THIS is the heartbreaking last picture of Michael Flatley’s beloved wife, Niamh O’Brien, in public meeting the Pope months before her death.
The 52-year-old died earlier today following “a period of illness” leaving the Lord of the Dance star devastated.
Niamh O’Brien was last seen during a meeting with the Pope in MayCredit: Vatican MediaNiamh died after a ‘period of illness’, a representative saidCredit: Getty
The mum-of-one passed away peacefully at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin, a representative said.
She was last pictured in public meeting then-incoming Pope Leo XIV on April 29 with her husband.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
The pair travelled to the Vatican to meet the Shepherd of the Flock with their son, Michael St James.
Flatley was inspired by the visit where he kissed the Pope’s ring and had his “cherished” rosary beads blessed by the pontiff.
And classy Niamh donned an all black outfit for the occasion where she was seen smiling alongside her husband.
Michael St James had also opted for a black monochrome look and was pictured standing beside his beloved mum.
The happy pair were both smiling as Flatley exchanged words and shook hands with the pontiff.
Flatley later said: “It was an incredible honour to meet His Holiness.
“I am so moved. I didn’t think I’d ever have that opportunity.”
He also spoke about his own Catholic faith, having grown up to a working- class Irish immigrant father on the south side of Chicago.
He said: “My parents were hard-working Irish Catholic people. And we went to Mass every Sunday and we worked every day, just the way we were brought up.
“It’s my honor and my joy to carry on their traditions and spread as much joy as I can.
“Jesus Christ gave me every opportunity to become a great dancer and to travel the world and meet the world leaders, but my greatest day was today, meeting the Holy Father and God’s representative on earth.”
The Lord of the Dance also extended an invite to Ireland to Pope Leo on behalf of the Irish people.
Flatley paid tribute to his late wife earlier tonight in a heartbreaking social media post.
He said: “My heart is broken. I have lost my beautiful wife, Niamh, and my best friend.
“My gorgeous bride of twenty years has gone to the Lord in Heaven.
“She was the most loving mother, wife and person, and our lives will never be the same without her.
“Thank you for all the love and kindness you have shown us. Please keep Niamh, Michael St James, and our family in your thoughts and prayers.”
And a representative said: “The Flatley and O’Brien families are devastated by Niamh’s sudden passing and have asked that their privacy be respected as they come to terms with this heartbreaking loss.
“They express their sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses and staff at Beacon Hospital who cared for Niamh over the past few weeks, and to everyone who has offered their kindness and support to the family.”
Niamh’s funeral details will be announced in due course, a spokesperson has said.
Sass Jordan, the Canadian rock star known for hits such as “Make You a Believer” and “Tell Somebody” who served as a judge on all six season of “Canadian Idol,” has died. She was 65.
Jordan died Friday surrounded by her family, according to an announcement posted to Instagram Saturday. No cause of death was provided, but she had reportedly canceled a number of performances in Ontario, Canada, in September “due to a serious medical condition.”
“She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature,” her family wrote in the statement accompanying a photo of Jordan cuddling a cat. “An irreplaceable being of light and joy!”
Jordan made her solo debut with her 1988 album, “Tell Somebody,” which led to her winning the Juno Award — the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy — for most promising female vocalist the following year. She moved to Los Angeles in 1990 before releasing her follow-up album, “Racine,” in 1992.
“Racine” remained one of Jordan’s biggest solo albums, with tracks including “Make You a Believer,” “I Want to Believe,” “You Don’t Have to Remind Me” and “Goin’ Back Again.” She also recorded a duet with Joe Cocker, “Trust in Me,” for the 1992 film “The Bodyguard” that year.
“I always think of music as medicine and as healing for myself and for anyone else who wants to join in,” Jordan said in a 2023 interview with the CBC about audiences still responding to her earlier hits when she performed. “[S]o it’s an extremely uplifting thing. … It’s amazing and it’s incredible to see that. It’s incredible to see people responding to something that is genuinely, like you said, 20 years old.”
Born on Dec. 23, 1960, in Birmingham, England, Sarah “Sass” Jordan moved from France to Montreal with her family at age 3 when her father, a French literature professor, took a job at Concordia University, according to a statement shared by her publicist Eric Alper after her death. Seeing David Bowie in concert as a young teenager inspired Jordan to dream of a career in music. She began singing and playing guitar with friends in Westmount Park and by age 16 she was performing with bands in downtown Montreal nightclubs.
“I’m an expert on rebellion,” Jordan told The Times in 1992, reflecting on why she ran away from home at 14. “I didn’t want that clean, wholesome life … It felt so fake. I identified with real people, oppressed people who were outside that life. I wanted to taste real life — street life.”
Throughout her career, Jordan would tour alongside acts including Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Van Halen. Her touring band in 1994 included Taylor Hawkins, who would go on to become the drummer for the Foo Fighters. Jordan’s most recent release is the live album from that tour, titled “Live in New York Ninety-Four.” Hawkins died in 2022 at age 50.
For six seasons, Jordan served as one of the judges on the reality competition series “Canadian Idol.” The show aired from 2003 to 2008 and mirrored the format of shows like “Pop Idol” and “American Idol.”
“Over four decades, she gave Canadian rock one of its most recognizable voices, carved out space for women in a genre long dominated by men, and opened doors for the young musicians who came through her band,” Alper said in his statement. “Sass Jordan leaves a catalogue that shaped Canadian rock through the late ’80s and ’90s, a blues renaissance in which her voice grew richer with each record, and a generation of artists, from Idol hopefuls to a future Foo Fighter, who learned from her what it means to give a song everything.”
Jordan is survived by her husband Derek Sharp, daughter Stella Jordan-Sharp, stepdaughter Brianne Sharp and brother Daniel Jordan.
Call the Midwife star Natalie Quarry has taken on a brand new role away from the BBC period drama
A Call the Midwife star has been cast in an Agatha Christie Drama(Image: BBC / Neal Street Productions / Andrea southam)
A Call the Midwife star is set to appear in another period drama.
The BBC has confirmed Natalie Quarry, who played Rosalind Clifford in beloved series, will star in the forthcoming six-part series, Hercule.
The exciting drama, which has commenced filming in Liverpool, will centre around three of Agatha Christie’s early stories, while also introducing Hercule Poirot to future friends and allies and one particular nemesis.
The show, from Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited, has been described as “an intimate study of Hercule Poirot, the man, and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars.”
Actor Edward Bluemel takes on the lead role of Hercule Poirot, and is best known for his roles in Killing Eve and A Discovery of Witches. He is the youngest to take on the role created by Agatha Christie back in 1916.
Also starring in the drama is Death in Paradise star Ralf Little who joins the star-studded cast alongside Emily in Paris star Paul Forman, It’s a Sin star Omari Douglas, The Beauty’s Jessica Alexander, and The Souvenir’s Honor Swinton Byrne.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest detectives in fiction, Hercule Poirot has sold over 750 million copies, captivating readers and audiences for more than a century.
Sharing excitement for the new Agatha Christie series, James Prichard, the great-grandson of the famous author, and executive producer for Agatha Christie Limited, said: “My father had the privilege of working with David Suchet for nearly 25 years, and I now have the good fortune of being able to share my great-grandmother’s brilliant stories with a new generation of viewers.”
He added: “Edward Bluemel is an extremely talented performer and will make a great addition to the long line of actors that have played this celebrated character, aided and abetted by Benji Walters’ thoughtful scripts. I cannot wait to see Edward on screen as Hercule Poirot.”
Who is Natalie Quarry?
Actress Natalie Quarry joined the Call the Midwife cast in its 13th season as a student midwife, Rosalind Clifford, and has since become a fully-fledged practitioner among the nuns and nurses at Nonnatus House.
