Shocking

The Strictly Come Dancing star learns of her ancestor’s devastating fate in a new episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

Amy Dowden discovers a shocking family tragedy as she delves into her ancestry.

The Strictly Come Dancing icon has taken part in BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? where she learns about her lineage.

At one point, Amy is left in tears as she hears of a family member who suffered from breast cancer and died at a young age, leaving several children behind.

The Welsh dancer is left devastated, as she reflects on her own cancer battle, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023 and suffering health setbacks as she underwent treatment.

Elsewhere during the programme, Amy learns of a 13-year-old who was shot dead in an awful accident.

After hearing of a rumour of a murder from her mum’s side of the family, Amy begins her journey in west Wales, where she seeks to find out if her ancestor was the victim or the perpetrator.

“Was there a murder, was one of my family involved? Detective Dowden on a mission,” Amy declares.

She meets her distant cousin Wyn at his home in Ceredigion, where he shows Amy a family Bible that belonged to her three-times great-grandfather.

Inside it, she reads the name Elinor Jenkins, with information revealing that she was shot dead by the “cruel man Offley Owen” in November 1888, when she was just a teenager.

“Why would somebody want to shoot a 14-year-old girl?” Amy wonders, shocked to hear the distressing news of her ancestor’s murder.

“When I heard of this mysterious death, I didn’t think it would be somebody within our family who was killed, I assumed one of our family members shot somebody. I was not expecting this and not expecting a child,” she says.

Elinor was Amy’s three-times great aunt, and was killed at a nearby farm, Berthlwyd, where she worked as a servant.

The dancer meets historian Dr Angela Muir, who confirmed that Elinor was actually aged 13, and was working at the farm with a 17-year-old boy called Offley Owen.

She reads newspaper reports that detail what happened, revealing that Elinor had been sent to fetch water before a witness heard Owen saying “I’ve shot Nelly dead”.

Owen had taken up the gun “with a purpose of showing her”, but was unaware it was loaded, and was supposedly being playful.

He did, however, tragically kill her, with Elinor being shot in the mouth.

“This is awful,” Amy says. “That would have been an instant death.” The historian agrees, saying: “It’s quite horrific.”

However, Amy finds it difficult to believe the death came about as an accident. She wonders: “He obviously had intention to use that gun,” adding: “To me, this was planned.”

Amy hears about the coroner’s inquest that took place after Elinor’s death, leaving her “confused”.

The reports eventually confirmed that Owen was charged with manslaughter, and would have been tried in the assizes court in Carmarthen.

“I’m horrified by what I’ve read, it’s going to take a little time to process it,” Amy admits.

In Carmarthen, Amy meets another historian who explains that Owen pleaded not guilty at court and the prosecution announced they would call no witnesses.

She’s stunned to discover that Owen was discharged, which would often happen in cases like these during those times, as the court took into account that he had never been in trouble with the law before.

“Some part of me is not satisfied with this,” Amy says, hearing that the victim’s family didn’t get justice after the tragedy.

Seeking comfort after hearing of the outcome, Amy travels to a church in Blaenpennal, where Elinor was laid to rest.

She says: “At first when I heard that he was found not guilty, I was like, how did the family move on? How did they start to process the grief? But it does seem like it was an accident and I guess, after time, they started to forgive.”

She learns that Elinor was remembered “as a young person of more than ordinary ability”, and also that a valley near the farm where she lost her life is now named after her.

Amy says: “I never realised that a member of my family has landscape named after her, I think that’s something quite special, really touching.”

Amy Dowden’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Tuesday 2 June at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer

The Strictly Come Dancing star turns detective to investigate the mysterious death of her 14-year-old great-aunt in 1888, before uncovering a heartbreaking truth about why her grandfather was the only one of six siblings to be given up for adoption

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden is set to turn detective this week as she delves into her Welsh family history – uncovering a potentially murderous story and a heartbreaking family secret that left her in tears.

The professional dancer, 35, takes centre stage in the second episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, airing tonight, as she embarks on an emotional journey through West Wales that will see her investigate a rumoured murder and discover the painful truth behind her grandfather’s adoption.

Amy’s investigation begins with the death of her three-times great aunt Elinor, who died aged just 14 on a farm in 1888. Playing detective, the Caerphilly-born dancer travels through Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, desperate to uncover what really happened to her young relative all those years ago.

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“I really enjoyed playing detective but, gosh, what we unravelled there,” Amy says. “I found myself really wanting to learn more, faster and quicker. I didn’t want to wait to have to go to court or wait to learn more from another historian, you get really hungry wanting all the answers as quickly as possible.”

While the murder mystery remains open-ended, Amy discovers something special along the way – that a valley in Wales, Cwm Nell, is named after one of her relatives. “It’s so beautiful to be able to see the impact she made in her short life,” she adds.

But it’s on her father’s side where Amy makes the most devastating discovery. Determined to find answers for her dad, who never had information about his own father Frank’s birth family, Amy uncovers why her grandfather was the only one of six siblings to be unofficially adopted.

Frank was informally adopted as a baby after his mother Louisa died of breast cancer aged 39 and his father Bill, a Welsh miner, was left struggling to support six children during the 1921 miners’ strike.

“It was really shocking and emotional, but it was the answer to so many questions,” she explains. “Before we struggled to understand why my grandad Frank, who was one of several siblings, was the only one given up. We could never really understand why. But from the information we learnt, I think we felt a real sense of empathy, and then the sadness and heartache for them took over, really.

“My dad’s reaction to the news was that he was really shocked and quite upset.”

