opens

A tawny owl screeches nearby in the dark and her mate replies, hooting eerily from the forest below. A white dome floats in the gloaming above a plain black doorway outlined with red light, like a portal to another dimension. I’m in Grizedale Forest, far from any light-polluting cities, to visit the Lake District’s first public observatory and planetarium, which opened in May.

Grizedale Observatory offers immersive films in the planetarium and three-hour stargazing events that go on late into the night. There are sessions on astrophotography and, on moonless nights, dark sky astronomy with the chance to see “a glittering tapestry of stars, galaxies, nebulae and star clusters”. Its director, Gary Fildes, is a veteran in the field, having founded and led three UK observatories over two decades. The goal at Grizedale, he says, is to create “an immersive, year-round astronomy and science destination that brings the beauty of the Lake District skies to visitors”.

If your dog has missed out on the festive fun so far, there’s still time to book them into Paws in the Park at LEGOLAND Windsor. There’s even the chance for them to give Santa their wish list

If you’re looking for a festive family day out that includes your four-legged friend, then LEGOLAND Windsor is offering a day that dogs will love. On December 21 and 28, the iconic theme park will host Paws in the Park, a special event that allows dogs to accompany their owners to the attraction’s Christmas celebrations.

While most dogs don’t have much interest in LEGO, beyond chewing any stray pieces found on the floor, they’ll no doubt love the festive atmosphere of the park and a new place for walkies. Dogs can sniff their way around the park while owners enjoy over 20 rides, Christmas shows, and the Elf Training Academy.

And if your dog is on the nice list this year, why not treat them to a visit to see Santa himself? After 5pm, Santa’s Grotto in the Christmas Kingdom is open to doggos who are hoping for a visit from Santa Paws this year.

Owners who want to bring their dog to the park will need to pay for a £10 Pet Pass in addition to tickets for any humans visiting, and there are a few rules to follow. Dogs need to be kept on a lead, and you must bring any dog food and snacks with you, although there will be water points throughout the park.

Paws in the Park is part of Christmas at LEGOLAND, the theme park’s festive offering which describes itself as ‘the ultimate Christmas day out’. Until January 4, the park will be decked out in Christmas décor, turning it into a brick-shaped winter wonderland.

A number of rides are still open over Christmas, including The Dragon rollercoaster and the ever-popular LEGO City Driving School. Little kids will especially love the DUPLO Dino Coaster, based on the beloved toddler toys, and the LEGOLAND Express train which takes you on a tour of the park.

You can meet Santa and his elves in LEGO form, before dropping into the grotto to meet Father Christmas himself and give him your Christmas wishes. Visitors get a special LEGO gift to remember their trip.

LEGOLAND’s Christmas attractions also include the Festival of Flurries show, a musical where the audience are encouraged to dance and sing along in a lively yuletide show. As you walk through the park, you may also spot the Nutcracker’s Marching Band, a group playing brass band versions of your favourite Christmas songs.

And of course, there are plenty of opportunities to play with the beloved brick toys, including Build to Give. For every LEGO heart built in the workshop, a LEGO set will be donated.

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In addition to LEGOLAND Windsor, there are three European LEGO-themed parks, perhaps the most famous being in Billund, Denmark, the home of LEGO. Recently, LEGOLAND Deutschland in Germany announced they’d be adding a new Harry Potter land to their list of attractions, which will include Wizarding World-themed rides and accommodation. The park plans to release more information on this new land in the next 12 months.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

HARRY Potter star Jessie Cave has opened up on an “awful” two years with boyfriend Alfie Brown after the pair’s secret split.

The actress, 38, told of the “terrible” time, which also “massively affected” her own career and self-confidence in a lengthy Instagram message.

It came after actress, comedian, author, and cartoonist Jessie, best-known for her role as Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter franchise, launched a podcast with stand-up Alfie, also 38.

He began performing stand-up in 2006 and is known for his work at the Edinburgh Festival and Next Up Comedy series.

He is the son of composer Steve Brown and impressionist Jan Ravens who was “cancelled” in 2023 after old footage showing him using a racist slur in 2015 emerged.

The performer has since apologised.

Marital Mayhem

Jessie Cave reveals secret split from Alfie Brown and admits break-up fears

‘WHY DO WE GO?’

Disgusted Harry Potter star Jessie Cave spots ‘balls of mould’ at soft play

Now Jessie – who revealed their previous secret split earlier this year – has let slip the detail of their rough time period on social media.

She uploaded an image of their son watching Alfie’s stage show on the TV followed by various snaps showing her man doing his day job.

Yet her emotional caption revealed the reality and she put: “My boyfriend was what is/was called ‘cancelled’ in 2023 on the day our youngest son Becker turned one.

