The Married at First Sight UK star has been spotted partying with a famous face – and it’s not Grace
Samantha King Content Editor
15:00, 23 Oct 2025Updated 15:01, 23 Oct 2025
Ashley Dommett is partnered with midwife Grace Law on the programme(Image: Channel 4)
Married at First Sight UK groom Ashley Dommett has ignited speculation about a potential new romance after being caught on camera partying with two brides from last year’s series.
The 35-year-old Welshman is currently matched with midwife Grace Law, 31, on the programme’s tenth series presently broadcasting on E4. However, their conflicting values and differing humour has created tension within their partnership.
Whilst the pair remain coupled up on the programme, they have stopped following one another on Instagram in recent weeks, fuelling speculation that they separated once cameras stopped rolling.
An insider close to the production told The Sun: “Grace has gone rogue recently and been slamming the show and the edit on socials, and now her and Ashley aren’t following each other, it’s pretty clear they aren’t together any more.”
On Wednesday evening (October 22) former MAFS UK participant Hannah Norburn shared footage showing herself enjoying beverages with her Season 9 colleague Sionainn Carmichael, alongside Ashley, reports OK!
In the footage, the threesome each grin at the camera whilst dancing with drinks as Justin Bieber’s track Baby plays in the background. She captioned the post: “Mini MAFS reunion with a new recruit and the worlds most unlikely trio.”
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MAFS UK viewers were swift to swamp the comments section, questioning the stars about whether romance was developing.
However, Ashley maintained the group were “just friends,” disclosing: “It was actually Leisha Lightbody that organised the night but then had to work late and bail last minute.”
Both Hannah and Sionainn endured turbulent experiences during their series. Hannah was matched with a groom she repeatedly clashed with until he stopped communicating with her entirely, whilst also facing severe backlash from fellow brides who branded her a flirt with their partners.
She discovered comfort with co-star Orson, who similarly battled his own relationship troubles.
Meanwhile Sionainn departed the programme following an explosive row with her groom Ryan. She revealed to two fellow contestants that he admitted to “faking it all” throughout filming and viewed the experiment as merely a “holiday romance.”
Given their challenging ordeals, several comments beneath the footage targeted Hannah specifically, prompting Ashley to defend her.
“She’s actually a really nice person mate, had a class and needed fun night with them both last night,” he wrote.
Married at First Sight UK continues on Sunday night at 9pm on E4
Rumours across social media platforms that a huge comet is on a collision course with Earth have been circulating, with some users describing it as a major threat to humanity.
Others are debating how the comet – known as 3I/ATLAS and detected by NASA’s ATLAS telescope on July 1 – might be diverted from the Earth. Some have even gone so far as to highlight “news” of military movements and an international coordination to counter the comet before impact, prompting further alarm.
So is there any truth to these rumours and what do we know for sure?
When and how did rumours about the comet start?
Rumours began spreading after the New York Post published a story on September 29 under the headline: “‘Massive’ comet hurtling toward us is larger than previously thought, could be alien tech, scientist says: ‘It could change everything for us’.”
Users on X (formerly Twitter) circulated screenshots of the article to support their claims. One account, under the name Steven Greenstreet, wrote: “Scientists say a massive alien spaceship is hurtling towards Earth. Why aren’t more people talking about this?”
Scientists say a massive alien spaceship is hurtling towards Earth. Why aren’t more people talking about this?!?! 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/Q2NvVdcXa7
Another account called Dr Disclosure reposted the story, adding: “This is why all the generals are gathering!” – a reference to a September 30 meeting of US military leaders chaired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That post racked up more than half a million views.
Meanwhile, an account under the name Richard Roeper shared his concerns: “A massive comet is reportedly hurtling toward Earth at 130,000 mph! Can we stop it? I’m told there are two missions in the works – one involving the specially selected “Messiah Crew,” and one utilizing two squads, known as the Freedom Team and the Independence Team. We got this.”
A massive comet is reportedly hurtling toward Earth at 130,000 mph! Can we stop it? I’m told there are two missions in the works–one involving the specially selected “Messiah Crew,” and one utilizing two squads, known as the Freedom Team and the Independence Team. We got this. pic.twitter.com/dsbgW0giLD
Speculation escalated, with some accounts suggesting the object was not a comet at all but in fact a spacecraft heading towards Earth.