The journey also sheds light on her great-grandfather’s honourable service during the war and the harsh conditions faced by her working-class mining family. “You know about the history, but I don’t think you ever know about the severity of it all,” Amy reflects. “When you’re reading and seeing how it affected your own family it hits differently.”

For Amy, who is Welsh “through and through,” the experience has only deepened her connection to her homeland. “It’s made me even more proud to be Welsh,” she says. Her parents were so captivated by her discoveries that they retraced her steps, visiting every location from the programme.

The episode has brought together family members together, including Amy’s second cousin. “It really brought families who had never met before together. It’s been really heartwarming, really lovely.”

Who Do You Think You Are? airs on BBC One tonight at 9pm

LENA Mahfouf nearly bared all in a shocking Met Gala look that sent cameras flashing.

The French star appeared to go braless in a daring gown as she stepped out for fashion’s biggest night.

Mahfouf is wearing a daring Burc Akyol look for the 2026 Met Gala.

Her outfit leans fully into the night’s dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” which reflects the ethos of the “Costume Art” theme.

The theme explores the “centrality of the dressed body” through depictions and interpretations of the human form in the Met’s collection.

Her gown featured a sculpted metallic bodice shaped like two silver hands across her chest.

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The daring top left her shoulders, stomach, and back exposed.

She paired it with a pale blue draped skirt that sat low on her hips.

The skirt featured thin side straps and high cutouts, creating a barely-there effect as she posed.

Photos showed Léna leaving The Mark Hotel before heading to the high-profile event.

The hotel is one of the main celebrity hotspots before stars make their way to the Met steps.

The outfit appeared to create a near-naked effect as she posed ahead of the gala.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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BBC fans are urging everyone to watch Half Man with Richard Gadd’s next drama hailed as “phenomenal”.

“Gruesomely compelling” Half Man has arrived and it’s already been labelled “incredible” by Baby Reindeer fans.

Richard Gadd ’s new six-part drama Half Man may have made its BBC iPlayer debut last week but many viewers have only just watched the first episode which aired on BBC One last night, Tuesday, April 28.

The gritty series follows the lives of mild-mannered Niall (played by Jamie Bell) and fierce Ruben (Richard Gadd), exploring their complicated 30-year friendship.

Described as an “explosion of violence”, Half Man kicks off with an intense moment between the men at Niall’s wedding before taking fans back to when they were teenagers.

Baby Reindeer creator Gadd not only stars in the drama but is the mastermind behind Half Man with fans loving his latest dysfunctional hit.

“If Baby Reindeer” left us in shock, I think #HalfMan even more so…the first episode was incredible!”, a fan posted on X.

A second echoed: “I’m shocked. If this is just the first episode, I don’t dare to think about what will happen in the others.”

“Gave me a heady mix of revulsion and discomfort… but in a good way?”, a third remarked.

Someone else labelled it “phenomenal”, before writing: “Can’t fault this. The writing, acting and filming are all excellent.

“I’ve only seen one episode so far but I’m totally hooked.”

A user said they were “obsessed” with Half Man and Euphoria season three, another commented, “Can’t wait to go mentally insane over this”, while a fan simply ordered: “Everyone go watch Half Man.”

Scoring 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, the six-part drama will continue to air episodes first on BBC iPlayer every Friday, followed by a BBC One release every Tuesday night.

The official synopsis for episode two reads: “1989. Niall is struggling at university when he invites Ruben to join him and his flatmates for freshers’ week

“ What begins with excitement ends in devastating consequences.”

Half Man is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

A LOVE Island star has been forced to address backlash from fans, who slammed his business’s “shocking customer service.”

Sean Stone shot to fame after appearing on series 11 of the summer dating show before he most recently made a comeback on All Stars in January.

The 26-year-old, dubbed the “Candyman,” has owned sweet business, Sweet Delivery since 2019.

His business journey started in the back of his VW Polo, where he sold pick and mix out of pizza boxes in his local area, Hertford.

But now, it seems the TV star has faced a slew of backlash from fans who are simply not happy with the business’s customer service.

Taking to TikTok Sean was forced to apologise for his business’s mishaps.

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He said: “Our customer service has been shocking. I sincerely apologise for this. Recently we’ve had a large amount of orders come through the door, where to be honest we had a system in place for our customer service but there was not enough time and effort put into that.

“However, I have got some exciting news we now have a dedicated staff member that will be working Monday to Friday on all your customer queries.”

Despite the addition of a new staff member, fans are still waiting to hear back on their orders.

Sean continued: “Now I know there’s some of you still waiting to hear back from us; I do kindly ask as annoyed as you may be please send us another email.”

The Islander then confessed: “If I’m being honest it’s been an eye-opener for myself to see how important customer service is. I do apologise to anyone being upset and frustrated that they haven’t received their order yet.

“I’m making a change and it’s going to be an amazing change moving forward.”

Fans in the comments of his apology video were very divided.

One fan penned: “Honestly this kind of accountability is really refreshing to see, and it’s clear you’ve taken the feedback seriously and put steps in place to fix things…”

Another fan wrote: “Are you for real! How can you not realise customer service is important it’s what makes and breaks a business.”

A third person said: “Well said Sean, holding your hands up is always the best way.”

Meanwhile, a fourth fan added: “I think you just blew up faster than you thought you would.”

Sean returned from the Love Island villa back in February and after a short break in Paris with his new girlfriend Lucinda Strafford, who he met on the show, he has been back to business.

Lucinda, 26, and Sean coupled up on day 18 of the show and after backlash from their co-stars they managed to finish in fourth place.

The loved up couple have gone from strength to strength despite Sean living in Hertford and Lucinda living in Brighton.