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TOMMY Fury raced to be by Molly-Mae’s side for the birth of their second child as he chartered a private jet from boxing training camp to make it in time.

Fans were concerned history would repeat itself and Tommy wouldn’t be around during the beginning stages of their baby’s life, due to his scheduled fight against World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall, on June 13.

But, the Netflix star has certainly put those rumours to bed as he stopped at nothing to put Molly at ease.

The 27-year-old flew on a private jet from his training camp in Manchester down to London earlier this week.

The loved-up couple announced the birth of their baby on Instagram today with a sweet snap at the hospital.

A source said: “The whole family is over the moon. Tommy flew down on private jet to be at the birth.

boss baby

Molly Mae’s daughter Bambi, 3, branded ‘iconic’ as she tells off builders at home

MINI MOL

Molly-Mae Hague gives birth as star welcomes second child with boxer Tommy Fury

“Mollie went into labour yesterday, she had been in London for the past week while Tommy continued his training camp in Manchester ahead of his Eddie Hall fight.”

“Tommy flew straight down last night to be by her side as soon as she told him labour had started. They went to hospital this afternoon and the baby was born a few hours later,” the source continued.

“The baby is absolutely perfect. Molly is exhausted but doing well. She’s so glad Tommy made it down for the birth as she was so worried he might not get there in time.”

But despite it all being a race against the clock, Molly’s boxer beau still managed to get there in time bearing gifts.

The source added: “Tommy rushed down with flowers, her favourite chocolates Ferrero Rocher and the blanket she wanted to wrap the baby in for the first pictures, as she’d forgotten it at home.”

In the first snap of their new babe, Tommy, Molly and Bambi all gathered around the hospital bed as they lay sleeping.

The picture appeared to be taken soon after the birth as stunning Molly was still in her hospital gown.

She looked utterly overjoyed as she beamed down at their new arrival.

The smitten couple captioned the announcement post: “…and then there were 4.”

There celebrity pals and fans went wild over the news and flooded their comments with congratulations.

Before the birth, Maebe creator Molly told fans over on her YouTube that she would be giving birth to her second bundle of joy at London’s Portland Hospital.

She explained how she would be having the same midwife that was present when she gave birth to her daughter Bambi, three.

Molly and Tommy are yet to reveal the baby’s gender or name.

In her latest video, Molly confessed she could announce the name by putting it on Tommy’s fight shorts as she normally take the lead on designing them.

Perhaps all could be revealed next week.

When actors from TV’s top comedy series recently gathered for The Envelope’s Emmy Comedy Roundtable, any lessons they’d learned over the years about how not to break quickly went out the window — this year’s guests made each other laugh early and often.

Contributing to the hilarity were Danielle Deadwyler, whose English professor in HBO’s “Rooster” has her life disrupted by a bestselling writer; Donald Faison, who reprises the role of Christopher Turk, now chief of surgery, in the revival of ABC’s medical sitcom “Scrubs”; Sabrina Impacciatore, who embodies the vain managing editor of a failing regional newspaper on Peacock’s “The Paper”; Justine Lupe, who plays Morgan, a flighty but loyal sister and podcast co-host in Netflix’s rom-com “Nobody Wants This”; Lamorne Morris, who portrays New York City journalist Robbie Robertson in Prime Video’s Depression-set “Spider-Noir”; and Chris Perfetti, who features on “Abbott Elementary” as awkward but well-intentioned social studies teacher Jacob Hill.

In the course of our conversation, participants discussed surviving bad reviews, what fans misunderstand about comedy and, yes, how they keep a straight face during funny scenes (if not on The Envelope roundtable). Read excerpts from the conversation below.

What is the last thing that made you laugh out loud, whether it was meant to be funny or not?

Lupe: I have a one-and-a-half year-old. She’s just starting to talk. She doesn’t really say a lot of words at once, but she started doing this thing where, when she’s going poop, she just goes, “Oh, wow. Oh, wow.” And every time it’s just so cute.

Perfetti: I also do that when I poop, so please tell her it’s normal… I don’t know, guys. It’s scary times. I don’t find myself laughing out loud very much anymore. I guess to that end, I watch Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue every night and I think that it’s pretty drop-dead gorgeous. It’s so funny, and he’s using that platform in such a gorgeous way.

Faison: My daughter was playing a volleyball game against a very formidable opponent. I’m just going to put it out there: LeBron James’ daughter. She was serving and pushed everybody back with her serve. Boom! Everybody backs up. Now she’s got everybody out of bounds, then she taps it real soft and it falls in front of them. I laughed out loud. I was just so impressed, and my daughter looked at me like, “You mother—. Don’t you enjoy that!”

Impacciatore: A couple of days ago I was fighting with my boyfriend and it was a very bad fight and I really wanted him to understand my reasons. I was trying to put on my trousers and unfortunately I put two legs in one [side]. He started to laugh so loud and I was so upset. And then I started to laugh loud too. But it’s horrible when it happens, because I’m a very serious person when I fight.

Donald, the last season of “Scrubs” concluded in 2010. Now Dr. Turk is back working at the hospital with his buddy J.D. (Zach Braff) and a lot of the original cast. What was it like stepping back into that world?

