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Tarheeb Still said his farewells and was ready to leave for a three-day weekend. On a Thursday this offseason, the second-year cornerback told Ben Herbert, the Chargers’ executive director of player personnel, that he would “see him Monday.”

A deep voice in the background suddenly changed Still’s schedule.

“Why aren’t you coming in tomorrow?” Khalil Mack asked the 22-year-old.

Motivated by Mack’s example, Still is poised for a breakout season as he competes for a larger role in a stacked secondary group. The former fifth-round pick who started 12 games as a rookie has been working with the 34-year-old, nine-time Pro Bowl selection every Friday, picking Mack’s brain on football and life.

No wonder why Still “seems like he’s a different person,” defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale said.

“I love when you see young players run towards great players, greatness and not the other direction,” Clinkscale said. “It’s awesome to mimic their habits and what they do, especially their good habits, and Tarheeb has really done that. He’s really grown up and matured.”

Still was already working with Herbert from Monday through Thursday, but soon added Fridays with Mack. They begin their strength training around 9 a.m. together, but Still knows Mack gets to the facility earlier in the training room. There’s no way Mack could have built his Hall of Fame-worthy career without putting in every ounce of extra work.

“Khalil is just showing me how to be intentional,” Still said. “Every day, taking advantage of small incremental gains every day to get to where I want to be.”

The Chargers progressed to the next step of their offseason program Tuesday, opening organized team activities. The sight of offense and defense lining up against each other for the first time during the offseason brought excitement to the facility, but frustration for Cam Hart. The second-year cornerback, who, like Still, was drafted in the fifth round last year, is not yet fully cleared after undergoing shoulder surgery in January.

Hart sustained a torn labrum against the Houston Texans in the playoffs, but said he expects to be cleared to return around mandatory minicamp, which begins June 10.

The shoulder injury was a punctuation mark on a promising, but injury-riddled rookie year for Hart. Despite making six starts in 14 appearances with 37 tackles, Hart also battled two concussions and an ankle injury. The injuries tormented Hart as he went through the offseason program, rehabbing twice a day since the shoulder injury.

Chargers cornerback Cam Hart speaks during a news conference in El Segundo on Tuesday.

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

“I showed a small percentage of who Cam can be in the NFL last year,” Hart said. “With 17 healthy games, I think I got a lot more to show.”

Although they return most of their top performers from last year’s secondary that ranked seventh in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game compared to 30th in 2023, the Chargers have renewed competition at cornerback without Kristian Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. Fulton parlayed a resurgent season with the Chargers into a multi-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, and Samuel remains a free agent after a shoulder injury limited the former second-round pick to just four games last year.

Wanting to bolster the secondary with more size and speed, the Chargers brought in free agents Benjamin St-Juste and Donte Jackson. The 6-foot-3 St-Juste started in 42 of his 45 appearances for the Washington Commanders in the last three seasons, and Jackson, an eight-year NFL veteran, is coming off a career-best five interceptions with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Still and Hart, who were rookies hoping to make any positive impact a year ago, are now “the cream of the crop,” Clinkscale said.

The newest crop of rookies even flashed their potential Tuesday as seventh-round selection Trikweze Bridges and undrafted free agent Jaylen Jones each got an interception during the no-contact 11-on-11 periods.

The secondary depth could cause headaches for Clinkscale. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Nobody has a spot,” Clinkscale said. “We want to see who’s going to earn it.”

With more than three months remaining until the Chargers open their season in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Still knew he had to dial back the competition Tuesday during practice. The drills are still meant to be non-contact during the voluntary sessions. Keeping everyone on their feet and healthy was more important than breaking up a pass or grabbing an interception, Still said.

Still was attached to receiver Ladd McConkey’s hip on a deep route down the sideline, but didn’t dive or reach for the ball to breakup a slightly underthrown pass from quarterback Justin Herbert. McConkey’s tightrope catch drew cheers from his teammates.

Still said the no-contact periods were perfect opportunities to hone his technique, but when asked if he would have picked off the pass intended for McConkey, Still covered his face.

“No comment,” he said, trying to hide his smile.

The confident look on his face was comment enough.

May 27 (UPI) — President Donald Trump is set to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, former television stars serving lengthy prison terms after being found guilty of conspiring to defraud banks and committing tax evasion.

The couple gained fame in the United States through their Chrisley Knows Best reality show in which they flaunted their wealth. They were found guilty in 2022 of manipulating financial records to make it appear as if they were wealthier than they really were, when applying for more than $30 million in loans from 2007 to 2012.

They received a combined 19-year prison sentence, with Todd Chrisley to serve 12 years in prison and Julie Chrisley sentenced to serve seven. Both sentences came with three years’ supervised release.

Trump, a former reality star, is expected to grant the couple the latest presidential pardons of his second administration.

In a video excerpt published on X by a White House aide of a phone call Tuesday between Trump and the jailed couple’s adult children, the president is heard stating, “your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do that by tomorrow.”

“I don’t know them, but give them my regards and wish them a good life.”

“Mr. President, I just want to say thank you for bringing my parents back,” Grayson Chrisley is heard responding.

