Stefan Dennis has been forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing after suffering an injury, with the Neighbours legend’s exit confirmed in a statement on Monday
Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis has quit the current series of Strictly Come Dancing following an injury.
The star, who portrayed Paul Robinson in the Australian soap, had been partnered with fellow Aussie and reigning Strictly champion Dianne Buswell for the 2025 series.
However, during a breaking news segment on spin-off programme It Takes Two on Monday, it was announced that Stefan would no longer be taking part in the competition.
The revelation was also posted on the official Strictly Instagram page, where Stefan revealed: “This Morning, I woke up to the most disappointing day of my time in my Strictly journey.
“Just when I had finally gained the confidence to do well with my dancing in the comp and achieve more great dances along the way, I was told that on Saturday, I had torn my calf so significantly that I am now forced to withdraw from the show,” reports Wales Online.
He added: “I can’t tell you how devastated I am to have to leave so prematurely, especially, as there has been, and still is, so much love and support from everyone for both Dianne and myself.
“I owe both the Strictly Family and Dianne a massive debt of gratitude for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dream of being able to dance with my wife (When my leg is better). Fun face for all the avid Neighbours fans… It’s the same leg!”
Pregnant professional dancer Dianne, who claimed victory in last year’s series alongside comedian Chris McCausland, also uploaded a tribute to Stefan on her Instagram profile. She said: “stefo I’m so sorry our strictly journey was cut short just as that confidence was starting to grow. But you can walk away with your head held high. You can go home to your wonderful wife put your hand out and say would you like to cha cha cha with me.
“the main reason for being on this show was to be able to dance with her and you can certainly do that now. You are the kindest human I have ever worked with and I can always say I got to dance with the iconic neighbours legend Stefan Dennis or as my dad calls ya Paul Robertson.”
Fellow professionals and viewers were left gutted by the announcement.
Welsh professional dancer Amy Dowden said: “So gutted for you both. Sending all my love and well wishes xxxx”.
One viewer said: “I’m devastated for you both but thank you for all the joy you’ve given to us!!”
A second said: “Absolutely gutted for you both but you should be so proud of all you achieved on your short but ever so sweet journey, I hope he recovers well sending all the well wishes and love his way.”
And another added: “Gutted for you both as it was clear you were just getting started.”
The announcement follows Stefan’s most triumphant performance on Strictly when he bagged a score of 26 out of 40 from the panel last Saturday.
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Iconic ITV medical expert Dr Hilary Jones has opened up about how he is set to depart the network after working there for 36 years as a string of cuts will see workforce sliced in half
Dr Hilary Jones has opened up about the end of his ITV career(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Lorraine star Dr Hilary Jones has opened up about his departure from the hit ITV show after being on the air for 36 years. Hilary is leaving after it was announced that the morning offering is set to be cut to 30 minutes long from January.
The reduced schedule will see it air for just 30 weeks of the year instead of 52. The 72-year-old medical specialist has also confessed that he thinks there won’t be any money for him to have a leaving party.
He explained, “I’m still working there until December 31, and then I’m a free agent. It’s liberating from the constraints of a news programme presenter. I’ll probably come back as a guest presenter now and then.”
He then clarified further why the changes to the popular show are happening, as he mentioned that many people are having to move on. He said, “People are being very sensitive to the fact that some people are having to move on.
“A lot of people are being redeployed elsewhere or in the same role. ITV, like everyone else, are having to make changes.” Talking to The Sun, as he was asked if ITV would be throwing a leaving party for those being made redundant, he said: “It would be lovely if they did, but we will wait and see on that one because money is tight.
“Certainly, there are groups of us who feel we’re part of a family, so we will all be going out anyway, whether they pay or not. We are quite happy to dip into our own pockets.”
Attending the Best Hero awards, Hilary also clarified, “I think people at work know where they stand, and many saw changes coming.”
