Wicks

Life-changing mental health walking and running groups are set to open all over the country in honour of Pride of Britain winner Marcus Skeet

The Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards 2025 were a night to remember as ordinary people – who have done extraordinary things – were applauded for their hard work by a host of famous faces.

And when Marcus Skeet, the record-breaking charity runner and mental health champion received his Special Recognition Award, he got an extra surprise. After handing Marcus his trophy, pop star Anne-Marie, and podcast duo Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson revealed Pride of Britain had launched a special GoFundMe for mental health charity Mind in Marcus’s honour.

Money raised will pay for special mental health walking and running groups all over the country called Marcus’s Movers. The groups, which include mental health practitioners, cost £2,500 to set up.

READ MORE: Lydia Bright’s poignant foster care connection as she celebrates Pride of Britain kids

Sam and Pete kicked things off with a £5,000 donation on stage, and then Pub Landlord Al Murray took to the floor to persuade some other famous faces to chip in too.

Dragons Den tycoon Duncan Bannatyne donated £20,000, bringing the total raised on the night to £50,000, enough to fund 20 potentially lifesaving Marcus’s Movers groups. A stunned Marcus told Ashley Banjo: “From the bottom of my heart, that means the absolute world. I’m lost for words.”

Now you can help by donating to the GoFundMe to help Mind set up even more Marcus’s Movers groups in communities all over Britain. The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with P&O Cruises celebrate unsung heroes like Marcus. His own life was transformed by walking and running – the teenager went from the lowest possible ebb to becoming a record-breaking charity fundraiser and Pride of Britain winner.

He was 12 when his dad was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Marcus’s physical and mental health rapidly declined and he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and intrusive thoughts which dramatically impacted his life.

At 15 he was in “one of the darkest places”, and attempted suicide after spending months alone in his room with no contact with the outside world. Desperate to turn his life around, Marcus, now 17, started walking short distances at first, before building up distance and speed until he was jogging longer routes. He says: “My mental health was at an all time low so I decided to run, not just for mental health but to raise awareness. Running pushed my body and mind and the feeling after a run was like nothing else.”

Since then, Marcus has raised more than £200,000 for Mind through running, including a run from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The gruelling 874 mile challenge saw him become the youngest person ever – and the first under 18 – to run the entire length of the UK.

Marcus has documented his journey on social media in the hopes of inspiring others who are struggling with their mental health. He says: “Life is brutal, sometimes you feel like you’re in a place you can’t get out of. But I promise you, every road may have speed bumps but you’ll get over them. Mental health is such a big thing, everyone is different but I find running helps mine.”

Find out more about Marcus’s Movers and donate at gofundme.com/f/marcus-movers

OLIVIA Attwood and Bradley Dack are working to ‘save their marriage’ after she confessed they’re going through a rough patch.

The presenter, 34, this week consulted a psychic and asked if things “will get better” in her relationship.

Now it’s been reported Olivia and footballer Bradley, 31, are determined to start putting each other first.

A source said: “Olivia and Bradley have grown up together, it’s been 10 years since they first started dating.

“She will be the first to admit that this year she has put her career first, which Bradley completely supports.

“But for the first time in years, Olivia asked for a week off work, giving her the chance to catch up with her personal life and spend anytime she can, when he’s not training, with Bradley.”

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Olivia Attwood reveals her marriage is ‘unsettled’ as she consults a psychic

The insider added to the MailOnline: “They’re looking forward to the future and are house hunting for a place closer to London, which should help give them more stability.”

Olivia and Brad tied the knot in 2023 but their marriage was thrown into the spotlight this summer after cosy photos emerged of her on holiday with pal Pete Wicks.

During an episode of her Sunday Roast Reheated podcast, Olivia asked psychic Deborah: “What’s coming in my love life this year, are things going to get better?”

Deborah replied: “It does feel slightly unsettled at the moment but mostly okay for you, a little bit up and downy but it will settle.”

Olivia also had a cryptic response when the psychic predicted children in the “near future”, asking: “Who’s the dad?”

It comes after she confessed that she and Brad are going through a rough period right now. 

During an Instagram Q&A, Olivia was asked by a fan why she hadn’t been posting much of him. 

She replied: “He’s alive I swear. 

“Ten years of us. A lot has changed. Marriage is frikinnn hard (no one wants to say that part out loud) and I’m just not a faker.