In the most recent series, which concluded earlier this year, she became involved with the Women’s Liberation Movement and found love with local social worker Cyril Robinson (Zephryn Taitte), but their relationship has been a topic of discussion among the locals.
Away from the BBC period drama, Natalie has also starred in Doctors, Atlanta, and Blitz.
The first dance off took place tonight and for one celebrity it was the last dance on the BBC competition as famous faces have begun leaving the 2026 competition.
19:56, 04 Oct 2026Updated 21:20, 04 Oct 2026
First celebrity is sent home from Strictly Come Dancing after dance off(Image: BBC)
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton was emotional after he was cut from the Strictly Come Dancing competition after losing in a dance off against Jaime Winstone.
The 43-year-old who has worked with with Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, was near the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 33 after two weeks of dancing. Both he and his pro partner Amy Dowden were tearful after getting the boot.
In the dance off Chris and pro partner Amy performed their Cha Cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch, before Jaime and Carlos Gu performed their Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman.
The judges voted unanimously to save Jaime meaning she will be back next weekend. Chris had said earlier in the weekend he didn’t want to let his partner Amy down. He said: “I am really trying but also really enjoying it.”
But his cha cha managed just 17 points from the judges and in week one he got just 15, amongst the lowest scores in the competition.
After his elimination, Appleton said: “I think it’s been such a whirlwind of emotion. I’m 43 and I got good at doing what I did – which is hair. To come and do something like this, I felt so out of my comfort zone and saw myself in a way I never saw myself, and it challenged me in ways I never knew I could be challenged.
“I am very grateful for everyone who has been involved. It’s been so amazing to be part of something that I grew up watching and got to be a part of it.
“The most important thing I think I will take from this show is having a friend in Amy because I genuinely love her and I am so grateful I met someone who has so much heart and passion.
“I only wish I could have done better for her because she deserves to go further in the competition, but we did put everything into it.”
The news means a second year of bad luck for pro Amy Dowden on the show. Dowden was also eliminated first last season after being paired with The Apprentice contestant and businessman Thomas Skinner. She said she was “heartbroken” to leave the competition. Chris said he felt bad he hadn’t made it further in the competition but had a “friend for life” in Amy.
On Saturday night, Strictly Come Dancing’s movie week episode saw a peak of 5.6 million viewers. Over the course of the two-and-a-half hour programme, the 15 celebrities and their professional partners took to the dancefloor to perform routines inspired by movies including Titanic, Risky Business, Mary Poppins and Saturday Night Fever.
Delta Goodrem was called a “force to be reckoned with” after she topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard with 59 points from the first two weeks of dancing.
A Strictly spokesperson said: “Strictly’s movie week was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of 5.6 million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world.”
This week’s episode aired at the same time as the Croatia v England match on ITV. It also had an average of 5.1 million viewers with a 44.3% share, a rise on last week’s overnight figures.
The first Strictly live show of the season – which aired last Saturday – attracted a peak of five million, with an average of 4.8 million tuning in as the stars performed with their professional partners live for the first time. That episode has now also been watched by more than six million viewers.
Fans of Strictly Come Dancing made their thoughts clear after the first dance off of the series sent one emotional couple packing after just two weeks
20:16, 04 Oct 2026Updated 20:16, 04 Oct 2026
The first dance off left one Strictly couple heading for the exit(Image: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing fans were shocked as the first celebrity was sent packing after Movie Week. Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton was emotional after he was cut from the hit BBC competition after losing in a dance off against Jaime Winstone.
The stylist, 43, who has worked with the likes of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, was near the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 33 after two weeks of dancing.
And it was the end of the road for Chris and his pro partner Amy Dowden, who were tearful at the decision They performed their Cha Cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch, before Jaime and Carlos Gu performed their Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman.
Jaime was unanimously saved buy the judges and lives to dance another day.
To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed.
Viewers took to X to say: “i so wish amy and chris’ partnership could’ve lasted longer 🙁 , a partnership i wanted from the very beginning.”
Another said: “SO sad to see Chris and Amy go. I don’t think they deserved to this week. Imo it should’ve been Melanie and Aljaz. But the public vote how they want to. And honestly I do still think Chris would’ve done MUCH better in a same sex partnership, but it was his choice. #Strictly.”
And a third said: “God I can feel myself crying for Chris and Amy. It’s so unfair.”
It’s the second time in successive series that Amy has been dumped at the first hurdle. She also got the boot alongside The Apprentice’s Thomas Skinner in 2025.
Chris said he had felt a “whirlwind of emotion” and said: “I’m 43 and got good at doing what I did which is hair. So to come into something like this, I felt so out my comfort zone.
“I saw myself in a way I’d never seen myself and challenged myself in ays I never knew I’d be challenged. But I’m very grateful for everyone who’s been involved.”
And he said having a friend in Amy is something he is thrilled with, before saying he wished he could have helped her go further. The professional dancer added she is “heartbroken” but her heart is only breaking because she doesn’t get to dance with Chris any more.
Fans were shocked after Melanie and Aljaz avoided the dreaded dance off despite being rock bottom of the judges’ leaderboard. One user said: “melanie must have got more votes than loads of people to get through over jaime who was much higher on the leaderboard #Strictly.”
The show was a huge success with fans tuning in too. A Strictly spokesperson said: “Strictly’s movie week was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of 5.6 million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world.”
BIG Brother fans may recognise Omar El Mayer’s from another telly show – as it’s not his first rodeo.
The contestant, who is currently taking part on the fly-on-the-wall show, took part on a YouTube series called The Intern, which aired late 2025.
Big Brother star Omar previously took part on YouTube series The InternCredit: Channel 4.0The contestant is currently on the ITV fly-on-the-wall showCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Love Island star Chloe Burrows, Nella Rose, Harry Pinero, and PK Humble featured in the digital comedy series.
It followed twenty contestants claiming to be superfans of Nella and fight to win a real internship working with her.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
But some participants were hidden clout-chasers trying to fake their fandom to win a £3,000 cash prize instead of the job.
Omar was a participant on the online series and revealed himself to be a “clout chaser”.
Omar has clashed with some of his fellow housemates this weekCredit: Shutterstock EditorialYasmin hit out at him for being the ‘fun police’ after they repeatedly clashedCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
He admitted he was only there for the money and fired by the hosts during the elimination process.
Things have continued to spiral on Big Brother, with a series of rows and housemates butting heads.
In a recent explosive clash, Omar and Yasmin went head-to-head as she insisted he was the “fun police“.
The first row kicked off when Omar clashed with Rob after he was seen dancing barefoot across the kitchen table.
A fuming Omar loudly exclaimed: “Get off the table – we eat on it. Get off the table, please.”
Rob continued to dance before being shouted at once more by Omar.
Annoyed at Rob, he remarked to Rochelle: “This is mad – I put my bread on that table yesterday. And he’s got his feet on it. It’s horrible.”
A back and forth soon ensued with Omar saying: Yesterday I put my toast on that table and ate it off the table.
“That means if I didn’t see you do that, today I would have put toast on top of your feet.”
Rochelle later remarked that Rob is left upset by Omar’s comment before Omar raged: “I don’t care if he is sensitive, bro and he needs to f***ing deal with it, bro.”
But Rob was not his only target with Yasmin also coming under fire from Omar as he took aim at her loudness.
He said to her: “You need to stop with the obnoxiously loud songs.”
As Yasmin hits back and suggested he was against “people having fun,” she soon got more riled up and said: “Let your hair down. Have a laugh. It’s alright.
“F***ing hell. I’m going to do what the f*** I please.
“Stop telling me what to do. You keep telling me what to do and I don’t like it.”