The changes will see the workforce on ITV Studios’ daytime operations cut in half as they try to claw back financial losses. Recent financial results for the network showed their profits are down by 30 per cent in the first half of this year.
Meanwhile, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has described the cuts to her show as “heartbreaking” as she opened up for the first time about her show being slashed. The star also vowed to continue on her self-titled programme amid previous speculation she was prepared to walk away.
Speaking to The Mirror she said, “I don’t see me going anywhere until people get fed up, you know? Until people say, I’ve had enough of that one. It’s really heartbreaking to split up the team, a lot of my team have been with me for more than 20 years and they’re my friends.
“I’ve grown up with them. They were babies when they started with me and now they’ve got babies of their own.” Lorraine said she was pleased that a lot of the team had since been redeployed on other shows.
She added, “It’s been difficult with the cuts, it’s been hard. I’m a lot happier about it now but it was honestly and genuinely all about the team. I wasn’t annoyed or angry about this for me..it was about the team.”
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has plunged France further into a political deadlock after he resigned just hours after forming a cabinet as Paris struggles to plug its mounting debt.
Lecornu – whose tenure, which ended on Monday, was the shortest in modern French history – blamed opposition politicians for refusing to cooperate after a key coalition partner pulled support for his cabinet. He joins a growing list of French prime ministers who since last year have taken the job only to resign a short time later.
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Opposition parties in the divided French Parliament have increased pressure on President Emmanuel Macron to hold snap elections or even to resign – as have politicians and allies in his own camp. Analysts said Macron now appears to be caught on the back foot since Lecornu was widely seen as his “final bullet” to solve the protracted political crisis.
Here’s what to know about Lecornu’s resignation and why French politics are unstable:
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu delivers a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris on October 6, 2025, after submitting his government’s resignation to the president [Stephane Mahe/ AFP]
What happened?
Lecornu and his ministers resigned on Monday morning after he had named a new government the previous day.
Lecornu took up his office on September 9 after his predecessor Francois Bayrou stepped down. His tenure lasted 27 days, the shortest since 1958 when France’s Fifth Republic began. He was France’s fifth prime minister since 2022 and its third since Macron called snap elections in June last year. He was formerly the minister of the armed forces from 2022 until last month.
In an emotional television address on Monday morning, Lecornu blamed political leaders from different ideological blocs for refusing to compromise to solve the crisis.
“The conditions were not fulfilled for me to carry out my function as prime minister,” the 39-year-old Macron ally said, adding that things could have worked if some had been “selfless”.
“One must always put one’s country before one’s party,” he said.
Macron, in what appeared to be a final attempt at stability, then asked Lecornu on Monday evening to stay on until Wednesday as the head of a caretaker government and to hold “final negotiations” with political parties in the interests of stability. It’s unclear what exactly these talks might entail or whether Lecornu might still emerge as prime minister at the end of them.
In a statement late on Monday on X, Lecornu said he accepted Macron’s proposal “to hold final discussions with the political forces for the stability of the country”. He added that he will report back to Macron by Wednesday evening and the president can then “draw his own conclusions”.
France expert Jacob Ross of the Hamburg-based German Council on Foreign Relations said the caretaker agreement was a “bizarre” one, even if legal, and underscored Macron’s desperation to project some form of control even as his options appear to be running out.
“For me, this really secures the narrative that Lecornu was Macron’s last bullet” to solve the current crisis, Ross said.
Why did Lecornu quit?
France has a deeply divided parliament that makes consensus difficult. Far-right and left-wing parties together hold more than 320 seats in the 577-seat lower house and abhor each other. Macron’s centrist and conservative bloc, which has tried to win conditional support from the left and right to rule, holds 210. No party has an overall majority.
After forming his government on Sunday, Lecornu immediately lost the support of the right-wing Republicans party (LR), which holds 50 seats, because of his choice for defence minister — former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.
