An Emmerdale star suffered an injury away from the set of the ITV soap and script writers had to acknowledge it in the latest episode of the long-running programme
00:02, 23 Sep 2025Updated 00:05, 23 Sep 2025
The injury was addressed in-universe when Tracy asked Mary how she had ended up walking with a cane(Image: ITV)
Emmerdale writers had to incorporate the real-life injury of one of its stars into Monday night’s episode. The ITV soap was in its usual slot at the beginning of the week, and Mary Goskirk (Louise Jameson) was seen walking with a cane.
In the Woolpack, Tracy Robinson (Amy Walsh) spotted Mary’s ailment when she ordered a drink and asked: “So, did you have a fall?”, but Mary seemingly issued a joke back.
As Mary handed her a glass of white wine, she told her: “No, I did it bungee jumping!”
Soaps tend to film around six to eight weeks ahead of broadcast, and actress Louise, 74, who is also known for her roles in other TV staples like EastEnders and Doctor Who, first told her fans of her leg injury in July, and noted that it had forced her to take time out of a her one woman show.
At the time, she wrote on X: “I’ve taken the ‘break a leg’ advice to its extreme. Apologies for the cancelled shows in Harrogate and Leeds of SHAKESPEARE’S MISTRESS. Rescheduling for the Autumn.
“In the meantime I lie here in my splint. Big shout out to LGI @NHS who took care of me last Monday [heart emoji].”
When a fan asked her: “Get well soon Louise is there an exciting tale behind the injury? Xx,” she replied: “Nope… A boring old fall xxx”
Earlier this year, fans were left uncertain whether an injury had actually occurred in real life after Mary sported a bandage wrapped around her hand and lower arm.
The character Mary explained that she’d fallen down the last couple of steps of the staircase at home, no doubt hitting or landing on the arm. She didn’t say specially what the injury was or if it was broken or sprained.
What she did say though was that she was fine after the fall, and would need a few weeks of rest before she could get the bandages off. Jacob appeared alarmed though, offering to take a look at the injury. She seemed keen to brush it under the carpet while it was clear Jacob was worried. It wasn’t made clear if Mary went to hospital or a doctor to get it checked out, or if she bandaged it up herself.
It was not clarified at the time whether it was an injury that had happened in real life, but it could have been a similar situation with scriptwriters having to work it into the story.
This often happens, and just recently on Coronation Street Kit Green actor Jacob Roberts had surgery on his leg and it was seemingly written into the show. There have been many other instances over the years where an injury or something else is written in.
Prior to that, Simon Gregson, who has played taxi driver Steve McDonald on Coronation Street since 1989, sustained a leg injury and it had to be put into the show.
He said: “I’ve broken my leg. I literally just went over and rolled my ankle, outside the back of the house. It was done in six places.
“I’m able to drive now, but walking across wet fields is a no for me. Because if I slip it’s back to square one.”
Asked if Corrie had to write his broken leg into the script, he said: “Yeah, they’ve written it in. They just kind of spoke about it. It’s like when Bobby Ewing woke up in the shower [in Dallas]. No one cares after about five minutes.”
Anne Thompson handicaps the race so far thus: Noting that several countries still haven’t chosen their submissions, “Cannes prizewinners have an increased profile with the international committee, including Norway’s ‘Sentimental Value’ and Brazil’s ‘Secret Agent.’ ”
But several other official submissions have our panel over the moon.
“I’ll call it right now,” declares Glenn Whipp: “The thrilling ‘Sirât,’ from Spanish filmmaker Oliver Laxe, is going to be named best picture by either the Los Angeles or New York film critics … then it’ll be off to the races for this film, a ‘Sorcerer’ for the 21st century.”
Robert Daniels’ description of “The Voice of Hind Rajab” is harrowing: “The real-life story of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl whose final hours trapped in a car under intense fire from an IDF tank were spent pleading to be saved … a candid dramatization of her emergency phone calls.”
1. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 2. “It Was Just an Accident” (France) 3. “The Secret Agent” (Brazil) 4. “No Other Choice” (South Korea) 5. “Sirât” (Spain) 6. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia) T7. “Calle Málaga” (Morocco) T7. “The President’s Cake” (Iraq) T7. “A Useful Ghost” (Thailand)
RogerEbert.com
Robert Daniels
1. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia) 2. “It Was Just an Accident” (France) 3. “Calle Málaga” (Morocco) 4. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 5. “No Other Choice” (South Korea)
“Venice’s harrowing grand jury prize winner, Tunisia’s ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab,’ has already built early momentum. The film tells the real-life story of Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl whose final hours trapped in a car under intense fire from an IDF tank were spent pleading to be saved. A distressing docufiction, the film is a candid dramatization of her emergency phone calls.”