An account under the name Lord Bebo shared statements falsely attributed to US physicist Michio Kaku, claiming the object was on the way “to conduct a reconnaissance mission, possibly with hostile intent”. The post, accompanied by an edited screenshot of a television interview with Kaku and the caption, “It might be an ALIEN probe sent to Earth” garnered more than 290,000 views and dozens of comments.
☄️ Comet stirs debate among astrophysicists & they call for urgent international attention on interstellar object 3I/ATLAS
Physicist Michio Kaku: its acceleration cannot be explained by conventional causes, and it’s approaching Earth CLOSER than expected
Similarly, another account called Astronomy Vibes suggested: “While most scientists agree it’s likely a strange comet, a few bold voices suggest it might be something more – maybe even an engineered probe from another civilization.” No evidence was provided.
🚨 Breaking Cosmic News! Scientists have spotted a 7-mile-wide interstellar visitor — the largest of its kind ever seen — racing through our solar system. Known as 3I/ATLAS, this giant comet isn’t from around here… it comes from deep interstellar space! 🌌
Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, SANAD, investigated the claims about the comet known as 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object, to determine whether it really poses any real threat to Earth or could even be a hostile probe.
The comet was in fact detected by NASA’s ATLAS telescope on July 1, 2025. NASA, which describes it as having “a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust coming off its solid, icy nucleus”, confirmed that it poses no danger to Earth. It noted that the closest it has come to the Earth was about 270 million kilometres (167.8 million miles) on July 21.
The European Space Agency (ESA) also confirmed that the comet poses no threat to Earth or to any other planet, explaining that its closest distance was more than 2.5 times that between Earth and the Sun.
According to NASA, the comet will reach its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, 2025. At that point, it will be about 210 million km (130.5 million miles) from the sun, just inside the orbit of Mars.
This is a significant comet, however. According to the Hubble Space Telescope, it is travelling at about 210,000 kilometres per hour (130,500 miles per hour) – the fastest speed ever recorded for a “visitor” to our solar system.
🆕 Hubble has caught an interstellar interloper — comet 3I/ATLAS!
NASA said the comet presents a rare opportunity for scientists to study an interstellar “visitor” as it passes through the solar system.
“Hubble’s continuing observations allow astronomers to more accurately estimate the size of the comet’s nucleus,” the agency said in a statement. “Observations as of August 20, 2025, indicate that the upper limit on its diameter is 3.5 miles (5.6 km), though it could be as small as 1,444ft (440 metres) across.”
Comet 3I/ATLAS doesn’t pose a threat to Earth, but it does provide NASA scientists and spacecraft with a rare opportunity to study an interstellar comet as it passes through our solar system. ☄ https://t.co/B1MkBRZuT4pic.twitter.com/wAmBUEte8l
As for the quotes attributed to physicist Michio Kaku, SANAD found no evidence supporting them. The image circulating online was taken from an older interview with US outlet Nation News on February 20, 2025 – months before the discovery of 3I/ATLAS.
Love Island star Yasmin Pettet shut down the rumours claiming she cheated on Jamie Rhodes at the National Television Awards and revealed the two had split up before the event
Love Island’s Yasmin slams ‘laughable’ rumours she cheated on Jamie as she confirms split(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)
Love Island’s Yasmin Pettet slammed the “laughable” rumours she cheated on Jamie Rhodes with The Traitors star Freddie Fraser as she confirmed their split. After the National Television Awards last week, reports claimed Jamie supposedly told friends Yasmin ‘f***ed off’ by the end of the night.
It was also reported Yasmin had been seen holding hands with The Traitors star Freddie at the same event. And now, Yasmin took to social media to set the record straight and revealed she and Jamie went their separate ways before the NTAs but didn’t “formally announce it yet”.
“We’re still really good friends, and I’ll always have so much love and care for him for making my Love Island experience what it was,” she explained.
Love Island star Yasmin breaks silence on split from Jamie
“I find it laughable that everyone thinks I cheated on Jamie with Freddie from Traitors, which is not true, and anyone who knows me knows my type is late 20s, 30s plus. @__jamierhodes___ is literally the most amazing man ever, and I’m forever grateful for the memories we made and time we spent together.”
Jamie also took to his Instagram page to reveal what actually went down last night as he defended Yasmin.
He said: “There has been a lot of speculation over the past few days about what happened at the NTA’s covered by a lot of different news outlets that really don’t seem to have a straight story. A lot of the stories coming out don’t make any sense as the sources have heard short snippets of conversations that they weren’t apart of, and are subsequently playing a guessing game about the context and facts of each scenario.
