surprise

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made a surprise visit to Nabatieh on Saturday, with videos showing his convoy entering the southern city.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions in southern Lebanon following renewed Israeli strikes and increased security deployments in the area.

Aoun said that Israel’s withdrawal, the return of displaced residents and the reconstruction of affected areas were non-negotiable priorities that Lebanon was committed to achieving.

ANT McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have taken a surprise swipe at former This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield – four years after the infamous “queue gate.”

Phillip and Holly received a slew of backlash back in September 2022 over claims they “skipped the queue” to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

The pair broke their silence on the scandal on This Morning and viewers were left furious by their “pathetic excuses.”

Now, four years on from the controversy, Ant and Dec have made a very cheeky comment about their conduct.

The telly duo were chatting about going to see the Bayeux tapestry – which depicts the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 – at the British museum.

Dec said on their podcast Hanging Out: “It’s the first time in nearly 1,000 years, it’s been in the UK. You’ve got to go and see it.”

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They both agreed to visit the museum together but believed it was going to be very busy.

Ant asked listeners: “If anyone from the British Museum is watching this podcast in their downtime… I’d like to jump the queue.”

Appearing to take aim at Holly and Phillip, Dec laughed: “I’m not sure about TV presenters skipping queues.

“I don’t think that’s going to end well.”

Ant continued: “What could possibly go wrong? It’s just scuttle down the side, pop in the front.”

Dec added sarcastically: “Do you think that’s the end? Nobody’s gonna say anything about it.”

TV star Ant then asked Dec if he wanted to skip the queue with him but the latter was adamant that’s something he’d have to do alone.

In 2023, Phillip told The Sun of the impact “queue gate” had on him and Holly.

He said: “I don’t ever throw anyone under the bus, but I have a very good instinct for these things and I knew it was a bad thing to do.

“We were texting each other backwards and forwards afterwards. I said to Holly ‘I knew I should have gone with my gut,’ and she said ‘I know.’

“But we were shell-shocked, the both of us, completely shell-shocked by the reaction.

“What are the two things you don’t screw up? The Queen and a queue.”

Phillip continued: “So we are forever now [associated]… it doesn’t matter now because I’m not going to go out any more … but forever now, you go to the butchers and someone says, ‘Oh do you want to [skip ahead]…?’ ‘No, no, I’ll stand here.’ I’m serious.”

Many celebs including David Beckham, Susanna Reid and Sharon Osbourne were seen standing in the long queue to see the Queen.

At the time, This Morning shared a statement on their official Instagram account, it read: “Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.

“They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.”

A much-loved BBC favourite is making a surprise return to screens after spending a lengthy break away

A much-loved face is returning to the BBC.

Master woodworker Norman Wilkinson is set to make a surprise return to television today after a lengthy break from the programme.

Sarah Moore revealed that her former co-star Norman will be back on screen when the new series returns on Monday (August 31) afternoon.

Speaking alongside fellow co-star Jacqui Joseph, Sarah was asked about her standout moments from the upcoming series, during which she revealed that Norman’s comeback was one of the things she was most excited about.

She explained that he had been away from the programme for “like eight, nine series”, despite being a firm favourite with viewers.

She said: “I think the standout item was Norman, who was off our screens for like eight, nine series. And he was absolutely the favourite of so many people who watched the series, and we couldn’t really comment on why he wasn’t on it anymore or anything like that.”

Now, however, Norman has returned to the show for a very different kind of project. According to Sarah, he was brought back to carry out an impressive transformation involving an old organ.

“But he came back to do an amazing transformation of an organ, a sort of small church organ,” she explained. Sarah admitted she was delighted to see him back and praised the work he had done on the unusual piece.

“I think it’s just so lovely that he’s back on, he made a great job of it. So I think people would be really pleased to see him.” She went on to describe the finished creation as one of the standout pieces from the new series. Sarah said: “The standout moment was Norman; he did such a solid job.”

The restoration involved transforming a smashed-up 1920s organ into a bespoke writing desk, with Sarah particularly impressed by how timeless the finished item looked.

“It just looks like the kind of furniture that you know in 200 years’ time people will be using it,” she said. “And it was a beautiful desk made out of an organ, and people won’t even know that it was ever anything else. It’s just such a great makeover.”

Norman’s return is set to be one of the talking points of the new series, particularly after such a long absence from the programme. He will appear in the first episode of the 19th series.

Money for Nothing broadcasts Monday – Thursday at 2pm on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.