secret

Yet another shape-shifting convicted felon is starring in a new documentary, but unlike Elizabeth Holmes in “You Can See Everything,” Russell Brand did not invite director Olivia Isaacs into his home to engage in a cinematic staring contest.

Not that he wouldn’t have done it if given the opportunity (and a very different filmmaker). As Isaacs’ traditional and deeply layered documentary “Russell Brand: Open Secret” makes clear, Brand is, in addition to being a sexual predator, a canny media manipulator who openly reinvented himself to exploit an ever-evolving zeitgeist and provide cover for his crimes. A navel-gazing doc would be right up his alley.

Brand, however, refused to respond to requests to participate in “Open Secret,” and he is, of course, now in prison. The documentary began production after a damning investigation by London Times and Sunday Times reporters Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace in 2023. It premiered Friday on Netflix, a mere eight days after Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, and four days after he was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison. (There is an ongoing investigation into additional rape allegations.)

Urwin and Wace (who joined the four-year reporting process about midway through), provide the narrative spine of “Open Secret,” chronicling the decades of rumors (which, as with Bill Cosby, gained attention when stand-ups began directly calling Brand a rapist) and the difficulty of finding women who would speak of their experiences on the record.

Several did and do here. None of them were part of the recent trial, though at least one is part of the new investigation, and all women were, at various times, in a relationship with Brand. Only two do not describe being sexually assaulted, including Amanda Alguero Alejos, who recounts meeting Brand when he was her English teacher in a foreign language school and watching as he changed dramatically when his career took off, abusing drugs and becoming so openly sexual with other women that she left him.

But this is not a story of how success, complete with rock-star-type female adoration, somehow corrupted an ordinary guy who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. Neither, aside from a brief segment scanning his troubled relationship with his father, is it much interested in why Brand did what he did.

Instead, both the reporters and the filmmakers examine how Brand has brazenly leveraged cultural trends, beginning with the sexually free and outrageous mood of the late 1990s and early 2000s (or “noughties”) that celebrated his “bad boy” persona, to provide cover for his predatory habits.

Deftly using clips from Brand’s stage shows and interviews as well as passages from his books, “Open Secret” proves its titular point over and over again. On multiple occasions, Brand admitted to terrible behavior and even called himself a rapist, before brushing it off as a satirical joke aimed at those too prudish to understand unbridled sexuality.

It worked spectacularly well, earning him TV jobs, film roles and A-list status (including a friendship with fellow convicted felon Sean “Diddy” Combs) and the inevitable phalanx of managers, lawyers and powerful allies.

This combination of celebrity and power is one reason many of the women Urwin and Wace interviewed over the course of four years were reluctant to speak publicly; two of those who allege rape in “Open Secret” did so anonymously.

Even so, rumors of Brand’s behavior began early and continued to grow. Particularly after 2011, when he moved to U.S. during the apex of his film career and his brief marriage to Katy Perry. (Perry is mentioned briefly in the film, which highlights a portion of her 2013 interview with Vogue in which she discussed their divorce, saying: “Then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day.”)

After Brand returned to the U.K., the film implies, he realized that his grinning-satyr reputation wasn’t playing so well anymore. In 2014, he made a huge career adjustment, leaping from unapologetic sexual player to politically progressive firebrand. Energetic and superficially erudite, his “working-class,” antiestablishment stance was immediately embraced by the progressive left. “Brand was wild,” journalist and political activist George Monbiot says in the film. “Exactly what left-wing politics was lacking at the time.”

That too worked, for a while. But during and after the #MeToo movement, many people were attempting to “out” Brand and his career began to suffer. Soon he reinvented himself again. Modeling himself on Tucker Carlson, he became a right-wing conspiracy theorist, railing against the usual suspects of science, liberals and legacy media.

By 2023, Urwin and Wace had found multiple women willing to speak on the record. When, in the final phase of reporting, they reached out to Brand, his lawyer responded that his client believed the piece to be “a concerted campaign” with “a deeply concerning agenda to all this, namely the fact that he is an alternative media broadcaster competing with mainstream media.” Brand then took to YouTube to denounce the article, claiming that “all of his relationships were consensual” and that the Sunday Times had a political agenda.

That did not work. Additional allegations poured into the journalists and Scotland Yard, and an investigation was opened. Brand once again shape-shifted, publicly embracing Christianity (down to being baptized in the River Thames in 2024 by Bear Grylls) and proselytizing about the powerful love of Christ.

Whether or not his newly found religious beliefs were sincere, they did not prevent him from being arrested, charged and convicted.

The film ends on an earnest rather than victorious note, with various participants voicing their hope that women will be more empowered to speak up about rape and sexual assault, and that the culture will stop celebrating and shielding the men who perpetrate it.

These sentiments have, regrettably, become a bit boilerplate, words many people say even as attempts to shame and silence sexual assault victims continue. The unsettling power of “Russell Brand: Open Secret” has little to do with Brand himself. Instead, this painstaking chronicle of how two dogged reporters and a few very brave women finally helped bring him to justice is an indictment of us. The people who heard the rumors and continued to support him, through ticket sales, clicks, likes and applause. The people who continued to find him audacious, funny and “authentic,” even as he was telling us exactly who he was and what he was doing.

An open secret is not a secret; it is a fact we have chosen not to confront. Brand got away with smirking about his life as a sexual predator under a thin disguise of mischievous comedy because we let him. And that’s what needs to stop.

When “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” premieres Thursday as the first spinoff of the popular but mired flagship series, it faces a test tougher than learning a viral TikTok dance: figuring out if the reality TV property that became an unexpected hit can successfully franchise beyond its Utah backdrop — and baggage.

Born from a confession that took off online by influencer Taylor Frankie Paul about “soft swinging” — an arrangement she and her then-husband had with other couples that involved group drinking and intimacy short of intercourse — “Mormon Wives” turned intrigue about a salacious suburban scandal into a reality TV hit. Suddenly the time-honored reality TV format built on documenting the personal lives and social dynamics of women, pioneered by Bravo’s “The Real Housewives” franchise, underwent a modern makeover in Hulu’s series by casting its lens on a group of Utah-based TikTok influencers known as #MomTok.

It premiered in September 2024 — showcasing a messy cocktail of flexuous faith, fracturing friendships and fascinating marriage dynamics — and was such a hit that four more seasons have been pumped out in the time since. Now the original show is facing cast departures and internal fallout driven by outside career moves, deteriorating friendships and serious domestic abuse allegations involving Paul, which led to filming disruptions and renewed scrutiny over reality TV casting standards. The Times requested to speak with executive producers of the series — Jeff Jenkins and Lisa Filipelli — for this article but were told they were not available .

Can “Orange County” and the group of nine women it features brighten its outlook?

“I haven’t watched all of it; I’ve watched snippets of it,” says Jen Affleck, a main cast member of the original series who anchors the spinoff. “It was hard watching it back. It was the first time that I watched back a season where I actually felt like ‘this is me’ … I was really just looking for community. This year has been the hardest year of my life, and you’ll see watching the season why having a group of supportive women around you is so important.”

The lore behind how the group of women was cobbled together is explained by Affleck in the season‘s opening moments. She and fellow “Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt were in California as contestants on Season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars,” and they each became friends with different women who had ties to the Mormon church. Post-”DWTS,” Leavitt went on to pursue opportunities on Broadway, while Affleck decided to move to Orange County and, as she tells it, combine the two friend groups for this new series. Finding “community” is a recurring sentiment expressed by the women throughout the season.

Jordan McClanahan, from left, Jen Affleck, McCall DaPron and Chandler Higginson in “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.”

