bombshell

KEVIN Federline has continued his string of shock allegations against ex wife Britney Spears – with the dancer now claiming she punched their son in the face.

The couple’s war of words and bad blood has come to the fore with the release of teasers for his new book You Thought You Knew, set for general sale on October 21.

He has already teased many shock revelations about his relationship with the Toxic singer and life raising their sons, Sean Preston, now 20, and Jayden James, 19.

The former professional dancer, 47, has used his tome to open up about his struggles co-parenting with Britney, 43, throughout her downward spiral from pop princess to troubled artist.

As well as claiming she watched her sons sleep with knives in her hand, he has suggested she snogged a female dancer while he refused a throuple.

While Britney has slammed his allegations and conduct as “gaslighting” the slew of scandal continues to roll on.

TOXIC FALLOUT

Inside Britney’s war with ex Kevin as pals claim ‘low-life’ abandoned her

SPEAKING OUT

Britney Spears’ dancer breaks silence over claims she hooked up with her

He has now suggested the mum of two “punched” their youngest “in the face”, according to Variety.

Kevin also wrote how she allegedly bleached their scalps without his consent and asked eldest Preston to “bathe with her.”

He suggested the kids had filmed some incidents on their mobile phones.

In another shock allegation, which followed Preston’s holiday with his girlfriend, he claimed she replied with the words: “Her response was chilling: she told him she wished he, his brother, and me were all dead.”

The Sun has gone to Britney’s reps for comment.

CLAP BACK

Earlier this week, Britney clapped back at what she dubbed “exhausting” claims from her former partner.

Kevin and Britney got married on September 18, 2004, just five months after they met but they split in 2006.

In a text post written in black font on a white background, she wrote: “The constant gaslighting from my ex husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting.

“Relationships with teenage boys is complex. I have felt demoralized by this situation and have always asked and almost begged for them to be a part of my life.

“Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by own father for me.

“They need to take responsibility for themselves.

With one son only seeing me for 45 min in the past 5 years and the other with only 4 visits in the past 5 years. I have pride too.

“From now on I will let them know when I am available.

“Trust me, those white lies in that book, they are going straight to the bank and I am the only one who genuinely gets hurt here.”

Britney was seen reuniting with her rarely-seen son Jayden back in June, with a picture showing the teen towering over her.

The US chart star then wrapped her emotive message with the words: “I will always love them [her boys] and if you really know me, you won’t pay attention to the tabloids of my mental health and drinking.

“I am actually a pretty intelligent woman who has been trying to live a sacred and private life the past 5 years.

“I speak on this because I have had enough and any real woman would do the same.”

MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN

In an interview with The New York Times, Kevin previously revealed he has kept his distance from his ex-wife and they “haven’t spoken in years,” following their divorce nearly two decades ago.

However, in his book, the DJ also revealed some of Britney’s alarming behaviour, which he learned mainly from their kids.

“They would awaken sometimes at night to find her standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep — ‘Oh, you’re awake?’ — with a knife in her hand,” Kevin wrote.

“Then she’d turn around and pad off without explanation.”

He also suggested she drank during her pregnancy and used cocaine while breastfeeding.

Additionally, he has alleged the chart star might die without intervention.

Meanwhile, the Lucky songstress’ backing dancer has broken her silence on his allegations the pair enjoyed a steamy snog.

In a statement provided to Us Weekly, Britney’s representative said, ‘Once again [Federline] and others are profiting off her, and sadly it comes after child support has ended with Kevin.

‘All she cares about are her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, and their well-being during this sensationalism,’ they added.

In 2023, Jayden and Sean moved to Hawaii with their dad and his new wife, Victoria Prince, and the their two half-sisters. 

FASHION FALLOUT

‘Diva’ Molly-Mae cuts filming of docuseries before explosive backstage row

‘DESPAIR’

My Paige, 24, died after using nasal tanning sprays… 1st deadly sign shocked us

There were rife reports of a rift between the two sons and their famous mother, which was sparked after her conservatorship was terminated in November 2021.

Previously, the bubblegum pop queen apologized for “not being perfect.”

AFTER a decade of uncertainty, pain and torment, Logan Gifford can now call himself the father of his younger brother.

Logan, 27, was raped by his depraved mother at the age of 10 and forced to live through almost seven years of sexual abuse – which only stopped when his mum fell pregnant.

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When mum Doreene gave birth, speculation around who the father was quickly swirled.

