Julie Carp, played by Kathy Cavanagh, spent seven years on the ITV soap Coronation Street between 2008 and 2015 but now she supports her two son’s as their Hollywood careers flourish
(L-R) Katy Cavanagh-Jupe, Noah Jupe and Jacobi Jupe attend The BAFTA Tea(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Coronation Street star Katy Cavanagh has reinvented herself as a ‘momager’ for her two sons 11 years after she left the iconic ITV soap.
Best known to soap fans as Julie Carp, she spent seven years on the soap between 2008 and 2015. Julie first appeared in April 2008 when she came to the Rovers to meet Kirk Sutherland (Andy Whyment), with whom she had just enjoyed a romance while on holiday in Cyprus.
After almost a year together, Julie began to get fed up with Kirk and was contemplating how to dump him when he beat her to it. Julie then had a drunken snog with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) but things went no further when it was revealed that Eileen’s father was also Julie’s, and Jason her nephew.
The following year she met Brian Packham (Peter Gunn), but their first date was interrupted by his wife Margaret’s arrival. Brian had led her to believe he was divorced, so Julie sent him packing. Their paths crossed again in 2011 and they fell head over heels – Brian was then divorced.
Their biggest trial came in 2012 when Julie believed she was pregnant but was actually found to have a growth on her ovaries and she went on to have a hysterectomy. In 2013, Julie decided to look into fostering children but Brian wasn’t keen, and accepted a job in Wales. When Julie found out, she refused to go with him and furiously banished him from her life.
In 2014, Julie took a shine to Dev Alahan but when he wasn’t forthcoming, she went on a date with his friend Dominic Saul. She was touched when Dev told lies about her to Dominic in a bid to scupper any romance, and fell into Dev’s arms.
In 2015 she left the soap and at the time she said: “I have decided it’s time to take a break from the cobbles and pursue other projects and opportunities. I have loved every minute in the world of Julie Carp and I’m not ruling out a return to the Street in the future. However I am looking forward to a new challenge and a pair of flat shoes.”
Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn said: “Julie Carp has become a warm, wonderful and eccentric character able to raise a laugh and a tear in the same scene. Everyone at Corrie wishes Katy all the very best and hopefully as far as Julie is concerned, the cobbles haven’t seen the last of her.”
Fast forward 11 years and she has now reinvented herself as a showbiz ‘momager’ – a combination of mum and manager for her two sons Noah, 20, and Jacobi Jupe, 12.
Noah and Jacobi are set to be the toast of Hollywood thanks to their roles alongside Ms Buckley in the highly lauded Hamnet. Ms Cavanagh, 52, accompanied Jacobi to the Critics’ Choice awards and are both expected at the Golden Globes tonight, where the film, Ms Buckley and co-star Paul Mescal, are among the nominees.
The brothers’ success follows a lot of hard work from the former soap star. “She’s put everything into helping the boys have the best start in the industry,” an insider told MailOnline.
They added: “She’s put her own career on the back burner to help them realise their dreams. Obviously she’s not known in Hollywood, so it’s not like her name has particularly opened doors for them, but she’s got them into the industry and is constantly helping them.”
Coronation Street boss Kate Brooks revealed the soap would revisit a bizarre scene where Maggie Driscoll seemed shocked about something in Ken Barlow’s home months ago
Coronation Street boss Kate Brooks revealed the soap would revisit bizarre scene where Maggie Driscoll seemed shocked about something in Ken Barlow’s home(Image: ITV)
Fans will finally learn the truth about why Coronation Street newcomer Maggie Driscoll was acting strangely at Ken Barlow’s home a few months ago.
On Halloween, Maggie was invited into the house by Amy Barlow, as she was looking for a punch bowl for the party at The Rovers. While looking in a cupboard, she appeared to stare at something not shown onscreen.
She looked startled if not anxious about whatever it was, and quickly shut the cupboard door. It was not referenced again, and has yet to be explained.
Amid fans speculating it could confirm a link to the Barlow family, possibly Ken, Corrie boss Kate Brooks has revealed the scene will be revisited. Speaking to The Mirror, Kate said it’s linked to a secret that will soon be exposed.
Kate spilled: “There are other secrets as well that Maggie’s been hiding. Some eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted Maggie at number 1.
“She looks into the cabinet, and her reaction kind of suggested that she saw something that made her feel slightly on edge or uncomfortable. We will reveal what that secret is in the upcoming months.”
So that scene hasn’t been completely forgotten about, and we were right to find it weird. It seems Maggie’s hiding more than one secret, with more about her and the Driscoll family still to be uncovered.
Kate also revealed the grooming storyline featuring Maggie’s teenaged grandson Will is set to explode at some point this year. She told us: “The Driscolls really have got their feet under the table. There is loads to come for this family. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. The ongoing story of Will and Megan is huge for them. We also know what Maggie’s capable of now.
“When, eventually this awful secret is exposed, it’s not gonna go down well with Maggie. [As we follow on with] the Will and Megan element, Sam [Blakeman] will end up getting embroiled in it all. We will see the lengths that Megan will go to to manipulate Sam into keeping quiet, and it will be massively detrimental to Sam’s well-being.
“We have Eva in the mix, who will be naturally furious when this comes to light. We’ve got Leanne and Toyah, and you’ve got these three very strong, very fiery women, sisters, whose boys have been manipulated by this woman, who they considered their friend.
“So, needless to say, it’ll be quite explosive when this all comes to light. Ben adores his family, he adores Will, he adores Ollie. It’s a real kind of journey for us to take Ben on as well, as they all struggle to navigate this.
“It’s a situation none of them thought they’d ever be in, and the fact that they are really tests them as a family unit. Maggie’s a fiery one, so I’d keep an eye on Maggie.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom used his final State of the State address to underscore California’s jaw-dropping crime figures — stats that he said refute the president’s claims about widespread murder and mayhem.
To put in perspective some of the numbers cited by the governor on Thursday:
The last time homicides were this low in Oakland, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was visiting Joan Baez at Santa Rita Jail to commend her on her recent arrest in protest of the Vietnam draft.
Killings haven’t been so rare in San Francisco since superstar Marilyn Monroe wed baseball legend Joe DiMaggio at City Hall.
And violent deaths in the city of Los Angeles fell to rates not seen since the Beatles played Dodgers Stadium, their penultimate public show.
“We have seen double-digit decreases in crime overall in the state of California,” Newsom said. “We’ve got more work to do, but to those with that California derangement syndrome, I’ll repeat — it’s time to update your talking points.”
The governor’s remarks follow reporting by The Times that showed L.A.’s homicide rate is nearing a record low, mirroring trends in other cities nationwide.
With the counts based on data from the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies, President Trump’s insistence that crime in California is out of control has come to seem increasingly bombastic. Recently, the president has modified his message to warn of a possible crime resurgence.
“We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again,” Trump said on Truth Social in a post announcing an end to his legal battle to maintain National Guard troops in L.A., Portland and Chicago. “Only a question of time!”