Faison: When the pandemic happened, Zach and I did a rewatch podcast of “Scrubs,” and that’s where all of this started to formulate again. In doing the rewatch podcast, we researched what the fans liked, what we liked, and what we thought was funny. And we were very honest about it. If it sucked, we said it sucked. Then the T-Mobile [ad campaign with Faison and Braff] happened. So for the past five or six years, I’ve been playing Turk to Zach Braff’s J.D. When the revival came around, it was easy to slip back in because we had been doing this banter for so long. The only thing that’s different is that he’s older, but maturity has not set in with him yet. He’s a 50-year-old kid who’s really good at cutting people open and training younger people, but for the most part, he’s still silly.

Chris, “Abbott Elementary,” which follows several teachers at an underfunded public school in Philly, is heading into its sixth season. That means you’ve been playing Jacob for quite some time. Do you ever find the line between your personalities blurring?

Perfetti: The line between Chris and Jacob is definitely blurring. When we first started, I was shocked that [creator] Quinta [Brunson] saw me as this person. We weren’t alike at all, but I trusted that she saw something [in me] she wanted to exploit. Now, I would be so lucky to steal some of what he’s got going on. He’s unbelievably loyal and ambitious and really comfortable in his own skin. He leads from that place. And I need to shut the hell up and stop telling the writers things about my own life because now they’re showing up in the show. So truly the line between Chris and Jacob is getting weirder.

Danielle, “Rooster” takes place at a fictitious college. You actually have several degrees, including multiple master’s. Did you draw on your own experience in academia for “Rooster”?

Deadwyler: I was a student, and that’s a very different dynamic than being an administrator or a professor. But I dig education. I dig the intention of the environment, the debate, the ongoing pushing of the self and weaving that into your personal life. It’s all super connected. So I just brought that to the show.

You’re renowned for your work in intense films like “Till” and “The Piano Lesson.” Do you use a different muscle for comedy?

Deadwyler: I was always saying to the [“Rooster”] team, ‘Hey, guys, I feel good. I can breathe. I have energy to do things. Is that normal for people?’ So yes, it’s a completely different muscle. But [co-star] Steve [Carell] says this beautiful thing that characters don’t know whether they’re in a comedy or a drama. And that’s about as true as it gets. You bring full rigor and development and discipline to the making of a role, regardless of what genre.

Justine, how much do you relate to your character Morgan in the interfaith romantic comedy “Nobody Wants This”? Or is it more like you want to fix her?

Lupe: I don’t know if I want to fix her because that’s what’s compelling about her. I have so much fun playing the mess of Morgan. I relate to her. I started off where she was kind of a semiautobiographical story of [show creator] Erin Foster’s relationship with her sister, Sara. Then immediately the ship left the dock when I took the character. Justine has now taken over this idea of who this person is, and it’s a lot more sloppy and unbridled. The mess of her is actually me, because I’m a little bit sloppy as a person.

The show really captures the relationship between siblings, and sisters in particular.

Lupe: I identify with the idea of being someone who’s evolved past their original home life, and then going back into circumstances with your family, and regressing immediately. I wanted to play with that dynamic. Morgan might think that she’s evolved past certain things and then the minute she’s codependent with her sister, they devolve back into the bratty kid-like versions of themselves that are like picking on each other. I know the feeling, when you go back home and you’re like, “Wow, have I grown up at all?”

Lamorne, “Spider-Noir” is based on a Marvel comic and is set in an exaggerated version of 1930s New York. Audiences have the choice to watch the series in black and white or in color. How does the tone change between the two styles?

Morris: I watched both and they both have their own unique qualities. I would say the way folks should watch it is the way we traditionally watched TV as a people. You start in black-and-white and then when color was introduced, you would go back and watch those same films when they added color to it. While we’re filming it, [I was thinking] “How are they gonna make this visual effect look cool in black-and-white?” And then you watch it in black-and-white and you go, “What the f—?!” And I go back and watch it in color and go, “Holy — it looks great in color, too.” Everything down to the wardrobe [and] the set design, you watch it in black-and-white and it looks bold and as vivid as if it were in color. But then when you watch it in color and you go, “Holy crap, that house is blue, that suit is orange.” So just go watch it in both versions.

Sabrina, your character in “The Paper” wants to be the managing editor of the Toledo Truth Teller, but she’s really all about the clickbait. How much did you know about that conflict in modern journalism?

Impacciatore: I made sure not to know anything about it because Esmeralda doesn’t have a clue. Esmeralda is not a real journalist. Esmeralda is there for some mysterious reasons that I’m trying to figure out. She’s the queen of bull—, so I made sure not to know anything about journalists. And because I had played Valentina in “White Lotus,” I wanted to make sure that this character is going to be completely different from her. She must be out loud, she must be big. So I made some choices about her, for example, the nails. I still have these nails because I’m still shooting, but usually I don’t have long nails. But these nails started to make me think in a different way, to move my hands in a different way. Like these are guns, weapons to manipulate people. [Touches Morris with her nails.]

Morris: Consider myself manipulated.

Impacciatore: I’m the opposite. I have no filters in life. I am my own worst enemy. I’m too transparent. I don’t know how to hide feelings. So I thought, “What does she do?” Because it’s a documentary, she thinks one day she will be a star. So I have her have hair like Rita Hayworth the first day I arrived on set. They were looking at me like, “What is she doing?” They didn’t get it, so I had to explain that she wants to be a star. Once you start to play a manipulative person, you see manipulation everywhere. It’s like now I’m losing a bit of innocence, because I don’t trust anybody anymore. Now randomly I say, “Are you trying to manipulate me?”

“The Paper” and “Abbott Elementary” are mockumentaries. Does it make a difference in how you’re performing when it’s shot in that style?

