marriage

LEIGH-ANNE Pinnock has opened up on her marriage again to reveal she and her husband are “stronger” than ever after his betrayal.

The former Little Mix singer candidly confessed earlier this year that she and footballer hubby Andre Gray experience a rocky patch in their marriage in which she admitted they had to work together to “overcome betrayal”.

The popstar, who has just released her debut solo album My Ego Told Me To, revealed she needed to learn to trust her husband again following the undefined betrayal.

Now, in a new interview, she had discussed her personal life once more in order to give a fresh update on her family unit.

Confirming that Andre sought out therapy following the betrayal, Leigh-Anne told People magazine: “The main thing for me was him just changing, really.

“He got therapy, he moved abroad as well.

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“Even just him being alone, he did so much self-reflection on that. That was a massive thing for us. I think he just did the work.”

The singer continued: “It really does mean a lot when you can go through something, come out the other end, and just you automatically become stronger for it.

“Now, obviously, we’ve been through our stuff.

“We’re married, we have kids, and we can just have a soft life.”

Previously, Leigh-Anne has been open about the fact she and Andre have always had a long-distance relationship due to his career seeing him play football across the world with the star having only recently relocated back to England to play for a UK team.

The pair, who share two twin daughters together, have admitted this distance has helped to keep their marriage going.

In the interview, Leigh-Anne said: “A big thing for us is distance. As s*** as it is, it’s been three years of long distance.

“It’s actually, I think, helped to keep the flame alight as well, you know?

“You can’t wait to see them. It’s actually really healthy to miss someone, I think.”

It’s a foodie hotspot in Cumbria, with Michelin-starred restaurants boasting a ‘farm to table’ philosophy and famous sticky toffee pudding, ideal for a UK holiday

Despite its modest size, this Cumbrian gem wields considerable sway over travellers heading to the Lake District in need of excellent food and somewhere to lay their heads.

Cartmel has earned quite a name for itself amongst walkers, cyclists and visitors to the region as a culinary hotspot. Whilst the village boasts a rich heritage centred around Cartmel Priory and its agricultural roots, it has since carved out an entirely fresh identity.

Situated less than 20 minutes’ drive from the Lake District National Park, there’s no shortage of attractions on the village’s doorstep.

With Greendale National Forest nearby and the River Eea within easy reach, it’s an idyllic spot for outdoor enthusiasts seeking a base from which to venture forth.

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Michelin Restaurants

For those demanding nothing less than exceptional cuisine following a day’s rambling or sightseeing, the village boasts a prestigious Michelin-starred establishment, L’Enclume.

Led by chef Simon Rogan, the restaurant features a constantly evolving menu that shifts with the seasons – embodying the chef’s ‘farm to table’ ethos.

Also holding Michelin star status is Rogan and Co, a neighbourhood eatery situated in the village centre, likewise operated by the celebrated chef.

They provide a set lunch menu priced at £49 for three courses, offered Wednesday through Saturday, alongside evening dining options.

After dining at L’Enclume, which specialises in French and European fare, one visitor hailed it as the “best dining experience ever” in a TripAdvisor review.

They said: “We went for our wedding anniversary for a special experience. It delivered. Every one of the many dishes was made with the best quality ingredients and put together with great imagination and cooked perfectly.”

Similarly, diners are unanimous in their praise for the food and service at its sister establishment, Rogan and Co. One review states: “Rogan and Co gives you a more traditional à la carte (choose your meal) three-course deal.

“But that isn’t to say this is basic dining. You are still getting snacks, interludes, great drink pairings and, much like L’Enclume, absolutely top-drawer service.”

Pubs

Beyond the Michelin-starred offerings, the culinary delights continue. True to form for a quintessentially English village, Cartmel boasts several traditional, welcoming pubs.

Indeed, several feature amongst the village’s TripAdvisor top 10 dining destinations – quite an achievement given the stiff competition. All within easy walking distance, visitors can devise their own pub crawl following a day of exploration, or simply settle into one favourite spot.

The Pig and Whistle proves particularly appealing during summer months, thanks to its expansive beer garden offering picturesque vistas across the village and the surrounding Cumbrian fells.

Inside, the establishment has been given something of a revamp, including its menu which offers pub classics with a distinctive ‘twist’.

Numerous patrons sing the praises of their Sunday roast, with some describing it as “divine” and others deeming it “excellent”.

Alongside it are The Royal Oak, The Kings Arms and the Cavendish Arms, which prides itself on making considerable efforts to source exclusively from local producers and suppliers. This commitment shines through in its glowing reviews, with one declaring: “This place is truly on top of its game.

“Amazing varied exquisite food from all over the word but definitely with a French twist. Lovely cosy setting with candles on each table and quality wines. Could not ask for more.”

Shops

The village boasts numerous shops selling local produce, with the Cartmel Village Shop standing out as one of the most notable – renowned for its sticky toffee pudding. The family-run shop sells homemade toffee and the beloved Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Cartmel’s “superb little shop” draws food fans from far and wide, all seeking a treat to satisfy their sweet cravings. One satisfied customer said: “Famous as the home of sticky toffee pudding, this delightful little shop is in the centre of this lovely village.

“As well as foodstuffs, they stock a good selection of deli produce and gifts. They also prepare a good selection of hot and cold sandwiches to take away, and we enjoyed some excellent, generously filled baps. The prices were most reasonable, and the service was charming.”

Another local gem is the Cartmel Food Shed, offering a delightful array of homemade soups, sandwiches, sausage rolls and sweet treats for takeaway or to enjoy in their welcoming dining space. Like many establishments dotted around the village, it’s very much a family-run operation with homemade produce at its core.

One thrilled customer raved in a review: “Delicious sandwiches, delicious cakes, scotch eggs. Possibly the best steak and ale pie I’ve ever had.”

They added: “Sandwiches are packed to the brim with quality produce. Everything is made with care and love. You can tell the owner takes pride in everything she makes.”

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FANS of Benny Blanco have been left feeling queasy after noticing a “disgusting” detail from his new podcast.

On Tuesday, the musician – who is married to Selena Gomez -launched his new multimedia podcast, Friends Keep Secrets; but fans were more taken by the host’s hygiene than the show itself.

Just minutes into the first episode, which features Benny and his co-hosts Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco, the record producer kicked back on a couch with no socks on.

And fans quickly noticed that he the soles of his feet appeared dirty, quickly taking to social media.

“EW! benny, get off the couch and go take ,a shower. you’re not a toddler,” wrote one fan to X.

Another horrified user said: “The fact that his feet are ACTUALLY that filthy makes me sick to my stomach like selena girl what’s going on”.