“I’m not posting pictures if they don’t reflect our reality. We are doing our thing and if there are any more updates you will be the first to know.”

PETE Wicks was spotted snogging a mystery blonde in a Mayfair restaurant – days before locking lips with his Strictly partner Jowita Przystał.

An onlooker saw the tattooed telly star romancing the woman at The Maine Mayfair over a posh dinner.

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Pete, 36, was seen on his hot date last week.

A fellow diner told The Sun: “They were intimate the whole time. You would think they were alone.”

They added: “Pete and his date arrived about 8.30pm. It was very intimate and they seemed really giddy.

“At one point they disappeared midway through dinner for about 15 minutes.

“They didn’t really eat. It was more about intimacy than dinner – they just kept snogging.

“I think they thought they had the place to themselves.

“The waiters just left them to it and the band just played as they kissed like teenagers.

“There were lots of leftovers by the time we left about 11pm.”

On Instagram, Pete posted a shot from the restaurant of his glass of wine, saying: “This week coming up may be the end of me.”

Days later he was on stage at London’s O2 Arena with his Staying Relevant podcast co-host Sam Thompson.

The pair put on a hugely successful live show, where Pete was seen passionately kissing Strictly’s Jowita three times during a dance routine.

The show, on Friday, led to claims Pete and Jowita had started dating after meeting on the BBC dancing show last year.

But representatives for Pete insisted the pair were just close friends, adding that the kisses were all part of the performance.

Pete’s mystery blonde is the latest woman he has been linked to, following his romance with Maura Higgins last summer.

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It comes after The Sun revealed how Olivia Attwood, 34, was left in the doghouse with footballer husband Bradley Dack, 31, after she and Pete were seen getting close in Ibiza.

After a week of partying pictures emerged of radio co-hosts Olivia and Pete looking cosy onboard a yacht in Ibiza.

Olivia’s husband Bradley was said to be “livid” after seeing his wife sitting in between best pal Pete’s legs on a yacht off the coast of the party island.

The Sun later revealed how Bradley’s Gillingham FC’s teammates then shared the pics of Pete and Olivia on the team’s WhatsApp group.

Appearing on Loose Women last week, Pete insisted that he no longer lives with regrets.

He said: “I think years ago, I mean I have a lot of regrets and things I’m not proud of but I think a couple of years ago it kind of changed for me when I realised life is too short for regrets.

“You only get as far as we know only one chance at this and you may as well live your life for yourself rather than other people.”

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THE real reason Pete Wicks avoided Olivia Attwood’s TV launch after their wild holiday has been revealed – and it’s not what you think. 

Last night Olivia, 34, was supported by husband Bradley Dack at a party celebrating series two of Bad Boyfriends. 

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Pete, 36, was absent from the bash after it was reported Brad, 31, was left fuming over his wife’s trip with the former Towie star. 

But The Sun can reveal the real reason Pete was forced to skip the party. 

A spokesman for Pete confirmed: “Pete had to travel up north to film for his TV series.

“He goes weekly and has been for months. There is a Dogs Trust Centre there and he was staying overnight on Monday to film all day today.”

Pete presents the Dogs Trust documentary For Dogs’ Sake which airs on channel U&W. 

Former Towie star Pete has opened up about going “off radar” during the trip, which Olivia has described as “feral”. 

Speaking on their Sunday Roast Reheated podcast, he said: “Do you know what I think it’s to do with?

“Obviously we were out there working for a couple of days and then we had a couple of days off.

“It was… the people we were with made it such an amazing trip but also, we don’t get a lot of time off, and it was nice to go off radar a little bit and just be present in the moment with the people we were with.”

He added: “Every day was just f****** great.”

During the episode, Olivia said: “People wanted to know what my most feral moment was.”

Pete quipped: “This podcast isn’t long enough to go through them all.”

Olivia continued: “I’m not going to lie, it was very feral. There’s a lot that happened that we can’t even discuss on this podcast.”

Confessing their holiday was so wild that she ran out of clothes and was forced to buy a dress from a local store for their final night, Olivia added: “I went with six hats and I returned with one.”

Former TOWIE star Pete Wicks dazzled on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor last year. It’s thought one of his famous pals is set to follow in his footsteps and take part in the 2025 series

Reality TV star Vicky Pattison is reportedly ready to add Strictly Come Dancing to her lengthy TV CV. The former Geordie Shore star, who has pivoted into making documentaries over recent years, is apparently set to get her dancing shoes on ready for the BBC show’s new series.