Perfetti: On our best day, we’re trying to dupe people into believing that it’s real life. But similarly, I think Jacob thinks that he will be the star of this documentary whenever it comes out. He’ll be an executive producer on it. So there’s very much an element of having one foot in the audience’s experience. His outrage is heightened because he knows it’s being captured on film. I grew up doing plays and so it’s an easy dynamic to borrow from. When you’re on stage, even on your best days, you always have even a pinkie in the audience’s experience. You have to be able to be in conversation with them. The mockumentary format really allows for that and I think it informs the show in a really beautiful way.

Impacciatore: The first time that I watched “The Office,” I thought, “This project is incredible, but the light is so horrible. I will look so ugly.” I was trying not to be chosen for this project because I was so scared to be so ugly. So when I arrived on set as the character, I brought my own ring light and I said, “Guys, Esmeralda, because she knows she’s in a documentary, she needs her own lighting.” I got away with it. To me, comedy is a very serious thing.

What do audiences underestimate or misunderstand about what it takes to make a comedy?

Deadwyler: The assumption is that you’re being funny, and it’s not that at all. When you [Chris] just talked about doing plays, I was thinking theater is the thing that enabled me to really lean into the joy and transition into working on “Rooster.” There’s a rhythm and a quality of engagement that I learned completely in the theater world that applied to the gelling and the cohesion of “Rooster” in all of the scenes. So leaning into drama enables you to lean into the hilarity or the quirkiness or awkwardness of humor.

Morris: If the script is funny, it’s going to be funny if you’re an actor playing it real. And obviously you have throughout history those characters who know how to add to that, who can ham it up in such a way. Chris Farley and those guys. The Belushis, the Will Ferrells. They can take something really funny and just say, “I’m gonna add my stamp to it so when you see this type of humor, you know it was from me.” Then you have your Judd Apatows of this world who can create a funny environment and all the actors are basically playing it real and playing it straight.

Faison: People think you’re actually that funny or you’re that quick and you can come up with those jokes that fast. But really you’re saying somebody else’s words and you’re being somebody else. Somehow I got labeled as a stand-up comic. I’ve never done stand-up in my life, but I’ve been in so many comedies that people think, “He must be funny in real life.” I imagine Jack Black must hate going outside because everybody’s, “Do that skandosh, sliggidy, diggity thing that you do!”

Deadwyler: They want you to do that you do for drama, too.

Morris: “Make me cry”?

Deadwyler: They want you to give them the feeling that they know you for, because that’s all they’ve witnessed of you. They want me to ride a horse. They want me to cry. And it’s like, “I’m just trying to get these chicken wings and go home.”

And trying to break out of that, whatever that is, and move on to the next thing that you want to do.

Faison: For a long time it was very difficult as an actor to do anything else other than comedy, because you could get typecast. That’s something that happens right away. You could be the best friend for the rest of your life if you’re not careful.

Morris: I came up in traditional comedy. Second City, Chicago. When I was a kid, I didn’t care about anything else other than like making people laugh. So in plays and things, I was always cast as the comic relief, back in my ham-it-up days. Up until the beginning of my TV career with “New Girl.” I didn’t know who I wanted to be on that show. I didn’t know who I was and I’m thankful to the staff for just allowing me to grow into that character. But what I grew into was a f— clown. I just was like, “Oh man, I get to do this for seven years.” I loved every minute of it.

When you get recognized out in public or somebody knows they know you from something, who have you been misidentified as? Or do they simply call you by your character’s name?

Faison: I was at sushi once and it was actually another famous person that came up to me, I’m not gonna say their name. And he looks at me and goes, “Alfonso?” I said, “Nope.” And he hightailed it out so quick. I was like, “I gotta call Alfonso Ribeiro and tell him that somebody thought that I was him at a restaurant.” I’m glad to be recognized, but I am not Alfonso Ribeiro.

Morris: People think I’m everybody, but there’s one guy I get. Malcolm Barrett. This has been going on for 15 years. A good friend from theater school, we did every play together, he called me when I moved to L.A. and was like, “Dude, congratulations on your AT&T commercial!” I was like, “What AT&T commercial?” And he’s like, “The one where you’re playing Pop-a-Shot basketball.” And I’m like, “That’s not me.” Years later, everyone, people would come up to Malcolm all the time and say, “Congrats on ‘New Girl.’”

Perfetti: I cannot go to Philadelphia because I suddenly now have 5 million new family members. I don’t get mistaken for an actual person, but I do love the moment where you pass them on the sidewalk or on the subway and you see the wheels churning in their mind.

Lupe: I have a yoga teacher that still calls me Willa [her character from “Succession”]. I’ve been going to her for like a year and she’ll be like, “And Willa, you want to move into down dog.”

Justine, you’ve been referred to as a scene-stealer more than once for your work in “Succession” and “Nobody Wants This.” What do you make of that?

Lupe: That was the thing about “Succession.” I started when I was 26 and I felt like I got to be a fly on the wall in so many incredible scenes with all-star actors. To even be even seen among that kind of company, it makes me so happy. I feel the same way about “Nobody Wants This.” I look around and I’m like, “Wow, these are just incredible people that I’m working with.” So it’s nice to know that people are even registering my existence.

Perfetti: Willa is responsible for what I think may be one of the funniest TV moments ever. I can’t remember which season where you read your reviews and throw the iPad overboard, but it lives in my mind rent-free. The sound you make, the way that you just kind of stare off into the distance afterward, it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen.