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“Yikes! That’s definitely a “don’t look down” moment.

Sounds like Benny Blanco didn’t expect his feet to make a cameo on the podcast. The joys of live recordings sometimes the unexpected gets all the attention!,” said a third.

“Benny blanco go wash your damn feet,” simply echoed another.

With Benny’s feet garnering more attention that the podcast itself, others shared messages directly for his wife Selena.

“How is Selena dealing with this?” one social media user said.

One even went as far to say: “Selena needs to divorce him and find someone better”.

Benny and his co-hosts are set to welcome a string of A-listers on the new podcast series, with the producer teasing that Selena will also come onto the show.

The couple have been together since June 2023 and married back in September.

At the time, we reported how they hosted their guests at the luxury El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara, and held their ceremony at a residence nearby.

Before things turned romantic, the couple actually knew one another for over a decade – meeting back in 2008 when Selena was beginning her career.

The pop star previously had a very public romance with Justin Bieber, before dating The WKEND for around a year.

This essay is excerpted from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.”

On January 20, 2004, I took a seat in the gallery of the House of Representatives to hear President Bush deliver his State of the Union address. The seat came courtesy of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Ten months earlier, Bush had made the decision to invade Iraq after his administration’s historic campaign of lies convinced the American people that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. We would not extricate ourselves from that costly conflict for another seventeen years. Much of his speech that night was a further attempt to sell to the nation the justification for his war. “Had we failed to act, the dictator’s weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day,” Bush said. He characterized the Patriot Act, which had unleashed a new magnitude of spying on American citizens, as “one of those essential tools” in the war on terror.

“Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery” by Gavin Newsom

(Penguin Press)

The rest of his speech was standard fare, ho-hum really, until he reached a section near the end about American values and the need for us to “work together to counter the negative influences of the culture and to send the right messages to our children.” He said he was troubled by activist judges in activist states who were threatening to undo the Defense of Marriage Act signed into law by his predecessor, President Bill Clinton. We had to “defend the sanctity of marriage” as the union of one man and one woman, he said. If need be, he would seek a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

As I was leaving the chamber, a middle-aged couple next to me was talking about how pleased they were that their president was finally confronting the “homosexual agenda.” The word homosexual came out of their mouths bent by contempt. I was supposed to head downstairs for a reception with Congresswoman Pelosi and a delegation of California Democrats, but I needed a breath of fresh air. Outside the Capitol, I kept walking and muttering to myself. “These are my people Bush is attacking. My constituents. My staff. My closest advisers.” In the cold and dark of Washington, I called one of my aides back in San Francisco and pledged that I was “going to do something about it” as soon as I returned home.

The law in our state was no different from the law in every other state. Same-sex unions could not be recognized by the local assessor-recorder’s office. They were illegal. As I explained to aides my willingness to now defy that law, I held up a copy of the California Constitution. In Article I, the first section promises that “all people are by nature free and independent and have inalienable rights.” Among these rights are pursuing and obtaining “safety, happiness and privacy.” It was not until Section 7.5 that these rights were then abridged: “Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” This not only contradicted the first section but was discriminatory on its face.

My top staff didn’t disagree with my reading, but almost to a person they were opposed to my taking on the issue. Steve Kawa, my chief of staff, a gay Bostonian whose accent cut through all nonsense, pulled me aside and spoke from his heart. His father had renounced him for being gay, and he wanted nothing more than to live in an America where homophobia was no longer the norm. But swinging open the doors to the city clerk’s office and inviting gay men and lesbian women to the marriage altar was political suicide, he argued. We were new to office, for one thing. And polls showed that less than one third of Californians supported gay marriage.

The “go it slow” admonition was the mother’s milk of Democratic politics. In the endless battle for the hearts and minds of moderates, it seemed the only feasible way for a Democrat to get elected and govern. But this was San Francisco, and we were talking about equal protection under the law for a class of people whose ostracism by family, friends, and community had brought them to San Francisco in the first place. If not here, where? Eric Jaye, one of my campaign consultants, could see my quandary. I was caught between my conscience and the sound political advice of the people closest to me. We had several late-night conversations on the phone. “What the f— are you doing here? Why did we work so hard to win if you can’t do something bold?” he asked. “This is a short life, Gavin. Your time as a politician to get things done is just a blip.”

I thought back to my model for the wine store. The entire purpose was to turn the staid on its head and create a new reality. I called Joyce Newstat, my policy director, who was also gay. “We need to do this,” I told her. She could hear in my voice that I had made up my mind. “OK, but we can’t afford to take a wrong step,” she said. “Gays and lesbians have a history of being blindsided, and you don’t want to become part of that narrative. Give me a week or two to reach out to the community.” Joyce sat down with Kate Kendell, the brilliant executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, based in San Francisco. “Who is this guy?” Kendell wondered. “He can’t just come waltzing in here and upset the delicate balance we’ve taken years to achieve.” Joyce told her I couldn’t be talked out of it, that it had become internalized after I had gone to Washington and heard the words of bigotry ring out in the Capitol. “Well, OK. But if he’s going to do it, he has to do it right,” Kendell said. She directed her attorneys at the center to work with our team on fashioning a plan.

I then went to Mabel Teng, my former colleague on the board of supervisors who was now the assessor-recorder of San Francisco. I asked her what complications would be presented to her official duties if we allowed same-sex marriages at city hall. Mabel, who began her career in politics as an activist with Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, did not surprise me with her reply. “It would be no problem at all, Mayor.” The marriage of a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, would require hardly any change to the paperwork. Rather than “man and wife,” they would show up in her computer as “Applicant One” and “Applicant Two.”

Alarmed by my plans, my father and Uncle Brennan and their close friend Joe Cotchett — each one steeped in law and politics but only Joe standing six foot four and a former Special Forces paratrooper —attempted a last-minute intervention. They lured me to the Balboa Cafe for dinner and wine. They weren’t the kind to beat around the bush. Did I realize that I was about to torpedo my political career?

Joe got right in my face. “Why are you doing this, Gavin?”

“I’ll tell you why I’m doing this,” I said defiantly. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

I could not have given him a more simple and true answer, and it seemed to hit Joe, who had built his career out of representing the underdog, right in the gut.

“OK,” he said in a different voice. “Then let’s do it.”

With that, my father and uncle went quiet. Not another word was said about it. I left there that night thinking that even my Newsom kin, the ones who had my best interests at heart, could get it wrong from time to time. While I was open to skepticism and second-guessing, indeed I welcomed such a process, in the end I had to trust my own gut. On the matter of civil rights for all Californians, there was no turning back. As for big Joe Cotchett, he ended up joining the ranks of lawyers fighting for the legal right to same-sex marriage.

