ONE of Yorkshire’s prettiest towns is set for superstardom this December, as it stars in a new Christmas film featuring some of Hollywood’s top actors.
Huge Hollywood stars descended on the pretty Yorkshire town earlier this yearCredit: SkyThe town of Knaresborough is the backdrop of a Sky Original Christmas movieCredit: Alamy
Between January and February 2025, cast and crew were spotted in the Yorkshire town, in areas like Castlegate,Riverside, andGreen Dragon Yard.
Filming of the Sky Original Christmas movie meant that the festive decorations were up for months longer than usual.
The film, set to be released n November 28, will see Kiefer Sutherland play Bradley Mack, a failed Hollywood action star ending up in a small, snow-dusted village to star in the town’s eccentric production of Cinderella.
It’s here that he encounters a number of oddball locals, one of whom is no-nonsense choreographer Jill, played by Rebel Wilson.
Knaresborough has pretty waterfront cafes and the opportunity to canoe down the river, while watching steam trains travel over the viaduct.
Katrina said: “If you venture down by the river from either Bond End or walking down the steps at the castle you’ll stand at the foot of the iconic viaduct.
“Amongst the cafes and houses are two boat hire places – Blenkhorn’s and Marigold Cafe & Boating. Both are open daily, weather permitting, and are a great way to soak up the stunning scenery.
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“No visit to Knaresborough is complete without heading to Knaresborough Castle for the best view of the viaduct.
“You don’t need to pay to enter the castle grounds, and I recommend seeing the view during the day and at night time, with the viaduct all lit up.”
Knaresborough was decked out for Christmas during January and February of 2025 for filmingCredit: SkyA popular activity during the summer is to go boating on the waterCredit: AlamyThe Yorkshire town could get its own tourist land train – like the one in WeymouthCredit: Alamy
Katrina also suggested checking out the many pubs in the area from Blind Jack’s in the market square, to Carriages.
As for attractions, there’s Mother Shipton’s Cave which is named after the Yorkshire prophetess who predicted many things, including the great fire of London and the black death.
It’s also the oldest tourist attraction to charge a fee in England, and has been open to visitors since 1630.
The town is also lobbying for cash to buy a tourist land train, which would mean visitors could easily go exploring without having to climb steep hills and steps.
A previous grant to get a land train was rejected due to “concerns over the scheme’s viability”, as reported by the BBC.
Now, the Knaresborough & District Chamber, which submitted the bid, is looking for alternative funding to get the service started.
The hope is that the land train would increase the number of visitors to all of Knaresborough, from the river to the main town.
One of the local council members told the BBC that visitors who visit usually wander around the castle and marketplace but don’t go down to the river because of the steep hill and steps.
If the land train becomes a reality, it would join other UK towns which run services generally during the summer.
Weymouth has its very own land train which runs across the promenade, meanwhile Bridlington has two trains, one which heads north, and the other, south.
And another Yorkshire destination to add to your To Do list…
Hutton-Le-Hole is said to be one of the last unspoiled villages in the UK, thanks to its very quaint houses and attractions.
Home to just 400 locals, it has been named one of Yorkshire‘s “best looking villages” by Lonely Planet, as well as one of the UK’s prettiest by Conde Nast Traveller.
Jane Austen fans will recognise it, having featured in the Death Comes To Pemberley BBC drama.
In the summer, locals sit on the village green, with the sloped grass leading into the river to cool off.
But the village is just as beautiful in autumn with the trees turning bright orange.
Most of the sheep are free-roaming, so expect to see a few munching on the grass.
If you fancy some retail therapy, The Chocolate Factory, which opened 20 years ago, is one of the top attractions.
Despite being small, there are a number of places you can stay like The Crown Inn and The Barn Guesthouse or a number of small B&Bs.
Two iconic stars of the ITV soap Coronation Street have shared what their future with the soap is looking like after fans feared they would be leaving the show
22:49, 19 Oct 2025Updated 22:49, 19 Oct 2025
Legendary Coronation Street stars’ soap future unveiled after exit fears
Coronation Street legends William Roache and Barbara Knox have opened up about their future on the show, after accepting an award for their long service to television and amid fans’ fears that they are due to leave the show.
William, 93, and Barbara, 92, were awarded with the Outstanding Contribution to Television Award at the Variety Awards on Sunday (19 October).
Following the award, the pair both insisted they would not be leaving the show anytime soon, despite their combined 118 years on the show.
Coronation Street aired it’s first episode, starring William, in 1960. Four years later, Barbara appeared in an episode, and by 1972, she was back in a continuous role. When asked if they had plans to retire, both said they weren’t thinking about that as an option.
In fact, it was the work that kept them feeling young. The nonagenarians were asked what they do to feel young and Barbara responded: “Well honestly, I think we’ve had the opportunity to work, that’s the greatest thing.
“I don’t want to and I know Bill doesn’t want to retire, because stimulus from your brain gets you up. So we’re fortunate to have been able to do that.”
They were also asked what their advice would be for actors starting their careers and William joked that “the first 65 years” were the hard part. “When young actors come to me, I say the first 65 years is the tough bit, the rest is easy.”
Before he acted, William was a captain in the British Army. He started acting on a stage in Nottingham and went on to appear in various films and TV shows before landing Ken Barlow in Corrie. As he was in the first episode, he is the longest-serving castmate on the show. In fact, he is the longest-serving actor to play a continuous role on a show ever and, as such, has a Guinness World Record.
Meanwhile, Barbara is best known for playing Rita Tanner on the show. She is the second longest-serving Corrie member, after William.
Ant and Dec also picked up an award for Outstanding Contribution to Television, while Vernon Kay was given a prize for the Outstanding Contribution to Radio. Jamie Wilson got the same for Musical Theatre, and Olly Murs was recognised for his contribution to music.
ITV, who air Corrie, were celebrated as well. They were given the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Broadcasting. The network celebrated 70 years in the business this year.
Over 70 years, ITV has become a core part of British television. They are one of the leading networks in the country, with iconic shows such as Corrie, Emmerdale, Love Island and Britain’s Got Talent under their belt.
A BBC star’s nepo daughter has revealed her addiction battle on her new single.
The singer has opened up for the first time about struggling with addiction, ADHD andsubstance abuse.
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A BBC star’s nepo daughter has revealed he addiction battle on a new singleCredit: instagramLine of Duty star Adrian Dunbar’s daughter, Madeleine Dunbar, 37, whose artist’s name is Minx has explored her past in her new music video.Credit: instagram
Line of Duty starAdrian Dunbar‘s daughter, Madeleine Dunbar, 37, whose artist’s name is Minx has explored her past in her new music video.
The artist took to Instagram with an image of herself spread across a lime satin bedspread with beer cans rolled into her hair as curlers
In the image she is surrounded by lines of fake white powder, pill packets and bottles.
The artist said: “My name is Madeline Dunbar, My artist name is Minx.
“Messy, Messy ADHD Queen and I am writing songs about it.
The camera then flips to Madeline’s cat and she jokes: “Oh that’s my cat Tony. I think he thinks I’m relapsing.
“Don’t worry baby boy we are not going back there. That is just my ADHD medication crushed up on a golden plate.”
Madeline then bursts into laughter and adds: “Anyways if any of this stuff resonates with you in the right place.
