BBC Breakfast presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay paid tribute to late boxer Ricky Hatton at the start of Monday’s show, after news of his death broke on Sunday
Hosts Jon Kay and Sally Nugent delivered an emotional opening as they began Monday’s (15 September) edition of BBC Breakfast, describing the former professional fighter as “adored”.
“Good morning, it is Monday, 15 September and tributes are being paid to Ricky Hatton after his death at the age of 46,” Sally opened. “Nicknamed The Hitman, he won world titles in two weight divisions and was simply adored by many fans.”
Jon added: “Following his retirement from boxing, Hatton was open about the struggles he faced in life, including problems with his mental health and addictions to drugs and alcohol. Police said his death is not believed to be suspicious.”
Jon and Sally paid tribute to late boxer Ricky Hatton (Image: BBC)
Ricky was discovered dead at his residence in Hyde, Tameside, Greater Manchester, on the morning of 14 September. Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are not treating his death as suspicious.
A spokesperson revealed: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6.45am today [September 14] where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
Monday’s BBC Breakfast showcased numerous tributes to Ricky, with coverage displaying messages from various sports journalists, alongside celebrity figures such as Wayne Rooney, reports the Express.
A touching tribute was shared by former footballer Wayne, a close friend of the late boxer, in which he said: “I think he’s someone who captured the nation really. In terms of the support he got, it followed him all around the world in boxing. It’s devastating.”
Meanwhile, boxing journalist Steve Bunce highlighted the significance of Ricky’s openness about his struggles and commended the late boxer for making an “immense difference”.
Ricky Hatton was found dead on 14 September at his home (Image: Getty)
“He actually made an immense difference. The amount of people that stopped him, times I was with him in different locations, where people would just stop him and say how much he’d helped by just raising his head, raising it up really high,” Steve commented on BBC Breakfast.
“The first sportsman in British sport to do it and talk about his mental health issues, talk about the darkness he was in.”
The journalist, appearing via video link, continued: “And also, face absolutely front on, like Ricky did in the ring, his addiction problems. He didn’t hide from them, he didn’t sweep them under the carpet, he didn’t push them aside and say ‘Oh, it’s nothing’. He dealt with them front on, face on.”
BBC Breakfast is broadcast at 6am on BBC One every day.
The government of the United Kingdom has warned Irish novelist Sally Rooney against funding Palestine Action after she pledged support to the campaign group banned by the Labour-led government as a “terrorist” group last month.
The prime minister’s office said on Monday that “support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act” and warned against backing such organisations.
“There is a difference between showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, and legitimate protest in support of a cause,” a spokesperson was quoted by PA Media.
In an opinion piece in the Irish Times on Saturday, Rooney, the author of best-selling novels such as Normal People and Conversations with Friends, criticised the government’s move to ban the pro-Palestinian group.
“Activists who disrupt the flow of weapons to a genocidal regime may violate petty criminal statutes, but they uphold a far greater law and a more profound human imperative: to protect a people and culture from annihilation,” she wrote in the article.
Palestine Action was banned after its activists broke into a military base in central England in June and sprayed red paint on two planes in protest against the UK’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children.
What’s Palestine Action?
Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has disrupted the arms industry in the UK with “direct action”. It says it is “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.
Israel has been accused of widespread abuses in its 22 months of war on Gaza. The International Court of Justice in January 2024 said Israeli actions in Gaza were plausibly genocide. Since then, multiple rights organisations have called Israel’s war a genocide. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes.
Rooney said she chose the Dublin-based newspaper to publicise her intention rather than a UK one as doing so “would now be illegal” in Britain after the government banned Palestine Action.
“The UK’s state broadcaster … regularly pays me residual fees. I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can,” she wrote.
Hundreds arrested
More than 700 supporters of Palestine Action have been arrested in the UK, mostly at demonstrations, since the group was outlawed under the Terrorism Act 2000.
“I feel obliged to state once more that like the hundreds of protesters arrested last weekend, I too support Palestine Action. If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it,” Rooney said.
The spokesperson from the prime minister’s office said Palestine Action was proscribed “based on security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, following an assessment made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre”.
