while competing on the all-star version of I’m A Celeb in South Africa.

Referring to his long-term girlfriend Sian Osborne as having the personality of “a proper ugly bird,” he went on to claim that most good-looking women are “idiots” and that less attractive girls work harder on their personalities to win attention.

Singers Ashley Roberts and Sinitta were left shaking their heads while Corrie actress Beverley Callard later complained: “I’ve never heard anything so sexist in my life.”

Fashion model Sian, 33, defended him, saying in an exclusive interview: “I consider it a compliment.

“A big one. I’m fluent in David by now and my family find it hilarious.”

Miami-based Zoe, who cheated on Hefner with Haye, also backs him.

She explains: “I totally agree with him because everyone judges a book by its cover. People will look at me, blonde hair and big tits, and assume that I’m a bimbo.

“That’s because most blondes are bimbos, unfortunately. Blondes are very ditzy and that’s why they get that label. I’ve found myself saying the same things as David.

“Being around the girls at the Mansion, the ugly ones were always overcompensating with their personality. They would feel, I’m not that great looking so I’m going to have to do cartwheels to compete with the favourites.

“When I go the gym, I see girls wearing next to nothing and they don’t have a body to be wearing that – or a face. They don’t even look like they work out but sometimes people go that extra mile to overcompensate, to fit in.

“I feel bad saying it, but it’s true. It’s the way society is and social media has made it even worse. You are always going to have girls that get bent out of shape by comments like David’s and they are usually the fat ugly ones.

“David has met enough women to be an authority on this. If this is his opinion based on all the women he’s met, I can’t say he’s wrong.

“But he is in a corner with the public and he’s got to take a beating. Everything he says, people are watching and listening and they will use it against him to make out he’s a bad person. But he’s really not a bad person.

“He’s an opinionated person and he’s got a right to his own opinion. David is known for talking his mind and having a crazy sex life and being open about it.

“I can’t fault him for being like that.”

Mum-of-one Zoe moved from London to Los Angeles in her early 20s to work as a model and erotic B movie actress. She was accompanied by her husband, DJ Chris Paul and their young son, who is now in his 30s.

But once offered the chance to live with Hefner at his £150m LA mansion – having met the magazine boss at one of his notorious parties – she decided the opportunity was too good to turn down.

She lived with Hef, who was then in his 70s and relying heavily on Viagra to perform in bed, from 2001 to 2004.

But still married to her first husband, she always living with Hef as a job rather than a romantic relationship and she walked out following a series of rows with his number one girlfriend Holly Madison.

In 2024, she published a memoir called From Britain to Bunny in which she detailed her “hot 15 minutes” with Haye, which she described as “crazy and electric.”

Looking back on that day, she recalls: “David did seem fascinated by Hef. He asked me lots of intimate questions about him.

“He said, ‘So you’ve got to sleep with him?’ I said, ‘Yes, but it’s more of a job for me.’

“He said, ‘That’s weird.’ Then he asked, ‘Can Hef still get it up?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’

“I told him what went on in the bedroom – the orgies and Hef’s harem of women – and he seemed impressed by that. He was very complimentary towards me – he told me I have both beauty and brains.”

Zoe, who now works in promotions, last bumped into Haye at a restaurant in Miami two years ago just before her book was released. He was with girlfriend Sian, who has allowed him to spend time with Saturdays’ singer Una Healy and DJ Mica Jova – relationships that have been described as ‘throuples.’

Zoe continued: “David and Sian were over for a boxing event and it turned out we had a mutual friend, a photographer.

“David was surprised to see me. He was like, ‘Oh!’ It was a bit awkward because I wasn’t sure if Sian knew about our history.

“David said, ‘You look really well.’ I said ‘Yes, you too.’ It was a flirty moment and it was funny. And I swear David looked exactly the same as I remembered him. He’s aged very well.

“I got to meet Sian and she’s lovely, sweet girl. When I first met her, she didn’t say much and wasn’t very outgoing. She just sat there.

