street

Lyle Lovett performed Friday evening in Stagecoach’s Palomino tent with the group of killers he calls his Large Band. After the show, I sat with the singer and actor in the front seats of what I’ll call his Large SUV. “It’s a rental,” he said.

We’re in here because you want to protect your voice?
You know, I don’t smoke marijuana.

Anymore, or period?
Period. I have no moral judgment for other people, but I don’t think it’s good for me. When I smell it, I get concerned that it’s going into my body, and so I just try to stay away from it. In the artist tent, there were plumes everywhere. In fact, at our set, two songs in, I called over our assistant tour manager and I said, “Can you put some fans blowing back out into the audience?”

To send the weed back from whence it came.
Well, I don’t want people to waste it either — they paid good money for it. Jackson Browne asked me once in the parking lot of Conway [Recording Studios] — we were doing “The Road to Ensenada,” and he said, “Is it true you’re not cool with weed?” I said, “You know, I’m not.”

Where do you live these days?
In a couple of places, but in Austin, mainly.

People from Texas have strong opinions about the hierarchy of its cities. What’s the best city in Texas?
I can’t answer that.

You wouldn’t deign to.
It’s your thought, not my thought. The cities in Texas are distinct — wildly different from one another. Houston is one of the most international cities in the world. Austin is the most liberal city in Texas but it’s also being transformed by tech money. What’s going on there is analogous to what the oil business did in Houston and Dallas. San Antonio is the gateway to South Texas — it’s like 85% Hispanic. You feel the difference in culture there, and that’s wonderful. That’s my answer.

Did you ever have a move-to-L.A. moment?
I leased houses three different times. The first album I made in Los Angeles was “Joshua Judges Ruth,” in 1991, and the house belonged to a college professor who took a job at New Mexico State. It was on a street called Multiview, one switchback down from Mulholland — between Laurel and Nichols Canyon on the Valley side. I had a beautiful view of Universal City and the 101 as it came in. I remember this professor, when he was showing me the house, he called it “the river of lights.” So I lived there and then later rented the same house two different times, years apart, on a street called Torreyson, right below the Lautner [Chemosphere].

You’re set to get a star this year on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I don’t know if that’s true. I think I’m eligible.

It’s true — I checked.
We’ll see.

Let’s say it happens, which it will. How’s that strike you?
I think it’s always an honor to be recognized by any official organization. But that sort of stuff seems completely separate from the work I’m concerned with. What’s important is the work and how you get to do it.

Which of your albums would you say is your best?
It’s impossible to say. I’m proud of the Nashville records — the budgets were smaller and I had to record those records more quickly. But when I went to Los Angeles and spent too much money recording “Joshua Judges Ruth,” that was one of the most expansive creative experiences I ever had.

Define “too much,” right?
It was too much. Instead of recording three or four songs a day, we recorded two songs. Two weeks later, you didn’t love the take, let’s record it again. There was time to search for ideas, not just document ideas — that was the biggest difference for me. The natural way of doing things — just knocking it out — is absolutely valid. But from my point of view, I was more comfortable spending more money [laughs].

Where’d you like to eat when you were working in L.A.?
When we worked at Conway, we’d have lunch every day at Lucy’s El Adobe to the point that I gave them a credit on the albums.

CORONATION Street legend Tracy Shaw has revealed she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The actress, who is best known for playing Maxine Peacock in the soap, took to Instagram tonight to share the news and told fans she is due to start five months of chemotherapy before potentially having surgery.

Tracy, 52, wrote alongside a video: “My diagnosis of breast cancer.
So the journey begins …..

“Love to everyone who is also going through this journey, looking forward to hearing from you all, especially you amazing survivors.”

The actress explained she was due to have surgery in two weeks but doctors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital told her she needs to undergo chemo after tests revealed she has HER2 in her cells.

HER2 is a protein that promotes cancer cell growth and is found in more aggressive types of the disease.

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Coronation Street Maxine Peacock actress Tracy Shaw looks unrecognisable

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Corrie serial killer Brian Capron reveals hilarious saucy mishap with co-star Tracy Shaw seconds after he ‘murdered her’

She said after the course of chemo she hopes to have surgery to remove lumps and lymph glands so more tests can be done, which could lead to further surgery before radiotherapy.

Samia Longchambon commented: “Sending love to you Tracy.”

Sally Ann Matthews wrote: “Love you baby girl x.”

A fan said: “What a brave and brilliant post. Sending positive vibes and love to you.”

Tracy said she is currently in a daily 12 step programme and told fans she’s recovered from “many addictions” including anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism and drugs.

She thanked her friends in fellowships around the world for supporting.

The star said she has struggled with losing some of her hair as a result of the cancer but added: “I am truly grateful that I have this opportunity to hopefulyl be free from cancer as well.”

She also thanked fans for sending messages asking if she was OK after taking time away from social media for Lent to be more present.

Tracy’s soap character Maxine arrived on the cobbles in 1995 as a friend of Fiona Middleton (Angela Griffin).

However, she betrayed her pal by having a one-night stand with Fiona’s boyfriend – Steve MacDonald.

A year after making her Weatherfield debut, she was awarded the Rear of the Year title.

In the soap, Maxine married butcher Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and they welcomed a son named Joshua.

She also ended up having a baby with the local doctor – despite being married to Ashley.

Her run came to an end when she was brutally murdered by Richard Hillman.

The character was struck with a crowbar after she returned home from the pub.

In the real world, Tracy’s pop career launched in 1998 and saw the release of two singles.

These were Ridin’ High and a cover of Lonnie Gordon’s Happenin’ All Over Again.

Since leaving the soap, she played minor roles in ITV dramas but the majority of her work has been in the theatre.

The star appeared opposite Jason Connery in stage play The Blue Room in 2003.

The role saw her bare all on stage – as well as playing 15 different women in the production.

As Coronation Street’s power couple Swarla tie the knot, British LGBT Awards founder Sarah Garrett says the soap highlights huge progression in the representation of same-sex couples on TV

Lisa Swain and Carla Connor have finally said ‘I do’ on Coronation Street, leaving Swarla fans rejoicing.

The couple got together in 2024, growing closer before realising their feelings for one another. After almost two decades on Corrie, this is Carla’s first same-sex relationship, while it’s certainly not her first wedding.

That said, Carla has finally found her soulmate in Lisa, something agreed on by cast members Alison King and Vicky Myers who play the pair. But it’s not just about the characters and what it means to them.

There’s been a huge shift with how women-loving-women (WLW) romances are presented, and perceived, onscreen in recent decades. When you think back to the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss on UK TV, that aired on former soap Brookside in 1994, it sparked both backlash and praise, while it was historic in that it was something that had never been aired before 9PM until then.

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Fast-forward 30 years and we now have Lisa and Carla’s wedding, and the soap’s first WLW wedding that sees both characters actually make it down the aisle. Viewers have backed the couple from the very start, with many fans inspired by their love story.

With the wedding airing during Lesbian Visibility Week, a deliberate choice by the soap, it has to be noted that many viewers feel represented by the characters and their union.

Yes, Swarla have had many obstacles in their time together, and more than most. They’ve had evil wives returning from the dead, killer brothers and a few hiccups along the way, not forgetting the disastrous proposals.

But they’ve made it, and Swarla are here to stay. It’s clear from the love the viewers have for Lisa and Carla that not only are they offering a powerful representation onscreen of a lesbian relationship, but it also shows how far television has come where the visibility of same-sex romance is concerned.

Addressing this progression and what Coronation Street has got right with Carla and Lisa, Sarah Garrett, Founder of the British LGBT Awards, shared her thoughts with The Mirror. She shared how much of an impact Swarla have had, and why it matters.

Sarah also shared what it was about Swarla, and what Corrie have done with the characters, that is so important – and why other TV shows and screenwriters should take note. Sarah told us: “In the 32 years since Brookside first aired a pre-watershed lesbian kiss on British television, same-sex relationships have been portrayed in many ways – the good, the bad and the ugly.

“What makes the portrayal of Carla and Lisa’s relationship so compelling is that it has never been framed as a coming-out story; instead, it is simply a story about falling in love. Their journey centres on two women who know exactly who they are, finding each other and building a relationship marked by compassion, conflict and vulnerability.

“It’s a powerful example of authentic storytelling and one from which screenwriters around the world could take note when depicting healthy, nuanced same-sex relationships.

“Going forward, the industry has the opportunity to build on this by continuing to normalise diverse relationships without sensationalism, investing in layered character development and allowing LGBTQ+ stories the same depth, longevity and ordinariness as any other on screen.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

We analysed dozens of recent local news reports as part of our ongoing investigation into criminal activity on UK High Streets. From Bideford in Devon, to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, to Belfast in Northern Ireland – we found that drugs, including crystal meth and heroin, had been found in more than 70 shops and linked premises.

The town was also recognised as one of the “Happiest Places to Live in 2025”

In an age where numerous British high streets have fallen victim to a “clone town” plague of betting shops and vacant premises, one Tudor-framed town in the West Midlands is mounting a spectacular, independent fightback. Shrewsbury, the birthplace of Charles Darwin, was crowned ‘Britain’s best high street’ for two years running – and with an impressive tally of roughly 515 independent shops, it’s easy to understand why.

Cradled within a bend of the River Severn, this Shropshire treasure has achieved what many deemed impossible: building a retail landscape where local enterprises don’t just survive but significantly outnumber the national chains.

The town was also recognised as one of its ‘Happiest Places to Live in 2025’ and the leading town in the Midlands by The Guardian. It boasts dozens of historic pubs, including The Bull Inn and The Nags Head, which stretches back to the 16th century and appeared in A Christmas Carol (1984).

When the Daily Express dropped by the town, Seb Slater, executive director at Shrewsbury BID, explained that the combined efforts of businesses, the Business Improvement District (BID), and the local councils to deliver effective campaigns and schemes ensure that Shrewsbury “enjoys strong footfall and vacancy rates that remain well below the national average, with a continuous stream of new businesses keen to open here,” reports the Express.