“Yeah, well, they were given a pretty harsh treatment from what I’m hearing,” Trump replied.

Margo Martin, the White House aide who published the clip online, said in the caption that Trump will be granting them “full pardons.”

“Trump Knows Best!” she added.

The Conservative Political Action Conference said in a statement that it “appreciates” Trump’s pardoning of Todd and Julie Chrisley, the parents of its Nolan Center for Justice senior fellow, Savannah Chrisley, who was on the phone call Tuesday with Trump.

“The Chrisleys were targeted by weaponized prosecutors who abused the power granted to them by our criminal justice system,” CPAC said in a statement.

“Thank you to President Trump for restoring order and integrity to the justice system.”

According to prosecutors, the Chrisleys, who were found guilty in June 2022, spent money they defrauded from banks to purchase luxury cars, real estate and travel and then used new fraudulent loans to pay off the old loans.

Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy and walked away from $20 million in debt. On top of the conspiracy to defraud banks, they were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Julie Chrisley was also found guilty of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has used his executive powers to punish political adversaries with executive orders and to seemingly reward convicted friends, supporters and donors with presidential pardons.

On Monday, Trump pardoned disgraced former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins who was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment after a federal court found he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to appoint local businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs. The president described Jenkins as being a victim of a “corrupt and weaponized Biden” Department of Justice.

Last month, Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive who was sentenced to 18 months in jail for tax crimes and whose mother had raised millions for the New York real estate mogul’s campaigns.

In March, he also pardoned Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden who was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in 2022 for a scheme to defraud a Native American community. However, he testified against the Biden family during the Republicans’ failed investigation to try and impeach former President Joe Biden.

TOTTENHAM stars are set for a big payday after their Europa League triumph.

Brennan Johnson created history by scoring the only goal in Bilbao to beat Manchester United.

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And in doing so he pocketed some extra cash for himself and his team-mates.

The Spurs squad have earned a big bonus for winning the Europa League.

Boss Ange Postecoglou will receive £2million for his role in the famous win, report the BBC.

While the squad will be given £3m to be divided between each player.

Some stars will also earned a pay rise if they have a Champions League qualification clause in their contract.

Tottenham will compete in Europe’s elite competition next season for the first time since 2022/23.

That means there could be an extra £100m in the coffers thanks to prize money, TV revenue and additional sponsorships.

Spurs’ Europa League win saw them scoop a £10.95m cash prize from Uefa.

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Tottenham’s qualification mean there will be six English teams competing in the Champions League next season.

Liverpool and Arsenal have booked their place which means Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will fight it out for the final three spots on Sunday.

The Loose Women panellists are believed to be enraged over the huge shake-up at ITV, which will see the programme taken off air for almost half of the year

Older members of the Loose Women panel are believed to be vowing to “fight” against the younger stars. It comes amidst a huge shake-up at ITV, which will see a huge overhaul of their daytime scheduling, affecting various shows.

The network announced earlier this week that Loose and Lorraine Kelly’s self-titled show will see its time on air cut to just 30 weeks of the year, rather than airing on a continuous basis. Despite This Morning being hit with a huge dip in viewing figures, the show will not be affected.

Lorraine’s programme has also taken another hit and will air for just half an hour, rather than an hour, as Good Morning Britain has been extended for an extra 30 minutes. But tension at Loose is believed to be at an all-time high, with panellists feeling as though they’re on a probation period.

It’s claimed that stars of the midday programme, including Christine Lampard and Coleen Nolan, hadn’t been informed of the news until it was made public. Reports claim that older women on the panel, who have been there since it launched a quarter of a century ago, believe they’ll be fighting against “PR friendly” younger members of the team, including Frankie Bridge, Olivia Attwood and TikToker GK Barry.

The majority of the panel have been through ITV cuts and the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 and have come out the other side. But the news this week is said to have left them blindsided. A source said: “They feel like often all the negative criticism is levelled at them, the odd ‘out of touch’ comment, whereas with the new panellists such as Liv and Grace, there is a buzz around them because they have that different point of view.”

They added to The Sun: “Execs have also proudly pro-claimed how the youngsters have brought with them a much-needed new audience — and now all of a sudden the older panellists feel like they are going to have to fight for their places against these shiny teachers’ pets. It’s now five months or so for them to prove their worth and sing for their supper.”

But a source at the network said that the older panellists on Loose Women are “highly valued and celebrated”. They added that while there are reports of the panel “fighting” to get time on the show, the Loose Women podcast and Over 60 and Over 70s specials will “keep everyone busy.”

It’s claimed that regular anchors, including Christine, Kaye Adams, Ruth Langsford and Charlene White, are all safe in their positions but many have been left worried that bosses will meticulously look over their social media posts, episode ratings and audience polling results.

Reports claim that many of the panellists feel they will now have to ‘audition for their role’ and tensions will rise as they continue to demonstrate how bold and feisty they can all be. Over the years, viewers have seen clashes between each of the panellists, with former star Carol McGiffin allegedly clashing with Andrea McLean after she was left off the invite list for her wedding.