(Ashley Rose / Disney)

The group is a mix of active Latter-day Saints, former or non-practicing members, and non-Mormons with nominal ties — each with varying degrees of social media presence: McCall DaPron is an active member of the LDS church — and staunch defender of the church’s traditional practices; she’s also the sister of original “Mormon Wives” cast member Mayci Neeley; Jordan McClanahan, who converted after reconnecting with her high school sweetheart (now husband) and grew close to the faith while attending addiction recovery programs through the church; Madison Bontempo, an active churchgoer who made her name as a family YouTuber; Salomé Andrea, a content creator with more than 1.6 million TikTok followers who was raised in the church but is currently inactive; Aspyn Ovard, a prominent lifestyle, beauty and fashion YouTuber and influencer who was baptized in the church but does not identify as Mormon now; Ashleigh Pease, an Austrialian-born active member of the church and fitness instructor; Avery Woods, a former pediatric ICU nurse turned full-time content creator and podcaster who has never been a member of the church; and Bobbi Althoff, a longtime social media creator and popular podcaster who hosts “The Really Good Podcast” and is not Mormon, but whose brother is and she occasionally attended LDS church services growing up.

On a recent afternoon, the cast members are sitting alongside each other (minus Andrea, who was absent that day) inside a West Hollywood hotel room — the site of their press junket — a week before the show‘s premiere. And it’s hitting them that they’re about to face a new level of attention.

“Especially after seeing the billboard,” McClanahan says. “We were driving in our party bus or whatever you want to call it.”

Althoff interjects: “I saw one by my daughter’s preschool.”

“We saw two different ones,” McClanahan says. “We got out the second time when we saw it and tried to take photos.”

Many in the group, as high-profile online personalities, already know what it’s like to be perceived by the public. When the spinoff was announced, the opinionated takes came swiftly — either because the casting skews away from the premise in the title, or the fact that not all the women actually live in Orange County. But in reality TV, buzz is buzz.

“There’s so many people that have commented that are like, ‘Oh, I’ll never watch this,’ ” Pease says. “And then they see the trailer and they’re like, ‘Actually, maybe I will.’ ”

There’s no going back now, whatever the response.

The spinoff doesn’t have cameos of massive Swig cups with dirty soda concoctions (Diet Coke with fresh lime is the vibe here) or interstitials of group TikToks (yet). Fans who lamented the amount of screen time the husbands (and the like) commanded in “Mormon Wives” will see only nominal signs of that with their shore-side counterparts; and there’s is a Chase McWhorter jump scare because — spoiler alert — he has a history with one of women. But much like its predecessor, there’s plenty of petty clashes and misunderstandings. The merging of the two friend groups, early on, triggers clique dynamics that splits the cast into opposing camps — the so-called “Molly Mormons” and the non-Mormons or loosely affiliated influencers — and drives much of the season’s drama.

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1. Jen Affleck, left, and Avery Woods. “This year has been the hardest year of my life and you’ll see watching the season why having a group of supportive women around you is so important,” says Affleck, who recently filed for divorce. 2. Madison Bontempo, right, and Ashleigh Pease of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” during the show’s press junket in West Hollywood. (Ian Spanier/For The Times)

“Some people were religious and some people weren’t,” DaPron says.”It was like natural formation. It was who we felt comfortable around because a lot of the Mormon girls, minus Madison, weren’t influencers. It was just a different world for us.”

“Everyone was cast for a reason,” Woods says. “That’s what makes it so different from the original show … we have such a different storyline where we challenge each other and we learn more about each other and our beliefs, our moral values.”

They also insist they aren’t trying to be #MomTok 2.0. There will be no emergency meetings or votes to determine who is in or out of the group or jockeying over who runs the pack. They’ve even sworn off making digital digs at each other — though, only time will tell how long that lasts.

“We made it clear early on that we didn’t think a leader was necessary in a friend group at our age,” Woods says. “We also have had open discussions about online hate and coming at each other online, which we feel is unnecessary.”

“I also feel like that’s a normal friend group,” Affleck chimes in. “OG MomTok was not a normal friend group.”

“Yeah, I would never go online about my friends in real life,” Althoff adds. “So, I’m not gonna like do that with any of them. That was a decision we all talked about too. We all obviously spend a lot of time together. We have problems sometimes. We can all handle that offline without destroying each other online.”

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1. Bobbi Althoff, left, Aspyn Ovard of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.” 2. Mccall DaPron, right, and Jordan McClanahan. (Ian Spanier/For The Times)

Like the original series, the spinoff contrasts its superficial drama and feuds by exploring the deeply personal struggles and lifestyle choices its cast is navigating. A pregnant Affleck shares that her marriage is at its breaking point and she wants to move forward with a divorce from her husband, Zac — a situation and life decision she’s mulled before and documented on the original series. (She filed for divorce last week, the day of the show’s premiere event.) Ovard, meanwhile, is divorced and in a polyamorous relationship with a married couple, while also managing the emotional load of having a terminally ill child. Later in the season, a cast member’s past on OnlyFans is revealed by another, setting in motion the season’s first emotional walk-off.

“You kind of have no choice when that’s your real life and you sign up to do something like this,” Ovard says. “What choice do we have? We’re going through what we’re going through, and it just is life. This is my first time sharing my story. I am newer to Orange County and didn’t have community here, and it’s been really great and life changing to form this friend group and just have each other and be able to lean on each other.”

Affleck says, for now, she’s staying offline, dodging all chatter — supportive or not — about the end of her marriage.

“I don’t want people rallying around me,” Affleck says. “Zac is the father of my kids, and I will have to co-parent with him for the rest of my life. I just try to stay offline because I know that can mess with our heads [because] there’s also the other side of people saying like, ‘Oh, she chose fame over her marriage.’ I know that I gave everything to my marriage.”

Avery Woods, left, Salome Andrea, McCall DaPron and Bobbi Althoff in a scene from a cast trip in the first season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.”

(Ashley Rose / Disney)

For the women who already live some of their lives online, joining a reality show can seem redundant and risky, inviting fresh vitriol that could add more emotional stress or threaten their carefully built brands. But Woods sees it as “the next best thing in my career,” to show more of who she is to her online fanbase. Still, their decision to join the show came before the events that cast a shadow on the franchise. Cameras began rolling in April, just weeks after domestic violence allegations involving Paul and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Dakota Mortensen surfaced.

“I kind of separated the two a little bit,” Bontempo says. “I just saw Taylor as an individual, as a [woman] that just needed help and going through a hard time.”

Reality TV fans might notice the spinoff also arrives at a broader inflection point for a genre built on the lives of complicated women. “The Real Housewives of Orange County” — the blueprint for a television empire that’s kept viewers rapt with everything from chaotic sprinter van excursions and friendship fallouts to messy divorces and fraud investigations — celebrated its 20th anniversary this year along with a 20th season of the series. Yet that milestone, as some fans have expressed, acutely exposed the show’s fatigue. And it’s not the only one. Bravo has rebooted the show in some cities across its lineup to mixed results. The expansion of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” into Orange County will test whether the region can deliver another hit, and whether the TikTok generation’s brand of voyeuristic soap can carry the torch.

While the bigger existential reality TV crisis can be debated by philosophers, the cast members are reflecting on a much simpler question: What surprised them most about the experience?

“How exhausting it would be,” Woods says. “It was emotionally and mentally draining.”

“I was going to say something positive — like the friendships,” adds Althoff. “Obviously going into it, it is a job. We’re all doing it to get paid at the end of the day. I didn’t expect to find so much community here and friendship. I didn’t expect to ever like some of these people. Now I really enjoy McCall and Jordan. Me and McCall … went on a trip together after the show, and it wasn’t filmed, and we sat together for 10 hours and got to know each other. By the end of it, I text someone and was like, ‘I think I like McCall now.’ ”

“If you see the show, that will blow your mind,” DaPron says.

STAR of Slow Horses Olivia Cooke has revealed how a dibilitating health condition left her unable to work for half of 2026.

The 32-year-old was struck down with the shingles virus at the end of last year, forcing her to take an extended break from her acting jobs.

She contracted the infection while in New York, having to jet back to the UK for treatment.

Olivia subsequently spent weeks holed up in her London home in order to fully recover.

Speaking to GQ Hype, she detailed how much it exhausted her, saying: “I had a two-month period where I couldn’t do small talk.

“Someone was like: ‘How are you?’ And I was like: ‘Yeah, I’ve had shingles’.”