The duo met on Love Island this summer(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
“I wasn’t desperately trying to find Yas after the NTA’S I was trying to hitch a ride back to my hotel with Cach and Toni, and when asked where Yas was and I said she f***ed off. This is what I say every time I’m with company and they leave, it’s strong set in my vocabulary.
“It was also said that I was fuming at the a party the following day after the NTA’s when it was the complete opposite actually, it was a great night!”
He continued: “One part that the press have gotten correct is that Yas and I have decided to move away from getting to know each other romantically to just being friends. However unlike the news has said, it was in a very amicable manner and before the NTA’S.
“Yasmin did not cheat on me nor was we in a relationship, we both have big love for one another and want the best for each of us. I hope this clears up any press speculation and puts any rumours to bed. And thank you once again to everyone who supported me and Yasmin inside and outside the villa.”
The apparent split comes weeks after Yasmin explained the pair were yet to be intimate outside the villa. She admitted she had been grieving the loss of her pet cat, Miaow Miaow.
And she praised Jamie for providing her with emotional support during the tough times. She also said the couple weren’t in a rush to progress with the romance.
Strictly Come Dancing is set to return later this year with pros like Nadiya Bychkova having already begun rehearsals, ahead of the line-up of contestants being announced
Chris Robshaw is reportedly in talks for Strictly Come Dancing 2025(Image: Getty Imagesfor Barbarians)
A retired rugby union player is reportedly in talks to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. There’s already speculation over who they could be partnered with for the BBC dance contest if they end up taking part in the upcoming series.
It’s been teased that Chris would likely be paired up with pro Nadiya Bychkova, 35, if he does Strictly this year. She was announced as one of the returning dancers in April, alongside two new additions to the pro line-up.
Chris Robshaw (left), pictured with his wife Camilla Kerslake (right), is reportedly in talks for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing(Image: Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Sexy Fish)
Chris, who is married to classical singer Camilla Kerslake, is thought to be almost 6 foot 2 inches tall so there’s speculation that Nadiya would be only pro close to matching his stature, unless he has a same-sex partner for the competition. A source teased to the Sun that Chris, who is reportedly in “advanced talks” for Strictly, and returning pro Nadiya could deliver “sizzling performances” if they are partnered on the show.
The source said: “Chris is likely to be the hunkiest celebrity signing for the 2025 show and if he does get paired with Nadiya will deliver some sizzling performances. But as a former rugby star he’ll also have some big dance shoes to fill as plenty of other players have gone onto Strictly and done remarkably well.”
A number of former rugby players have competed on Strictly since the TV show launched in 2004, with Martin Offiah placing fourth in the first series. Matt Dawson was runner-up in 2006 and Kenny Logan then placed fifth in 2007.
Austin Healey also achieved a top five position when he competed in 2008, having placed fourth. Gavin Henson, who appeared on the show in 2010, and Ben Cohen, who competed in 2013, ended up in fifth and eighth place respectively.
There’s speculation that the former rugby union player could end up being partnered with pro Nadiya Bychkova on the BBC show given his height(Image: Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
More recently, contestants with a background in rugby haven’t done as well on Strictly though. Thom Evans placed twelfth when he competed in the ballroom back in 2014 and Ugo Monye placed eleventh in the contest in 2021.
The line-up of contestants for the new series has yet to be announced. The BBC however has already confirmed which pros will be returning to the dancefloor, with Nadiya among the dancers coming back for another series.
Nadiya and the other pros have already started rehearsing for the upcoming series. They have posted updates from training on Instagram, including introducing Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, who are the newest pros on the show.
A photo of the group together in a dance studio was shared by Nadiya last night. She wrote in the caption: “Back in the ballroom bubble with the best in the business. Another season, another adventure – and I’m so ready for it.”
Pamela Anderson has admitted to being ‘nervous’ to meet Liam Neeson on the set of The Naked Gun but he has revealed how the unique way she created ‘chemistry’ between them
Pamela Anderson has admitted that she was ‘very nervous’ to meet Liam Neeson on set of The Naked Gun.
The Baywatch legend, 58, has had a major career revival in recent years and recently enjoyed a star turn in The Last Showgirl but now she is back on-screen alongside fellow A-lister Liam in the upcoming action comedy, admitted amid romance rumours that she had assumed he was ‘very scary’ before they actually worked together.