In his speech Thursday, Newsom credited the stark drop in violence to a flood of crime-fighting cash unleashed by the California Legislature.
“No one’s walked away from public safety,” Newsom said. “We didn’t turn a blind eye to this, we invested in it. We didn’t talk about it, we leaned in.”
But experts said the reality is more complicated. Those who study the root causes of crime say that it may take years, if not decades, to disentangle the causes of the pandemic-era surge in violence and the precipitous drop that has followed.
Trump hammered lawlessness in California’s streets during the 2024 presidential campaign and throughout his first year back in the White House. He rarely names Newsom without invoking crime and chaos, and regularly threatens to surge armed soldiers back into into the streets.
At the same time, the Trump administration has slashed hundreds of millions in federal funding from school safety grants, youth mentoring programs and gang intervention networks that experts say have been instrumental in improving public safety.
Proponents worry those cuts could threaten L.A.’s patchwork of alternative crisis response programs aimed at easing the city’s reliance on law enforcement. In recent years, scores of groups have sprung up to assist people dealing with homelessness, drug addiction and the symptoms of untreated mental health disorders — all of which can heighten the perception of crime, even when actual numbers go down.
Looming cuts in federal spending could hinder efforts to scale up these initiatives, some warned.
“I just don’t know how we can continue to trend in the right direction without continuing to invest in things that work,” said Thurman Barnes, assistant director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center.
According to data published by the Major Cities Chiefs Assn., homicides were down in San Francisco, San José, Sacramento and Oakland. Other violent crimes, including rape, aggravated assault and robbery, also dropped, with a handful of exceptions.
Property crime was also down, the governor said Thursday.
Street-level disorder and perceptions of widespread lawlessness helped topple progressive administrations across California in 2024 and earned Trump an unexpected windfall in some of the state’s bluest cities.
Those concerns are “at the core” of California voters’ frustrations, Newsom acknowledged Thursday.
“We’re seeing results, making streets safer for everyone,” the governor said.
Jeff Asher, a leading expert in the field of criminology, said it’s hard to say whether the perception gap is closing “because we don’t necessarily track it super systematically.”
But he pointed to a Gallup poll from late last year that showed less than half of Americans believed that crime had gone up — the first time in two decades that that number had dipped below 50%.
“The pandemic broke us in a lot of ways, and we’re starting to not feel as broken,” he said.
Newsom also touted sharp declines in the number of people living on the streets.
Unsheltered homelessness dropped 9% in California and more than 10% in Los Angeles, the governor announced — data he sought to contrast with an 18% rise in homelessness nationwide.
The sight of encampments and people in the throes of psychosis in the streets drives perceptions of lawlessness and danger, studies show. Lowering it soothes those fears.
But California’s overall homeless population remains stubbornly high, with only modest reductions. Federal funding cuts could hamper efforts to further reduce those numbers, experts warned.
Rather than dig into the complexities of crime, Newsom sought to portray the president himself as the driver of lawlessness, calling the first year of his second term a “carnival of chaos.”
“We face an assault on our values unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime,” the governor said. “Secret police. Businesses being raided. Windows smashed, citizens detained, citizens shot. Masked men snatching people in broad daylight, people disappearing. Using American cities as training grounds for the United States military.”
“It’s time for the president of the United States to do his job, not turn his back on Americans that happen to live in the great state of California,” Newsom said.
I visited this market town full of independent shops and I adored its pretty high street(Image: Laura Nightingale )
Situated deep in beautiful Hills lies this pretty market town full of independent shops. The charming town of Dorking can be found at the foot of Surrey’s famous Box Hill, renowned for its challenging zig zag cycle route, excellent walking trails and stunning views over the county.
While I’ve ventured to the National Trust beauty spot many times before, I hadn’t explored Dorking’s high street for years, so this winter I went to see what it had to offer. Full of independent stores, quaint antique shops, beauty businesses and lots of adorable places to grab a coffee, it also boasts striking views of the rolling countryside.
At the end of last year, award-winning hair salon group, Rush Hair, opened a new branch right in the centre of the town. It could not be in a more prominent location at a cross-roads and during my trip to the neighbourhood I visited the salon, checking out its chic interior and list of pampering services.
With eight styling stations, contemporary grey stone flooring, unique fixtures and fittings, the space has created 10 jobs for aspiring stylists in the area. Artwork created by the award-winning Rush creative team graces the walls and the salon is further enhanced with LED lighting, allowing stylists the ability to see client’s hair tones perfectly whilst hair colouring.
Opened in time for Christmas, the salon was designed by Dudley Cummings, of the Rush salon design team who has worked across many salons within the group. It’s beautiful, welcoming and relaxed, plus, colour appointments are currently half price when booked with a cut and finish. Stell Andrew, CEO and co-founder of Rush Hair and, said: “The new salon looks truly incredible and will be an asset to Dorking and a fabulous haven for clients to come to relax and have a pamper.”
All customers are treated to teas, coffees and biscuits during their precious ‘me-time’, but there’s also lots of other lovely cafes and coffee shops within walking distance which I gladly found.
Immediately next door to Rush Hair is Costa and directly opposite is Cosy Moose. I visited the latter, an artisan coffee shop and bakery which stood on the corner of the high street with steamed up windows due to the sub-zero temperatures outside and warm, hustle and bustle inside.
Indoors wasn’t overly big unlike Costa across the road, but it was a cute spot to enjoy a coffee and slice of cake, particularly a pecan tart, homemade carrot cake and mint chocolate tiffin.
I wandered up the high street, popping my head into a few more stores and at around 4pm I witnessed the most glorious sun set over the rooftops.
There are various car parks in the town, but I thought South Street Car Park was particularly convenient given that it was very close by and I could pay via Ringo.
Morgan Stanley plans to launch ETFs tied to the price of Bitcoin and Solana, the first and sixth-largest crypto assets by market capitalisation respectively, according to a Form S-1 filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
This is the first time one of the ten largest US banks by total assets has formally moved to offer crypto ETFs.
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a basket of assets that trades on a stock exchange like a share, giving investors easy exposure to an index, sector or commodity without owning it directly.
Many investors favour gaining crypto exposure via ETFs because they are low-cost and convenient. They can also offer greater liquidity while removing the regulatory and logistical complications of holding and safeguarding the underlying assets directly.
However, in the two years since the SEC approved the first US-listed Bitcoin ETF, it has largely been asset managers rather than banks that have launched these products.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, said last December that its Bitcoin ETF suite had become the firm’s top revenue source, with allocations nearing $100 billion (€85bn) and generating more than $245 million (€210mn) in annual fees.
US banks, which have only acted as custodians of client funds until now, seem ready and eager to evolve as providers of crypto services in 2026.
Regulatory push under Trump
The current US administration has been notably favourable towards the crypto asset industry. President Donald Trump’s family launched a crypto platform, World Liberty Financial, just 50 days before the 2024 presidential election.
The company is managed by Trump’s two eldest sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, and alongside another firm, Trump Media and Technology Group, it has expanded the US President’s personal crypto ventures.
