speaks

THE partner of Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has spoken out after she shared a devastating health diagnosis over the couple’s baby twins.

Zion Foster delivered a touching message to his baby daughters after partner Jesy’s emotional video revealing the seven-month-old girls were suffering from a rare and potentially deadly type of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Taking to his Instagram page, Zion shared a photo of his daughters in what looked a stroller.

With tubes attached to their noses, the two tots could still be smiling widely.

Alongside the photo, Zion wrote: “Still smiling through all the challenges.

“Daddy loves you so much.”

SPOT THE SIGNS

The six ‘red flag’ signs of SMA as Jesy Nelson reveals baby twins’ diagnosis

STAR’S HEARTACHE

Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson reveals her baby twins’ devastating diagnosis

Jesy welcomed twins Ocean Jade and Story Monroe prematurely at 31 weeks on May 15, 2025.

In a video she shared on Sunday, the former Little Mix star broke down as she described how the devastating diagnosis emerged.

The twins, she said, had now been diagnosed with a condition called SMA Type 1, or Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, the most severe form of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

The lifelong disabling condition causes dramatic muscle weakness with severe breathing and swallowing issues and is commonly fatal without radical treatment.

Tearful Jesy said: “If it’s not treated in time, your baby’s life expectancy will not make it past the age of two.”

She later added: “When they assessed the girls at Great Ormond Street, we were told that they will probably never be able to walk.

“They probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled.

“So the best thing we can do right now is get them treatment and just hope for the best.”

Jesy then revealed that the girls, now seven and a half months old, have had their treatment, which she is “so grateful for, because if they don’t have it, they will die”.

Though Jesy was upset, she felt hopeful for the future.

“I truly believe that my girls will defy all odds. And with the right help, they will fight this, and go on to do things that have never been done,” she said.

The singer said that she wanted to make the video because if the disease is detected early enough in the first few months of a baby’s life “a lot of this stuff could be prevented”.

Jesy explained how the treatment is where the gene, that they don’t have, is put back in the body.

But Jesy affirmed how “there is no cure for SMA” but added how the treatment can help.

She then detailed some of the symptoms to look out for in babies, such as “floppiness” and not being able to hold their head up on their own.

“If any one is watching this video and they think they see these signs in their child, then please, please take your child to doctor, to the hospital, because time is of the essence.”

Emmerdale’s Kerry Wyatt actress Laura Norton has revealed all about her character’s shock wedding to village legend Eric Pollard, amid a separate wedding being planned on the ITV soap

Emmerdale‘s Laura Norton as revealed all about the shock wedding twist on Wednesday.

In an unexpected turn of events, fans saw her character Kerry Wyatt tie the knot with none other than Eric Pollard. Just as Jacob Gallagher and Sarah Sudden prepared for their own secret wedding, they rumbled the truth.

In a major plot twist is was announced the pair had wed, leaving Jacob horrified. Speaking about the scenes, actress Laura has revealed all behind the decision for Eric and Kerry to marry.

With the wedding coming about as a means of keeping Jacob’s inheritance safe, amid Eric’s concerns about his finances, Laura addressed whether there was more to it. She shared: “Kerry however dysfunctional and chaotic she is, is a girl with a heart who makes true friendships. She is loyal and does genuinely care and about and love people and when she came into the village, Eric and Val had adopted Amy.

READ MORE: Soap spoilers for next week: Multiple exits ‘sealed’, wedding drama and flashforwardREAD MORE: EastEnders legend Pam St Clement admits struggle with emotional return

“And they did a really fantastic job and she was well cared for and Amy was very happy. They thought Kerry was such a mess and a car crash but they were kind and they took her in as well because they loved Amy. But now Amy’s gone. I feel like this is some sort of misplaced guilt a little bit. I think she genuinely does care about Eric.

“They’re both loveable rogues, they’ve both got a really similar default, but I feel like it’s a full circle moment where it is like you looked after my daughter and I know that my daughter would want me to do this for you.”

Laura hasn’t ruled out love for Kerry and recent flame Jai Sharma though, while she hinted that for now it wouldn’t go anywhere. Laura said: “Kerry and Eric are a mad combination but it works and they’re doing it for all the right reasons.