Turner Classic Movies
Dave Karger
1. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 2. “It Was Just an Accident” (France) 3. “The Secret Agent” (Brazil) 4. “No Other Choice” (South Korea) 5. “Left-Handed Girl” (Taiwan)
“Three films that are also overall contenders this year stand to dominate this race: Norway’s ‘Sentimental Value,’ Brazil’s ‘The Secret Agent’ and France’s ‘It Was Just an Accident.’ The bigger question will be which films are able to snag the final two slots.”
Los Angeles Times
Amy Nicholson
1. “The Secret Agent” (Brazil) 2. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 3. “A Useful Ghost” (Thailand) 4. “2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Ukraine) 5. “It Was Just an Accident” (France)
“Can Brazil get back-to-back wins for international feature? Possivelmente! ‘The Secret Agent,’ another political thriller set during the dictatorship, was one of the buzziest movies at Cannes, where it scooped up best actor for star Wagner Moura and best director for Kleber Mendonça Filho (of the weirdo western ‘Bacarau’).”
IndieWire
Anne Thompson
1. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 2. “The Secret Agent” (Brazil) 3. “The President’s Cake” (Iraq) 4. “No Other Choice” (South Korea) 5. “Left-Handed Girl” (Taiwan)
“It’s too early, as [several countries] haven’t submitted yet. But Cannes prizewinners have an increased profile with the international committee, including Norway’s ‘Sentimental Value’ and Brazil’s ‘Secret Agent.’ ”
Tribune News Service
Katie Walsh
1. “It Was Just an Accident” (France) 2. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 3. “The Secret Agent” 4. “Sirât” (Spain) 5. “No Other Choice” (South Korea)
“Based on Cannes, I think ‘It Was Just an Accident’ (France), ‘The Secret Agent’ (Brazil), ‘Sirât’ (Spain) and ‘Sentimental Value’ (Norway) could be considered as good as nominated. But who will emerge triumphant in the fifth spot?”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. “Sirât” (Spain) 2. “Sentimental Value” (Norway) 3. “It Was Just an Accident” (France) 4. “No Other Choice” (South Korea) 5. “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
“I’ll call it right now. The thrilling ‘Sirât,’ from Spanish filmmaker Oliver Laxe, is going to be named best picture by either the Los Angeles or New York film critics. Who knows? Maybe both. And then it’ll be off to the races for this film, a ‘Sorcerer’ for the 21st century.”
The deluge of conspiracy theories began almost the moment authorities revealed the text messages allegedly sent by the suspected assassin of right-wing American activist Charlie Kirk.
After prosecutors in the US state of Utah published alleged text exchanges between 22-year-old Tyler Robinson and his romantic partner on Tuesday, countless social media users, including numerous prominent influencers, cast doubt on their authenticity.
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Some outright claimed that the texts, in which Robinson appears to confess to killing Kirk, had been fabricated by authorities.
Many of the posts suggested that the language and tone of the exchanges did not match someone of Robinson’s age, and the account of the shooting was too forthcoming and detailed to be believable.
Notably, at a time of extreme political polarisation in the US, the conspiracy theorising united figures on the left and right.
Matt Walsh, a right-wing commentator and podcast host with millions of followers on X and YouTube, suggested the exchanges had been scripted to absolve Robinson’s transgender partner of any involvement in the shooting.
“This feels like a strategy they cooked up from watching too much TV,” Walsh said on X.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has said that the partner, described as a “male transitioning to female”, had no advance knowledge of the crime and has been cooperating fully with authorities.
Steven Bannon, US President Donald Trump’s former adviser, said on his podcast that he was “not buying” the texts, describing them as “too stilted, too much like a script”.
On the other side of the political spectrum, Majid Padellan, a progressive influencer who goes by Brooklyn Dad Defiant on social media, said he did not believe for “one second” that the texts had been written by Robinson.
“I didn’t know him personally, but I know that no 22 year old writes text messages like this,” Padellan said on X.
“This feels like that Steve Buscemi skateboard meme ‘How do you do, fellow kids?”’
Liberal commentator Joanne Carducci, who posts under the moniker JoJoFromJerz, noted that the official narrative around the assassination had prompted rare agreement across the ideological divide.
