Aston Merrygold of JLS fame has opened up about the devastating toll of his recent ankle injury during an appearance on Sunday Brunch
JLS’ Aston admits ‘it’s killing me’ after painful injury(Image: GETTY)
JLS star Aston Merrygold has gotten candid about his recent leg injury, admitting the emotional toll is “killing me”.
The Peterborough-born boyband icon, 38, underwent surgery late last year after suffering a painful injury on his ankle during rehearsals.
However, Aston has continued to perform with the band, which also includes Marvin Humes, Oritsé Williams, and JB Gill, either seated or using crutches.
During an interview with Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy on today’s (22nd February) edition of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Aston shared some more insight into his injury and recovery.
“I broke everything in my ankle, apart from the bone,” he shared. “So, I’m still here.
“Basically, jumping off a platform to end the show, I vanished through the stage and landed on some crash mats. Obviously, I got excited and probably jumped a bit too high, trapped my leg between the crash mats and my body kept going.
“So I had to have full ankle reconstruction surgery.” Tim quipped: “Got a team of lawyers on that?”, prompting laughter from Aston.
After revealing he had continued with the tour on crutches, Aston was asked about his history playing football and how his injury has affected his exercise regime.
“You used to be a good footballer years ago, didn’t you?” Tim asked. “So this must be killing you.”
Aston agreed: “It’s killing me. But everything, even in the week, going away with the kids for a few days is lovely.”
Tim interjected, “Can you do anything?” and Aston revealed: “I can’t run yet. So that’s kind of the extent of it. Stairs are good now, for the ankle progression.”
The presenter then mused: “You know what they say, and this is so true, a well man has 10,000 wishes and an ill man has one.”
“100 percent,” Aston agreed. “And the worst, worst part of the whole thing was that I had to be bed-bound at one point.
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“Then, when I could stand up, it had to be no weight. So no picking up the kids, no kind of running around.
“Obviously I didn’t listen,” he then confessed. “You can’t have those special moments just taken away fully, so I was a bit like, ‘No, there are some things…’”
Simon then asked when Aston will be fully recovered, with the JLS star explaining: “The operation was in December. December 5th. And he said over six months.”
Sunday Brunch airs Sundays from 10am on Channel 4.
The former Top Gear presenter admits he was blindsided by what he now sees as one of the gravest dangers facing young people, confessing “I simply had no idea”
11:08, 21 Feb 2026Updated 11:09, 21 Feb 2026
Jeremy Clarkson(Image: PA)
Jeremy Clarkson has confessed he was caught off guard by what he now considers one of the greatest threats to young people today, admitting, “I simply had no idea.” In his column for The Sun, the former Top Gear host revealed that while he previously worried about conventional teenage dangers, he overlooked the fact that the most damaging influences were already accessible through their mobile phones.
Looking back on his time as a father, Clarkson explained: “When my kids were teenagers, I worried about them taking drugs and going on motorbikes, and I simply had no idea that the real danger was lurking in their telephones.”
His remarks follow the Government’s plans to strengthen laws targeting the distribution of non-consensual intimate images online. Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer announced intentions to bolster legislation requiring tech firms to delete such content within 48 hours of being flagged.
However, Clarkson maintains that the rapid pace of online sharing renders that timeframe impractical. “This is laughable because if someone uploads a topless picture of you, all your friends will see it within 48 seconds,” he stated. “Forty-eight hours on the internet is about four million years,” reports the Express.
The Prime Minister has positioned the proposed reforms as a key element of a wider effort to tackle online abuse directed at women and girls. Through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, social media companies that don’t meet the two-day deadline for removing content could be hit with substantial fines or potentially banned from operating in the UK.
Starmer, who previously held the role of director of public prosecutions, said his past work gave him insight into the “unimaginable, often lifelong pain and trauma violence against women and girls causes.” He added: “As Prime Minister, I will leave no stone unturned in the fight to protect women from violence and abuse.”
Characterising the internet as an emerging frontline, Starmer stated: “The online world is the front line of the 21st century battle against violence against women and girls. That’s why my government is taking urgent action: against chatbots and ‘nudification’ tools. Today we are going further, putting companies on notice so that any non-consensual image is taken down in under 48 hours. Violence against women and girls has no place in our society, and I will not rest until it is rooted out.”