He added: “Shrewsbury serves a wide customer catchment area extending across Shropshire and mid Wales alongside a growing visitor economy that strengthens our reputation as a leading regional destination.”

A shining example of this independent spirit is Shrewsbury’s Market Hall, which has been voted Britain’s favourite market across multiple years and claimed the title of best community market in 2026.

Commercial, markets and events manager at the town council, Ian Thorpe, told the Express it is a “treasured asset” that will celebrate its 60th anniversary this September, adding that the “fantastic traders provide an eclectic shopping experience for both residents and tourists.”

Yet perhaps the true jewel in Shrewsbury’s crown is Wyle Cop, widely regarded as the longest unbroken stretch of independent businesses in the UK.

This historic thoroughfare is a masterclass in boutique retail and a stunning showcase of the town’s architectural heritage.

Lining the street are numerous 17th-century timber-framed buildings, and the Cop is home to 39 of Shrewsbury’s almost 800 listed buildings, according to the town’s official website.

Beyond its thriving retail scene, Shrewsbury has much more to offer. The town’s 29-acre Quarry Park and Gardens provide a vast swathe of green space, ideal for leisurely winter walks or cycling trips.

Rich in history and flanked by listed buildings, you could easily while away the hours exploring the town’s captivating architecture, from the iconic

Shrewsbury Abbey and the striking red sandstone castle, to the Old Market Hall and Shrewsbury Prison, known as The Dana, which dates back to 1793.

Beyond that, there’s the Museum & Art Gallery and Theatre Severn to discover, as well as neighbouring green spaces such as Hawkstone Park Follies and National Trust Attingham Park.

The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its global growth forecast for 2026 from 3.3 to 3.1 percent, citing the impact of the United States-Israeli war on Iran and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz on the world economy.

The war has damaged energy infrastructure across the Gulf, while critical exports like oil, gas, chemicals and fertiliser remain largely stranded by Iran’s shutdown of the strait and the subsequent US naval blockade of Iranian ports.

In the worst-case scenario of a prolonged war, the IMF said global growth could fall to 2.5 percent in 2026, with low-income and developing economies hit the hardest by soaring commodity and energy prices. The global shipping and logistics industry is facing a separate crisis.

But every economic crisis also has beneficiaries: despite the dire macroeconomic outlook, some corners of the global economy are thriving on the uncertainty.

Here’s a look at five industries that are doing well either despite – or because of – the darkening economic outlook.

Wall Street investment banks

Global investors have been on a rollercoaster since the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term last year. The president’s erratic decision-making, where he often issues an ultimatum one day and then changes it the next, has led traders to coin the term “TACO trade”, where TACO stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out”.

The recent volatility has made some investors anxious, but it’s been a boon to investment banks, which make millions in commissions and revenue from the surging volume of trade, according to Sean Dunlap, a director of equity research at Morningstar Research Services.

“Clients want to reposition, so they trade frequently,” he told Al Jazeera. “Spreads tend to increase, which increases the profitability for trade intermediaries like banks.”

First-quarter results for 2026 – released this week – showed that Morgan Stanley reported a profit of $5.57bn, up 29 percent year on year, while Goldman Sachs reported a profit of $5.63bn, up 19 percent year on year.

JP Morgan Chase also reported major gains, with first-quarter earnings of $16.49bn, up 13 percent year on year. The banks all cited high levels of trading, deal-making, and “robust client engagement” as the reasons behind surging profits.

The boomtime for banks could reverse course, however, if volatility persists for too long, Dunlap warned, because investors may become increasingly cautious and less willing to borrow money to make trades.

Prediction markets

As mainstream Wall Street banks reap profits, the crypto-based prediction platform Polymarket has been earning upwards of $1m a day since the start of the month by letting users make peer-to-peer bets on everything from sports tournaments to elections.

Polymarket has been doing well since the start of the war, but it revised its fee structure on March 30 to cash in even more on its popularity.

Rival platforms like Kalshi, Novig and Robinhood also follow the same business model, but Polymarket has been the standout winner of 2026 because it controversially allows users to bet on the outcome of conflicts like the Iran war.

Polymarket revised its fee structure on March 30 to cash in on its popularity. The change has already netted the platform more than $21m in fees since April 1, up from $11.6m for all of March and $6.23m for all of February, according to DefiLlama, a website that provides data analysis for decentralised finance platforms.

If the current trend continues, Polymarket could make $342m in fees this year alone, according to DefiLlama’s analysis.

Anonymous users have also made millions correctly predicting the dates of major events like the US-Iran ceasefire, but the outcomes for rank-and-file users are typically less impressive.

Researchers found that the top 1 percent of Polymarket users captured 84 percent of all trading gains, according to a new report released this month analysing 70 million trades from 2022 to 2025. The returns are so high that US federal regulators have pledged to crack down on insider trading in prediction markets following suspiciously well-timed bets on Iran war outcomes.

Aerospace and defence

Unsurprisingly, the aerospace and defence industries are booming this year due to major conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, Sudan, Gaza and Lebanon and a surge in global defence spending.

About half of the world’s countries have increased their military budgets over the past five years, according to an April report from the IMF, which means they are also buying everything from drones to missiles — more than ever before. Demand is growing particularly fast in Europe, where NATO countries have committed to raising defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.

The defence industry has, in turn, seen major gains on the stock market. The MSCI World Aerospace and Defence Index – which tracks aerospace and defence stocks across 23 global markets – reported net returns of 32 percent year on year at the end of March.

The defence index outpaced the MSCI World Index, which tracks 1,300 large and mid-cap companies across the same 23 markets. The index, which gives a broader overview of global stock markets, reported net returns of 18.9 percent over the same period.

Artificial intelligence

Last year, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) office predicted that the AI industry would grow from $189bn in 2023 to $4.8 trillion by 2033, and the Iran war does not seem to have dented the outlook.

“Despite the shocks from the Iran war, we’re still seeing resilience in a lot of sectors like artificial intelligence and renewable energy,” said Nick Marro, lead analyst for global trade at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

One metric for the AI boom has been the high volume of semiconductor chips still being exported out of East Asia, he said. At the top of the chart is chipmaking powerhouse Taiwan, which reported record-breaking merchandise exports of $80.2bn in March, up 61.8 percent year on year, according to EIU analysis.

The surge was led by exports to the US, which grew by 124 percent year on year, the EIU said.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s top chipmaker better known by its acronym “TSMC,” on Thursday posted a net income of 572.8 billion New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) ($18.1bn) for the first three months of 2026 – up 58 percent year on year in NTD.

Another metric, initial public offerings or “IPOs,” also shows that the industry is confident for the moment, with industry leaders Anthropic and OpenAI both planning to go public this year.

Renewable energy

The Iran war has highlighted the need to transition from fossil fuels not only for environmental reasons, but also for reasons of energy security. The war marks the third major energy shock this decade, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Iran war has “boosted” renewable energy “given the urgency to switch away from fossil fuels and diversify towards renewable sources,” Marro of the EIU said.

Even before the Iran war began, the International Energy Agency reported that global governments were already taking active measures to invest in renewable energy for geopolitical reasons.

According to an IEA report released this month, “150 countries have active policies to advance renewable and nuclear deployment, 130 have energy efficiency and electrification policies, and 32 have policies to incentivise supply chain resilience and diversification across critical minerals and clean energy technologies.”

The Iran war has triggered another flurry of policymaking in Asia, which typically buys 80 to 90 percent of the oil and gas that transits through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the shutdown, the region has been struggling to find alternative sources of energy, forcing governments to deploy emergency measures like fuel rationing and price caps.

South Korea, Thailand, India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines have all announced a variety of measures from tax breaks for at-home solar panels to commissioning new renewable energy projects – and even restarting nuclear reactors.

The surge in policymaking has been good for the renewable industry. The S&P Global Clean Energy Transition Index, which tracks 100 companies that produce solar, wind, hydro, biomass and other renewable energy across emerging and developed markets, is up 70.92 percent year on year.

Coronation Street viewers were left in tears as the “most distressing scenes ever” aired on Wednesday night as a long-running abuse plot finally began to unravel

Coronation Street fans were left in tears as the “most distressing scenes ever” aired on Wednesday night. The world’s longest-running TV soap has been exploring another abuse storyline for several months now, which has seen Todd Grimshaw become the victim of coercive control at the hands of Theo Silverton.

What started as cutting Todd off from his friends turned into bizarre forms of abuse, like making him eat his dinner cold and then coercing him into getting married. Theo caused the death of Todd’s friend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) in the programme’s crossover with Emmerdale, leaving him to die in an explosion following a multi-car pileup.

Things came to a horrifying head earlier in the week when Theo, who had been making plans to move himself and Todd away to Ireland, attacked Todd so badly that he stumbled over to his best friend Sarah Platt’s (Tina O’Brien) flat, where, with a bloodied face and barely able to walk, she knew immediately what had happened.

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As the events unfolded in a special mid-week episode of the programme, Todd was at the police station for an interview, where he promptly broke down in tears and spoke of everything he had been put through. Back on the street, Gary caught Theo (James Cartwright) trying to make an escape, but had taken his keys out of his van to stop him, and made sure that he had no option but to go to the police station.

Sarah set about taking Todd (Gareth Pierce) to the hospital once his police interview had finished, but he collapsed in the car park. She later confirmed to George Shuttleworth, who has become a father figure to Todd, that he had suffered a lacerated spleen and internal bleeding as he and the other residents of Weatherfield wondered how they could ever let it get this far.

Through tears, Todd’s daughter Summer said: “I hate him. How could he do this to Todd? I’ll kill him. I swear I will!” Police then confirmed that Theo’s devices would be searched, and he was ordered into a cell.

To wrap up the episode, DS Lisa Swain, who has wrongly arrested most of the street during her time in Weatherfield and once failed to realise her wife had faked her own death, was given the honour of delivering a powerful monologue to tackle the issue head-on.