“I’m about to release a track called Dopamine on the 1st November.
“I think you’re gonna f**k with it.”
The singer describes her music as “high-energy pop rap with hip hop, house and Latin influences”, drawing inspiration from Madonna, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae and Rosalia.
Lyrics from the song include: “And every time I think that I’m in control / You serve another cocktail of chemicals / And it’s nice, but I wonder”
In an earlier post the singer wrote: “Fully clean and sober writing songs about addiction is cathartic but sitting in front of my favourite vices (albeit fake substitutes) was a bit triggering.
“It also made me feel a great sadness for the person I once was and the people still suffering.
“This track is a foray into the desperation felt by anyone suffering with adhd or addiction or like me, both!
“The frenzied need to feel better to feel different to feel normal.
“The futile necessity of instant gratification because that low dopamine is REAL and makes you feel so f***ing empty and unenthused.
“If you or a loved one are struggling speak out and seek help. It can be done, we do recover.”
Adrian is wed to his Australian actress wife Anna Nygh, after they got married in 1986 – as well as Madeline he also has a stepson with Anna.
Madeline has said her music is influenced by Madonna and Lady GagaCredit: instagramThe singer has opened up for the first time about her addictions and ADHDCredit: instagramHer father is best known for his role as Superintendent Ted Hastings, the head of an anti-corruption squad in Line of DutyCredit: PA
First of all, it’s in Essex not London, and it’s bizarrely a regular filming destination for Hollywood directors – doubling up for everything from Venice to Gotham City.
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From Batman to Indiana Jones and even Paddington Bear, the port town of Tilbury in Essex is a big star of the screenCredit: AlamyIt’s also home to Tilbury Town train station which has been hailed as ‘life-changing’Credit: Google
When Christian Bale was Batman, he spent time filming at the docks while it doubled up as Gotham City, as well as the nearby Coalhouse Fort on the edge of the River Thames.
The Coalhouse Fort was built in the 1860s to protect the Thames – and in the movie was made to look like a prison.
Christian Bale isn’t the only mega star to have spent time in Tilbury, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and director Steven Spielberg visited the docks to film the third Indiana Jones movie; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
They even used the docks as the background for a boat chase, which they pretended was Venice.
And perhaps the most famous star of them all – Paddington Bear.
Tilbury featured in the first Paddington Bear film, at the beginning of the movie when the bear migrates from Peru and ends up heading into London.
Tilbury Dock is located in Tilbury Town, which features a star-shaped, 16th century fort on the waterfront that was built to defend the river against enemy ships.
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It was in nearby West Tilbury that Elizabeth I rallied her army, awaiting the Armada in 1588.
You can now visit Tilbury Fort, as it’s managed by English Heritage, tickets for adults cost £8.60 and tickets for children are £5.
The speedboat chase in Indiana Jones was filmed in Tilbury, not VeniceCredit: UnknownThe star-shaped Tilbury Fort sits on the riversideCredit: Alamy
Meanwhile, the train station in Tilbury Town has been shortlisted as one of the most life-changing stations in the country.
It’s part of the World Cup of Stations Competition where a group of shortlisted stations in Britain battle it out head-to-head in a public vote.
People have shared their own stories about the train stations to celebrate 200 years of British railway.
Tilbury Town has been hailed as a “key point of arrival for people journeying to Britain.
“From emigrants and returning servicemen to post-war migrants seeking fresh opportunities, Tilbury became a symbol of hope and renewal.
“One of its finest moments came in June 1948, when the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean.”
GEORDIE Shore star Aaron Chalmers’ ex Talia Oatway has revealed a “petrifying” development as their son Oakley returns to hospital.
The mum-of-three, who shares her kids withMTVreality star turnedMMAfighter Aaron, has been giving fans regular updates on their youngest son’s health.
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Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers’ ex Talia Oatway has given an update on her child’s healthCredit: UnknownOakley has the genetic disorder Apert SyndromeCredit: Instagram/talia.oatwayTalia said it had been an ’emotional day’Credit: InstagramGeordie Shore’s Aaron and Talia welcomed son Oakley – his third child – back in 2022Credit: Instagram
Their son Oakley hasApert Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that causes fusion of the skull, hands, and feet bones.
Today Talia gave fans an update, and said: “I know I haven’t been on it today. Um, so Oakley had a gemranosec earlier this morning to have a CT scans on his brain just to basically out rule a lot of stuff for the sickness.
“Um, so he had that and then had to wait obviously for the neurosurgeons to look at the scans.
“I mean I’ve still got no answers but they did tell me some bits that’s going on with Oakley’s brain which obviously has petrified me.
“Um, but I’m waiting until the surgeons at Newcastle obviously speak to the surgeons in Liverpool and then I’ll have more of an understanding about the situation that Oakley is in.
“Um, but yeah it’s just been a really shit day, very emotional day.”
APERT syndrome, also known as acrocephalosyndactyly, is a rare disorder that is named after the doctor who first discovered it in the early 20th century.
It is a genetic condition and is caused by a mutation of the FGFR2 gene.
This affects how cells in the body – namely bone cells – grow, divide and die.
Children born with Apert syndrome have a characteristic appearance, which is caused by the bones in the skull and face fusing and not growing in proportion, according to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
It can increase a child’s risk of hydrocephalus, which results in pressure building on the brain, and it can also cause Chiari malformation, where the base of the brain is squeezed.
Other complications include breathing difficulties and heart problems, which require life-long monitoring.
The condition is said to occurs in one in every 65,000 to 88,000 births and a child’s outlook can vary greatly depending on the severity of symptoms
Hollyoaks is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month after first airing on October 23, 1995
11:08, 16 Oct 2025Updated 11:12, 16 Oct 2025
Hollyoaks is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month after first airing on October 23, 1995(Image: Channel 4/HOLLYOAKS)
Hollyoaks is marking a special occasion this month as it celebrates 30 years on air.
The popular Channel 4 soap first graced our screens on 23 October 1995 and will soon be marking its 30th anniversary.
Over the decades, Hollyoaks has seen a plethora of actors and characters come and go in the fictional village. Some stars, like Nick Pickard, who portrays Tony Hutchinson, have been with the soap since its inception.
However, other actors have traded the fictional village for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. From Oscar triumphs to hit HBO series, let’s take a look at the stars who’ve made the leap to Los Angeles…, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Rachel Shenton
Rachel Shenton portrayed Mitzeee Minniver on Hollyoaks from 2010 to 2013. After her departure, Rachel, 37, bagged a role in US series Switched at Birth, where she played Lily Summers.
The actress, who is fluent in both British Sign Language and American Sign Language, had her big moment in 2018 when she clinched an Academy Award for her short film The Silent Child, which she wrote, produced and starred in.
The short film tells the story of Libby, a profoundly deaf four year old girl, who lives a silent life until a social worker, played by Rachel, teaches her how to communicate through sign language.
Following her Oscar triumph, Rachel has portrayed Helen Alderson in All Creatures Great and Small since 2020. Other roles include The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Rumour and The Strangers: Chapter 2.
Nathalie Emmanuel
Nathalie Emmanuel, who portrayed Sasha Valentine on Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2010, has since enjoyed a successful career. After leaving the soap, Nathalie, 36, secured the role of Missandei in the HBO hit series Game of Thrones from 2013 to 2019, catapulting her to stardom.