Carol took to her Best Magazine column to highlight this, writing, “I’m ecstatic for them both, even though I wasn’t invited to the wedding. Andrea’s managed to squeeze in two weddings in less time than I’ve been engaged to Mark, which is a bit embarrassing, to say the least.”

Speaking in 2014, Mylene Klass, who often appears on the panel, hit out following a clash with broadcaster and journalist, Janet Street-Porter. On the show, Janet lost her temper with the star, saying,”I’m happiest when I’m not sat next to you Myleene!”

Following this, the singer took to social media to vent: “I love Loose Women. It’s nice to be able to articulate and get things out there. But I feel it was getting a bit misogynistic, a bit post-menopausal or pre-menopausal and ranty. That’s not how women should be represented so it’s nice they’ve refreshed the panel and we can talk about politics, fashion designers and what else is going on in the week.

“It’s a show for women but I don’t feel like it empowered me. People think you’re best friends with everybody on Loose Women. You’re absolutely not. You have to just tolerate [some people] because you’ve got to get the job done.”

Elsewhere, speaking out last year, McGiffin fumed: “I don’t regret leaving – I don’t fit in there any more. Someone, somewhere, will be offended by absolutely everything. I’d rather not be on a show that panders to that. It’s boring – and I won’t be told what I can or can’t say.”

Despite her ongoing clash with the show, she has remained close to Denise Welch, Kaye, Jane Moore and Nadia Sawalha. But, Carol, who never refrains from speaking her mind, told Women’s Own: “Some, I have nothing in common with. As I said to them, ‘You’re not friends, you’re just people I work with, who I really like.’ Which horrified them.”

The Mirror approached Loose Women for comment.

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The Loose Women panellists are said to be in fear over their future on the show after ITV announced a major shake-up, which has been branded a ‘time-bomb’ by some

Loose Women stars are said to have been left shaken following ITV’s dramatic shake-up. Earlier this week, the network announced a major overhaul of their daytime schedules, which affects both Loose and Lorraine Kelly’s self-titled morning programme.

However, despite being hit with a mass loss of viewers, the magazine show This Morning remains unaffected. While all shows air throughout the year, the new schedule means that both Loose and Lorraine will only be on screens for 30 weeks of the year. Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain has been extended until 9.30, axing part of Lorraine’s show.

The shake-up will come into play in January, with many of the Loose panel now feeling as though they’re on a probation period. Sources have claimed that anchors on the show, including Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan and Gloria Hunniford had not been informed of the shake-up before it was made public.

It’s claimed that some of the older members of the panel who have been part of the show since its launch 25 years ago, are worried that they will be fighting for appearances on the panel, while “PR friendly” younger members of the team including GK Barry, Olivia Attwood and former singer Frankie Bridge will be favoured.

READ MORE: Weight loss method backed by Dr Michael Mosley and loved by Davina McCall

ITV sources have criticised This Morning for being “favoured” despite its dwindling viewing figures. The tension behind the scenes at the network is believed to be “unbearable,” with This Morning being hit with “rage.” Sources claim that the shake-up has sparked a ” time bomb,” with executives allegedly doing everything to defuse the situation amongst talent.

“ITV Daytime could combust from the inside out at this rate,” a source said. They went to tell The Sun that older panellists on Loose Women have seen shake-ups in the past but “weathered” them. Now, this news has come out of nowhere, leaving them shaken.

The older members of the panel are believed to think that the negative criticism surrounding the programme has been directed towards them with “out of touch” comments, whereas the new and younger panellists have a hype around them due to having different viewers than their older colleagues.

Older members of the panel believe that the younger stars are “shiny teachers’ pets,” after top bosses have praised them for bringing in a younger audience. “It’s now five months or so for them to prove their worth and sing for their supper,” the source added. They went on to say: “The older panellists feel like until January they’re on probation and pragmatic bosses will be scrutinising their every tweet, every rating and audience polling — everything like that.”

There is also believed to be tension around the pay from the show, with some on a staff PAYE contract, and some panellists working on a freelance basis. But while the take-home fee is different, every panellist is believed to be on around £3,000 per episode. The Mirror previously revealed that Loose Women had become embroiled in a pay row behind the scenes.

Three big stars had told their bosses that they would walk out if the issues were not resolved. It came after the network was hit with a change by HMRC on tax legislation. ITV were made to decide whether a role was self-employed or employed for tax purposes from April 2021.

Some stars had been told to take a PAYE contract, meaning that instead of paying corporation tax at 19 per cent, they would have had to pay 40 per cent on earnings between £50,271 and £150,000, plus National Insurance. A source behind the scenes told us: “They have all been self-employed for decades. Their accountants are saying no, they are self-employed… and are not going to go on PAYE.”

Our mole added: “They’re so strict about it, and we’re talking about the big players.” ITV sources said the broadcaster had communicated the change to all those concerned across the channel and that assessments are done on a “case-by-case basis”.

The Mirror approached Loose Women for comment.