In parallel to these private interests, the current US administration has made a major regulatory push encouraging Wall Street to fully embrace crypto assets.
In July 2025, Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) into law, creating a comprehensive regulatory framework for stablecoins. These are crypto assets designed to maintain a stable value by pegging their worth to a real-world asset, typically a fiat currency such as the US dollar.
That same month, the Crypto Legal Accountability, Registration and Transparency for Investors Act (CLARITY Act) was approved in the US Congress. It is now moving through the US Senate and is expected to pass on 15 January 2026.
The CLARITY Act is a landmark legislation intended to end the long-standing era of “regulation by enforcement” that has weighed on US crypto firms for years.
In September 2025, the SEC also revamped listing rules for new commodities ETFs, including those tied to crypto assets, clearing the way for firms to bring more financial products to market.
The shift helped spur Morgan Stanley to broaden client access to crypto investments in October 2025, and it has now filed with the SEC to offer crypto ETFs directly.
At the start of 2026, Bank of America also began allowing its wealth advisers to recommend crypto allocations in client portfolios, another sign of growing adoption of crypto assets among major US banks.
What this means for the EU
This development in the US banking sector and the crypto industry is not only significant for Wall Street, but also has direct implications for European investors.
US-listed ETFs are typically not available to European retail investors because they do not meet EU requirements under the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) regime.
Morgan Stanley has been expanding its footprint in the European ETF market since entering the space in 2023, and has been building the infrastructure needed to launch EU-compliant versions of these funds.
While Europe has yet to see a UCITS-compliant spot crypto ETF, major platforms such as Coinbase, one of the world’s largest crypto asset exchanges, are partnering with financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley, to enable crypto ETF trading in Europe this year.
Together, they aim to comply not only with UCITS, but also with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules, which require firms to hold a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence.
Morgan Stanley’s leap indicates that for Wall Street, crypto is no longer a reputational risk to avoid, but a revenue stream they can no longer afford to ignore.
CARACAS, Venezuela — The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Trump on social media hours after the attack.
Multiple explosions rang out and low-flying aircraft swept through Caracas, the capital, as Maduro’s government immediately accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.
It was not immediately clear who was running the country, and Maduro’s whereabouts were not immediately known. Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET. Under Venezuelan law the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, would take power. There was no confirmation that had happened, though she did issue a statement after the strike.
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said. “We demand proof of life.”
Maduro, Trump said, “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow.” He set a news conference for later Saturday morning.
The legal implications of the strike under U.S. law were not immediately clear. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted on X that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who briefed him on the strike. Rubio told Lee that Maduro “has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.”
The White House did not immediately respond to queries on where Maduro and his wife were being flown to. Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York.
Maduro last appeared on state television Friday while meeting with a delegation of Chinese officials in Caracas.
The explosions in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, early on the third day of 2026 — at least seven blasts — sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report hearing and seeing the explosions. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties on either side. The attack itself lasted less than 30 minutes and it was unclear if more actions lay ahead, though Trump said in his post that the strikes were carried out “successfully.”
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ban on U.S. commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace because of “ongoing military activity” ahead of the explosions.
The strike came after the Trump administration spent months escalating pressure on Maduro. The CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels — the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September.
For months, Trump had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land following months of attacks on boats accused of carrying drugs. Maduro has decried the U.S. military operations as a thinly veiled effort to oust him from power.
Some streets in Caracas fill up
Armed individuals and uniformed members of a civilian militia took to the streets of a Caracas neighborhood long considered a stronghold of the ruling party. But in other areas of the city, the streets remained empty hours after the attack. Parts of the city remained without power, but vehicles moved freely.
Video obtained from Caracas and an unidentified coastal city showed tracers and smoke clouding the landscape sky as repeated muted explosions illuminated the night sky. Other footage showed an urban landscape with cars passing on a highway as blasts illuminated the hills behind them. Unintelligible conversation could be heard in the background. The videos were verified by The Associated Press.
Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital was without power.
“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, her voice trembling. She was walking briskly with two relatives, returning from a birthday party. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”
Venezuela’s government responded to the attack with a call to action. “People to the streets!” it said in a statement. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”
The statement added that Maduro had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance.” That state of emergency gives him the power to suspend people’s rights and expand the role of the armed forces.
The website of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, a post that has been closed since 2019, issued a warning to American citizens in the country, saying it was “aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas.”
“U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place,” the warning said.
Reaction emerges slowly
Inquiries to the Pentagon and U.S. Southern Command since Trump’s social media post went unanswered. The FAA warned all commercial and private U.S. pilots that the airspace over Venezuela and the small island nation of Curacao, just off the coast of the country to the north, was off limits “due to safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.”
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted his potential concerns, reflecting a view from the right flank in the Congress. “I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force,” Lee said on X.
It was not clear if the U.S. Congress had been officially notified of the strikes.
The Armed Services committees in both houses of Congress, which have jurisdiction over military matters, have not been notified by the administration of any actions, according to a person familiar with the matter and granted anonymity to discuss it.
Lawmakers from both political parties in Congress have raised deep reservations and flat out objections to the U.S. attacks on boats suspected of drug smuggling on boats near the Venezuelan coast and the Congress has not specifically approved an authorization for the use of military force for such operations in the region.
Regional reaction was not immediately forthcoming in the early hours of Saturday. Cuba, however, a supporter of the Maduro government and a longtime adversary of the United States, called for the international community to respond to what president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez called “the criminal attack.” “Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted,” he said on X. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the strikes.
President Javier Milei of Argentina praised the claim by his close ally, Trump, that Maduro had been captured with a political slogan he often deploys to celebrate right-wing advances: “Long live freedom, dammit!”
The U.S. military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. As of Friday, the number of known boat strikes is 35 and the number of people killed is at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.
They followed a major buildup of American forces in the waters off South America, including the arrival in November of the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier, which added thousands more troops to what was already the largest military presence in the region in generations.
Trump has justified the boat strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
Cano and Toropin write for the Associated Press. Toropin and AP journalist Lisa Mascaro reported from Washington.
When Virginia Guevara moved into a studio apartment in Orange County in 2024 after nearly a decade of homelessness, she needed far more than a roof and a bed.
Scattered visits to free clinics notwithstanding, Guevara hadn’t had a full medical checkup in years. She required dental work. She wanted to start looking for a job. And she was overwhelmed by the maze of paperwork needed simply to get her off the street, much less to make any of the other things happen.
But Guevara had help. The Jamboree Housing Corp., an affordable-housing nonprofit that renovated a former hotel in Stanton that Guevara now calls home, didn’t just move her in — it also provided her a fleet of wraparound services. Jamboree counselors helped Guevara navigate the healthcare system to see a doctor and a dentist, buy a few things for her apartment, and get training to become a caregiver.
“I was years on the street before I got the kind of help I needed so I could help myself,” said Guevara, 68.