During an appearance on Monday’s Loose Women in a pre-recorded segment with panelist GK Barry, she explained: “Your nerves are always going before you meet an entire crew and everybody all at once but especially meeting Liam. It was really scary, because he’s so scary. He’s had an amazing career and I feel like I’m just starting so I felt a little insecure. But then the butterflies went away and there you are.”
But in the end, Pamela and Liam were able to bond simply by spending ‘so much time’ together during production, and insisted that there was a “a kind of natural chemistry that happened, I don’t know if it always happens but we were lucky”. Liam revealed that his co-star would often bake for him, as he explained during the joint interview: “Pamela is a fantastic cook, she’s a baker, and she, very sweetly, numerous times made me some sourdough bread.”
However, GK stopped the interview momentarily to note her surprise at the model’s self-conscious nature as she reminded her: “You are Pamela Anderson…”. But the actress was quick to note that she isn’t fond of hearing her full moniker, as she claimed: “I don’t like that name. Every time I hear that name I go…no, sometimes, it just sounds funny.”
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson are starring together in The Naked Gun
Pamela, who was famouslymarried to Motley Crue rocker Tommy Lee in the 1990s and has sons Brandon 29, and Dylan, 27, with him also admitted that it was just ‘nice to play a role in a film’ as opposed to her ‘a role in personal life’ but insisted that amid this period of her career, she is doing things on her terms. She said: “I’m just doing it my own way. I’m not listening to too much of the advice of others because I don’t know what my next incarnation will be or what I want to be but I just feel more comfortable this way right now. But it could change tomorrow, we could change our mind!”
Liam recently joked that filming the ‘sex scenes’ with Pamela was his favourite part of filming the latest instalment. He also commented on having an intimacy coordinator on set. “I’d never had one before. But she was in the background. There was no kind of, ‘OK! Excuse me!’,” he said. Pamela, who plays a nightclub singer who goes to Police Squad for help after her brother is murdered, said the intimacy coordinator knew when to walk away.
She joked that the staff member stormed off as Liam claimed she was exasperated and said: “I can’t take this! This is too hot for me. I’m going for coffee.” Liam and Pamela had nothing but compliments for each other, with Liam previously telling People that he was “madly in love” with the former Playboy cover star.” She’s just terrific to work with,” he said. “I can’t compliment her enough, I’ll be honest with you. No huge ego. She just comes in to do the work. She’s funny and so easy to work with. She’s going to be terrific in the film.”
And last month, Pamela said: “Our chemistry was clear from the start. We have the utmost respect for one another. I invited him and his assistant over for romantic dinners with me and my assistant so our relationship stayed ‘professionally romantic’ during filming.”
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 is only a few months away and rumours are already rife about who will be strutting their stuff in sequins on the much-loved BBC series
The new series of Strictly Come Dancing is only a few months away
It seems like only yesterday that Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell waltzed away with the Glitterball trophy, but the new series of Strictly Come Dancing is only a few months away. The BBC often reveals its line-up of celebrity contestants in August, but that hans’t stopped the rumour mill from churning.
A whole host of famous faces are said to be on the top of producers’ lists this year, including Sort Your Life Out star, Stacey Solomon, and Love Island winner, Dani Dyer, who recently tied the knot with West Ham player, Jarrod Bowen. So, as we wait and see who will be strutting their stuff on the dance floor when the new series kicks off in September, here’s the rumoured line-up, starting with mum-of-five, and DIY enthusiast Stacey Solomon…
Stacey Solomon could be strutting her stuff on Strictly Come Dancing this year(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Stacey Solomon
Stacey is among many names said to be lined up for Strictly. The Sort Your Life Out star, 35, has a whole host of reality TV shows under her belt, including I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, which she won.
The plucky DIY enthusiast also has a fly-on-the-wall show with husband, Joe Swash called Stacey and Joe. In the series, filmed in Pickle Cottage, the pair navigate marriage and parenthood with their combined brood of six kids.
Dani Dyer recently got married to West Ham star, Jarrod Bown(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Dani Dyer
Fresh from her marriage to West Ham star, Jarrod Bowen, Danny Dyer’s daughter, Dani, could be coming to Strictly. The mum-of-three won Love Island and has a popular podcast with her famous dad in which they discuss all manner of things with refreshing honesty.
Dani, 28, gained a huge following after Love Island and as a proud parent of three kids, including twin girls, Summer and Star, she would be a great addition to the show as a working mum.