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Coronation Street’s Craig Tinker actor Colson Smith has shared how his pals and co-stars supported him on his final day on set, and after he found out he was leaving the ITV soap

Some of Colson Smith’s Coronation Street co-stars helped him through his “toughest days” after he learned he’d been axed from the show.

Colson learned from bosses back in October that his character Craig Tinker, who he’d played since he was 11 years old, was being killed off. Craig bowed out in horrific scenes on Wednesday night, 14 years after his debut.

Colson revealed he had a lot of time to process the news, but he found it “tough” seeing the shocked reactions of his colleagues. Then as it came to his final day on the famous set, one co-star and pal in particular shared their disbelief that he was leaving with many of his colleagues stunned by the news he had been written out of the show.

Speaking to The Mirror and other press, actor Colson revealed a number of his colleagues were “emotional” as the time came to say goodbye for good, while they were also on hand to support him through his last day.

From getting to film some of his last scenes with his close friends to one soap icon guiding him through some last-minute nerves, a number of his co-stars were there for him during some crucial moments as Colson prepared to bow out of the show that “had been his life”

READ MORE: Coronation Street Craig’s violent death leaves fans sobbing as Colson Smith breaks silence

Colson’s mum, dad and sister came to watch him film his final scenes, and “a lot” of cast and crew were left crying over his final day. Praising his friends on the show, he told us: “I’ve been extremely lucky that I have had so many people who I trust and can talk to the entire process about from finding out in October that I was leaving, and I was leaving the show, and what was happening all the way through.

“I knew that my toughest day was going to be the night that I found out in Kate’s office at half past seven, and then my next toughest day was going to be the day that I left. So everything in between kind of merged into one, but I kind of set myself up that week.

“So on the Thursday night, I came back to work at about 8pm and it was a really nice evening. It was warm and security knew that I was coming, and I just sat outside the Rovers on the street for probably about an hour, and just sat on the street, kind of soaked it all in.

“It’s just my way of saying goodbye and thank you to Corrie and everything that it had done for me. Colson’s friend and podcast co-host Ben Price had been off the week of his final episodes, but he headed back to Manchester to be there for him, even visiting the studio the night before Colson’s last day.

“I went back into the car park, Ben was just pulling in and I had a Costco cookie in my mouth. He was like, ‘Where have you got them from?’ and they were in my dressing room. So he came up to get a cookie, and then in my dressing room, he’d seen everything that I bought for the Friday.

“I bought everybody a little Lego Craig Tinker. A little Lego police officer with ginger hair, and I just put a sticker on it that said, ‘PC Tinker will always be there when you need him’, like, ‘I’ll miss you all forever’.

“So then me and Ben spent until about 11 o’clock, dishing all these Lego Craig Tinkers out, hammering them to people’s pigeon holes.” Colson felt ready to face his final day, filming scenes with his close friends.

He said: “My final scenes were full of people who I got along with. I had Andy Whyment in, Joe Duttine and David Nielsen, Jacob Roberts in, so there was so much emotion on set. I was sat in the car park at about ten to seven as Andy Whyment pulled in, and I had Macy Gray’s I Try on in the car, and Andy pulled in in tears.

“He parked his car skew-whiff and I was like you can’t leave your car like that. You’re gonna have to re-park. He just got out, and he was like, ‘I’m sorry, my head’s been a mess, like all night, all day.’ I said to them [all] let’s just get on set and let’s do the job.”

But Kirk Sutherland actor Andy’s emotions continued throughout the day, with him telling Colson of his disbelief over his exit. Colson said Andy told him: “No I don’t like it. I can’t believe what’s happening.”

As it came to shooting his final scenes, Colson got some last-minute nerves. But Roy Cropper legend David Neilson was on hand to save the day. Colson explained: “You get all the way up to your last shot, and you know it’s your last shot.

“I’ve seen so many people leave, I’ve seen so many final speeches, I’ve seen it all so many times and the camera was on me and David Neilson behind the counter at Roy’s Rolls. I turned to him and I went, ‘I’m really nervous,’ and I was borderline shaking. I could feel like the atmosphere building and I can feel people coming in.

“David just pulled me in, whispered in my ear and I was like, yeah, yeah. Like, this is it. They called action, Duncan [Foster]called cut. They checked it, and then the next thing I know, people were clapping, and the studio is kind of full. I was like, wow, done.”

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Under McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, England have delivered often thrilling cricket and secured landmark series wins away in Pakistan and New Zealand.

However, they failed to regain the Ashes in 2023, having gone 2-0 behind against Australia before surging back to draw the series, while they were also heavily beaten in India and lost in Pakistan last year.

After securing the series win in New Zealand in December, they lost the third and final Test in feeble fashion.

McCullum said he and his side wants England fans to feel an “attachment” to them, liking them both as players and their style of cricket, while also winning series.

“There’s no greater opportunity than playing in big series against the best opposition on the biggest stage under the brightest lights to be able to test that,” he added.

Stokes said he hated the word “ruthless” when asked about England trying to seal a 3-0 sweep in New Zealand.

But McCullum said the all-rounder is “the most ruthless” sportsperson he has ever met.