The government ban on Palestine Action came into force on July 5, days after it took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.3m) of damage to two aircraft.
The group said its activists were responding to Britain’s indirect military support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
Being a member of Palestine Action or supporting the group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. It places the campaign group on the same legal footing as ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda.
More than 500 people were arrested at a protest in London’s Parliament Square on August 9 for displaying placards backing the group. The number is thought to be the highest ever recorded number of detentions at a single protest in the capital.
At least 60 of them are due to face prosecution, police said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has defended the proscription of the group, stating: “UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority.”
“The assessments are very clear – this is not a nonviolent organisation,” she said.
In her article, Rooney accused the UK government of “willingly stripping its own citizens of basic rights and freedoms, including the right to express and read dissenting opinions, in order to protect its relationship with Israel”.
BBC Breakfast viewers have been left unimpressed with presenter Sally Nugent following an interview on Monday’s show
During Monday’s BBC Breakfast, Sally Nugent questioned Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, about Rachel Reeves‘ newly announced £500million fund, which is designed to support up to 200,000 vulnerable children.
Sally seized the chance to grill the MP with various queries, including questions about wealth taxation, which the politician was reluctant to address.
At one point, the BBC presenter enquired: “Will higher earners be taxed more to plug the blackhole in the government’s finances at the moment?”
Jones responded: “I’m not sure I agree with the definition of a black hole in the public finances, just to be clear. But, to answer your question on tax, I’m afraid, in the way that you probably expect me to answer, I’m not going to speculate on tax policy.”
BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent shut down by Labour MP in awkward on-air row(Image: BBC)
The MP explained to the BBC host that the government follows a formal procedure for announcing tax modifications, which occurs during budget announcements with the chancellor speaking from the dispatch box in the House of Commons, reports the Express.
Nevertheless, Nugent persisted in seeking an answer from the MP, pressing: “Ok, I don’t want you to speculate, but I would like to know, what do you think of the idea of a wealth tax?”
Chuckling, Jones informed the BBC presenter that her question remained speculation about tax policy, stating: “As I’ve just set out, I’m afraid, I’m not going to do it.”
BBC Breakfast viewers were not impressed with Sally’s questions on the programme(Image: BBC)
She then probed further about the government’s plans to maintain the freeze on tax thresholds, to which he responded: “That’s also tax speculation, and as I say, any changes one way or another will be announced by the chancellor at the budget.”
Sensing the interview wasn’t going as expected, she humorously asked: “What can you tell us?!” The exchange quickly sparked reactions on social media, with many criticising Sally’s interviewing style.
One viewer sarcastically remarked on X: “Darren Jones, having none of silly Sally’s nonsense.” While someone else said: “@sallynugent as an experienced journalist, you should be aware that Darren Jones will not disclose potential (or not) tax rises. Stop wasting his & our time. Presume we will be subjected to unanswerable questions up to the Autumn budget?”
Darren Jones appeared on Monday’s BBC Breakfast(Image: BBC)
Another person commented: “Another pointless interview from Sally Nugent. There are so many questions that need to be asked of the government, so stop wasting time asking questions that cannot be answered.”
A different viewer added: “That interview was pretty irrelevant and a waste of time. Sally Nugent, not exactly pinning him to the door with laser-like questions.”
One viewer shared their frustration: “Sally’s interview with the chief sec to treasury is a failure *Asks him to speculate on future policy* “I cannot speculate on tax policy” *Rephrases question, pretending it isn’t speculative* (laughing) “I cannot speculate” Ask better questions.”
Another summer of love begins, with Maya Jama reprising the helm of Love Island on ITV2 this week. Over on the BBC, however, another fan-favourite show is set for its own comeback.
From the box to streaming giants, plenty of shows for every taste are set for release this week(Image: ITV)
From gripping dramas and explosive rows to enlightening and thought-provoking shows, this week of TV is sure to pander to everyone.
Presenter Maya Jama is returning to screens this Monday, June 9, as she reprises hosting duties on ITV2‘s Love Island. Expect bombshells and surprises pairings ahead.