“But her and Jai have hated each other for years. She worked under him at the factory, and they were always bickering and they come from two completely different worlds and now she works up at the depot and it is the same sort of dynamic.

“But there was this moment when they both got to look at each other in a different way, it was a massive surprise to both of them and for the fans, I had quite a lot of messages on social media with people just saying, I don’t know why, but that really works. She brings out a nice side of Jai. A softer side.

“I think that’s why he’s attracted to her as he’s been very doom and gloom and everything she does is a joke and then when she realises he had stuff going on with his son, everything she did was like jokes, but she genuinely, tried to help and suggested things to him and I think it changed his attitude towards her.. she’s not so bad, but she’s also like really funny. I think as to what will happen in the future, watch this space as yeah.

“Who knows? But it did surprisingly work well.” Laura enjoyed the twist too. She shared: “That period of filming was the most fun I had filming in ages, because obviously last year we did all of the limo stuff and I had to say goodbye to a few of the girls in the show that I loved, it was really a bitter sweet.

“Obviously, it was an amazing piece of television, but this recent stuff was just great back to old school Kerry and now she is partnered with somebody who is so.. it’s like a duo that you shouldn’t put together, but for some reason it just works. They are in a situation that is so ridiculous, it’s all so incredibly funny. So, yeah, I’ve loved it for several different reasons.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Former EastEnders star Liam Hatch has addressed the backlash he faced when he was cast as a schoolboy in the legendary BBC soap opera, despite nearing the age of 30

An EastEnders star has opened up about the backlash they faced over their controversial casting. Liam Hatch, 29, was cast as school bully Logan in the BBC soap opera last year, and fans were left quite bewildered.

Despite playing a Year 12 schoolboy, who intimidated Amy Mitchel and Denzel Danes, Liam’s character was ten years older than the typical Year 12 students in England, who are between 16 and 17 in the UK. Introduced by Kate Oates and Chris Clenshaw, Liam’s character appeared in just one episode and attracted a fair amount of criticism on social media.

Many viewers were shocked to discover his Instagram page, which boasts topless gym snaps and his annual birthday snap, which sees him posing nude as the camera takes a picture from behind. Now, the actor has spoken in depth about the backlash he faced.

“The grief I had from it, from Twitter – I sell mortgages, I’m 41, the oldest man alive,” he said. Liam joked: “I don’t look that old!” He went on to explain that he wasn’t 16 when he took on the role, saying: “I was 26.”

Speaking about the response he received from friends and family, the athlete and actor added on the Rokman Podcast: “All my friends and family were like ‘Are you okay? People are taking the p**s out of you. Your age, looks.’ I was like ‘Oh God, I’m not that bad. I’m sure I SPF every day. I look good.

“My dad was loving it, he was like ‘He’s on The Sun!’ I think I’m the only man to be on Page 3 of The Sun topless!” He continued: “I always say to everyone, if your name is coming out of other people’s mouths, you’ve done something, and it doesn’t matter how good or bad it is, it’s happening.”

At the time of Liam’s episode airing, fans were quick to share their thoughts on social media. One said: “Why is this 44-year-old man walking around in a school uniform and picking fights with the local kids?” A second penned: “Almost certain that this schoolboy sold me my mortgage.”

Shortly after the criticism, Liam explained that the comment about being 44 had stuck with him. Speaking to The Guardian, Liam said: “I was looking in the mirror, thinking ‘surely I can’t be looking 44 – that’s five years younger than my dad!'”

Liam, who works as a personal trainer when he’s not preparing for his latest HYROX challenge, said that some of his clients believed he was around the age of 23.

He added to the outlet: “A few of my friends asked if I was OK. But I’m in the performance and fitness industries, I know you’re going to get critics. As long as the performance is showing you are that character, that’s what’s important to an actor. You’re not looking at the appearance but the emotion.”

Liam also explained that while he played a younger character, times had completely changed since he was around the same age as a Year 12 student. He explained that he tried to modernise himself, including his posture and body language as the current generation of teens “have more suave” when they walk and talk.

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