Do you read reviews of your work?

Morris: I did a movie called “Sandy Wexler” with Adam Sandler and he said to me, “Hey buddy, when a film comes out, don’t read the reviews.” He’s like, “Who cares? We got our own thing going.” … It allowed him to stay true to who he is for his fan base, which is larger than life. If you start caring so much about what people think about your art, it’s going to change what got you there in the first place. That’s what Jamie Foxx talked about after winning an award, you don’t want to switch it up all of a sudden because everybody looks at you like you’re this great actor, you won this thing, and you start doing things differently.

Impacciatore: On set, if someone gives me a feedback about something that he liked, I don’t want to hear that because it feels like a trap. And I don’t want to know what worked and what didn’t work because I want to be free. I want to explore things. Reading a review … it’s something rational that is describing something irrational. Like to me, acting is an irrational act. It’s wild when it happens. It’s going somewhere else and not even knowing what you did.

Faison: I tend to not look at reviews. This was the first time ever in my life … when “Scrubs” came out this time around. It’s because we made it for the fans. It was strictly for the fans. So when we put it out and the critics were very nice this time around, that was cool. And then you get to Reddit and Instagram and you’re waiting for them to be like, “You guys suck!” “How dare you?!” And that didn’t show up. It was like, well, I’m gonna read the reviews then.

Lupe: I once had a critic call me a “bargain-basement Gwyneth Paltrow.”

Morris: You’re like, “Gwyneth Paltrow, you say?”

Lupe: As long as the word Gwyneth is in there, I’m OK.

Morris: If someone calls me “a bootleg Eddie Murphy,” I’m retiring.

Faison: “He kind of reminds me of a poor man’s Richard Pryor.” Why, thank you.

Lupe: There was like a part of me where I was like, “Well, if I can make it through that, then whatever. Who cares? It’s just fun to hear people’s perceptions of what you’re putting out there. How people interpret it. Because sometimes you can’t see the forest through the trees. If you have enough perspective, it’s interesting to hear the dialogue about the things that you’re working on.

Deadwyler: If it’s productive, I find that critical analysis is useful. But if it’s critical stabbing, that’s useless to me.

Faison: I have a question for all of you guys. When it comes to acting on set, do you prefer to see what you just did or do you prefer to trust what the director says? When it comes to comedy, I wanna see what the f— we are doing just to make sure we’re in the rhythm.

Lupe: I don’t watch it in the moment. I’ve gotten easier on myself watching things after they’re released. When I first watched my work, I just wanted to like, in all honesty, tear my face off. It was really a tough experience.

Morris: If I trust the director, I never look at the monitor. No knock on, like first-time directors, because I work with a lot of first-time directors that I trust, but there are some from time to time that just go, “It’s great,” every take. And so sometimes I have to go, “Just give me a second, let me see.” … A couple of times [they’d tell me], “Everything you did was brilliant.” And I know for a fact it wasn’t. So now I don’t trust s— you say.

The Envelope’s 2026 Emmy Comedy Roundtable: Lamorne Morris, from left, Justine Lupe, Chris Perfetti, Danielle Deadwyler, Donald Faison and Sabrina Impacciatore.

Chris, the cast on “Abbott” are so good at bouncing lines off one another. How are you not breaking all the time, or are you?

Perfetti: It’s certainly gotten harder as we’ve gotten closer. We’re all trying to make each other break now. But we’re pretty good. The show is sort of made on the fly and we’re constantly throwing jokes away or trying to see how far we can push something. I think a lot of what we find funny on “Abbott” is people trying to avoid pain. Even when it’s ridiculous, it doesn’t feel too hard to keep our feet on the ground. We’re also so blessed with the mockumentary [format]. The story is very much told by the camera. So I’m always on, and something that comes up in that take might make it into the final cut because there’s three cameras going at all times. But Quinta probably breaks the most because … she genuinely forgets about some of the jokes that she writes. And so when she hears it again, it takes her by surprise.

Lupe: There is something to that energy of people enjoying being in that kind of space with each other, like on the verge of laughing. Riding the line of being just about to break, it’s so much fun. The chemistry between them is so palpable. When you see a break like that, you’re like, “Wow, they’re really enjoying each other.”

Morris: [It’s hard when] I’m literally loopy, it’s late and I know this actor I’m working with is a f— killer. I start laughing before we roll, and I’m like, “This is gonna be so difficult.”

Lupe: And then it’s like that thing when you’re like a little kid, where someone’s like, “Stop laughing” and it makes it worse because you are trying so hard not to laugh.

Impacciatore: If there is that moment where we can break, there is a real abandonment and there is a real freedom … It’s the most beautiful feeling about being an actor. It’s about feeling less lonely.

Faison: Danielle, you’re working with Steve. First of all, he’s gonna break everybody. I’m pretty clear that everybody on set’s gonna laugh because he’s just got that. But has anybody made him break yet? And who is that person? I know if I made Steve Carell break in the middle of a scene, I’m dancing for a while. I’m gonna be calling my mom like, “Yo, he f— laughed at my joke!”

Deadwyler: I know that they wilded out the day the bed broke [during a fight scene with co-star Phil Dunster]. But I have not seen him break in that way. He is so rigorous. He’s about building the character, building a dynamic, trying to tell a full story.

Lupe: He also must have so much practice from “The Office.”

Deadwyler: He’s strong.

Faison: I laugh harder at “Saturday Night Live” when they break than when they keep it together.