“I introduced myself and was doing extra to make her feel comfortable and after a few minutes, she warmed up. I kept the conversation away from him because I didn’t know what she knew and the book hadn’t come out yet.

“I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh by the way I f****d your boyfriend.’ I would never have a conversation like that. I do think David has got used to women throwing themselves at him.

I told him, ‘You need to go for an older woman that doesn’t get intimidated by you and can put you in your place.’

“Because otherwise he is just going to walk all over a girl, because it’s his way or the highway. He’s got his cake and he’s eating it – and I love him for that.”

COMIC Jack Whitehall kicked off his £250,000 wedding to model Roxy Horner yesterday by rowing a boat across a lake to her.

The 37-year-old’s romantic gesture moved some guests to tears — but his pals soon lightened the mood as they jokingly called out to him: “Shagger!”

The comment was believed to be a reference to his appearance on BBC ancestry programme Who Do You Think You Are? in 2019.

It saw Jack discover that his great-great-grandfather Richard, a travelling salesman, was a bed-hopping womaniser killed by syphilis.

The funnyman smiled on the show as he called him “a bit of a shagger”.

His wedding took place in the grounds of £12million stately home Euridge Manor, near Chippenham, Wilts.

Read more on Jack Whitehall

WEDDY TO GO

Jack Whitehall arrives at £250k Cotswolds wedding as proud parents are spotted

WHITE WEDDING

Inside Jack Whitehall & Roxy Horner’s lavish wedding TODAY with brutal speech

The Georgian-style property is owned by Kate Middleton’s former boss, Jigsaw tycoon John Robinson.

Jack and Roxy invited more than 100 guests, including the comedian’s fellow TV star father Michael and mother Hilary.

Jack and 34-year-old Roxy’s two-year-old daughter Elsie acted as a flower girl.

The comedian’s sister Molly appeared to be a bridesmaid while his brother Barnaby was his best man.

Speaking to The Sun earlier this year, Jack said of Barnaby: “I gave quite a savage speech at his wedding.

“There were a few low blows he wasn’t too appreciative of.

“He’s going to have his opportunity to get his revenge on the big day.

“I’m bracing myself for that.”

Celebrity guests were said to include TV pals James Corden and Jamie Redknapp, who Jack worked with on Sky’s A League of Their Own.

Guests were asked to turn off their phones during the ceremony and were put on a social media blackout.

Cars driving in and out of the venue had blacked-out windows and there were security guards at the gates and by the entrance to the stately home.

Brit Awards host Jack and Roxy started dating in 2020 after meeting on a trip to Australia.

They got engaged in 2024.

With its sunsoaked Californian desert setting, A-list celeb guests and top music acts, hip US festival Coachella might look like the dream destination when scrolling through the Instagram feed of one of the myriad of Love Island stars in attendance.

But while influencers are given the VIP experience, thanks to the brands who pay big bucks to take them there for free, the reality for normal punters can be a whole different story.

As the cult festival kicks off its second consecutive weekend in Palm Springs, social media has been awash with complaints from regular folk exposing the ‘truth’ about what it’s like to go there as a non VIP – and it makes for some pretty grim reading.

From nightmarish queues for cold showers, to hefty £3,000 price tags for three days at the event, various TikTok testimonials may make you think twice before booking for next year’s gig.

As someone who went as a normal person and not as an influencer, it was one of the worst concert experiences I’ve ever had,” TikTok user @lottiestars ranted in a recent social media video.

“Firstly, there’s no place for you to be dropped off. The festival is, like, really disorganised. So I remember we asked 20 different people: ‘Where do we go?’ and they they were like: ‘Oh, we don’t know’. And they actually worked for the event! So you’ll end up sitting in traffic for most of the time before you can find a spot and get dropped off.”