Amid the Trump administration’s apparent opposition to using Medicaid funding for such social services, staffers at Jamboree and similar affordable-housing providers in California have feared losing federal money. The experimental waivers that provide the primary funding for the program expire at the end of 2026. But as it turns out, the state had the foresight several years ago to designate certain nonhousing social services — such as mental health care, drug counseling and job training — as a form of Medicaid spending that will continue to be reimbursed.
Catherine Howden, a spokesperson for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, confirmed that California’s use of the “in lieu of services” classification for these wraparound programs is allowed under federal regulations.
“It is starting to sound positive that we will, at the very least, be able to continue billing for these services after the waiver period,” said Natalie Reider, a senior vice president at Jamboree Housing.
During President Trump’s first term, states were permitted to use Medicaid money for social support services not typically covered by health insurance. But the second Trump administration is reeling that policy back in, saying that the intervening Biden administration took the supportive services process too far. Howden said in a statement that the policy “distracted the Medicaid program from its core mission: providing excellent health outcomes for vulnerable Americans.”
Through CalAIM, a five-year experimental build-out of the Medicaid system, programs such as Jamboree were able to leverage federal funding to offer the kinds of nonhousing social services that experts contend are essential to keeping people permanently housed.
However, these wraparound services are only one component of the CalAIM initiative, which is attempting to take Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California, in a more holistic direction across all areas of care. And when CalAIM launched, California officials gave the programs the Medicaid “in lieu of services” designation, known as ILOS, in effect putting them outside the waiver process and ensuring that even when CalAIM sunsets, money for those social initiatives will continue to flow.
“California has tried to future-proof many of the policy changes it has made in Medi-Cal by including them in mechanisms like ILOS that do not require federal waiver approval,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. “That allows these policy changes to continue, even with a politically hostile federal administration.”
The designation allows these social services to be funded through Medicaid managed-care plans under existing federal laws because they are cost-effective substitutes for a Medicaid service or reduce the likelihood of patients needing other Medicaid-covered healthcare services, said Glenn Tsang, policy advisor for homelessness and housing at the state’s Department of Health Care Services. The state could not provide an estimate of the annual funding for these wraparound services because they are not distinguished from other payments made to Medicaid managed-care plans.
“We are full steam ahead with these services,” Tsang said, “and they are authorized.”
Although California was the first state to incorporate the designation for such housing and other health-related social support, Tsang said, several other states — including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, New York and North Carolina — are now using the mechanism in a similar fashion.
Paul San Felipe, senior program manager for Jamboree, speaks during a meeting at Clara Vista in Stanton on Dec. 29, 2025.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Early results suggest such support saves on healthcare spending. When Jamboree, MidPen Housing Corp. in Northern California, RH Community Builders in the Central Valley and other permanent supportive housing providers employ a holistic approach that includes social services, they reported higher rates of formerly homeless people remaining in housing, less frequent use of costly emergency health services, and more residents landing jobs that help them pay rent and stay housed.
At the nonprofit MidPen Housing, which serves 12 counties in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, roughly 40% of the units in the program’s pipeline are earmarked for “extremely low-income” people, a group that includes those who are homeless, said Danielle McCluskey, senior director of resident services.
CalAIM reimbursements help fund the part of MidPen that focuses on supportive services across a wide range of experiences, such as chronic homelessness, mental health issues and those leaving the foster care system. McCluskey described it as one leg of a three-legged stool, the others being real estate development and property management.
“If any of those legs are not getting what they need, if they’re not funded or not staffed or resourced, then that stool is kind of wobbly — off-kilter,” the director said.
A recent state evaluation found that people who used at least one of the housing support services — including navigation into new housing, healthcare assistance and a deposit to secure an apartment — saw a 13% reduction in emergency department visits and a 24% reduction in inpatient admissions in the six months that followed.
Documenting those outcomes is crucial because the department needs to show federal officials that the services lessen the need for other, often costlier Medicaid-covered care — the essence of the classification.
Advocates for the inclusion of supportive services argue that the American system ultimately saves money on those investments. As California’s homeless population has soared in recent years to more than 187,000 on a given night — nearly a quarter of the U.S. total — Jamboree has been allocating more of its resources to permanent supportive housing.
Founded in 1990 in Orange County, Jamboree builds various types of affordable housing using federal, state and private funding. Reider said about a fifth of the organization’s portfolio is dedicated to permanent supportive housing.
“They’re not going back out to the streets. They’re not going to jail. They’re not going to the hospitals,” Reider said. “Keeping people housed is the No. 1 outcome, and it is the cost-saver, right? We’re using Medicaid dollars, but we’re saving the system money in the long run.”
Guevara spent years living out of her truck before a shelter worker connected her with Jamboree. Now she also has found work as a caregiver.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Guevara, who wound up on the streets after a falling-out with family in 2015, spent years living out of her truck before a shelter worker connected her with Jamboree. There, she was paired with a specialist to help her figure out how to get and see a doctor, and to keep up with scheduling the battery of medical tests she needed after years spent living in temporary shelters.
“I also got a job developer, who helped me get this job with the county so I can pay my rent,” Guevara said of her position as a part-time in-home caregiver. “Now I take care of people kind of the same way people have been taking care of me.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Jeffrey E. Garten is president of Eliot Group Inc., an investment banking firm in New York.
This week, the Senate Finance Committee took up hearings on mergers, takeovers, leveraged buyouts, corporate debt and other assorted sins often blamed on Wall Street.
Next week, the powerful House Ways and Means Committee follows suit, and at least seven other committees seem to be gearing up.
While it brings back memories of past inquisitions of investment bankers, by comparison this show is headed for an unspectacular run.
Only two previous congressional investigations stand out in American history for their far-ranging impact on the behavior of Wall Street and on public opinion. In 1912, Sen. Arsene P. Pujo of Louisiana turned a prolonged spotlight on alleged conspiracies among New York-based financiers to create and control big “money trusts” like U.S. Steel.
Despite its effective muckraking antics, the Pujo committee’s work did not in itself lead to new laws. But sweeping new banking legislation, including the establishment of the Federal Reserve System, followed soon after.
In 1933 the Senate Banking and Currency Committee launched the Pecora hearings–named not for a senator but for Ferdinand Pecora, the legal counsel–which put investment bankers on trial for fraud and other abuses during the booming 1920s. Pecora’s efforts led to milestone legislation that separated commercial lending from investment banking, created new rules for the securities business and set up the Securities and Exchange Commission.
There are, however, great differences between Congress’ past efforts and what will happen now.
Unlike today’s situation, the hearings of 1912 and 1933 were heavily driven by nonelected, firebrand prosecutors with independent political agendas. Pujo had Samuel Untermeyer, one of the country’s top trial lawyers who became wealthy creating mergers and then sought political fortune by tearing them apart. Pecora, a New Deal Democrat, had been a prominent Bull Moose Progressive in New York.
In the Pujo and Pecora eras, the balance of power between Washington and Wall Street was moving toward Pennsylvania Avenue. While in the early 1900s the House of Morgan and a few others single-handedly controlled American finance, by the second decade the government was wising up. Again in the 1920s private markets were running wild, but the Great Crash of ’29 ended all that.