Paul C. Brunson is said to be the ‘ideal tonic’ for Strictly(Image: We Need To Talk/Youtube)
Paul C. Brunson
Married At First Sight guru, Paul C. Brunson, 50, is a huge hit with fans after dishing out advice on the popular Channel 4 dating show. He is also has a successful podcast, We Need To Talk, in which he interviews a host of celebrities, who wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Referring to the scandals that have plagued Strictly in recent years, a source told The Sun: “Paul would be the ideal tonic to the dark clouds over Strictly as he’s clean-cut, very intelligent and has no scandals to worry about.”
Geordie Shore star, Vicky Pattison-Ramadan, 37, is also rumoured to be in the line-up
Vicky Pattison- Ramadan
Geordie Shore star, Vicky, 37, is also rumoured to be in the line-up and has a load of experience on TV. Since shooting to fame on Geordie Shore, she has carved out a successful career, appearing on shows, including I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, which she won in 2015.
She got married to husband Ercan Ramadan last year in two ceremonies, including a lavish bash in Italy, which was attended by the couple’s famous pals.
Ex On The Beach star, Ashley Cain, 34, could be slipping into some sequins(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Children With Cancer UK)
Ashley Cain
Ex On The Beach star, Ashley Cain, 34, could also be slipping into sequins in September. The former footballer, who has load of reality TV experience, is said to have also impressed BBC bosses with his presenting work.
A source told The Mirror: “He’s a proper character with a very interesting background that looks the part. He would be a great addition to the Strictly line-up. He’s presented a couple of BBC shows and has really impressed.”
Queen Camilla’s son, Tom Parker-Bowles, 50 is said to be top of Strictly bosses’ wish lists(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Tom Parker-Bowles
Queen Camilla’s son, Tom, 50 is said to be top of Strictly bosses’ wish lists. The food critic has published a number of books, including titles for posh shop, Fortnum and Mason.
Tom is the Queen’s oldest child child from her first marriage to retired Army officer Andrew Parker-Bowles.
Angellica Bell says her friends have recommended she go on Strictly(Image: PA)
Angellica Bell
Fresh from her stint on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year, Kids TV star, Angellica, 49, could be lining up for some more screen time.
The TV presenter has expressed her interest in taking part in Strictly, having recently told The Sun: “So people have done it and say it’s really good. So when I’ve had, like, in-depth conversations with people who are my friends and they say it’s great, I would definitely go from their recommendation. And they always say, oh, you should do it.”
The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment.
* Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer later this year.
Love Island host Maya Jama shut down ‘fix’ rumours after fans claimed the producers are ‘too involved’ in what happens in the programme
07:26, 01 Jul 2025Updated 07:26, 01 Jul 2025
Maya Jama sets record straight on Love Island ‘fix’ rumours amid fan complaints(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Love Island host Maya Jama has hit back at claims producers are ‘too involved’ in what happens in the show. The ITV2 star, who is the face of the popular dating programme, claimed that the show is “real” but producers do step in to “encourage” the islanders to have specific talks with each other.
During her appearance on The Chunkz Show, she insisted she gets results about who gets dumped from the villa at the same time as all the other contestants. Maya admitted: “I’ve never said the wrong name, but there are cameras constantly around and they like the dramatic pauses.
Maya said the producers only ‘encourage’ the stars to chat(Image: YouTube/The Chunkz Show)
“There is a lot of me saying something and then it waits. It’s funny with the new Islanders, where they’re not used to me saying something and then pausing for ages and they’re all looking around like ‘is she frozen?’.
“I feel so awkward for them because they’re just standing there in their little outfits.” She went on to tell host Chunkz that the producers don’t get involve but ‘encourage’ the stars to talk to each other.
“I don’t know if it’s illegal or what but they can’t tell them what to do,” Maya said. “The ’most they can do is encourage them to have a little chat, but it has to be real because it’s reality.
Fans complained about the new heart rate challenge(Image: ITV)
“I do this technique where I don’t let them tell me who’s going until I’m stood in front of them in my ear because I don’t want to stare at the person or give away.”
She added: “Literally as I say it, I find out one second before anyone else.” Meanwhile, fans recently had another complaint when it came to a fan-favourite challenge of the show.
After the recoupling came the Heart Rate Challenge but fans were left fuming when they realised an iconic part of the show had been changed. Instead of sitting around the firepit, the Islanders were sat in a row on chairs.
The Islanders were over the moon when Shakira read out a text that said: “Islanders, it’s time to get each others’ pulses racing in tonight’s Boys vs Girls challenge. #HeartthrobMode #BootyandBeats”.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans complained about the change. One said: “this might be the worst heart rate challenge in history… why are they sitting on wooden chairs.”