Doreene – who was convicted of sexual assault, incest and lewdness in 2015 – claimed it was from an affair she had had away from Logan’s dad Ted.

But it wasn’t until Logan was in high school that he started to unravel the disturbing potential reality of his family tree.

Wanting to secure justice for both himself and his younger sibling, Logan became locked in a custody battle over the boy – who was living with his father Ted.

Logan wanted to find out who was the true father and if it was him to support the 15-year-old as much as possible.

After months of uncertainty and DNA tests, Logan has now officially been declared the teen’s dad in a Nevada court.

Speaking to The Sun on the verdict, Logan said: “The legal determination was made through the court process, but the biological and emotional realities remain deeply intertwined and unresolved.

“My goal has never been about winning a legal argument — it has always been about protecting my brother and ensuring the truth is fully known.”

The Las Vegas local has been trying to uncover the truth for years after he put Doreene behind bars in 2015 for the abuse.

As he battled to overcome the mental scars of his childhood, Logan started therapy.

It was during one of these sessions that he was asked about the possibility that he could be the father of his brother due to the years of abuse.

Logan said his brother went through a “complex” birth as he was deprived of oxygen and “came out purple”.

His brother went through years of speech and physical therapy and continues to struggle with a range of cognitive difficulties, requiring support at home and school.

Children born as a result of incest face a much higher risk of genetic disorders and disabilities due to the increased likelihood of inheriting recessive genetic mutations.

This case stems from a lifetime of trauma and abuse – circumstances no child or family should ever have to endure

Logan Gifford

Babies who are starved of oxygen can develop Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy, which causes brain injuries and can lead to disabilities such as cerebral palsy, seizures and developmental issues.

Logan has long battled with the idea that he may have been the reason for his brother’s disabilities – due to his incestuous conception.

Logan said: “This case stems from a lifetime of trauma and abuse – circumstances no child or family should ever have to endure.

“My parents did my brother, who is disabled, a disservice in not fully understanding why he was born the way he was.”

The court’s decision allows Logan to claim custody for his brother – but his father, Ted, has not completed a DNA test yet.

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Logan explained: “The DNA testing that was conducted produced results showing that I was not ruled out as his biological father.

“At the same time, Ted – the man who was presumed to be the biological father – defaulted, meaning he declined to participate in the process and failed to appear.

“As a result, the judge issued a ruling based on the available evidence and that default.

“This outcome highlights how complex and painful this case truly is.”

A few years after the abuse ended, Logan decided to report his mum to the police.

At the time, Logan believed he had dealt with the biggest problem in his life by putting his mother behind bars.

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One civil service whistleblower told ITV filmmakers he was “disgusted” by amount of profits some companies made

Details of how the Tories presided over one of the biggest government spending scandals of all time are to be revealed in a shocking new documentary.

Eye-watering waste running into many billions of pounds resulted from huge Covid contracts for mountains of personal protective equipment and medical tests.

One civil service whistleblower told ITV filmmakers: “I was disgusted at the amount of money that these companies were making. It was just ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching for them.”

Some companies with little or no track record in supplying PPE landed massive contracts, including many introduced by ministers and key government figures via the high-priority VIP lane.

One firm, linked to Baroness Michelle Mone, is being sued by the Department for Health for more than £120 million for allegedly supplying unusable gowns. But the documentary names other previously unknown corporate winners.

Instead of buying four months of PPE stock as planned, within months of lockdown the government stockpiled years’ worth – including enough goggles to last 15 years.

One million pallets of unwanted PPE ended up being incinerated in what Gavin Hayman, of the Open Contracting partnership, says represents “probably the biggest government misspending scandal in the UK of all time”.

As the UK’s expensive Covid-19 inquiry rumbles on largely unnoticed by the public, new ITV documentary Exposures asks how we went from having almost no PPE to having more than we could possibly use.

The Mirror has previously revealed how thousands of ­ventilators bought for £50,000 each during the pandemic were sold off for as little as £100 via online auctions last year.

We also exposed how the NHS flogged 6,000 unused Nightingale hospital beds it had bought for £13million for just £410,000 as they were not suitable for hospitals. When the country went into lockdown in March 2020, the UK’s hospitals were woefully lacking in supplies of PPE.

Boris Johnson set up a new procurement unit run by Matt Hancock ’s Department of Health, with many of its staff coming from Michael Gove ’s Cabinet Office. The government put out public appeals to help source PPE from new suppliers, and the normal tender and competition rules were suspended.