Streaming platforms also have plenty of choices this week, including Sir David Attenborough‘s love letter to the sea and Netflix‘s deep dive in Astroworld – the festival that spiralled out of control in 2021, triggering backlash against rap star Travis Scott.
Charlotte Spencer (right) and Hugh Bonneville reprise their roles in The Gold’s second season(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Tannadice Pictures/Cristina Ríos Bordón)
Hugh Bonneville and Charlotte Spencer team up as DCS Brian Boyce and DI Nicki Jennings for The Gold’s second season as their characters deal with the aftermath of the Brink’s-Mat robbery, in which £26 million worth of gold bullion, diamonds and cash were stolen from a warehouse.
Though some of the thieves were convicted, Brian and Nicki realise the criminals only had half of the stolen goods. The discovery triggers a high-stakes journey into organised crime and international money laundering as the police embark on a string of desperate manhunts to finally close the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
Our Yorkshire Shop: A Victorian Restoration
Sunday, C4
This series takes viewers to the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, in the picturesque village of Masham – where a determined group of locals take on the ambitious challenge of restoring their village shop to its former Victorian glory.
With no previous experience in building restoration, villagers roll up their sleeves and learn on the job – from line plastering to fending off animal infestations.
Motivated by 94-year-old Elsie, their emotional anchor, the group are guided both in spirit and style, delivering a heartwarming celebration of local heritage.
Sir David Attenborough raises the alarm bell for our oceans (Image: Conor McDonnell)
Through stunning visuals and groundbreaking underwater footage, this film exposes destructive practices like bottom trawling and emphasises the urgent need for marine conservation.
Released ahead of the UN Ocean Conference, Ocean serves as a wake-up call and David’s most personal message yet. And it’s already become the highest-grossing film in the UK and Irish box-office, earning £570,000 on its opening weekend in cinemas.
Jamie Oliver shines a light on the real impact of education on neurodivergent children(Image: Jamie Oliver Productions)
Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution
Monday, C4
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver shares his personal journey with dyslexia in this compelling documentary as he takes a stand for neurodivergent children.
Highlighting the challenges faced by thousands of children with dyslexia in the UK, Jamie fiercely advocates for a more inclusive and supportive education system.
Through interviews with experts, educators, families and even familiar celebrity faces, the film sheds light on systemic issues affecting dyslexic children and calls for meaningful change to help them thrive academically and beyond.
Beth
Monday, C4
Written and directed by photographer and budding filmmaker Uzo Oleh, this tense three-part science-fiction thriller is Channel 4’s first-ever digital original drama.
Nicholas Pinnock and Abbey Lee star as Joe and Molly – a couple whose lives are upended when their newborn daughter, Imogen, bears no resemblance to her father.
What begins as a domestic drama spirals into paranoia, identity crises and eerie revelations as Joe’s world starts to unravel. Through their story, this hard-hitting show explores mistrust, modern parenthood and the fear that something has gone horribly wrong.
Maya Jama reprises hosting duties on Love Island(Image: ITV)
Maya Jama returns to host the twelfth season of the iconic ITV2 dating show, promising more drama, more bombshells, plenty of break-ups and even more make-ups in celebration of its tenth anniversary on screens.
Set at the iconic sun-soaked Mallorca villa, a fresh batch of singletons embark on a quest for love and a jaw-dropping £50k cash prize. Expect twists, turns, unexpected pairings and shock dumpings, cryptic Love Island lingo and more Casa Amor turmoil. Which couple will tackle the journey hand-in-hand? And who will call it quits?
Sean Bean stars as Thomas Cromwell in Shardlake(Image: Adrienn Szabo)
Shardlake
Monday, ITV
C.J. Samsom’s Tudor mystery novels come alive in this gripping four-part series. Arthur Hughes (The Innocents, The Archers) stars as brilliant barrister Matthew Shardlake, dispatched by Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) to investigate a murder at a remote monastery.
As secrets unravel, Matthew and his companion Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle) navigate an intricate web of lies and political intrigue – but can Matthew really trust his companion? With atmospheric settings and compelling performances, this period drama offers a fresh take on historical crime storytelling.
