Lou

White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood will no longer front the Marks & Spencer Christmas advert despite being involved in the promotional clip in August

Aimee Lou Wood has been ‘dropped by M&S’, according to reports. The White Lotus star was set to be the face of the new Marks and Spencer Christmas advert, but appears to have been cut from the production.

The claim comes after the retail giants are said to have initially wooed the 31-year-old actress with a huge fee. Any appearance would have seen her follow the likes of Hannah Waddingham and Sophie Ellis-Bextor in featuring in the festive fun.

However, despite appearing in the promo clip in August, Aimee is thought to have been removed by the brand who have reportedly chosen to go in a different direction.

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A spokesperson for M&S told Mail Online: “We really enjoyed working with Aimee Lou Wood during the early stages of this year’s Christmas campaign – she brought great energy and creativity to the process.

“As the campaign evolved, we started to embed a new product-focused strategy under new leadership. So, rather than a single-hero advert, the campaign was reshaped around a series of festive films and influencer content-drops aligned to key seasonal shopping moments – from gifting and hosting to partywear – delivered through a social-first, multi-channel approach across social media, digital, out-of-home and print.”

It could be seen as a blow for the Stockport-born actress. However, after finding fame in Netflix’s comedy drama Sex Education, she has continued to go from strength to strength before the M&S dropping.

She also portrayed Chelsea in the third series of the Sky Atlantic drama last year. It’s thought she had signed a deal to lead the M&S ad in the summer. But with a change in direction, comes new faces.

It comes as the eagerly anticipated John Lewis advert received a mixed response. It was attempting to pull at the heartstrings with its latest offering that focuses on a father and son struggling to find the words to say how much they care about each other.

That all changes when Dad finds a present addressed to him while packing away the wrapping paper for another year on Christmas morning. This year the famous advert is soundtracked by 90s dance icon Alison Limerick’s hit Where Love Lives, with a newly reimagined version by globally acclaimed artist and producer Labrinth also featuring.

However, while some shed a tear, others blasted the production as “Depressing, boring and not very Christmassy!”

“Just seen the John Lewis Christmas advert,” one user wrote on Twitter/X. “Thought it was dull, depressing, boring and not very Christmassy,”

Another posted on the platform: “The John Lewis Christmas Advert is TERRIBLE!!! What a bunch of nonsense. Unimaginative, unfestive, rubbish. Bring back Moz the Monster or Edgar the Dragon!! #JohnLewisChristmasAdvert #JohnLewis #Rubbish.”

A third was left conflicted, writing: “John Lewis ad 2025 – I’m not sure, it’s underlying message of father son communication is great, but it’s portrayed in such a dark way, you don’t know what’s happening, it’s very vague, and not very festive at all, bordering on depressing even!”

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EX-England footie ace Andy Carroll has revealed he is back with girlfriend Lou Teasdale after a stormy split — and vowed to cut down on booze to save their relationship.

Opening up about his feelings for stylist Lou in an exclusive interview with the Sun on Sunday, Andy said: “I love Lou and I love her family. We row like any couple.”

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The pair have been dating since his split last summer from ex-wife and former Towie star Billi Mucklow, 37. They are currently divorcing.

The 36-year-old former Premier League star said: “Things have been difficult for me and I’m going through a divorce.

“Some of our rows have been about alcohol, as Lou has been teetotal for 14 years and I have a beer or wine at dinner and a drink after the game, but it’s not a problem in my life.

“I’m a professional footballer and that’s not the case. I play sport every single day so my level of fitness is really good. I play football every day so I’m fit.”

The Sun revealed on Wednesday the couple had split, with Andy unfollowing celebrity make-up artist Lou, 41, on social media.

But now he has told The Sun on Sunday that after a misunderstanding in Spain, he and Lou have patched things up.

Former Liverpool and Newcastle striker Andy, who now plays for non-league Dagenham & Redbridge FC, said: “We’re better off together and we’re trying to work through our difficulties.”