Ed Orgeron is back.

Back at Louisiana State, where he coached the Tigers to a 15-0 record and a national championship during the 2019 season.

And back with Lane Kiffin, the new LSU head coach who now has made Orgeron a member of his staff at three schools following their stint together as USC assistant coaches under Pete Carroll.

LSU announced Wednesday that the 64-year-old Louisiana native is returning to the Tigers as a special assistant for recruiting and defense.

“I’m excited to bring Coach Orgeron back to LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement. “He brings us tremendous value with his ability to recruit elite players nationally, but especially the impact he can have for us recruiting the great state of Louisiana.”

Orgeron played defensive line for four years at Northwestern State, then started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1984. After spending the next decade-plus as an assistant on a variety of coaching staffs, including at Miami and Syracuse, Orgeron joined USC coach Paul Hackett’s staff as the defensive line coach.

When Carroll replaced Hackett before the 2001 season, he retained Orgeron on his staff and eventually also made him recruiting coordinator. Also in 2001, Carroll hired Kiffin, who started as tight ends coach and eventually worked his way up to offensive coordinator.

After winning two national championships under Carroll, Orgeron was hired as head coach at Mississippi before the 2005 season. He offered Kiffin a job on his staff as offensive coordinator, but the then-Trojans passing game coordinator turned it down (Kiffin would much later serve as the Rebels head coach from 2020 to 2025).

Orgeron went 10-25 at Mississippi and was fired after the 2007 season. After a year as the New Orleans Saints defensive line coach, Orgeron joined Kiffin’s staff at Tennessee as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

When Kiffin returned to USC as head coach in 2010, Orgeron joined him as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. On Sept. 29, 2013, Kiffin was fired by USC. Orgeron was named interim head coach but left the team at the end of the season after Steve Sarkisian became the permanent head coach.

Orgeron joined LSU as the defensive line coach in 2015. He became interim head coach the following September after Les Miles was fired and got the full-time job at the end of the season.

The undefeated 2019 season, with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, was the peak of Orgeron’s stint with the Tigers. The team’s fortunes dipped after that, with Orgeron and LSU parting ways following the 2021 season. In six seasons with the Tigers, Orgeron went 51-20.

Less than five years later, Orgeron is reunited with the Tigers and his old friend Kiffin.

“Coach O understands my expectations and commitment to being a championship program,” Kiffin said. “I look forward to seeing him with recruits and his intensity working with our defensive players.”

Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe is reportedly set to join telly favourite Emma Willis as the second presenter of the BBC dancing competition

A Strictly Come Dancing star is set to become the latest presenter. Fan favourite Johannes Radebe is being lined up to join telly star Emma Willis as the next dynamic duo to front the show.

It’s claimed that Johannes, whose nickname is JoJo, left bosses with no other option but to sign him up after the recent auditions to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Since Tess and Claudia announced their departure, the show’s bosses have been scrambling to find a replacement, with dozens of familiar faces lining up to audition for the role. Emma Willis was one of the top choices, with sources saying she “nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her”.

And Johannes is so well-liked that even the celebrities are saying the job is as good as his. A source told The Sun: “During the chemistry tests he was paired up with every other celeb and did incredibly well. They all think he would be the perfect partner for Emma.”

A source went on to explain that while the professional dancers have already been announced, including Johannes, that doesn’t mean he won’t get the promotion. His role, according to sources, is currently being figured out after bosses were said to be considering bringing in three new people.

Johannes could even be a roving reporter for the show. “He knows the dances better than anyone and is incredibly popular with Strictly fans,” the source said. They added: “Whether he’s going to be a host like Emma or take a slightly different presenting role is being ironed out.”

The South African-born star joined the BBC show in 2018 and, since then, has danced with the likes of Annabel Croft, Catherine Tyldesley and Alex Kingston. He and John Waite became the first same-sex partnership to reach the live final in 2021.

Meanwhile, Josh Widdicombe is also reportedly still being considered as a presenter for the programme. An announcement is expected in the coming days.

Zoe Ball, who had been a firm front-runner for the job, recently said she was “grieving” after missing out. Zoe competed on the show in 2005, before returning in 2011 to front Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, until she departed in 2020.

In the latest episode of her Dig It podcast, Zoe put on a brave face as she said she was thrilled to be “in the mix” of presenters who were invited to audition. “I didn’t get it, but it’s okay,” said Zoe. “I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days. I was so chuffed to even be in the mix. There were some pretty amazing people who didn’t even make it into the mix.

“So I made it in the mix, and I had a really fun time having one last little play at a show that I love and adore. And I’m so thrilled for the gang that has got it. I think there’s been so many eyes on this whole process, everyone’s quite relieved now that a decision has been made and the right ­decision has been made.” She added that the show was in “safe hands”.

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A noughties TV legend and star of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! has explained just why so many people refused to appear with him on television at the height of his career

Dom Joly has revealed that several people refused to appear alongside him on TV – all for the same reason. The comedian, 58, shot to fame when he began fronting Trigger Happy TV in 2000, and the format saw him going out in public to intentionally put himself in embarrassing situation, all to get a reaction.

When the programme first started, viewers and participants alike assumed the chaos, which was being caught on hidden cameras, was genuine and it became an overnight success. But as the series progressed and became more popular, members of the public became wise to when Dom was out and about filming.