Clarkson, 65, doesn’t question the gravity of the problem. In fact, he believes it goes even deeper than politicians realise. He highlighted the HBO drama Euphoria, featuring Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, as a stark illustration of the challenges confronting today’s teenagers. “What Starmer needs to do is watch a TV show starring Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney. It’s called Euphoria and God knows what possessed me to tune in — teenage angst and a lot of male nudity is not my thing normally — but Lord, I’m glad I did,” Clarkson remarked. “I know it’s a drama but if only half of the issues are real, society has a serious problem.”
For Clarkson, the programme highlighted how online culture has amplified adolescent experiences. He outlined the troubling aspects he believes have become widespread: “The bullying. The d*ck pics. The revenge porn threats. And a very real sense that if you say or do something that is considered out of line by an ‘unseen woke police force,’ that’s you done.”
While he acknowledges that Starmer is correct to concentrate on social media’s effect on teenage girls, he doubts whether a 48-hour takedown requirement is adequate in reality. “Starmer is right to be thinking about the effect social media has on teenage girls. But suggesting that a platform must take down revenge nudes and deep fake pictures within two days demonstrates he does not understand the scale of the problem.”
Unlike other McDonald’s sites, this one also has a panoramic elevator as well as a curly slide between the floors.
And guests shouldn’t have to wait long to make their order as there are 23 self-service kiosks.
Otherwise there will be 210 employees, that speak 16 languages between them.
Boris Solbach, senior vice president, chief financial officer, Disneyland Paris said: “Since 1999, Disneyland Paris and McDonald’s have built a relationship grounded in trust and a shared vision of the guest experience.
“The opening of this new restaurant fully supports the transformation of Disney Village through a landmark project that combines innovative architecture, high-quality hospitality, and seamless integration into the site’s universe.”
The environment has also been thought about during the construction process and as a result, the restaurant has a green roof, planters and a 120sqm living wall.
The original Disney Village McDonald’s – which sits just next door – opened in 1999 but has now closed as the new venue has opened.
The restaurant will soon be demolished as well, as part of the wider plan to reimagine Disney Village.
Disney Village is located between the theme parks and Disney Hotels and has a number of shopping and dining experiences.
There are 600 seats in total and even a wall mural of the Disneyland Paris skylineCredit: Disney/McdonaldsThe new restaurant replaces the old restaurant next door, which opened in 1999Credit: Disney/McdonaldsIt even has an outdoor terrace with 200 seatsCredit: Disney/Mcdonalds
The village is currently undergoing a revamp and once complete will have new restaurants, shops, building facades and guest experiences.
The two new Disney shops will be a lifestyle shop with ready-to-wear clothing, jewellery and accessories and then there will also be a Disney home store with collectible items and decorations.
The Lego store has also been improved recently, with more photo opportunities, big builds and play stations.
Back in November, Sports Bar & Lounge reopened with an expanded dining area, redesigned terrace and fresh interiors.
The bar also now has a giant fresco featuring Goofy and another featuring Big Hero 6: The Series on the restaurant’s façade.
Pelé Soccer, a new shop dedicated to the world of football, will open soon as well.
Last year, McDonald’s opened its biggest site in Europe last year in Majorca, Spain.
The restaurant can be found at Level P30, Module A Airside of Palma de Mallorca Airport in the Spanish island and sprawls across 1,000sqm.
There are a number of McDonald’s across the world that also double as tourist spots.
HE’s got almost 2 million followers on TikTok alone, has an army of A-list celebrity fans and now US comic Corey O’Brien is preparing to invade the UK.
After blowing up on social media post lockdown with his hilarious videos impersonating everyone from Dua Lipa and Justin Timberlake to the Spice Girls– who all shared his clips online – the 34 year-old former dancer’s comedy career has gone from strength to strength.
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US comedian Corey O’Brien’s career blew up on TikTok – and how he’s headed to the UKCorey’s video impersonating the Spice Girls was shared by the ladies themselvesCorey in action onstage
And next week he’s performing in London for his first ever UK show, much to the delight of both Corey and his legions of British fans.
“I’m a real anglophile,” smiles Corey, as he chats to The Sun from his home in Los Angeles.
“I’m really excited because I feel like my comedy goes across really well with a UK audience.
“I’m unhinged and have no filter, and I feel like you guys really get that. I have no boundaries, I say whatever the f*** I want to say and I think that’s quite a British sense of humour.”
He may live 6000 miles away from Blighty, but Corey admits he avidly follows UK pop culture – whether it’s binging classic early seasons of Love Island with his former NFL star boyfriend Ryan K Russell (“we stopped having sex at one point because we were so obsessed with watching Hannah Elizabeth) to keeping abreast of every development of the Beckham family feud.