“He is unbelievably driven, to push himself, to push his team-mates, to win at all costs,” he said.

“We’re very lucky to have him in the chair because he’s going to be very strong about trying to push this team to the next level.”

Despite the obvious focus on the five-Test series against India and the Ashes down under, McCullum said England will not underestimate Zimbabwe in the four-day Test at Trent Bridge.

“We want to be where our feet are,” he said.

“This game has an amazing ability to bring you back down to earth if you don’t have the respect for the game or the respect for the opposition.

“We go into it as favourites so we need to make sure we’re rock hard fit and ready to go and make good decisions under pressure.”

CORONATION Street and Emmerdale are set to join forces for the very first time next year in an epic crossover episode.

The unmissable stunt will see both soaps side-by-side for the first time, with consequences for the residents of both the Dales and Weatherfield.

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But it’s not the first time stars of the shows have appeared in both soaps – many have crossed over several times.

Here’s a list of soap stars that have made their presence known in both Corrie and Emmerdale:

Claire King 

Claire King played the role of Kim Tate in Emmerdale from 1989 until 1999. She then took on the role of Erica Holroyd in Corrie from 2014 until 2017. 

In September 2018, Claire reprised her role as Kim Tate in Emmerdale after nearly 20 years away, for a special week of episodes in October 2018. She then returned permanently in 2019. 

She is known as one of the show’s most iconic characters.

Daniel Brocklebank

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Daniel played the role of Ivan Jones in Emmerdale from 2005 to 2006, appearing in 107 episodes in total. 

Ivan was originally introduced as a minor role in a storyline about the character of Jarvis Skelton and was only meant to appear in three episodes.

But he was kept on and was seen embarking on a relationship with Paul Lambert, the brother of Nicola King.

More recently, Daniel took on the role of Billy Mayhew in Corrie in 2014 and has remained a regular on the soap ever since.

He takes on the role as vicar at Emily Bishop’s parish and dates barman Sean Tully on the soap.

Chris Bisson

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Chis is most known for his roles as Vikram Desai in Corrie from 1999 to 2002 and Jai Sharma in Emmerdale, which he joined in 2009. 

In Corrie, he portrayed Vikram, the cousin of Dev Alahan, but after a four-year stint, he decided to leave the show to relocate to Mumbai. 

In Emmerdale, Chris plays businessman Jai, who has taken on various storylines, including a bitter split from his wife Laurel. 

Rebecca Sarker

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Rebecca played the role of Nita Desai in Corrie from 1999 to 2000. As her first acting role, she starred alongside now co-star Chris Bisson, who played her on-screen brother Vikram Desai.

In her role, she was seen managing the Corner Shop and having a fling with Steve. 

She has since played Manpreet Sharma in Emmerdale from July 2018. 

Taking on the role as the village doctor, she has been at the centre of many major storylines, including being the sister of serial killer Meena Jutla. 

Zoe Henry

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Zoe is most known for playing the role of Rhona Goskirk in Emmerdale but many forget that she also appeared on Corrie as Casey Carswell between March and September 2007. 

Zoe first showed up on the cobbles in 1998 as Log Thwaite, Spider Nugent’s vegan girlfriend.

Despite just appearing in six episodes, Zoe’s character made quite the impression, especially when Toyah Battersby tricked her into eating a bacon sandwich.

This ultimately led to Spider breaking up with her.

In 2007 she returned as Casey Carswell, who became friends with Claire Peacock before having an affair with Claire’s husband, Ashley.

Meanwhile on Emmerdale, Zoe’s character is currently involved in a dramatic storyline.

Rhona’s stepdaughter April Windsor suddenly went missing on Christmas Day.

After her family was left fearing that she was dead for weeks, police discovered CCTV footage of her in Leeds.

It is still unclear what happened to the girl, and viewers are worried her mysterious disappearance may be the result of a kidnapping.

Sally Ann Matthews

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Sally Ann is known for playing Jenny Bradley, daughter of the villainous Alan Bradley, in Corrie, from 1986 to 1991.

She then joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2005 as farmers wife Sandra Briggs, but left less than a year later.

In 2015, she returned to Corrie as Jenny. 

Ryan Prescott

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Ryan is known for playing Ryan Connor in Corrie and Flynn Buchanan in Emmerdale. 

Ryan joined Corrie in 2018 and is part of a major storyline amid the acid attack on the soap and is stuck in a love triangle alongside Daisy Midgeley.

Before this he had his first big soap role in Emmerdale in 2011, Ryan played Flynn Buchanan, a love interest for Aaron Dingle.

The soap first, which will be broadcast in January 2026, teases that characters from both shows will depart and exciting new faces will join as the cast from each of the long-running ITV programmes come face-to-face for the first time.

The hour-long episode is to mark the start of the new ‘soap power hour’ – a schedule change taking hold from early next year.

Emmerdale and Corrie will each broadcast a 30-minute episode every-day back-to-back as part of the new programming changes with the huge stunt set to kickstart it all.

ITV tease that the one-off mash-up will have “everlasting consequences for everyone involved” and will rock Weatherfield and the Dales forever.