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The House Of The Dragon actress admitted that constantly working contributed considerably to the illness.

“I feel like the past two years, I’ve been, like, jobs, jobs, jobs, and I got really burnt out,” she said. “Your body has a way of flooring you to make sure that you do actually lie down.”

During her rest period, Olivia passed the time cooking and rearranging her house in East London, which she shares with partner Ralph Davis, describing herself as “a real housewife”.

“I was cooking different meals every day and sorting my cupboards out.

“I was like a real housewife, like, horribly, but I enjoyed it.”

It also gave her the opportunity to take time away from social media, deactivating Instagram.

“I was just like, I’m on this too much – it’s not nourishing,” she explained. “I think the celebri-fied nature of being an actor has now snowballed into this monster.

“And I just think we need to get off this train and realise that we make these TV shows and films, yes, for escapism, but also because it’s artful and it’s creative and it’s not for followers or for a brand deal.”

Despite being back on the social media platform, Olivia’s approach to it has changed.

“Even replying to a DM from someone that is semi-famous or wholly famous, that’s anxiety,” she added. “Why do I then now feel like I have to be smart and charming for this person that I don’t know?”

Olivia is currently filming A Talent For Murder, in which she’ll portray an American heiress on the run.

In Slow Horses, she stars opposite Bond contender Jack Lowden.

HELEN Flanagan has revealed her secret to making her bum look bigger as she opened up about her body insecurities after childbirth.

The Coronation Street actress, 35, is a mum-of-three to Matilda, 10, and Delilah, seven, and five-year-old son Charlie.

Taking to Instagram, Helen looked as stunning as ever in a sparkling green gown as she enjoyed a night out.

The TV star revealed: “My friend took this pic of me and I love this dress it’s insane.

“Since I had Charlie my stomach always sticks out a bit if I wear anything tight fitting as he was my third.

“It used to annoy me but I don’t care now it’s quite beautiful how our bodies change as women from carrying babies.”

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Helen then posted a throwback clip from when Charlie was a baby.

The video showed her standing in front of a mirror in her underwear, as she pinched and pulled at her slender frame.

She captioned the clip: “I found this video the other day on my phone when Charlie was a baby.

“It’s quite sad as I was hard on myself. x”

The TV star also cheekily posted another shot of herself looking sultry on a staircase and captioned the image: “Also, yes I wear shapewear in tight dresses to give me a bigger bum.”

Helen previously told The Sun how she “felt lost” until she became a mum.

She parted ways from her long-term fiancé in 2022 after 13 years together and she has been open about how it isn’t always plain sailing.

She was also forced out of her £1million family home by Scott as they never married and the house near Bolton was solely in his name.

Back in January, a friend of Helen’s said: “Scott pays for the house and all the bills and he’s decided a six-bedroom place is way too big for Helen on her own with the kids.

The new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is just days away, with rumours already starting to swirl about a ‘secret alliance’ between two of the campmates

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! fans can’t wait for the new series to start and there’s already some major gossip! Rumoured campmates Wayne Rooney and Chloe Burrows have already formed an alliance.

Speaking about the pair’s friendship ahead of the show, a source said to be close to Chloe told the Mail: “Chloe and Wayne bonded over their I’m A Celebrity booking back in May when they played in Soccer Aid together.

“Talks were well underway for the show at that time, so they both knew they were heading into the jungle. They were on the same team and got along really well.”

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Former footballer, Wayne, 41 – who was papped at the airport today en route to Australia – will be without wife, Coleen, 40, and their four sons while in the jungle. However, he’s said to have formed a secret alliance with fellow campmate and Love Island pal, Chloe Burrows, 30, who he met when they played in the charity football match, Soccer Aid.

Revealing Wayne and Chloe had chatted about how they were feeling about going on the iconic ITV show, they added: “It’s nice that they already have that connection going in. They had a catch-up about how they were both feeling about the show, and it will be great to watch their friendship grow even more once they’re in camp.”

Chloe shot to fame on Love Island in 2021 and proved a huge hit with viewers, eventually finishing runner-up alongside her then-boyfriend Toby Aromolaran. I’m A Celeb producers have been reportedly been keen to sign her up for the iconic show, with the Chloe Vs The World presenter said to be enthusiastic about swapping her home comforts for life in camp.

Influencer, Chloe, posed for a selfie with Wayne at the charity football match in Stratford, which she captioned: “What an amazing experience.”

She is said to have held a number of meetings with bosses behind the ITV jungle show ahead of its return to Australia this month.

Wayne, meanwhile, is following in his wife’s Coleen’s footsteps after the WAG appeared on I’m A Celeb two years ago and is said to be eager to get stuck into the BushTucker Trials to impress his sons.

He is set to be joined Down Under by stars including, Chloe, Joanna Page, Ade Adepitan, Claire Sweeney, Ricky Wilson, AJ Odudu, Sharky, Leigh Francis, Mariella Frostrup, Leomie Anderson, and Jack Skipper. The show is expected to run for approximately three weeks, ending with a live final in early December.

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A CLIP of Katherine Ryan discussing outing an industry “predator” on a show has resurfaced after Russell Brand’s conviction.

Ryan shared the screen with disgraced Brand on the Comedy Central series Roast Battle in 2018, before he was axed.

After he was yesterday found guilty of rape and sex attacks on a string of women, a video of Ryan discussing an abuser thought to be Brand has blown up.

In a 2018 podcast with Louis Theroux, she claimed to have confronted the unnamed man “again and again” while they worked together and referred to him as a “predator”.

When Theroux asked her what she meant by that term, the 43-year-old said: “I mean perpetrator of sexual assault.”

Ryan added: “But it is very dangerous for us to have this conversation. I’m happy to have it, but it is a litigious minefield.

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“Lots of people have tried to nail this person down for their alleged crimes and this person has very good lawyers.”

Ryan added word of the notorious abuser was an “open secret” in the industry as she told the shameful star to his face he was a “predator”.

When she was pressed for more details, she said simply that it was “not her story to tell” but that she had heard the allegations from “very credible” sources.

It is widely speculated the Canadian comic was referring to Brand, but she has not confirmed said predator or named the show she was working on.

However, following Brand’s conviction she has publicly said she feels “grief and relief”.

The stand-up star added there are “a lot of women speaking privately and quietly” following the verdict, who feel “a very nuanced mix of emotions”.

On her podcast Telling Everybody Everything, Ryan said: “It really made me feel just quite dysregulated again, caught off-guard, emotional, in awe of the survivors who also had nothing to gain.

“They came forward despite Russell Brand having fame, power, money, and a legion of fans ready to attack them.”

She added: “I will never be someone who like, dances on graves. There has been some justice done today. There’s a level of relief, but there’s grief alongside relief.

“Everything’s nuanced, and it was proved in court that a terrible thing happened, and that means that a terrible thing happened.

“I just think again and again about people who have been hurt, and who have to carry that, who’ve carried that around long enough, and will continue to carry that in some way, regardless of what justice is done.

“This verdict came because women were hurt, and I worry as well about what happens next.

“Because he’s obviously spent a long time cultivating this idea that the establishment have invented these claims against him, and he’s martyred himself to a growing audience who really still think that it is the courageous survivors who are the villains in this story.

“I just… I don’t know if you can podcast from jail. I hope not.”

Ryan also slammed Brand’s barrister Ian Winter KC who launched a foul-mouthed tirade at Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin as he was leaving the courtroom.

He said to her: “I hope you are pleased with yourself”, and she was heard replying: “I’m pleased justice has been done”.

 Mr Winter said during the clash: “Well, it wasn’t. You f***** it.” “Congratulations,” he added.

Ryan said: “That was so unprofessional, so inappropriate, so aggressive. Really sickening.”

The “ruthless, calculated and manipulative” predator Brand is facing years in jail after he preyed on women between 1999 and 2009.

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY has revealed the secret to her glossy blonde locks – she doesn’t use shampoo.

The glam mum-of-three has one of the most famous barnets on British TV, and the fact that she doesn’t get in a lather over it is something even the most slovenly among us can get on board with.