Viewers immediately took to social media to share their reactions, with one writing: “Oh my Days I think I’ve just used a full box of tissues. One of the most distressing, moving and amazing acting I’ve ever seen on Corrie! Well done for bring Domestic violence to the forefront.”

Another said: “Spoilers, but tonight’s episode is so powerful. It’s heartbreaking but so important. I hope this helps people to reach out for help. The last few minutes were so moving, it really got to me. I don’t think Theo will be killed, it’s too obvious, I hope he goes to prison.”

A third wrote: “Excellent episode tonight. It reminded me so much of how I felt 20 years ago. How I was scared to stay, but scared to leave. And I’m glad they mentioned honour abuse because that badly needed saying. WELL DONE.”

A fourth said: “Absolutely Heartbreaking & a hard watch[heartbroken emoji] but today’s episode was brilliant. Gareth pierce, the actor you are truly a fantastic performance throughout this storyline he has been outstanding and Lisa’s monologue at the end, was powerful what a scene!”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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NEW Delhi doesn’t ease you in. Noise and colour come at you from every direction, and it both rewards your curiosity and leaves you exhausted.

One moment you’re weaving through packed markets in a rickshaw, the next you’re sitting in quiet contemplation at the Lotus Temple, which is shaped like an open petal.

Entry is free (Bahaihouseofworship.in).

I also find calm at Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla in the south of the city.

Modern design is peppered with subtle Indian touches, and rooms are opulent with light streaming through large windows and bathrooms with big tubs and separate rain showers.

Plus, there’s a rooftop pool, where I take a refreshing dip before tucking into wok-tossed vegetable hakka noodles, £6.50, at the Edesia restaurant.

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The fort that counts

Come morning, after feasting at the breakfast buffet on an incredible dosa with coconut curd and mouth-watering medu vada (a crunchy, lentil doughnut), a rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of Old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk proves not for the faint-hearted, but essential for soaking up the culture.

I pass street performers walking tightropes, while food vendors fry pakora and kachori at astonishing speed.

Wandering through Khari Baoli, a market dating back to the 17th century, I’m hit by clouds of fragrant spices, before I visit the Red Fort, a magnificent structure built from deep-red sandstone that served as the residence of Mughal emperors for almost 200 years.

Entry costs £4.80 (Asi.nic.in/pages/worldheritageredfort).

The next day, I explore the newer district of the city. Standing proud at the heart of the capital is India Gate, built in 1931 as a memorial to fallen soldiers.

A 10-minute taxi away is the free National Gandhi Museum, which is full of photographs, letters and personal items from Gandhi’s life (Gandhimuseum.org/museum).

And I find I need three hours at the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, to wander the gardens and explore the exhibitions, which cost just £2.50.

The landmark also comes alive lit up at night with a spectacular fountain show, tickets cost 90p (Akshardham.com).

Chai and stop me!

Hauz Khas Village offers a different rhythm and is a brilliant labyrinth of shops, bars and cafes.

I find Chumbak, an adorable homeware shop filled with playful glassware, notebooks and ornamental plates (Chumbak.com), before unwinding with a masala chai at The Tea Room From Blossom Kochhar (Facebook/Thetearoomhkv).

After a stroll around the calm of Deer Park, home to monkeys, peacocks and a handful of spotted deer, I catch the sunset from the terrace at Hauz Khas Social.

Here, delicious momos – vegetable dumplings coated in rich masala sauce, £3 – pair perfectly with a glass of crisp chardonnay, £6.10 (Socialoffline.in).

Another evening, I head to Karol Bagh market, home to Hooter Restro & Bar, which offers superb paneer curry with buttered naan, £6 (@Hooter_restrobar), before watching live musicians performing on the buzzy rooftop at Epic Restro Bar (@Epicrestrobar).

India is also the birthplace of yoga, so before I set off to explore this intoxicating country further, I decide to join an early-morning class at Seema Sondhi, £10 (Theyogastudio.info).

It proves to be the perfect moment to reflect on an exhilarating and unforgettable city break.

There could be more problems ahead for George Shuttleworth, whose business is in big trouble after losing his court case with right-hand man Todd Grimshaw set to depart for Belfast

Slippery Coronation Street character Rupert Copley is returning to the Cobbles to create more misery for the residents of Weatherfield.

Two years after his exit, Rupert is sure to have old rival George Shuttleworth in his sights after viewers learned the undertaker is putting his business up for sale – and there could be more problems ahead for George, played by Tony Maudsley. Last week, he headed to court, and it wasn’t a good result.

The judge ruled against him and ordered George to pay the legal costs after a customer launched a smear campaign against him, leaving the funeral director devastated. A glum George opens up to his sister, Glenda (Jodie Prenger), and tells her that he might have to sell the business to rivals RestEasy at a knock-down price.

Rupert, played by Peter Carroll, is set to reprise the role of the trouble-making undertaker after leaving back in 2024. The last time we saw the character, he tried to poach his work partner Todd Grimshaw but was soon sent packing. With Todd heading to Belfast with conniving Theo Silverton, will there be more agony ahead for George?

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His Corrie return was confirmed by agents Thinking Actors with a post on social media. It read: “Thinking Actors’ Peter Carroll is back filming next week for ITV’s Coronation Street.”

Tony joined the ITV soap in 2020, portraying George, the son of the late funeral director Archie (Roy Hudd). Since then, he’s won over viewers and has been involved in numerous major plotlines.

The actor has featured in Queer As Folk, Emmerdale and also starred in the popular ITV sitcom Benidorm, playing hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke from 2011 to 2018. He also made an appearance in the Harry Potter series in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, portraying Hagrid’s half-brother, Gawp.

Todd could be about to find the courage to confront his abuser Theo after months of coercive control, and physical and verbal abuse, sparking a showdown between the pair. Todd reports Theo to the police for assault, and Summer finds out exactly what her father figure Todd has been going through behind closed doors.

As their doomed relationship progressed, Theo began cutting Todd off from his close friends one by one before subjecting him to bizarre forms of abuse, such as pouring milk over his head and forcing him to eat his dinner cold. They became engaged on New Year’s Eve and then then Theo caused the death of Todd’s best friend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) in the programme’s crossover with Emmerdale.

They called it quits a short time later – only for Theo to worm his way back in. Last week, Theo revealed to Gary Windass (Mikey North) that he hadn’t cancelled the wedding and wanted to surprise Todd, so Gary and his wife Maria (Samia Longchambon) acted as witnesses, and had not picked up on the signs at all that this was not what Todd wanted at all.

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

Coronation Street fans think Jodie Ramsey has crossed the wrong person amid her stealing things from other characters, and it could lead to her big downfall on the ITV soap

The game could be up very soon for Coronation Street villain Jodie Ramsey.

She may have made a grave error, crossing the wrong person – and it could seal her downfall. Fans have called out her silly decision amid her targeting a number of Weatherfield characters.

Jodie has been stealing items belonging to characters as well as other people we don’t know of, and she then places them in a trinket box. It seems anyone that crosses her or annoys her, she steals something they’re either fond of or that is linked to them.

Examples have been Brian Packham’s beloved book, her sister Shona Platt’s wedding ring, which she then returned, and the face of Bernie Winter’s wedding photo, which she cut out and put in the box. Her latest token could be what exposes her though, with fans convinced she’s gone too far.

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This week, she got annoyed at detective Lisa Swain, amid her being in Lisa and partner Carla Connor’s home as a nanny for Carla’s baby niece Connie. After Lisa demanded a coffee from Jodie, Jodie was not impressed and took action.

While Lisa did apologise over the coffee drama, Jodie stole her police badge. We saw her keeping it in her bag in the latest episode, with Lisa set to grow confused over its whereabouts in upcoming scenes.

So will Jodie play the hero like with Shona’s ring, and magically find it and return it to Lisa? Or is it about to join the famous trinket box with the other missing items.

Either way, fans think this could be the moment Jodie trips up and is exposed. While not everyone has a theory on who exactly will find the badge, many fans are sure that this latest theft will be what leads to her downfall.

A fan said on social media: “So Jodie taking Lisa’s warrant card for her box of trinkets is gonna be the one that exposes her. But who’s gonna find it? Lily again? Or maybe Shona?”

Another fan said: “I feel like she’s just implicating herself. Chances are Lisa knows her badge was there when she got home and Jodie is the only person she left her things alone with. It doesn’t take a career in law enforcement to put two and two together.

“Might lead to Lisa actually doing that background check she’s been so vocal about.” A third viewer added: “Jodie’s crossed the wrong person this time, Lisa’s gonna catch her out.”

A further theory read: “I do think Jodie’s made a mistake here in taking Lisa’s badge because it’s not something that is easily misplaced and Lisa can probably narrow down where it was. I think this could be what gets Jodie exposed for that box because it might cause suspicion and of all the things to steal, and her carrying it around with her, I think it’s hinting this will be what gets Jodie found out.”

A fan added: “Yeah what a weird thing to steal.” A final post said: “Whatever about stealing Brian’s book or Bernie’s face, stealing an actual detectives pass for your silly little box Jodie, because Lisa mildly offended you because of how she likes her coffee after a night shift probably isn’t the best idea Jodie.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

WHEN you think of Oxford Street in London, your first thoughts might be massive crowds – but this is set to all change.

New plans are being made to completely revamp the UK’s busiest high street, with inspirations being drawn from another famous road in Spain; La Rambla.

Currently, Oxford Street welcomes around 500,000 visitors a day to over 300 shops which include Selfridges and the recently-opened Ikea.

But Oxford Street’s £150milllion revamp will see it pedestrianised between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, meaning more space for people to walk by replacing the roads with paths.

The man behind the massive Oxford Street project, Scott Parsons, admitted the street currently feels like a “hostile environment” and that he even used to walk out of his way to avoid Oxford Street.

He added that he wants to ditch the “dip in, dip out” vibe of the famous road, and instead make it a destination for visitors to “stroll and linger”.