In June, we reported Carroll was twice quizzed by police over bust-ups with Lou during a break on Greek party island Mykonos.

He was questioned about rows with her at a packed beachside restaurant and then at their hotel.

He was taken to the police station after the second incident.

Speaking about the restaurant incident now, Andy — pictured with Lou, above, as he signed for his new club last month — insisted: “There was no alcohol involved. We argued about me having three coffees in the morning. She was worried I was addicted to coffee and it went from there.”

A joint statement from them at the time said: “Whilst having a private dinner in a restaurant on a quiet holiday in Mykonos, we had a heated discussion of the sort that most couples have had on occasion.

“It quickly became apparent to the police that there was no reason for them to be there.”

It added: “As far as we are concerned, the situation has been blown out of all proportion by an interested member of the public.

“No one was arrested and no one was charged with anything.

“We are very happy, in love and looking forward to our future together and we are disappointed that a private disagreement has become a public matter.”

I don’t want to be with Lou anymore… she gives me ultimatums about everything

What Andy told us last week

Andy returned to England last month, having left French fourth-tier side Bordeaux to play for Dagenham & Redbridge and to be close to his children, who live in Essex.

He said: “I just want to focus on my kids. They’re more important than anything. I’m loving life back in England.

“Obviously when I was working in France, I was there alone, and I was out with the lads a lot. Now I’m back home with the kids and it’s just a different way of life.”

Last September, the Sun on Sunday reported Andy and Billi, who have three children, were divorcing after two years of marriage.

The couple started dating in 2013, soon after he joined West Ham.
And he popped the question during a romantic holiday in Rome in 2014.

That year Billi said: “He is one of the most genuine and caring people I have ever met.”

Gateshead-born Carroll, who has two children from a previous relationship, has often been in the news over his romps, brawls and court cases.

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He said meeting Billi turned his life around.

Carroll’s boyhood dreams came true when he began his professional football career with Newcastle United in 2006.

The big centre-forward was soon a hit with Toon fans, following in the footsteps of another local idol Alan Shearer.

In 2009-10, Carroll scored 17 goals in 39 games, and 11 in nine games the following season.

In 2011, he earned a £35million transfer to Liverpool, a then record fee for a British player.

At his peak he was picked for England in nine games between 2010-2012, including scoring against Sweden at Euro 2012.

I love Lou and I love her family, we row like any couple

What he told us this week

He was sold by Liverpool to West Ham but struggled with a series of injuries.

His career saw him moving on to a succession of clubs including back to Newcastle, later to Reading and then West Brom.

Carroll’s career, although full of ups and downs, has brought him enormous sums of money.

In May 2019, he was listed as the 14th wealthiest sports person aged 30 or under in The Sunday Times Rich List.

His fortune at the time was said to have increased to £19million.

Lou Christie, the singer and songwriter who set teen fans screaming in the 1960s with hits like “Lightnin’ Strikes” and “Two Faces Have I,” has died. He was 82.

Christie died at his home in Pittsburgh after a short illness, his family said Wednesday in an announcement on social media.

“He was cherished not only by his family and close friends, but also by countless fans whose lives he touched with his kindness and generosity, artistic and musical talent, humor and spirit. His absence leaves a profound void in all our hearts. He will be greatly missed, always remembered, and forever loved,” the statement read.

Christie was born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco on Feb. 19, 1943, in Glenwillard, Pa., and took on his stage name, courtesy of a local music producer, when he was a still a teen. Soon he would meet his decades-older songwriting collaborator Twyla Herbert, a classically trained but eccentric musician who died in 2009, and together they would write almost all of his songs and hundreds more for other artists.

In Pennsylvania, Christie recorded and released a single, “The Gypsy Cried,” that became a local hit in the Pittsburgh area. He moved to New York, got work as a backup singer and eventually wound up touring with Dick Clark’s Cavalcade of Stars, sitting on a bus with Diana Ross and other standouts.