In the late 1980s, however, the markets rule again. A deregulated, global financial casino that sees $200 billion of foreign currency speculation each day has the upper hand over governments. Congress recognizes this and is paranoid about setting off Wall Street’s hair trigger.
In the past, Congress could push for broad policy changes because financial regulations were so primitive. Pujo, for example, had no real authority to compel officials of Kidder, Peabody and other firms to disclose their business records. Before Pecora there were hardly any federal constraints on investment banking.
But today Washington maintains the world’s most elaborate regulatory regime, and hardly anyone advocates wholesale reform. Some measures, such as tax changes, may be required to reduce the attractiveness of financing deals with so much debt. But this will have to be done with great delicacy and, in any event, it is not technically a securities issue.
A common refrain for Pujo and Pecora was the evil of concentration and monopoly on Wall Street. It has always been good populist politics to wail about lack of competition among the investment banks and about the dominance of financiers over the industrial corporations that make goods and create jobs.
But these days the Merrill Lynches, the Shearsons and the Salomons compete ferociously. And few would challenge the need for size and concentration to compete with the Nomuras or the Deutschebanks.
As for whether Wall Street has the nation’s corporate titans on a leash, who can really say, when the management of so many companies and their investment bankers team up to take over someone else–or, as in the case of R.J.R. Nabisco, when they collaborate to buy management’s very own company from its public shareholders?
During past congressional hearings, the executive branch has not been a wallflower. Pujo could ride on the waves of Teddy Roosevelt’s trust busting and Woodrow Wilson’s crusading idealism. Pecora had Franklin D. Roosevelt and New Deal government activism. While President Bush has been making kinder and gentler noises about reexamining the LBO scene, its hard to envision dramatic departures. Its not just that Bush & Co. are moderates. But in today’s greed-glorifying culture, there is little push from outside the Washington Beltway to clobber the money men.
Finally, Pujo and especially Pecora were reacting to financial debacles, in one case the recurrent turn-of-the-century financial panics and, in the other, the Crash of ’29. With October of ’87 but a footnote in history, and with the Justice Department moving enthusiastically to lock up insider traders, there is today no real lightning rod for outrage.
Merger and LBO mania may be leading to severe problems, to be sure, especially if a recession hits and topples all those debt-laden firms. But Congress has never distinguished itself by locking the barn door early. That didn’t happen in Pujo’s or Pecora’s time, and who would bet that it will do so in ours?
Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster actress Sue Devaney has teased all about the big soap wedding, Carl Webster’s comeuppance and the explosive Corriedale episode
Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster actress Sue Devaney has teased all about the big soap wedding(Image: ITV)
As Coronation Street‘s Debbie Webster continues to adapt to living with young onset vascular dementia, one thing she’s determined to see go ahead is her extravagant wedding to Ronnie Bailey.
But actress Sue Devaney, who has played the fan favourite since 1984, warns there’s plenty of tension as the big day arrives thanks to Debbie’s warring siblings Kevin [Michael Le Vell] and Carl [played by Jonathan Howard].
Sue, 58, says Debbie won’t let their feud spoil the wedding of her dreams though. The hotel owner hasn’t had much luck with men in Weatherfield, dumped by tearaway Dazz in the 80s, before her scheming ex Ray Crosby brought trouble to her door in 2020, a year on from her return to the Cobbles.
But Debbie has finally found the one in Ronnie amid the devastation of her diagnosis. “She’s never found true love until now,” admits Sue. “I think because Ronnie said to her, ‘I’m not going anywhere, you might be poorly, you might have dementia, but I’m sticking by your side,’ she just sees that as true love.”
Sue originally joined the soap as a teenager in 1984 and bowed out a year later, before becoming a key character after her return in 2019. She’s proven a hit with fans ever since, and so her character’s sad health news came as a blow. Sue and show bosses have promised there’s plenty more to see from Debbie before her eventual heartbreaking exit.
As the soap continues to highlight the condition and what it’s like to live with dementia, Debbie’s wedding sees a performance from the dementia choir in an emotional touch. “I was over the moon because it was so beautiful,” shares Sue. “When they started singing, I had a little tear. It was fabulous. They sounded amazing.”
Sue even got to have her say when it came to Debbie’s amazing wedding look, sharing her inspiration behind the dress. She admits: “I said I just want to look like a Joan Collins from Rochdale. They delivered brilliantly. I wanted that shape, you know, because I like the feathers and that kind of 50s shape with big shoes and a big feather headdress.”
The day is not without its drama, as attention falls on Carl who has been targeting Debbie, even using her diagnosis against her as he plots to flee with her money. With plenty of secrets set to come out, it’s on Kevin and his ex Abi [Sally Carman-Duttine] to expose the truth. “In Debbie’s eyes, Carl can’t do anything wrong, because she loves her brother,” Sue confesses. “I think there’s going to be a lot of tension around the wedding where Abi is watching out for Carl because she doesn’t trust him.
“I think Debbie is letting him get away with little bits. She’s not that far down the line that she doesn’t see things. Love is blind, isn’t it?” Sue reveals the events of the wedding will lead into dramatic scenes as Coronation Street collides with Emmerdale in a special crossover episode, dubbed Corriedale.
“She doesn’t want Carl to leave,” Sue explains. “She doesn’t want Carl to leave the wedding. Also he’s drunk, so she doesn’t want him to drive off. She jumps in the car thinking, ‘Well, you can’t go anywhere if I’m in the car.’ And he thinks, ‘Well, I’m going somewhere,’ and carries on driving far too fast.”
It seems Debbie and Carl could be caught up in the big crash stunt too in something unexpected, possibly, to fans. As Sue shares all about filming for the episode, she appears to confirm Debbie and Carl will be in Carl’s car, after fans had speculated it could be her wedding party bus caught up in the drama. She also addressed some stunt work.
She says: “There was one scene where Carl had to drive off really fast and they had a dummy for me, you know, with the hair and feathers in the hair and everything. And I said to our director, ‘Can I not speed off with the stunt guy?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, go on then.’ He let me do it! It felt like doing a little movie or something.”
It’s safe to say that there will be big consequences in the fallout to Christmas and the start of 2026 too. “It’s not going to be plain sailing,” warns Sue. “There’s going to be some massive reveals, things that we didn’t know about Debbie, and quite a bit of reflection.”
Sue’s also hoping for more scenes with Debbie’s female pals, including Christina Boyd and Glenda Suttleworth, expressing the importance of women supporting women. Sue says: “I think that those friendships and those bonds that you have with another woman is something that has to be highlighted, because you don’t see it that often in soap. I think they should do an episode just with women.”
While it’s been a busy time for the actress, she’s planned a relaxing time off over the Christmas period with her husband Jim O’Farrell, whom she married in a private ceremony last year. “I’m going to be away for three weeks,” Sue teases. “Me and my husband are going to relax in the sunshine. Stepping off that plane, hiring a car, going island hopping. And not a script in sight. I’ll tell you what else is not in sight: phone is off.”