Both shows producers, scriptwriters and production teams have worked together to create the record-breaking episode with the impact then being felt as both programmes return to their own hubs for months to come.

Bosses from both shows also say that whilst the soaps will only be seen on-screen together for the one episode, the communities will be forever linked as a result of the as-yet undisclosed stunt.

There will also be an interactive twist for fans to determine one part of the episode.

A vote will be opened allowing soap fans to choose which Emmerdale and Coronation Street character will share a carefully-written scene together as part of the episode.

The schedule change sees both soaps lose one episode a week amid dwindling ratings.

Both programmes currently enjoy six outings a week but this will be down to just five following the epic stunt episode.

Emmerdale will air at 8pm followed by new episodes of Corrie at 8:30pm.

The programmes will continue to upload their episodes to ITVX at 7am each morning.

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The TV industry and buyers of commercial time were able to breathe a little easier going to their annual week of presentations known as the upfronts.

Not long before the curtain went up Monday at Radio City Music Hall for NBCUniversal’s event, President Trump announced he would hold off on tariffs on China, easing some of the economic uncertainty going into the selling season for television networks.

But the messaging from media executives throughout the week acknowledged that advertisers will be under pressure to get more from their marketing dollars. Between performances by Lizzo, Lady Gaga and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, ad buyers heard about the new artificial intelligence-powered tools for targeting specific audiences.

While traditional TV still commands the bulk of U.S. advertising spending, advertisers’ increasing comfort with streaming was apparent.

Seven years ago, YouTube executives had to reassure sponsors that the company would work harder to keep their ads from running in user-created videos that pushed conspiracy theories or hate speech.

But at the Google-owned platform‘s gathering at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, the audience saw a glowing testimonial video from Marc Pritchard, chief branding officer for Procter & Gamble, a company known for being meticulous about its marketing and media decisions.

Netflix and Amazon marched into the week buoyed by the growing number of streaming subscribers who see ads. Netflix said its service carrying commercials now reaches 90 million subscribers worldwide while Amazon’s Prime Video is now at 130 million in the U.S.

The week of parties and parade of celebrities offered a glimpse into the current state of the TV business. Here’s what stood out:

Live sports rule, especially the NFL

Walt Disney Co.’s TV lineup is packed with big-name talent. But the company kicked off its upfront with an opening number by an unlikely singing duo — former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning.

The audience at North Javits in Manhattan saw two more NFL stars, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, before a single actor appeared on stage. It was a sign of the NFL’s vital importance to the company and the TV business writ large.

Disney — where not too long ago Chief Executive Bob Iger mused about spinning off ESPN — wasn’t alone in touting its commitment to the league.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did a walk-on at the YouTube presentation to announce the platform’s first exclusive livestream of a league game, the Los Angeles Chargers season opener against the Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5.

Roger Goodell speaks onstage during Netflix’s Upfront 2025 on Wednesday in New York.

(Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Netflix)

On the Netflix stage, Goodell was joined by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to plug a documentary series on the franchise and announce this year’s two Christmas games that will be carried on the platform.

Jason and Travis Kelce promoted their Wondery podcast at Amazon’s show. Former tight end Rob Gronkowski showed up at two upfront presentations, one for Fox where he is part of the network’s NFL coverage and later at YouTube because, well, why not?

NFL games accounted for 95 out of the top 100 most-watched TV programs last year and is now setting records on streaming. Netflix had its most watched Christmas Day in history when 65 million U.S. viewers streamed some portion of its NFL double header. (Goodell wore a Santa Claus suit for his announcement of this year’s Netflix games).

For TV industry veterans, the emphasis on live sports was surprising. “Traditionally entertainment was the driver of the upfront,” Ben Silverman, co-CEO of production company Propagate, told CNBC.

Or as ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel put it during his annual Disney upfront roast: “This is all sports. What happened? We used to be so gay.”

But as the audience continues to be atomized by the growing number of streaming options, sports are more valuable than ever for advertisers who want to reach a mass audience.

Executives at Netflix, long on the leading edge of providing niche offerings to fit every consumer’s taste, now extol the virtues of the mass audience viewing experience now that it carries NFL games.

Live sports have become a lifeline to traditional TV, as most young viewers have turned to streaming for scripted series and movies. The trend was reflected in NBCUniversal’s presentation, which emphasized the arrival of the NBA on the network that will cost $2.5 billion a year.

“Tonight” host Jimmy Fallon may have summed it up best when he said, “Good morning, I’m glad to be at the NBA upfront — I mean NBC upfront.”

Planning for life after cable

Warner Bros. Discovery stunned the crowd at the Theater at Madison Square Garden with the announcement that its streaming service Max will once again be called HBO Max. The company stripped HBO from the name in 2023, believing the HBO brand name was too exclusive for the service’s ambitions to broaden its audience.

Dropping the prestigious HBO logo from the name of the service was a dubious decision from the start. But restoring it was a recognition of an undeniable fact: the future belongs to streaming, so why relegate a familiar and respected brand name to the waning cable box?