CANADIAN singer Sass Jordan has died aged 63, her family have announced.
Heartbreaking tributes have poured in for the Montreal rocker who passed away “peacefully” on Friday evening.
Sass Jordan during Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto show in 2003Credit: GettySass was remembered by her family as a ‘force of nature’Credit: IMDB
Sharing the news of her death on social media, her family wrote: “On Oct. 2 2026, surrounded by her loving family, Sass Jordan peacefully crossed over to the other side.”
Her family remembered her as “an inimitable force of nature” and “an irreplaceable being of light and joy”.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Sass, behind iconic tracks Racine and Make You a Believer, was born in Birmingham, England.
She moved to Montreal aged three with her French literature professor father and former British Ballerina mother.
Aged 16 she was fronting bands in downtown Montreal clubs, later becoming singer and bassist for local favourites The Pinups.
Her debut album, Tell Somebody, won Sass the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year in 1989.
Three years later, after moving to Los Angeles, Billboard magazine named her Female Rock Artist of the Year after her album Racine.
It became the defining album of her career, selling an estimated 450,000 copies worldwide and 100,000 in Canada.
Sass Jordan was born in Birmingham, England before her family moved to MontrealCredit: GettySass performs for the Luminato arts festival opening night concert in 2010Credit: Getty
That same year she recorded the duet Trust in Me with Joe Cocker for ‘The Bodyguard’, a soundtrack that sold more than 45million copies.
Throughout her career Sass toured alongside Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Van Halen.
Later in 2003 she would join Canadian Idol as the only female judge on the panel.
She remained on the show for all six seasons.
Sass is survived by her husband, Derek Sharp, daughter Stella Jordan-Sharp, stepdaughter Brianne Sharp and brother Daniel Jordan.
Her family has asked for privacy to grieve and has thanked fans for their tributes to her remarkable life.
Tributes have flooded in for the late singer, with fans and fellow musicians paying tribute.
Deep Purple singer and bassist Glenn Hughes posted on Instagram: “So suddenly, I’m heartbroken.
“A true friend, we had so much love, joy and laughter and music together.
“RIP my Sasseroonie Girl.”
American rock and blues singer Ian Moore posted: “Love you Sass. Soul mama supreme.”
Others said her voice and art had “defined a generation”.
One user posted: “Thank you for everything and may your presence continue to be such a joy and comfort to us all.”
EXCLUSIVE: The star opens up in new book A Magical Life, saying: ‘Even though I was losing him, I just kept telling myself – I still do – how lucky I was.’
23:00, 03 Oct 2026Updated 01:23, 04 Oct 2026
Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee in 2015, a year before he died(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Debbie McGee had been in bed for barely half an hour when the nurse woke her to say her wonderful, magical husband was nearing the end. After almost four decades together, there was nowhere else Debbie wanted to be than with Paul Daniels.
She says: “I got up and went to him, laying alongside him on the hospital bed, just cuddling him. Paul always used to tell people that I was the best thing that happened to him. I wanted him to know that he was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Ten years after Paul’s death at 77, Debbie, 67, has laid bare the agony and the profound tenderness of his final weeks in her new autobiography, titled A Magical Life.
She says: “Even though I was losing him, I just kept telling myself – I still do – how lucky I was.”
To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed.
The pair had met during a summer season in Great Yarmouth in 1979, the year The Paul Daniels Magic Show began its 15-year run on BBC1.
They married in 1988 and, although they had no children together, she became stepmother to his three sons, Paul Jr, Martin and Gary.
Their professional partnership continued long after his television heyday, with the couple still touring together in 2015. By the autumn, however, Debbie had begun to notice Paul seemed unusually tired, not least when he struggled to learn his lines for a pantomime.
Soon he began missing parties, leaving her to go alone, and when she returned he was often in bed. Even wrapping the Christmas presents, something they usually enjoyed together, no longer interested him.
Debbie writes: “Paul would usually have six projects on the go at any one time. He would get up in the morning and be straight on his laptop. He couldn’t sit still.
“But now he didn’t seem interested in anything. He would just sit in front of the TV until he fell asleep.
“When he was up and about, his balance seemed to have gone. He kept falling over.” Blood tests led to a suspicion of pernicious anaemia and a course of injections was prescribed.
But Paul continued to weaken, and Debbie rang the surgery desperate for answers. She told the doctor: “I can’t describe what’s happening but this isn’t my husband.”
Eventually, Paul was referred to a neurologist. However on the morning of the appointment he was sick after breakfast, and so Debbie called an ambulance. A CT scan later revealed a glioblastoma that had spread across much of the left side of his brain and was extending towards the right.
The consultant asked Paul: “Do you want me to tell you what’s wrong?” He replied: “No. Tell Deb.” Paul waited in the hospital corridor while Debbie stayed to hear the results, expecting an explanation of how doctors would treat him.
But though radiotherapy was discussed, the consultant could not promise it would improve his condition. Paul’s severe claustrophobia also made the prospect of wearing a treatment mask daunting.
Debbie says: “In desperation, I asked, ‘Is there any treatment he could have in America?
“‘If this was your spouse, what would you be doing?’” The consultant promised to discuss the case with oncologists, but told Debbie quite frankly: “In all honesty, if this were my spouse, I would be taking them home and making them as comfortable as possible.”
In the end Debbie was told Paul might have two months, and went home to prepare for his return.
When she came back to the hospital, she found him in his Crombie coat and favourite trilby, dancing with a nurse. Debbie recalls: “In that moment it was hard to believe there was anything wrong with him at all.
“He seemed like himself again. The man I loved. My Paul.”
After they announced his diagnosis publicly, around 800 emails and letters arrived in a single day. His sons and grandchildren visited.
With Paul prone to falling because of the tumour, Debbie’s sister Donna also moved in to help watch over him, finally allowing Debbie to get some much-needed sleep. Debbie says: “Paul didn’t ever want to know what was wrong with him.
“I think he knew that he was dying but he couldn’t discuss it. I didn’t try to press him. There was no benefit to distressing him.”
Days were spent watching Only Fools and Horses and taking short walks when the weather allowed. Paul had a Magnum ice cream every afternoon. Debbie remembers: “It was a very loving, peaceful month. I couldn’t deny what was happening, but I really forced myself to stay in the moment and not look forward and not look back.
“I would wake up, put my make-up on and smile, although it was sort of fake. Each new day I told myself, he’s still alive today so we’ll make the best of it.”
One film they watched together during those weeks has become impossible for her to watch again.
She explains: “I only cried in front of Paul once and I only saw him cry once in front of me. It was when we were watching one of the films in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel series.
“At the end of it, there’s a wedding. The young couple at the centre of the film get married. I turned to Paul to see that he had tears streaming down his face.
“I can’t watch that movie any more.” As his condition deteriorated, nurses began sitting with Paul overnight. On March 14, Debbie’s mother visited for her birthday and went to say goodbye.
“Paul couldn’t speak very well by then but he sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Mum in a whisper,” Debbie says.
That was the last day Debbie remembers her husband being conscious. Afterwards, she just sat with him and talked, though she found it difficult to say much without crying.
Debbie adds: “Paul and I had a fairy tale life. Through the good times and the bad, we had faced every challenge together. We really were a team.
“I hope he knew that I was with him, loving him until the very end.”
A Magical Life by Debbie McGee is out on October 8 (Mirror Books).
The Celebrity Traitors got under way in dramatic fashion this week and traitor Richard E Grant admitted he ‘just went mad’ with one of his decisions.
Richard E Grant has spoke about his Traitors experience
Celebrity Traitors star Amol Rajan has said Richard E Grant told him that he “just went mad” when he decided to remove him from the game.