Another responded: “Why the f**k are they in these chairs and not around the fire pit this show is losing it’s traditions.”
“I just know trying to dance on them on those plastic chairs is so uncomfortable and awkward,” as a fourth wrote: “I think I’m gonna die of cringe somehow them being on chairs makes this worse.”
Glastonbury Festival will take a break next year – but when it’s back in June 2027, these are the big name music acts who could be taking the headline spots
12:41, 30 Jun 2025Updated 12:42, 30 Jun 2025
The next Glastonbury Festival is set to take place in 2027 – as 2026 is a break year (Image: Redferns)
Glastonbury 2025 has only just finished – but already bookies are placing bets on who will headline the next festival, which will take place in two years time.
Next year the festival will have a break to let the ground at Worthy Farm recover from the thousands of revellers who descend on it every year. This break happens every five years. This means the next Glastonbury Festival will take place at the end of June 2027. And bookies William Hill have already released the names of the music acts they think will headline it.
Geordie singer Sam Fender is 2/1 favourite to headline the Pyramid Stage. This is followed by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift – who are joint second place with odds of 3/1. While Beyonce, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Eminem are all on 4/1.
Though many fans will be hoping that rock band Oasis – who are about to kick off their reunion tour this week now warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have patched things up – will perform. They are also 4/1 to headline Glasto in 2027.
Geordie singer Sam Fender is the bookies’ favourite to headline Glastonbury in 2027 (Image: WireImage)
Lee Phelps, spokesperson for William Hill, said: “The mammoth Glastonbury clear up might just be getting underway after this year’s festival, but there’s already speculation about who could be the next headliners.
“We make Geordie singer Sam Fender a narrow 2/1 favourite to step onto the Pyramid Stage as a headliner in 2027, ahead of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran (both 3/1) and a whole host of stars, including Eminem, Beyonce, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, priced at 4/1.
“This week’s hugely anticipated Oasis return could well set them up for major festivals in the coming years and we also make the Gallagher brothers 4/1 to headline Glastonbury in 2027.”
This year’s Pyramid Stage headliners included The 1975 on the Friday, Neil Young on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on Sunday. While the ‘Sunday legends’ slot was taken by Sir Rod Stewart, who brought pals Lulu and Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood on stage.
Nineties indie rockers Pulp were revealed as the mysterious ‘Patchwork’ band and performed on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night. Other acts who did surprise sets included Lorde, Haim and Fatboy Slim and his DJ son Woody.
His voice faltered as he told the crowd: “Glastonbury, I’m really sorry. I’m a bit annoyed with myself.” The crowd soon took over the vocals of his hit Someone You Loved.
Announcing he was taking a break from music to focus on his health, Lewis – who suffers from Tourette’s and anxiety – told fans: “I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks. So you probably won’t see much of me for the rest of the year, maybe even. But when I do come back and when I do see you, I hope you’re still up for watching us.”
Lewis cried during his comeback performance as he began to sing his new song Survive, which he released yesterday. He said his one goal was to get back on stage at Glastonbury as he paid tribute to fans.
Fake stories of a coup d’etat in the West African nation of Ivory Coast surfaced this week amid mounting tensions over the upcoming October general elections.
Several accounts on social media sites, including Facebook and X, posted videos of huge crowds on streets with burning buildings, which they claimed were from the country’s commercial capital, Abidjan.
However, no violence was reported by security forces or any other government authorities in the city this week. Abidjan residents also denied the claims on social media.
On Thursday, the country’s National Agency for Information Systems Security of Ivory Coast (ANSSI) denied the rumours.
In a statement published on local media sites, the agency said: “Publications currently circulating on the X network claim that a coup d’etat has taken place in Cote d’Ivoire [Ivory Coast] … This claim is completely unfounded. It is the result of a deliberate and coordinated disinformation campaign.”
The rumours come just weeks after popular opposition politician Tidjane Thiam was barred from running for office after his eligibility was challenged in court over a technicality relating to his citizenship status. Thiam is appealing the ruling and claims the ban is political.
Ivory Coast, Africa’s cocoa powerhouse, has a long history of election violence, with one episode a decade ago spiralling into armed conflict that resulted in thousands of deaths.