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Both Mr Parsons and Seb Dance, London’s deputy mayor, said they were inspired by La Rambla in Barcelona, to see the “the benefits of pedestrianised streets for cities and the challenges of large-scale regeneration projects,” according to The Times.

In comparison, stretching just under three-quarters of a mile long, La Rambla is Barcelona‘s most iconic pedestrian area and welcomes around 150,000 people a day.

Along La Rambla, visitors can stop off at a number of destinations too including the Mercat de la Boqueria food market, the historic Liceu Theatre opera house and Miro’s Mosaic.

But over the recent years there have been a growing number of complaints that the spot has become a tourist trap as well.

In a bid to avoid this worsening, a £48million revamp is underway of La Rambla and is expected to be completed by February 2027.

To avoid the issues faced on La Rambla, the development of Oxford Street will need to make sure it doesn’t become full of kiosks that block the paths.

Not only that, but there will also need to be sufficient crowd management, while allowing restaurants and cafes stay open in the evenings to stop the street from becoming empty.

Locals are worried though, that the pedestrianisation will push the traffic out into the surrounding areas such as Soho and Mayfair.

Even Transport for London (TfL) is having to divert its bus routes for the pedestrianisation.

However, Parsons asserted that the current plan will “put Oxford Street back on the map… not just the map of London, but for the UK high street as a global icon”.

In addition, Sadiq Khan previously mentioned that the street will be returned to its “former glory” and rivals the likes of Champs-Elysees in Paris and Times Square in New York as well.

The first phase of the £150million project will be to ban cars on Oxford Street this summer between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

This will then be followed by banning buses, taxis and cyclists later in the year.

Temporary “public realm schemes” will also be put in place to “beautify” the street, before later being replaced by permanent schemes.

Permanent features will then include more trees, greenery, rest areas and spots for children to play in.

Once complete Oxford Street is set to “host world-class events, from sport to culture and fashion, as well as exciting new retail and leisure experiences”, according to Sadiq Khan.

And in the future, the pedestrianised zone could be expanded to Tottenham Court Road.

Around 63 per cent of Londoners agree with decision to make Oxford Street pedestrianised.

Sadiq Khan previously commented: “We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue.

He added that it will help to attract more international visitors, as well as create a “beautiful public space where people can shop, eat and connect”.

In other London news, the city’s ‘best family attraction’ is about to get even better – with huge new outdoor play area and cafe next month.

Plus, save up to £10 off top London attraction tickets.

Coronation Street fans believe one of two characters could be secretly tormenting Sam Blakeman in an AI twist amid concern for his mental health as he continued to spiral

Fans of Coronation Street believe someone is out to get Sam Blakeman, but it’s not Will Driscoll.

Sam has accused Will of tormenting him with threats, menacing behaviour and a sinister phone call. He’s sparked concern about his mental health, with him clearly spiralling after recent stress.

Teen Sam had exposed athletics coach Megan Walsh for grooming her student Will for sex. She’s denied the entire thing, as has Will, but Will’s family know Sam is telling the truth.

Megan had been threatening Sam before he revealed all, and this along with his exam stress has sent him spiralling. This week we’ve seen him panicked, avoiding Will after Will appeared to threaten him over the phone, before charging at him in the street.

READ MORE: Coronation Street fans ‘rumble’ what’s wrong with Sam after concerning Will sceneREAD MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘rumble’ why Dr Todd is really targeting Jacob in ‘revenge twist’

Viewers are wondering if most of it is in Sam’s head though, and he could be set for a worrying mental health storyline. But one scene left fans wondering if someone was targeting him.

They do not think it’s Will though, and believe Sam’s conviction that Will is out to get him has left him paranoid, and suffering from hallucinations. As for the phone call, fans do think someone called him, but maybe faked Will’s voice.

The suggestion is that it was Megan, wanting to get back at Sam for exposing her. They wonder if she is using an AI app to mimic Will’s voice to get to Sam, while some viewers also wondered if Hope Stape, who Sam has confided in, is pranking Sam in the same way.

One viewer said: “If it turns out the teacher is using an AI voice changer I will officially stop watching.” Another fan wrote: “I bet Megan called and used a AI program to sound like Will.

“She’s probably doing it to keep Sam scared and full on have a mental health crisis.” A third viewer said: “I don’t think it was him, the voice seems very strange, like robotic, could have it been AI or something like that?

“That was so strange.” A further post read: “It could’ve been AI,” as another said: “Wasn’t Megan messing with AI voices in an earlier episode or have I dreamt it?”

As for Hope, one fan suggested: “I think Hope has something to do with it I think she’s messing with his head with the calls and making him more paranoid.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

This quirky village boasts England’s tiniest Grade II listed building and residents who love to see the stars at night

England boasts thousands of villages and countless tiny hamlets, each with their own unique stories to share. Communities have been moulded by history, weather patterns, landscape, geology, wildlife, conflict, inhabitants, faith, transportation and commerce.

Yet, one distinctive village in Kent is home to Britain’s smallest listed building. The close-knit community of Otford in the Darent Valley is near Sevenoaks — a town that consistently appears on ‘best places to live’ rankings.

For those yearning to escape city living and immerse themselves in the natural world, one of Otford’s attractions is that the majority of it lacks street lighting. Certain residents have claimed they “like to see the stars” and one recommending to “buy a torch”.

However, one new arrival wasn’t entirely ready for the darkness, recalling: “I remember my shock the first night after we got the keys to our house.

“I’d never been to Otford at night before. But you will get used to it, and grow quite fond of it, very quickly. Just wait for the first full moon with clear skies and suddenly the penny will drop for you.”

One long-term resident remarked: “Otford doesn’t have street lights as it’s a village not a small suburban town. There are very few people living in Otford who I think want street lights due to light pollution as it’s lovely at night when the skies are clear to see the moon and stars so easily”, reports Kent Live.

The village is home to approximately 3,500 residents, and locals are described as “really friendly” and “lovely”. Surrounded by countryside, it offers the “fresh air” that residents treasure, along with beautiful walking routes.

It’s also conveniently near the M25 and boasts rail connections to London, with journeys taking as little as 35 minutes to London Bridge with one change.

Another intriguing feature of this village — something of a claim to fame — is its diminutive Grade II listed structure, which happens to be England’s smallest. Its occupants are of the web-footed variety, as it’s actually a duck house situated in the village pond.

Historic England said: “The award for smallest listed structure goes to the Duck House in the middle of Otford Village Pond roundabout in Sevenoaks. This rubble and brick circular house shelters the luckiest ducks in England – they enjoy a food allowance from the Parish Council!”

If you are looking to relocate to Otford, Rightmove states the average property sale price over the past year stood at £810,059. The majority of properties sold were semi-detached, fetching an average of £693,458.

Values rose by two per cent compared to the previous 12 months. By contrast, Kent’s average sale price was £421,327.

Otford also has a Solar System, which is a scale representation of planets’ positions. Created for the Millennium, it guides visitors throughout the village to the various planets in proportion.

The village also features the picturesque River Darent, four churches, a village pond, pubs, cafes and shops. If you enjoy travelling back through time, you’ll adore Otford as its history and archaeology reveal people have inhabited this spot for no less than 3,000 years: including farmers during the Iron Age, Romans and Royalty.

Over the years, there has been a palace, a poor house, and a manor court. There’s a heritage trail, a Millennium Mosaic and more attractions to explore, all of which can be discovered on the Otford Heritage website.

The Bull Pub, located on the High Street, is an ancient coaching inn with roots dating back to 1512. The pub is owned by WH Pubs, who also operate The Chaser Inn in Shipbourne, The Little Brown Jug in Chiddingstone, and two other establishments in Kent.

For those keen to delve deeper into Otford’s history, a visit to Otford Palace is a must. This site was once home to the Archbishop’s Palace, dating back to 821 AD.

In 1515 AD Archbishop Warham constructed one of England’s grandest palaces, slightly surpassing Hampton Court in size. Sadly, the buildings fell into disrepair in the 17th Century, and today only part of the North Range remains.

The North West corner tower, part of the Northern Gatehouse and a connecting wall, which has been converted into a row of three quaint cottages. The site, including the Palace Field, is open to visitors.

In 1519, the hunting-obsessed Henry VIII stayed at Otford Palace with his companions, pursuing game in the vast deer park attached to the palace grounds. Between 1532 and 1533, Princess Mary, the future Queen of England, took refuge there amidst the political and religious upheaval that followed the dissolution of her mother’s marriage to Henry.

Ownership of Otford Palace was transferred to a trust in the early 2020s, preventing it from being turned into a housing development.

If you’re up for a five-mile circular walk and prefer not to drive, the railway station is just a third of a mile from your starting point. This route is known as the Otford Walk.

It takes you out of the village, along tracks, over several stiles, through wooded areas and high onto the North Downs for breathtaking views of the countryside. You can park for your Otford Walk in the High Street opposite the Bull Pub.

Coronation Street has shared new spoiler for next week episodes with two villains under the spotlight, while an iconic character faces grave danger after a revenge twist

It’s a really big week on Coronation Street next week, with danger, bombshells and discoveries that could change everything.

One soap legend could be left fighting for his life after a deliberate act of arson. Details are being kept under wraps in terms of what unfolds, but recent hints suggest Roy Cropper’s life will be at risk.

There’s also a killer bombshell for one character, while a villain is finally exposed by his victim for their cruel and abusive behaviour. More than one baddie’s true colours come to light, very much paving the way for the dramatic murder episode airing later this month.

It’s certainly a week to watch as things become clearer, motives for the shock death grow and we see multiple characters taking centre stage. Kicking things off, Summer questions Theo about Billy’s last moments, but she’s shocked by Theo and Todd’s plans to move to Belfast.

READ MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘work out’ Dr Todd’s link to Graham – and it’s bad news for KimREAD MORE: Soap spoilers reveal legend faces death, divorce news and court verdict

Summer tells Todd her fears that Theo killed Billy, while George and Sarah try to stop Todd leaving. At the flat, Todd makes his bid for freedom, but will he get away?