Writing in his newsletter Amol said he asked Richard why he chose to eliminate him and the actor replied: “To protect myself. And that’s a compliment!”
Amol replied: “But if you really wanted protection, you should have recruited me. That would have been a compliment!” He says Richard told him: “Ah yes, that makes sense. But I think I just went mad.”
Traitor Richard gave away the game almost immediately in the show’s second series when the actor admitted he was a traitor, despite the aim of the game being to hide the fact.
To see more of the Traitors stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just clickon the link hereto find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed.
Richard was picked by Claudia Winkleman to be one of two contestants picked to be a traitor – a player who attempts to “murder” others on the show while pretending to be an ordinary participant.
But rather than go under the radar, Richard announced his role as a traitor. And he has now admitted to Amol Rajan that he doesn’t know what came over him.
Richard and fellow traitor, Love Island host Maya Jama, chose to murder the former BBC presenter in episode two.
Amol explained: “He said: “I was so thrilled to be chosen as a traitor that, in my unguarded excitement, I said, ‘Of course I’m a traitor.’ I clearly need to diffuse all the heat that’s coming in my direction.”
Richard added: ““Well, the game had actually started, I was so relieved that it started because I had been so blatant about saying I came into this thing and it’s called Traitors, because I wanted to be a traitor.
“So when I walked into the bar, somebody said, ‘so you’re a faithful or a traitor?’, and I said, ‘I’m a traitor’, of course.”
While Amol admitted he would have liked to have been recruited to be a traitor, that accolade fell to comedian James Acaster.
The decision left Amol being murdered from the game and speaking on The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked on Friday, he said: “It’s hard not to watch it and think I, obviously, with 20/20 hindsight, I played the wrong game. That was a crazy, crazy once-in-a-lifetime [opportunity].”
He went on: “I think I would have been quite a good traitor because I’d actually known what it was like to be a faithful.”
And in advice to Richard he said maybe the star should have tried to stay off the radar a bit more rather than confess so blatantly. Amol said: “I think the one tactic that you should try to abide by is to keep a little bit, you know, fly under the radar a little bit for the first few days. Just shut up for the first few shows.”
After the second episode left fans wondering what was to come in a tense cliffhanger, viewers have to wait until Thursday to find out. Celebrity Traitors isn’t on again until Thursday (October 8, at 8pm), with the show once again doing a Thursday-Friday double.
The Celebrity Traitors airs on Thursdays and Fridays on BBC1 at 8pm.
DANNY Cipriani’s ex wife Victoria Rose has taken a savage swipe at the rugby star as she sells off his “prized possessions” for £850.
Victoria, who was married to Danny from 2021 to 2024, has suggested a dark side to the former England rugby union star that requires the help of a priest.
Danny Cipriani’s ex wife Victoria Rose has take a savage swipe at the rugby starCredit: Instagram/victoriaroseciprianiVictoria is flogging his ‘prized possessions’ for £850 on VintedCredit: Instagram/@victoriarosecipriani
She’s now flogging his old rugby kits, international caps and even his old kit bags on Vinted.
And Victoria wrote on social media alongside a personalised England Rugby bag: “What I’m finding inside some of these bags, I’m learning far more about my ex husband than I ever needed to know. Some of it needs a priest, not a Vinted listing.”
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Victoria also said of his old Gloucester top: “As you know, guys, I’ve put this up for sale a few times and then taken it straight back down again.
“It was one of his most prized possessions, so I’ve always found this one particularly hard to let go of.
Victoria took a swipe at her ex saying he needs a ‘priest’ after finding certain thingsCredit: Instagram/@victoriaroseciprianiDanny has since married American actress AnnaLynne McCordCredit: Getty
“But the truth is, it can’t mean more to me than it did to him. So. it’s back online.”
Victoria is selling the gear after claiming that he has left her in financial woe.
She posted: “I take no pleasure in posting this, but when someone else’s debts end up on your doorstep, silence stops being an option.
“Sorry to drop this on such a gorgeous day, but let’s be clear: I have zero qualms airing this publicly.
“My ex-husband once happily sold a pack of lies about me to the press, lies that dragged me through two brutal years of court hell before I was fully exonerated and proven innocent. He didn’t lose a second’s sleep over how that wrecked my life, so forgive me if I return exactly the same courtesy now.
“This morning I woke up to bailiffs banging on my door and my car clamped. My car.
“Because the system decided that a debt racked up by my ex, after we’d already separated, in his name, his responsibility, gets to magically teleport across the Atlantic and land on me in the UK while he ghosts every letter, email, and demand sent his way.
“I had to pay his debt today just to get my car unclamped and back in my driveway. Not my bill.
“Not my problem, except it became my problem because he’s untouchable in LA.
“Meanwhile, Danny’s over there in the States, blissfully “connecting with his inner child,” chatting mystical dragons with his girlfriend, posting about soul growth and manifesting miracles.
“How touching. Shame the actual, physical world bills don’t manifest the same level of enlightenment; they just keep boomeranging back here for someone else to sort out.
“Receipts are kept, proof is solid, and today the emails start flying, including straight to the embassy.
“Because the same man currently trying to charm his way into US residency can’t even handle basic adult responsibilities in the country he left behind. If you can’t face your debts here, you don’t deserve the privilege of pretending to be squeaky clean somewhere else.
“Take responsibility for your own actions, Daniel. This is your public warning! I’m initiating proceedings for your DEBT!!!!”
Victoria previously claimed he left her to cover the £16,000-a-month household bills and tens of thousands of pounds of debt.
HE stole the show on last night’s opening episode of Celebrity Traitors, honestly announcing to the group that he was, in fact, a traitor.
Alongside his comical moments on the BBC show, actor Richard E Grant also gave some touching references to his late wife Joan Washington.
Richard E Grant admitted he was a Traitor just 30 minutes into last night’s first episode of the second celeb seriesCredit: BBCRichard had a ‘gold dust’ relationship with wife Joan Washington, before she passed away in 2021Credit: richard.e.grant/Instagram
Delighted at being a traitor, he told viewers: “My wife said to me four days before she died, she said Richard try and find a pocketful of happiness in each day, and I feel like I’ve got a wheelbarrowful and then some.”
Richard has said he may never fall in love again, following Joan’s deathCredit: TwitterThe couple were married for 35 years, after tying the knot in 1986Credit: richard.e.grant/Instagram
Richard met dialect coach Joan at a London studio, called The Actors’ Centre, in 1982, where she had been teaching an accent class.
At the time, Joan was married to someone else, and had a son called Tom, but Richard could not take his eyes off her.
In 1994, he told The Independent he was captivated, saying: “She was wearing a boiler suit and had fairly short, cropped hair and Kicker shoes, and was chain-smoking, which I thought was insane.”
But he added: “I thought she had the most wonderful voice and huge, sort of monkey eyes. She seemed fairly frenetic. I thought that she was really cute and all that.”
Joan gave Richard a lesson in developing an Irish accent and he says they “instantly” clicked.
But initially, and amusingly, Joan found him “annoying”.
She said: “I used to take a class of about 20 people and I actually used to find him quite annoying because he’d get the giggles at quite the wrong moment and I was a strict teacher.”
Giggling aside and getting to know Richard during private lessons, Joan quickly realised she was falling for him.
She previously described her then-marriage as “extremely bad at the time” and slowly found herself smitten with the handsome actor in her class.
Recalling the way she was feeling, Joan told The Independent that she soon realised she was “madly in love with him”, adding: “I do believe that there’s one person on the globe that’s meant for you.”