LR President Bruno Retailleau, who was set to be interior minister in the government, announced on X on Sunday evening that his party was pulling out of the coalition because it did not “reflect the promised break” from pro-Macron ideologies initially assured by Lecornu. He said later on the broadcaster TF1 that Lecornu did not tell him Le Maire would be part of the government.
Le Maire is seen by many critics as representing Macron’s pro-privatisation economic policies and not the radical shifts that Lecornu promised in the three weeks of negotiations before forming a cabinet. Others, meanwhile, hold Le Maire responsible for overseeing the large public deficit during his term as finance minister from 2017 to 2024.
Lecornu’s exit affected the markets with stocks of prominent French companies dropping sharply by about 2 percent on the CAC 40, France’s benchmark stock index, although it has somewhat recovered since then.
Ministers who were supposed to form the government will now remain as caretakers until further notice. “I despair of this circus where everyone plays their role but no one takes responsibility,” Agnes Pannier-Runacher, who was set to be reappointed as ecology minister, said in a post on X.
Demonstrators march during a protest called by major trade unions to oppose budget cuts in Nantes in western France on September 18, 2025 [Mathieu Pattier/AP]
Why has France’s politics become unstable?
The issues go back to the snap elections in June 2024, which produced a hung parliament consisting of Macron’s centrist bloc as well as left and far-right blocs. With Macron failing to achieve a majority and with parliament consisting of such an uncomfortable coalition, his government has faced hurdles in passing policies.
Added to the political impasse are Macron’s attempts to push through deeply unpopular austerity measures to close widening deficits that resulted from COVID-19-era spending.
Bayrou, who was prime minister from December to September, proposed budget cuts in July to ease what he called France’s “life-threatening” debt burden and cut public spending by 44 billion euros ($52bn) in 2026. His plans included a freeze on pensions, higher taxes for healthcare and scrapping two holidays to generate economic activity. However, they were met with widespread furore in parliament and on the streets and resulted in waves of protests across France. Parliament eventually rejected Bayrou’s proposals in September, ending his nine-month run.
Lecornu, meanwhile, had abandoned the holiday clause and promised to target lifelong privileges enjoyed by ministers. He had negotiated with each bloc for three weeks, hoping to avoid a vote of no confidence. By Monday, it was clear that his approach had not worked.
Public anger has increasingly also been directed at Macron since he first imposed higher fuel taxes in 2018 – and later scrapped them after large-scale protests. In April 2023, Macron again drew popular anger when he forced through pension reforms that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. That policy was not reversed despite large protests led by trade unions. At present, the French president’s popularity in opinion polls has sunk to record lows.
“There is a numb anger in the voter base, a sense that politicians are playing around, and a huge part of the French electorate is disgusted,” Ross said. “My fear is that it is a potentially promising starting position to call for new elections but also a referendum on topics like migration and even France staying on in the European Union.”
President Emmanuel Macron speaks to members of the media at the EU summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 2, 2025 [Leonhard Foeger/Reuters]
What’s next for Macron?
Macron, due to be in office until April 2027, is increasingly under pressure. Opposition groups are capitalising on Lecornu’s resignation, and his own allies are publicly distancing themselves from him in a bid to boost their standing in the next elections, analysts said.
The anti-immigrant and anti-EU National Rally (RN) on Monday urged Macron to hold elections or resign. “This raises a question for the president of the republic: Can he continue to resist the legislature dissolution? We have reached the end of the road,” party leader Marine Le Pen told reporters on Monday. “There is no other solution. The only wise course of action in these circumstances is to return to the polls.” The RN is expected to gain more seats if elections are held.
Similar calls came from the left with members of the far-left France Unbowed party asking for Macron’s exit.
The president, who has not made a public statement but was spotted walking alone along the River Seine on Monday, according to the Reuters news agency, is also isolated within his own camp. Gabriel Attal, prime minister from January to September 2024 and head of Macron’s Renaissance party, said on the TF1 television channel that he no longer understood Macron’s decisions and it was “time to try something else”.