“I am so invested in that drama,” he confesses. “I’m team Posh, of course. If Victoria wants to come to crash my wedding, do a full dance number and make the night all about her, I wouldn’t hate it.
“She could slap me in the face in the middle of my vows and I would probably say thank you. She’s Victoria Beckham. She was my gay awakening.”
Indeed, when Corey impersonated all five Spice Girls for his own take on the iconic Say You’ll Be There video three years ago, he never expected it to get more than three million views and be shared by the legendary pop group’s official social media channels.
“I think I cried when that happened,” he confessed. “It was one of the most amazing things to ever happen. My boyfriend was upstairs at the time and I screeched as if someone was killing me. He was quite concerned.”
It’s not just iconic British girlbands that Corey is obsessed with though – during our chat he happily recounts his favourite moments from various UK Celebrity Big Brother series.
Corey is a huge anglophile addicted to Love Island UK and Celebrity Big BrotherCredit: vixinatorCorey dates retired NFL footballer Ryan RussellCredit: instagramThe hilarious star is more than happy to flash the flesh on instagram
“Oh my god, I’ve watched all of Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa‘s romance, I can’t get enough of Farrah Abraham‘s fight with Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace and of course Tiffany Pollard’s ‘David’s dead’ moment is my all time favourite,” he laughs.
“I’d love to do Celebrity Big Brother. If any casting people are reading it, get me on there! I’ll get nude if they want me too!”
Anyone who follows Corey on social media will know he’s more than happy to flash his naked buff body – either in the name of comedy or simply for a bit of a thirst trap.
“I’ve not said this publicly before, but I microdose Ozempic,” he confesses when asked about his increasingly toned physique, before admitting to making a big mistake when he started on the fat jabs.
“I ordered some off some random website for like $400 and, believe it or not, I’m not a doctor so I didn’t really understand the dosages,” he deadpans.
“The first time I took it, I shot up a whole month’s worth of it in one go and I didn’t realise. I lost like 12 pounds in a week and it was all muscle that I lost. So yeah, now I just do little microdoses here and there.”
And he’s more than willing to show off some skin when he hits Britain next week.
“I’ll show my nudes on stage, hell, I’ll show them in person for like 20 bucks,” he laughs.
“I need to make some money – the exchange rate is crazy right now!”
Corey O’Brien: Live In London is at the Top Secret Comedy Club in London on Monday February 23. Doors open from 5.30pm.
Corey will play his first UK show next Monday, February 23Corey is a former professional dancer who turned to comedy during lockdownCredit: Luke fontana
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — World-class athletes, thrilling events, stirring medal ceremonies, I will remember all of those from the Winter Olympics. But what I experienced Sunday on my 45-minute bus ride from my hotel to Cortina will stay with me longer.
There was a young woman sitting across the aisle. She looked to be in her mid-20s, about the age of my daughter, and was wearing a knit cap with a Switzerland logo. Her dark hair was in long, thin braids and framed her friendly face.
“How’s it going?” I asked, setting down my backpack.
“Nervous,” she said with a faint smile.
That started the conversation, one that would have me repeatedly wiping my eyes with my sleeve.
Her name was Michelle Gloor. She’s 25 and from a small town outside of Zurich. Her boyfriend, Cedric Follador, is pilot of the Swiss bobsled team and has races throughout the week. She was heading to watch him practice.
Michelle knows all about the sport. In fact, she had been the brake woman on the Swiss national team and had hoped to be competing in these Olympics herself. She grew up as a track-and-field athlete, a sprinter, and only took up bobsled in 2022.
Women’s bobsled — or bobsleigh, as Europeans call it — is a two-person operation with a pilot in front and brake woman in back.
“The first responsibility is pushing the sled as fast as I can, together with my pilot,” she said in a German accent and near-flawless English. “I have to sit still and count the curves until we reach the finish line, when I have to pull the brakes. I’m responsible that the sled won’t crash into something.”
Her best friend had made the transition from track to bobsled, was looking for a brake woman, and convinced Michelle to give it a try.
“My first bobsleigh ride was in St. Moritz and I was so nervous,” said Gloor, a third-year law student at the University of Zurich. “I think I was crying in the back of the sled because I’d never felt anything like that, all the G-forces and you don’t have any cushion in the sled. It all hurts.
“But after the second run, I felt the adrenaline and it was great. It caught me from then. It took me two runs.”
She was 22 and the future was bright. They entered the Swiss championships and won. Michelle got serious about her new sport, training every day, eating right, building muscle.
Immersed in that world, she met Cedric but for the first 1½ years they were just casual friends. Their conversations were all bobsled-related.