Todd finally speaks out, standing up to Theo in a special episode before reporting the abuse to Lisa and Kit. Theo is desperate to flee, but will he make his escape or will he be stopped?

Sarah vows to find video evidence of the abuse Todd has endured, while Todd struggles to return to normality. Roy is in grave danger when Mal takes revenge, as the café is set on fire.

With everyone thinking Roy is out, they have no idea he’s unconscious in the smoked out flat upstairs, so will he be saved? Debbie sees Carl’s true colours when Summer tells her about Carl’s offer to give her information about Billy’s death, in exchange for his life insurance payout.

Debbie kicks Carl out, while Ronnie makes him an offer. Mal reports Kit for assault, but Kit plays it down to Lisa, claiming Mal is unhinged. Later, Lisa misplaces her police badge as she sets off for work.

Elsewhere, Jodie’s latest actions spark a rift with the family, and Ben quizzes Steve about their dad Jim. George confides in Glenda that he might have to sell the business, and Eva tries to get the Driscolls on good terms again.

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Coronation Street has finally revealed what Maggie Driscoll saw on Ken Barlow’s sideboard several months ago as a major twist, and apparent retcon, took place on the ITV soap

Coronation Street has finally revealed what Maggie Driscoll saw in Ken Barlow’s cupboard – six moths ago. The Irish matriarch made her debut on the world’s longest-running soap towards the end of last year when she arrived to take over the famed Rovers Return pub, along with son Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker), daughter-in-law Eva Price (Catherine Tydlesley) and her grandchildren.

Since then, the family have not been short of drama, and they are currently in the middle of a controversial storyline which has seen teenager Will having an illicit affair with his teacher Megan Walsh, and it has been heavily implied that it has all been going on since he was underage. What’s more, viewers were subjected to a flashback episode, which was all set in Maggie’s native Ireland, where it was revealed that she had accidentally killed her husband Alan when he fell down the stairs during a row.

Fans will remember that around Halloween, she had called round to Ken Barlow’s house to borrow a bowl, and when Amy Barlow went into the cupboard to get it, she spotted something odd. Despite much speculation on social media about what Maggie had seen, viewers were left in the dark until now.

READ MORE: Coronation Street confirms bombshell twist as Maggie lets slip shocking truth

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Earlier this week, Maggie was having a row with Ben about Will’s situation when she let slip that Alan was not his biological father, and in the Easter Sunday episode, she finally revealed the truth to Ben. Initially, she claimed she “couldn’t remember” the name of his actual father, but when she heard that Ben’s son Ollie was spending some alone time with Amy Barlow, she couldn’t hold the truth back any longer.

Back at number one, things had been heating up between Amy and Ollie when she banged on the door. Maggie explained that Ben’s real father was none other than Jim McDonald (Charlie Lawson), who was recently killed off off-screen. This makes Ben Steve McDonald’s brother, and it makes Amy the cousin of Ollie. Famously married to fellow soap icon Liz, it transpired that Jim had been unfaithful to Liz almost 50 years ago.

Maggie said to Steve: “As soon as I saw that picture of your dad on the sideboard. At Halloween. You couldn’t make it up, could you?” Ben raged: “You let me go to my own da’s funeral without telling me?” but Steve was still convinced that she was lying.

Maggie said: “His name was Jim. Yes, I knew. Of course I did. He was 22, from Belfast. He had a moustache. He liked a drink. I knew he had family, but he was away from home, and he was lonely. I’m not trying to justify this. I know I can’t.”

Disgusted, Amy said: “I was snogging my own cousin! It’s not good enough just being part of one messed-up family, now I’ve got to be part of two,” and Maggie apologised profusely but Steve sent them all away, as he tore up the order of service from his father’s funeral.

Reacting to the twists, one fan said: “The mother of all bombshells from Maggie. Can’t wait for the fallout from this!” Another wrote: “Poor Steve. Finding out your new friend is actually your half-brother but to find out your father had cheated then hid it your entire life is another especially when said father is dead. “

A third wrote: “No you couldn’t make it up but someone did,” and another said: “That Maggie reveal and the reactions were very underwhelming. Her just seeing something in the cupboard on Halloween was more suspenseful!”

The event could be considered a major rewrite of Coronation Street history as for much of his time on the programme, Jim was famously married to Rovers landlady Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard), and, while the marriage survived numerous infidelities on her side, it collapsed for the first time when she admitted to having had an affair with his army colleague.

Jim also endured numerous spells in prison, and a second attempt at marriage with Liz came to an end in 2005, but, as far as viewers were aware, Jim had never been unfaithful to his wife, whom he referred to as Elizabeth.

In the weeks leading up to the death of Jim, actor Charlie Lawson criticised his final storyline, which saw Jim uncharacteristically decide to con Liz out money by pretending that his girlfriend was the daughter they had lost several years earlier.

Charlie, who has also appeared in The Bill, Bread and Doctors throughout his lengthy television career and also worked extensively in theatre, recently hit out at the “weak” storyline, which was brought in when Kate Oates, who later went on to work on EastEnders, was in charge of the soap.

Charlie said: “The storyline was weak. So many people contacted me to say they hated it. I agreed to it before I even saw the script. The work was lucrative — you can’t really turn it down. Now he can’t be ruined any more. He’s out of his misery.

“I know I will watch that last scene and be able to say, ‘Well, what a load of s***e that was’. I will raise a glass to the old Jim, the one I loved and was proud of, who spoke his mind, with cracking, strong storylines in the Nineties.”

Speaking to The Sun, he added: “There are some bits I will miss about Corrie and some I won’t. But I have no regrets. That’s just life, so it is.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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It was a risky move and Jonathan Torres knew it, but he did it anyway. He let an out-of-town guest stay with him in his room.

Torres, 40, had been living at the Highland Park Motel as part of Inside Safe, Mayor Karen Bass’ flagship program to combat homelessness. He and his neighbors, many of them from a downtown encampment, were told that visitors were not allowed.

Still, Torres kept having people over. After the third violation, he said, the facility kicked him out.

Jonathan Torres spent about two years in a city-leased motel in Highland Park. He told The Times he was kicked out of the facility in December.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s nobody’s fault but my own, but I just feel it’s unfair,” said Torres, who now lives in a tent in Chinatown. “In the real world, you’re allowed to have people come over. You have visitors. That’s part of keeping your sanity, you know?”

Los Angeles has spent more than $300 million on Inside Safe since Bass launched the program in December 2022, clearing scores of homeless encampments and moving about 5,800 people into interim housing — mostly hotels and motels. The goal was to get each of those people into permanent housing, typically taxpayer-funded apartments.

But even as the mayor’s initiative brings more people indoors, a growing number are winding up back on the street.

The longer the program exists, the greater the share of participants who have returned to “unsheltered” homelessness, according to monthly dashboards which were posted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, or LAHSA, and analyzed by The Times.

Jeremiah Flores, center, packs up his belongings during an Inside Safe operation in North Hollywood last month.

In 2023, at the program’s one-year mark, nearly 20% had returned to the street, according to numbers posted by LAHSA at the time.

Halfway into Bass’ four-year term, the figure had climbed above 30%.

In December, as the program finished its third year, about 40% of the people who had gone indoors — 2,300 of the 5,800 — were back on the street, according to LAHSA’s dashboard. That includes people who were kicked out of their housing or disappeared from the system altogether.

The growing exodus reflects the challenges Bass faces while trying to help some of the city’s neediest residents, many of whom struggle with mental health conditions, substance use issues or major physical ailments.

Workers with Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program clean up a homeless encampment along Hollywood Boulevard in 2024.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Bass, asked about the worrisome trend, said she believes that Inside Safe participants need more services to address those issues. She also said she suspects that the longer people stay, the more likely they are to violate the rules and face expulsion.

The goal of Inside Safe is to find permanent homes within 90 days, with a maximum stay of six months, according to the written agreement issued by the city to each participant.

At this point, the average stay is 362 days — just shy of a year, according to recent LAHSA figures.

Bass did not offer any definitive conclusions, saying the city now has outside researchers assessing the problem.

“It’s critically important that we look at the people who left, why they left [and] what do we need to do strengthen the interim housing that we have,” she said. “I have my opinions about it, but the opinions have to be based in science.”

Bass has staked much of her reelection campaign on her handling of the homelessness crisis, which she made a top priority as soon as she took office. She credits Inside Safe with producing a 17.5% drop in “unsheltered homelessness” — people living outdoors or in their vehicles — over a two-year span. That number fell from about 33,000 to nearly 27,000, according to the most recent homeless count.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass prepares to leave a homeless encampment along the San Diego (405) Freeway in Van Nuys targeted by Inside Safe in July. “The homeless should never be living in these conditions,” she said.

By clearing encampments, Inside Safe also benefits the surrounding community, making sidewalks more accessible and reducing the number of encampment fires, Bass said.

UCLA Law School professor emeritus Gary Blasi, an expert on homelessness, said the program has become too expensive to justify the results — and is in need of “a thorough re-engineering.”

Blasi said there were never enough vouchers and low-cost apartments to provide permanent housing to Inside Safe participants in a timely way. As a result, the city has been paying for them to live in expensive motel rooms for long stretches, he said.

“Once they started having people in interim housing for nine months or a year, that should have rang some alarm bells, because that’s just not sustainable,” he said.

Last summer, the Inside Safe program cleared away a large homeless encampment next to the San Diego Freeway in Van Nuys. Some residents went to the Budget Inn in North Hills.

Inside Safe participants also face a wide array of rules. They are barred from leaving the premises for three consecutive days without prior approval. Alcohol and illegal drugs are prohibited in their rooms, which are inspected multiple times a day.

Participants also are frequently barred from bringing in outside food, to keep from attracting roaches, mice and other pests.

“The rules are dumb. They treat houseless people like children. They don’t give people agency,” said Paisley Mares, who lives in an RV in the San Fernando Valley and has several friends who took part in the program.