Edouard Phillipe, a key ally of Macron and prime minister from 2017 to 2020, also said Macron should appoint a caretaker prime minister and then call for an early presidential election while speaking on France’s RTL Radio. Phillipe, who is running in the 2027 elections under his centrist Horizons party, slammed what he said is a “distressing political game”.
France needs to “emerge in an orderly and dignified manner from a political crisis that is harming the country”, Philippe said. “Another 18 months of this is far too long.”
“People are seriously speculating that he might step down, and his allies are seeing him as political [dead] weight,” Ross said.
Macron, he added, has three options: elect yet another prime minister who might still struggle to gain parliamentary consensus, resign or more likely call for snap parliamentary elections – which could still fail to produce a majority government. All three options would come with their own challenges for the president, he noted. Macron has repeatedly ruled out stepping down.
The crisis, Ross said, is similarly affecting the president’s political standing on the international front as head of the EU’s second most populous economy.
STRICTLY pro Lauren Oakley has QUIT social media just a day before the first live show – saying “everyone has feelings”.
The dancer, who is partnered with football manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink this series, urged viewers to not troll the stars.
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Lauren Oakley has quit social media just a day before the first live showCredit: Louis Wood
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The pro dancer is partnered with football manager Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkCredit: BBC
Lauren, 34, shared a message with her followers before she takes a break from her X platform while the show is on.
She wrote: “Live show tomorrow. That’s me deleting X for now, have fun everyone. Enjoy the show. Don’t be mean. Everyone has feelings and everyone is trying their best. Think before you type. Love.”
Last series Lauren stepped in for Amy Dowden as her replacement after health concerns and danced withJLSsinger JB Gill.
Taking to the stage for the inaugural Icons Week, the pair blew the judges away and received an incredible 39 points.
VICKY Pattison and Dani Dyer’s dad Danny have rallied around her after she was forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing due to injury.
Strictly contestant Vicky and actor Danny led the stars sharing messages of support on Instagram last night after the Love Islander broke the news of her exit.
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Vicky Pattison has thrown her support behind pal Dani Dyer after her devastating early exit from Strictly Come DancingCredit: Instagram/vickypattison
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Vicky posted a string of photos from behind the scenes on the BBC showCredit: Instagram/vickypattison
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Danny also showed his support on his daughter’s postCredit: Instagram
Mum-of-three Dani was due to perform in her first live show on Saturday night with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, but said: “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny.
“I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.”
Dani, 29, continued: “Apparently doing the Quickstep on a fracture is not advisable and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance, so I’ve had to pull out of the show.
“To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement.
“I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”
Her dad left a broken-heart emoji beneath her post, and Vicky replied, saying: “Absolutely devastated for you Dani.
“I’m going to miss you so much… Love you loads x”
The ex-Geordie Shore star added a string of photos of them together in a separate post on her Instagram grid.
She revealed they formed a close bond during their time together on the show.
Vicky said: “I am absolutely gutted for you!! I have loved every minute of our little @bbcstrictly journey together and I’m devastated this is the end..
Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood reveals his surprising ‘favourite’ star ahead of tomorrow’s launch
“But I know you’ll be back next year with your incredible energy, amazing dance skills and beautiful soul… AND YOU’LL SMASH IT!!!
“I’m already peanut butter and jealous of whatever lucky sod gets to be your dressing room buddy… because you’re the best roomie ever.
“Love you mate and wishing you a speedy recovery… this series won’t be the same without you…”
Dani replied: “Going to miss you, love you millions.”
Just days ago Dani shared her nerves ahead of the live shows.
She said last week: “I’m absolutely petrified about dancing live on Saturday nights.”
Speaking to The Sun about her upcoming Strictly adventure, she was asked if her famous dad Danny Dyer was going to watch – and if he would get emotional.
The mum-of-three revealed: “He’s going to. He will try and keep it together. Him and my mum are making a little date day of it.