“Then in spring 2024 he texted me and asked, ‘How are you?’” she said. “More personal stuff.”
They had been dating for about six months when a discovery would dramatically change their lives.
In November 2024, during a routine check-up, a gynecologist found evidence of cancer in Michelle’s ovaries. If there were signs she was ill, Michelle hadn’t noticed them. She had been tired the prior summer, yes, but she attributed that to her training.
“It was pretty advanced,” she said of the cancer. “I went to the women’s doctor every year and they couldn’t explain why they couldn’t see it earlier. I don’t know. I’m not questioning that anymore. It’s just … yeah.”
There was no time to wait. By December, she was in surgery. Doctors opened her abdomen from her breast bone down, looking for more growths. They deemed the operation a success, and six months of chemotherapy began in February.
“I lost my hair,” she said. “I had long, black hair. Losing that wasn’t bad. But I lost the hair on my face — my eyebrows, my eyelashes — that was hard. But I always knew it just had to be.”
Her doctor told her her cancer was Stage 3.
“That means it’s on the other organs too,” she said. “But the difference between Stage 3 and Stage 4 is it’s not in my lungs. It’s in my tummy area but not more upwards.”
“Women or even men my age, you live in your world, you are following your dreams. And you don’t think about something happening in your life.”
— Michelle Gloor, on being diagnosed with cancer at a young age
Cedric was by her side.
“I asked him after the diagnosis if he wants to join me in this journey or not,” she said. “I can understand if he won’t because we were together not even half a year, and I can understand if he said, ‘Hey, it’s too much for me. I can’t do that.’
“Then he took time for himself, and he came back and said he wants to stay with me. He wants to support me in every imaginable way.
“He drove me to therapy when he was in town because he had a bobsleigh season going on from November until March, in my toughest time. Every time he was home, he was there for me. When he wasn’t there, we were phoning every day. He was there all the time, even when he wasn’t there physically.”
Her parents and younger brother were there for her too, of course, but she wanted to give them some time to themselves. Cedric was her rock.
There are elements in his job as a driver that both help him in his sport, and her in her disease.
“As a driver, you really need to focus on what’s going on straight ahead of you,” she explained. “You can’t really switch away your thoughts. You have one minute of full concentration. I think you can compare it to Formula One because you only see the next curve in front of you.
“He’s very calm and I think that helps him in a sporting way to not overreact emotionally and stuff like that. But also for me as a partner, I’m very emotional. When I’m too excited or too sad or too angry, he can calm me down to a normal level. On a stress-less level, and to be stress-free is very important for someone who has cancer.”
Switzerland’s Cedric Follador, right, and Luca Rolli compete in two-man bobsled at the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Monday.
(Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
Michelle, petite and pale, has lost about 40 pounds over the past year. Mostly muscle.
“I was avoiding sugar in the beginning of the illness,” she said. “You read so much stuff. But after losing so much weight, doctors told me just eat what you want to eat. Because having energy is more important than eating too much sugar.”
In August, doctors discovered more cancer in her. Another surgery to open her abdomen.
“They said it’s still there,” she said. “Those microcells which they couldn’t remove because they couldn’t see them, they grew. But once all those microcells have grown up and been removed, or have been killed by therapy and medication, there won’t be any new cells because the ovaries have been removed, so they don’t produce any more.”
She tries not to Google her illness anymore. It doesn’t help her frame of mind. She’s changed in other ways, too.
“I was a very direct person before my illness,” she said. “Now I’m even more direct and straight-forward. I say no, and I don’t explain myself. If I don’t want to do something, I don’t have to. I just say no.
“Before that, I had a bad feeling about myself and explained myself just because I say no. I don’t do that anymore.”
In December, she began radiation. She has another scan after the Olympics.
There are times she just can’t believe this is happening.
“Women or even men my age, you live in your world, you are following your dreams,” she said. “And you don’t think about something happening in your life. I only know young people in Switzerland, so I can only speak for them. But they don’t talk about that.
“They are not sensible about what can happen, and that’s why it’s important for me to speak out about it. For example, with a women’s doctor, you have to go. It can happen to anyone.
“I’m a young woman. I do sports since I’m 10 years old. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t smoke. But it still can happen.”
Her illness has shined a spotlight on her friendships. Lots of her old friends showed concern at first, then went on with their lives. A handful checked in on her frequently. Some are new.
“I got in touch with a woman during chemotherapy, she was there too,” Michelle said. “She has breast cancer. She saw my cross necklace, and we were talking about faith and how it helped in those hard times.