Since then, she’s been playing Jordan King in Die Hart since 2020 and has taken on numerous film roles.
Her filmography includes Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Titan, F9, Fast X, Arthur the King, Megalopolis and The Killer.
Emmett J Scanlan
Emmett J Scanlan, who played Brendan Brady from 2010 to 2013, has also had a successful career post-Hollyoaks. After his departure, Emmett, 46, bagged the role of D. C. Glenn Martin in The Fall.
He’s also starred as Josh in Harlan Coben’s Safe in 2018, Billy Grade in Peaky Blinders, and has appeared in Derry Girls, The Teacher and MobLand, among others.
Emmett achieved international recognition with Netflix’s hit Harlan Coben drama Fool Me Once in 2024, where he played Shane Tessier. His film credits include Guardians of the Galaxy, Argylle and A Working Man.
Guy Burnet
Guy Burnet played Craig Dean in the popular Channel 4 soap from 2002 until 2008.
Guy, 42, has since gone on to have a successful Hollywood career with appearances in films such as Pitch Perfect 3, where he played Theo in the 2017 movie. The actor has also appeared in hit TV series Ray Donovan, The Affair and Counterpart.
However, it was one of his latest projects that left fans stunned as he was part of the star-studded cast of Oppenheimer, which was released in cinemas on 21 July 2023 in the UK.
He has recently appeared in FUBAR alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as Theodore Chips and American Horror Stories.
Ricky Whittle
Ricky Whittle, who portrayed Calvin Valentine on Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2011, has also made a name for himself in Hollywood. After leaving the soap, Ricky, 45, relocated to Los Angeles and quickly landed a number of roles.
From 2014 to 2016, he starred in the sci-fi drama The 100 and US soap Mistresses. Following this, he secured the lead role in American Gods in 2017, with the series running until 2021.
Roxanne McKee
Roxanne McKee, who portrayed Louise Summers from 2005 to 2008, went on to secure the role of Doreah in Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2012 after her departure.
The 45 year old actress then bagged roles in Dominion as Claire Riesen and Pandora as Eve in 2020, among others. Her film credits include Inside Man: Most Wanted and Bambi: The Reckoning.
Wallis Day
Wallis Day played Holly Cunningham in Hollyoaks from 2012 to 2013.
Since then, the 31 year old actress has taken on roles such as Angie on The Royals from 2016 to 2018, Nyssa-Vex in Krypton from 2018 to 2019, Kate Kane / Circe Sionis in Batwoman in 2021, and Gigi in Netflix’s 2023 series of Sex/Life.
But it might not be long before one of them gets their comeuppance, with Alan Carr and Cat Burns seeming to form an alliance against fellow Traitor Jonathan Ross because his name is being mentioned by other players. The pair were seen by viewers plotting to “throw him under the bus” if his streak of having heat on him continues.
As he became the second player to be murdered, Olympic diver Tom Daley admitted he was “so sad” to go. Speaking afterwards, he said he would have fared better as a Traitor because when he and his family play at home he never gets detected in the baddie role, but always gets wrongly accused when he’s a Faithful.
He realised too late that he was being overly forthright with his accusations, with were largely directed at Kate Garraway. “Every time I’ve played as a Faithful, people thought I was a Traitor because I was always trying to figure out who the Traitors were,” he said. “I can perhaps be a little too vocal with my ideas in pursuit of them, which is exactly what has happened here.”
Dad of two Tom, 31, said he felt both “confused” and “disappointed” to go out so early – but questioned the Traitors’ tactics in getting rid of him when there was already heat directed his way.
“It was so sad when I saw the letter on the chair and I instantly knew I’d been murdered,” he explained. “I was very confused about what The Traitors are doing because I clearly would be someone that would get banished at the Round Table. If any of the Traitors just planted that seed, I’m sure I would be banished.
“They could have murdered someone that they know would never have gotten banished at the Round Table. Maybe they thought of me as a threat. Maybe I was getting too close to the right answers.
“I just thought, if I notice something I’m going to say it. However, I must have said a few too many things in front of the wrong people!”
YouTuber and prankster Niko Omilana looked gutted as he became the second Faithful to be selected for banishment at the Round Table, in a plot carefully constructed by the Traitors. He summed up his short time in the castle with the three words: ”Betrayal. Set-up. And loser.”
But he said one positive he was taking away was that he’d overcome his long-held fear of public speaking. “At the table, I was quite nervous when I first started talking, but then as it went on, I felt more confident,” he said. “I’m quite chuffed with that, because I really don’t like public speaking.
“It’s one of my big fears. Seeing everyone staring at me, having to defend myself and really making sure I didn’t go down without a fight. I think I did that. That was something I learned about myself, which I’m happy about.”
And at the end of the show, EastEnders star Tameka Empson suffered the same fate, much to the agony of the remaining Faithfuls in the room. The actress, 48, admitted to finding it all quite tough after the accusations against her were led by actor Mark Bonnar. “I was very emotional,” she confessed once she had left the castle.
“In my mind, I thought, ‘I’m not going out’. I was sad to leave the game, because in this industry you get to know people to a certain point but in this environment, it was really lovely to spend this length of time and really get to know everyone.”
And despite him being a Traitor, she laughed: “Jonathan is a big teddy bear.”
But when he’s not in the public eye, he lives a quiet family life with his husband Dustin Lance Black and their two children.
The star, 31, has been married since 2017 and became a dad for the first time the following year, and has been open about what family life means to him.
“I used to define myself by diving,” the Mirror quoted Tom as saying in 2021. “If I dived well it reflected on me as a person. Now I’m first and foremost a father and husband.” So who is Tom’s husband?
Is Tom Daley married?
Tom first came out to his fans in a YouTube video in December 2013, in which he shared that his “whole world changed” when he fell in love with a man.
He started dating Dustin, who is a screenwriter, director and producer known for movies such as Milk and J Edgar.
Tom told The Guardian earlier this year that the pair met at a dinner in 2013 and that they “talked and talked until we both realised how similar our lives were”.
“He had just lost his brother; I’d lost my dad,” he said of Dustin, who is almost 20 years older than him. “He had just won his Oscar; I had just won an Olympic medal. It was the first time I could complain about success to somebody who knew I wasn’t really complaining about success.”
The couple revealed their engagement in October 2015 with a traditional wedding announcement in The Times.
They tied the knot in 2017 in Dartmoor National Park, with Tom telling fans on Instagram at the time: “On 6th May 2017, I married the love of my life, @dlanceblack.”
Does Tom Daley have any children?
In 2018, the couple welcomed their son via a surrogate and named him Robert ‘Robbie’ Ray, a tribute to Tom’s dad Robert, who died in 2011.
Second son Phoenix was born in 2023, also via a surrogate.
The following year, Tom announced he was retiring from diving, revealing his decision after the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Tearing up in a moving interview with the BBC, he said: “It’s hard to talk about, it’s emotional… I want to be with my family.”
TWO BIG Brother stars seemingly broke the rules in an unaired live stream moment.
A television news and fan account on X has revealed that two of the housemates broke Big Brother‘s rules by using code names to talk about who they wanted booted out next.
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Some Big Brother housemates were caught using a code name for a fellow co-starCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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There was an eviction on Friday nightCredit: ITV
One of the biggest rules in the Big Brother house is talking about nominations.
