The MLB free agent market is beginning to shake out, spurred into action during the general managers meetings in Las Vegas this week.

Reliever acquisitions have been the first wave, with Emilio Pagán landing with the Tigers for one year and $11.5 million, and Ryan Weiss with the Padres for $1.85 million during the meetings. Former Dodger Evan Phillips signed with the Braves on Thursday for three years, $35 million.

Left-hander Alex Vesia, who has been with the Dodgers for the last six seasons, is also expected to garner plenty of early interest on the free agent market.

On Friday, first baseman Jake Bauers added a tally to the position-player side, agreeing to a deal with the Red Sox. Fresh off a career year and World Series title, Bauers reportedly is set to ink a four-year, $58 million contract.

So teams aren’t waiting until after the impending lockout to reinforce their rosters. But that still leaves a wide range of possibilities before the current CBA expires on Dec. 1.

“We’re totally focused on business as usual, trying to make sure we’re as prepared as possible in case things happen in different ways,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “Whether that’s trade or free agency, continue to put ourselves in a position to be able to act if something comes up that we feel like is really important to helping our team, both short-term and long-term.”

That was a common refrain from leaders of baseball operations departments around the league.

“Business as usual for us,” new Orioles GM Jared Banner said. “We’re looking to get better, and that’s our focus here. So we’ll just read and react as each day passes by.”

Business as usual, however, means a variety of things for different teams.

“We are always going to be on the front end of aggression with how we operate in the market,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said. “So whether the market wants to operate faster or slower than it typically does, we’re usually not listening. … Teams know that typically, if we don’t start the hot stove, we’re among the starters. So our behavior won’t change much, and my general resting place is, if our behavior is going to be unaffected, I don’t sweat too much what the other 29 teams will do, unless they’re holding us up.”

The Mariners took that aggressive approach before the last lockout, too. They were one of the major contributors to an active first month of free agency, during which teams committed a whopping $1.9 billion before Dec. 2, 2021.

“It’s definitely a convenient thing to point to because there just aren’t a lot of situations that are even remotely similar to this,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said of the record flurry of activity five years ago. “I don’t think it’s going to follow the same course; I would expect it not to.”

Looming beyond this lockout is the threat of a salary cap. And though the MLB Players Assn. has made it clear that it will continue to fight the owners’ push for an overhaul of the current structure, teams also can’t completely ignore the possibility of a salary cap, or some other guardrails on spending in the next CBA.

The owners’ latest proposal reportedly included a salary cap of about $258.2 million, depending on next year’s revenue, to be implemented in 2028.

Though many around the industry expect that, in the case of a salary cap, MLB would build in a gradual rollout or specific exceptions to make the massive change a little less destabilizing, such a shift would pose a challenge to large-payroll teams like the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have some money set to come off the books in 2028 — veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman’s contract expires after next season, and Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy and Hyeseong Kim have 2028 club options. But the Dodgers’ current commitments for 2028 (over $275 million in CBT payroll, according to Spotrac) already put them above MLB’s latest proposed salary cap.

“We’ll put ourselves in position to see what’s available, and then go from there because we really don’t know what any of that looks like,” Gomes said. “So we have to function with what we know right now.”

The Dodgers at least don’t have many glaring needs going into 2027. At the top of the list will be their bullpen and bench, markets that they could explore in the coming weeks.

They’ve also remained in touch with top free agent Tarik Skubal’s representatives, after a largely successful trade-deadline union this past season, and are set to meet with him. But it is still unclear just how aggressive the Dodgers will be, or whether Skubal will agree to a contract by Dec. 1.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the US aviation agency was investigating.

The United States has grounded flights across the country after a “communication issue” impacted traffic control centers, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

“FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them,” Duffy wrote on social media.

Around 7,000 flights have been either delayed or canceled due to the stop, according to FlightAware.

The disruption is the latest sign of strain on the US air traffic control system, which has ⁠been beset by equipment failures, communications problems and ⁠shortages of controllers while the FAA tries to replace aging infrastructure. Congress approved $12.5bn for the overhaul last year, and the FAA and White House asked lawmakers on Friday for ⁠another $30.1bn.

This is the first nationwide US ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that, the last time had been after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

This story is developing…

Children in Need viewers are calling on Rylan Clark to take on a new role after watching him perform.

Children in Need viewers have been left issuing the same demand after watching Rylan Clark perform.