The show came to an end in 2003, and now Dom, who went on to appear on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! alongside This Morning star Alison Hammond and eventual winner Stacey Solomon, has revealed that a considerable amount of people refused to be seen on camera because they were being unfaithful to their partners at the time, and couldn’t risk having that broadcast to the nation.

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Speaking on the Remember Me? podcast, he told host Maisie Adam: “We got away with quite a lot but the main reason people didn’t sign consent forms – it’s not that they didn’t want to be on telly, it’s because they were having affairs.

“I can not tell you the amount of people we did, and when the second series went out, the guy would go ‘Oh my god, it’s Dom Joly! Am I being filmed? Oh! That’s not my wife.’ That was just the people we talked to!”

Dom’s most famous bit is, ironically, his least favourite – that enormous phone. Just days after the first episode aired in January 2000, he was on a train when he heard that now-familiar Nokia ring tone.

He said: “Three people stood up and shouted, ‘HELLO?! YEAH I’M ON THE TRAIN – IT’S RUBBISH!’ I was like, ‘f***. What is happening?’” It’s a catchphrase that has haunted him for 25 years.

“I swear there’s not a day where it doesn’t happen. Even on the way here, a bloke spotted me and shouted, ‘HELLO?!’ And 25 years later I still don’t have a good response to it! Like, ‘Yes, hello!’”

“So many scenes went wrong, but the worst we did was with Sarah Ferguson,. We were walking past the Duke of York barracks on King’s Road and there’s a party going on, so we go in and blag some free drinks. Suddenly we spot Fergie sitting in the corner on her own, so we say, ‘let’s do it’.

“We go right up to her, she looks panicky and I stick my microphone in her face and say, ‘Good morning Your Majesty, you are live on Good Morning Mexico – do you have anything to say to the people of Mexico?’

“She starts blabbering on into this tiny camera, and after a while I ask her to pause because we’ve gone to a commercial break, and could she absolutely freeze?

“And for three minutes, me, Sam and the Duchess of York are frozen in the middle of this drinks party. And then we leg it. By the time we get back to our office there’s a fax from her lawyers and sadly we could never show the footage.”

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THE London Marathon always sees a host of celebrities run alongside the general public, but it didn’t get off to a great start for Harry Judd.

The McFly star took to Instagram on Sunday morning to reveal he had forgotten some essentials.

He said: “Really great start to the marathon day, I was about four stops into my journey to Greenwich and realised I had forgotten my bib number, my race number… so that’s good!”

Thankfully wife Izzy came to the rescue, as Harry filmed her pulling up in the car with their kids in the back.

He captioned the clip: “Family to the rescue”.

Harry isn’t the only famous face taking part, as singer Alexandra Burke shared snaps ahead of the race on her Instagram page.

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She wrote: “I never take it for granted that I’m able to move my body and do things that challenge me!

“So grateful to be running for @melissabellfoundation & @parkinsonsuk today at the @londonmarath. wishing all the runners the best time out there today! #AllforyouMama #myangel.”

Alexandra’s run comes just hours after she performed on the first Britain’s Got Talent live semi-final.

Meanwhile chef Gordon Ramsay paid tribute to his daughter Tilly, who is running the 26.2 mile route around the capital.

Posing together with Tilly in her running gear, Gordon wrote: “Such a proud dad today watching my little girl @tillyramsay run her first ever marathon !!!! 

“Thx to @flora and everyone who supported @feeding_britain on her incredible journey. Go get em kiddo !!.”

Elsewhere, Joe Wicks was running alongside none other than Daddy Pig from Peppa Pig, having trained him for the event.

The pair are raising money and awareness for the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), after Daddy Pig’s son George was diagnosed with moderate deafness.

Daddy Pig also ran the London Marathon in a special episode of Peppa Pig, which aired last week.

Earlier in the day, Sebastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha created sporting history as they became the first people to run a competitive marathon in under two hours.

Kenyan Sawe, 29, trod new ground in track and field as he crossed the finish line of the London Marathon along The Mall in an incredible time of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

It was an astonishing performance, achieving something that few thought was ever possible.

If that was not astonishing enough then second-placed Kejelcha of Ethiopia – running his first marathon – also dipped under the magical two-hour mark as he ran 1:59:41.

Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins will be among the stars competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.

“Summer House’s” Miller and “The Traitors” contestant Higgins — both publicly betrayed by men they trusted on their shows — are the first celebrities joining Season 35 of “Dancing With the Stars.” Disney announced the new season Wednesday during Hulu’s Get Real House event in Los Angeles.

Miller joins the cast less than a month after it was revealed that her “Summer House” castmate and ex-boyfriend, West Wilson, was dating her friend on the show, Amanda Batula. She teased her “DWTS” news with an Instagram video in which she wrote out her “Next Chapter 2026” to-do list, which included “prioritizing” herself, “taking risks” and “Dancing With the Stars.”

Higgins, who lost Season 4 of “The Traitors” in the finale after being blindsided by her friend and co-star Rob Rausch, rose to prominence on “Love Island” in 2019. Higgins shared her excitement in a video on Instagram, saying, “Please pray for me.”

“Get me on that dance floor. I want to win the trophy,” Higgins said. “I’ve manifested this.”

Higgins told reporters at the Get Real House event that Mark Ballas is her dream partner.

The announcement comes after a landmark season of “DWTS,” which saw a record-breaking number of fan votes. In November, The Times spoke with “DWTS” showrunner Conrad Green, who attributed the ratings spike to reviving “communal viewing experiences.”