Under pressure to respond quickly, a secret VIP lane was also set up by civil servants to deal with credible offers coming via ministers, MPs or senior officials.

According to the documentary, this is when things started to go wrong. A whistleblower who was working in the department at the time was exasperated that companies with a background in supplying PPE were being sidelined in favour of VIPs.

The source tells the programme: “It was very frustrating because you’ve done a lot of the background work, taking the time to find out about the companies, see who their manufacturer was, so that we could check the manufacturer had the capability of producing as many items as they said, and then to find out none of your deals have gone through.

“The VIP lane was obviously the Premiership, and all the rest of the suppliers were in the second division.” Mr Gove and Mr Hancock say the VIP lane was created by officials to effectively prioritise significant offers, that ministers were not involved in decisions to award contracts and just forwarded promising leads to civil servants. They say their priority at the time was to “save lives and protect the NHS”.

The ITV film shows how two previously unnamed Covid-testing companies, Tanner Pharma and Nationwide Pathology, both made huge profits thanks to their contracts.

Nationwide made £40million over the pandemic, while Tanner was given testing contracts totalling £1.4bn after it contacted a Department of Health official.

Tanner went from a pre-pandemic loss off £678,000 to a cumulative profit over the pandemic of £193m. Its American owner, Banks Bourne, paid himself a £148m dividend, courtesy of the British taxpayer.

Another company called Innova appeared from nowhere in March 2020. It was set up by Charles Huang, who rain a private equity firm in California.

Innova got its contract after it reached out to Dominic Cummings, who was Boris Johnson’s advisor at the time. By the end of the pandemic, Innova had been paid over £5bn by the UK government despite having no track record in supplying medical goods.

By contrast, Arco is a leading UK supplier of PPE with over 50 years’ experience. It sent 750,000 PPE kits to Sierra Leone during the ebola epidemic. But when Covid arrived, nobody was returning their calls.

Arco chairman Thomas Martin tells Exposure: “We used the government portals, we used all of our existing contacts. There would be 50 or 60 attempts every day to break through, and we were coming up against the closed door. I couldn’t understand why anyone in charge would choose to ignore the expertise on tap.

“The safety industry was not mobilised.” In all, the UK spent around £15bn on PPE. The whistleblower adds: “We had so much, but we were still buying when we didn’t need any more. We weren’t able to warehouse it, and it was getting left at docks.”

By March 2022, the UK had 300 pieces of unused PPE for every person in the country. Companies that were hired to supply PPE were now being rewarded again to store it. Much of it ended up incinerated. The whistleblower concludes: “We were wasting so much money.”

Tanner Pharma said: “Tanner Pharma was selected to provide lateral flow tests because they were determined by UKHSA to have high specificity and sensitivity. We were not referred to the high-priority lane and delivered over 480m reliable, accurate testing kits.”

Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, Michelle Mone and Nationwide Pathology all declined to comment.

* The Covid Contracts: Follow the Money is on Sunday night on ITV at 10.15pm.

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HE was the golden boy of Hollywood.

Men envied his obvious friendship with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, and almost all his female co-stars adored him.

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In fact, Jane Fonda admitted she couldn’t keep her hands off him on set, while Meryl Streep said he was the “best kisser ever”.

Robert Redford, who yesterday died in his sleep aged 89 at his ranch in Utah, was rejected for 1967 movie The Graduate because no one would ever believe he was a loser with women.

But the handsome star was haunted by nerves and self-doubt that caused him to be endlessly late on set.

As the greatest names in showbiz paid tribute to the blond-haired icon, his representative revealed Redford was “surrounded by those he loved” when he passed away. She added: “He will be missed greatly.”

‘Love of pranks’

In blockbusters such as Barefoot In The Park, The Sting, All The President’s Men, The Great Gatsby, The Horse Whisperer, Indecent Proposal and Up Close And Personal, Redford was box office dynamite.

But the Oscar-winning actor was terrified stardom might turn him into a product for Hollywood studios to sell. He moaned: “Films to them are just like vacuum cleaners or refrigerators. The approach sickens me.”

The megastar even refused to make sequels to his biggest hits, Butch ­Cassidy and The Way We Were with Barbra Streisand.

He hated franchises, but appeared in Captain America: The Winter ­Soldier to please his grandkids.

And he became a champion of independent film-makers, founding the annual Sundance Film Festival to showcase their work.

Born Charles Robert Redford Jr in Santa Monica, California, on August 18, 1936, the actor’s mum was Martha and his dad Charles, a milkman.