The former X Factor star and beloved TV presenter joined Alex Jones, Sara Cox, Tyler West and Mel Giedroyc as host of Children in Need 2026.

As part of the performances over Friday evening, the presenters took part in a Strictly Come Dancing routine, that saw Rylan partnered with Strictly icon Amy Dowden.

Watching him dance, viewers rushed to social media to urge for Rylan to join the next series of Strictly Come Dancing. One person said: “GET RYLAN ON THE MAIN SERIES PRONTO!” Another wrote: “Rylan for Strictly 2027!”

“Rylan was very good. We always suspected he could dance. Loved that,” another said. Someone else said: “OH MY GODDDD @Rylan and Amy!!! It’s a 10 from me.”

Yet another echoed: “Why is @Rylan not on #StrictlyComeDancing he would be amazing!” as someone else said: “Rylan has some moves.”

Another viewer added: “NEED RYLAN ON NEXT YEARS MAIN SERIES PLEASE.” Someone else said: “They should definitely get Rylan as a celebrity on a future series of Strictly. He did so well with that dance.”

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Amy had announced her new dance partner for the Children in Need special earlier this week, sending fans wild as she confirmed she’d be dancing with Rylan.

This comes after Amy and her Strictly celebrity partner Chris Appleton became the first pair eliminated from the BBC competition this year. Amy was also the first eliminated last year, when she was partnered with Thomas Skinner, btu has remained a firm favourite with fans.

Ahead of hosting Children in Need, Rylan said: “⁠It’s amazing to be part of Children in Need’s appeal show, obviously it’s something that I have grown up watching and loved and have been involved in in the past, so to be asked to host this year is a real honour.”

He added: “People should get involved this year for the exact same reasons they should get involved every year! There are still children in need and all the money raised is going to help so many amazing people and projects.”

Children in Need is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary ground stoppage on all flights in the United States.

The stoppage was announced Friday afternoon and impacted flights nationwide, including at Los Angeles International Airport.

“Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” the FAA advisory read, “all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.”

Inbound international flights would be handled “on a case by case basis,” the advisory said.

Sean Duffy, the secretary of transportation said on X that “FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”

It marks the second full ground stop since 9/11 and it’s unclear how long it will last. The one was in 2023 and caused by technical issues.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Brazil great Ronaldinho is set to make his first competitive start in more than a decade when Ravenna face local rivals Forli in Italy’s third division on Sunday.

The former Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker, 46, is in line to make his first appearance for Ravenna since joining the Serie C club in August.

His last competitive appearance came for Brazilian side Fluminense in September 2015.

Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini said on Friday that Ronaldinho would start the match as one of his side’s three forwards.

“He will play from the start, there’s no doubt,” Mandorlini told reporters. “Then together we will decide how long he plays.

“He is one of the greatest players of the modern era. And we have to get a result. We always play with three forwards. He will be one of the three.”

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho initially joined the Italian club as an investor in August, but said he had ambitions of scoring one final goal to take his career tally to 300.

“His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal,” club owner Ignazio Cipriani said earlier this year.

“His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us.”

The Brazilian arrived in Italy on Friday and will have only one training session with his team-mates before Sunday’s match.

A temporary stand has been created at Ravenna’s Stadio Bruno Benelli to accommodate the expected crowd, with supporters hoping to catch a glimpse of the World Cup winner in action for potentially the final time.

Ravenna forward Simone Rabbi has also said that Ronaldinho will take any penalties awarded to Ravenna, who are second in the table after 13 matches.

David Walliams and Russell Brand can be heard joking about Brand sleeping with fans. It is an excerpt from a previous interview, which has been included in the new Brand Netflix documentary

David Walliams and Russell Brand can be heard joking about Brand sleeping with fans in a resurfaced clip.

The interview has been pulled from the archives of Brand’s Radio 2 show as part of the new Netflix documentary following his conviction.

Russell Brand: Open Secret was released today on the streaming service, just days after the disgraced comedian, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

In one clip heard in the documentary, Walliams phoned in to Brand’s Radio 2 show. In the clip, Brand says: “You alright David? … Perhaps we should build our friendship a little more, spend a little more time together.”

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Walliams then replies: “Well I’d like that but unfortunately every time I’ve ever made it to a social occasion with you, you’ve always said, ‘Oh sorry I can’t come, I’m just about to be tossed off in the toilets by some fan.'”

Others could be heard laughing in the studio as Brand replies: “That’s obviously a euphemism that David’s using there.”