Fears that President Alassane Ouattara might run for a fourth term have added to the tensions this time. Although the country has a two-term limit for presidents, a constitutional amendment in 2016 reset the clock on his terms, the president’s supporters argue, allowing him to run for a third five-year term in 2020. That same argument could also see him on the ballot papers this October, despite what experts say is widespread disillusionment with the political establishment in the country.
Here’s what we know about the current political situation in the country:
A policeman walks past a burning barricade during a protest after security forces blocked access to the house of the former president, Henri Konan Bedie, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 [Leo Correa/AP]
How did the coup rumours start?
Videos showing hundreds of people demonstrating in the streets and setting fires to shops and malls started appearing on social media sites on Wednesday this week. French is the official language in Ivory Coast, but most of the posts and blogs with images purporting to be from were from Abidjan and claiming that a coup d’etat was in progress were written in English.
Some posts also claimed that the country’s army chief of staff, Lassina Doumbia, had been assassinated and that President Ouattara was missing. These claims were untrue and have been denied by the office of the president. Credible media outlets, including Ivorian state media and private news media, did not report the alleged violence.
It is unclear how the rumours that President Ouattara was missing emerged. On Thursday, he chaired a routine cabinet meeting in the capital. He also attended a ceremony commemorating the revered former president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, alongside Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe.
Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, left, speaks while meeting Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara at the presidential palace in Abidjan on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 [Diomande Ble Blonde/AP]
Why are there political tensions in the country?
The upcoming general elections on October 25 are at the root of current political tensions in the country.
Elections have in the past been violent: During the October 2010 general election, former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to hand over power to Ouattara, who was proclaimed the winner by the electoral commission.
Tense political negotiations failed, and the situation eventually spiralled into armed civil war, with Ouattara’s forces, backed by French troops, besieging Gbagbo’s national army. France is the former colonial power in Ivory Coast, and Ouattara has close ties to Paris.
Some 3,000 people were killed in the violence. Gbagbo’s capture on April 11, 2011, marked the end of the conflict. He was later tried and acquitted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in 2019.
That painful history has spurred fears that this year’s polls could also turn violent, as several opposition candidates, including Gbagbo, have been barred from running, mainly due to past convictions. In 2018, the former president was sentenced in absentia to a 20-year jail term over the looting of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) during the country’s post-election crisis.
Last December, the governing Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party nominated Ouattara for a fourth term as president. So far, Ouattara has refused to say whether he intends to run, triggering concerns among Ivorians, many of whom feel the president has outstayed his welcome. Analysts see the party’s nomination as setting the stage for his eventual candidature, however.
Analysts also say there is widespread sympathy for the young military leaders who seized power in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, and who have maintained a hostile stance towards France, unlike Ouattara.
What is the popular view of Ouattara?
He has been praised for overseeing rapid economic stability in the last decade and a half, which has made the country the regional economic hub.
Ouattara is also credited with bringing some level of political peace to the country. In 2023, he welcomed back Gbagbo, who had been living in Brussels since his 2021 ICC acquittal. Since then, election campaigns have not been as inflamed as they were in the 2000s when Gbagbo played on ethnic sentiments to incite opposition to Ouattara, whose father was originally from Burkina Faso.
However, Ouattara’s critics accuse him of fighting to hold onto power unconstitutionally. Some also accuse him of coercing state institutions into railroading his political opponents, including in the latest case involving Thiam.
His closeness with France, which is increasingly viewed as arrogant and neo-colonialistic, particularly by younger people across Francophone West Africa, has not won the president any favour from the country’s significant under-35 population.
Partisans of PDCI (Democratic Party of Ivory Coast) protest against the Ivorian justice decision to remove their leader Tidjane Thiam from the electoral list, at their headquarters in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, April 24, 2025 [Luc Gnago/Reuters]
Who is Tidjane Thiam, and why has he been barred from the elections?
Thiam, 62, is a prominent politician and businessman in Ivorian political circles. He is a nephew of the revered Houphouet-Boigny and was the first Ivorian to pass the entrance exam to France’s prestigious Polytechnique engineering school. He returned from France to serve as a minister of planning and development from 1998 until 1999, when a coup d’etat collapsed the civilian government, and the army took control of the country.
Thiam declined a cabinet position offered by the military government and left the country. He went on to take high-profile positions, first as the chief executive of the UK insurance group, Prudential, and then as head of global investment bank Credit Suisse. A corporate espionage scandal at the bank led to his resignation in 2020 after a colleague accused Thiam of spying on him. Thiam was cleared of any involvement.