“No one is buying these text messages. No one on the left or the right,” Carducci said on X.
“We cannot agree on a damn thing anymore. But we agree on this. If that doesn’t speak volumes, nothing does.”
The Utah County Attorney did not respond to a request for comment about the claims online.
Speculation and conspiracy theories have become a routine feature of the reaction to high-profile acts of violence in the US in the polarised and trigger-happy landscape of social media and online forums.
After a gunman shot dead a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in June, right-wing conspiracy theorists claimed that the shooting had been perpetrated by a left-wing extremist or carried out on behalf of the state’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz.
The alleged gunman, Vance Boelter, espoused staunchly conservative views on issues including abortion and LGBTQ rights.
While many conspiracy theories have been driven by a particular ideological faction, Kirk’s assassination is the latest event to fuel unfounded claims with “cross-ideological appeal”, said Eric Oliver, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago who studies conspiracy theories.
Claims about Robinson fit the mould of theories about the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the pharmaceutical industry, which also cut across partisan and ideological lines, Oliver said.
“People are also really emotionally charged by this, both on the left and the right, and will often gravitate to stories that rationalise their fear, rage, or feelings of powerlessness,” Oliver told Al Jazeera.
The “extraordinary circumstances” of Kirk’s murder, including a relative lack of information about Robinson, had also left a vacuum that was being filled by people “already suspicious of anything either the government does or this administration does”, Oliver added.
The transcripts of Robinson’s alleged texts released by prosecutors provided some of the clearest indications yet of a possible motive for assassinating Kirk, who was lauded by conservatives but seen as an inflammatory figure on the left for his right-wing stances on immigration, abortion and transgender rights, among other issues.
Robinson allegedly told his partner that he had “had enough” of Kirk’s “hatred” and “some hate can’t be negotiated out”.
Authorities previously announced that they recovered bullet casings inscribed with a number of politically-charged and internet subculture-influenced messages, including “Hey fascist! Catch!”
Prosecutors, who allege Kirk was targeted over his “political expression”, have charged Robinson with aggravated murder and six other charges.
That the released details of Robinson’s alleged communication with his partner after Kirk’s assassination have only further fuelled conspiracies is not surprising, suggest experts.
“Many people have a worldview in which conspiracies are going on all the time and explain our social and political circumstances – those people believe lots and lots of conspiracy theories and exist on both the right and left,” said Joseph Uscinski, a professor of political science at the University of Miami, whose research focuses on conspiracy theories.
And though conspiracy theorising has become rampant on social media, the platforms themselves are not the problem, Uscinski said.
“People have worldviews; some of those worldviews make conspiracy theories easy to believe, whether those people are on social media or not,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Conspiracy theories existed long before social media and may have been more prominent then. We have to remember that people seek out content on social media that they like; they are not necessarily persuaded by social media content as much as they are attracted to content that tells them what they already believe.”
Her name was etched in the memory of millions thanks to her role as Gabrielle Solís in “Desperate Housewives,” a series that established Eva Longoria as one of the most influential Latina actresses in Hollywood.
She went on to become a producer, director, entrepreneur, activist and, in recent years, an investor in the world of sports, where she has earned the nickname “La Patrona” — or “The Boss” in English — which easily could be the title of a Mexican soap opera.
After more than two decades of credits and awards earned in the entertainment industry, Longoria has shifted her focus. Today, her role as “La Patrona” of Liga MX team Club Necaxa draws on her family’s roots, her passion for storytelling and her commitment to giving Mexico visibility in the world.
Her involvement was not limited to serving on Necaxa’s board of directors as a celebrity investor. From the beginning, she knew she wanted to tell a story. Inspired by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ “Welcome to Wrexham” docuseries, she decided to produce the the docuseries “Necaxa,” which premiered on Aug. 7 on FX. Cameras take viewers behind the scenes, follow along on road trips and offer an intimate look at the soccer team.
Rob McElhenney, left, and Eva Longoria stand on the field at Estadio Victoria, Liga MX team Club Necaxa’s home stadium.
(HANDOUT / FX)
Few could have imagined a Mexican American actress would become the leading front office voice for a historic Mexican soccer club, whose home stadium — Estadio Victoria — is located in the city of Aguascalientes in north-central Mexico.
In 2021, Longoria joined a group of investors who acquired 50% ownership of the team. McElhenney, the actor best known for the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and Reynolds, who turned the mercenary Deadpool into one of the most beloved antiheroes in the Marvel universe, later joined the ownership group.
