risky

ONCE dubbed “the most boring man in football” Michael Owen’s choice to sign up for a fly-on-the-wall Amazon documentary about his family was unexpected to say the least.

The former England striker turned pundit, 46, allowed cameras to follow him, his wife Louise and their children Gemma, James, Emily and Jessica as they balance family life with running a horse racing business in Cheshire.

And it was a distinctly left-field move from Michael, who – unlike celebrity documentary subjects David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and the larger-than-life Tyson Fury – has largely stayed out of the spotlight.

He is seen joking in six part series Meet The Owens that he is now best known as a “boring p***k” or “Gemma Owen’s dad” after she appeared in Love Island, raising questions about why he would agree to film the at-home-with style show.

And we can reveal that the ex-footballer – often referred to as ‘the most boring man in football’ – signed up for his TV payday after ploughing £13 million into his racing business pushed him to his financial limit.

While he may have other streams of income, accounts for Michael’s company Owen Promotions show it holds just £7,219 in cash and owes £2.3m to creditors.

It also has three outstanding loans, two of which were taken out in March 2022 and February 2024 with Leeds-based MR Denton Properties.

A further loan was taken out in February 2024 with Andrew Black, who co-founded Betfair.

Two other loans with Grosvenor Funding, which claims to offer “fast and flexible” bridging loans were paid off in 2023.

And all five loans were secured using parts of the Owens home estate – a 42-acre estate he bought in 2001 for £4million.

Speaking in Meet the Owens, which is now number 3 on the Amazon Prime UK chart, Michael revealed he has had to put “£12 or £13 million” into Manor House Stables to build it to its current level.

But he admits the business – which makes cash by persuading investors to back the horses they buy at auction – still desperately needs investors.

And he describes their current status as: “Premier League. Brighton, but not seventh, but kind of bottom half.”

Footage from the first episode shows the racing enthusiast giving pal Jamie Carragher a tour of the impressive grounds and stables, showing off a horse owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and another he owns along with Paul Scholes, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves.

Drone shots show the impressive site from the air, while graphics also flash up on screen showing how the structure works – a handy guide for any would-be investors.

One source told us: “Michael is passionate about Manor House and racing, and he has done an incredible job on Manor House.

“The problem is that it is a big money pit and you can pour millions into it without any guarantee of winning horses.

“He loves it, and would never walk away, but it would be naive to say it hasn’t had a massive impact on his finances.

“And the pressure is never ending because as a business, you have to buy horses each year – for £90,000 or more – and try to find investors for them.

“Then the million-dollar question is whether or not those horses win, as the stables need winners to succeed.

“But the reality is that you only win a very small percentage of the races in which you have horses.”

Michael is now the sole shareholder for Manor House Stables LLP, which owns the stables, after director and co-owner Andrew Black resigned in March 2022 after six years.

Accounts show the company has healthy assets of approximately £13.6million.

Yet the source said the business still has a way to go before it becomes a money-spinner, rather than a money pit.

They added: “The Amazon payday has come at a good time for Michael, but he is also hoping the airtime for Manor House will attract more investors.

“The more money that comes in, the better the horses and the more winners we will see here.

“That will help the business move higher up the rankings among the top British stables.

“Michael loves racing and he is driven by passion for the sport, but he is also very competitive and wants to win.”

Previously, a source told us: “Michael is extremely determined to succeed in racing. He has poured millions of his own money into Manor House, and he will not stop until he’s at the very top.

“Signing up to broadcast this to the world was a huge risk for him, and he’s desperate for it to work.

“Michael is keen to show off how much Manor House is a reputable and successful stable, and he hopes putting the business on screen ends up being a help rather than a hindrance.”

A spokesperson for Michael declined to comment.

Sarah Leavitt, reporting from Paris for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), external, said the crowd “was left without words” by the stunning performance.

She noted that she didn’t want to cry, but “of course she cried right away.”

Dion also “endeared herself” to the crowd by saying during one song that she wanted to stop and start over.

Will Hodgkinson at the Times of London, external writes in his review, “miraculously, her art will go on,” that the performance was “overwhelming”.

She “looked suitably humbled and tearful” as she emerged, he said, going on to praise the stage direction.

“Truly, she was throwing the love at the crowd, who threw it right back at her. There was no holding back. It was quite overwhelming, actually,” he writes.

The performance was “complete with both costume, key change and air of tragic, important romance”.

“Céline Dion’s strength lies in being a diva with the common touch while being as French as they get, even if she is Canadian. She fulfilled that role with all the verve you could hope for,” writes Hodgkinson.

“The concert had a spiritual feel, with visual interludes steeped in biblical imagery alluding to a pilgrimage,” Elsa Keslassy writes for Variety., external

In video clips, Dion is seen wandering in a desert. “The set design was highly cinematic, with a monumental staircase sweeping up one side and a moon dominating the stage, while the backdrop appeared to have a stark, almost brutalist gray texture.”

The star, known for power ballads like My Heart Will Go On and Because You Loved Me, has said she will not let her diagnosis control her life.

“The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over,” she told French Vogue magazine, external in 2024.

“I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team.”

BROOKS Nader looked incredible in her latest risky outfit, as she went braless in a see-through top for a night out in New York.

The new Baywatch star, 29 is known for her daring looks and her latest one did not disappoint.

Brooks stepped out in the Big Apple in a daring bejewelled top.

The sexy star also ditched her bra for the occasion, baring her figure for all to see.

Brooks, who The Sun revealed has been enjoying a steamy romance with Brit actor Taron Egerton, 35, completed her look with a pair of low-slung white trousers.

This isn’t the first time Brooks has been bold with her fashion choices.

flirty france

Brooks Nader ditches underwear & flashes huge bruise on her bum in St Tropez

‘HAPPY GIRL’

Brooks Nader goes braless under plunging see-through dress

Just days ago, she also stepped out in New York in a lacy dress – again not bothering with a bra.

And then two weeks ago she ditched her underwear again in France in a sexy white gown.

Aside from modelling for Sports Illustrated, Brooks is known for her various TV appearances.

This includes her stint on Dancing With The Stars and her reality show Love Thy Nader.

However, her biggest gig to date is her role in the new reboot of Baywatch.

Brooks has stepped into the same part that made Pamela Anderson, 59, famous.