Joan passed away at the age of 71 after a battle with lung cancerCredit: GettyRichard met dialect coach Joan at The Actors’ Centre in 1982, where she had been teaching an accent classCredit: Getty
The pair became a couple a year later and their relationship went from strength-to-strength, even though their jobs often meant they spent great chunks of time apart.
Richard said he never believed in marriage until he met Joan.
“My parents were divorced when I was 11 and it made such a profound impression on my life that I suppose I thought that by not getting married, you could avoid your life being carved in two. But that changed,” he told The Independent.
Although they were often apart, Richard and Joan would speak on the phone regularly and write to each other daily.
Eventually, Richard decided it was time to make an honest woman of his girlfriend with a proposal that could have been straight out of a movie.
Arriving home to London for Christmas following six weeks away in Africa, he couldn’t wait any longer and popped the question at the airport.
Richard previously recalled: “So I came back and went on bended knee with my trolley at 6.30am at Heathrow Airport – and, luckily for me, she said yes.”
Richard, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Joan married in 1986.
Richard spoke about ‘love of his life’ Joan on the opening episode of TraitorsCredit: PATwo years ago, Richard admitted he still writes Joan letters every night to stay in touchCredit: News UK Ltd
Richard once described their marriage as “the story of my adult life”, saying they began a conversation when they met and never really stopped.
Following their marriage, the newlyweds were keen to start a family together. Sadly, their journey was a difficult one.
Joan suffered three miscarriages. They were then left heartbroken when their first child, a daughter called Tiffany, died very soon after she was born.
Richard later told YOU magazine: “Until that time I had no idea how common it is to lose babies and what it actually meant.”
Joan and Richard pictured with their daughter Olivia in 2019Credit: Getty Images – GettyProud grandad Richard taking his grandson for a walk along Petersham meadowCredit: Instagram/@richard.e.grant
Speaking to ABC, he said at the time: “My daughter, absolutely gorgeous, she’s 30 and she works in casting so I’m guaranteed a job for life, hopefully.”
Richard and Olivia run a unisex fragrance company together, called JACK.
Speaking about her life with her dad, Olivia added: “I’m just proud. It’s been the best ride to go on together.”
Unlike dozens of other Hollywood stars, Richard and Joan’s beautiful relationship lasted the distance and their love for one another was unbreakable.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2015, he described their marriage as “gold dust”.
Tragically, in 2021, Richard confirmed on Instagram that his wonderful wife had passed away at the age of 74, following a battle with lung cancer.
“Our hearts are broken with the loss of your Life last night. 35 years married and 38 together. To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine.”
The actor was left devastated at the loss and said experienced further heartbreak how some friends reacted to the news, claiming a couple stopped speaking to him and even crossed the road to avoid speaking to him about his grief.
He shared: “Subsequent to her death, I have had people cross the road rather than talk. Whether they think you’re going to fall apart and you’re an emotional wreck, I don’t know. But I will never speak to them again.”
Before she passed, Richard admitted she gave him a “hilarious” list of women he must never date after she passed – although he said he does not expect to fall in love again.
Two years ago, he admitted he still writes her letters every night to stay in touch.
He told The Guardian: “I write to her every night. [I write down] everything. Stuff I know would amuse her… I have no spiritual or religious delusion that I’m ever going to get a reply.
“But after 38 years of marriage, I can hear what her response would be. It feels as close a connection as I can have. And I’ve found it very hopeful, that at the end of the day I’m having a conversation.”
In early September, Richard marked the fifth anniversary of her death with a touching tribute.
On Instagram, he wrote: “Five years ago today, my beloved wife Joan died at 7:30 in the evening. We were holding each other’s hands when she drew her last breath.”
Richard said he never believed in marriage until he met JoanCredit: GettyRichard refers to his late wife on Instagram calling the newborn ‘our grandson’Credit: Instagram/@richard.e.grant
In June 2026, Olivia and husband Florian Herbst – who wed in 2024 – welcomed their first child, a son, making Richard a grandfather for the first time.
The proud actor referred to his late wife on Instagram when he announced the news, calling the baby “our grandson.”
In an Instagram video in June 2026, an emotional Richard said: “I’m so grateful for the safe arrival of our grandson. Life truly is miraculous.”
In addition to this, in September he shared a clip of him carrying his grandkid on a walk, saying: “No better way to start my day bobbing our sleeping grandchild along Petersham meadow with Annie Lennox playing in my head.”
Mike Tomlin’s YouTube video detailing his labor of love of more than a decade is well on its way to a million views in less than 24 hours. His tweet about it has accumulated more than 20 million views.
No, it’s not a deep dive into Tomlin’s 19 years as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a reign that produced a Super Bowl title, zero losing seasons and a 193-114-2 overall record.
It’s about his obsession with “Minecraft,” the immensely popular video sandbox game that takes place in a world of 3D cubes representing raw materials such as wood, ores, stone and dirt. Players craft elaborate structures and — certainly in Tomlin’s case — full-blown cities.
At least one of Tomlin’s former players is astonished that he was able to construct a sprawling “Minecraft” community in the limited spare time enjoyed by an NFL head coach.
“we were tryna to win super bowls and coach T was on minecraft building cities,” former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell wrote on X, adding a crying emoji.
Countless adults were introduced to the game by taking their kids to “A Minecraft Movie,” the 2025 film starring Jack Black, Jason Mamoa, Sebastian Hansen and Emma Myers that brought in a worldwide box office total of nearly $1 billion.
Tomlin got an earlier start, watching his middle school-age sons spending weekends playing the game in 2014, the same year the Steelers went 11-5 to begin a four-year streak of double-figure wins. His sons, Dino and Mayce, eventually outgrew the game, but Tomlin’s interest increased.
“At different times over the course of a 12-month calendar, I would have different levels of fixation on this, but it’s been a project that’s been ongoing for 12-plus years,” he said on the 19-minute video titled “Rooftops, Penthouses, and Urban Living.”
Tomlin said he preferred playing in creative mode, as opposed to survival, hardcore or adventure modes. He also said getting his mind off of football was good for his mental health.
“I kind of remember when I was building communities, neighborhoods, buildings, etc.,” he said. “But more than anything, it was therapeutic for me, some mindless entertainment. I’m not a big TV watcher. [“Minecraft”] allowed me to detach from the realities and pressures of life.”
The realities and pressures of coaching in the NFL include a 24/7 work mentality. Watching film and diagramming plays deep into the night. Sleeping on a cot in the team facility.
The attention to detail he brought to his day job was evident in his “Minecraft” creations.
“I was always really conscious of appropriate amenities,” Tomlin said. “You’ll find, you know, an appropriate number of public restrooms and stuff throughout all my public facilities. Not anything over the top in terms of detail: sink areas, stalls, etc. It was important that I represented that.”
Tomlin’s younger son, Mayce, a 24-year-old Columbia graduate, is having a kick on social media posting reactions to his father’s “Minecraft” reveal.
“Bro I used to come home sometimes and my PlayStation would just be gone. And I wasn’t in trouble😭😭😭” Mayce wrote on X.
Tomlin retired from coaching after the 2025 season and now works as an NFL studio analyst for NBC Sports on the pregame show “Football Night in America.” Presumably he has more time to devote to “Minecraft.”
“I like to build, I’ve always had an interest in architecture and so forth,” he said. “So I started doing this creative city. It was a means of spending time with [my children]. They participated. All over this city, all my kids have got buildings.
“Over the course of time, they got disinterested in the game. They were going to high school and off to college, and their participation became less and less over the years. My participation probably at times increased.”
Tensions reach boiling point as the Big Brother housemates clash yet again in a fresh episode of the ITV series
Omar is set to clash with his housemates in upcoming Big Brother scenes (Image: ITV)
The Big Brother house is once again thrown into chaos tonight as one housemate takes aim at two co-stars.