In a livestream which aired this weekend, Sam and Nancy were the two housemates to break the rules.
Using code names, the pair said that one of their fellow co-stars was “fake” while using a code name to describe her.
The TV news and fan account said on X: “So I’m just catching up on what’s gone down on the first hour of live streaming…
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“Sam and Nancy broke the rules using code names, and they said they want Jenny evicted next, and that she’s fake – all of which Big Brother read back to the house.
“Jenny has then been left ‘so angry’ that she cried, and that she knew she’d get nominated if the house is split in two or something.
“Also Tate was involved in a convo with Nancy slagging off Jenny and Nancy got caught lying about it literally on the live stream????
“And to top it off, Elsa is jealous that Jenny confided in Marcus about it all.”
Fans reacted to the revelation, with one saying: “First and only time I want Jenny to face eviction. She would be iconic in the secret room.”
Another added: “Jenny is a threat, that’s my only explanation for the Jenny slander.”
Big Brother host Will Best takes subtle dig at axed contestant George ahead of eviction – did you spot it?
While a third said: “I don’t understand why contestants break the rules. The rules were explained to them. If they’ve seen past seasons they know housemates get in trouble for rule breaking.”
And a fourth penned: “Ew nancy is so bitter, why is she being like this ??”
This comes after three housemates – Richard, Elsa and Cameron B –faced possible eliminationin Friday’s episode.
Sources told The Sun that George left his co-stars horrified after making offensive comments which could be interpreted as antisemitic and was immediately called to the Diary Room and ejected from the house.
“Everyone was absolutely disgusted,” an insider said.
“Nobody could believe what he said – he was clearly out to shock people.”
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Cameron B was evicted from the house on FridayCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
The Celebrity Traitors made its way to our screens after months of speculation and hype and, among the 6.5 million viewers to tune in this week, was Prince William
03:19, 11 Oct 2025Updated 03:29, 11 Oct 2025
The Celebrity Traitors features an all-star cast ready to play the ultimate game of deceit and betrayal(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/Artwork – BBC Creative)
Guards had to stop The Celebrity Traitors stars sneaking between bedrooms at the hotel at which they stayed, it has emerged.
But the personalities did not get the VIP treatment. During filming, the stars had to stay at a £80-per-night Courtyard by Marriott hotel near an airport, which remained open to the public. The celebrities, which also included Alan Carr and Clare Balding, were only allowed out at certain times for cigarette breaks and short walks, it has emerged.
The guards kept close eyes on the contestants at the hotel, the same one used in the non-celebrity version of the BBC programme, and they weren’t even allowed to go, alone, to visit other stars in their rooms.
The titular “Traitors” must work together to eliminate the other contestants to win a grand prize, while the remaining contestants become “Faithful” and are tasked to discover and banish the “Traitors” by voting them out to win the prize. Knowledge gathered only be succeeding in tasks during the show will help the teams achieve these goals.
And the production team ensured they maintained the same tough rules for the household names as they had done for the non-famous counterparts in the original show, much to the “shock” of some stars.
“They must have had a shock, some of them would never have stayed anywhere that s*** before, it was hardly salubrious,” one source told the Daily Mail today, days after the first episode of the series aired.
Celebrity Traitors: First look teaser trailer
The series was filmed over three weeks in May and, while tasks were often held in the famous castle, none of the contestants got to stay in the building – and had to make do with the hotel near Inverness Airport. Celebs were put on one floor and a lockdown-style curfew was imposed. Mobiles were confiscated and a “production phone” was issued for emergencies, it is reported today. The same source continued: “There was to be no social media, just old-fashioned phone calls.”
It is thought the BBC ensured transmission of the programme was quick – less than five months after filming – to avoid any leaks. The VIPs have been paid the same flat rate for their time – unlike the civilian version, for which contestants get a small stipend to subsidise time away from work.
Some friendships have already become strained. It has now emerged Alan Carr, for instance, “murdered” his good friend Paloma Faith in episode two by rubbing poison lily on her face. Faith said: “If the shoe was on the other foot, I would not have touched Alan’s face.”
The next episode of The Celebrity Traitors is on Wednesday on BBC One at 9pm.
Ros Wynne-Jones visits a French retreat once revered by royalty and now loved by Hollywood legends. In 1660, King Louis XIV and his mum Anne of Austria made a pilgrimage to the Notre Dame de Grâces church here, to thank the Virgin Mary for Louis’ miraculous birth
Ros Wynne-Jones writes the Real Britain column every Friday in the Daily Mirror campaigning against government cuts and standing up for ordinary people.
Ros Wynne Jones visited Cotignac
Every place has a story, but Cotignac, a village hidden deep in the Provencal countryside in the South of France, is a place with more stories than most. From kings battling infertility to religious apparitions and Hollywood stars, from French crooners to Pink Floyd, this softly painted village at the foot of a huge limestone cliff, has seen it all.
In 1660, King Louis XIV and his mum Anne of Austria made a pilgrimage to the Notre Dame de Grâces church here, to thank the Virgin Mary for Louis’ miraculous birth. As the only place in the world where all three members of the Holy Family have appeared in visions, Cotignac is a major site for Catholic pilgrimage – with around 150,000 pilgrims a year.
But for decades, the village has also been a magnet for Hollywood royalty and musical legends. George and Amal Clooney, live close by – near enough for George to have a preferred baker in the village from which he collects his breakfast bread and croissants, according to one resident.
And another villager, Brad Pitt, is allegedly in dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie over their neighbouring vineyard.
Joe Dassin, one of the most famous French singer-songwriters, recorded nearby at Studio Miraval – before building his house in the village a few years later and dying at 41 of a heart attack. Which is where our hotel, Lou Calen, enters the story. When Chateau Miraval opened a studio that rose to fame after recording Pink Floyd’s The Wall, a nearby 16-room hotel-restaurant found itself ideally located to wine, dine and accommodate recording artists from all over the world.
Opening it in 1971, Huguette Caren named the hotel, Lou Calen – meaning the Oil Lamp – and her cooking and hospitality soon attracted names from Dassin to Brigitte Bardot, Pink Floyd, The Cure and even Yvonne De Gaulle, wife of Charles.
In 2001, the hotel closed, abandoned with its ghosts for two decades, until a Canadian entrepreneur decided to resurrect it. Graham Porter had spent summers in Cotignac as a student living with a Danish family who spent their holidays here.
He bought a home in the village in the early 2000s, but time spent there during the Covid pandemic convinced him to buy the hotel – and share his passion for pastis and petanque with guests from all over the world.
Porter saw the opportunity to rebuild not just a hotel but a luxe fairytale – a place of quiet eco-luxury where the routes between rooms are overrun with wildflowers, and no view or bedroom is the same. The sound of petanque boules echoes across the hillside, and guests are greeted with a cloudy glass of pastis on arrival.
This may be a wellness destination for well-heeled travellers, but it is far from pious – the hotel even has its own microbrewery with a wide range of beers from cold IPAs to dark porters named after La Tuf – the high cliffs that surround the village.
At the heart of it all remains food as good as that which once attracted the famous recording artists.
Hidden in the olive and lavender-scented grounds is the Secret Garden, an extraordinary restaurant by forward-looking chef Benoit Witz – one of the first in the world to have earned a coveted Green Michelin Star. The Michelin Guide notes the dishes created by Witz – who once trained with top chef Alain Ducasse – are “100 per cent authentic”.