Executives with the nonprofit groups that run the Inside Safe facilities said the restrictions are needed to protect residents, keeping them on track to find permanent housing.

Violence, threats of violence and property damage are prohibited, and can result in immediate removal from the program. The ban on guests is designed to prevent people from being physically attacked, sexually assaulted or engaging in high-risk behavior, such as drug use, behind closed doors, those nonprofit leaders said.

“We are bringing people indoors, mostly from encampments, where drugs are often the trade of the street. There is also often physical violence. That’s the way people survive on the streets,” said John Maceri, chief executive officer of the nonprofit the People Concern, which runs two Inside Safe motels in Hollywood. “All of those behaviors don’t stop when people come into an Inside Safe setting.”

Executives at the People Concern estimate that 50% to 65% of the shelter clients they work with — not just for Inside Safe, but other homeless housing programs — have serious issues with drugs or alcohol. The number with serious mental health issues, particularly trauma, is also “very high,” they said.

Inside Safe providers acknowledged that motel rooms can be a huge adjustment, leaving people feeling lonely and isolated. They said they work closely with participants to improve their behavior — and turn to expulsion only as a last resort.

“My goal is never to exit anyone to the streets,” said Joseph Bradford III, chief executive officer of BARE Truth, which runs two Inside Safe motels on the Eastside. “I want to keep people inside until they find permanent housing.”

By now, Inside Safe operations are a well-oiled machine. Sanitation trucks roll up to encampments. Traffic officers cordon off the sidewalk with yellow tape. Encampment residents lug their bags onto a bus and head to their destinations.

Robert Martinez, 40, moved to a Budget Inn in North Hills last summer from an encampment near the 405 Freeway. He had been homeless for about five years and jobless even longer, he said.

Martinez, who used to work at a water filtration company, said the Inside Safe motel was better than the street. Still, he chafed at the rules. He wanted his children to visit, which was not permitted.

In November, after learning that a beloved uncle had died, Martinez left the motel for several days — and didn’t “want to be around anybody.”

When he returned, he said, program staffers informed him he’d been away more than 72 hours and would have to leave.

“I had 30 minutes to get my stuff,” said Martinez, who has been living on a sidewalk in Van Nuys.

Erica Y. Pena, left, and Jose Monteon at a homeless encampment in Van Nuys. Monteon told The Times he spent about two months in an Inside Safe motel last year.

(David Butow / For The Times)

Jose Monteon, 29, moved into the same motel as part of the same Inside Safe operation. He said he was kicked out two months later, after program managers accused him of fighting and making threats.

Monteon, who has spent some nights sleeping his car, denied getting physical. But he admitted expressing frustration over the theft of his bicycle and other possessions.

“Yes, I said some s—. But I never said it to a specific person,” he said. “I said ‘Whoever I find out is taking my s—, I’m going to stab their b— ass.’”

Monteon corrected himself. “My bad — poke. I didn’t say stab, I said poke.”

Ken Craft, whose nonprofit supervises the Budget Inn, declined to discuss specific cases. But he said his staff gives Inside Safe participants three chances — unless they have engaged in threats or violence — and tries to find another place for them to go.

“We’re trying to end homelessness, not have people recycle back to homelessness,” he said.

Even with its challenges, Inside Safe has been gradually moving a greater percentage of its residents into permanent housing, where they are no longer governed by such a wide array of rules.

In December, about one out of every four people who participated in Inside Safe since its inception was in permanent housing, according to that month’s LAHSA dashboard. Two years earlier, that figure was about 15%.

Once the program’s hotels, motels and other temporary lodging are factored in, about 55% were in some form of housing.

Bass said those facilities are a vast improvement over the street, providing bathrooms, heating, air conditioning, hot showers, three meals a day and doors that lock. The program is one of several reasons why Los Angeles County officials reported a double-digit reduction in the homeless mortality rate in 2024, she said.

“The value of the interim housing, number one, is to save lives,” Bass said.

Torres, the Inside Safe participant now in a tent in Chinatown, experienced the difference. He entered the program with a history of gastrointestinal issues and abdominal surgeries.

Jonathan Torres walks his dog in November. At the time, he was living in an Inside Safe motel in Highland Park.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

“The whole time I had my housing, not once did I get sick or have to be hospitalized,” said Torres, who grew up in Redlands and Baldwin Park.

Torres said he was in the program for nearly two years. The longer he stayed, the more frustrated he grew over the wait for permanent housing.

In November, Torres told The Times he had received a notice stating that he had violated the motel’s prohibition on guests and was in danger of being expelled.

By then, he was worried about his health and his dog Waku, a Belgian Malinois/Akita mix. (The program allows “emotional support” animals.)

First To Serve, the nonprofit that supervises the hotel, did not respond to inquiries from The Times.

Even after the written notice, Torres struggled to comply with the rules. He said he allowed a woman from out of state to stay in his room for more than a week during last year’s rains.

The day after Christmas, he was back on the street.

In February, his dog was struck and killed by a car. Days later, sanitation workers cleared the encampment where he’d been living. Soon afterward, he was in the hospital, receiving treatment for a blockage in his bowels.

He eventually returned to Chinatown, setting up another tent. He’s been using meth, saying it helps with his medical issues.

For now, Torres has found some of the companionship he craved. In recent days, he’s been sharing his tent with his new girlfriend.

The greatest legacy from the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles continues to be the LA84 Foundation, which has invested more than $250 million supporting youth sports organizations in Southern California through cash grants. It was created by receiving $93 million in profits from the 1984 Olympic Games under the vision of lead organizer Peter Ueberroth.

On Thursday, the LA84 Foundation sponsored its eighth Play Equity Summit, which is designed to find solutions to the challenges of access to youth sports activities. The theme was, “Play Because it Matters.”

Renata Simril, CEO of the LA84 Foundation, said, “The most powerful stadiums in America are the school yard and the block on your street.”

LA84 Foundation CEO Renata Simile.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

She said youth sports at the grassroots level are failing. The pay-to-play model is rising, making youth sports a $40-billion industry while leaving many behind.

“The only P.E. that belongs in youth sports is play equity,” Simril said.

She told those attending, “The task is to act and think differently.”

She remembers learning tennis on her neighborhood street and “the cracked court” at Carson High.

Simril said with the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympic Games coming to Los Angeles over the next two years, “We have a generational opportunity to align the biggest moment in sports.”

She wants others to create legacy programs that last for youth sports through “more partnerships, more sponsorships, more access.”

“Purpose and profit can grow higher,” she said. “It should grow. It can lead to a legacy of investment in young people forever.”

She made it clear why participation in sports is so important for boys and girls.

“Play is how they become ready for life,” she said.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

If you grew up in the ‘70s or ‘80s, your vision of suburban America probably looks a lot like South Pasadena. There’s good reason. The picturesque town on the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley was often used as a backdrop in films like “Halloween,” “Pretty in Pink” and “Back to the Future” (the street where George McFly, Lorraine and Biff lived is actually Bushnell Avenue).

Today in South Pasadena, you’ll still find this idyllic Anytown USA landscape — but with a twist: Along with verdant parks, Craftsman bungalows and tree-lined streets, the city gleams with cool new developments like the recently opened Sid the Cat Auditorium, an all-ages live music venue in a converted 1930s elementary school; the always-packed Cannonball from chef Matt Molina; L.A.’s first nonalcoholic bottle shop Burden of Proof and a high-tech head spa imported from Japan. Add on a walkable downtown and a bustling Thursday night farmers market and it’s easy to see why so many Angelenos are drawn to this increasingly hip community.

Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.

“So few pockets of L.A. County are actually great for families and that’s what makes South Pas so compelling,” said my friend Tom, who moved to the area after having a baby two years ago. “Plus, it has light-rail.”

Located six miles from downtown L.A., South Pasadena was marketed as a “garden community” when it was founded in the late 19th century. New residents were promised homes with flowering vines and sweet-smelling gardens, all just a short cable car ride away from a bustling metropolis.

“It was that early promise of suburbia,” said Becky Nicolaides, a historian and author of the book “The New Suburbia: How Diversity Remade Suburban Life in Los Angeles After 1945.” “When it was incorporated, there weren’t cars, so the town was built to be walkable.”

But that peaceful facade hid an ugly truth. Like many suburbs in the L.A. area, the town’s officials put race restrictive covenants into place soon after its founding, making it illegal for residents to sell property to people of color.

Those covenants became illegal in 1948, but the town continued to discourage people of color from living within its boundaries for several more decades. That began to change in the 1960s and South Pasadena has diversified, particularly over the past decade. In recent years, town leadership has taken steps to acknowledge its racist past.

Now, even as a new energy permeates, the city continues to lean into its early suburban history. The town is just 3.4 square miles, but it encompasses 100 acres of parks and playgrounds as well as 21,000 trees. There’s an old-fashioned pharmacy where parents have taken their kids for a phosphate soda (or just a regular old milkshake) for over 100 years and volunteers from the community still decorate a float for the Tournament of Roses each year, just as they have since 1911.

And though its historic Red Car trolleys have been discontinued for decades, today it’s still a comfort to take the Metro home from work at the end of a long day and enjoy the peace and quiet of this pastoral suburb, just like its founders did more than a century ago.

British politician and peer Peter Mandelson tried to help convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in arranging for a visit by his “goddaughter” to 10 Downing Street at a time when Epstein was in prison for procuring a minor for prostitution, emails released by the US Department of Justice reveal.

Mandelson was serving as business secretary in the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and sitting on the House of Lords frontbench at the time. Epstein, meanwhile, was a convicted sex offender and was serving an 18-month sentence in Florida.

In an email exchange, Epstein told Glenn Dubin, a hedge fund manager whose child he called his “goddaughter”, that he would “organize a trip to Number !O, and the House of Lords with Peter Mandelson for you guys”.

On the same day, Epstein wrote directly to Mandelson saying that “the most important person to me next to you of course) is my goddaughter that will be in London on Wednesday and Thursday of next week what can we do to make it a very special trip, I would really appreciate it”.