Peter Wright follows Britain’s longest-standing farmers on his new show(Image: Channel 5)
The Yorkshire Vet: At Home With the Greens
Tuesday, Channel 5
Yorkshire Vet star Peter Wright offers a heartwarming new glimpse into the lives of fan favourites Steve and Jean Green, known as Britain’s longest-standing farmers.
This spin-off series invites viewers beyond the surgery and into the farm, where the couple balance rural life with their passion for animals.
Expect tender moments, behind-the-scenes insights and the same down-to-earth charm that made the original series a staple for animal lovers across the UK.
This harrowing documentary revisits the 2021 Astroworld Festival disaster, where a crowd surge led to ten deaths and numerous injuries during a Texas-based festival launched by US rap star Travis Scott.
Through exclusive interviews with survivors, paramedics and festival staff, the film examines the events leading up to the tragedy and its aftermath. It delves into questions of accountability, safety protocols and the impact on the victims’ families, providing a sobering look at one of the most devastating concert incidents in recent history.
Speed Cameras: Out to Get Us?
Wednesday, C5
This investigative documentary explores the proliferation of speed cameras across the UK. Traveling from Nottinghamshire to Wales, it examines whether these devices are genuine safety tools or revenue-generating machines.
Featuring insights from traffic officers, drivers and the pioneer who introduced speed cameras to Britain’s roads in 1990, the programme questions their effectiveness and future. It’s a wild ride through Britain – but with less potholes.
What really happened on British Airways Flight 149?(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
Flight 149: Hostage of War
Wednesday, Sky Documentaries & NOW
This gripping documentary uncovers the shocking truth behind British Airways Flight 149, which landed in Kuwait mere hours before Iraq’s 1990 invasion. What really happened to the passengers and crew held hostage by Saddam Hussein’s forces?
With first-hand testimonies, classified documents and a decades-long silence finally broken, this film lays bare a chilling and unflinching tale of government secrets, human endurance and political betrayal. It’s a must-watch for fans of true stories where the stakes are life and death – and the answers still sting.
Sam Thompson and Marvin Humes uncover their long-lost ancestors on ITV(Image: ITV)
DNA Journey with Ancestry
Thursday, ITV
The hit ITV series, DNA Journey returns for a gripping fifth season. This time round, new celebrity duos set off on an emotional journey across history, uncovering jaw-dropping family secrets and unexpected connections.
In this immersive documentary series, Love Island alum Olivia Attwood investigates the lengths individuals go to achieve physical perfection in today’s image-obsessed society.
Drawing from her own experiences with cosmetic procedures, Olivia explores the booming beauty industry, meeting people who have undergone extreme transformations and embedding herself with patients and practitioners to try some of them out herself – including salmon sperm injections.
The series delves into the true psychological and physical costs of chasing perfection, offering a candid look at the intense pressures stemming from modern beauty standards.
Sally Bretton and Lee Mack are back for a new series of Not Going Out, kicking off the latest season with a six-year time jump(Image: BBC/Avalon/Perou)
Not Going Out
Friday, BBC1
Lee Mack’s long-running sitcom returns for its 14th series, continuing to deliver laughs with witty dialogue and relatable scenarios. The show follows the misadventures of Lee and his wife Lucy (Sally Bretton) as they navigate the challenges of family life.
With a time jump moving the story six years ahead, the couple adjust to a new home in the countryside while their children are away at university. The series remains a staple of British comedy, combining sharp humour with heartwarming moments.
Comedian Lee Mack has revealed that his Not Going Out costar Sally Bretton suffered a medical emergency while filming the latest series of their hugely popular sitcom.
Filming for Not Going Out was derailed when Sally Bretton was rushed to hospital behind the scenes(Image: BBC/Avalon/Mark Johnson)
Plenty of laughs took over the set of Not Going Out’s latest season. But panic hijacked production when Sally Bretton was rushed to hospital, derailing filming.