“It was the beginning of a terrible year, two years, actually longer…. I won’t make this about me and tell you how AWFUL it has been to watch the person you love most in the world go through so much pain, public shaming and humiliation – or even how it has massively affected my career and self-confidence too – because he has just put his comedy special about it the whole thing out on YouTube, and it’s getting a brilliant and entirely well deserved response… though it’s not been easy at all to get it out there.

“I’ve watched him hide away and overthink, lose himself. I watched him do Edinburgh shows in tears at midnight, as he first worked the show out, a few months after everything disintegrated.

“I’ve watched his whole life change in the last three years, losing not only his career but with the shocking deaths of his great friend and director Adam Brace and his wonderful dad Steve Brown… two of the most vital and supportive people to him.

“I’ve watched as people we thought we could trust betray him. I’ve watched as the theatre we used to love and who we both worked with for over a decade cover up posters of him and act like cowards.

“I’ve stood by him for it all as I will stand by him forever.

“But I think the saddest thing of all is that I’ve watched him shy away from gigs when it used to be that being onstage was the most natural thing in the world to him.

“I tried to pick photos from during that time for this post but they were all too bleak. But I like the ones I’ve chosen as he looks so uncertain and scared, yet determined to find a way forwards onstage, telling jokes.”

In a brighter note, with Alfie’s The Last Cancelled Comedian show now available for free on YouTube, she added: “Everything is much better now.

“He’s back onstage again, we are close to happy (if you listen to our podcast you might know what I mean).

“I find the show very hard to watch, though I’ve seen it over 10 times. I think it’s incredible and I would love people to watch it.

“Thank you if you already have. I love you Alfie.”

LOVE STORY

In 2012, Alfie and Jessie first crossed paths at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they were both performing stand-up.

Two years later, the two were set up on a date through a mutual friend.

They went home together but didn’t see each other again – until four months later when Jessie discovered she was pregnant with his child.

They welcomed their son, Donnie, in October 2014, followed by their daughter 2 years later.

SPLIT SHOCK

In 2018 the couple went through a complicated breakup – as recently revealed on their brand new podcast Before We Break Up Again (BWBUA)

In February, on the show’s release, the hosts jokingly declared that it will run “from now until we break up again.”

Speaking with The Sunday Times, Jessie revealed that she’s not sure if the pair “will remain a couple for ever”.

In October 2020, they had a second son, and by December 2021, they announced they were expecting their fourth child.

EXCLUSIVE: Countryfile and Good Morning Britain presenter Sean Fletcher got emotional as he opened up about losing his mum to bowel cancer eight years ago and running the London Marathon in her memory

Sean Fletcher, known for his roles on Countryfile and Good Morning Britain, has candidly discussed the loss of his mother to cancer and his ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the devastating disease. Besides being a TV presenter and father, Sean is also an avid outdoorsman and runner.

The Countryfile host has recently partnered with GO Outdoors and is now the face of their AW collection. Discussing the new range and the positive impact of outdoor activities on his mental health, Sean said, “So I suppose quite a few of the programmes I do are outdoors, so that’s the first thing, and so, it is either you’re doing some activity outdoors, or meeting people who work and live outdoors.”

He added, “So, it’s a real dream job, because you’re meeting people who are doing something on the land. They do something outside. It might be a farmer, it might be some activities, a person who jumps off cliffs, or something like that, and they’re really passionate about something they do outdoors.”

Sean continued, “I came to this conclusion a long time ago, but it’s just so nourishing. It’s really great for your mental well-being, and personally, I feel that going out recharges my batteries. Whether you’re in a London park or in a place like that, in the middle of nowhere, and you’re being battered by the weather. I just feel really nourished, and I feel better, and I always feel better about being outdoors.

“So, yeah, working with GO Outdoors really makes sense, and then we talk about the growing mental health crisis, and obviously, there are serious mental health issues, but there are people who are struggling on a lower level and going out to these things that are all of ours. It’s all of our countryside,” reports the Express.

The BBC presenter continued, “I just feel really passionate about whether you’re the pensioner who lives in a nice village in the Cotswolds, or you’re a kid from a disadvantaged background in Manchester, it’s all of ours, and it should be accessible to all of us. And part of that is clothing, making it accessible so you can participate in those things.

“They all sort of tie in and kind of by accident, you know, I’ve got into doing some of these things in my work, and I realised that the outdoors was good for me, and then I thought, ‘Oh, actually, it’s good for everyone’, and then I’m working with GO Outdoors because clothing is an important part of that.”

Sean discussed some of his go-to pieces from the range, highlighting a Peter Storm 3-in-1 jacket, whilst emphasising that “layers are important”.

The journalist, who is also an avid runner, spoke candidly about losing his mother to cancer and completing the London Marathon in her honour. The GO Outdoors ambassador revealed he was approached by a GMB producer to participate in the London Marathon for the programme, and despite initial hesitation, Sean described it as the best thing he had ever done.