The documentary film, Russell Brand: Open Secret, uses insiders’ voices and delves into archive footage to offer an insight into the downfall of the television star. It also explored the Dispatches investigation for Channel 4 in September 2023, alongside The Times and Sunday Times, which led to the women coming forward to complain.

The show gives viewers an “insight into Brand’s life” and features interviews with The Times and The Sunday Times’ chief media correspondent Rosamund Urwin and investigations correspondent Charlotte Wace.

Separately, fellow comedian David Walliams was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News the day after Brand was jailed.

Since then, The Metropolitan Police announced it has launched an investigation into Walliams over “alleged serious sexual offences”. They received a number of non-recent allegations against the former Britain’s Got Talent judge “in recent days”.

In a statement on Friday, the Met said the complaints made are separate from those previously broadcast by ITV and The Guardian. But it added those reports are being reviewed by officers “to establish whether there is any evidence of offences”.

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney said: “We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak to us, no matter when it happened.

“We know reporting allegations of this nature can be daunting, but specialist officers are on hand to provide support, answer questions and guide you through the process.”

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Fallout from Jensen Huang’s ouster as Nvidia Corp. chief executive officer is reaching deep into Washington, where Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is confronting accusations that his department didn’t do enough to keep the company’s prized artificial intelligence chips out of China’s hands.

As the ultimate overseer of U.S. export control programs, Lutnick is accountable for any policy or enforcement gaps that allowed Nvidia’s AI processors to reach unauthorized Chinese buyers. Internal tension over his role burst into the open on Friday when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed him for failing to blacklist a Singapore-based company, Megaspeed, over possible violations.

“Treasury, [the U.S. Trade Representative office] and State — they were in favor of putting Megaspeed on the entity list for months, but Commerce has the pen,” Bessent said in an interview with CNBC. “We have all the authorities that we need. They just need to be implemented.”

Lutnick is a controversial figure in President Trump’s orbit. People with ties to the White House, who asked not to be identified describing private conversations, said he’s been marginalized within the administration for a while. At the same time, his exit has been predicted before, and he’s still in the job.

As of Thursday, the Commerce chief retained Trump’s blessing. In a statement, the White House said Trump maintains complete confidence in the secretary and his ability to serve in the position.

Congress is now demanding answers from Lutnick and other Trump administration officials about decisions that may have made it easier for China to obtain Nvidia’s advanced chips as well as the degree to which Silicon Valley leaders like Jensen Huang may have influenced policy.

Pressure on the administration and the tech sector is escalating a week after an election where voters expressed intense frustrations over the impact of the AI boom.

Huang’s abrupt departure was prompted by revelations that he’d had an affair with a woman suspected by U.S. officials of spying for China and that Megaspeed had been under investigation by Commerce for possible export control violations. Megaspeed has denied any wrongdoing, while the former Nvidia chief’s romantic partner, Alice Huang, is now in China.

“I would like for Secretary Lutnick ASAP to come testify before the Senate Banking Committee because we have a lot of bipartisan questions and concerns about what’s happened over the last year,” Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said in an interview on Fox News.

Late Thursday night, a Commerce Department spokesperson, Kristen Eichamer, said Lutnick had agreed to testify.

Axios reported on Wednesday that Trump had authorized a new crackdown on companies suspected of diverting advanced AI chips to China, but that Lutnick delayed acting on the directive. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) called the report “deeply, deeply disturbing.”

On at least three separate occasions earlier this year — in May, August and earlier this month — Trump approved taking action against suspected diversions of Nvidia chips to China, Axios reported.

This week’s events, Krishnamoorthi said in an interview Wednesday, deserve “tremendous scrutiny not only by obviously Nvidia’s board, but by the intelligence community and the U.S. government as well.”

Further complicating the dynamic are allegations by Democratic lawmakers that Lutnick’s sons, who hold leadership positions at Cantor Fitzgerald, are profiting off policy decisions that he makes. Lutnick, who previously was chief executive of Cantor, divested his stake as legally required before becoming secretary, and elevated his sons to top jobs at the firm.

The Commerce Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Cantor Fitzgerald declined to comment.

One element of the Nvidia imbroglio is a little-known but powerful Commerce Department agency that’s known as the Bureau of Industry and Security and falls under Lutnick’s jurisdiction.

The bureau regulates exports of a wide range of products — including advanced AI chips — and it’s set to face renewed scrutiny as lawmakers threaten investigations of the bureau’s leader, Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler.