It is currently the House of Nothing week, which means the contestants were stripped of basic luxuries like their beds and access to hot water. Viewers have already witnessed a string of arguments as housemates have become frustrated by living with the bare minimum. And it seems there are more clashes set to unfold in Thursday night’s (October 1) episode.
Most of the drama this season has centred on Johanne and Rochelle, who previously argued over “undercooked” chicken and more recently had a row about microaggressions in the house. But this time it’s Omar, Rob and Yasmin who are set to butt heads.
It begins when Rob climbs onto the communal table and starts dancing, with other housemates joining in around him. Omar isn’t happy with his co-star, though, as he repeats: “Get off the table – we eat on it. Get off the table, please.”
Omar then says to Rochelle: “This is mad – I put my bread on that table yesterday. And he’s got his feet on it. It’s horrible.” Rob listens to his housemate’s concerns and starts cleaning the table.
Rob then playfully says: “For the germophobes in the room.” But Omar defends his complaint, arguing: “It’s not germophobia,” before adding: “Yesterday I put my toast on that table and ate it off the table.
Omar quickly replies: “Yeah – I’m the fun police.”
Try ITVX Premium free for a week
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
ITVX Premium offers exclusive ad-free content that can be streamed on-demand and on the go, with everything from Hollywood blockbusters to bingeable British box sets.
An annual plan costs £59.99 – equal to £4.99 per month – after a seven-day free trial.
“That means if I didn’t see you do that, today I would have put toast on top of your feet.” But Omar’s frustration doesn’t stop there. The jewellery seller later heads to the garden and reports the incident to some of his fellow housemates.
He then turns his attention to Yasmin and tells her: “You need to stop with the obnoxiously loud songs.” This sparks another argument as Yasmin hits back with: “Are you just against having any fun?”.
Tensions reach boiling point when Yasmin shuts down Omar’s comments, saying: “Let your hair down. Have a laugh. It’s alright. F****** hell. I’m going to do what the f*** I please. Stop telling me what to do. You keep telling me what to do and I don’t like it.”
Rob also appears taken aback by Omar’s comments but fans will have to tune in to find out if the clash causes another rift in the house.
Big Brother continues on ITV2 and ITVX tonight at 9pm
A woman who appeared on ITV’s Long Lost Family shared the heartbreak she recently endured following her sister’s death
12:27, 01 Oct 2026Updated 12:29, 01 Oct 2026
Long Lost Family: Elaine talks about Gail and sees photo of Naomi
Long Lost Family took an emotional turn as two adopted sisters met after spending decades apart.
The moving ITV show, presented by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, returns to screens tonight with another tearjerking episode. In the show, Nicky meets Naomi, who is longing to find her biological twin sisters and mother.
Naomi has spent much of her life wondering about the family she never knew. Now living in Gloucestershire with her husband of 30 years, she is finally retracing the events surrounding her adoption and searching for answers about her birth family.
Adopted as a baby, Naomi grew up in a loving home with her adoptive parents in Plymouth. She always knew she had been adopted, but as she got older, questions about her biological family became increasingly difficult to ignore
When Naomi was a teenager, her parents showed her a letter they had kept since her adoption. What she discovered inside came as a major shock.
The letter revealed that Naomi’s birth mother had been just 19 when she gave birth. It also contained a revelation Naomi had never expected: her birth mother had given birth to twin girls, who had subsequently been adopted by other families.
Naomi recalled: “I was obviously very surprised when I found out that I had sisters. It was shocking.”
Both of Naomi’s adoptive parents died while she was in her 20s. In the years that followed, her desire to uncover more about her origins and find her birth family only grew stronger.
With Naomi’s birth mother now identified, the search turns to the two sisters she never knew she had. The team manages to uncover their names, Gail and Elaine, but the discovery brings both hope and heartbreak. They learn that Gail has sadly died, leaving Elaine as the only surviving twin.
Elaine tells presenter Nicky that she and Gail grew up together in a happy, loving home with their adoptive parents. Despite being separated from their birth mother as babies, the sisters shared a close childhood and had a positive upbringing.
But in the 1990s, Gail was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The illness gradually progressed over the following years, profoundly affecting her life before she sadly died in 2020.
Elaine also revealed that she recently lost her mum and her adoptive mother. Given her circumstances, she was elated to meet her sister.
Sobbing, Elaine said, “The fact that she’s gone to so much effort to find us, she must really want to meet us.”
When the sisters finally met, the pair couldn’t let each other go. Elaine said, “I’m so glad you found me. You’ve looked for so long, long, and I didn’t even know you existed.”
Naomi later said, “She was as warm and welcoming as her photo looked. Um, all I could have hoped for.”
Long Lost Family continues on Thursday 1st October at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson said she apologized to her teammates for getting a technical foul late in an eventual 98-89 playoff loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
But the four-time league MVP is not apologizing for her actions that led to the foul being called.
With about 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Aces down by 11, Wilson drew a foul against Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham. As Cunningham protested the call, Wilson walked over to a Fever fan who had been standing in front of his seat in the second row behind the basket and pointing in Wilson’s direction.
Visibly upset, Wilson stood directly in front of the fan, who had been pulled back into his seat by a woman sitting next to him, while yelling at him. She was quickly pulled away by teammate Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, but was still upset as she walked away.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Wilson said that there are “just certain things that I’m not going to allow anymore because it’s just unacceptable.”
“I don’t know if you guys know me, but I don’t really get into the bulls—. I don’t,” Wilson said. “I try to play my game, keep it pushing. But if I’m just walking, because I just got the foul, I’m chilling — and if I see a man come at me, taking steps towards me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said. I don’t give a damn how you said it, the tone. That is unacceptable.”
Online video footage shot from the stands shows that the man was standing in front of his seat as the play unfolded. He appears to take a step or two while pointing and yelling after the foul was called.
“I didn’t exactly see what happened. I kind of saw the aftermath,” Aces coach Becky Hammon told reporters after the game. “I’ve never seen A’ja Wilson go like that. So whatever was done, I can tell you she felt very disrespected in that moment. I’ve never seen her really react like that ever. So whatever it was, it doesn’t have any place, I don’t think, in an arena.”
The fan eventually was escorted out of the seating area but was allowed to return to his seat. The Fever said in a statement that arena security spoke with the man and witnesses and “determined there was no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct.”
Wilson was assessed a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“Yeah, I’m apologizing to my team for that,” she told reporters. But, Wilson added, “you don’t have to like me. You don’t have to love me. You can hate me with all your heart. … But I guarantee you will respect me.”
The decisive Game 3 of the series is Thursday in Las Vegas.
Despite his expressions giving the game away at all times, he still fancies being a traitor and says he has ‘no qualms’ when it comes to killing his friends
Rob reckons his expressive face will give the game away for him very quickly(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative)
Rob Beckett has confessed he is facing an uphill struggle when it comes to The Celebrity Traitors – because he is unable to hide his true feelings.
The comedian, who fronts a TV series with fellow player Romesh Ranganathan, is aiming to emulate the comedy deflection tactic used to perfection last year by winner Alan Carr.
“I think I’ll be good at deflecting with humour naturally because that’s what I’ve been trained to do,” he said. “My problem is that you know what I’m thinking by looking at my face. I think I’m in trouble, because I tell everyone everything with my expressions alone.”
Speaking before the series was filmed in May, Rob said his strategy was to make decisions in real time as the game unfolds. “Do trust your gut in the moment because you can overthink and over prepare, and then what I’ve got is panicked rehearsed lines – and that’s not just in this game. In life, the best things I’ve ever said have never been planned.”