In the exchange, Mandelson asks, “how old?, to which Epstein replied “15”, adding that she will be with her parents. “House of lords, number 10, just for ten minutes, it would mean a lot to me”, he added.

Mandelson responds: “Fine on all”. Epstein responds: “Great”.

Days later, Mandelson replied that he was “trying my best to accommodate” the request and that “we are still on the case… [and] hope something will fall into place”. Epstein subsequently forwarded Mandelson’s response to Dubin.

‘Andrew had tea with the Dubin kids’

These emails are among thousands of messages in the latest tranche of the Epstein files that mention Mandelson – a central figure in modern British politics for decades, long noted for his ability to survive repeated scandals. The exchange offers a glimpse into how Epstein appeared to leverage his relationship with Mandelson while he was in the United Kingdom’s government. In turn, Mandelson appeared willing to open doors for Epstein while he was a convicted sex offender.

Al Jazeera has contacted Downing Street for comment.

Dubin later wrote to Epstein: “Grt time in buck palace…. ….andrew was great. Thx! G”

Fifteen minutes later, Epstein wrote to convicted child sex trafficker and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell: “andrew had tea with the dubin kids and glenn.”

The emails appear to refer to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, ex-prince and brother of Britain’s King Charles. Mountbatten-Windsor was accused by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre of sexual assault, specifically alleging he raped her on three occasions in 2001 when she was 17, as part of a sex-trafficking ring run by Epstein. These allegations led to a 2021 lawsuit for sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which was later settled out of court.

Glenn Dubin’s daughter and Epstein’s so-called goddaughter is Celina Dubin. She is the daughter of Eva Andersson-Dubin, a former girlfriend of Epstein.

Email exchanges suggest that following this visit to London, Epstein stayed in contact with Glenn Dubin’s daughter — who the sex offender called his “goddaughter”.

Calls for UK prime minister to resign

The correspondence raises questions about why Peter Mandelson – who was aware of Epstein’s conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution – was prepared to facilitate an arrangement for Epstein and an underage girl while he was a UK government minister.

At the time of the 2009 exchange, Mandelson had returned to government, serving in a senior Labour role from 2008 to 2010. After leaving office, he built a lucrative global consulting career before re-entering public life, when Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed him ambassador to the United States in 2024.

His relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, has since become a problem that will not go away for the UK government, and has even led to calls for Starmer to resign.

The release of some Epstein files by the US Department of Justice in September 2025 led to Mandelson stepping down as US ambassador. A second tranche, published on January 30, alleged that he had passed sensitive government information to Epstein on several occasions, according to the files. The claims prompted the British government to refer the matter to police for possible prosecution. Mandelson was briefly arrested in February before being released on bail, while investigations into allegations against him continue.

The political fallout, meanwhile, has since widened, forcing the resignation of two senior government aides. In an attempt to contain the crisis, the prime minister said all documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment would be made public, a move that has instead intensified scrutiny.

The initial release of what have become known as the “Mandelson files” showed that, ahead of his appointment to Washington, UK officials had explicitly warned that his long-standing ties to Epstein posed a “reputational risk” to the country.

Government documents indicate that during the vetting process in late 2024, Mandelson repeatedly denied key aspects of his relationship with Epstein, including whether he had stayed with the sex offender after his 2008 conviction. However, internal correspondence shows officials were aware of the relationship, discussed it as part of due diligence, and raised concerns with the prime minister’s chief of staff. The appointment nonetheless went ahead.

Starmer has since apologised for the decision. Further WhatsApp messages are expected to be released in the coming days, and could prompt fresh calls for Starmer’s resignation, raising questions about how much more damage the UK government can sustain.

‘Like the bad boy you are’

One of Mandelson’s first recorded interactions from the files is with Ghislaine Maxwell.

As far back as June 2002, the emails show him already in direct contact with her, stepping into a world that blurred intimacy and power.

“I love disgusting. That’s why I am wild and dangerous…” Mandelson wrote to Maxwell.

In the same exchange, the tone shifted to potential political and business advisory work in the United States, invoking contacts linked to former US Senator George Mitchell.

In the same exchange, Mandelson appears to have gate-crashed a lunch with Epstein, prompting a rebuke relayed through Maxwell: “You spoiled Jeffrey’s lunch. Pete, I have warned you about that before. Behave or you will be punished like the bad boy you are.”

At the time, Mandelson was in exile from political life. It was 2002, and he had already been forced to resign twice from government — first, after taking a loan of 373,000 pounds ($496,700) from fellow minister Geoffrey Robinson to help purchase a house, then after being accused of intervening in a passport application for the businessman Srichand Hinduja.

It was in this vacuum of political hiatus that Mandelson would cultivate his business and personal connections with Epstein.

These early messages set the pattern for what followed: Long, meandering exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein in which sexual innuendo sits alongside business.

By 2003, messages from Mandelson to Epstein were being preserved in a 50th birthday book compiled for Epstein. Several pages show photographs of the two men together, accompanied by handwritten notes in which Mandelson refers to Epstein as his “best pal”.

The book itself was gifted in 2003, but it remained out of public view until its release two decades later, in September last year.

Financial links also surface from this release of files. Bank statements from 2003 and June 2004 appear to show Epstein making several payments, worth $25,000 each, to accounts associated with Mandelson, as reported by the Financial Times.

Other emails also suggest Mandelson desired a life that domestic politics could not afford. Epstein offered Mandelson access to the seemingly limitless excess of the ultra-wealthy. “When are you going to the island at Xmas? I am having trouble getting air tickets to St Barts and was wondering about going via US, NY or Miami,” asked Mandelson in one exchange in 2005.

Epstein’s reply was characteristically transactional. “I can pay for your tickets if needed.” Whether the offer was accepted remains unclear. Another message from Maxwell to Epstein read: “Asked Mandelson how he is getting to the island – he sd I hope JE is sending the chopper…so I take it you want me to give him a ride on the plane”.

The messages suggest that Mandelson was impressed by the allure of Epstein’s island in the Caribbean – and his mansion in New York that he frequented repeatedly, according to the correspondence released by the Justice Department. Pictures that have since shown Mandelson in a dressing gown laughing with Epstein alongside Mountbatten-Windsor, who was then Prince Andrew — he was stripped of his royal titles in late 2025 because of the revelations of his close relationship with Epstein.

Another released photo shows Mandelson in his underwear speaking with an unidentified woman at what was reportedly Epstein’s residence.

In another email in 2002, Mandelson told Maxwell of a cancelled meeting in Paris and then asked her if he could “stay on for a few days to have complete peace”. It is unclear why he was seeking her permission to stay in Paris — and whether Maxwell and Epstein were covering his costs in the French capital.

Then, in 2008, Epstein was arrested on suspicion of soliciting a minor for prostitution. While many of his former contacts have said that they cut off ties with him around this time, the files reveal that Mandelson positioned himself as a kind of informal counsellor, coaching Epstein through the mounting allegations.

“You are fighting back so you need strategy,” he wrote. He pressed repeatedly for updates, for “developments”, and asked whether everything was being handled.

“Hope you are strategising,” he added, in another message.

Upon finding out about the conviction, Mandelson wrote: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened … Your friends stay with you and love you.”

‘Special unpaid adviser’

Following Epstein’s conviction, the two did not cut off contact. The files suggest that Mandelson and Epstein were in more regular communication even as the financier was serving a prison sentence for soliciting prostitution with an underage girl.

This rate of emails again intensified in June 2009, when Mandelson was appointed first secretary of state, effectively the second most powerful figure in Gordon Brown’s government. Epstein appeared to take pride in the promotion. In one message, Epstein circulated a Guardian article about Mandelson’s new role to Maxwell and alleged sex trafficker and model scout Jean-Luc Brunel. In another email, he congratulated Epstein for his “comeback” and said his appointment made him “proud”. In another, he broadcast the news to his network of powerful associates, including senior figures at JPMorgan such as Jes Staley, writing to him: “For all intents and purposes Peter Mandelson is now deputy prime minister”.

At times, Epstein seemed to act as an intermediary between Mandelson and Staley – who, according to multiple documents in the Epstein files, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman, a claim he denies.

The files suggest Epstein passed messages between Mandelson and senior JPMorgan figures, facilitating introductions and discussions around financial and policy matters. Staley, for instance, asked Epstein to arrange meetings with Mandelson, which appeared to take place in December 2009, February 2010, and a call set up by Epstein in March 2010 – and another call with either Mandelson or then-Chancellor Alistair Darling in January 2010.

The tone of the correspondence oscillated between admiration and calculation. In one exchange, Epstein described Mandelson as “devious” after he lobbied a bank to underwrite a mining project backed by their mutual associate Nat Rothschild, as reported by the Guardian.

Epstein also began offering advice. He suggested Mandelson could leverage his new position, “in charge of all universities”, to establish a prize in “cyberwar artificial general intelligence”, an area in which Epstein himself held business interests. Mandelson’s reply was telling: “You can become my special unpaid adviser.”

Other messages reportedly suggest Mandelson may have tipped Epstein off about sensitive political developments, including Brown’s impending resignation in 2010 and a 500-billion-euro ($580bn) European Union bailout designed to stabilise the Greek debt crisis.

In a separate exchange, days after his appointment as first secretary of state, Mandelson forwarded Epstein a private email sent to Brown containing sensitive market information, including discussions of potential government asset sales, tax policy, and business expectations that the Conservatives would win the next election.

The forwarded “interesting note” was from Nick Butler, a special adviser, outlining “business issues” for the prime minister. Epstein, still in prison at the time, responded with policy advice of his own. The government, he wrote, should consider not only physical assets but “INTELLECTUAL assets, that are not being exploited”, effectively advising a sitting cabinet minister on economic strategy.

‘You are the only person that knows everything about me’

The weekend after this correspondence, Mandelson appeared to have stayed at Epstein’s residence. At the same time, the two continued a close personal relationship. In one exchange, Mandelson told Epstein: “Had a long dream about you last night.”