“It’s been largely a question of keeping our existing audience and then finding a new audience of 18- to 30-year-olds. That’s partly fed by social media. It’s partly fed by a desire to have communal TV viewing experiences,” Green said. “That was something everyone had with ‘American Idol’ and ‘Dancing With the Stars’ 20 years ago, but TV doesn’t lend itself to that so much anymore.”

During the event, Disney also announced a new spinoff series, “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.” “DWTS” Season 34 winner Robert Irwin will host the show. According to the synopsis, it “features 12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a coveted spot as a pro dancer on Season 35 of ‘Dancing with the Stars.’”

“DWTS” pro and three-time Mirrorball champion Ballas will host the show alongside his mother, former ballroom dancer Shirley Ballas. The series will premiere July 13 on ABC.

EVERY few months you can grab free tickets to the races at racecourses like Doncaster and Ayr – but only if you’re a Sun Club member.

Once you sign up to Sun Club, you can benefit from a range of exclusive, members-only offers.

These include free darts tickets, 50% off West End shows, money off of London attraction tickets, plus early access to £9.50 holidays and more.

It’s really easy to sign up – simply click the button below to sign up to the £1.99 monthly membership, or bag a year for just £12.

Right now there’s a range of free race days for Sun Club members to make the most of, where you can bag four tickets for races every few months.

We’ve put together all of the race days coming up in the calendar for Sun Club members to pick from – plus the best things to do nearby, so you can make the most of your travels there.

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April Racedays

Gents Evening 2026 at Fontwell Park Racecourse, West Sussex
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 at 3:15pm

Fontwell Park describe this raceday as “The Ultimate Lads Day Out”, and ask guests to think Peaky Blinders and dress up dapper for a charmingly fun day.

Fontwell Park in West Sussex is also the only racecourse in the UK with a figure of eight-shaped steeplechase, which requires some amazing skill from the jockeys and is a joy to watch.

Make the most of dressing up posh and explore the Arundel Castle and Gardens, an 11th-century castle surrounded by 38 acres of gardens.

Saturday Evening – April Flat Racing 2026 at Doncaster Racecourse
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 at 2:35pm

This April Flat Turf Racing offers an exciting way to watch a straight mile sprint live, plus there’s even 50% off draught drinks and £10 off bottles of fizz for the first hour after the gates open.

Doncaster Racecourse offers fun for all the family, with live entertainment and food and drinks stalls to explore.

Doncaster Racecourse is one of the oldest in Britain, putting on world-class races since the 1500’s – and you could bag a historic day of fun there for free if you’re signed up to Sun Club.

Nearby top attractions include Yorkshire Wildlife Park and the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, should you wish to make a day of it.

Country & Western Racenight 2026 at Southwell Racecourse
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm

Yeehaw! Don your cowboy hat and boots for a country-themed night at the races with this last-minute racing night offer.

Expect live renditions of Dolly Parton classics by a tribute act, followed by a night of dancing to DJ tunes.

There’s plenty to do nearby too, like wandering The Workhouse, a popular National Trust site.

Four-Legged Friends Raceday at Nottingham Racecourse
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 at 12:15pm

No need to leave your furry friend at home with this dog-friendly race day at the esteemed Nottingham Racecourse.

You can even enter your pet in a range of competitions, which include Loveliest Lady and Best Rescue.

If you’re staying for the weekend, take your furry friend on a walk through the beautiful grounds of Wollaton Hall.

May Racedays

RSA Syndicate Evening Racing at Huntingdon Racecourse
Tue, 19 May 2026 at 4:30pm

Race days at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire make for a spectacular day out.

The home of the Peterborough Chase offers other fun events throughout the year, such as their RSA Syndicate Evening Racing, where you can bag a free ticket this May as a Sun Club member.

Spend the day beforehand having a nosy in Cambs Lock Antiques or the Cromwell Museum.

Tennent’s Raceday at Ayr Racecourse
Wed, 20 May 2026 at 12:10pm

Ayr is Scotland’s premier racecourse, home to massive events like the Scottish Grand National and Ayr Gold Cup.

The Tennent’s Raceday is one of the venue’s biggest midweek racing events, with plenty of friendly competition and top-tier hospitality.

There’s plenty to do nearby too, like strolling the historic Auld Brig or visiting the town centre to pop in some traditional pubs.

Feel Good Friday Racing at Carlisle Racecourse
Fri, 29 May 2026 at 1:10pm

Thoroughbred horse racing venue Carlisle Racecourse are running a Feel Good Friday race day, where you can expect an afternoon packed with plenty of races and also music from a live DJ.

This is the only Friday in the racecourse’s racing calendar, so make sure to bag it whilst you can by signing up to Sun Club.

Stay the weekend and explore two mega historical sites: Carslisle Castle and the epic Hadrian’s Wall.

June Racedays

Virtus Property Race Night at Warwick Racecourse
Wed, 3 Jun 2026 at 4:30pm

The Virtus Property Race Night offers evening races under the lights, plus access to bars and the food market.

This evening also includes access to the Grandstand, winner’s enclosure, pre-parade and parade ring, too.

Spend the day beforehand at Warwick Castle, where you can see exciting shows from falconry to live jousting.

Fiver Friday Evening Racing at Market Rasen Racecourse
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 at 12:05pm

Head to Market Rasen Racecourse for a family-friendly evening packed with exciting races – plus under 18’s get to go for free.

Market Rasen Racecourse is a beautiful site in the Lincolnshire Wolds, which held its first race in 1924.