From “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery” by Gavin Newsom, published by Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2026 by Gavin Newsom.

KATIE Price has proudly brandished a pregnancy test days after claiming she’s pregnant with her sixth baby.

The Sun exclusively revealed the former glamour model said I Do with businessman Lee Andrews in a plush ceremony in Dubai last month.

Over the weekend, it was revealed the pair made their marriage legal in a second ceremony.

Now Katie, 47, has taken to her bathroom to tease the next steps in their relationship.

Last week she appeared to confirm she is expecting as she claimed “I’m having his baby”.

The parent of five’s new video saw her posing in a white T-Shirt, holding a test with her pink manicured fingers.

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Her huge wedding ring was on full display in the clip, which saw her brush her dark locks over her shoulder and flash a smile to the camera.

Yet she covered up the window box on the test, meaning the verdict could not be seen.

She then said: “Hey guys so all the speculation.

“If you want to see the truth subscribe and you will see the answer”.

She then flashed a pose to end the clip and added a subscription box.

Katie married Lee after two weeks of knowing him.

She then stunned fans by appearing to confirm that she’s expecting his baby just hours after meeting his dad.

In her apparent baby announcement, Katie was also quick to take a swipe at Lee’s ex partner Alana Percival, who he was engaged to last year.

In a shock rant, Katie took to social media and said: “Alana I know rejection doesn’t feel nice and I’m married to Lee Andrews the man you want and will never have again.

“Your constant lies and put downs is clearly showing how bitter you are, go live your life little girl.

Who is Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews?

KATIE Price tied the knot with Lee Andrews in January 2026. Yet who is he?

• Katie Price has married businessman fiancé Lee Andrews in a whirlwind wedding
• It is the fourth time Katie, 47, has been a bride. She has also been married to Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler
• Katie and Lee met just after being introduced on social media
• Lee claimed he is a billionaire in a failed clip from his acting career
• He now claims to be a Dubai-based businessman
• Yet The Sun has unmasked him as a fantasist who faked celebrity links using AI-generated photos and recently talked about marrying two other women
• Failed actor is just another title to add to Lee’s questionable CV, after he claimed to have once worked as the Director of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust (now The King’s Trust)
• Lee also shared images – since proven to be AI – of him working with Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian
• It’s been revealed shameless Lee told former girlfriends that he had studied at Cambridge University, and has a PhD in biotechnology science
• But The Sun has seen a response from the university explaining it could not find a record of Lee being registered as a student with a date of birth they had provided
• His LinkedIn profile says Lee has been a Member of the Board of Advisors to the Labour Party since 2015
• Lee was also mocked for repeating the exact same wedding proposal on Katie – that he did for another woman just four months ago.

“I know the truth and your now embarrassing yourself, go and have the little respect for yourself that’s left.

“I know all about you and who you are.

“At least I’m the real woman he has found and deserves, but please just enjoy watching us build our empire as I’m having his child.

“I’ll enjoy the ride and big d*** energy now, I’m in the saddle.

“He’s the most beautiful human I know who never took anything from you.”

Katie furiously added: “Now disappear back under that bridge you irrelevant little troll.”

While Lee also appeared to confirm the baby news by sharing a picture of him and Katie and writing: “Perfect couple, soon to be triple.”

Over the weekend, he shared an image seemingly showing him cradling Katie’s tummy with his hand.

Katie was previously issued a warning by Lee’s exes Alana and Crystal Janke, who he dated at the same time last year. 

Last month Alana, 32, and Crystal, 40, told The Sun exclusively how they were hoodwinked by the businessman — branding him a lying swindler who preys on women.

ACTRESS Alexandra Daddario has split from her hubby after their marriage “fizzled out”.

The White Lotus star, 39, has a 15-month-old son with film producer Andrew Form, 57.

New York court records show she filed for divorce on Friday.

Her rep said: “They have made the decision to end their marriage.

“The decision was made with love and respect.”

Insiders claimed their marriage started “hot and heavy” but cooled due to work schedules, eventually suffering a “consistent loss of love”.

A source said: “Alexandra and Andrew slowly grew apart.

“Raising a child was a reason to carry on but they weren’t even doing that together often and their married life slowly disintegrated.”

Alexandra was nominated for an Emmy for her role in The White Lotus alongside Sydney Sweeney.

She has also appeared in Baywatch and True Detective.

She and Form met by chance in New York before marrying in 2022.

Form’s movies include Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Purge and A Quiet Place.

Alexandra slammed critics of her acting last year, saying: “Sometimes I’m lit poorly, but I’m not a bad actress.

“I got an Emmy nomination.”

We used to have more films like “Midwinter Break,” in which the combination of a couple of great actors, a gifted writer and the unfussy shepherding of a thorny, intimate scenario gave discerning moviegoers their recommended weekly allowance of adult drama about the human condition.

That’s no longer the case, so you would be forgiven for attaching more importance to the small-scale appeal of this adaptation of Irish author Bernard MacLaverty’s 2017 novel. Without gimmicks or pomp (save a picturesque setting) and through the supreme talents of Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds, it offers up an affecting two-hander about a couple on the brink who’ve never really acknowledged said precipice. As directed with low-key confidence by Polly Findlay, the movie is both good and, in a certain way, good enough.

Should a marriage be merely good enough? Because hiding in the 40-year togetherness of retired teacher Stella (Manville) and ex-architect Gerry (Hinds) is an unmistakable chasm. It’s a divide with roots in the turbulent Belfast of their youth, which necessitated starting their family in Glasgow. It manifests now in a brittleness that tints their everyday exchanges as ossifying empty nesters.

Stella’s restless energy in wanting to fix things spurs her to arrange an impromptu trip for them to Amsterdam. Initially they rekindle a genial intimacy over art, meals and the city’s beauty. She eases off her intolerance for his drinking by tagging along to bars, while he accompanies his faith-driven wife to the Begijnhof, a historical religious site of dwellings initially intended to house a sisterhood of single Catholic women. We gather her keen interest isn’t entirely touristy but also, because Hinds is so good, that his wisecracks about religion — which she bristles at — have a basis in something personal, too.

We eventually learn what it is that has kept Stella and Gerry in a state of deepening apartness. But these expected revelations aren’t as cathartic as one might hope, probably because what “Midwinter Break” had going for it was a gathering totality of unhurried observance, as if we, too, were stumbling in the dark along with these nervous dancers, who once knew each other so well yet had lost the ability to turn knowing into understanding.