In fact, Holly reckons skipping the suds helps keep her tresses thick and shiny.

And that’s not the only hack the down-to-earth presenter has in her locker — she’s also got a go-to look up her sleeve for when she’s hungover.

In an exclusive chat, Holly said: “In the summer, I tend not to even shampoo my hair, ’cause I try not to take any of the oils out of it. I just condition it.

“But I’ve had hair fails. When you’re a blonde, you have to be really careful. Chlorine is a b*****d.

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“My natural colour . . . it’s like a dirty blonde, so once I was brunette then tried to go blonde again and it went green.

“Then I had to put red in it, and obviously I was, like, ‘Just go to the hairdresser’s, you silly cow’. Like, ‘No, no, I can fix this [at home]’. I’ve always been a bit like that, where I will experiment and try things.”

Refreshingly honest Holly even admitted she had hair extensions put in for added volume as she launched her firm Wylde Moon’s new body cream and wash range with Beauty Pie this week.

She revealed: “The first time I had my skin pigmentation lasered off, I was really shocked at what you’re left with.

“Because it goes really brown and then it kind of flakes off for about a week later, so you just look like you’ve been in some horrendous kind of sunburnt situation.

“My beauty sin is I remember, back in the day, wearing brown lip liner and concealer on my lips. Nowadays, if I’m hungover or tired, an [eyeliner] flick and a red lip, always.”

There’s hope for us all . . . 

HOLLY reckons her TV pal Leigh Francis will make a great campmate on I’m A Celebrity — because he’s “not an a**e”.

After The Sun revealed he had signed up for the latest series, Holly told me: “The thing about Leigh is that he’s pretty resilient.

“I know he’s always played a character [Keith Lemon], but I know him as Leigh and  . . . what you see is what you get.

“He won’t be one of those people that has to go in there and try and keep up some sort of facade for ages.

“He will just be him through and through and he’s just a really great guy.

“I think people will see that. He’s not an ae, you know, he’s just a really lovely person.”

Kanye’s kidding around

KANYE WEST had a rare smile on his face as he had an even rarer photo snapped with all four of his children.

The rapper, now known as Ye, posed with his eldest North, who was sporting long blue hair, at his Yeezy Season 01 runway show in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

They were joined by his other daughter Chicago, as well as sons Saint and Psalm.

Meanwhile, their mum Kim Kardashian was in New York, where she was photographed out for dinner with actress Jennifer Lawrence.

BONO has opened up about U2’s last-ever collaboration with Dolly Parton.

The frontman and bandmate Adam Clayton spoke to Chris Evans on his Virgin Radio Breakfast Show and admitted they didn’t know just how ill she was when they recorded new single Torn.

Bono said: “I didn’t even know she was into our band. She was being really sassy and everything you’d love about her.

“Because we’d taken this song in a very different direction, she sends this quite emotional note, having finished the vocal. She says, ‘Just so you know, I’ve always loved your music. I’ve always loved you, and I will always love you.’

“I could feel a puddle about to happen. She’s taking the piss, because that’s her song! . . . And we knew she was ill.

“And I just didn’t know that she was so sick. And she sang this, honestly, like she sang herself somewhere else, for sure.”

New single Torn is out next Friday.

Blazing year for Cara

SHE plays a party promoter in new film Club Kid but Cara Delevingne was dolled up for a far more demure night out than a sweaty rave in this chic blazer dress and scarf.

Cara, wore the ensemble to the Los Angeles premiere of the film, which won’t hit screens here until January.

It tells the story of party animal Peter – played by Jordan Firstman who she gave a kiss to on the red carpet – whose life is turned upside down when he is forced to care for a ten-year-old son, who he didn’t know he’d had.

It’s been a busy year for Cara, who released her debut album Not Normal in September following a lengthy summer tour.

And she’s recently been back on set for the upcoming erotic thriller Non Compos Mentis, in which her character finds herself in a love triangle with two men played by Liam Hemsworth and Sam Worthington.

She’s a lucky lady.

KATHERINE’S READY FOR FESTIVE FUN

CHRISTMAS has come early with a flurry of new festive songs out today, led by Katherine Jenkins who has recorded a seasonal rendition of Heaven Is A Place On Earth.

The Welsh mezzo-soprano’s cover of the Belinda Carlisle hit is the soundtrack to this year’s Marks & Spencer Christmas advert, and she appears in the clip as a singer at a fete.

Olivia Rodrigo has dropped her track Take Me Home (4 Christmas) and NECTAR WOODE has released her festive ballad, Only Want You.

Away from the jingle bells, Slayyyter has released her song Hey Boyyy and Poland’s 2026 Eurovision entrant Alicja has returned with the appropriately titled She’s Back.

For something rockier, check out Cage The Elephant’s Make It Easy, from their newly announced album Dying In Reverse, which will be out on February 5.

LEWIS CAPALDI has confirmed his performance at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard will be the last time his fans can see him before he takes a lengthy break.

Speaking ahead of the event, taking place at London’s O2 Arena on the first weekend in December, Lewis said: “I need to go away and make new music so it feels like a nice fitting tip of the cap.

“It feels fitting that it’s at Jingle Bell Ball. I’m very excited.”

OZZFEST TO KEEP OZZY’S LEGACY ALIVE

OZZY OSBOURNE’s Back To The Beginning concert was one of the highlights of last summer, and the late rocker’s legacy will continue to live on with the return of Ozzfest.

The hard rock festival was first held two decades ago – and next year, it will be brought back for a one-day extravaganza at The National Bowl in Milton Keynes on July 10.

The line-up will be announced in the coming months but if Back To The Beginning is anything to go by, it’ll have some belters on board.

It had been hoped the event could take place at Villa Park in Ozzy’s hometown of Birmingham, but construction work prevented it.

The rocker’s widow Sharon said: “Ozzy was the first to launch his own traveling metal festival, and Ozzfest will always remain an important part of Ozzy’s legacy.”

LITTLE MESS, JES

A FEUD appears to have broken out between Jesy Nelson and the father of her twin daughters Zion Foster.

Fans of the couple, who split in January, noticed Zion sharing a reel on his Instagram account from a man who posted a video about “Dad’s who don’t get access to their kids”.

It comes just weeks after former Little Mix singer Jesy appeared to take a swipe at the R&B artist by liking a comment online which said: “How deadbeats be convincing new women they’re a good dad.”

The pair, whose twins Ocean and Story were born with genetic muscle-weakening condition SMA Type 1 in May last year, had previously been on good terms but pals told me it’s turned “very messy”.

A friend added: “It’s a very sad situation. Jesy and Zion have very opposing views on who is at fault and they cannot see eye to eye at all. Those close to them want them to come together and focus on their children.”

Yesterday Zion released a new song, which he said would be the “first and last time” he would say his piece.

On the track he raps that he is “hurt to the core”, before adding: “The real truth ain’t going to hit the surface, cause I aint going to put my babies through that.

“Got the receipts in my phone and notepad, why would I save myself and put my girls through that pain as well.”

I think it’d do Jesy and Zion well to step away from social media and sort out their issues behind closed doors.

Here’s how conspiracy theories shaped the last 600 years. The printing press helped spread European witch-hunts even as it helped usher in the Enlightenment. The Nazis turned radio into a weapon of mass persuasion. Social media promised freedom but gave dictators new tools of control. We trace centuries of conspiracy theories – and ask what artificial intelligence could bring next.

In this episode:

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Mohamed Hassan, Marcos Bartolome, Marthe van der Wolf and Sonia Bhagat and was edited by Alexandra Locke. Our engagement producer is Adam Abou-Gad. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

HALLOWEEN was Ozzy Osbourne’s favourite day of the year.

And to celebrate, I’ve got some very exciting news to share with his fans.

My insiders have revealed the Black Sabbath rocker secretly recorded a handful of songs with super-producer Andrew Watt prior to his death last summer.

And now those tracks — which were laid down during his music sessions for his 2022 album Patient Number 9 — could soon be getting green-lit to coincide with the blockbuster film biopic about his life.