PARTIED HARD

Love Island’s Chloe & Millie admit they were thrown OUT of VIP at Coachella

PEACHY SNAP

Sabrina Carpenter flashes bum in tiny denim hotpants ahead of Coachella

She added that when she then finally arrived, the event proved a nightmare for her pal who was disabled.

“You have another what feels like an hour long walk to actually get into the festival, you have to do is on this super dusty, bumpy, unpaved road, which was really hard for my friend because they were in a wheelchair… they kept getting knocked over and falling out of their wheelchair, so it was not like wheelchair accessible.”

Once inside the venue, Lottie alleged that the atmosphere was not enjoyable thanks to a myriad of influencers creating a stressful environment.

“Everyone’s vibe is really, really bad. A lot of people were pretty mean. They’re like, ‘No, you’re not coming this way and stuff, you can’t go through’ so it’s harder to work your way through the crowd or to reconnect through your friends.

“It’s not as easy to take cute pictures as you think. Literally, everyone’s taking pictures. It’s like a field of cow, but instead of cows, it’s people.”

To top it all, Lottie wrapped up her video by claiming she got sick from the notorious desert winds.

She said: “I was so sick because during the daytime, it’s burning hot, and then at nighttime, it’s freezing cold, and the dust is really, really intense. Like, you’ll blow your nose, and they’ll be black dirt coming out of your nose.

“The third night, I couldn’t even enjoy the festival, and I probably was only there for like 30 minutes and I had to leave.”

And it seems this is far from a one-off negative review.

The Strokes fan @emilyjadebispo says her experience watching her favourite band was ruined by influencers who were only there to watch Justin Bieber and had no idea about ‘festival etiquette’.

She claimed: “The people around me who were there for Justin Bieber were f***ing insufferable. Oh, my God. It’s like they have never been to a festival before. They have no idea what it’s like that other genres exist.

“They are just completely unaware of any sort of concert etiquette at all. The people to my left, during one of my favourite bands sets, were talking the entire time saying: ‘I don’t even know who this is. What even is this? This is really honestly killing my vibe for Bieber.’”

For those who camp and aren’t holed up in pricey villas like the influencer crowd, some describe the experience as “endurance training.”

@huioyg3 said in one TikTok video: “Basic shower access has turned into a survival challenge, people are waiting in line for hours just to get a quick rinse, often with freezing cold water.

“To avoid this nightmare, some festival goers are spending hundreds of dollars on portable shower setups, building their own tents just to maintain a sense of hygiene.

“Another issue is making things worse, extreme heat. Phones are overheating, energy levels are dropping, and what’s supposed to be a fun four day experience is starting to feel more like endurance training.”

Of course, the biggest issue for many is how the festival impacted their wallet.

General admission tickets cost around $799 [£590] for three days, while VIP – which allows you to get closer to the stage and gives you a shuttle pass into the venue – will mean you shell out even more, clocking in around $1299 [£959].

“Coachella started as a low price event to protest against high cost events,” one music fan vented online.

“How are people affording this?” fumed another.

Some, however, claimed it was worth the price of VIP.

“It was 100% worth it We do get closer viewing to some of the stages. And honestly, when the big performers do come out, it gets super packed,” said tiktok user @noesilva

If you shun camping though, hotels can be extortionate due to high demand, as Noa explains.

“Next thing I spent money on was a hotel, which was the most expensive part. It was $2,300 [£1698] for three nights, and I know it sounds like a lot of money, but for me personally, I was not going to go camping.

And finally, you got to think of all the extra expenses that are probably gonna be happening during the trip, which is food, drinks, merch, like all the extra stuff that you’re going to be paying for, and realistically, that’s going to cost me around $500 [£370]. So in total, this trip is costing me around $4,000 [£2950].”

Another furious former Coachella fan, Nick Holiday, summed it up in a top-rated TikTok video.

“They’re charging $100 [£74]for one bite of caviar, four chicken nuggets and seven french fries. That’s honestly a crime against humanity.”