Still, the chance to see Manville and Hinds give heart, soul and edge to a cracked marriage is a display of nuanced skill that no screenwriting choice (even if true to the source material) can fully hamper. Manville, one of our greatest actors, is achingly real, giving Stella the protective bearing of a wounded soldier. Hinds, meanwhile, masterfully shows an affable partner’s emotional immobility.

Findlay knows to stay out of the way when her actors are deep inside what’s lived-in about their situation, or when grace notes — especially the story’s real ties to the Troubles — needn’t be overstruck. Modest to a fault, “Midwinter Break” seems to float like something cautious and wishful, hoping along with the audience that this union’s individual strains will fall into harmony once more.

RUTH LANGSFORD has said her split from husband Eamonn Holmes was a “huge shock” and left her “devastated”.

The much-loved telly couple announced their separation in May 2024 after 14 years of marriage and 27 years of being together.

Opening up about the split, she told Daily Mail: “I had a very happy marriage. Of course you question yourself, ‘did I miss something, was I not aware, was I too busy?’ But there’s no point playing the blame game.

“I just didn’t think I’d find myself here, and I wasn’t strong at the start. I was broken. Broken heart. Broken dreams. We all have an image of how we think our life and future is going to be.

“This wasn’t mine. I was devastated. We had gone from being a couple, traversing the usual ups and downs of a marriage, to an abrupt end. It was a huge shock.”

SHE had just turned 19 and was a single mum at college, working part-time in a fish and chip shop when she made her bid for fame on the X-Factor.

Now, 17 years later, Stacey Solomon is worth a staggering £10million, is married to TV star Joe Swash and has five beautiful children. But just when it looked like she had reached the top, insiders tell us that the 36-year-old has made a huge decision, with one wrong move toppling her empire for good.

The one-time X Factor star has hit the £10m mark in her business empire- up from £7.4m in the previous year, accounts revealed.

Despite her huge earnings, Stacey kicked off 2026 by walking away from her talent agency – leaving those close to her blindsided.

The dramatic move, which has also raised questions within the industry, means that Stacey has also pulled the plug on every one of her commercial partnerships this year.

She will no longer be working alongside YMU, the agency that looks after some of the biggest names in the industry, including Amanda Holden, Ant and Dec and Claudia Winkleman.

Insiders say her team at YMU were ordered to walk away from her long-running George at ASDA contract.

Stacey’s decided she wants to stop making everyone else rich.

Insider

We’re told: “It’s a huge change for Stacey – she will no longer be promoting other people’s brands. 

“Right now, she is focused on building her own empire instead and has new ventures on the horizon.

“She’s seeing it as a major business reinvention. She’s seen how well her hair brand REHAB has done and is now keen to replicate that.

“Stacey’s decided she wants to stop making everyone else rich. She might be worth a lot, but money is always a concern for her. She’s worried that one day everything she has worked for could disappear, and now she’s decided it’s time to take full control.”

The insider added: “Stepping back from all this could be a huge mistake. She does have her TV work, but the brand deals were bringing in a lot of cash for her.

“She could lose it all; that is a genuine fear for her. It’s no secret that Stacey sees herself as the one who has to manage the money both she and Joe make. And she makes a lot more than him.”

Former EastEnders star Joe was declared bankrupt twice over unpaid tax bills – once in 2009 and again in 2013.

Stacey – who shares Rex, six, Rose, three, and Belle, two, with Joe and is also mum to Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12 – is said to always make sure he contributes 50/50 so she is protected financially as much as possible.

But what price has fame and fortune had on her high-profile relationship with Joe?

Stacey has been branded bossy and ruthless in the past, and the tension in their marriage was very evident during their BBC fly-on-the-wall series. 

We’re told that money is still a source of contention for the pair, who live in £1.2m Pickle Cottage,  and Stacey struggles to feel comfortable despite being set for life. 

During one episode of their BBC documentary, Stacey opened up about her money fears as they planned to take their children on a posh skiing trip.

The TV personality said: “I think I will always, one, feel like an imposter in this life, because this is not what I imagined my life would be when I was growing up.

“But two, I always have in the back of my mind tomorrow you could have nothing, so be careful today.”

Cashing in

Three years ago, Stacey invested some of her own cash into small haircare brand REHAB and now owns a third of the firm.

Today, it’s not such a small firm – it was hailed the fastest-growing beauty brand on the FEBE 100 list for 2025.

The award is only eligible for firms with annual revenues over £3million,  which gives you an idea of just how much the brand is pulling in. 

The insider added: “Stacey has loved working with REHAB, it’s all women, there are only seven staff on the books, and it’s become a real passion project.

“She’s making great money and now really believes in her business nous.”

The star presenter runs a firm called Keymap Entertainment that takes in cash from her media and lucrative ad deals.

New accounts show the tele favourite has £7.5m tied up in investments and £1.6m in cash.

A TV insider remarked: “Stacey is adored by fans old and young. She has worked so hard to get to the position she is in – and deserves every penny.”

It’s thought she will see out the remainder of her contracts with YMU before stepping back completely. 

Sources tell us that YMU have been really taken aback by her decision: “She has been the cash cow of the agency for many years. 

“She out-earns their other high-profile clients.”

Some of her biggest deals have included projects with Asda, Jet2, In The Style and Primark, which have really boosted her earnings, and presumably also helped the bank balance of those working for her. 

One of her new business plans is her very own beauty company, Belle & Rose Ltd, named after her daughters, which she set up a couple of years ago with plans to sell beauty products and tools in “specialised stores”.

Interestingly, she’s yet to launch anything under that name yet but as her other deals come to an end, it’s becoming increasingly likely we will see it come to fruition this year. 

She has worked so hard to get to the position she is in – and deserves every penny.

TV insider

It’s certainly been an extraordinary journey – her life really changed forever when she won I’m A Celebrity in 2010, and it soon became clear a singing career would be put on the back burner. 

She became a national treasure, amassing an incredible six million Instagram followers, who watch her every move as she shares her home hacks and family life.

Her Tap To Tidy catchphrase went viral on the social media platform and led to her having her own book, paving the way for her job on Sort Your Life Out, which has become a BBC big hitter. 

It’s a far cry from the nervous teen who wowed Simon Cowell and Cheryl as she took to the stage in hotpants, saying she wanted to win for Zach so she could “get him into a good school and get him all the things he needs”. She’s done that and then some. 

Stacey Solomon’s career so far

Stacey Solomon has been a familiar face on viewers’ screens for over a decade. Let’s take a look back at her career.

The X Factor (2009): Stacey competed in series six of long-running ITV singing competition The X Factor. During her time in the show, she was mentored by Danni Minogue in the ‘Girls’ category. The star finished in third place, behind Joe McElderry and Olly Murs.