In Witz’s kitchen, not one single stalk or flower is wasted, and seasonal ingredients are king. This, after all, is Provence Vert – Green Provence. The rosé wine comes from the neat rows of vines on the neighbouring hillsides, from vineyards with names like Carpe Diem, and the grapes of Miraval now harvested in the disputed Pitt-Jolie vineyard. Only seconds away, the House of Mirabeau offers wine and gin tasting.
Cheeses come from a tiny footprint of local farms and vegetables from the hotel’s own market garden where edible flowers and goats somehow co-exist.
All can be explored on foot or via electric bikes available at Lou Calen.
Places with so much history need a historian, and ours comes in the form of an American guide John Peck, who leads us up the hot, winding routes into La Tuf to tell us the stories of the place.
The cliff is inset with a giant wooden olive press once used by the entire village to make oil, and inlaid with paths that lead past former troglodyte dwellings, where villagers once hid from the invading Saracens.
We see where local craftsman Jean de la Baume once saw a vision of the Virgin Mary and where Saint Joseph is said to have appeared to Gaspard Ricard, a thirsty shepherd tending his sheep on Mount Bessillon.
At the village’s ancient, magical spring, pointed out to Gaspard by Saint Joseph, John shakes out his “pocket museum” onto a stone wall. It is an extraordinary collection of findings that tell Cotignac’s history better than any guidebook.
There is a Napolean-era greatcoat button, flattened and heavily worn Roman coins, a gladiator’s strigil – or arm-scraper that once removed oil, and even a coin bearing a swastika – a reminder that during World War II Lou Calen was an orphanage for children who had lost their parents in the Nazi occupation.
As we walk past the well-stocked modern art gallery, Centre d’Art la Falaise, a Frenchman from central casting or perhaps the Napoleonic-era, cycles past in a beret.
The next day we tour the wild-flower filled gardens with a local herbalist, Vera Schutz, who tells us the names of the different plants and their ancient uses.
We get a tour of the Jardin Secret kitchen gardens in the quiet of Sunday morning, and even meet Monsieur Witz, who is teaching his friend’s children how to shell broad beans. In our room, a portrait of singer Joe Dassin looks down on us from between windows that perfectly frame views of the village, terracotta roofs dotted between the green.
A line from one of his songs – “elle m’a dit d’allez siffler la haut sur la colline” or “she told me to go whistle up there on the hill” – is inscribed on the wall. There are no screens or televisions at Lou Calen, so we play Dassin’s love songs, “Les Champs-Elysees” and “Et Si Tu N’Existais Pas”, through the wireless speaker.
France’s Mediterranean beaches are just an hour away, but who needs them? Instead of TVs and iPads, guests are instead encouraged to mingle on long tables, play petanque, enjoy the local jazz “manouche”, swim in the bright blue of either the family or adult swimming pools, or to rest and recuperate at a peaceful spa in the round turret of the old pigeon loft.
The food is just as good at the bistro where smiling staff battle smoking barbeques in the afternoon heat to deliver tasty seared swordfish and grilled lamb.
All that is missing is Hugette Caren herself, the founder and spirit who once drew the recording artists from the surrounding countryside with her cooking, the way the magical spring drew visitors to Cotignac. She still lives in the village and is known to visit the bars and restaurants. When you visit you might see her there, like an apparition – pastis in hand.
In 2025 Lou Calen, the oil lamp that Hugette lit back in 1971, is still shining brightly.
GET THERE
Fly from airports across the UK to Nice or Marseille; rail to Aix-en-Provence or Avignon.
BOOK IT
Rooms at the Lou Calen hotel in Cotignac, Provence, South of France, start at around £175 a night.
But before his 23rd season in the NBA, LeBron James heightened speculation about his future with a cryptic post on his social media channels that teased a “Second Decision”.
A video showed him sitting down across from another man on a basketball court, with the caption: “The decision of all decisions. October 7th. 12pm EST.” By Tuesday it had amassed more than 1.3 million ‘likes’ on Instagram.
Was James about to retire?
It appears not – at 15:31 BST on Tuesday he shared with his 158 million Instagram followers a video revealing “the Second Decision” as a promotion for a drinks brand.
The teaser video shared on Monday had echoed what became known as “The Decision” in 2010 – when in a televised announcement, from a gym, James revealed he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat.
James turns 41 in December and has already made plenty of history in the game.
In April 2025 his influence beyond sport was shown when he became the first professional male athlete to be honoured as a Ken doll by Barbie makers Mattel.
In the NBA, no other player has made it to a 23rd season.
Since being drafted first overall by hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, switching to the Heat in 2010 and then joining the Lakers in 2018, James has won four league titles and broken a host of records.
One record came after his son Bronny was drafted by the Lakers in 2024 and they became the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game.
Last week the 6ft 9in superstar insisted he was “excited about the opportunity to be able to play the game that I love for another season”.
“The thing still pushing me is the fact that my love for the game is still high,” he added.
Some suspected “The Second Decision” would not be a retirement announcement.
With a string of investments and off-court ventures in tow, many of those engaging with the teaser on Instagram and X predicted James would be making a promotional announcement for one such vehicle.
It is the season for wrapping up warm and enjoying an autumnal walk, and this beautiful village in the north of England has been compared to the fictional town of Stars Hollow where Gilmore Girls is set
This beautiful village has been compared to Stars Hallow in beloved autumn show Gilmore Girls (file)(Image: visitbradford)
As the chillier days arrive, many of us are putting up our Halloween decorations, lighting candles, snuggling on the sofa with a blanket and switching on our favourite cosy, autumnal shows and films. While many choose horror films at this time of year – or programmes like Wednesday or Stranger Things on Netflix for magic and excitement – one of the most cherished cosy autumn shows is Gilmore Girls.
The programme, created in the early ’00s, is set in the fictional New England town of Stars Hollow, renowned for its autumn festivals, pumpkin patches, and coffee shop culture – and recently one Yorkshire town has been likened to it. Haworth has been dubbed the “real life Stars Hallow in England”.
The enchanting West Yorkshire location is steeped in history and perfect for those wanting to discover a picturesque, charming village this autumn. Tucked away in the Yorkshire Moors, it is best known for being the residence of the Brontë sisters, who penned some of the most revolutionary novels in history.
From delightful cafés, independent shops like Mrs Brighton’s Sweet Shop and The Cabinet of Curiosities, and excellent pub food, there is plenty to do.
You can picture Gilmore Girls’ Lorelai strolling around the cobbled streets before pausing for a coffee, and Rory relishing reading and selecting a new book in one of the shops.
In a recent video shared on her social media, @lilyjbet gushed: “Just found England’s very own Stars Hollow. Haworth, a dreamy Yorkshire village, feels like stepping straight into Gilmore Girls – filled with cosy cafés, charming bookshops, and the sweetest little independent stores. Easily reached by train to Keighley and a short bus ride, it’s the perfect autumn escape.”
Another user chimed in: “It’s a gorgeous place! It’s where the Brontë sisters grew up, their parsonage is just around the corner from those shops. Steeped in history.”
A second added: “I love it there it has the Brontë sisters house and it gives of Gilmore girls.”