In another exchange, Epstein appeared to act as a confidant. Mandelson, writing from the Lords frontbench while seemingly engaged in parliamentary business, asked whether Epstein had spoken to a contact.

The correspondence then turned to a figure named Simone. “I am worried about Simone who is totally despairing,” Mandelson wrote. “I am not sure what else to do. Any ideas?”

Epstein advised him to travel to New York: “Yes, you should go to New York for a weekend… I have been consistent on this. Do not lose the opportunity. Coming across people you really enjoy is rare – don’t be lazy, get on a plane.”

“You are the only person who knows everything about me,” Mandelson later responded.

Weeks later, however, Epstein appeared to change his position. He wrote: “I’m rethinking the Simone issue with your new profile. I’m afraid it’s asking for serious trouble. It won’t be kept quiet. Rinalado will go ballistic. Fraught with danger.”

Financial links emerge again shortly after. It is widely reported that in September 2009, Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, emailed Epstein requesting financial help to cover the costs of an osteopathy course, including fees, equipment and a laptop. Epstein agreed: “I will wire your loan amount immediately.”

A payment of 10,000 pounds ($13,310) followed. When da Silva sought clarification on whether the amount covered his school fees, Epstein confirmed it did. Mandelson, in turn, emailed Epstein with a note of caution: “Remind him that to avoid a gift-tax filing, it must be a loan.”

Days later, da Silva confirmed receipt of the funds: “Thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning.”

The contact between Mandelson and Epstein did not end there. According to the files, the two remained in communication until 2016, while the UK government’s own due diligence report says the relationship continued until 2019.

In one of their final exchanges, Mandelson’s fascination with power appeared to endure. “By the way, as political practitioner, Donald is phenomenal,” he wrote, referring to US President Donald Trump. “The craft and tenacity are amazing.”

Coronation Street newcomer Ben Driscoll will be left ‘absolutely devastated’ in the fallout to a sickening plot, while another bombshell leads to him hitting the bottle

It’s a tough time ahead for the Driscolls on Coronation Street, especially newcomer Ben.

Actor Aaron McCusker who has played him since October has spilled on two big moments ahead for his character. Ben will be left “devastated” in the fallout to his teenage son Will Driscoll’s grooming ordeal.

But Ben will also be left blindsided about a DNA twist that sparks heartache for him, tearing apart his relationship with his mother Maggie. It’s not yet clear if Ben will find out his real father is former character Jim McDonald, but we do know that Ben learns the man he thought was his father actually wasn’t.

Actor Aaron teased of what is ahead: “Ben and Maggie are having a row and in the heat of the argument, Maggie says something that just doesn’t make sense to Ben. Maggie tries to backtrack and pretends she didn’t know what she was saying but Ben won’t let it go.

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“It’s digging at him, why did she say that, and he just needles at her till eventually she says right here’s the truth. Maggie’s also being blackmailed by Ben’s ex Melanie who knows the truth from Ben’s brother who witnessed things, and is using this to try to force Maggie to convince Ben to let Will go live with her.

“Eventually it all just gets too much for Maggie and she makes the decision to tell Ben herself. Then the truth comes tumbling out.” On the impact of the paternity news, Aaron went on: “He’s stunned and he’s also livid, made worse by the fact he can’t go back and talk to the man who he always thought was his dad because he’s dead.

“He also finds out that Alan knew he wasn’t Ben’s dad and still stuck by Maggie and that endears him to Alan even more. He has a huge argument with Maggie then he goes straight out to the bar and gets stuck into the whiskeys.”

Aaron hinted that it could be it for Maggie and Ben. He said: “Let’s be honest he’s forgiven his mum for quite a lot already! He threw her out of the house on Christmas Day, then let her back in.

“He sits back 50% of the time and lets her get away with how she treats Eva and he does realise that she was a single mother and sacrificed a lot to bring him and Fin up. But maybe it will go a different way this time, I think it will take a while to get over this but time’s a healer so I hope in the end they will be alright.”

He then discussed the plot involving Ben’s son Will, who has been sexually abused by his athletics coach Megan Walsh. With Will still manipulated into believing they are in a relationship, and with Megan pregnant with his child, ben is left blaming himself.

Aaron explains: “He’s absolutely gutted, he’s been through a stage of blaming himself, maybe he’s been too wrapped up in the move to Weatherfield, been stuck in the middle of the war between Maggie and Eva, focusing on his two other kids and it just slid by him. He’s disappointed in himself and he’s going out of his way now to try to make things better but with a teenage son it’s not easy and he’s going to have to work hard to repair the relationship.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

New motives look set to be revealed on Coronation Street next week that could give away which of the five potential victims is killed off in April, with one killer possibly exposed

Spoilers for next week on Coronation Street could tease which character dies in the murder plot in April, as there’s new motives and new confessions.

Fans know that either Jodie Ramsey, Maggie Driscoll, Megan Walsh, Carl Webster or Theo Silverton will be brutally murdered in a dark episode next month. While moments on screen have proven why each of them is a worthy candidate for the grim death twist, new spoilers could make one character a front runner.

Next week, one character’s killer secret could finally be exposed by another villain. While all five potential victims take centre stage and are causing drama, there’s one villain in particular that could see his dark actions come to light very soon, and it could give away that Theo is the one who dies.

Spoilers for next week reveal that, Ben who’s facing drama with his ex-wife, suffers a dizzy spell, and his mum Maggie wants to call an ambulance, but Ben insists he’s fine. When he demands the truth about his dad, Maggie finally admits that Alan wasn’t his real father, but she doesn’t say who is.

READ MORE: Emmerdale icon says ‘good things come to an end’ after 17 years on soap amid big shake-upREAD MORE: EastEnders favourite left ‘broken’ over ’emotional’ baby twist in labour plot

Will Maggie be forced to reveal all when a situation between Amy and Ollie leaves her panicked? Ben tells his mum he wants nothing to do with her. Elsewhere, Kevin reveals Debbie has won her prison appeal, but she soon goes missing.

Carl soon finds her, and asks for £10,000 to pay off his debt to Fiona. Ronnie’s suspicious and calls Fiona, but will she back Carl’s claim? Later in the week, Debbie sparks concern at the hotel when she offends Tracy and Mary’s customer.

Will offers Sam an apology over the Megan situation, and Sam reluctantly shakes his hand but it’s clear he still doesn’t trust him. He tells Hope he’s been looking into grooming cases, as Toyah urges him to stop worrying about Megan and Will.

Soon a clash between Sam and Will leaves their loved ones rowing too, but is Will really to blame? When a paranoid Sam spots Megan and Will at the precinct he rushes to get someone, only for Will to claim he’s been at the pub all morning.

Also next week, Jodie pulls a sickie at work to spend the day with David, while Tim prepares to confront Trisha over their past. Lisa announces her divorce from Becky has come through, and as they celebrate they ask Jodie to look after baby Connie.

Meanwhile, Sarah shares her concern for Todd, leading to her meeting with Theo’s ex Danielle to ask if Theo was ever violent towards her. The incident leaves Theo furious, and he tells Todd their moving to Belfast in a matter of days.

Finally next week, Abi suggests to Summer that Debbie might not have been driving the car on the night of the crash. When Summer asks Debbie if Carl was driving, she panics and ends up injuring herself.

After a scan, Debbie learns she’s deteriorated after her dementia diagnosis. As for Summer, she’s told by Carl that if she wants to know who killed Billy she needs to stop pointing the finger at him and look closer to home.

So does this final spoiler make it clear that Theo will finally be exposed for killing Billy? Will this lead to residents finding out the truth and then taking revenge?

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

A UK seaside town is brimming with charm, with vibrant beach huts lining the golden beach and a high street packed with independent businesses that serves up its famed oysters

A charming coastal town, just a short train ride from London, offers an idyllic day out, adorned with colourful beach huts and an independent high street.

The seaside town of Whitstable in Kent is perhaps one of the best ways to make the most of the warmer weather, with its sprawling beach, thriving harbour and high street brimming with independent businesses. Nestled between Herne Bay and Seasalter, the Kentish town is just over an hour’s train journey from London, making it a favourite among those who want to escape the smoke for a break by the picturesque coast.

The shingle beach is at the heart of this town, with its picturesque pastel-hued beach huts lining the promenade for a quintessential British seaside. While it may lack the pier or rides you might find at other seaside towns, its stretches of golden beach have previously earned it the recognition of the ‘best of the traditional British seaside’ by Beach Guide, thanks to its ‘quirkiness and charm’.

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It’s a place where families can spend hours playing along the shore, taking a refreshing dip in the seawaters, or simply walking along its stretching promenade, admiring the colourful beach huts. If you fancy a pint in the sun, there’s the famed Old Neptune pub, with outdoor seating offering views across the coast, and where fishermen take in their daily catch.

Whitstable also has a bustling harbour and is renowned for its oysters. Its heritage of seafood dates back to around 80AD, when the Romans reportedly sent oysters back to Rome because they loved them so much, and the town built a thriving industry based on mollusc business that remains in place today.

A trip to Whitstable wouldn’t be complete without sampling its famed oysters with the acclaimed Whitstable Oyster Company and Wheelers Oyster Bar, providing the perfect spot. But with an array of restaurants nestled around the town, you’ll never be far from fresh seafood, and the town even holds its very own Whitstable Rocks Oyster Festival to celebrate its historic connection.

Away from oysters, the town, which has been dubbed the ‘jewel of the Kent coast’, is also known for its thriving high street. Whitstable has hundreds of independent businesses, from vintage shops and art galleries to cafés, bakeries, hardware stores, and family-run eateries, with just a few chain stores surviving.

A stroll along Harbour Street and the High Street will reveal shopfronts bursting with character, including George’s Whitstable, an authentic Aladdin’s cave that has been a fixture for around 50 years. Some of its other notable highlights include the elegant jewellery shop Pearl Shop, the independent toy shop Buttercup, and Harbour Books.