“We are still in contact now. We are writing letters to each other. We’re not texting or phoning, just writing letters and sending postcards. She’s as old as my mom, but it’s very cool to have someone with almost the same story.”
How will that story end? Michelle has her hopes, this fearless young woman who took to bobsledding on her second time down the track.
“My goal is to be in the Olympics in four years,” she said. “I’ll be 29 by then. The age is still good — even better than now for a bobsleigh athlete. And I have a great team. My bobsleigh pilot is very supportive and she said she always has a place for me in the sled.”
This week, Michelle is supporting Cedric — just a sliver, she said, of the way he has supported her. They got engaged in December. It happened at sunset in his little hometown in the Swiss Alps.
“He was talking about himself and us, and then he proposed to me,” she said. “I said yes. Of course.”
At the time of her diagnosis, Sally’s on-screen persona, Sally Metcalfe, was also grappling with a breast cancer diagnosis, mirroring her real-life ordeal.
Sally confessed that her diagnosis “completely changed her life.”, reports the Daily Star.
She reminisced: “My character had breast cancer and I had to tell Carla Connor (played by Alison King) that Sally had breast cancer. That was a very, very difficult scene because I knew I was leaving at that point.”
The actress revealed: “I wanted to carry on working. I didn’t want to stop, but the moment that I was told I needed chemo that’s the moment that I realised that actually this is serious.
“But hopefully for Bev, she’s caught this early so she will be hopefully back at work and carrying on doing what she’s doing.
“It’s very hard for women because if you’re a working mum and the breadwinner, then you want to carry on. You need to be working.”
In an emotional revelation, Sally confessed that her character’s storyline proved instrumental in prompting her to seek medical examination.
She said: “I’ve still not come to terms that it happened and maybe if I hadn’t had the storyline, maybe I wouldn’t have checked because I was only 46.”
She went on: “I thought it was, you know, much older women but it’s not. I mean thank goodness there’s much more information out there now than there was 15 years ago when I got it. But now we’re talking about it, which is very important.”
She recalled: “I remember my first day back on the street after having eight months off or six months off and walking down the cobbles and going.
“I am so grateful for this because once you have something taken away from you. You think that’s it, and then to get it back is just, wow, I mean, you don’t take it for granted.”
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX and Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
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PREMIER Inn has opened a new hotel in London – although you wouldn’t know from the outside.
The hub by Premier Inn London Farringdon (Old Bailey) has turned an old Victorian police station into the famous hotel.
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City Of London Book To Be Published By Thames And HudsonCredit: AlamySome of the old features are alongside the new buildingCredit: Chris DaltonThe rooms look just like the standard ones in Premier Inn hotelsCredit: premierinn.com
Dating back to the 1870s, Snow Hill Police Station is a Garde II listed building.
Whitbread – the owner of Premier Inn, bought the building back in 2020, with it now open to the public as a hotel.
Many of the original features such as the historic entrance way, as well as a grand atrium combining the new and old buildings.
A mix of “heritage bedrooms” as well as the classic hub rooms are part of the hotel too, with 212 rooms across eight stories.
Along with free WiFi and accessible rooms, there is also a restaurant onsite for breakfast and dinner.
Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said it showed how “affordable hotels like hub by Premier Inn can breathe fresh life into vacant historic buildings in Central London”
Tom Sleigh, Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, added: “The transformation of the former Snow Hill Police Station into a modern, affordable hotel shows how heritage and planning innovation can work hand in hand, an excellent example of how thoughtful, high-quality design can bring new life to one of the City’s historic buildings.”
Some of the cheapest rooms on the website can be found for around £105 a night.
The hotel is also in the hear of the city, bring right by Farringdon train station.
Nearby is St Paul’s Cathedral as well as the London Museum.
A new restaurant has opened its doors in Benidorm with stunning beachfront views and, whilst some tourists are excited, others have been left less than impressed
13:04, 07 Feb 2026Updated 13:05, 07 Feb 2026
The new Benidorm restaurant is located near the beach (stock image)(Image: Jaroslaw Mozdzynski via Getty Images)
Benidorm has long been synonymous with its vibrant nightlife, all-inclusive resorts with so much food and drink, stunning coastline and reliable sunshine, but a new eatery has just landed in the Spanish hotspot, dividing opinion amongst holidaymakers. Harry, who regularly posts insider tips about life in Spain, couldn’t contain his enthusiasm about the latest arrival in town.