One of my American music moles told me: “Ozzy had a practical outlook about his medical issues and life.

“He was very excited to be in the studio for the Patient Number 9 sessions because Andrew managed to bring energy and excitement, even though he was struggling with his ailments.

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“They worked on the album and Ozzy knew that, with the biopic in development, he saw an idea for works about his life and romance with Sharon.

“Those tracks have only been heard by Andrew and his musicians.

“The final mixes have not even been finished. They remain works in progress and to be considered for the movie.

“Sharon doesn’t even know what the final mixes will sound like.

“But the likelihood is that they will come to play some part in the biopic, which would be incredible.

“Unheard songs from Ozzy from beyond the grave is something he would have loved.”

I revealed earlier this year how Ozzy’s wife Sharon and his son Jack had a director in mind for the movie, which would tell the incredible life story of the Prince of Darkness.

“The script is being worked on as a final draft with Sony Studios looking for directors,” a source close to the family told me.

“Sharon has been measuring up who could play her and deliver the intensity of her personality while also holding it together while Ozzy goes through his demons on-screen.”

I have no doubt that with Sharon at the helm this film will more than do Ozzy justice.

And the idea of listening to never-before-heard songs from him excites me even more.

JOSH’S MONSTROUS TERROR OF THE TOILET

WE all have a scarring childhood memory, but I’ve never heard a confession quite like Josh Brolin’s.

The Running Man actor has revealed he was too scared to go to the loo after watching Steve McQueen’s horror classic The Blob when he was four.

He said: “I just remember this substance coming out of the toilet and attacking this person.

“And when you’re a kid, it’s a new relationship with a toilet. It suddenly gets all up and then you don’t know where to do your business.”

I bet his parents loved cleaning up that mess.

THRILLER RACE FOR TOP SPOT

MICHAEL JACKSON’s son Prince hopes to give his late dad a Halloween treat – by backing fans’ efforts to get his 1983 hit Thriller to No1 for the first time.

Despite regularly returning to the charts around Halloween, the six-minute track and video failed to hit the top spot.

Prince said: “Thriller is the biggest-selling album of all time but the single has never made it to No1. And so the goal with this Thriller challenge is to encourage people to buy the album, stream it and request it on radio, because those are the metrics that then push it up the chart.

“But we have to recognise that (the album) Thriller has a lot of bangers on there. So he’s kind of competing with himself. My father has an incredible fan base, and they’re so very sophisticated and orchestrated, and this has been the challenge that has been going on.”

lKEITH RICHARDS says he feels like his late Rolling Stones bandmate, drummer Charlie Watts, came back from the grave to watch over the group recording their new single, Who You Callin’ Crazy.

He told how he forgot Steve Jordan was on the sticks behind him, saying: “I do think it’s Charlie Watts behind me.”

ARABELLA: ME ‘N’ MY ’BLUD BUD

RISING star Arabella Lucia is proving she’s got some rock star mates after handing Bizarre a backstage pass to her pal Yungblud’s new B.R.A.T clothes shop.

The punk-rock wonderland in Soho, central London, hosted a cool music show by Arabella this week.

At the cosy gig, she thanked Yungblud for supporting her career, adding: “He’s so cool and he’s so awesome.

“He has given me some great advice about music.

“The songs I am performing tonight, and it being here of all places, is very serendipitous.”

Lily’s gone dotty

WITH one of the sharpest tongues in the industry, Lily Allen often divides opinions – but no one can argue she doesn’t have a great sense of humour.

Brandishing a thermometer and with the caption “#bluedotfever”, the Smile singer dressed up as a Ticketmaster seating chart, with spots signifying plenty of empty spaces – a nod to the fact she had to downgrade venues on her US tour due to poor sales.

Despite selling out arenas on home soil for her West End Girl tour, excitement for the gigs Stateside was lacklustre.

Meanwhile, Marvin and Rochelle Humes turned back the clock to 2002 as they transformed into Kelly Rowland and Nelly from the music video for their hit Dilemma.

Marvin and Rochelle were just two of many celebrity guests spotted at Olivia Attwood’s Halloween party in central London.

Also going all out for the celebrations was Kim and Kanye’s daughter North West.

The budding singer clearly spent some serious cash perfecting her Edward Scissorhands costume.

But perhaps my favourite costume of all came from influencer Bella James.

She looked genuinely unrecognisable as she transformed into Jeremy Clarkson thanks to some impressive prosthetics.

Clearly I need to up my fancy dress game.

SHED SEVEN are looking forward to being top of the tree after announcing a huge show in Delamere Forest next June.

The band are confirmed as the final headliner for Forest Live, the week-long run of shows in the Cheshire woodlands.

Having just sold out the biggest headliner show of their career at York’s LNER Stadium, the indie rockers will now headline the show on Friday, June 18, with support from The Lathums and The Lilacs.

Frontman Rick Witter told me: “We can’t wait to headline our first Forest Live show.

“They are always an amazing experience in beautiful surroundings with an electric atmosphere.

“We have played a few over the years, but always as bridesmaids, so it’s great that we can now feel like dizzy brides.”

Celebrity Traitors star has a bash at podcasts

JUST in time for Halloween, Celebrity Traitors’ Sebastian Croft has launched his brand new podcast series.

The first episode of The Sunday Scaries With Bash Croft is out tomorrow, with the Heart-stopper actor welcoming guests each week to discuss the highs and lows of the past seven days.

Bash said: “Many people I know find Sundays daunting or lonely and just want to have a laugh and chat about the week before and the week ahead.

“So I want the podcast to feel like you’re sitting on the sofa with us, having honest, unfiltered chats with friends.

“Hopefully, it’ll make everyone’s Sunday feel a little brighter and the week ahead a little less daunting.”

PLANS for a musical based on the songs of late chart superstar George Michael have been confirmed.

His lifelong best friend David Austin has told The Sun that preparations are in motion for the stage show to help keep George’s legacy alive.

Those involved have set their sights on Broadway — with a West End run almost certain to follow if the project proves ­popular enough.

George shot to fame in 1980s pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley and became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.

Speaking at the world premiere of concert film George Michael: The Faith Tour at the BFI IMAX in London, David said: “There is talk about Broadway. We’ve got our fingers in a lot of pies.”

The confirmation comes six months after The Sun first told the world of the secret plans.

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In April, we revealed that George’s sister Yioda Panayiotou, 64, had held confidential talks with producers.

A source said at the time: “As things stand, it’s all in the very early development stage, but the plan is to tell the story of George’s life and career with some of his hits mixed in.

“Right now it’s not a Mamma Mia! situation where his songs soundtrack a new story — this is about his life.”

The production is already being workshopped in New York, with seven-time Olivier Award nominee Maria Friedman in talks to direct.

George, died aged 53 on Christmas Day 2016 at home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

OLIVIA Attwood has had one of her tattoos reworked – having previously admitted that her mother hated it.

Back in the summer of 2024, the reality star got a matching tattoo with her stylist, while the pair visited Ibiza.

The pair, however, have since had a very public falling out, and it seems Olivia has gone to great lengths to erase all traces of him from her life.

At the time, stylist Ryan Kay proudly showed off the matching red cherries that had been inked on his arm and on the side of Olivia’s torso.

He posted a snap of the former friends together and captioned the shot: “Matching for life now!”

It would seem, however, that’s not the case.

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Olivia also shared snaps at the time and wrote in the caption under the photos: “I got a tattoo yesterday and my mums not a fan!”

She shared screengrabs of a message from her mum, who asked her to “just stop now”, saying “its gone way too far… give me a break!”

Mrs Attwood also said she wished Olivia had asked for the inking to be somewhere her parents wouldn’t have to look at.

Olivia’s mum will no doubt be delighted to know that the cherries have now been covered up.

In a post to Instagram by a tattooist named Jesus, Olivia is seen showing the side of her body, with a red cross in the place of the cherries.

The design features a rose, entwined around the cross.

Last September Olivia broke her silence about the feud between her and her former best friend – and explained what really happened.