“They’re coming on the launch show together. They’re really excited.”
Asked whether she could persuade The Football Factory star to do Strictly in the future, she said: “When it [Strictly] was announced, someone said Dani Dyer is doing it – they thought it was my dad. It’s not Danny Dyer – it’s the other one.
Cardiff say they have begun a review process to find Sherratt’s long-term successor.
The region’s interim managing director, Jamie Muir, said: “The fact he has been approached by Wales is testament to the progress we have made as a club with him at the helm as head coach.
“We are confident with the staff that remain in place and are fully focussed on kicking off the new season on Saturday night in positive fashion.”
Former Osprey’s coach Tandy took over his role as Wales head coach on 1 September and has already added Danny Wilson to his management team with responsibility for the line-out and contact areas.
Sherratt returned to Cardiff for a second stint as Backs and Attack Coach in 2021 and spent the past two seasons as head coach.
“I am proud that we have been able to put the club back on solid foundations, have implemented a playing style that resonates with the history and city, and enjoyed so many memorable moments at the Arms Park,” added Sherratt.
“The timing is not ideal, however I am confident that the club is in good hands with some excellent coaches and staff behind the scenes.”
A Good Morning Britain news presenter has announced his departure from the ITV show, as he lands a new role at GB News – which he’s ‘thrilled’ to start in September
21:10, 29 Aug 2025Updated 21:16, 29 Aug 2025
A Good Morning Britain star has revealed he’s leaving the show amid ITV’s ongoing cutbacks. News reporter Will Godley has been a crucial part of the news team on the morning show for the last four years, delivering news updates from across the country. However, on Friday, Will revealed his time on ITV would be coming to an end – as he lands a new role on GB News.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce the news, Will announced: “JOB NEWS. Thrilled to be starting as a National Reporter at @GBNEWS in September!
“That means I’m sadly saying goodbye to @GMB after 4 wonderful years. A huge thanks to the brilliant team, who even made the nightshifts amazing. Really excited to get stuck in at GB News!”
The ITV news reporter will be moving over to GB News(Image: X/@willgodley)
From January 2026, ITV daytime will undergo huge schedule changes. Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes to run from 6am to 9.30am daily. However, programme Lorraine, which airs straight after, has been cut in half and will run for just thirty minutes from 9.30, rather than an hour.
Not only that, but the show will only run for 30 weeks a year, with Good Morning Britain running until 10am on the weeks it’s off air.
This Morning will stay in its usual slot of 10am-12.30pm slot on weekdays throughout the year, with Loose Women staying in the 12.30-1.30pm slot. However, like Lorraine, the panel show will also only air for 30 weeks of the year.
It comes after Noel Phillips was axed from the ITV show (Image: noel_philly/Instagram)
News of Will’s departure comes just months after it was revealed US correspondent Noel Phillips had been axed from the show.
It emerged via Deadline that he has been dropped from his position on the programme as ITV attempts to shave £15 million from its budget. The journalist joined the show in 2021 as a US correspondent, covering a number of huge events, including the US elections and LA wildfires.
“I’m still in disbelief,” he told the hosts. “I remember two weeks ago I was lying on the kitchen floor numb, refusing to accept the fact I did something so stupid.
“I felt embarrassed, I felt ashamed, I felt worthless. On top of that, the excruciating pain of all of this is the mental trauma.”
“How could someone like me who reports stories like this fall a victim? How could this happen to me?”, Noel was left questioning.
CORONATION Street star Adam Hussain has broken his silence after quitting the soap.
The 24-year-old, who played Dev and Sunita Alahan’s son Aadi for five years, insisted it’s “not goodbye forever”.
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Adam Hussain sent a message to Corrie fansCredit: Instagram / adam__hussain_
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The actor has played Aadi for five yearsCredit: ITV
The ITV actor joined Corrie in 2020 when he took over from Zennon Ditchett, who had already played the character for ten years.