CNN and ESPN announced that their direct-to-consumer streaming services rolling out later this year will use the network names that have been familiar to cable viewers for more than four decades. The monikers will not carry a plus sign or any other designation that suggest the product differs from what’s on TV, and that’s by design.

Younger viewers may be forgoing cable subscriptions, but they know the CNN and ESPN brand names through their digital content. For those viewers, streaming isn’t an add-on, it is the way they watch TV

Movies are open for ad business, too

Not so long ago, seeing a movie star on stage at a network upfront presentation was a big deal.

But streaming has blurred the line by offering both series and original movies, and media companies are using that to their advantage when pitching to advertisers. The trend has given the platforms a bit more sizzle in their pitches.

Charlize Theron speaks onstage during Netflix’s upfront presentation Wednesday in New York.

(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for Netflix)

Arnold Schwarzenegger riffed at length about his upcoming Christmas film for Amazon, “The Man With the Bag.” The moment got added mileage when the former California governor’s “True Lies” co-star Jamie Lee Curtis joined him on stage.

Charlize Theron took the stage at the Perelman Performing Arts Center to plug her upcoming Netflix feature “Apex.”

NBCUniversal teased the sequel to “Wicked,” which will eventually run on its Peacock streaming service.

Warner Bros. Discovery touted its sponsor partnerships for the theatrical blockbuster “A Minecraft Movie” and brought out James Gunn and Peter Safran, keepers of DC Studios, to say there will be opportunities for the upcoming Superman movie and other projects.

Eurovision country trio Remember Monday’s are not new to the stage, as they actually competed in The Voice back in 2019

As the UK’s Eurovision 2025 hopefuls gear up for their big moment on the Grand Final stage, fans are learning more about Remember Monday and their surprising showbiz roots. The country trio is comprised of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele.

The three women have known each other since their teenage years, when they became friends while studying at The Sixth Form College Farnborough in Hampshire. The trio originally performed under the name Houston, but rebranded as Remember Monday in 2018 as a tribute to the day they all had free periods at college and would spend time singing together.

Long before preparing to take to the stage for Eurovision, all three members had already become acquainted with the world of entertainment. Charlotte was just a child when she played Jane Bank in Mary Poppins on the West End stage.

Meanwhile, Lauren took on the role of Miss Honey in Matilda, and Holly performed in both Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera.

Their big break came in 2019 when the trio auditioned for The Voice UK, stunning judges with their powerful harmonies on Seal’s Kiss from a Rose.

All four coaches turned their chairs, but the band ultimately chose to join Team Jennifer Hudson after being swayed by the chance to be mentored by the only female judge on the panel.

The trio went on to win their Battle Round but were knocked out during the Knockout stage after performing their original track Jailbreaker. Despite the early exit from the competition, the group went on to build a loyal fanbase in the UK.

In September 2023 they took a leap of faith and quit their day jobs to pursue music full time. In early 2024 they were reunited with Hudson on her US talk show, where they gave a soulful performance of Hand in My Pocket by Alanis Morissette.

That same year, Remember Monday was announced as the UK’s Eurovision act for 2025, becoming the first girl band to represent the nation in 26 years.

Their entry What The Hell Just Happened? is a track with bold 80s influences inspired by the chaos of a wild night out. BBC Radio commentators admitted to being “nervous” before they heard the band perform, but were quickly “blown away” after watching Remember Monday’s rehearsals.

Richie Anderson shared: “I was a little bit nervous. It’s like when a family member is about to do a school assembly performance – you’re excited, but also so protective. But as soon as they started singing, their vocals were just incredible.”

He went on to say that the girls’ background in musical theatre prepared them well for putting on a show of this magnitude. He added: “They hit every camera, so it feels like they’re performing just for you – it’s very intimate.”

The Eurovision Song Contest continues with the second semi-final on Thursday, May 15 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The Grand Final will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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For almost 30 years, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 has been a forgotten headline. Now, the BBC are shining a light on the tragedy – leaving Connor Swindells lost for words.

December 21, 1988. A routine transatlantic flight from Heathrow to JFK ends in catastrophe. Pan Am Flight 103 explodes mid-air over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground.

It was the deadliest terrorist attack on US citizens before 9/11, yet for many – including some of the cast of BBC One’s gripping new series The Bombing Of Pan Am 103 – the tragedy has become a forgotten headline.

“I didn’t know much about it before,” says Sex Education actor Connor Swindells, 28, who plays a Scottish detective. “The filming process was really informative.”

His co-star, Suits’ Patrick J Adams, 43, says, “I was seven years old when it happened and living in the UK at the time. As soon as I heard a series was being made about the events, I thought, ‘How has this never happened before?’”

In the six-part series, also coming to Netflix, Connor and Patrick play opposing forces in the aftermath of the bombing. Connor steps into the role of DS Ed McCusker, the detective leading the case on home soil.

Patrick portrays his American counterpart and rival, FBI special agent Dick Marquise. As Scotland and the US wrangle for control of the investigation in a bid to seek answers, political friction and personal grief collide.