The former Love Island star revealed the reason on social media during a Q&A with fans.

One asked “What happened with your mate?” referring to Ryan, who was also Olivia’s assistant.

She responded: “I am just very hurt if I’m honest. Prior to what you might have read.

“I had to respect myself and enjoy a line. It was something that played out over a few months.

“And I guess I hadn’t seen things that I should of… I think? “

She continued: “I give everything (in every sense of the word) to friendships and don’t let very many people in so it suckkkkks.

“It’s not something I can really explain on a story but I will at some point?”

Shortly after this, she took a huge swipe at an “attention-seeking” friend, not specifying who she was talking about but referring to them as a “tick”.

“We all know this person who can’t keep a job, they can’t keep a friend, they have no long-term friends that they can keep for more than a year,” she said on TikTok. “But it’s never their fault – they’re always the victim.

“You watch the cycle play out and you can now see the people who were before you and see your part in the cycle.”

The star went on: “I always think that with these kinds of people, they don’t move on to new friends, but instead they move on to new hosts.

“They’re like a tick – a tick has to be attached to you and drink your blood – and it has to have a host body.

“So, once it leaves your body it’s going to go and host on another body.”

Olivia has also had a very public divorce from ex-husband Bradley Dack.

The two split at the start of 2026, having been together since 2015 and getting married in June 2023.

SIR Patrick Stewart secretly battled Alzheimer’s and dementia before his death aged 86.

The acting legend, best known for starring in X-Men and Star Trek, sadly passed away at his home in Los Angeles, it was revealed.

The exact timeline of his diagnosis was kept private and his secret health battle has left fans around the world devastated.

His family and spokesperson described his experience with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia as a “brief and poignant journey” and a “brief battle” before his passing.

Sir Patrick died at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

He was said to be “in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny”.

A post on the actor’s Instagram account added: “He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all.

“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.

“A son of Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he travelled from the Royal Shakespeare Company to an equally acclaimed career spanning six decades on Broadway, the silver screen and television.”

Earlier in his career, Stewart portrayed a retired intelligence agent suffering from early-stage Alzheimer’s in the 1998 independent thriller Safe House.

In his last post on Instagram around six months ago, he appeared to have a raspy voice.

Sir Patrick’s illustrious career on stage and screen spanned over 60 years.

He received numerous accolades including two Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama in 2010.

Paying tribute, Marvel Studios posted on X: “Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from X- Men to Logan to Avengers: Doomsday.

“He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman.

“Our hearts go out to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends, and the countless fans around the world whose lives he touched with his art.”

Born in Mirfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1940, his early years were defined by working-class hardship.

A young Patrick secured a grant to attend the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before joining the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966.

For decades, he was a respected but largely unheralded stage actor, mastering the works of the Bard and establishing himself as a formidable theatrical talent in the UK.

Sir Patrick’s career trajectory shifted dramatically in 1987 when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”.

Initially sceptical about the show’s prospects, Stewart famously admitted he refused to unpack his bags for weeks, fully expecting the American sci-fi venture to fail and send him straight back to the London stage.

Instead, Picard became his defining television role.

He commanded the Starship Enterprise for seven highly successful seasons and four feature films.

Stewart conquered a second massive franchise as the telepathic mutant Professor Charles Xavier in the highly lucrative “X-Men” films.

Despite his immense Hollywood success, Stewart never abandoned his classical roots, frequently returning to the West End and Broadway to star in celebrated productions like “Macbeth” and “Waiting for Godot”.

His monumental contribution to drama was officially recognised in 2010 when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

He was last pictured watching his beloved football club as the team pay tribute to “hero” supporter.

Emmerdale fans were left questioning how Dr Liam Cavanagh and newcomer Dave knew each other, after a link was teased in an episode that also a wedding date confirmed

How does Liam on Emmerdale know new character Dave?

A link is clear, given Dave, who said his name was David Thistlethwaite, clearly knew Liam from his past. Dave commented how he’d seen him before but that he didn’t know anyone by the surname Cavanagh, which is Liam’s surname.

When Dave asked Liam about where he was from and how they knew each other, Liam shut it down. The thing is, he didn’t recognise Dave or his name, so he doesn’t seem to know him.

But it’s when Dave started probing about where he grew up and that he’d seen him close to where he was from at some point, that Liam started to panic.

Dave had been drafted in to take part in a murder mystery organised by Chas Dingle, Liam’s fiancée. At first it seemed Dave was an actual criminal, and he had hijacked the murder game to get revenge on Dylan Penders.

Everyone played along until the end, when Liam unlocked a safe, only to find a piece of paper. On the paper, the date January 29th was written down.

As Liam asked what this meant, they all dropped the act, including Dave, as Chas admitted it was all to announce their wedding date. Dave was actually new at the brewery, helping Chas with deliveries at the pub.

Liam thanked him for taking part, calling him a good sport. It was clear he didn’t know Dave, but it’s then that Dave made a point of knowing where Liam was originally from.

Dave told him: “You do seem quite familiar, although I’m not sure I knew an Cavanaghs.” Liam told him, nervously: “No, it wouldn’t have been me.”

Dave replied: “Are you sure? You do seem very familiar.” Liam started stuttering, trying to suggest he wasn’t there for long before Dave interrupted.

Liam interrupted back though, and bluntly told him: “It wasn’t me.” Dave apologised for asking, and later, we saw an anxious Liam staring at Dave from afar.

Fans began speculating how the men knew each other, and what Liam was hiding about his past. They were convinced that Liam had done something or was running away from something.

Another theory was that he wasn’t he who said he was or had perhaps changed his name. Dave clearly knew Liam by a different surname, and Liam is clearly trying to cover up this link.

One fan said: “I think Liam killed his 1st wife,” as a second said: “I wonder if Liam has a secret family?” A third fan said: “Ooh, who is Liam really?”

Another theory read: “Bigamy so he cant marry Chas,” as one said: “I think it’s going to turn out all this time he has been a bigamist and still has a wife down south.” A final post said: “Wonder if he’s changed his name for some reason ie medical misconduct or immunity from something.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

JUNIOR Andre has revealed he was forced to get a job on the London Underground after blowing all the money he made from his music career at just 17.

The singer, now 21, made the surprising confession during tonight’s opening episode of Celebrity Race Across the World, admitting he had learned the hard way about managing his finances.

Junior, the son of Peter Andre and Katie Price, opened up about his past while working alongside younger sister Princess, 19, picking coconuts in exchange for free food and accommodation during the first leg of their race.

He said: “Growing up in the public eye, I’m used to people prejudging me and stereotyping how I’m going to be.”

The star continued: “People just assume that I’m just living off Mummy and Daddy’s money, but I’m not going to take money from my parents. That’s just not me.”

Revealing how he ended up taking on a demanding night job, Junior explained: “I released my first single at 17, and I got a big chunk of money come in for my music, and I blew it all, so I had to go get a job.”

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He added: “I worked on the London Underground, on the Piccadilly line, 10pm to 6am, and that was intense. I was doing wiring. I was carrying heavy materials, basically doing just loads of manual labour stuff.”

Despite having no previous experience of the job, he insisted he had thrown himself into it. “I may not have known as many things as everyone else on the Underground, but I worked hard. I like to think that I did the best that I could, and it taught me a lot about money.”

Reflecting on what he learned, Junior added: “You know, it taught me about having a budget that you need for your weekly shop.”

Junior and Princess are among four celebrity pairs taking part in the fourth series of the BBC travel competition, which sees contestants race thousands of miles without the usual luxuries of modern travel.

This year’s line-up also features Eurovision star Sam Ryder and his friend and tour manager Kaz, singer Ella Eyre and childhood friend Nana Pepera, and former Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling alongside his son Matt.

The teams are racing from Kuching in Malaysian Borneo to Melbourne, Australia, navigating unfamiliar destinations and completing challenges while sticking to a limited budget.