Coronation Street icon Carla Connor (Alison King) was revealed to have become a victim of evil Becky Swain on the Christmas Eve episode of world’s longest-running TV soap
21:15, 24 Dec 2025Updated 21:16, 24 Dec 2025
Coronation Street’s Carla Connor has become a victim of kidnap again(Image: ITV)
Having managed to move her way into number six after claiming that a gang was after her, Becky was thrilled when Carla announced last week she was off to the Canary Islands. But in the latest episode if the world’s longest-running TV soap, things took a shocking turn when it was revealed that was not where she had ended up at all.
Before the twist involving Carla came to light, Becky set about taking full advantage of Lisa when they were in the house alone. What started as a massage ended up with the pair heading upstairs. When all was said and done, Becky told Lisa: “I never stopped loving you, you know. We do need to think about…where do we go from here? “
Lisa insisted: “I’ve lost so much trust. I still love Carla too,” and Becky shot back: “Of course. Complicated Carla. I’m not being horrible, but which one of us is here? Carla was just a tourist, and it looks like she heard the bell ring and finally it was time to jump off the bus.”
Later that evening, Lisa voice noted Carla. She said: “It’s Christmas Eve, babe. I can’ stop thinking about you. I want you back in my life and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get you back. It’s you. And it will only ever be you. I love you. Merry Christmas.” To Lisa’s relief, a message from Carla popped back up almost straight away.
In the very next scene, it turned out that Becky had gone back to her flat, and was texting Lisa herself, from Carla’s phone. This would mean that all of Carla’s social media pictures of herself on a beach were in fact, fake.
Becky threw down the mobile phone, got out of her chair and a terrified Carla appeared on screen, having been bound and gagged. She kicked Carla and coldly said: “Get back in the closet, Carla,” before slamming the door. Fans of the Manchester-based soap will remember that this is not the first time the businesswoman has found herself in this sort of sticky situation.
In 2010, Carla’s now-late husband Tony Gordon returned to Underworld from prison and, seeking revenge, he held Carla hostage along with fellow Street legend Hayley Cropper in the factory as he set it on fire. They both made it out alive, just before the building exploded, but earlier this year, Carla was held hostage by her brother Rob Donovan at number one, who had escaped from prison after almost a decade behind bars for the murder of Tina McIntyre.
Reacting to the latest kidnap twist, fans predicted that even if Carla does manage to make it out of her latest scrape, there will never be a reconciliation between herself and Lisa, and that the policewoman will likely be leaving Weatherfield for good.
One fan wrote on Reddit: “I don’t see a way back for Carla and Lisa at present and more importantly I can’t see a way back for Lisa as a character in 2026 in general and I am someone that actually likes her character.”
Another said: “I said about a month ago Lisa wants her cake and to eat it too and that’s what’s transpired. She’s quite happy to have Becky around and enjoys her being there regardless of Betsy or fake gangs. She was lying to herself saying otherwise at the start. She expected Carla to be fine with that which is just ridiculous.”
A beloved Coronation Street star has shared a marriage announcement online just weeks after going through a sad family bereavement
Joe Crutchley Screen Time Reporter
16:16, 23 Dec 2025
Coronation Street legend issues emotional marriage announcement after tragic death(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
A Coronation Street favourite has been flooded with support after sharing a marriage announcement online.
Adam Rickitt played Nick Tilsley on the long-running ITV soap, making his debut in 1997 – and it’s fair to say it didn’t take him long to become a firm favourite with fans.
However, Adam ended up leaving the show in 1999 to pursue a pop career but returned to the cobbles for a two-year stint from 2002 to 2004. Since his exit, Adam has kept busy, appearing on the likes of Hollyoaks and BBC ’s Doctors.
Away from the showbiz world, Adam is married to Good Morning Britain star Katy Rickitt. The pair first met when Katy interviewed Adam back in 2011 on GMB.
Three years later, the couple tied the knot in a winter wonderland wedding in December 2014.
This month though, the pair announced the heartbreaking news that their beloved dog Daphne had passed away.
And on Saturday (December 20) Adam took to his Instagram to pay tribute to his wife Katy on their 11-year wedding anniversary. The actor uploaded several snaps of the pair and wrote in the caption: “11 years my bean. Thank you for jumping with me.
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“Every day I feel like someone is going to cotton as to how unjustifiably lucky I am to have you in my life. You are my best friend, my lover, my soul mate… my person @katyrickitt. Here’s to all the moments yet to come x.”
Adam’s fans soon rushed to the comments section to send their well wishes, with one person writing: “Such a beautiful couple, happy anniversary to you both. Luck comes to those who deserve it.”
Katy also replied: “I always think I can’t love you any more than I do already … and then I just do thank you sweetheart.” Meanwhile a second follower penned: “Aww, you two! Happy anniversary.”
It comes after Adam and Katy were hit with heartbreak this month when their beloved dog Daphne sadly died. The pair announced the sad news on Instagram.
Alongside a montage of photos of the dog, Katy revealed that Daphne had died, with both Katy and Adam left “blindsided” by her passing.
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Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
GETTING a budget hotel in the capital sometimes feels like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but now one of London’s most expensive areas has a cheap, yet underground, hotel.
Park Lane, sitting on the edge of Hyde Park, is known for being one of London‘s most exclusive areas.
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Zedwell has opened a new hotel in London and it is completely undergroundCredit: ZedwellIt marks the second underground location for the brandCredit: Zedwell
In fact, a hotel in the area can often set you back hundreds per night.
For example, a night at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London in January could set you back £390 or a night at 45 Park Lane would cost around £940.
But now, there is good news for those wanting a budget option as a brand new Zedwell hotel has opened up on the famous road.
And the twist is that the hotel is completely underground.
The new Zedwell Underground Park Lane has 133 ‘cocoons’, each of which doesn’t have a window.
The rooms are soundproofed and have “ambient lighting, purified air and body-cushioning mattresses”, according to the hotel.
Each ‘cocoon’ also comes with free Wi-Fi and an en-suite, with a rainfall shower.
Just five-minutes from Marble Arch tube station, when guests arrive at the hotel they can also use automated, self check-in desks.
And for those who are staying and working in the city, there is even a co-working space overlooking Hyde Park.
A ‘cocoon’ costs from £67.68 per night, for two people – so £33.84 per person.
The hotel marks Zedwell’s second underground hotel, with its other destination being the first underground hotel in England and is located on Tottenham Court Road.
Halima Aziz, head of hotels at Criterion, commented: “Zedwell is built around one simple idea: delivering great sleep in unbeatable locations at an affordable price point, democratising access to city centres and luxury neighbourhoods like Mayfair.
“Zedwell Underground Park Lane exemplifies our brand values and our ability to unlock complex urban sites to create value in the heart of the city.
“This opening reinforces our commitment to high-quality design, operational excellence and exceptional customer service, while continuing to scale the Zedwell brand in prime destinations.”