I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (2010); In late 2010, Stacey headed to the infamous I’m A Celeb Aussie jungle. After 21 days, she triumphed to win the tenth series. It was through I’m A Celeb that she met future husband Joe Swash – who’d won two years earlier and was hosting the ITV2 spinoff.

Celebrity Juice (2011―2013, 2016―2019): The star appeared as a panellist on 21 episodes of the comedy panel game show hosted by Keith Lemon. Stacey was a regular in the 21st series, broadcast in 2019.

Loose Women (2016 – present): Stacey has been a permanent panel member of the daytime show since 2016. She previously made guest appearances in 2011 and 2012.

Sort Your Life Out (2022 -present): This BBC show sees Stacey, with the help of an expert team, transform participants’ living spaces after removing clutter.

Frederick Wiseman, a preeminent documentary filmmaker, has died. He was 96.

The filmmaker’s death was announced by his family Monday in a statement released by Zipporah Films, Wiseman’s distribution company.

In a career that lasted nearly 60 years, Wiseman produced and directed 45 films beginning in 1967 with “Titicut Follies,” a documentary on the the patient-inmates of Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Massachusetts, through 2023’s “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros,” a documentary on the Troisgros family’s Michelin three-starred restaurant in Ouches, France. His final film earned universal critical acclaim, and was recognized as the best nonfiction film of 2023 by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Awards and the National Society of Film Critics.

“Wiseman, whose observational approach has often been mischaracterized as objective or omniscient, here drops any pretense to neutrality, so potent and overpowering is his sense of kinship with a fellow artist,” wrote Justin Chang in his 2023 review. “The marriage of sensibilities in front of and behind the camera is the stealthiest meeting in ‘Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros,’ and the most unexpectedly satisfying.”

A scene from Frederick Wiseman’s “Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros.”

(PBS)

The filmmaker considered both Cambridge, Mass., and Paris his homes. His films, to an extent, reflected that transatlantic residency in their freshness of perspective. They display an innate curiosity and astonishing degrees of empathy, intelligence and perceptiveness, with subjects ranging from public and social institutions to cultural and specialized spaces and the minutiae of human interactions.

Wiseman’s other films included “High School” (1968), “Welfare” (1975), “Juvenile Court” (1973), “Public Housing” (1997), “La Danse” (2009), “National Gallery” (2014), “Ex Libris — The New York Public Library” (2017) and “City Hall” (2020). The varied body of work earned three Emmy Awards and an honorary Academy Award. Wiseman was also awarded Guggenheim and MacArthur Prize fellowships.

Beyond documentaries, the director also made three fiction films, “Seraphita’s Diary” (1982), “The Last Letter” (2002) and “A Couple” (2022). In reviewing the last, Chang wrote, “I suspect [Wiseman] is no more likely to impose himself on one of his fictions than he would on one of his documentaries, which ‘A Couple’ may resemble more than it appears. Wiseman has spent a career probing the complex inner workings and painfully human errors of America’s establishments, but in marriage itself, he may have found the most fraught, mysterious and unreformable institution of all.”

Nathalie Boutefeu in the movie “A Couple.”

(Film Forum)

Frederick Wiseman was born Jan. 1, 1930, in Boston. He graduated from Willams College and Yale Law School before embarking on a filmmaking career in the mid-1960s. He remained staunchly independent, establishing Zipporah Films, named for his wife, in 1971, in order to maintain control over distribution of his work.

In addition to his filmmaking career, Wiseman worked as a theater director and actor, including a recent appearance in Rebecca Zlotowski’s 2025 film “A Private Life,” starring Jodie Foster.

Wiseman’s wife of 65 years, Zipporah Batshaw Wiseman, died 2021. He is survived by his two sons, David (Jennifer) and Eric (Kristen Stowell), and three grandchildren, Benjamin, Charlie and Tess, as well as his friend and collaborator Karen Konicek, with whom he worked for 45 years.

Carl Webster, Megan Walsh, Theo Silverton, Maggie Driscoll and Jodie Ramsey are in a killer’s firing line and tonight’s flashforward episode will keep fans guessing

The five Coronation Street characters at risk of a grisly death have been revealed. One of the ITV soap’s stars will meet their end the identities of the possible murder victims have been confirmed as viewers prepare to be taken back to the future in the show’s much anticipated flashforward episode. But will it be a villian on a much-loved character getting the boot?

Groomer Megan Walsh, manipulative Theo Silverton and twisted Carl Webster could be getting their comeuppance in April. But quirky landlady Maggie Driscoll is also in the firing like, as is strange newcomer Jodie Ramsey, who appears to have a whole load of family bagage to unload.

The groundbreaking episode begins with a police interview taking place on April 23rd 2026. As the drama unfolds a shocked and Betsy Swain is seen telling the detectives about finding the dead body of someone she knows.

Dressed in wedding clothes, the cop’s daughter explains that she had been at the marriage of her mum Lisa Swain to Carla Connor, but was heading into town when she made the shocking discovery. As the episode returns to the present day we begin to see how the behaviour of the five characters could lead to their possible death two months later.

Evil teacher Megan is caught up in a web of lies as she continues to groom impressionable teen Will Driscoll. Doing anything to protect her family, Maggie gives a fake alibi for Will to stop him being charged with the Christmas Day attack on Daniel Osbourne.

Carl has burnt all his bridges when he let Debbie take the blame for the Corriedale accident which saw Billy Mayhew perish. Since finding out Debbie is actually his mum and not his sister, Carl has pressed the self-destruct button and as he continues to goad both family and neighbours – he would have no shortage of people looking to settle a score.

Theo’s coercive control over Todd has reached new lows and with their wedding looming, will Todd finally confide in his friends about what has been going on before it is too late?

Despite initial reservations, the Platts have welcomed Shona’s estranged sister Jodie Ramsey into their home. But Jodie has been keeping secrets from them, and it seems she has got mixed up with some pretty shady characters in her past. Will trouble follow Jodie to Weatherfield, or could she upset people closer to home with her behaviour?

As the episode comes to a close we flash forward again to April 23 and the five characters are on the cobbles as Lisa and Carla’s wedding fireworks light up the night sky.

As the lights flicker a battered and bruised Carl, frantic Jodie, a menacing Maggie, a bloody-nosed Megan and a furtive Theo stare into the darkness. In the final moments the terrified scream of Betsy Swain fills the air – but which Weatherfield resident will be the murder victim?

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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KATIE Price’s new husband Lee Andrews has teased a new reality show with his bride in a bizarre AI video.

The newlyweds – who tied the knot last month after just a week of talking online – are going at lightning speed through their relationship.