Vicky, who was crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2025, was on hand to support pal Pete Wicks during his time on the dancefloor last year. The former Geordie Shore’s appearances in the audience didn’t go unnoticed by BBC bosses, who liked what they saw.

“She has great energy and will no doubt be a hit with the viewers,” an insider of said of Vicky, who is reportedly ready to step out of her comfort zone and learn a new skill.

A source close to the 37-year-old said: “She’s had a continuing rise in popularity and her TV work is going from strength to strength after presenting a serious Channel Four documentary and appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox.”

Speaking to The Sun, they added: “It’s a no-brainer they want to sign her up” The Mirror has approached the BBC and representatives for Vicky for comment on this story.

Pete isn’t the only former Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky is pals with. In May, it was announced that Vicky would launch podcast inspired by ‘female comradery; with Angela Scanlon, who finished in sixth place during the 2023 series.

Vicky and Angela will discuss topics including motherhood and internet drama as the hosts of a new podcast titled Get A Grip. The catalyst for the podcast was “female comradery in the face of the ridiculous”, according to Virgin Radio UK host Angela.

“Being told to ‘get a grip’ is not a new notion for most women, and is something I’ve experienced a couple of times (a week!), as has Vicky,” the 41-year-old said.

“Female comradery in the face of the ridiculous was the catalyst for our new podcast. We wanted to create a fun and empowering space where we can unpick the good, the bad and the bizarre happenings in the world each week as we move through our own lives loudly, unashamedly and maybe a little unhinged.

“We’re taking the group chat into the pod world and we can’t wait for you to come with us!” Vicky added: “For those who know me by now I am never one to shy away from expressing myself whether people want to hear it or not!

“So I’m thrilled that I get to do that alongside my partner in crime as we do our best to keep things real and put the world to rights with lots of laughter along the way. I have no doubt we will be bringing a lot of you along with us too.”

Speaking about Pete’s Strictly stint last year, Vicky said: “Like when I found out Pete was doing it, the first thing I did was ring him and see if he was OK.

“Because me and him are more like stand in the corner, drink and have a laugh than you know, centre of the dance floor people. And he was saying he was really nervous, and I think that’s how I’ll be.”

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SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday threw his support behind two bills that would streamline housing development in urban areas, saying it was “time to get serious” about cutting red tape to address the housing crisis.

Newsom said his revised state budget proposal, which he announced at a news conference Wednesday, also will include provisions that clear the way for more new housing by reforming the state’s landmark California Environmental Quality Act and clearing other impediments.

The governor praised Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) for sponsoring bills designed to ease the permitting process for infill projects, or building in urban areas that already have development.

Newsom’s housing proposal looks to force permit deadlines on the Coastal Commission, allow housing development projects over $100 million to use CEQA streamlining usually available to smaller projects, and create a fund, paid for by developers, to finance affordable housing near public transit.

CEQA has long been used by opponents to impede or delay construction, often locking developers into years-long court battles. The law is so vague that it allows “essentially anyone who can hire a lawyer” to challenge developments, Wiener said in a statement.

“It’s time to accelerate urban infill. It’s time to exempt them from CEQA, it’s time to focus on judicial streamlining. It’s time to get serious about this issue. Period, full stop,” Newsom said during the morning budget news conference. “… This is the biggest opportunity to do something big and bold, and the only impediment is us. So we own this, and we have to own the response.”

Assembly Bill 609, proposed by Wicks, who serves as the Assembly Appropriations Committee chair, would create a sweeping exemption for housing projects that meet local building standards, especially in areas that have already been approved for additional development and reviewed for potential environmental impacts.

“It’s time to refine CEQA for the modern age, and I’m proud to work with the Governor to make these long-overdue changes a reality,” Wicks said in a statement.

Senate Bill 607, authored by Wiener, who serves as chair of the Senate Housing Committee, focuses the environmental review process and clarifies CEQA exemptions for urban infill housing projects.

“By clearing away outdated procedural hurdles, we can address California’s outrageous cost of living, grow California’s economy, and help the government solve the most pressing problems facing our state. We look forward to working with Governor Newsom and our legislative colleagues to advance these two important bills and to secure an affordable and abundant future for California,” Wiener said in a statement.

Both bills are pending before the appropriations committees in the Assembly and Senate, respectively.