“Oh my god, this is unbelievable that they’ve done this to Benidorm,” he exclaimed. “Wait until you see this,” Harry teased, building anticipation for what he described as the “nicest beachfront takeaway in Benidorm,” admitting his surprise that the chain had chosen to set up shop there.
He then challenged his TikTok followers on his @harrytokky account to “guess” his location as he swung the camera around to reveal his new go-to spot. The big reveal? The freshly opened Benidorm branch of Taco Bell.
For the uninitiated, Taco Bell is an American fast-food giant known for its Mexican-style fare including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and much more. The menu boasts an array of customisable dishes featuring seasoned meats, beans, cheese and fresh toppings.
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“Here I am, guys, the brand new Taco Bell, and look at that view,” he raved, showcasing its prime beachfront location. Even though blustery conditions prevailed on the day, the setting still looked spectacular.
“Incredible, right? Apart from the extremely crazy wind,” Harry continued, though if you’re heading to Benidorm during the summer, the weather will probably be far nicer, and queues for the restaurant may well be longer too.
Harry collected his order and showed viewers what he’d purchased. He said: “A massive cheeky Coca Cola, some sauce, we’ve got the fries and the burrito in there. Not bad looking really”.
He then conducted the all-important taste test. Trying the fries first, he declared they were “amazing,” and as he dunked them into what appeared to be a cheesy sauce, he made satisfied sounds of approval.
Next up was the burrito, prompting more “mmm” noises as he said: “It’s definitely worth it, just because of the view,” having secured himself a prime window seat.
He initially rated it “10/10,” before backtracking on his assessment, clarifying: “It’s not actually 10/10, the view’s 10/10. It’s alright, it’s okay, it’s not the best one I’ve had in the world, but I do like a Taco Bell. It’s alright. I’ll take it”.
In the comments section, one person revealed there was a Taco Bell there a few years ago, saying it was “nothing special”. Other users bemoaned the difficulty in finding genuine Spanish eateries in Spain nowadays due to chains like this.
One viewer commented: “Marbella has just had a new McDonald’s and Burger King on the paseo and a Five Guys 100 metres away within the last month. Tough finding a decent Tapas bar now”.
Another person vented their frustration: “It’s Spain, I want Sangria, fish, Gazpacho, boquerones, vino verano, San Miguel, a Spanish waiter in a white shirt, not this c***”.
One woman revealed she and her travelling companion had discovered a favourite spot, writing: “We prefer the Terra Cactus place, been every day since we got here and will go until we leave,” alongside a snap of two mouth-watering pizzas.
The advantage of having familiar chain restaurants in destinations like Benidorm is that fussy eaters always have a reliable option if they’re not keen on sampling the local food.
That said, if you’re willing to be more adventurous with your palate, mealtimes become far more thrilling when you embrace authentic local cuisine in whichever destination you’ve chosen to explore.
After the huge response from its storehouse experience in Dublin, Guinness has opened its doors to a new brewery in the heart of London, but it has rubbed many people the wrong way
Rory Gannon Showbiz Journalist
04:00, 07 Feb 2026
(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Guinness has thrown the doors open to its newest brewery in the heart of London, but it seems that no one seems to like it.
The Guinness company has been seeing a meteoric rise in popularity as millions of people flock to Dublin for the Guinness Storehouse Experience. And with more and more people learning about the Guinness family thanks to the Netflix smash House of Guinness, the company has decided to expand its operations.
Back in December, Guinness opted to open a new site in central London to cater to the huge market here in the UK. But after King Charles paid a visit to the Open Gate Brewery just days after the business opened, the general public has been less than impressed with what is on offer.
Influencer James Dimitri took to his TikTok account @jamesdimitritieats after he paid a visit to the brewery in London’s Covent Garden. However, he was left unimpressed by the prices for pints. Uploading a review of the tour, James revealed he spent a total of £7.20 for one pint of Guinness. Things only got worse for him when it was revealed there was no heated seating area, meaning he had to drink the drink in the “freezing cold”, an experience he said was “not for him”.
Filming his experience at the bar, James admitted he was a big fan of Guinness but could not think to part with so much money for the sake of a trend. “I’ve been drinking Guinness for 20 years, but I hate what it’s become,” he explained. “All this splitting the G s***, and the merch which is now up there with Superdry as the uniform for beige guys,” he fumed. “No personality? Get some Guinness merch and start splitting the G.”
While he did not enjoy the atmosphere of the brewery — or lack thereof — he did admit that the quality of the pint he had was good. He said there was a good “domage”, and the pint was separated well, with a good level of head for the cost. I don’t want to drink here,” he explained, “Especially at these prices. I’d much rather be in a proper boozer with good atmosphere.”