READ MORE: Shopper ‘couldn’t go a day without a spot’ before using dermatologist-approved serum

The series doesn’t shy away from the geopolitical tensions that followed the bombing. While the FBI got involved assuming there would be cooperation, they were met with resistance from the Scottish authorities.

“I thought the FBI would be welcomed to any investigation,” says Patrick. “But this happened on Scottish soil – it belonged to them. There was friction despite everyone wanting the same thing.”

That complexity was front and centre for Connor, who found the emotional weight of his role intense. “This is a story that must be handled with care,” he says. “It’s been a real lesson in trying to do justice to the truth every single day, which is how it should be.”

Joining Patrick and Connor are Merritt Wever as FBI victim services director Kathryn Turman and Eddie Marsan as explosives expert Tom Thurman. Like Connor, Merritt knew little about the tragedy before filming.

“It wasn’t on my radar,” she says. “But once I started speaking to people, so many had connections.” Eddie, however, remembers it vividly. “It was a terrible moment in history,” he says.

Kathryn went on to reshape the FBI from the inside out once the investigation was closed. “She saw that, back in 1988, these big investigative institutions lacked a framework for putting families first in the wake of these disasters.

She helped transform the Department of Justice and FBI, essentially giving them a heart,” says Merritt. Writer Jonathan Lee hopes the series does justice to the enormity of the event – and its continued relevance.

“It was the biggest crime scene the world had ever seen at the time,” he says. “They had to piece together the communication lines across borders, beliefs and individual agendas. It’s a lesson we’re constantly learning and unlearning.”

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The BBC’s boss has reminded stars to follow the corporation’s rules and avoid damaging “mistakes”, after Gary Lineker attracted renewed criticism for his use of social media.

On Tuesday, the Match of the Day host deleted an Instagram story post he shared from the group Palestine Lobby, which said: “Zionism explained in two minutes” and featured an illustration of a rat.

A rat has historically been used as an antisemitic insult, referring to language used by Nazi Germany to characterise Jews. His representatives said he was not aware of the connection.

Asked whether the post had broken BBC guidelines, director general Tim Davie said: “The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.”

He added: “I think we absolutely need people to be exemplars of the BBC values and follow our social media policy. It’s as simple as that.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was submitting a complaint to the BBC, adding that Lineker’s “continued association with the BBC is untenable”.

The charity posted on X: “Nothing to see here. Just Gary Lineker’s Instagram account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji.”

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said “the BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms”.

“He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with his egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists.”

Lineker’s agent said: “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.”

Zionism refers to the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East, roughly corresponding to the historical land of Israel, and thus support for the modern state of Israel.

The BBC, when asked on Tuesday if it had any comment on Lineker’s now-removed post, responded by referring to its guidance on personal use of social media.

The former England striker has attracted criticism before for his posts on social media in the past.

He was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over a post in which he said language used to promote a government asylum policy was “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.

The BBC’s social media rules were then rewritten to say presenters of flagship programmes outside news and current affairs – including Match of the Day – have “a particular responsibility to respect the BBC’s impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC”.

In November 2024, Lineker announced his departure from Match of the Day, but he will remain with the BBC to front FA Cup and World Cup coverage.

The Liver King has amassed millions of followers on social media for his extreme lifestyle

Brian Johnson, known as the Liver King on TikTok, gained millions of followers by showcasing his extreme lifestyle online, which included eating testicles and adhering to nine strict rules he claimed were essential for a healthy life.

He heavily promoted the ‘ancestral’ way of living, claiming it cured his two sons of respiratory issues and allergies that frequently required hospital treatment.

Johnson insisted that living like our ancestors was the secret to his sculpted physique, denying steroid use in interviews. However, it later came to light that the fitness influencer was splashing out around $11,000 per month on performance-enhancing drugs.

He posted a public apology video admitting to his steroid use, sparking a massive public backlash and leaving fans questioning the authenticity of the star.

Despite the controversy, he still boasts a massive social media following, with an impressive six million followers on TikTok, nearly three million on Instagram, and over one million YouTube subscribers.

A new Netflix documentary delves into the controversy surrounding the Liver King and directly addresses the steroid scandal head-on. However, it fails to mention a £60,000 cosmetic surgery lie told by the star that had a big impact on fan trust, reports Surrey Live.

The Liver King left his followers baffled after he joked about having ab implants during a chat on the Full Send podcast. He later clarified on his website that the “experimental procedure” he claimed to have undergone was just a gag.

“Personally, I thought it was funny AF…. they actually believed me, which made it even funnier,” the Liver King shared on his website. “You should’ve seen the subprimal look on their faces thinking ‘AlI have to do is get implants?’ I sure as s*** never thought ‘the joke’ a.k.a the fake news would spread the way that it did. It has officially gotten out of hand… and I f****** love it!”

He continued: “Turns out millions of people believed me too, and started actually believing Liver King has ab implants. To this day, if you Google ‘Ab Implants’ I remain the poster child.”

In a bid to regain his fans’ trust, he visited plastic surgeon Dr Daniel Barrett and shared a video of the doctor examining his abs to confirm whether or not they were natural.

Untold: The Liver King is now streaming on Netflix