“I was with Gene Pitney and Johnny Tillotson, the Supremes, Paul and Paula, Dick and Dee Dee, the Crystals, the Ronettes, Fabian, Frankie Avalon,” the singer told writer Gary James for ClassicBands.com. “To me, this was my graduating class and still is today.”

Christie’s fans screamed over his signature falsetto when “Two Faces Have I” made it to No. 6 on the Billboard 100 in 1963, the year he released his self-titled first album. He spent two years in the U.S. Army and upon his return released the single “Lightnin’ Strikes.” The song, off the 1965 album of the same name, hit No. 1 on that chart in 1966.

He stirred up a bit of scandal with the 1966 song “Rhapsody in Rain,” with lyrics that at the time were considered explicit: Baby the raindrops play for me / A lonely rhapsody ‘cause on our first date / We were makin’ out in the rain / And in this car our love went much too far / It was exciting as thunder / Tonight I wonder where you are” and “Baby, I’m parked outside your door / Remember makin’ love, makin’ love, we were makin’ love in the storm.” The tune topped out at No. 16 on the charts.

His array of album releases grew with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” in 1969, “Paint America Love” in 1971, “Pledging My Love” in 1997 and more records over the years.

The life of a teen idol in the early 1960s was a mix of dismissal and adulation, according to peer Fabian Forte, who performed as Fabian and toured with Christie in rock ‘n’ roll revival shows in the 1980s.

“They laughed at us. They wouldn’t take us seriously as artists,” Forte told The Times in 1985, talking about music critics in the 1950s and early ‘60s. But, he added, “Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t all bad. For a teen-age boy, you can imagine what it was like having all those girls drooling over you. That was heaven.”

The teen idols of that era faded with the British Invasion, but Christie didn’t fade with them.

“I hit the end of that whole era,” Christie told writer James for ClassicBands.com. “I’ve always been between the cracks of rock ‘n’ roll, I felt. The missing link. … We had the teenage idols. We had Frankie Avalon. We had Fabian. That thing was just about closing down when a lot of my records started hitting. … They all disappeared, but my records kept going through that English Invasion.”

In addition to releasing more music later in life, Christie would offer up his vocal talents to help raise money for causes including the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and a rock ‘n’ roll retirement home for artists from the ‘50s and ‘60s planned by the Starlight Starbright foundation.

And in those years after his No. 1 spotlight had dimmed, Christie still knew how to put smiles on fans’ faces, as evidenced after a performance at a festival at Magic Mountain in 1985.

The event began late on one of the hottest days of the year after its lineup and schedule had switched around repeatedly leading up to the concert and the promoter had gone missing. Some acts that concert-goers expected to see wound up not performing — but Christie was not one of them.

“I’m really glad the show turned out well,” Christie told The Times in 1985, lounging in his trailer after his set at the “Spirit of the ‘60s” festival. “I tell you, I was going crazy with this thing — on, off, on again, off again. I had to cancel some dates I had arranged for after this was canceled the first time. But” — and a big smile crossed his face — ”they got their show, all right. The baby boomers really dug it. Even people backstage enjoyed it.”

A representative for the singer did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.

Coronation Street viewers think they know who reported Maria Connor to the police after a showdown with Lou Michaelis, with someone close to home tipped to be to blame

There was drama on Coronation Street on Friday night, as a showdown between Maria Connor and Lou Michaelis ended with an arrest.

Maria was horrified when the police came to take her away, with her accused of actual bodily harm. She’d been caught up in a fight with Lou after spotting her trying to steal from Shona Platt.

Her attempt to stop her led to Lou taking a tumble, slamming into a coffee table. As the camera panned back to her she was laying on the floor covered in blood and cuts, with glass everywhere.

She accused Maria of pushing her on purpose, telling the others she had been attacked. As Maria’s partner Gary Windass helped Lou onto her feet, Maria claimed it was an accident and that while she did grab Lou, Lou had tripped over.