In a television age obsessed with slick dramas, thrillers and satire, comedian Lee Mack is doing something radical – he’s trying to make us laugh. Out loud. Every few seconds. And he’s doing it the old fashioned way, with a studio sitcom, a real live audience and endless gags.
As his BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out returns for a brand new series, with another green lit for next year, it is clearly not going anywhere, clocking up over 100 episodes and holding its status as the longest-running UK sitcom on air.
“We’ll never catch up with Last Of The Summer Wine,” quips Lee. “Thank God.” He adds: “Our show is seen as very traditional, and some would say old fashioned, so therefore not risky, but it is a risk because it’s the minority.
“The highs and lows are extreme. Love or hate the studio sitcom, there’s no denying that they are really trying to go for the laugh. I’m not trying to write a line that makes people smile.
You don’t get canned smiling. I used to aim for a joke on every page, but that’s only every 30 seconds, it’s not enough. We try for a laugh in every line.”
Not Going Out first aired on the BBC in 2006(Image: BBC/Avalon/Pete Dadds)
The 56-year-old, who also appears in Would I Lie To You? and hosts game show The 1% Club, stars in the sitcom as ‘Lee’ alongside Sally Bretton as his long-suffering wife Lucy. The show, which started in 2006, has followed them from awkward flatmates via a torturous ‘will-they-won’t they’ plot until finally, they got married and had three kids.
The latest episodes, which Lee was determined to film ‘as live’ like a play, feature everything from a robotic sex doll to a freebie hotel stay, dilapidated campervan, roles as TV extras and a swipe at Oasis concert ticket sales.
Although, Lee reveals a medical issue halted production for a couple of weeks. He says: “There was a moment in that Oasis episode when we were filming it, when Sally said to me – she looked a bit in pain, ‘Do you know what appendicitis feels like?’
“I said, ‘I have no idea but I can tell you now you haven’t got appendicitis, otherwise you wouldn’t be here filming’. The next day she had her appendix out.”
Lee takes a swipe at the Oasis ticket fiasco in the new series
Lee, who writes the show with Daniel Peak, takes an affectionate swing at Oasis in the episode that sees the couple lose their place in the online queue and start to blame each other. Lee laughs: “That is based in truth – I’m a massive Oasis fan, I did try to get tickets, I didn’t get them and I’m livid.”
He adds: “I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could get Liam or Noel to appear in that episode. My friend Rob Brydon had interviewed Noel, so I asked for his number.
It was the day after the ticket release. I texted Noel, ‘I know this isn’t a good time, but I reckon everyone’s asking for tickets and I’m probably the only one that isn’t. Will you be in my sitcom?’ He never got back to me.”
Lee adds: “My personal favourite episode is the one where I accidentally bring home a robot sex doll. Let me tell you, robotic sex dolls are very hard to get hold of.
We had an actor, with a mask on, and it just didn’t work. We could see her breathing. So in the end they had to make a robot. It was brilliant. It moved its head, it moved its mouth, its eyes, and I was in a double act with a sex robot.”
Lee runs into some problems viewing a new home in this series
Episode one follows their attempted house move, thwarted when they find their dream home, but Lee needs to use the loo, causing the usual tension, mistaken identities and farce.
There’s a nod to nostalgia too, with a photo on the mantelpiece in their new home of Bobby Ball, who played Lee’s dad and died in October 2020.
Lee says: “We all miss him a lot. He was like me, he wasn’t from an acting background – so whatever I’m like in a studio, he was 50 times worse. The director would have to tell him not to keep looking at the audience every time he cracked a joke.”
Over the years a long list of stars have appeared in the show, including Miranda Hart, Tim Vine, Katy Wix, Abigail Cruttenden and Hugh Dennis, with many forgetting that Catherine Tate played Lucy in the pilot, followed by Megan Dodds in series one, before Beyond Paradise star Sally took over.
Lee says: “When we look back, Sally and I do get a bit emotional. We’ve been in the show a long time and there are different eras of it, especially when you look at all the people from the past who have been in the show and come and gone. “I think Sally’s aged brilliantly, whereas I’ve got a big gray beard. It’s been forever.”