While restoring Necaxa to prominence in Liga MX was only a business and creative venture, it also had a deep personal component. Longoria grew up in Texas watching sports with her father, Enrique Longoria Jr.
“My dad can’t believe it. He doesn’t believe I’m ‘La Patrona,’” Longoria told L.A. Times en Español. “I’ll always be his little girl. … But I love sports because of my dad. My dad always watched the Dallas Cowboys, the Spurs, the Texas Rangers. … Every sport, I watched with him. I love sports because of the drama, the excitement, the ups and downs.”
In 2020, McElhenney and Reynolds acquired Wrexham AFC, a Welsh team that had been stuck in the National League — the fifth division of English soccer — since 2008. The team has steadily climbed the ranks to reach the Championship, just one step away from the top division, the Premier League.
Although promotion and relegation is no longer used in Liga MX, Longoria aspires to see Necaxa’s “Rayos” return to prominence in the Mexican soccer playoffs and is therefore seeking to mirror what her colleagues achieved with Wrexham AFC while flying the flag for her Mexican roots.
“This opportunity came from a group of investors who called me and asked if I wanted to be part of this project in the Mexican league. When they explained to me that the league has a huge audience, because there is so much beauty and talent coming out of Mexico, I decided to go for it,” said Longoria, who grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, but now primarily splits her time between homes in Mexico and Spain. “I invested in the Necaxa team because I saw a great opportunity, not only as a business venture, but also as a great way to showcase Mexico and the most passionate sport in this beautiful country, to put Mexico on the map.
“When I have the opportunity to put Mexico or Mexicans on the map, I will always do so. Whether I’m producing or directing, that’s my philosophy in storytelling. That’s why I wanted to do this with the docuseries because I knew there was a story there that we had to tell.”
Eva Longoria is “La Patrona,” which translates to “The Boss,” in ‘Necaxa’ on FX.
(HANDOUT / FX)
Despite her ambition and determination, her first visit to Aguascalientes was fraught with uncertainty.
“I was very anxious and afraid because I am a woman, I am Mexican American,” she said. “I didn’t know if they would welcome me with open arms, but the truth is that they have welcomed me with open arms and I have been impressed by the local support.”
Although filming the docuseries is as important as any of her other projects, her work also involves finding the formula to return Necaxa to the prominence it had in the 1990s when it won its only three championships in the first division.
Her power as an international star has allowed her enter the locker room, which is considered a sacred space in the world of soccer.
After watching her confidently enter spaces around the club, the players dubbed her “La Patrona.”
“It’s a lot to manage a soccer club, behind the scenes, behind the docuseries,” Longoria said. “We’re so lucky to have access to the locker rooms, to go home with them. For me, it’s very important to have everything in one series, because I want the world to see it all. It’s not just about points and games; you’re talking about real lives.”
Longoria has also become a bridge between cultures and markets. As co-owner and original investor in Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, she recognizes the differences between soccer in the United States and Mexico. That experience, coupled with her connection to McElhenney and Reynolds, has shaped a broader vision.
“Here in Necaxa, there’s a saying: ‘If there’s no suffering, it’s not Necaxa.’ I’m explaining this saying to them, because the fans have embraced the idea that you have to suffer to win,” she said. “Rob and Ryan know a little bit about this, and we wanted to explore that idea in the series.”
Diego González, Necaxa’s head of media relations, said Longoria’s arrival marked a turning point for the club.
“It’s something unexpected, something surprising to have something like this with Necaxa and Aguascalientes,” he said of the docuseries. “It’s seeing inside Club Necaxa. Getting to know not only the player, but the people, the city … lots of emotions, lots of feelings that represent what soccer is and how it’s lived in Necaxa.”
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Diego ‘Sheldon’ González, jefe de prensa del Club Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Los actores Ryan Reynolds (izq) y Rob McElhenney son inversionistas del Club Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Eva Longoria es ‘La Patrona’ en Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Rob McElhenney (izq) y Eva Longoria en la cancha del Estadio Victoria del Club Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Escudo del Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Estadio Victoria, la casa del Club Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Toma aerea de Aguascalientes. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Necaxa en un partido de la Liga MX. (HANDOUT / FX)
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El jugador Alex Peña mientras se recuperaba de una lesión que obligó a una operación. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Eva Longoria es ‘La Patrona’ en Welcome to Necaxa de FX. (HANDOUT / FX)
Opening the doors to the cameras was not easy, according to González, but Longoria’s presence made it possible.