He revealed: “So my mum had died of bowel cancer eight years before, and so I was an ambassador for Bowel Cancer UK, and it’s emotional, it’s hard, it’s really hard. But I remember I was crying, and what’s so good about the London Marathon is that there are just so many people supporting you.

“Everybody you look at, they’re running for someone who’s died, or someone’s struggling, or a charity that they’re raising money for. It’s just such a feel-good event, and it was amazing, so I ran around four in a row.”

Reflecting on the moment she died, Sean said, “It was all quite quick. It was eight years before, but she kind of kept it from me, and didn’t tell me that she had bowel cancer. And I lived in Wales, and she lived in East Essex, so quite a long way to get to. It took five hours, so I’d have to arrange trips to come and see her.

“She masked it quite well and made sure she was in the hospital, and then I remember visiting her once when she was ill, and she was in the hospital. I went to the ward, and I remember just looking around, thinking, like, ‘gosh, everybody looks very ill’.

“You know, it looked like everybody was very close to death, and so I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I mean, I’m a journalist. I was like, ‘Well, I’ve got to ask some questions. ‘ So I asked the doctor, and they said, ‘Well, you need to ask your mum, she needs to be the one to tell you’.

“So anyway, I thought, oh, there’s something wrong here. So I quizzed them all, and managed to find out, and three and a half weeks later, she was dead.”

Sean started to become emotional as he recalled, “It was just horrific, and for two of those weeks, I mean, it actually gets me now, those weeks she didn’t talk, so I literally had a week and a half with her because she just spiralled really quickly. It was heartbreaking.”

Sean is a proud ambassador for GO Outdoors, the UK’s largest outdoor retailer. You can shop his autumn-winter collection online or in-store now.

A HUGE new waterpark has opened in a very popular winter sun holiday destination.

The Grand Hyatt Dubai Resort opened its massive new water attraction last month.

Working with waterpark experts WhiteWater, the attraction is set across 20,000sqm.

A huge central swimming pool, as well as a wave pool are in the middle of the waterpark.

There are also 16 attractions, including two tower slides.

One, called Boomerang, lets up to six guests slide next to each other with a 90-degree slop and “zero-gravity wall”.

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Or there is Freefall Plus, where riders are launched at speed town the slide, as well as the dual-ride Aqua Twist and Parallel Pursit.

Otherwise you can also rent private luxury cabanas which have their own plunge pools.

The hotel’s managing director Fathi Khogaly said: “The opening of our new waterpark marks a significant milestone for Grand Hyatt Dubai, as it elevates our leisure offerings and transforms the property into a truly unique destination, where large-scale events, exceptional hospitality and unforgettable leisure experiences seamlessly come together.

The waterpark is currently only open to guests of the Grand Hyatt Dubai Resort.

Deals currently include seven nights, with breakfast and return flights, from £990pp via On The Beach, or rooms from £222 a night with Loveholidays.

However, non-guest access to the waterpark is soon to be rolled out.

In the meantime, the world’s biggest waterpark is also in Dubai.

Aquaventure Waterpark is on the edge of Palm Jumeriah and has huge over 105 slides, attractions and even a private beach.

Not only is it named the best thing to do in Dubai on Tripadvisor but it has the world’s largest dedicated kids zone with lagoon, slides, pools and fountains.

It costs 330 UAE (£72.12) to visit for the day, but sign up and you can visit for free if its your birthday (or six days before and after).

We went down to try the waterpark – here’s what to expect.

The world’s tallest wellness resort and waterpark is coming to Dubai too – here’s everything you need to know.

Dec. 12 (UPI) — An Australian skydiver was left dangling from behind a plane at 15,000 feet after his parachute got caught on the tail of the aircraft, causing some heart-stopping moments for the jumper and the pilot.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report and video Thursday describing the incident that happened on Sept. 20 in which a skydiver’s reserve parachute deployed as he jumped and got caught on a horizontal stabilizer of the Cessna Caravan. The skydiver and the plane were able to land safely after several harrowing moments.

Skydiver Adrian Ferguson used a hook knife to cut himself free after suffering minor leg injuries when his legs crashed into the horizontal stabilizer. He was then able to deploy his main parachute safely, though it did get tangled in the cords from the reserve chute.

The plane took off and landed at Tully Airport, an airstrip in northern Queensland. There were 16 other parachutists on the plane, and all were able to jump safely. The divers were planning to do a 16-way formation jump, with a 17th jumper filming it. The jump was part of the annual Big Ways at the Beach event, hosted by the Far North Freefall group. The event is a multi-day event in which experienced skydivers complete large group formations in belly-to-earth freefall, the report said.