The Senate Banking Committee is already planning inquiries into Lutnick and Kessler’s decision-making. The two men “must explain why they have not closed export control loopholes and act today to ensure our advanced technology is not fueling China’s military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the committee, said in a statement.

In late summer 2025, Nvidia General Counsel Tim Teter called Kessler to ask whether the Bureau of Industry and Security was involved in the Singapore government’s recent detention of Alice Huang. The bureau was not involved in that action, citing people familiar with the matter.

An Nvidia spokesperson has said that Teter was unaware of the affair at the time he called Kessler about Alice Huang’s detention in Singapore. But in the weeks following the call, Bureau of Industry and Security staffers were muzzled in their ability to investigate the company, including a mandate that they route all requests of Nvidia through Kessler, Bloomberg reported.

Bureau of Industry and Security spokespeople earlier denied any wrongdoing.

“It’s really important to understand what the Commerce Department knew about Megaspeed,” said Ben Buchanan, former White House special advisor for AI during the Biden administration, in an interview. “This is an incident where the enforcement is not good. The decision-making has not been good.”

Diaz and Eastland write for Bloomberg.

Wales’ only victory of the campaign so far was against Norway in Cardiff a month ago, and on Saturday they are bidding to join Portugal and world champions Spain as the only teams to win competitive matches in Oslo over the past three years.

“The way we look at it is this is the type of game we want to be playing in,” Wales head coach Craig Bellamy tells BBC Sport Wales.

“I see a collective team that you have to like but, individually, very much so as well. So that’s a good challenge.

“We’ve all been aware of their threat. The World Cup proved that. And I just don’t see them going anywhere for the next five, 10 years either.”

There is much on the line for Wales and Norway in Oslo.

While either team could still reach the Nations League quarter-finals, the priority is to avoid relegation from the top tier.

Finishing third or higher would also guarantee top seeding for Euro 2028 qualifying, enabling them to avoid being drawn alongside the continent’s heavyweights.

“It’ll go a long way to us having an opportunity of being seeded one, which is huge for us, but it isn’t going to be given to us,” Bellamy adds.

“We have to go out there tomorrow and try and take it. So, for me, it’s fight fire with fire. I’m expecting them to really come with big intensity and it’s up to us to match it.

“So, to me, it’s a shootout.”

There is no shortage of ways to shoot down a drone, but putting eight shotguns on a remote-controlled turret is one of the more unusual approaches. That’s exactly what the LIVET Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) brings to the counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (C-UAS) fight, combining a bank of Italian-made Benelli shotguns with AI-driven target tracking and remote weapon operation.

Developed through a collaboration between Beretta Defense Technologies and Italian technology company DUALEE, the LIVET is designed to address one of the most significant challenges facing modern militaries, namely, the proliferation of small, inexpensive drones that can pose a disproportionate threat to much more valuable military equipment and critical infrastructure, and above all else, personnel.

The system recently completed a live demonstration in Denmark in front of the Danish Armed Forces, showcasing its capabilities and highlighting the growing interest in kinetic solutions to the small-drone problem.

At the heart of the LIVET is its eight-gun configuration. Each weapon is based on Benelli’s M4 Drone Guardian, a purpose-built semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun developed specifically for counter-drone applications. The weapon fires programmable airburst ammunition intended to improve the chances of defeating small aerial targets.

The underlying concept is relatively straightforward. Small drones can be extremely difficult to hit with conventional rifle or machine gun fire, particularly when they are moving quickly or maneuvering unpredictably. A shotgun’s spreading projectile pattern increases the area covered by each shot. Programmable airburst ammunition adds another dimension, allowing the projectile payload to disperse at a selected distance from the target.

The use of shotguns against small drones, in general, is gaining considerable attention as militaries search for affordable, effective ways to counter the proliferation of these kinds of low-cost targets. While shotguns are traditionally associated with very close-range combat, the same characteristics that make them so capable of bird hunting make them an interesting option for engaging small, relatively slow-moving aerial targets.

The LIVET takes this concept and scales it up considerably. Rather than relying on a single shotgun, it brings eight weapons together on a remotely operated platform. This arrangement offers a larger ammunition capacity and redundancy, while potentially allowing the system to address multiple incoming threats and having a much higher probability of kill against single ones.