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has confirmed that an image that has been circulating online for years does indeed show an experimental Chinese reusable spaceplane in orbit. A newly released higher-resolution copy of the image underscores that the design is nearly a dead ringer for the X-37B miniature space shuttles now operated by the U.S. Space Force.

DIA included the higher-resolution image of the Chinese spaceplane in a new unclassified report on global security challenges outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, which was released yesterday. A satellite belonging to Maxar Technologies (now Vantor) captured the image, but when exactly remains unclear. It does have a 2024 copyright date.

The image shows a miniature space shuttle-like design with small wings and twin vertical tails. It also has upward-opening doors above a central payload bay. There is also an extension at the tail end with solar panels seen deployed on either side. There are what look to be side-by-side ventral bays, which are likely for the main gear in a tricycle landing gear configuration. Overall, the core design is extremely similar to that of the U.S. X-37B, which also features tricycle landing gear and can also be fitted with an extended payload module at the tail. One major difference is that the wings on the Chinese design have a much longer chord compared to the X-37B.

“A key capability for reusable space activities are spaceplanes like this PRC [People’s Republic of China] Spaceplane captured by Maxar. Spaceplanes can launch into orbit to place objects in space or even test them and return to earth [sic],” reads the caption to the picture in DIA’s report.

As noted, the basic fact of the existence of this image is not new. U.S. Space Force Col. John Patrick, then head of U.S. Space Forces-Korea (SPACEFOR-KOR), included a much lower-resolution version in a presentation at the Open Space Forum in South Korea in 2024. It was also not immediately clear at that time whether or not the picture simply showed an X-37B. TWZ had reached out at the time to the U.S. Space Force and Maxar for more information, and both had declined to comment. Two X-37Bs were built, and they have been sent on eight orbital missions, in total, since 2010. The Orbital Test Vehicle 8 (OTV-8) mission was launched on August 22, 2025.

China is understood to have conducted four separate orbital spaceplane missions using the same experimental vehicle since 2020. Three of those missions had concluded before Col. Patrick gave his presentation. The most recent launch occurred on February 7 of this year, and the vehicle has not yet returned, at least as far as we are aware.

On the third mission, which lasted from December 14, 2023, to September 6, 2024, the Chinese spaceplane was observed releasing multiple smaller objects into orbit. What those payloads may have been remains unknown, but they could have been released from the main payload bay, which is seen open in the on-orbit image. The bay could have opened without any subsequent release of objects on either of the two prior missions, as well.

As an aside, the spaceplane appears to have released at least one more object earlier this year in the course of its latest mission.

A secretive airbase in the northwest end of China, sporting one of the longest runways in the world at 16,400 feet, looks to be where the spaceplane has landed after missions. The facility, which has been expanded massively in recent years, is now loosely akin to America’s top-secret proving ground at Area 51, and has been the site of other advanced aviation test efforts.

DIA’s report also says that “China has two primary spaceplane models: the Shenlong and Tengyun,” but does not specify which one is seen in the image. The name Shenlong has been commonly used to refer to the spaceplane China has been experimenting with to date. Images said to show a prototype or test article of this design slung underneath an H-6 bomber for testing purposes had emerged in 2007.

The state-run China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) unveiled the Tengyun design in 2016 as part of a so-called two-stage-to-orbit system that uses a mothership aircraft flying within the atmosphere as part of the launch method rather than a traditional space launch rocket. As of 2020, CASIC was aiming for a live test of Tengyun in 2025, but it is not immediately clear whether or not that occurred.

There have been other spaceplane developments in China in recent years. This includes designs from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) subsidiary Chengdu. The design from Chengdu is called Haolong and has been in development officially as an option for resupplying the country’s Tiangong space station.

In general, “spaceplanes are … reusable and feature enhanced maneuverability, making them more suitable for certain missions than traditional satellites,” DIA’s report notes.

TWZ has highlighted in the past how reusable space shuttle-like vehicles offer ideal platforms for rapidly deploying small satellites and any other payloads into orbit. In this way, they can be critical assets for space-based experimentation, as well as operational activities. This could include intelligence gathering, and even on-orbit attacks, areas of clear interest to the Chinese government.

As we often mention in the context of the X-37B, spaceplanes also have distinct advantages when it comes to rendezvousing with and maneuvering very close to other objects in space. They can execute course changes and other maneuvers in ways that traditional satellites cannot. All of this only underscores their potential as weapon systems, as well as for gathering intelligence. The fact that a Maxar (now Vantor) satellite took an on-orbit picture – a service the company is known to offer – of a Chinese spaceplane further highlights the kind of cat-and-mouse games that are increasingly emerging in space. The general risks posed by these kinds of activities were recently thrust into the public eye by the unprecedentedly close shadowing of a commercial radar imaging satellite tied to Ukraine by another satellite belonging to Russia.

China has been making massive investments, in general, in new space-based intelligence and other capabilities in recent years. Chinese space developments have now also extended into reusable space launch rocket boosters. Space launch company LandSpace became the first in China to achieve a successful recovery of a reusable space launch rocket booster on land in August. That followed CASC’s successful recovery of a reusable space launch rocket booster at sea using a specially configured ship the month before.

ZhuQue-3 first landing

In general, “access to space traditionally requires expendable spacecraft: single-use launch vehicles, satellites, and one-time use capsules designed to maximize performance. Reliance on expendable vehicles has made access to space expensive and exclusive,” DIA’s report explains. “Reusable technologies, while even more difficult and expensive to develop and build, stand to greatly reduce the cost of spaceflight by recovering, refurbishing, and reusing rocket stages, fairings, and capsules.”

Chinese spaceplanes, one of which we have not definitively gotten a view of in orbit, look set to become an increasingly important part of this growing ecosystem.

Update: 6:32 PM ET –

Vantor has now provided an additional copy of the image of the Chinese spaceplane, elements of which look to be redacted, and some additional details. The company has confirmed it was taken on May 28, 2024, by the WorldView-3 satellite at a range of just under 56 miles (90 kilometers).

“There is a separate satellite docked to the aft section of the vehicle whose structure and solar arrays are visible,” Vantor also told us. “The spacecraft’s payload bay doors are visibly open.”

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

A NINETIES chart-topper has revealed she has undergone further surgery to ease pain caused by breast cancer treatment.

The singer, 55, whose catchy debut single topped the UK charts in 1994, told fans she was recovering in bed ahead of her next gig.

Whigfield, whose real name is Sannie Carlson, shared the hospital update on Instagram.

She wrote: “Last Wednesday I underwent a second surgery to fix pain in my breast caused by scar tissue from breast cancer operations and radiation therapy years back.

“I’m now on bed rest so I can heal quickly for my next gig.”

She tagged the 90s Supershow, where she is due to perform in Germany in early November.

BREAST AWARE

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The star signed off with “Happy Saturday night” — a nod to the song that made her famous.

Whigfield underwent treatment for breast cancer in 2014 and has previously urged women to get checked.

Reflecting on her diagnosis in an earlier Instagram post, she wrote: “Fighting breast cancer was a strange thing.”

She continued: “One moment I was living my best life making new music in London, the next I was stuck in a bubble of numbness.”

The Danish singer described the operations and radiotherapy as tough, but said she drew strength from fellow patients, including children, at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital.

She also recalled that many of those being treated for the disease never left the hospital.

Whigfield, who has previously spoken about living on the outskirts of Milan, shot to fame with Saturday Night, which reached Number One in the UK in 1994.

Her other hits include Another Day and Think of You.

It’s Thursday night, and sitting at the top of the football bleachers after a two-hour drive from Mission Viejo are JT and Kathy Reis, grandparents of Palos Verdes High twins Christian and Weston Reis.

While one fan shouts criticism at an official’s call at Mira Costa High, Grandma and Grandpa Reis calmly and confidently root for their grandsons, Christian, a running back, and Weston, a linebacker.

“That a way, Christian,” grandma blurts out after a Christian pass reception.

Grandpa is eating popcorn like he’s at a movie and sitting back in his folding chair just taking in the environment.

Weston wears No. 44 because that’s what JT wore playing high school football in Wisconsin.