And now a new post on Instagram suggests Lee is looking to put things in front of a camera.

In the story titled: “Coming soon: Kate and Lee”, an artificial version of the pair are seen looking loved-up as they zoom through having dinner, and seeing the world landmarks including Rome’s colosseum and Christ the Redeemer.

The post comes just days after it was revealed a TV production company was “fuming” with Katie after throwing their planned documentary with her into chaos.

The three-part documentary was set to air in the spring on Sky, and was created by Louis Theroux’s TV production company Mindhouse.

PLUS ONE

Katie Price teases new family addition with husband Lee Andrews after baby hint

lee-ve it out

Katie Price leaves TV bosses fuming as marriage throws new show into chaos

A source close to the series told The Sun: “The whole focus of the documentary is meant to be this redemption arc for Katie showing a more serious, thoughtful side to the mum-of-five that people rarely see in her tabloid antics.

“So this latest turn in her life isn’t the kind of publicity they wanted.

“They feel like this out-of-the-blue marriage has thrown a real spanner in the works and totally changes the tone of the show, making the footage they have shot feel really out of date.

“A lot of it was filmed while she was still with JJ and she talked on camera about how much more settled she was with him.

“That all sounds a bit daft in light of what’s transpired recently.”

The insider continued: “She’s also meant to still be filming some new footage, but she’s flown off to Dubai again to be with Lee so it’s all very up in the air.

“It will take a lot of re-editing and they need to shoot some new footage if it will make it on the air for the planned April airdate.”

Katie is currently still in Dubai with Lee – where he lives full time – enjoying a honeymoon together.

Despite not even knowing each other at the beginning of this year, Lee has already shared a tattoo he has of Katie’s name and their wedding day.

The couple met online and got engaged, with Katie walking down the aisle for the fourth time in a secret ceremony when she flew out to meet him.

He’s since posted pictures hinting that they’re trying for a baby, noting “good things come to those who wait”.

Katie is already a mum to five children, but has made no secret of her desire to have another.

Last year, a documentary aired showing Katie’s efforts to go through IVF treatment with ex-fiancé Carl Woods.

Katie Price: Making Babies was filmed when Katie was engaged to Carl , 35 – who was less than impressed with the programme airing two years later.

At the time she was told that she had a less than 1% chance of being able to conceive, but decided to try anyway.

Katie later split from Carl and started dating Married at First Sight star JJ Slater.

They split just weeks before she flew to Dubai to marry Lee.

KATIE Price has sent a clear public signal that her feud with Peter Andre is over with a tell-tale social media U-turn – just days after the pair’s legal agreement to no longer slam each other.

After calling a truce for their children Princess, 17, and Junior, 19, Katie has shown she really is committed to moving forward.

More than a decade after their shock divorce, eagle eyed fans spotted that Katie Price is once again following her ex-husband on Instagram.

The star unfollowed Peter back in 2021 after he called in lawyers over claims Katie made in her new book, Harvey & Me.

However, the past now appears to be firmly behind them, with Pete also returning the follow.

Peter, who is married to Emily MacDonagh, has never followed his ex-wife on the social media platform until now.

BABY ON BOARD?

Katie Price’s new husband drops biggest hint yet she’s PREGNANT

kat-ylist

JJ Slater hints he’s moved on from ex Katie Price with new ‘love interest’

Katie recently stunned fans by marrying self-proclaimed businessman Lee Andrews just ten days after they first met.

The former glamour model walked down the aisle for the fourth time after the pair hit it off online following her split from boyfriend of two years JJ Slater.

Katie and Peter recently revealed they had struck a legal agreement not to speak negatively about each other in public again.

In a joint statement shared on social media, they said: “Katie Price and Peter Andre have decided to close the door on the past and move forward into a new chapter with positivity and respect.

“We are both focused on creating a calm and supportive environment for our children.

“We have reached a mutual agreement, both legally and personally confirming that neither of us will speak negatively about the other going forward. 

The statement ended by saying: “This decision reflects a shared commitment to our family and stability.”

In a rare public outburst last summer, Peter, 52, broke years of silence to hit back at ex-wife Katie, 47, after comments she made about their children on her podcast.

Katie had claimed daughter Princess was living with her and previously said she was banned from the set of Princess’s ITV show.

Peter said he had stayed silent for 16 years “in the face of repeated lies” but felt he had to speak out, insisting Junior and Princess had been in his care since 2018 under a legally binding court order issued in 2019.

He also referenced past court rulings in 2011 and 2015, which found Katie had made false claims and ordered her to pay damages, adding that further allegations would be addressed “in the coming months.”

Katie and Peter were together for around four and a half years, married for three, before their shock split in 2009.

These days Katie is splitting her time between the UK and Dubai as new husband Lee is unable to leave the UAE.

Katie Price’s five famous feuds

KATIE Price is no stranger to a high profile spat – here we take a look at a few

Lee is banned from leaving the country after being banged up for three weeks for allegedly forging his ex-girlfriend’s signature on a £200k loan.

Katie’s family are said to have concerns about their whirlwind romance, despite the star insisting “I’m a grown a**e woman” in a defiant video shared before she jetted off to see Lee.

A source told The Sun: “They’re all so worried that Katie is paying for everything or being tricked or talked into handing over money to him.

“He says he’s a millionaire but it’s not clear if he actually has any money or how he makes it.”

Before jetting back out to the UAE to be with Lee, Katie took to social media to insist she was happy and that there was nothing to worry about.

She said: “I bet everyone’s thinking, ‘What’s going on in the Katie Price world?’ Well you guys tell me because I’m reading it as it unfolds, just like you.”

PRINCESS Andre seems to have broken her silence on how she’s feeling after her mother’s whirlwind marriage.

Katie Price and Lee Andrews wed in an intimate ceremony after only being engaged for two days.

The pair reportedly bought each other engagement rings after speaking for less than a week online, and before they had ever even met.

But Katie’s daughter Princess made a post to TikTok that appears to indicate that she’s having quite a rough time.

The vulnerable post showed a picture of Princess looking relatively downcast with an inspiring message penned over the top.

It read: “The greatest skill you can build is learning how to stay in a good mood even when there are a hundred reasons not to.”

FOOD FAIL

Princess Andre left RETCHING as she tries everything off the new McDonald’s menu

helping mum

Inside Princess Andre’s desperate bid to save mum Katie from ‘conman’ hubby

She accompanied this by sharing that she’s been writing in her journal, showing the words ‘Liebes Tagebuch’ inked onto a page dated February 1.

The words translate from German to English to read: “Dear Diary.”