With Maria not being believed by some of her neighbours, Gary headed to the hospital with Lou while he begged her not to get the police involved. Gary made it clear he didn’t think it was an accident, telling Maria she needed to apologise.

READ MORE: Coronation Street Lisa’s true intentions for ‘corrupt’ Kit as star teases drama ahead

Maria then accused him of getting too close to Lou, with fans also predicting Lou was trying to get closer to Gary. Gary claimed she was lying about Lou trying to steal money, and also lying about what really happened.

She accused him of fancying her and it led to a row. Things got awkward later on, with Sarah Platt backing Maria and agreeing with her side of the story.

It wasn’t enough though as the police entered the pub and arrested her. But while the obvious culprit behind the report was Lou herself, fans were not convinced.

With upcoming spoilers suggesting Lou denies being involved, fans think they know who really told the police – with an affair plot sealed. Viewers suggested it was Gary behind the call after her refusal to own up and apologise.

They think Gary wants Maria out of the way so he can embark on a romance with Lou. Taking to X, one fan suggested: “Gotta be Gary turning Maria in! Lou doesn’t wanna deal with all that, but Gary’s getting so fed up.”

Another fan agreed: “It definitely wasn’t Lou, it was either Gary because he’s sick of it or someone trying to make it look like it was Lou.” A third viewer posted: “Does anyone else think it was Gary who reported Maria to the police? Is he going to have an affair with Lou?”

A further post read: “Maybe he just wanted Maria out the way,” as another fan commented: “Wtf has Gary dobbed Maria to the rozzers?” As for the affair, one fan suggested: “I’m here for Gary and Lou!” as another fan commented: “Gary and Lou affair impending.”

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Gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton pleaded no contest Tuesday to a DUI charge that stemmed from her arrest last month in her hometown of Fairmont, W.Va.

In a statement emailed to The Times, attorney Edmund J. Rollo said a Marion County judge fined his client $100. Rollo said that the amount is “consistent with sentencing guidelines for first-time, non-aggravated offenses in this jurisdiction.”

According to the Associated Press, Retton was pulled over on May 17 by police responding to a report about a Porsche being driven erratically. The 57-year-old former Olympic athlete is said to have smelled of alcohol, slurred her words and failed a field sobriety test. And officers said they observed a container of wine in the passenger seat.

Retton reportedly refused a roadside breath test and a blood test. She was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. Court records show Retton was released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $1,500.

“What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,” Retton said in a statement released Tuesday by Rollo. “To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry. I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life. I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support.”

Retton became a household name during the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, when she became the first U.S. gymnast to win Olympic gold in the all-around competition and won five medals overall.

On Oct. 10, 2023, Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, revealed that her mother had “a very rare form of pneumonia” and was “fighting for her life” in intensive care without being covered by medical insurance. An online fundraiser has raised nearly $500,000 to help cover medical costs for Retton, who was released from the hospital later that month.

In a January 2024 interview with NBC News, Retton said she was “not great yet” in terms of her recovery. “I don’t know how long I’ll indefinitely need the oxygen,” she said while gesturing toward her nasal tube.

U.S. gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton faces a DUI charge after being arrested earlier this month in Marion County, W.Va.

According to Magistrate Court of Marion County records, Retton was arrested May 17 and charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. She was released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $1,500, the court records show.

Retton’s attorney declined to comment on the matter when reached by The Times.

Born in Fairmont, W.Va., Retton, 57, rose to household-name status during the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, when she became the first U.S. gymnast to win Olympic gold in the all-around competition, edging Romania’s Simona Pauca by five-tenths of a point.

Retton sealed the gold medal by earning perfect scores on her final two exercises, floor and vault, much to the delight of the crowd at Pauley Pavilion and millions of TV viewers around the country. During those Games, she won five medals, also including silvers for team all-around and vault, and bronzes for floor and uneven bars.

On Oct. 10, 2023, Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, revealed that her mother had “a very rare form of pneumonia” and was “fighting for her life” in intensive care without being covered by medical insurance.