“We’ve had so much fun,” JT said. “We’re so blessed.”

The Reis twins, Christian (left) and Weston, are junior linebackers for Palos Verdes and Christian plays running back, too.

(Nick Koza)

If you’re fortunate enough to spend time with grandparents at a football game, it feels like going back in time because they offer the most inspiring, educational and illuminating experience of what high school sports are supposed to be about.

They know all the secrets of their grandkids, not to mention their sons and daughters. They are fans no matter whether good or bad things are happening at a game. They are their to supply unconditional positive support — that’s in their mission statement.

Linebacker Weston Reis of Palos Verdes High gets set at his position.

(Nick Koza)

Grandma told me the twins were so identical that not until Weston lost two teeth after hitting his mouth against a car door when he was 3 could they finally figure out a way to identify a difference between the two.

If Weston smiled, they knew it wasn’t Christian.

Now the sons have different uniform numbers, 44 and 42, so it’s easy.

Their son, Matt, played soccer at Santa Margarita High and was inducted into UCLA’s sports Hall of Fame because of his goalkeeping skills. He married Nicole Odom, a South Torrance High grad and softball All-American shortstop at UCLA. Their first son was Jacob, now a backup linebacker at UCLA. Then came the twins.

Incredibly, the family survived tragedy during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Nicole was running in the marathon. Everyone was there to watch and root her on — Matt, the goalkeeper for the New England Revolution, their three young boys, a brother-in-law and Nicole’s parents, John and Karen. Halfway through the race, Matt sent the twins away. He was with Jacob when they moved closer to the finish line.

Then a bomb went off. Matt gave 6-year-old Jacob to his brother-in-law to seek cover at a hotel and went searching for his father-in-law. He found him near the finish line “in a river of blood” from shrapnel that went through one leg to another. Matt applied a make-shift tourniquet out of clothing to try to stop the bleeding. It probably saved John’s life. Then Matt went looking for his wife, his shirt full of blood. He found her and explained that John was in bad shape.

John survived after many surgeries through the years. The experience remains ingrained in Matt’s memory, the blood, a coin on the ground, the sirens.

Running back Christian Reis of Palos Verdes High tries to split two defenders as he breaks into the secondary.

(Nick Koza)

They moved to Southern California after Matt’s playing career ended. He became the Galaxy goalkeeper coach and now works as the team’s academy goalkeeper director.

Having four grandparents alive to watch and provide emotional support while playing high school football has to be one of the greatest experiences any teenager can have. And if they slip a grandson $1 for every tackle and $2 for every touchdown (just kidding), even better.

“It’s so amazing,” Christian said. “We get so much family at every game. Both grandparents, but also our aunts, uncles and cousins. They’re always cheering loudly.”

Speaking to the Reis grandparents during Palos Verdes’ 34-14 win over Mira Costa provided insight into their wisdom and experiences growing up in the Midwest and being part of the California experience for more than 30 years.

“Be humble. Be a good teammate. Be a leader, not a follower,” JT said when asked what he tells Christian and Weston.

If you’re watching a high school football game this weekend in the bleachers, say hello to a grandmother or grandfather. They need to be cherished for their loyalty and focus on their grandkids, through thick and thin.

They provide unconditional love and comfort, and everyone can use that any day of the week.

GRANTCHESTER hunk Tom Brittney has split from his fiancée and moved on with tattooed model Clo Gascoigne.

It comes two years after Tom’s engagement to his long-term girlfriend, whose name he never revealed.

The new couple have now gone Instagram-official as Clo shared a loved-up snap of them on the red carpet at Prime Video’s Carrie launch last week.

Tom, who recently starred in thriller movie Fall 2: Deadpoint, featured in Clo’s TikTok (which she has now deleted) where she filmed him watching himself on telly with the caption: “POV your boyfriend is an actor.”
Congrats.

HOLLY AND FELTZ CLICK

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY has been exchanging tips with Vanessa Feltz on kickstarting their YouTube careers.

The presenters, who worked together regularly on This Morning, shared a snap on Instagram on Friday after watching a performance at the English National Opera in central London.

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Speaking earlier in the week at Best magazine’s Heroes Awards, Vanessa said: “I’ve had a really great voicenote from Holly.

“She is incredibly encouraging and she says she’s thoroughly enjoying it and she can see that I am.

“We’re having dinner this week. We really like each other and support each other and I think she’s doing an absolute bang-up job. I think that women supporting women is always attractive and great.”

The former chat show host started her own YouTube series, At Home With Vanessa, earlier this year.

She added: “It’s quite a big deal to do it. Terrestrial TV seems to feel narrower, smaller, and fewer and fewer opportunities.

“On terrestrial TV, they all seem to be reining themselves in, there seem to be lots of cuts being made, and closures, things are shorter and smaller and less often and all this kind of thing.

“So I think the idea of just waiting for an opportunity there might be a very long wait.

“It’s a question of feeling like you want to try to see if you can make an opportunity for yourself.”

MARK HAMILL is reprising his role as Luke Skywalker . . . in an Old Spice ad.

The actor filmed a top-secret campaign for the vintage aftershave favoured by dads, in which he appeared as his legendary Star Wars character.

The shoot took place in the UK last week.

A mole tells me: “Mark was paid big bucks for the ad – after all, he’s a huge Hollywood star.

“Bosses think he’ll appeal to the Old Spice market as Star Wars is so popular with dads.”

Mark also has a cameo in Amazon Prime’s new series Carrie, where he plays a fraudulent fortune teller.

NICOLE SPOTTED IN CATSUIT

NICOLE SCHERZINGER had a wild night stepping out in a skintight leopard-print catsuit.

The singer was joined by her Pussycat Dolls bandmates Ashley Roberts and Kimberley Wyatt at Nammos Greek restaurant in London’s Mayfair on Friday night, to celebrate their successful reunion tour.

The trio dined on signature dishes and enjoyed cocktails.

An onlooker said: “They were in high spirits. They had an amazing tour and got rave reviews, they deserve to let their hair down.”

TYLA’S HOT FLUFF

TYLA showed her softer side as she donned a fluffy lingerie set for a show on Friday night.

Excited to be performing in the capital, the South African singer painted “London” across her thigh for the O2 Brixton Academy leg of her A*Pop World Tour.

The Water hitmaker, full name Tyla Laura Seethal, revealed that she loves the UK but still sees Johannesburg as her home.

The Grammy Award-winning singer said: “We don’t have paparazzi and you see our superstars at the mall, like every weekend. It’s kind of chill.

“It feels like a movie [in the UK] – the fact that people care about every little thing I do and say.”

Tyla continues her tour tonight in Glasgow then Manchester tomorrow.

ZARA’S GOT SOMETHING ‘SPECIAL’

ZARA LARSSON has confirmed a new album is coming next year and has already recorded the first track.

The star said the “special” song came by accident while she was working on this year’s remix album Girls Trips and she knows it’s going to be a hit.

She explained on Popcast: “I think it’s going to be a really fun journey to write the next album.

“I already have new lyrics, actually I have one song we did just because we couldn’t help ourselves when we weremaking Girls Trips and it sort of gave me the same feeling to when I did (previous album) Midnight Sun.

“When I left that session you just know when something is special and that’s one, and also what it was; for the four of us being fully present.”

EMMERDALE OLIVIA IS NED OVER HEELS

THEY had a sizzling love affair on Emmerdale – but I can reveal that Olivia Bromley and Ned Porteous are a couple off-screen as well.

The ITV soap pair have been secretly dating for months.

Gorgeous Olivia and hunky Ned grew close after their characters, Dawn Taylor and Joe Tate, were involved in one of the show’s biggest-ever love triangles.

But the couple initially kept their romance quiet.

An Emmerdale source said: “Olivia and Ned were a couple off-screen while acting out those sex scenes.

“It was easy for them to get away with it because they were working so closely together.

“A few people clocked what was going on and they both admitted that they were seeing where things go. But it’s been a good few months now and they couldn’t be happier.”

Olivia left the soap over the summer, but now she has a great excuse to keep visiting the set.