Inside the hotel, there are 133 ‘cocoons’ that sleep two peopleCredit: Zedwell
Zedwell is known for offering budget accommodation and over the summer opened the world’s biggest capsule hotel in Piccadilly Circus, costing around £30 per night.
Travel writer, Helen Wright, stayed at the hotel and said: “Inside, decked out with a modern concrete and timber design, there are nearly 1,000 individual sleep capsules over five floors.
“It’s a twist on the traditional ‘dorm style’ hostel set up as each guest gets privacy and security of being tucked up in your capsule, with the ability to lock it from the inside.
“On first glance, the dorm rooms, which are minimalist and dimly-lit looked a bit like a car park or a storage locker.
“It’s nothing like you’d expect a hotel room to look, so it takes some getting used to.
And each has an en-suite bathroomCredit: Zedwell
“However, inside, I was surprised to find a cute little space, with mood lighting and welcoming interiors.
“Surprisingly, it didn’t feel as claustrophobic as I thought it would – as a 5’5 woman, I was able to sit up and easily stretch my legs.
“Even more surprisingly, I had a great night sleep, with no rowdy drunken people or loud talkers disturbing the peace.”
Brussels has been named a top place to go in 2026Credit: AlamyIt has some amazing street artCredit: Alamy
However, spring and summer are just as good, if not better, thanks to its amazing restaurant and bar scene, as well as as art scene.
CN Traveller named it as one of their Best Places to Go in 2026, alongside places such as Hong Kong and Australia.
They explained: “This often-overlooked European capital is having a cultural moment, signalling a shift from a bureaucratic hub to a creative powerhouse.”
This includes a number of new openings in the city, including the new The Standard hotel this year, as well as the Kanal-Centre Pompudiu next year, a factory turned exhibition space.
I visited earlier this year, for a quick weekend trip to Europe.
It’s one of the easiest places to get to thanks to the Eurostar – taking under two hours, it is the second stop after Lille.
And it drops you right in the train station just south of the city, making it an easy walk or tram ride into town.
The first thing to do is grab a cup of coffee, and there are some fantastic spots in town.
My favourite was Wide Awake, a trendy stop with their own roasted beans and delicious snacks including kimchi croissants and walnut cookies.
Of course, tourist stops you need to make include Fritland – a chip shop serving up the best in town with a variety of dipping sauces – and Maison Dandoy, famous for their light and fluffy waffles.
A beautiful spot for photos is Galeries Royales Saint Hubert, one of the Europe‘s oldest shopping galleries.
Dating back to 1847, it was inspired by Italian palaces and Parisian gardens, and is now full of luxury shops and chocolatiers.
They said it was a street that “captures the spirit of Brussels” adding: “It’s got all the charm – cobbled streets, crooked façades and centuries-old houses – but without the clichés.”
There’s photobooths tucked into shops – I grabbed a vintage one from Photomatique for a few euros.
Urban Therapie is where you can get some great shopping done, all selling independent brands.
And for food, I recommend Knees to Chin, a small Brussels chain restaurant selling Asian fusion food.
You can even go on street art tours of the cityCredit: AlamyFritland is touristy but a mustCredit: Alamy
Or nearby is Nona Pizza and Nona Pasta, right next to each other and serving up Italian classics.
Make sure to have your cameras ready when wandering around town too, as the city is full of street art and murals.
There is even an official Street Art Trail, which you can find here to help you spot all 150.
Want to take some souvenirs home? One that is unique is the Jeanneke-pis boutique.
The ‘sister’ of the famous Mannekin Pis (the peeing boy), the boutique sells some unusual gifts including statues of the peeing girl herself.
But you can’t go wrong with some classic Belgium chocolates, and can barely walk without being tempted into a chocolatier by its smell.
My favourites include Neuhaus – also in the UK – as well as Mary and Elizabeth.
Some of my other recommendation include Wolf Food Market, an indoor food market with 17 restaurants and bars.
And for a glam stay, the Doubletree by Hilton Brussels City is beautiful (and don’t forget the free cookie at check in).
The Eurostar from London to Brussels takes just 1hr53, with tickets from £39 each way.
Trains from London take less than two hoursCredit: Alamy
Coronation Street revealed surprise death news in Monday’s episode of the ITV soap and Debbie Webster has implied that all is not what it seems after the surprise passing
Debbie was there to support her brother Carl when he learned that his mum had died – but something seemed a little bit off (Image: ITV)
Coronation Street aired scenes of a shock death on Monday evening. Earlier this year, Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) arrived as the long-lost half brother of Kevin Webster, and whilst things were going well to begin with, their reunion quickly soured when it was revealed that Carl had been having an affair with his brother’s wife Abi.
Little is known about Carl’s past, but what has been established is that he grew up in Germany with his parents Bill and Elaine Webster. Bill was the father of Kevin (Michael Le Vell) and Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney), and their mother Alison never appeared on the programme, having died in 1980. Carl was then born to Bill and Elaine off-screen in 1986.
On Monday’s episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap, Abi was at Debbie’s hen-do when she got a panicked phone call and rushed straight home. Once there, Carl revealed to her that his mother had died, and he had been completely unaware that she had been fighting cancer.
For the first time, Carl began to open up about his mother to Abi and hinted at a mystery that was never solved between the pair. He said: “She was… formidable. Not the most loving of mothers, that’s for sure. Our relationship was tricky. I knew she wanted me to settle down, get married and have kids and all then.
“I was immature back then – late developer. She did bail me out a few times, though, let me stay at hers, when I hit the skids. I remember my 30th, I had to come home, tail between my legs, after my latest job and relationship had gone pear-shaped.
“She was back in Southampton then. I must’ve been there a week and I hadn’t really got out of bed. She came in my room one morning, dragged me out of bed and said we were going to the beach. I hadn’t been to the beach with my mum since I was a little boy.
“And I said I was sorry for being a mess. 30 and still kipping in my mum’s spare room. She was quiet for a long time and then said I deserved more from my growing up. But if I knew what had happened, then I would understand why.”
Abi then asked if she ever explained herself to him, and Carl replied: “No. I’m sorry Abi, for being the kind of person that not even a mother can love.” It was then that Abi pulled Carl in close, her eyes wide, clearly worried about what her partner had just said to her. She later reminded him that just because Elaine rarely called, that didn’t make him a bad son, and Debbie then burst in, having heard that something terrible had happened.
Through tears, Carl told his half-sister: “Apparently she’d been in the hospice for months. I didn’t even know that she was ill,” and when he and Abi voiced their dismay that Elaine had never been in touch, Debbie began to justify it. She said: “Well, we don’t know what’s gone on, do we?
“She might not have been well enough.” Carl then asked Debbie when she last spoke to Elaine, and the hotel owner quickly claimed that they hadn’t spoken since Bill died, which would have been in 2023.
But there was a further twist in store when Debbie, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia earlier this year, went home to her fiancé Ronnie. When he said it was odd that Elaine had not got in touch with the family, Debbie revealed: “She tried to. Recently. I just… I just forgot to tell him. With everything going on, it just… it just went out of my head.