“It’s something that is highly respected, that intimacy of the locker rooms, the training camps, the trips. The players had to get used to it, but the professionalism of the club and the production team helped. You’ll notice it in the series: it feels so natural because that’s how it was,” said González, whom the players call “Sheldon” because of his resemblance to the character Sheldon Cooper from the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.”
He describes Longoria’s relationship with the team as close and genuine.
“When she arrived in Aguascalientes, she showed herself as she is, even nervous, but without wanting to impose anything,” González said. “That naturalness helped the players feel comfortable. You don’t know how to treat a superstar, but she gives you the confidence to approach her and talk about anything.”
The influence of Longoria, McElhenney and Reynolds has gone beyond the locker room. They have put Necaxa on the international map.
“The most visible thing is the international showcase they can give you,” González said. “Necaxa was already known for its soccer merits, but now you have fans of Rob, Ryan, Eva, even Wrexham. A whole range of important possibilities has opened up for us, and that’s thanks to them.”
“You can steer yourself in any direction you choose,” Dr. Seuss wrote in his beloved 1990 picture book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
It seems pop star Ariana Grande has taken the advice to heart, landing yet another movie role and her second collaboration with “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu.
Grande is set to star alongside Josh Gad in the animated adaptation of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!,” Warner Bros. announced Tuesday. Expected in March 2028, the movie will be directed by Chu and include original music from EGOT-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known for “Dear Evan Hansen,” “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman.”
Grande and Gad confirmed the news on their Instagram pages this morning with a picture of them in a recording studio holding up their scripts, which feature the same design as the book cover.
“I love this book, I love this script, I love the beautiful world of @drseuss, I love this incredible group of creative human beings (@joshgad what a brilliant joy you are),” Grande wrote on her story. “I am so thrilled to be a part of this one.”
“Never been more excited to go places,” Gad said. “We are dreaming up something very very special for you.”
Grande, who released the deluxe edition of her album “Eternal Sunshine” earlier this year, will appear in the second installment of “Wicked,” in theaters Nov. 21. Additionally, the Grammy winner will join Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller for the fourth “Meet the Parents” movie, expected November 2026.
Gad, known for “Frozen” and “The Book of Mormon,” just joined the cast of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl, where he’ll appear alongside Grande’s “Wicked” co-star Cynthia Erivo Aug. 1 to 3. The Broadway star has several other films lined up as well, including the “Spaceballs” sequel, “Adulthood” and “Frozen 3.”
“We’ve had a good couple of days training. We’re looking forward to the game now.”
England u21s clash with Germany SUSPENDED as stadium plunged into semi-darkness and players taken off pitch
After Carsley’s side slapped Spain 3-1 in the quarter-finals on Saturday, he is now hoping they produce another masterclass to sink the Dutch.
He said: “Ideally and I’ve spoken to the players about it, you want to coach a team where you watching them play and you’re enjoying watching them. That Spain game and the second half of the Germany game, you are on the side, enjoying watching the players play and expressing themselves.
“You want foreign journalists to speak about our players the way we sometimes speak about their players, in terms of their technical ability or the way they can take the ball.
“We’re definitely changing that perception of English players.”
His side beat Portugal 1-0 last time out despite Ruben van Bommel’s 21st- minute red card.
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Michael Reiziger has been impressed by England’s style of playCredit: Getty
Reiziger said: “They’re not playing in a typical English style.
“They are playing really well with a lot of good quality and they are growing into the tournament.
“It will be a tough game but that is logical.
“We’ve watched every match of England.
“Two strong teams that love to play football, two teams that have quality.
“It is going to be an interesting game. We have some comparison with England.
“We started not that well but are getting better every time, resulting in the fact we won a game with ten men.”
After over two decades of misery in penalty shootouts, Sir Gareth Southgate helped instil a no fear factor into England players, with the seniors winning three of their last four.
And Carsley insists his lads are ready for penalties if it comes down to it tonight. He said: “There’s more of an awareness of penalties and the technique and structure that goes behind a shoot-out.
“We are fortunate to have a lot of players who take penalties for their clubs.
“It is very difficult to replicate the walk from the halfway line to the penalty spot, especially if you are not used to it.
“It’s something Gareth pushed which filtered down the pathway.
“It is so important because of the amount of resources thrown at the senior team to be the best at shootouts.
“That awareness of how important they are has definitely trickled down and we have benefited from that.”
England’s Under-21 Euros squad in FULL
ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia.
Here is Lee Carsley’s full squad for the blockbuster tournament:
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