“She is not able to breathe on her own,” Kelley wrote in the description of a fundraiser that has raised nearly $500,000 to help cover Retton’s medical costs.

On Oct. 23, 2023, Kelley wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that Retton was “HOME & in recovery mode.”

Retton said she was “not great yet” when she spoke about her ordeal and ongoing recovery with NBC News’ Hoda Kotb in January 2024.

“I don’t know how long I’ll indefinitely need the oxygen,” Retton said while gesturing toward her nasal tube, “but you have no idea how blessed and how grateful I was for this holiday season.”

Retton also addressed why she didn’t have health insurance at the time of her medical emergency.

“When COVID hit after my divorce, and all my preexisting — I mean, I’ve had over 30 operations, orthopedic stuff — I couldn’t afford it,” she said.

EXCLUSIVE: Coronation Street actress Farrel Hegarty has opened up about her storyline on the ITV soap opera and admits she hopes it enables women to speak up

Poised to emigrate to Australia before she landed her Corrie role as neighbour-from-hell Lou Michaelis, actress Farrel Hegarty is already being likened to hellraising battleaxe Janice Battersby. Flattered by the comparison, there is no such thing as being too gobby, according to Yorkshire-born Farrel.

She tells The Mirror: “Lou is gobby, loud, irrational and it’s lovely to be compared to such a big character, like Janice Battersby. You always dream of landing a part like Lou. So to get it later in life, is overwhelming and I cried. I was so happy.”

At 37, Farrel will not be considered to be “later in life” by many of us, but age is an issue in the acting profession. “Working as a jobbing actress can be hard,” explains Farrel. “There were 50 people in my year at drama school 15 years ago and when we recently counted how many were still acting, it was only seven.”

When the Corrie audition came, she was about to leave her home in London to move Down Under and live with her girlfriend of 18 months. She says: “I was about to move to Australia to move in with my partner and the audition came up. Either way, my life was about to go in a different direction, as I knew I’d either be going to Australia or joining Coronation Street.

“I knew if I got the role, then it was my time. Having a long-distance relationship is definitely not for the faint-hearted but my partner was never going to be angry that I was going to be in Corrie. She knows how much it meant to me and how tough it has been.”

The moment Lou, her husband Mick Michaelis (Joe Layton) and their son Brody (Ryan Mulvey) arrived on the cobbles, they began wreaking havoc.

For Chesney and Gemma, they have become nightmare neighbours, while thug Mick has bullied Leo, battered his stepdad Gary and is tormenting bent copper Kit with threats to reveal his bad boy past, when they were both delinquent teenagers.

And Farrel is at pains to point out that, while she loves playing her, she is nothing like Lou in real life. She says: “Lou loves an insult. She’s called people a cow, bimbo and witch and sometimes I find myself going ‘take a minute, Lou’ when I read the scripts.

“I am obviously nothing like her and the only thing we do have in common, other than being close to family, is we have the same face!” So far, despite Mick’s thuggery, there has been no indication of any aggression towards Lou.

But in tonight’s episode, it will be revealed that he has been abusing her physically and mentally. Bombshell revelations in Friday’s episode lifted the lid on Lou and Kit’s affair years earlier, which cast doubt on whether the policeman or Mick was Brody’s dad.

And when Brody is caught shoplifting, enraged Mick makes his feelings clear with viewers seeing Lou taken to A&E with a head wound by Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) . There is no doubt who caused it, yet Lou is besotted with Mick. “She is so infatuated and in love with Mick that she is willing to overlook things,” explains Farrel.

“She loves him so much that when he is being scary, she soon forgets it when he tells her an hour later how sorry he is and how much he loves her. The fear disappears.”

Farrel says the hard-hitting storyline is an important one: “We want women in horrendous situations like this to realise they aren’t alone and to also show it’s not always (happening to) the person you might expect.

“Yes Lou is loud and gobby and you wouldn’t expect this to happen to her, but there is a vulnerable side to her too. Mick is all she has ever known and her love for him will always outdo everything.”