“I haven’t told Carl – I can’t. He’d never forgive me. Ronnie, don’t tell him, will you? I feel terrible Really terrible.” When Ronnie reassured Debbie that it wasn’t her fault and she didn’t do it on purpose, she didn’t respond and simply gave a weird look.
Coronation Street viewers blasted one character’s sudden exit storyline as they struggled to believe it could happen and labelled the whole thing as a ‘disaster’
22:52, 16 Dec 2025Updated 22:57, 16 Dec 2025
Dee Dee Bailey looks set to wave goodbye to Weatherfield for good (Image: ITV)
Coronation Street fans described Tuesday’s episode as a “disaster” after Dee Dee Bailey announced her plans to leave. The lawyer, who has been played by Channique Sterling-Brown, 28, since 2022, decided on the latest episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap that it was time to move on from the Weatherfield backstreet.
The programme normally airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but there was a slight schedule change owing to ITV’s upcoming coverage of the the Carabao Cup. It has been known for some time know that Dee Dee was set to leave the show, and in newest episode, she revealed she had been offered a new job – but there was a catch.
At first, she was hesitant to tell her father Ed about it, but over a celebratory lunch with him and her brothers at the Bistro, she revealed that it was in Singapore.
Fans will know that Dee Dee is mother to baby Laila, who was born in March, but there had been a lot of back-and-forth over whether her brother James would take on the guardianship. Once James realised what this meant, he raged: “A creche in Singapore, 24/7? You really think that’s in her best interests? What do they even speak out there?”
Pleading her case, Dee Dee said: “I have agonised over this. And yes, it’s the right thing for me, but I’m sorry, it is also the best thing for Laila. A job where I can make a difference!” James raged: “I was there for you. I was there for Laila. I provided a solution. This was your idea! This was always, always going to happen.”
He then told his sister that she had “timed” everything to make sure things turned out this way and when he and Michael were in the pub later on, things had still not calmed down. When Dee Dee walked in, she offered to buy James a drink but he refused. He then headed into the pub toilets where he burst into tears, and text on/off lover Carl Webster to see if he wanted to meet up.
As details of Dee Dee’s exit plans came to light, fans took to social media to share their reaction. One wrote: “Losing Dee Dee but keeping the rest of the Baileys is such a disaster,” whilst another said: “So Dee dee has been a solicitor in New York Wethersfield and now Singapore. Where next Seaham Harbour?”
A third added: “I like Dee Dee but I wish this new job was a bit more believable. She is going to Singapore alone, no support, with a baby. If she took a job near her ‘gone to look after her aunt and never seen again mother’, I could believe it,” and a fourth wrote: “Dee Dee never spends any time with her kid now when she’s surrounded by family, so she’ll probably never see her in Singapore. She’ll be fobbed off to a nursery or nanny.”
Actress Channique, 28, announced her departure to The Mirror and other press, explaining for the first time her reasons for stepping down from the role. Channique said it felt like the right time “to be brave” and try new roles, as she got tearful in her exit chat.
Becoming emotional, she revealed she would miss her character, as she explained her decision that she made months ago. She said: “I made the decision in spring, and it wasn’t a rash decision. You know, I really took a couple of months from being offered my next year contract to actually even respond.
“I felt really torn, but I really just had, you know, the sense that it just felt like the time. I feel like I’ve been so privileged, and I’ve got to tell some great stories, and it’s been so wonderful. And obviously I’m very led by my faith as well.
“So I just really took my time over it and prayed into it. And I think, yeah, I found a real sense that I had done what I’d come to do, if that makes sense, not that I ever knew exactly what it was, but it just felt like I had achieved what I was sent here to do, so it was time to be brave.”
She told us: “I think Dee-Dee has changed a lot. She’s been through a lot. She was so ditsy and all this stuff when she came. But I think she very quickly, like we saw her heart with her being with Paul a lot, and we saw her strength standing up to Adam.
“We saw her, you know, soft side with all the stuff with her dad and the gambling. So I think, you know, she, she still has all those things. I think she’s definitely, obviously a bit worse for wear.
“But I think she’s finding her way back to herself at the minute. I think that’s really lovely, where we see her on screen. She’s finding some happiness. She’s finding herself again. And I think that’s life, isn’t it? You obviously change and things shape you, but it’s how many times you get back up? That’s what counts.”
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A well-known estate agent has listed the best high street across the entire UK, and the lesser-known spot came out on top for its restaurants, shops and houses.
The town sits 33 miles outside of central London(Image: BucksLive – Grahame Larter)
This picture-perfect market town has been crowned as home to the UK’s best high street by estate agents Knight Frank.
The property experts took a look at some of the streets that offer the most charm – and it turns out they found a true gem.
Situated in Buckinghamshire, along the banks of the River Thames, the town of Marlow is bursting with character that draws plenty of people into the area, keen to witness its thriving high street.
Matt Davies, partner at Knight Frank, explained to TimeOut: “We tend to see a slightly younger buyer base in Marlow, driven in large part by its outstanding educational institutions, including grammar schools such as Sir William Borlase’s.
“This often draws buyers towards the west side of town, to be within easy reach of these highly sought-after schools.”
It was described to be both “charming and lively” by the estate agents, two characteristics which have garnered it plenty of attention from home-hunters in an area commutable to the capital.
Over the years, its prettiness has attracted all kinds of famous faces, having had residents such as English novelist Thomas Love Peacock and poet T.S. Eliot, and even author Mary Shelley, who finished writing the masterpiece Frankenstein while living locally.
To buy in the area, according to Rightmove, people can expect to pay roughly £720,850, which was the overall average last year. Although, in that same year, buyers could expect to be paying around £929,115 for detached properties.
Alongside its impressive portfolio of properties, the area is proud to house a number of Michelin-starred restaurants and cosy pubs. One of these eateries even belongs to celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, who is the proud owner of the pub, The Hand of Flowers – the UK’s only public house with two Michelin stars.
The Coach is one of those Michelin star spots that is much-loved by locals and visitors alike. A recent review on TripAdvisor states: “Our first visit to The Coach, Marlow; will hopefully not be our last. The food was delicious, and the service and staff were extraordinary.”
It continued to read: “Helpful to the extreme. Professional, certainly. I would highly recommend this restaurant/pub. If you are near or in the Marlow area, be sure to pay a visit. You will not be disappointed.”
Meanwhile, The Hand & Flowers offers a more “relaxed” pub environment, with five-star delicious dishes. One pleased customer shared: “How refreshing to be able to enjoy this standard of food and service in such a congenial setting without having to put on fancy clothes!
“This was our first visit and, from the outset, the staff were not only super pleasant and helpful, but they also seem to perform as a well-oiled machine. The total makes an experience which feels more relaxed than other Michelin-star places.”
Marlow, being a town that sits along the Thames, also offers tranquil river walks. The town is sandwiched between Reading and Windsor, so there’s plenty to explore nearby and is completely surrounded by the sweeping countryside of the Chiltern Hills.