The comic, from south London, says for him and some of the other players, the show is a full-circle moment. “I think I’ll just find the whole scenario hilarious because it’s so surreal to be around that group of people.
“Romesh, obviously everyone knows we’re such good friends, but Joe Lycett and James Acaster, I did gigs with them nearly 20 years ago, in pubs in Soho in front of eight people, and now all of a sudden we’re in this situation. So, it’s quite a reflective moment to consider this journey we’ve all gone on to now be on the biggest show on TV.
“Everyone wants to be on it, and we’re very lucky to be here, and to be here with friends and people that I’ve come through the ranks with and been able to confide in over the years. It’s quite nice to see all of us here as grown-ups.”
Dad-of-two Rob, 40, reckons he’d make a good Traitor, but is happy to leave the decision to presenter Claudia Winkleman. “I’d happily be either. Claudia and the producers are the experts in this, not me, but I’m very happy to do both, and I’ve got no qualms about killing people off.”
If he does end up as a Traitor, however, he does worry about giving him away immediately. “I could be the fastest Traitor out in history. I’ll probably just get a tap of the shoulder and get up and go: ‘You’ll never guess what just happened to me!’ and off I go. You’ll never know until you get in there.”
Rob’s hoping that his many years as a stand-up will help him to survive. “Being on stage is like being at the Round Table. You’re performing to an audience. And you’re having to say things to get them to behave in a certain way.”
Fellow player Joanne McNally reckons the six comedians who’ve signed up for this year’s show would “absolutely kill each other off” if necessary.
To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed.
Arguing that the group will happily double-cross each other for entertainment, she insisted they hadn’t spoken beforehand. “We haven’t been in cahoots at all,” Joanne insisted. “There’s been no chatting because we know that we’re more than willing to throw each other under the bus. It’s not like we’re making fake allegiances. They are professional entertainers, and they will absolutely kill each other off for the craic.”
The other comedians taking part are James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan.
Asked about signing up for the series Joanne, 43, quipped that she wanted to improve her social circle, laughing: “It’s all about the celebrity WhatsApp group. And what an eclectic cast we have. Like, you couldn’t predict it. It’s like lining up all my ex-boyfriends. There’s no consistency to it at all. I love it. It’s so frantic. It kind of has a bit of everything.”
Aiming to be chosen as a Traitor, “quietly competitive” Joanne insisted she had the necessary skills. “I’m great at spotting lies. I can read body language, and I’ve dealt with a lot of snakes,” she said.
She prepared by having a makeover. “I got six packs of hair extensions put in. I have some skills but hair and makeup is not one of them.” Joanne now believes she could have what it takes to go all the way to the end. “I have this feeling I’ll either be out within seven minutes, or I’ll end up going the distance.”
Heartstopper actor Sebastian Croft, 24, is hoping to fly under the radar. “To be with a bunch of my heroes in a castle with Claudia is wonderful,” he declared. “I’m very much hoping that the fact that most of the cast don’t know me will work to my advantage.”
He has prepared by asking the universe for advice. “I went to see a lady who read my tarot, my astrology, crystals, the lot! I couldn’t possibly tell you any of it, it would ruin what’s going to happen.”
Sebastian is hoping to become a Traitor – ideally alongside actor pal Bella Ramsay. “I love Bella! Imagine us in the turret together. That would be the dream.”
YouTuber and boxer King Kenny, 29, is on a mission for justice after his pal Niko Omilana was the first to be banished in last year’s show. “I’ll be honest, after Niko went out last year, I stopped watching,” he said. “But when I heard I was going to play this year I got determined to do this for Niko and avenge him.”
The first season of The Celebrity Traitors aired on the BBC last autumn and was watched by 15million people across the series, the biggest TV audience of 2025.
– The Celebrity Traitors starts on October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Friends star Matthew Perry will be the subject of a moving new documentary series about his life and struggles with addiction
The One About Matthew Perry teased in trailer from Netflix
Netflix has unveiled a trailer for its documentary series about Matthew Perry.
The One About Matthew Perry will focus on the late Friends star’s life, career and struggles with addiction. In the trailer, Perry’s close friends and family members open up about the 17 Again and The Whole Nine Yards star.
The trailer prominently features Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, who shares details about the huge sums of money her sibling had spent trying to beat addiction. The footage also includes some of Perry’s most iconic on-screen moments from Friends.
In a particularly poignant moment, one person reveals how Perry “saved my life” through his own advocacy to help fellow addicts. There is also touching archival footage of Perry discussing his demons in his own words.
A logline for the upcoming series reads: “Told through intimate testimonies from close family and friends, this documentary event reveals the real Matthew Perry—generous, funny, vulnerable, larger than life—and the battles he fought to become the man behind the icon. A raw record of a life lived in full, and the honesty that became his greatest legacy.”
The One About Matthew Perry is the first in-depth documentary about the actor since his death. The series will shed light on the different facets of his life from the comedy genius to the man struggling with addiction and also a campaigner to help others get sober.
A Netflix description goes on to state: “Tender and unflinching, the series doesn’t separate Matthew’s humor from his pain, or his fame from his addiction. It sits with both, the way the people who loved him had to. Millions around the world are touched by addiction – their own, or someone they love – and this series speaks directly to them.”
The streaming platform is releasing the three-part factual series The One About Matthew Perry on October 27. The programme will be coming out a day before the third anniversary of the star’s death.
Perry tragically died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54. He was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. His cause of death was the acute effects of ketamine, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Get Netflix free with Sky
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV bundle. This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.
His death sent the world into mourning with his Friends co-stars paying tribute to Perry. Prior to his death, Perry had released his 2022 autobiography – Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.
Reflecting on the decision to open up about her brother’s death, Mia Perry Bowick said: “It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life—to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction. As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life.
“Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”
The One About Matthew Perry will be released on Netflix on October 27
One month on from their year anniversary, people saw Noel walk into their home to find Harvey’s belongings in a bag and a photograph of them torn up on the floor. A clip from the episode was shared on Channel 5’s Instagram, which showed Millie kicking Harvey out.
As Millie explained, she had told Harvey they were ‘through’, her husband told the cameras he had gone back to his mum’s house as she told him to leave their home.
Elsewhere in the snippet, it showed mum Sue trying to help the pair reconcile as she called in an expert in family dynamics.
The clip on Instagram was captioned: “Millie kicks Harvey out after reaching breaking point. But when Sue brings in an expert and some home truths hit hard, will Harley finally change his ways?” However, it wasn’t long before people commented on the snippet of the episode, with many issuing the same complaint.
One person said: “This whole show is more and more staged.” As another added: “Never watched something so scripted and set up. Absolutely ridiculous. What are the chances Noel was with the camera crew and the photo was placed in the middle of the floor in the most obvious ripped up pile?”
Someone else wrote: “So staged now. I liked watching it a few years ago.” While a fourth added: “Love this programme, but it’s getting more like a soap opera these days. Can tell things are set up for the cameras… saying they are moving house. Which never happened. Millie’s door was left open, and a ripped photo was on the floor. So fake.”
Although one person defended the programme, adding: “It may be more scripted and edited, but the storylines aren’t fake if that’s what you’re suggesting. Not sure why a programme affects you so much.”
As another shared: “I love this. Well done to the Radfords for actually supporting even though he’s not their kid, what a beautiful support system Millie and he have, and what a beautiful thing to do for your grandkids! Just amazing parenting and support, thank you!!”
During the episode, it showed the pair make amends as Millie and Harvey have recently welcomed their fourth baby into the world. She shared the news on social media this week, telling viewers they had a little boy called Cooper-Jax
22 Kids and Counting is available to watch on Sundays on Channel 5 at 8pm
The fan-favourite baking competition has returned to Channel 4, with 12 amateur bakers hoping to impress Paul Hollywood and new judge Nigella Lawson, who has replaced Dame Prue Leith.