The pilot, who was wearing his own emergency parachute, was unsure if he could land the plane after Ferguson freed himself because the parachute and its cords remained tangled in the horizontal stabilizer, the report said.

“The pilot recalled feeling the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and observed the airspeed rapidly decreasing,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. “Initially unaware of what had occurred, the pilot believed the aircraft had stalled, and pushed forward on the control column and applied some power in response. But upon being told there was a skydiver hung up on the tailplane, they reduced power again.”

Once all the jumpers had left the plane, the pilot had to consider what to do next.

“With all parachutists out of the aircraft, the pilot assessed they had limited pitch control, given the substantially damaged tailplane, which still had a portion of the reserve parachute wrapped around it,” Mitchell said. “With forward pressure they found they could achieve a gradual descent, and retracted the flap, which then allowed slightly more rudder, aileron and elevator control.”

Once he got close to the ground, the pilot realized he could land the plane.

“In difficult circumstances, the pilot managed to control the aircraft and land safely at Tully,” Mitchell said.

The report said that when Ferguson jumped, the handle that releases the emergency chute got snagged on the plane and was pulled open. Mitchell said the event should remind parachutists to be mindful of their handles, especially when exiting the plane.

“Carrying a hook knife — although it is not a regulatory requirement — could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment,” he said.

The investigation also found that the pilot had not ensured the plane was loaded within its weight and balance envelope for proper weight distribution of the craft. But that didn’t contribute to the accident.

“Fatal parachuting accidents have occurred in the past due to aircraft being loaded outside center-of-gravity limits, which highlights the importance of conducting aircraft weight and balance calculations prior to each load,” Mitchell said.

Jimmy McKenna who has played Jack Osborne in Hollyoaks since 1996, admitted his co-stars have stepped up to ensure he is not spending the festive season alone this year

A soap legend has revealed his wife has died as he opens up about his secret grief for the first time.

Jimmy McKenna who has played Jack Osborne in Hollyoaks since 1996, admitted his co-stars have stepped up to ensure he is not alone during the festive season following his tragic loss. While he did not divulge details of her cause of death but admitted the festive season “has been a wee bit melancholy”.

While speaking to Inside Soap Magazine about his plans for Christmas, the 72-year-old revealed his wife Bev, who he shares four children with, had passed away.

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His revealed co-star Nick Pickard, who plays Tony Hutchinson, has stepped up to ensure he won’t be alone at Christmas inviting Jimmy into his home along with members of Bev’s family. “I’ll be with Nick and his partner Sarah for Christmas Day. Nick’s mum, my mum-in-law and sister-in-law are coming. Nick’s daughter Ellie and her boyfriend will be there too, there’s nine of us in total,” he said.

He continued: “Since my wife Bev passed, Christmas has been a wee bit melancholy for me. So it’s good to just be surrounded by friends, having a laugh and a wee drink!”

Jimmy has been a familiar face on screens since the 1980s when he landed a small part in Coronation Street playing Jim Lomax in 1985. He returned to the cobbles just over a decade later in 1994 playing an Immigration Officer in two episodes.

For 14 years from 1996 he juggled his soap role with a role in the David Jason police procedurial A Touch Of Frost in which he played Sgt. Don Brady. He has also had roles in Taggart, Rumpole of the Bailey, Soldier Soldier and Heartbeat.

Hollyoaks airs on Mondays through to Wednesdays at 7am on Channel 4 before airing on E4 at 7pm.

For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs onTikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.

Published on
09/12/2025 – 10:40 GMT+1

The European Commission on Tuesday launched a probe into Google over its use of web publishers’ content and YouTube material for its AI services.

The decision comes after transatlantic tensions escalated over the weekend after Brussels imposed a €120 million fine on Elon Musk’s social network X for breaching its landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), prompting a political response from the world’s richest man calling for the EU to be abolished.

“AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies,” EU competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a statement.

“This is why we are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, while placing rival AI models developers at a disadvantage,” Ribera added.

The EU investigation will examine whether Google used web publishers’ content to provide generative-AI services on its search results pages without appropriate compensation and without giving them the option to refuse.

Many publishers depend on Google Search for user traffic.

It will also assess whether videos uploaded on YouTube were used to train Google’s generative AI models without proper compensation to creators and without giving them any choice.

The Commission’s probe is based on EU rules designed to prohibit abuses of dominant market position. However, the opening of a probe following a fine on X might trigger Washington’s ire, which has positioned itself on the side of Big American Tech.

Since Trump’s return to power in 2025, the EU and the US have been at loggerheads over the bloc’s enforcement of digital rules.

The Trump administration accuses the EU of targeting only US companies, while the EU says its legislation is non-discriminatory and reflects its sovereign right to enforce its own digital-market rules.

Euronews has reached out to Google for comment.

This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.