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Another fan enthused: “I adore it here, well worth the trip to the Brontë house/museum while you’re there.
“Oh my god, I need to move there,” one user exclaimed.
“Awww such a magical place,” another commented. Another user shared: “Haworth is so pretty, I’m desperate to go back, its been a while.
“It’s so dreamy,” echoed another.
How to get there
If you’re driving there are a number of car parks you can use. The Bronte Village car park is open from 6pm to midnight, while the Gas Street car park is open 8am until 6pm, and the museum car park is open 8am until 10pm.
Keighley is the nearest train station to Haworth. According to Trainline, from London there are typically two trains a day that run to Keighley and it will take you just short of three hours. From Birmingham to Keighley there are around 28 train per day, and there are over 160 trains per day from Manchester to Keighley, taking around 2 hours and 26 minutes to get there.
On Nov. 26, 1983, six men robbed a warehouse serving London’s Heathrow Airport. Hoping to find £1 million worth of foreign currency, they found instead 6,800 gold bars, worth £26 million in 1983 money — a record-setting robbery at the time — under the temporary supervision of Brink’s-Mat. (A union of the American security firm and a British transport outfit.) This event has been transmuted into “The Gold,” an involving British drama premiering here Sunday on PBS.
The robbery itself takes up little screen time; the question on the criminal side becomes how to turn three tons of gold into cash, and for the police, one of recovering the loot and bringing the villains to justice. The cops and the criminals overlap here and there, a point screenwriter Neil Forsyth does not want you to miss, and is a particular bee in the bonnet of upright Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville), self-contained but always ready to speak his mind. (He is also “infuriated” by what people get wrong about jazz, which he likens to police work.)
Recruited by Boyce to a special task force are detectives Tony Brightwell (Emun Elliott), historical, and Nicki Jennings (a charismatic Charlotte Spencer), invented, who are good company for the viewer and generally for each other, though as people who spend long hours sitting together in cars waiting for something to happen, they have their moments of friction, played for humor. As a created character, Jennings — who, as a woman, has to outline the many steps and hard work it took to achieve her position — offers an opportunity for emotional elaboration, notably in scenes (affectionate, prickly) with her father, Billy (Danny Webb), “by a country mile the worst villain in England,” his criminal career sidelined by ill health.
Though one of the actual robbers, Micky McAvoy (Adam Nagaitis), gets a good deal of attention, the bulk of the series involves three criminals subsequently processing the gold and laundering the money. Kenneth Noye (Jack Lowden) is “a fence with protection,” owing to his friendship with police officers through membership in the Masons. (When Boyce brings Jennings and Brightwell onto his team, he sets the rules as “no overtime, no drinking at lunchtime, no freemasonry.”) John Palmer (Tom Cullen), a dyslexic dealer in gold and jewelry, has a handy portable smelter in his yard. And the invented Edwyn Cooper (Dominic Cooper), an up-from-the-streets solicitor with posh airs and a rich wife whose snooty parents treat him with barely disguised disdain, finds himself working for “a group of businessmen who have a lot of money that needs to be made respectable,” in the words of liaison Gordon Parry (Sean Harris, sinister).
Stretched over six episodes, it’s not a speedy telling, and, in fact, a second series covering a long tail of aftermath has already aired in the U.K. Apart from some surveillance, tailing suspects, one fatal encounter and an occasional chase, there’s little in the way of capital-A Action, mostly just a lot of talk — inquisitive, instructive, threatening, discursive, domestic or speechifying. Though the production is naturalistic — in a way that ties it to an earlier, golden era of British productions — the dialogue can sound highly composed. Characters are given little monologues, often to explain how they became the person they are, that play as the sort of thing that might occur late in the last act of a stage drama: Jennings found the sirens outside her window comforting, which led her to police work, “so that kids like me will be safe”; Boyce had a life-changing moment involving a pair of red leather shoes while fighting in the so-called Cypriot Emergency. Some dialogue might have been lifted whole from a 1930s gangster film. Critiques of British class structure and bad actors within the police department are raised high enough to be impossible to miss.
There are a lot of moving parts in “The Gold,” represented in sometimes brief alternating scenes, and it may take a while, among the crooks, at least, to get a handle on things, to sort out where you are, who’s who, who’s married to whom, and what part each plays in the caper. Though Noye is arrogant enough to root against, Forsyth wants to show, as much as each character allows, the just-folks elements of his bad guys, psychologically relatable sorts who have, from early experience, a lack of opportunity, or a certain kind of genius, decided that the path to freedom is best paved with other people’s money. (“If it wasn’t for people trying trying to break out of the lives they’ve been given,” observes Boyce of his country’s social stratification, the police would be out of a job.) This may be soft-pedaling matters somewhat — to read the historical accounts might give you a different picture — but as drama it pays dividends.
As a period piece, it doesn’t oversell the era. There are old cars, of course, and more mustaches than we are currently accustomed to. But apart from the pop songs that run over the end credits, nothing screams These Are the ’80s. (Compare, for example, the “Life on Mars” sequel, “Ashes to Ashes.”) It’s more a question of what isn’t there. The detectives have a computer, but only Brightwell has an idea of what it’s for or how to use it. No cellphones, but there are walkie-talkies. A tracking device, apparently the only one in all of British law enforcement, has to be imported from Belfast (and sneakily at that). There is a refreshing absence of guns — none of those Kevlar-clad teams going in with pistols raised. (Just truncheons.) And the remodeling of East London into a gentrified glass forest, a minor plot point, has only just begun.
It’s like a vacation from now, and who can’t use one of those?
Lauren Perlmutter is a “Gilmore Girls” superfan. She’s watched the show on a loop for the past 10 years. It’s mostly been in chronological order, and sometimes just in the background while she’s working on something else but craving the show’s comforting familiarity.
“It’s like my bowl of chicken noodle soup,” she said.
Perlmutter, 23, like many fans of the beloved series, was born after it first debuted Oct. 5, 2000 on the WB. Her mom, Joelle, had caught “Gilmore Girls” every now and then when it was airing, and she introduced it to her daughter years later, watching it more intently with her new viewing partner.
The series, which starred Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore, a young single mom, and Alexis Bledel as her teen daughter Rory, is beloved for its witty writing and the small-town charm of its fictional setting, Stars Hollow, Conn.
Fans walk through a recreated gazebo like the one in the fictional town of Stars Hollow. “Gilmore Girls” is set in Connecticut, but much of the filming took place on a backlot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.
(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)
Like the Gilmores, the Perlmutters established a Friday night tradition, except instead of a tense (mandatory) dinner with three generations, the pair would churn through episodes of the show and enjoy spending quality time together.
Lauren said she saw herself in the bookish Rory.
“I was so academically oriented. I strived really hard, and I was valedictorian at UCLA, and [my mom] was there in the audience and we made the same faces they did during Rory’s graduation, and I had a speech very similar to Rory’s,” she said. “Being able to have this background story of two women being raised, and then translated over into my life with my mom was just so special.”
Although their busy schedules make it hard to maintain their tradition weekly — Lauren is in graduate school at Pepperdine training to be a therapist (although she once considered pursuing journalism like Rory) — the Perlmutters still get an occasional Friday night viewing party in.
In celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary, Warner Bros. Television Group hosted an immersive pop-up event at the Grove that promised to give fans “a weekend in Stars Hollow” with set recreations and fall decor abound. The Perlmutters were first in line on Saturday morning, even with their drive from the San Fernando Valley.