Princess added: “When life hits you so hard you have to pull out this move…” to the diary snap.

The TikTok comes shortly after Katie announced that she’s considering moving to Dubai to be with Lee.

She’s been jetting back and forth to the country despite concern from her loved ones about her new husband being a swindler.

Despite Katie saying her latest trip would be a short one, there doesn’t look like any sign she will be heading back to the UK soon.

A source has told The Sun that Katie has been talking about moving there and is already thinking about places to live.

The onlooker said: “She was in a restaurant and I recognised her immediately – she was talking about a property she’s buying out here [Dubai] so they could move here for good, and her husband was laying it on thick – telling her exactly what she wanted to hear, how great he’d make it.

“She was lapping it up. He was selling her a dream but I got a bad vibe from him.”

The Sun understands Katie’s family, including her children, Princess and Junior Andre, had no idea she was getting married for a fourth time.

A source said: “Kate married Lee without telling anyone – the whole family are completely horrified.

“It is moving very fast and they are concerned about Kate’s frame of mind.

“No one knows who Lee really is and whether he is any good for her.

“It’s all total chaos at the moment and no one has a clue what is happening.”

Katie, 47, was previously married to Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler.

Gillian Philip met Henry during a solo trip and it changed her life

A teacher who met her now-husband on a solo trip in China and moved more than 5,500 miles – 9,000 kilometres – across the world after only meeting him four times in person has said “you will find love when you least expect it”. Gillian Philip, a teacher from Scotland, decided to “give up on dating” when she turned 30 and moved to South Korea to start a new chapter, where she could focus on herself and “enjoy (her) life”.

In October 2019, however, Gillian, now 39, found herself on a Flash Pack trip to China after her original holiday plans fell through – and this is when she met Henry Philip, 42, a software developer, also from Scotland. They soon formed a bond while exploring Beijing, riding motorbikes and watching the sunrise at the Great Wall, describing the trip as “unforgettable”, but they both “didn’t expect to meet anyone” romantically.

Despite living in different countries, they kept in contact via messaging and video calls, and Gillian decided to move across the world to be with him in July 2021 after only seeing him in person four times. Now living in Edinburgh together, they have since married and welcomed their first child, and Gillian wants to encourage others to travel the world and “dream big”.

Speaking about an amusing anecdote, Gillian said: “I remember talking to one of Henry’s best friends, and he said to me, ‘So what’s going on with you two?’. I said, ‘Well, it’s probably just a holiday fling that’s overrun’, and he went, ‘Why do you say that?’.

“I just said, ‘We live 9,000 kilometres apart, there’s a nine-hour time difference in our relationship. In reality, it’s going to go nowhere’. What’s funny is I said that to the person who ended up being the best man at our wedding.”

Gillian explained that she had a long-term relationship while at university but, otherwise, she tried the usual avenues for dating in her 20s. She downloaded various dating apps, including Tinder, signed up for online platforms such as Plenty of Fish, and her friends tried to set her up with potential partners – but without success.

“I’d go on a date and I’d be thinking, ‘I could genuinely be doing anything else with my time right now’,” Gillian said. “I could be getting my marking done, I could be sorting out my emails instead of sitting in this pub.”

When she turned 30, Gillian decided to move to South Korea to teach at an international school. Although “terrifying” at first, she said she wanted to focus on herself and enjoy activities such as walking, swimming and travelling.

“I just thought, I’m going to stop trying to do this stereotypical route – you work hard in your profession, you work up the ladder, then you buy a house, you meet a partner, you get married etc.,” she said. “I just wanted to go and enjoy my life.”

While in South Korea, Gillian said she ventured on her first solo Flash Pack trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in 2018. Flash Pack is a social adventure travel company which specialises in creating bucket-list experiences for like-minded solo travellers, and Gillian thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Then in 2019, she decided to go on another Flash Pack holiday after other plans fell through – this time, to China.

“In 2019, I was originally meant to be going to the Rugby World Cup in Japan with my sister and her husband, but they couldn’t go in the end,” Gillian said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to do that by myself, so I just thought, ‘Actually, while I’m here, I’m not far from Beijing and I know Flash Pack’s a great company, so let’s just go and do that trip’.”

Gillian booked her spot in September and Henry booked his in August, and they both flew out separately to China in October that year with no expectations to meet anyone. The 12-day adventure included seeing the Great Wall at sunrise, exploring Beijing and being invited into the homes of locals to make dumplings by hand, along with seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an.

The group practised tai chi, explored lantern-lit streets, visited various food markets, travelled on high-speed trains, rode motorbikes, saw pandas and journeyed by boat in Shanghai. It was on this trip that she met fellow adventurer Henry, but she admits it was not love at first sight.

“The first time I met him, it was in a group in the evening, when everyone is introducing themselves,” Gillian explained. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, wow, he’s amazing’, it was more, ‘He seems like a nice person’.”

Gillian remembers spending time with Henry one afternoon when they had time to do some shopping, and he helped her pick out a jumper as she had only brought 6kg of hand luggage for the trip. They then ended up “sitting and chatting” on various train journeys and visiting food markets, allowing them to form a closer bond, and Gillian said he was “really kind and really easy to talk to”.

“I thought by fluke we just ended up sitting next to each other on every train journey, but I found out later he planned some of that,” Gillian said. “It was nice to just sit and chat and, as we chatted, we realised we had a few mutual friends in common.”

In Shanghai, they ended up “staying up all night talking to each other”, and they shared their first kiss there before flying home. However, Gillian did not think they would see each other again and even considered setting Henry up with one of her friends in Edinburgh.

“I knew he was a great guy, but we lived so far apart,” Gillian said. “We did say that we travel really well together, so it would be great to travel again, but it was one of those things where you say that and don’t know if it will ever happen.”

Despite living 9,000 kilometres apart, they maintained contact and managed to meet up a few times in December 2019, where they visited the Christmas markets in Edinburgh and spent New Year together. Then, after months of not seeing each other because of Covid-19, countless messages and an “I love you” moment over a video call, Gillian decided to quit her job and move across the world in July 2021.

“If any of my female friends said they’re moving halfway around the world for a guy they’d met four times, I’d say, ‘What are you doing?’,” Gillian said. “Surprisingly, only two people turned around to me and said, ‘I don’t think that’s a wise idea’… but a part of me thought, if I don’t give this a go, I’ll always regret it.”

After moving in together in Edinburgh, Henry proposed in May 2022, they got married in July 2023 and they have since welcomed their first child, who is now 17 months old. They have continued to travel together, visiting Alaska for their honeymoon and other places such as Toronto, Vancouver and Croatia, and they love “spending time as a family”.