After returning to Ivory Coast in 2022, Thiam re-entered politics and rejoined the Democratic Party (PDCI), the former governing party which held power from independence in 1960 until the 1999 coup d’etat, and which is now the major opposition party.
In December 2023, the party’s delegates overwhelmingly voted for Thiam to be the next leader following the death of former head and ex-President Henri Konan Bedie. At the time, PDCI officials said Thiam represented a breath of fresh air for the country’s politics, and many young people appeared ready to back him as the next president.
But his ambitions came to a halt on April 22 when a judge ordered his name be struck off the list of contenders because Thiam had taken French nationality in 1987 and automatically lost Ivorian citizenship according to the country’s laws.
Although the politician renounced his French nationality in February this year, the court ruled he had not done so before registering himself on the electoral roll in 2022, and was thus ineligible to be the party leader, a presidential candidate, or even a voter.
Thiam and his lawyers argued that the law is inconsistent. Ivorian footballers on the country’s national team, Thiam pointed out in one interview with reporters, are mostly also French nationals, but face no restrictions on holding Ivorian nationality. “The bottom line is, I was born Ivorian,” Thiam told the BBC in an interview, accusing the government of trying to block what he said is his party’s likely success in this year’s elections.
Will Thiam be able to stand and who else is standing?
It is unclear if Thiam can legally make his way back onto the candidate list, but he is trying.
In May, he resigned as PDCI president and was almost immediately re-elected with 99 percent of the vote. He has yet to reveal if he will attempt to re-register as a candidate, but has promised to keep up the fight.
Thiam has pledged to attract industrial investment to the country as he once did as minister, and to remove the country from the France-backed CFA currency economy that comprises West and Central African countries formerly colonised by France, and sees their currencies pegged to the euro.
Meanwhile, other strong candidates include Pascal Affi N’Guessan, 67, a former prime minister and close ally of Gbagbo, who will represent Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front (FPI).
Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady who is now divorced from Gbagbo, will also run, as the nominee for the Movement of the Capable Generations. She was sentenced to a 20-year term in 2015 on charges of undermining state security, but benefitted from an amnesty law to foster national reconciliation later in 2018.
VICK Hope has kept her pregnancy under wraps for months now – but dropped some major hints that left fans speculating.
The Radio 1 presenter and husband Calvin Harris, who tied the knot on their Ibiza farm in 2023, will become parents later this year.
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Vick Hope has dropped subtle clues that she was pregnant for months nowCredit: Getty
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The host as resorted to wearing oversized clothes to keep her bump under wrapsCredit: Getty
Vick shared the news live on Radio 1 today, telling Jamie Laing: “I should probably also say this is my final week before I go on maternity leave.”
Jamie told her: “You’re an amazing friend, an amazing person, and you’re just going to be an amazing mum,.”
She replied: “Oh, thank you.”
But many fans had already guessed that the DJ was pregnant months ago.
Here we take a look at some of the clues that Vick subtly dropped to hint at her pregnancy.
BABY SHOWER
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Vick appeared to celebrate her baby shower a couple of weeks agoCredit: Getty
Vick appeared to celebrate her baby shower a couple of weeks ago as she shared a picture playing a baby shower game – during a meal with friends.
Vick and Calvin certainly have solid foundations to give a baby the best possible early life.
Calvin and Vick have a stunning 138-acre organic farm in Ibiza, known as Terra Masia.
The Spanish estate produces fruit, vegetables, eggs, and wine, and represents Harris’s shift from jet-set lifestyle to a more rural affair.
A source told The Sun in 2022: “Calvin employs an expert team, including farmers and chefs, but he’s also hands-on, regularly getting involved in planting and other farm activities. He’s truly passionate about the project.”
They also have a 10-acre estate in the Cotswolds, which Calvin purchased for £3.6m in 2019.
Over the last few years a bespoke new mansion has been built on the Oxfordshire site which will become the family’s primary residence.
Architect Ben Pentreath, a favourite of the royals, designed the property which will be completed this year.
A source told the Mail: ” There’s no expense spared and it’s going to be amazing.”
VICK’S BRITS LOOK
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Vick dazzled in a plunging satin brown dress alongside husband CalvinCredit: PA
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The star left fans speculating after as she put her stomach on displayCredit: Getty
The popular radio star looked incredible when she walked the BRITs red carpet in March wearing a plunging dress halterneck satin gown.
The stunning frock also featured cut out details along the stomach, which appeared to show a growing bump.