Despite a prominently displayed “no cell phones” sign like the one from Luke’s Diner, fans couldn’t help but take selfies and videos of the set recreations. The Stars Hollow gazebo, the famous town sign, a replica of Lorelai’s beloved Jeep Wrangler and a display of 1,000 daisies from a romantic proposal scene in the first season were popular photo spots, and visitors cycled through Luke’s to grab coffee and donuts. And plenty of themed merchandise — ranging from the typical stickers, hats and mugs to ultra-specific items like bath salts with branding from Lorelai’s inn — was available for purchase.
While the fanbase is largely made up of women, some men enjoy the show as well. As one husband and father who attended the event with his more enthusiastic wife and daughters put it, “every man had a crush on Lorelai.”
Several hundreds of fans cycled through the Grove to celebrate the show’s anniversary.
(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)
“Gilmore Girls” also starred Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James, Lorelai’s longtime friend and chef at the inn she runs; Scott Patterson as the curmudgeonly but lovable eponymous diner owner Luke Danes; Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann as Emily and Richard Gilmore, Lorelai’s (very traditional) parents; and Keiko Agena as Lane Kim, Rory’s rock music-loving best friend. It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who went on to make the hit series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and several other major projects.
During its original run from 2000 to 2007, the series was popular among viewers but not so much among critics. The show was nominated for only a single Emmy in its seven year run — one for makeup, which it won.
Serri Ferrante and Winona Parks, longtime friends who both work in television, said they suspect the lack of critical acclaim the series got could be attributed to the small size of the WB network, where it aired, and the likelihood that its budget for awards campaigns was small.
“I always voted for it,” Ferrante said, “but it was like a throwaway vote.”
Still, as the scores of young fans at Saturday’s celebration at the Grove prove, “Gilmore Girls” found a bountiful second life through streaming services.
Brittania Chacon, a 22-year-old from Mid-City, said she discovered the series when it kept popping up on her TikTok feed a year ago. It was autumn, which she says is the perfect time to watch — and many fans agree. (The show gets a seasonal boost in streaming ratings every year, according to Nielsen.)
The young crop of fans makes Ferrante “feel old,” she said, “but then it makes me feel connected to another generation.”
While most fans said they return to the show repeatedly either because of its relatable plotlines, sharp writing or the friendly comfort of their favorite characters, for some, it also acts as a primer for difficult conversations between mothers and daughters.
“It helped me talk to her about things that are not easy to talk about — dating, relationships, growing up,” Susie Park of Glendale said. Her 13-year-old daughter Ella, who started and finished the show over the course of the summer, confidently established herself as a member of “Team Jess,” referencing fans’ different camps of support for Rory’s boyfriends throughout the show.
“I think it’s amazing that it’s intergenerational and that I can actually show my daughter and that it resonates with her. She’s at an age where she’s supposed to be taking sex education classes and it wasn’t very helpful, but this was a lot more helpful,” Susie said as Ella burst out laughing.
Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop), left, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Richard Gilmore (Edward Herrmann) in a scene from “Gilmore Girls.”
(Mitchell Haddad / The WB)
Regardless of which team fans are on regarding Rory’s boyfriends or which of the memorable recurring characters is their favorite, most can agree that they want to see more of the Gilmores and Stars Hollow.
In 2016, many original cast members and creatives reunited to make a revival miniseries, “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” The Netflix series had four episodes representing the four seasons to continue the Gilmore family’s story several years later. While it was hotly anticipated, it was not particularly well received by critics and fans alike because some felt the characters seemed to stray from their core attributes and values that made them so loveable.
So more than two decades after the start of the story, many fans are clamoring for another slice of Stars Hollow life. Graham, who reunited with Bledel onstage at the Emmy Awards last month, said on the red carpet that she’d like the idea of a “Gilmore Girls” Christmas movie.
Regardless of whether the story continues in some shape or form, “Gilmore Girls” is regarded as one of the best series of all time and Lorelai and Rory will continue to fuel conversations between mothers and daughters for generations to come.
Eleni Zumot, who attended Saturday’s event with her sister, her mother and her 9-month-old daughter Amelia (sporting a pink Luke’s Diner t-shirt), said she hopes to re-watch the show with her daughter when the time is right.
Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova – who is partnered with rugby player Chris Robshaw – has spoken out about celebrity contestants with prior dance experience
08:46, 05 Oct 2025Updated 08:55, 05 Oct 2025
Nadiya Bychkova has hit out at Strictly stars with previous dance experience(Image: Getty Images)
Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has said that it’s “really sad” to see celebrities with no dance experience leave the competition early, adding that it “helps a lot” if they’ve danced before.
The 36-year-old is currently partnered on Strictly with rugby union player Chris Robshaw, with the pair on the lower end of the scoreboard after their first two dances. Last year, Nadiya was paired up with Olympic diver Tom Dean, who was the first star to be eliminated on the 2024 series.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s results show, Nadiya said that Strictly is for “people who have never danced”. She told The Sun: “We often don’t see it because people who don’t have experience would sometimes leave the show earlier, which is really sad as there’s so much talent.
“It’s nice for the audience to see that it’s possible to learn, but you do need to put in the work, which Chris is doing every day.” She added that that doesn’t apply only to Chris but any contestant who doesn’t have “performance experience”.
She continued: “When you’re trained to be in the moment, to tell the story, you know how to show something — that helps a lot.” As for how Chris is finding the experience, Nadiya said that he’s absorbing all the information and needs a few more weeks to get to a comfortable level of performing which “you can’t get overnight”.
It comes after West End performer Amber Davies topped the scoreboard in last night’s show after wowing the judges with her Samba to Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran’s Bam Bam. The judges awarded her a score of 29, giving her a one-point lead when combined with the 27 she received for her Waltz last weekend.
Just behind her on the scoreboard is Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope – who also has dance experience – after his high-scoring Viennese waltz to Teddy Swims’ Lose Control. Meanwhile, TikTok star and surprise frontrunner George Clarke is in third place after scoring a 30 for his Paso dobe to Game of Survival by Ruelle.
Chris Robshaw’s wife Camilla Kerslake took to social media earlier this week to brand letting those with dance experience compete as “unfair”. Love Island winner Amber Gill posted on social media her “unpopular opinion”, writing: ” I think having people with so much dance experience is unfair.”
Camilla then responded by commenting: “The experience differences are absolutely wild. Definitely.”
After the first live show, she praised her rugby star husband on Instagram, writing: “Proud forever. Up against people with years of experience when you’ve never even done a 2 step, opening the whole season and starting with one of the hardest dances going.
“They tested you HARD. You and [Nadiya] blew me, and the crowd away. Definitely some lessons for next week but you were absolutely astonishing. I couldn’t hold it together at all. We love you [Chris]. Team #SeeQuins. Let’s GOOOOOO #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing. Slide 5 of my first time meeting [Vicky Pattison] is something special.”
Emmerdale’s Ryan Hawley and Danny Miller told The Mirror there’s ‘explosive’ twists to come for Robron on the ITV soap with the arrival of Robert Sugden’s secret husband Kev
20:15, 01 Oct 2025Updated 20:18, 01 Oct 2025
With a reunion confirmed for Emmerdale’s Robron, it seems there’s still the challenge of Robert Sugden’s secret husband Kev to deal with(Image: ITV)
With a reunion confirmed for Emmerdale‘s Robron, it seems there’s still the challenge of Robert Sugden’s secret husband Kev to deal with.