LIVET M4 drone Guardian

The other major element is the turret’s tracking capability. Its AI-based system is designed to detect, recognize, and automatically track small aerial threats, handling the target-following and weapon-alignment process while an operator monitors the engagement. Up to five targets can be tracked simultaneously. The system can also be integrated with external radio-frequency and radar sensors, allowing it to receive target information and orient itself toward potential threats detected elsewhere.

Sensor integration is particularly important, since a counter-drone system is only as effective as its ability to detect and locate the threat in the first place. Combining external sensors with automated tracking should allow LIVET to function as part of a broader layered air-defense architecture rather than operating as an isolated weapon station.

Despite its automated tracking capabilities, the final engagement decision remains with the human operator.

The LIVET builds on Benelli’s Drone Guardian concept, introduced in 2024, taking the shotgun-based counter-drone approach into a remotely operated, multi-weapon configuration. Its development also reflects the wider evolution of C-UAS technology since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, where relatively inexpensive drones have demonstrated their ability to threaten armored vehicles, artillery, logistics networks, and other high-value assets.

As we have repeatedly highlighted for years now, the proliferation of small drones creates not only a new kind of threat but a difficult economic equation for militaries. Using expensive missiles to defeat cheap uncrewed aircraft is often unsustainable, particularly when defending against repeated or large-scale attacks. Gun-based systems offer a potentially more economical kinetic alternative, although their effectiveness depends heavily on detection range, engagement geometry, ammunition performance, and the nature of the incoming threat.

As for shotgun-based counter-drone systems, their operational utility is constrained by their very short engagement distances. This is not a solution designed to take on larger UAVs, fixed-wing drones, or threats operating at medium altitude. Its intended targets are primarily micro- and mini-UAVs, particularly small quadcopters and FPV drones that approach within close range of the protected asset.

The French Army, which has ordered the baseline M4 Drone Guardian, has identified approximately 160 feet as the optimal effective engagement range for shotgun-based anti-drone applications, while stating a maximum range of up to 330 feet. This is much more limited compared to what traditional centerfire rifle caliber cartridges can achieve, but those do not benefit from a shotgun’s spread, and especially the volume of sky an airburst round can fill.

This places shotgun-based systems firmly in the short-range, terminal layer of counter-UAS defense. They are most relevant when a drone has already penetrated other defensive layers and is approaching troops, vehicles, installations, or other protected assets. At these distances, even a relatively inexpensive weapon can provide a useful last line of defense, especially when conventional electronic countermeasures are ineffective. This is a reality that has been proven time and again on the battlefield in Ukraine.

There are also important differences between engaging a hovering reconnaissance or bomblet-dropping quadcopter and intercepting a fast-moving FPV drone. Target size, speed, approach angle, and available reaction time all have a significant influence on the probability of a successful engagement. The use of programmable airburst ammunition may improve the engagement opportunity, but it does not eliminate the fundamental limitations imposed by range and target maneuverability.

LIVET is not the first attempt to put multiple barrels or multiple guns to work against small drones. The concept is attracting interest elsewhere, although the approaches vary considerably. In Ukraine, both sides have experimented with improvised vehicle-mounted arrays of multiple barrels intended for close-range anti-drone use. Purpose-designed examples using shotguns include Turkey’s Drone Kalkanı, for example, which mounts two 12-gauge weapons on a remotely operated turret. Meanwhile, the Estonia-based Edge Group has integrated a quad shotgun on a remote weapon station, mounted on a Ukrainian uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV). Vehicle mountings, crewed and uncrewed, could be an option for LIVET, too.

When it comes to LIVET, mounting eight shotguns on a remotely operated turret increases the available firepower and ammunition capacity, but it does not fundamentally change the basic limitations of the weapons themselves.

Instead, LIVET should be understood as a specialized last line of defense system, potentially complementing more traditional, farther-reaching gun systems, electronic warfare, interceptor drones, and longer-range kinetic air-defense systems. On the other hand, in lower threat areas, it could provide independent coverage against incoming drones.

Whether it can translate its unusual configuration into a practical and cost-effective operational capability will depend on further testing and real-world deployment. We have approached both Beretta Defense Technologies and DUALEE for any details on potential orders, ongoing competitions, and other evaluation programs.

Clearly, however, as the drone threat continues to evolve, the counter-drone arsenal is becoming increasingly creative, with this multi-barrel shotgun solution being a good example of that.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

EXCLUSIVE: The street-dancer was bottom of the leaderboard last weekend, now he’s hoping to impress with his Charleston – which he’ll perform ‘Cach-style’

He’s arguably the most naturally gifted dancer in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing – but last week Cach Mercer nearly got the boot from the ballroom after ending up in the dreaded dance off.