In the first episode of this series, the bakers were tasked with making Nigella’s stout cake and a self-portrait showstopper, and despite two creations collapsing onto the floor, no one was sent home after contestant Shannon had to quit the challenge halfway through on medical advice.
Ahead of biscuit week tonight, Tuesday 29 September, one contestant has recalled his own experience on the show. Howard Middleton took part in the fourth series back in 2013, but was devastatingly sent home during week six.
He’s now revealed that before filming even began, there was a moment that left him feeling sick. Speaking on behalf of Smooth Spins, Howard shared his first impression of the famous white tent.
He said: “It’s interesting because you get two shots of it. So, we were ferried from the hotel to the tent in a little minibus, and you just see the tent emerging from the minibus, and it’s at that point you sort of think, ‘Oh God, I feel a bit sick!’ That’s when it starts to feel real.
“When you actually go into the tent the first time, you get a tour, where someone explains how the ovens work and the hobs and everything around the kitchen. I just remember thinking that I hadn’t understood a word that you’d just said because I was so in awe of actually being in the tent.
“Even after the explanation, I still kept having to ask how to work the oven and the hob afterwards. It’s very overwhelming, and I did feel a bit sick.”
He went on to talk about meeting his fellow bakers, revealing they only met the night before. Howard continued: “Obviously we’ve all gone through the audition process, and you’ve met certain people along the way, but it’s not until the night before you actually start filming that you know who’s got into the tent. It may be that you’ve met one or two of them, or you remember seeing them during the auditions, but most of the time they’re strangers, really.
“On the first night when you meet everyone, you can make up your mind about them. Sometimes people can be very loud if you are out for dinner or something, and you start to understand what they will be like in the tent.”
After their first impressions of each other, Howard shared that the bakers did spend time together when the cameras stopped rolling, though he admitted that his time on the show was likely different to now. Back then, the contestants stayed in a hotel further from the tent, whereas he claimed that now, due to security reasons, they stay much closer.
He went on: “And the security is much tighter than it was. We were free to go out for meals together in the evening, although, to be perfectly honest, you’re so tired by the time you’ve finished a day of filming that you really don’t want to socialise that much.
“We also realised that those of us who would be catching up at the hotel bar late at night – none of us made it through to the finals! So if there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s don’t go out the night before!”
The Great British Bake Off continues tonight at 8pm on Channel 4
BBC The Split Up heated up in the final few moments tonight with fans having to wait until the weekend to find out how it plays out.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
22:46, 28 Sep 2026
BBC’s The Split Up hid a tribute that many fans will have missed(Image: BBC)
BBC The Split Up fans may have missed the quiet tribute that the show paid to one of its biggest stars.
Legal drama The Split Up aired its fourth episode this evening, Monday, September 28, and Aria Kishan (played by Ritu Arya) once again had her hands full both personally and professionally.
After not being able to get hold of Uncle Rick (Ramon Tikaram), Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) asked Aria and Luke (Dimitri Leonidas) to visit him at the farm he was on the brink of losing.
When they arrived, Uncle Rick insisted there was a will that confirmed the farm had been handed to him and so all three of them searched the house. It was during this hunt that the BBC drama made a cute gesture for their Split Up co-star and Unforgotten legend Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Luke returned to the living room carrying a cardboard box and told Aria and Uncle Rick: “OK there’s not much in there except old books and about 30 VHS tape recordings of Goodness Gracious Me.” Uncle Rick instantly had a big grin on his face as he simply replied: “Still cracks me up.”
Goodness Gracious Me is a 1990s comedy sketch show that ran for three years and starred former EastEnders icon Nina Wadia and The Split Up’s very own Sanjeev Bhaskar.
The award-winning sitcom also starred Bhaskar’s wife Meera Syal who was also one of the creative minds behind Goodness Gracious Me.
Prior to Luke telling everyone about the VHS tapes he found, Uncle Rick told Aria that she shouldn’t “settle” as he sensed chemistry between his niece and her colleague.
It was at her “Fox Do” with husband-to-be Neal (Danny Ashok) that he revealed he knew her father was going to make him joint manager of Kishan Law long before it was announced.
Feeling betrayed, Aria went to Luke’s flat and admitted her feelings which led to a passionate kiss but how is their love story going to play out?
The Split Up is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Wedding bells are ringing for Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and his longtime girlfriend Nikki Hall.
The “Jersey Shore” alum proposed to the Jamaican-born influencer over the weekend while DJing at the Omnia Dayclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The popular party destination posted the proposal on Instagram on Sunday with the caption, “Things just got serious,” alongside a video of DelVecchio bringing Hall onto a stage and getting down on one knee.
Although a techno remix of Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” was blasting in the video, the DJ’s lips are seen mouthing, “Will you marry me?” Hall nods enthusiastically in response, and bikini-clad models appear in the background carrying signs overhead that read “Congratulations on the engagement! Yeah Buddy!”
Through a series of clips and photos shared on DelVecchio’s Instagram stories, it appears the two celebrated the engagement with Italian food and a hotel room decked out with red rose petals and balloons.
“We’ve spent these years choosing each other, growing together, building a life we love, and never rushing a chapter just because the world was ready to read it,” Hall posted on Instagram, adding that saying yes to DelVecchio was “the easiest YES” she’s ever said.
DelVecchio celebrated in the replies of the post, writing, “She said yesssssss!!!!!”
The pair met back in 2019 on MTV’s “Double Shot at Love,” a reality dating show hosted by DelVecchio and fellow “Jersey Shore” alum Vinny Guadagnino, in which 20 women competed to capture the hearts of both Pauly and Vinny, respectively.
The early days of their relationship played out on the series, with both Hall and DelVecchio smitten from the start. Their season ended with a twist when DelVecchio chose to say goodbye to Hall and “roll solo for now.” But clearly, his decision didn’t stick, and in 2020, the pair quarantined together during the pandemic, a revelation that arose when eagle-eyed fans noticed their social media content had identical backgrounds.
A 90s POP star looked unrecognisable as he belted out his big hit at his daughter’s wedding.
The singer, now, 62, found fame thanks to his massive dance song back in the day – but can you guess who it is?
Do you recognise this 90s pop star?Credit: TikTok/faithadamsuThe singer, who had a huge hit in 1994, sang at his daughter’s weddingCredit: TikTok/faithadamsu
The star in question is Mark Carson Adams who goes by the stage name Duke.
The Newcastle singer is best known for his massive 1994 house anthem So In Love With You.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Mark thrilled guests at his daughter Faith’s wedding, when he took to the stage to perform his famous song.
Dressed in a black tux, the 90s star sang his famous dance tune, as he got the party started.
At one point the bride and groom joined him on stage to dance, as their guests gathered around.
Mark’s daughter shared the moment on TikTok and playfully wrote over the top of the video: “When your dad decides to sing his 90s hit at your wedding and your friends are no.1 fans.”
Mark looked very different to his heydayCredit: UnknownSo in Love With You was a huge hit for MarkCredit: Wikipedia
The singer looked different to his 90s heyday, after ditching his moustache and goatee beard.
Mark was 30 when So In Love With You was released, and the song propelled him to stardom.
The smash hit dance tune was included on his 1995 album, The 10 Commandments Of Love.
The song was also famously remixed by Fatboy Slim as Pizzaman and topped the US Billboard Dance chart in 1997.
Although So In Love With You remains his biggest hit to date, Mark has continued to perform.
The singer’s Instagram is filled with all the live events he has played at, plus all the shows he has coming up.