He announced his plans to leave in April this year – and has now revealed he’s landed a role in a new feature film.
In a video message shared by Coronation Street, Adam says: “I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for watching Aadi on Corrie over the years.
“These past five years have been so educational and such an experience.
READ MORE ON CORONATION STREET
“I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime.
“And I’ve grown not just as an actor, but as a person as well.
“But I just want to say that it’s not goodbye forever, more like a see you later.
“And if you want to keep watching me, then I will be around in other stuff so keep your eyes peeled.”
In an interview with the Mirror, Adam – who has been auditioning for new roles since filming his final scene in June – said: “I want to spread my wings a little, go out in the big world and see what else I can do.
“I am really excited as I’ve got a new role in a horror feature film. I can’t say too much yet, but I am looking forward to it.
Adam Hussain’s Bold Exit: Coronation Street Shake-Up
“It’s very relieving to know I can always return whenever I want to.
“And they’ve told me the door will always be left open if I ever want to come back.”
He was flooded with support from fans in the comments.
One said: “Such a huge talent… all future tv and film dramas should count themselves very lucky that he is now available!”
Another added: “Wish you were staying! Your character had so much potential and would have loved to see your journey but wish you well in the future.”
Someone else wrote: “You are an amazing actor so we hope to see you back on TV very soon. All the very best buddy.”
CHRISTINE McGuinness was seen breaking down in tears tonight, as she quit Celebs Go Dating and said she just “wanted to go home”.
The model – who was married to comedianPaddy McGuinness, 51, until theirsplit in 2022– made the shock decision to leave the show on the latest episode.
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Christine McGuiness quit Celebs Go Dating tonightCredit: Channel 4
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Paddy McGuinness’ ex-wife opened up to the Celebs Go Dating agentsCredit: Channel 4
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The star became tearful as she explained her reasons for quittingCredit: Channel 4
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Christine began to cry and said she wanted to ‘go home’ and ‘be with her kids’Credit: Channel 4
Speaking to the show’s agents, she said: “Well, I’ve been thinking quite a lot whilst we’ve been in Ibiza and I think I need to date in more of a natural environment.
“I think I just would love to meet somebody and date more privately. It’s where I’m kind of feeling myself going back, when I want to go freely forward.
“Right. And I’ve made the decision to leave the agency.”
READ MORE ON CELEBS GO DATING
Continuing she said: “But as much as I am very, very comfortable talking about my sexuality and being me, and I know that I want to continue dating women, I’ve found that outside attention far too much.
“And I’ve found myself feeling like I’m hiding more. And I don’t want that. That’s not what I want.”
Christine then began to cry as she revealed she just wanted to “go home” and “be with her children”.
The tearful star said: “”I’ve been missing the kids loads this week. I think all the love I need right now is waiting for me at home.”
In an exclusive interview with The Sun earlier this month, love guru Anna Williamson opened up Paddy’s ex-wife’s sudden exit.
Emotional Christine McGuinness opens up about Paddy’s ‘mistakes’ in split saying ‘the trust was broken’
The star admitted Christine’s decision to join the show after her public split was a “brave” move, and it equally took courage for her exit the process after discovering it “wasn’t the right time” for her.
Anna explained: “It wasn’t the right time for Christine to continue her journey in the agency.
“I think this is the absolute beauty of what the Celebrity Dating agency does – yes it’s a TV show, but it’s also real.”
Anna added: “She realised that perhaps this actually wasn’t quite the right time for her to be doing that and took a great deal of confidence and bravery inside to recognise and actually now is not the right time.”
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The Sun were first to reveal Christine had left the show while filming in MayCredit: Channel 4
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Christine split from comedian Paddy McGuinness in 2022Credit: Getty
In a statement, she said at the time: “I joined Celebs Go Dating with great intentions but have realised that dating on a public platform and the attention that brings is just too soon for me.
“They’ve said the door is always open for me, which I’m so grateful for, but for now I’m returning home to my family.”