The former Love Island contestant and his pro dancer Maddie Ingoldsby scored 26 points for their waltz, leaving them joint bottom of the leaderboard.

But Cach – who was given just four points by Craig Revel Horwood before ultimately being saved by head judge Shirey Ballas – has defiantly refused to abandon his unconventional dancing style.

Instead, the 25-year-old has insisted he will stay true to himself rather than be something he’s not. “I feel like there’s a good blend of showing who I am plus showing what I’m getting into,” he explained. “Obviously, I’m taking on their criticism heavily and I’m going to try and align that with the next dance that we do. But I think it’s very important to try and still incorporate a sense of myself within the dances too.

“Because if I go through this competition trying to be a ballroom and Latin boy, which has never, ever been me, then I might not have fun because I’m shaping myself to be something I’m not.

“So, I think it is important to still keep freestyle elements, for example, to just show my character and show what I like to do. I’m doing Strictly Cach-style!”

The pair have faced criticism from the judges for not sticking to traditional techniques. It has turned Cash’s Strictly journey into something of a rollercoaster, with the judges lavishing praise on his Argentine tango and Frank Sinatra foxtrot before he was sent plummeting to the bottom of the leaderboard last weekend. “It’s not nice to be in the dance off,” he admits. “But after the judges’ scoring, I did expect it, I had a feeling.”

Having focused on improving his heal-leads and footwork, Cach says: “Surprisingly, I think I was more relaxed in the dance off. Maddie shook me out the back before we went on and was like, just have fun.

“She’s amazing, it was as hard for her as it was for me. There’s a lot of pressure on her, especially as it’s her first year. A lot of people are questioning her ability, but this girl knows her stuff.”

He said that it had been hard to dance against actress Bethany Antonia, who he was close to. “I’m very grateful to still be here,” he says. “You just have to move past it and go into the new week with a new mindset.”

Cach has had heat on him from the start because he is a self-taught street dancer with a big following on social media. His obvious talent has left some viewers questioning whether he has an unfair advantage over some of the other celeb contestants. But he insists the transition to ballroom is far harder than people realise. “I have to unlearn a lot of things that I do in my dance to then cater to this new style.”

The London-born star admits he still struggles to believe he belongs in the Strictly ballroom, because behind his confident performances is a young man who was bullied at school and struggled with shyness. He reveals: “I’ve danced in car parks and on the street my whole life, so to get here means a lot. I’m a boy from the ends and now I’m in some ballroom shoes and some tight suit tops. Imposter syndrome is very present right now.

“I was a shy kid, I couldn’t speak to a girl for anything! I just got too nervous. I actually got bullied at school. I cried a lot.”

But the one thing that helped him through it all was his hip-hop hobby. “I love dancing more than anything else in this entire world. There was a drive in me that wanted to get really good. I’ve never been the best about communicating how I feel but as soon as I dance, I feel like you can really see how I feel.”

Cach first found fame when he entered the Love Island villa as a Casa Amor bombshell last year. He went on to win the ITV dating show alongside Toni Laites, with the pair sharing the £50,000 prize before their relationship fizzled out.

Having become known to millions for his romantic adventures, Cach is delighted that Strictly has given him the chance to show the public a different side to his personality. “I’m so happy people are asking me what my next dance is, instead of who am I dating,” he laughs. That doesn’t mean that people have given up speculating about his love life however…

Cach’s close partnership with Maddie, the show’s youngest pro at just 21, has prompted some fans to wonder whether their chemistry extends beyond the dance floor. Branding his social media followers “hopeless romantics” he insists they are concentrating on their dancing. “We’ve seen some of the comments and stuff, but yeah, we don’t read into it too much. We’re just doing our thing.”

While the pair have endured criticism – him for his street-style and her for her choreography – Cach is full of admiration for “really special” Maddie, an eight-time world dance champion who is competing in her first Strictly series. “She puts her all into the dance. She’s very sweet.”

He said their Argentine tango for Halloween, which scored 33 points, was a high point. “I didn’t know what to do with myself, I’m not going to lie,” he laughs. “I felt a little bit emotional.”

For now, Cach is determined to make the most of every moment he has left in the competition and he knows there is no guarantee of another week in the ballroom. Whatever happens, he’s determined that viewers will remember him for being himself. As he puts it: “I just want to leave everything on that dance floor.”

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