Reflecting on how they met and her advice to others, Gillian said: “Henry and I say to each other, if we saw each other in a bar, I don’t think either of us would have had the confidence to go up to each other. Our paths were meant to cross, we just took the long way round to get there. It’s the old cliche which people used to say to me and I hated them saying it, but you will find love when you least expect it.”

The Countryfile presenter has opened up about her initial nerves during Strictly Come Dancing, which she joined following her split from rugby player Richie Myler

Former Blue Peter host Helen Skelton navigated a difficult period following her separation from rugby league player Richie Myler, ultimately reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing. However, the Countryfile star has admitted she felt “terrified” during the competition’s early weeks.

“I tried to leave,” she disclosed on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast. “I ran and hid on the fire escape, and they filmed Strictly next to The Crown, and there’s a massive wall. I kid you not, I was looking at the wall and thinking, ‘I could get over that’.”

Helen revealed that a member of the production team persuaded her to return to the studio, where her professional dancing partner Gorka Márquez delivered some crucial words of encouragement: “I remember he said to me: ‘It’s like jumping out of a plane, you’ve got to engage the parachute’.”

“He was so wonderful,” Helen continued, praising the Spanish dancer’s unwavering support, which helped build her confidence from those anxious beginnings through to her memorable Cabaret-themed Couple’s Choice routine in the final, which earned a flawless score of 40.

“By the final, I’ve gone from hiding on the fire escape, being terrified to look at the dance floor, to just freestyling. Even all the professionals were crying laughing. They were like, ‘Who are you?'” she said.

Helen’s Strictly experience wasn’t without its challenges, including an unfortunate costume mishap during the semi-finals when part of her outfit tore and hung around her leg for the remainder of the routine. Nevertheless, Helen persevered and secured an impressive 37 points — with Shirley Ballas awarding her and Gorka the lowest mark of 8, while Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke both gave them a 10.

Speaking to Kate, Helen revealed that despite the personal anguish of her eight-year marriage ending, she remained resolute that the circumstances wouldn’t impact her performance — or influence how the Strictly judges scored her.

She remembered: “A few people said if you’d have just cried and gone on about what was going on, you might have won it.”

Helen added that numerous friends had urged her to take up the Strictly opportunity purely due to the massive public fascination with her marriage split: “My friends were just like, ‘Just do it. Just do it.

“It’s going to swallow you up. Just do it. Like, there’s so many people talking about you and looking at you. They may as well look at you in a sparkly dress, mate.'”

Following Helen’s decision to accept the invitation, some audience members claimed she might have had an advantage due to her childhood tap-dancing background. Speaking to ITV’s Lorraine at the time, she said: “I found it so funny when they said it was a fix — Helen’s a tap-dancing champion. When I was seven, yes, I did tap dancing.

“Like lots of little girls and boys, I did dancing and absolutely loved it. I hit an age where I didn’t want to be in a leotard in public and I gave it up. I wish I hadn’t!”

Charlie Lawson, famed for his legendary Coronation Street role of Jim McDonald, has said that soap bosses “can’t ruin” his character anymore after killing him off

Coronation Street legend Charlie Lawson has claimed that bosses “ruined” Jim McDonald with his final storyline. The actor, 66, starred as criminal Jim, famed for his tumultuous marriage to Rovers landlady Liz (Beverley Callard) on and off from 1989 but it was recently announced that the character will receive an off-screen death.

Over the years, the character, who is father to Steve (Simon Gregson) and Andy (Nicholas Cochrane), was involved in numerous hard-hitting storylines involving alcoholism, infidelity and domestic violence, and he had went to prison numerous times for his crimes.

Liz and Jim married twice, but split for the final time in 2005. During Jim’s last stint on the cobbles, he arrived with a woman claiming to be their daughter Katie, whom they had lost shortly after birth early in their marriage. He told Liz that there had been a mix up at the hospital, but this all turned out to be a lie. The girl who in question was actually Hannah, his new lover, and they had concocted a wicked scheme to try to scam Liz out of money.

READ MORE: Coronation Street’s Beverley Callard’s health woes after cancer diagnosisREAD MORE: Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson speaks out as ITV soap kills off Jim McDonald

The pair were later arrested but could not be charged with anything due to a lack of evidence, and Jim’s current whereabouts remain unknown. Charlie, who has also appeared in The Bill, Bread and Doctors throughout his lengthy television career, has now hit out at the “weak” storyline, which was brought in when Kate Oates, who later went on to work on EastEnders, was in charge of the soap.

Charlie said: “The storyline was weak. So many people contacted me to say they hated it. I agreed to it before I even saw the script. The work was lucrative — you can’t really turn it down. Now he can’t be ruined any more. He’s out of his misery.

“I know I will watch that last scene and be able to say, ‘Well, what a load of s***** that was’. I will raise a glass to the old Jim, the one I loved and was proud of, who spoke his mind, with cracking, strong storylines in the Nineties.”

However, Charlie, whose character became known for his catchphrase “so it is”, was informed of Jim’s death by bosses towards the end of last year, insisted that he has “no regrets” with how things have turned out. Speaking to The Sun, he added: “There are some bits I will miss about Corrie and some I won’t. But I have no regrets. That’s just life, so it is.”

It all comes just days after the actor, who has also enjoyed a stellar career in theatre, was contacted to directly by fans on X who wanted to discuss the controversial storyline. Writing to Charlie on X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan wrote: “It was grotesque. Whoever thought up that storyline had a warped mind, astonished it got beyond a ridiculed idea. Felt for @charlie_lawson1 having to act that out knowing how character’s legacy was being tarnished in that vile way.”

Another fan replied: “Yes, it was terrible, not least because it showed how little the writers knew about their own character!! As an experienced actor, Charlie would have known him inside out!! It was so lazy and weak and just didn’t make any sense!!!”

Other fans had also recalled the odd storyline, with one writing: “Started thinking about Jim McDonald’s absolutely dreadful 2018 stint in Corrie. His whole thing is that he wants his family together and damned be anyone who gets in his way. But the 2018 storyline is him going for revenge against Liz in the most hurtful way he can.

“Like even when he hit her in the 90s, that was in response to her confessing to an affair. Which is him seeing her as trying to break them apart. In that moment he’s not thinking how could you do that to me, he’s thinking how could you do that to us.”

Charlie did not respond to the tweets, but did initially repost them. Another fan wrote: “Absolutely atrocious story. It was actually even worse than when he robbed the bank. As silly as that was, at least A/ it was entertaining B/ it was more in character for Jim. This was the worst one of them all and ruined the character and the fact that they are not giving him a redemption is awful.”

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