Wednesday night’s episode saw Robert and his soulmate Aaron Dingle finally reunite onscreen, agreeing to give their love another chance. They decided to keep it between them for now, but of course this isn’t the only secret Robert’s hiding.
We met his secret husband Kev this week, and now The Mirror can reveal the character will be back in the village soon – and fans should expect explosive twists and turns. With a new love triangle of sorts in true soap fashion, Robert is left torn over keeping things on track with Aaron, and making Kev happy in his final months following the bombshell that he is dying.
Soon enough, it becomes clear Kev will cause problems for Robert and his relationship with Aaron. Robert actor Ryan Hawley told us: “It would be boring if true love ran smoothly in a soap wouldn’t it?
“Poor Robert is going to have this huge dilemma and it’s a stressful time for him. He’s come back to the village to try to stop a marriage and now there is this other guy who is dying.
“When Aaron finds out Robert has a husband, it’s going to be explosive. But all is not what it seems and Kev is volatile, broken, damaged and he creates so many problems for Robert and Aaron.”
Aaron actor Danny Miller dubbed Kev an “endearing psychopath”, as he mocked the likeness to Aaron’s killer husband John Sugden. He told us: “It’s a new way of actually highlighting how Aaron and Robert do think the same – they have both found psychopaths separately in their lives who have both come in between them to really test their love and passion.
“Chris is brilliant as Kev and he’s a great addition.” Ryan agreed: “He has such a lot of experience. It’s great to be working with him and Danny together.”
But Ryan did share hope for Robron, with he and Danny thrilled to see the pair back together again. He shared: “All the obstacles are out the way and Robert and Aaron are free to be back together. They agree to keep it a secret because they don’t want the distraction of other people’s opinions – after all, Aaron has just found out his husband is a serial killer, he’s out of a coma and his husband is on the run.
“It’s time to move on! The fact it is so soon and he is jumping in with Robert doesn’t matter to them. They think it is best for them.” As for whether Robron will ever walk down the aisle again, the truth is something not even the actors know.
Both agree it would, however, be the perfect icing on the cake if they did. “Hopefully one day, they will be able to be out in the open and honest with everyone,” said Danny. “But we will just have to wait and see!”
A LOVE Island star has told of the moment she made a desperate 999 call to “catch a paedophile”.
Series ten star Mal Nicol, who entered as a bombshell in 2023, has claimed she got a predatory male arrested – after spotting him lurking by a children’s park.
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Mal Nicol has told fans about her efforts to catch a ‘paedophile’
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Mal was on series ten of Love IslandCredit: ITV
She told fans on TikTok: “We got a paedophile arrested. I literally cannot believe what we witnessed. It was honestly like a movie or something.”
Mal, who was with a friend at the time, was approached by a group of young boys close to a London park who complained about a “creepy man”.
Concerned for their welfare, Mal walked towards the park area in Little Venice, London, to see what was going on for herself.
“Moments later we clearly see that this guy is not okay,” she continued.
“He’s standing by the park swaying, like putting his hand into the park over the fence and trying to high five this little boy who’s about five years old.
“We kind of wanted to distract him and see what he was doing or saying.
“We then saw a mum with her daughter, like a little 3, 4 year old girl who is on a scooter. This guy tries to grab her from behind and the dad jumps in between them both.
“He then goes into the park where there’s a lot of young mums with their like 3 year old girls who are obviously feeling vulnerable and scared.
“So I call 999 and I’m literally so impressed with the police and how fast they came.
“When the officers arrives I was running up to them shouting ‘he’s going to get away, he’s going to get away’.
Maya Jama confirms her future on Love Island amid rumours she is set to quit the villa
“I felt like I was in a movie. I’m like running.”
“The police arrested the suspect and Mal was interviewed alongside other witnesses.
“This is happening in London and I just think you have to do something. You can’t just watch. It was crazy.
“He better be put in for time. Like this is not okay.”
Proud Mal added: “Sorry for the long video, but we put a paedophile in jail.”
“But you can’t take anything for granted in this game. These players are hungry.
“I need to keep on my toes, keep on the practice board, make sure I stay humble.”
Premier League Darts star Stephen Bunting ‘moonlighting as Rangers steward’ as incredible Ibrox doppelganger spotted
After beating Chris Landman on Saturday night, he explained his shoes dilemma, saying: “I was playing in expensive shoes without the spikes, and they were marking.
“So, my idea is use the spikes and they won’t touch the oche and they will last a lot longer.
“And if someone upsets me, they will get one of them in the back!”
The BBC has announced the new cast for the third series of Vigil, which will see Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre
16:56, 29 Sep 2025Updated 16:57, 29 Sep 2025
The production for the third series is now underway in Svalbard and Scotland
The BBC has revealed the additional cast members joining Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie for the comeback of acclaimed drama Vigil, and amongst the recognisable faces is a beloved Shetland star.
Shetland performers Steven Miller, Killian Coyle and Dawn Sievewright have secured fresh roles on Vigil, with filming for the third series currently taking place in Svalbard and Scotland.
As previously confirmed, Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie are back as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre.
The six-episode series will witness the pair tackling a fresh investigation at an isolated Arctic research facility, where a member of a secretive British special forces operation has been fatally shot.
The plot summary continues: “Amy and Kirsten will need to catch the killer and diffuse a potential international confrontation, driven by a land-grab for energy and resources in the changing polar climate, with both their careers and relationship on the line.”
In the first-look photograph, Jones and Leslie can be seen on set, bundled up and prepared for action. The snowy setting certainly provides an atmospheric backdrop for an unsettling new tale, reports the Daily Record.
Gary Lewis is back reprising his character as Detective Superintendent Robertson, who has featured throughout every series of Vigil to date.
Dominic Mafham also makes his return as Sir Ian Downing, whilst Orla Russell comes back as Poppy, Amy and Kirsten’s daughter.
The fresh cast for the third series additionally features Jeppe Beck Laursen, Tornike Gogrichiani, Benjamin Wainwright, Artur Zai Barrera, Jordan Duvigneau and Kaisa Hammarlund. As well as Adam Fidusiewicz, Naomi Yang, Eric Godon, Conor Berry, Amy Manson, Jason Tobin, Steven Cree, Derek Riddell, Alma Prelec and Shereen Cutkelvin.
Specifics surrounding their individual characters are being kept secret, though we can expect they’ll all become embroiled in the fresh mystery and potentially find themselves under scrutiny.
Following the announcement that filming had commenced alongside the new ensemble, writer Tom Edge commented: “I’m grateful to the BBC and World Productions for backing the ambition of a story that takes Vigil to the Arctic.
“This series grapples with the issues that will define tomorrow’s world: melting ice caps, conflict over resources, energy wars, and lives put at risk in pursuit of peace and profits.”
Jake Lushington, executive producer for World Productions, remarked: “We are thrilled to be kicking off filming series three of Vigil with Suranne and Rose in the epic arctic landscapes of Svalbard and welcome our most multinational cast to date, as well as featuring new and established Scottish talent.”
Vigil seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