The Lincolnshire Wolds are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and offer plenty of scenic hiking and walking trails.

July Racedays

Family Sunday Raceday at Ayr Racecourse
Sun, 5 Jul 2026 at 12:00pm

The Family Sunday Raceday makes for a brilliant summer’s day out with the kids.

The day will include seven races, family-friendly entertainment, and even a mascot race where colourful characters will compete.

Turn the weekend into a family staycation and meet the animals at Ayr Farm Park or visit the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

Glasgow Fair Family Raceday at Ayr Racecourse
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 at 12:00pm

The Glasgow Fair Family Raceday sees various owners and trainers put their horses to the test on the grounds.

There will be seven races, as well as free entertainment – plus kids go free.

Other things to do nearby include seeing the ruins of Greenan Castle or takig a stroll along Ayr Beach.

How to bag your free racing tickets

How to sign up to the Sun Club Membership Programme:

Step 1: To book your racing tickets join Sun Club now for just £1.99 a month.

Step 2: Then head to the Offers Hub Racing Page, select the ‘Four Free Racing Tickets’ tile, choose the racecourse you want to go to then click the ‘Book’ button.

Step 3: Confirm your details and then you will receive an email with your tickets.

Once tickets are all claimed, we will open up a limited waiting list for cancellations before showing it as ‘Fully booked’.

18+ Terms & Conditions apply, thesun.co.uk/club.

18+ UK only. Online access required. Four tickets every three month of active subscription. Racecourses and racedays vary subject to availability. Sun Club: 18+ UK only. New customer offer: £1.99 per month or £12 per per year unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For full T&Cs, visit thesun.co.uk/club   

It turns out Raven Johnson’s “revenge tour” wasn’t completely over.

The South Carolina guard was selected as the 10th overall pick by the Indiana Fever at the 2026 WNBA draft Monday, setting her up to be reunited with a former college teammate as well as a notable rival.

Described as “one of the most WNBA-ready players” in the mock draft by The Times, the two-time national champion was famously waved off by then-Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark during their Final Four matchup in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

During the first quarter, Clark declined to guard Johnson, who had the ball outside of the three-point line, with wave of her arm while turned away from her. Not only did Clark’s team go on to win, the taunt — much like a number of other moments involving the sharpshooting former Hawkeye — went viral.

Johnson has been open about how that moment and the online response took a toll on her mental health.

“I was all over the internet,” Johnson said while discussing some of the adversity she’s faced in her basketball career on a recent episode of the “I Am Next” podcast. “I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t … like a monkey [and] just things like that. I wanted to quit basketball at that time and I wanted to just go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.”

She credited her faith and the support of her teammates and loved ones for being able to turn it around and use the moment to fuel her “revenge tour” the next year. South Carolina beat Clark’s Hawkeyes in the 2024 national championship to cap off an undefeated season.

Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson at the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

At least in part because of this history, the online response to Johnson being drafted by the Fever has been divided among the team’s fans as well as the supporters of each of the individual players. But the Fever staff were clearly elated to be able to nab Johnson off the board.

“Let’s go,” Fever coach Stephanie White said in a video call with Johnson posted on social media on Monday. “We are so excited.”

Johnson isn’t the only one who is set to join forces with a rival in the next chapter of their career. Following her trade from the Sparks, Rickea Jackson will be teammates with Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, whose game-winning buzzer beater for the Gamecocks took down the former’s Tennessee team at the 2024 Southeastern Conference tournament.

And that’s not to mention the Washington Mystics following their selection of UCLA center Lauren Betts as the fourth overall pick Monday by later drafting Texas standout Rori Harmon in the third round. Betts’ viral block is what sealed UCLA’s win over Texas at the Final Four en route to the Bruins’ championship win earlier this month. (The Mystics also selected UCLA forward Angela Dugalic in the first round.)

Despite the naysayers, Johnson appears excited to be joining a championship contender with the Fever. During a Monday news conference, Johnson mentioned Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell among the team’s vets she’s looking forward to learning from.

“She has taught me so much through my college experience,” Johnson said of Boston, her former college teammate. “She taught me what pro habits were. She taught me you have to bring those habits every day to practice. … She is a phenomenal person. She instills so much in young people and there’s no way you don’t want to play with somebody like that [and] look up to somebody like that.”

April 14 (Asia Today) — More than 2,000 people took part in a marathon in southwestern South Korea to honor the legacy of Han Yang-won, a spiritual figure known for promoting coexistence and peace.

The third Haepyeong Marathon was held Saturday in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, the hometown of Han, who died in 2016. The event was organized by the Association for Coexistence and Peace and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The marathon commemorates Han’s lifelong efforts to promote interfaith harmony and shared national values. The event name comes from his pen name “Haepyeong,” reflecting his core philosophy of coexistence and peace.

Organizers said this year’s event also aimed to express solidarity with people affected by ongoing conflicts around the world and to call for an end to war.

Participants ran 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer courses, with ages ranging from 5 to 78, highlighting a cross-generational turnout.

“The message of coexistence and peace is more urgent than ever in a world marked by conflict,” said Kim Dong-gyu, secretary-general of the organizing group. “We hope this event can help inspire a future where people live together in peace.”

Han was a leader of a Korean indigenous religious tradition that incorporates elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. He also founded a national council of Korean religions in 1985 and led it for more than three decades.

He was posthumously awarded one of South Korea’s highest civilian honors in 2017 in recognition of his contributions to religious harmony.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260414010004375