Viewers were also quick to share their own experiences in the comments section, saying they were not happy with the new brewery now dominating in Covent Garden. “This is sad to see,” one social media user wrote. “Charge £6, get some proper seating, open fires and blankets out there, make it a fun place to hang with a group and off you go. Tourist trap unfortunately.”
A second added: “Also went just for a pint (didn’t get one cause of seating) and honestly disappointed by the tap selection too.” Whilst a third wrote: “I saw what the pints looked like before deciding to go elsewhere.”
However, not everyone was as willing to shout the brewery down, with some explaining this is what was expected for paying for a drink in central London. “£7.20 is reasonable for a Guinness tourist trap,” wrote one user.
“Middle of Covent Garden? How much you paying for a pint?” asked another.
The Guinness Open Gate Brewery has been contacted for comment.
Former AC Milan and Sweden footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic opens the 2026 Winter Olympic Games for the BBC, as he explains what it takes to become “a champion in Milan.”
Follow the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics across the BBC from Friday, 6 February.
Khan Younis, Gaza – The headlines read that Israel has finally reopened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, allowing injured Palestinians desperate for medical aid to leave.
However, the reality is that on the first day of the opening, on Monday, Israel only allowed five patients to exit Gaza via the crossing, forcing hundreds, if not thousands, of others to wait.
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Mohammed Abu Mostafa is one of the lucky five. The 17-year-old travelled on Monday with his mother, Randa, to southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, and then on to Rafah, which has been closed by Israel for two years as it waged its genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 70,000 Palestinians.
Randa told Al Jazeera that she had received a phone call on Monday morning informing her that Mohammed had been included in the first list of wounded patients scheduled to travel, and that they were instructed to head immediately to the Red Crescent Hospital in Khan Younis.
The reopening of Rafah, Gaza’s only land crossing that does not go through Israel, has been much touted as evidence of the progress of the second phase of the United States-backed Gaza “ceasefire” deal.
But events on Monday revealed a different reality, marked by strict security restrictions, complex procedures, and limited numbers being allowed to cross, falling far short of expectations and the scale of Gaza’s accumulated humanitarian needs.
Each of the five patients being allowed to leave was accompanied by two people as per Israeli orders, bringing the total number of travellers to 15, according to information provided to Gaza’s health authorities.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Gaza’s al-Shifa Medical Complex, told Al Jazeera that this was the only group that departed, despite prior plans with the World Health Organization (WHO) – the body overseeing coordination between Egypt and Israel – for the departure of 50 patients daily.
Egyptian official sources have told Al Jazeera that 50 Palestinians were also permitted to return to Gaza via the Rafah crossing, though no information is yet available on whether they have actually reached the Palestinian side.
Ismail al-Thawabta, the director of Gaza’s Government Media Office, highlighted just how low these numbers are compared with the approximately 22,000 people needing to leave Gaza for treatment abroad. Meanwhile, about 80,000 Palestinians who left Gaza during the war want to return, he said.
Eye injury
Mohammed was injured in an Israeli air attack a year and a half ago, near where his family had been displaced in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, Randa said. He sustained a direct injury to his eye, severely affecting his optic nerve and ability to see.
“My son has been suffering immensely since his injury. Day after day, his condition kept worsening, and there is no treatment available for him in Gaza,” Randa said, while waiting in the hospital courtyard alongside other patients and their relatives.
Despite her joy at finally being able to accompany her son on his journey, Randa feels a sense of anguish at having to leave four of her six children behind, as she was only permitted to take one child as a second companion.
“What matters to me now is that my son regains his sight and can see again with his own eyes. That is my only concern at the moment,” Randa said.
“I also hope to return to Gaza soon after my son recovers, that the blockade will be lifted, and that all patients will be able to travel, just like my son.”
Israeli restrictions
In the Red Crescent Hospital courtyard, dozens of patients on travel waiting lists expressed frustration over the first-day restrictions at Rafah.
Several patients, including those with amputations, gathered at the hospital, hoping to be permitted to travel to Egypt for treatment.
Despite patients and their families arriving early in the morning with high hopes, Israeli authorities refused to permit more than five patients to leave, leading to widespread dissatisfaction with the complex mechanisms accompanying the crossing’s partial reopening.
The multi-stage security procedure of Palestinians moving through the Rafah crossing begins with the preparation of daily lists of candidates for travel, which are then referred to the Israeli side for pre-travel security screening.