Farrel won’t divulge whether Lou will leave Mick, but she says her relationship with Brody becomes strained, now he has found Kit may be his real dad.

“Lou sees the best in Brody, but he’s turning into Mick,” she reveals. “But, to be fair, Brody has had a hard life and to discover his life may have been a lie is bound to test a relationship.” Farrel says Joe is a joy to work with: “He is the opposite of Mick, such a lovely human and the most caring man. ”

Knowing the destruction unleashed on Weatherfield by the Michaelises would be short-lived, as their Coronation Street contracts were finite, Lou plans to make the most of every second.

Due to depart in the summer, she says: “I’ve loved it all and even now, a few months in, it’s surreal walking on the cobbles. So much has happened in such a short time, and we’ve caused chaos. I’ve never had so many arguments!

“To get this role is a dream come true, but I always knew I would one day be leaving. Joe and I came in together and will leave together. How we do it, I can’t say, but it’s brilliant being part of the show. Watching the other actors is like a masterclass in acting. When I do film my final scenes, I’ll probably cry.”

After leaving East 15 acting school in Essex 15 years ago, Farrel has had small roles in Brassic and Johnny Vegas’ Murder They Hope, as well as creating comedy content on TikTok and appearing in Corrie in 2019, as a reporter looking into Robert Preston’s shooting.

Between roles, she has sometimes taken temporary office jobs. “It’s hard going to auditions, but when you get a part like Lou, it’s an incredible feeling.”

Her dream now is to land a role in a sitcom. “I enjoy doing silly skits,” says Farrel, who plans to go to Australia first. “I will need a holiday by then. It will be great to see my partner too.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline 24/7 on 0808 2000247.

Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8pm on ITV1. Also on ITVX.

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Aimee Lou Wood has named a critically acclaimed film that is currently available to stream for free in the UK

Aimee Lou Wood has revealed one of her top film picks that UK viewers can stream for free.

The much-admired film is presently available on Channel 4 and promises to touch your heart in just a little over an hour.

The cherished British actress, known for her roles in The White Lotus and Sex Education, recently popped into the Criterion Closet to chat about some of her most treasured films.

She highlighted Céline Sciamma’s touching work on the themes of youth and bereavement, Petite Maman, labelling it as a ‘heartbreaking’ film that’s a must-see.

With the film’s critical praise and its brief runtime of 70 minutes, available at no cost on Channel 4, it’s easy to fit into your viewing schedule before it disappears from the service, reports the Express.

While discussing her top picks, Wood acknowledged Thelma and Louise, accessible on Prime Video in the UK, and Petite Maman as two standout movies.

Speaking about the celebrated French creation from 2021, she referred to it as “the sweetest, most haunting, beautiful film and it just tears me apart.

“It’s just mums, mums. Anything about mums gets me right in the ticker. I love my mum, I’ve got her name tattooed on my arm.

“And I also love [Sciamma’s] Portrait of a Lady on Fire, so I love all of her movies, so she’s just one of my faves.”

For those needing more persuasion, cinephiles have shared glowing five-star feedback supporting Wood’s enthusiasm for Petite Maman.

One enthusiast exclaimed over the motion picture, celebrating it as “A beautiful, tender hug of a film.

“And refreshing to have a film mainly from a child’s point of view. The child actors were wonderful. As was the pace of the film. Perfection.”

Another fan commented: “Mysterious, enchanting and very unusual. It draws you into their world and makes you ask questions. Very poignant. I wanted more!”

Meanwhile, a fan on Letterboxd raved: “What Céline Sciamma achieves in a mere 72 minutes is dumbfounding.”

They added: “A moving and tender portrait of familial relationships told through a fantastical but still grounded lens of time travel. My heart is full and I wept as the credits rolled. Sciamma is truly a master of the craft.

“I hope every living soul gets a chance to watch this.”

These glowing reviews make Petite Maman a must-watch for the week.

Petite Maman is available to stream on Channel 4.