No one is allowed to pass through the crossing or enter it without explicit Israeli approval. The European Union Border Assistance Mission deployed to Rafah is limited to monitoring the process and verifying identities.
Arrivals in Gaza, after initial identity verification at the crossing under European supervision, are subject to additional inspection procedures at checkpoints located in areas under Israeli military control.
Raed al-Nims, the Gaza Red Crescent’s head of media, told Al Jazeera that the organisation was still waiting for updates regarding the transfer of more patients for treatment through the crossing.
He added that a group of patients was successfully transferred to Israel on Monday through the Kerem Abu Salem crossing, in coordination with the WHO.
Desperate need
Ibrahim Abu Thuraya was also one of the five patients allowed to leave Gaza on Monday.
Ibrahim was injured in the early months of the war, sustaining wounds that led to the amputation of his left hand and an injury to his left eye, where shrapnel is still embedded.
“Day after day, my eye condition is deteriorating, and I feel severe pain, especially since the shrapnel is lodged behind it and there are no medical capabilities in Gaza to deal with it,” he said from Khan Younis, before he travelled to Rafah. “Doctors told me that I need to travel abroad.”
Ibrahim was informed on Monday morning by the WHO and Gaza’s Ministry of Health that he had been approved for travel. He will be accompanied by his wife, Samar, and their son.
“I have suffered greatly for two full years just to be able to leave for treatment, and there are thousands of wounded like me,” he said. “I hope the crossing will be opened permanently.”
Olivia Attwood has broken her silence on her marriage splitCredit: SplashOlivia shared this post on her Instagram StoriesOlivia said she had been crying herself to sleep for some timeCredit: Rex
The TV star took to Instagram on Saturday to share her first post about her marriage breakdown.
Alongside a picture of boxes in her new apartment, she wrote: “I keep opening Instagram to post but I don’t know what to say or do? lol.
“Vulnerability is not my bag!!!! Especially on social media, it feels very much like bleeding in shark infested waters.
“I cry myself to sleep then business as normal when the alarm goes off at 5am and it has been like that for a long time.
Their split comes just months after the couple weathered a “really bad summer”.
The couple tied the knot in 2023 after first dating before her 2017 stint on Love IslandCredit: ITVThe couple split because of a ‘breach of trust’ on Bradley’s sideCredit: Gary Stone
Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay has spoken about meeting up with fellow Children in Need fundraisers has he spends more time looking back at his illustrious and eventful career
Vernon Kay has spoken about his Children in Need challenge(Image: ITV1)
BBC Radio 2’s Vernon Kay fought back tears after opening up about a difficult time and admitted that the pain of his latest challenge was worth it for the amount of money they raised for Children in Need.
Children in Need is the BBC’s annual fundraising extravaganza and part of their fundraising efforts sometimes sees celebrities taking on gruelling physical challenges.
Appearing on BBC Radio 2 at the end of his mammoth journey he told host Zoe Ball: “I’m absolutely exhausted, absolutely spent, physically, mentally. Is there anyone here who can replace a knee?”
Speaking about his work for Children in Need in 2026, Vernon talked about talking to fellow fundraisers Patrick McGuinness and Sarah Cox and how all three became emotional discussing what they’d done.
In 2025 Patrick completed a 300-mile cycling challenge for Children in Need whilst Sara Cox ran, jogged, and walked 135 miles over five days last year.
He told listeners: “I was with Patrick McGuinness and Sara Cox last night, yesterday afternoon, we were talking about Children In Need.
“Very emotional for all three of us I’ll be honest with you, every time each time one of us talked about what we’d done for children in need you could see us all welling up.
“But it’s not because of what we did but because of what you did, so once again thank you for that. The pain was worth it.”
This isn’t the first time Vernon has talked about important moments from his past as he recently looked back 29 years and shared a moment which he says changed his life.
The Bolton-born broadcaster said in a social media video discussing his modelling career and how it was getting scouted as a youngster that changed his life. His modelling work helped spark a career in broadcasting.
Following a stint as a magazine model Vernon, now 51, moved into presenting and went onto host shows such as T4, All Star Family Fortunes, and shows on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X.
Writing in a post on Instagram alongside a photo of himself, he said: “Dec96 Got scouted by @selectmodellondon @jameslnoel and it’s the day that changed my life! [heart emoji].
“Taking a look back at my modelling days….kind of a pivotal moment for me [crying laughing emojis]. This is the one picture people always throw at me but I don’t think it’s THAT bad. #BlueSteel.”