His first taste of Hollywood was breaking into a studio as a teenager and trashing the place. He once said: “There was a strong dividing line with a railroad which ran near our house.

“Those who lived on the south side of the tracks, like us, helped to service the big houses on the north side as gardeners, cleaners, whatever.

“My dad would get up to go to work at 2.30 in the morning, come home late afternoon and go to sleep.

“It wasn’t his fault, but it was an inspiration [for me] to do something else with my life.”

Redford’s first plan was to be a baseball star, and he won a sports scholarship to Colorado University.

But he told showbiz writer Garth Pearce: “I was asked to leave because I was drinking too much.”

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His mother Martha had recently died and he turned to alcohol.

After being thrown out of college, he ­travelled to Europe. Redford recalled: “I became a pavement artist in ­Montmartre, Paris, and felt my life had begun at last. I had found my calling.

“Then I moved to Italy, where they openly laughed at my art. Eventually, I was told flatly that I would never make it or sell any paintings.”

So he moved back to New York and tried his hand at acting classes, enrolling at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He said: “Suddenly, I was getting A-grade reports for the first time. I had failed at school, failed at university, failed as an artist. I thought, ‘There could be something in acting for me’. It was as simple as that, with no great calling.”

He couldn’t play a loser because of the way he looked

Director Mike Nichols

He began to get work, first on stage in New York and then in a succession of small-screen shows, such as ­Maverick, Perry Mason and Dr Kildare as TV boomed across America.

His movie breakthrough came opposite Jane Fonda in 1967’s Barefoot In The Park. She remembers: “I couldn’t keep my hands off him. I was ­constantly forcing myself on him.”

Redford auditioned for The ­Graduate, alongside Anne Bancroft as middle-aged Mrs Robinson.

But director Mike Nichols turned him down, recalling: “He couldn’t play a loser because of the way he looked.

“I told him so and he was dispirited. I said, ‘Look at it this way, ‘Have you ever been turned down by a woman?’. He replied, ‘What do you mean?’. I said, ‘My point precisely’.”

But his next part, The Sundance Kid, alongside Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy, would change Redford’s life forever. As they filmed the 1969 hit movie, he and Newman became best mates — bonding over Mexican beers and a love of pranks.

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Redford was a terrible time-keeper and, at the end of filming — during which he did his own stunts — ­Newman presented him with a tapestry cushion that read, “Punctuality is the courtesy of kings”.

For Newman’s 50th birthday, Redford sent him a wrecked Porsche wrapped in a bow. Newman had it crushed and sent back to his pal. Redford then had it turned into a garden sculpture and returned it.

Despite their 40-year friendship, Newman admitted he never really came to know Redford.

Even though Butch Cassidy was a huge success, Redford, a keen environmental campaigner, was still gripped with doubts about his ability.

He admitted: “I actually quit in the late Sixties, after appearing in some big films. It was not reported at the time but I took my family to a remote part of Spain. I attempted once again to make my living as an artist. But I was not good enough.”

By 1973, The Sting, in which he was reunited with Newman, gave him his only Best Actor Oscar nomination.

‘Not good enough’

His blond hair became his ­signature and he refused to have it cut in a 1940s style for 1977 war film A Bridge Too Far.

Director Sir Richard Attenborough asked him personally to get a short back and sides, but was forced to admit: “It’s no use. He just won’t have it touched.”

Redford once asked angrily: “What is it about my hair? I played Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby in 1974 and the director Jack Clayton wanted to dye my hair black.

“Even the studio wanted my hair black. I said, ‘Find me the part of the original book where it says that Gatsby’s hair is black. It’s not there’.”

Irritated by filmmakers, he decided to direct a movie of his own.

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Ordinary People, which came out in 1980, became one of the most acclaimed films of the decade and won him the only Oscar in his glittering career, for Best Director.

His hits dominated the Eighties and Nineties, with Out Of Africa alongside Meryl Streep winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

He directed A River Runs Through It starring a young Brad Pitt, Quiz Show and The Horse Whisperer, in which he also played the lead.

It was really hard . . . as a parent, you blame yourself. It creates a scar that never completely heals

Robert Redford

In between, he starred in Indecent Proposal as a millionaire who offered a married couple $1million if wife Demi Moore slept with him.

There was also romance in Up Close & Personal with Michelle Pfeiffer. But alongside great career success he suffered family tragedy.

His son Scott, who he had with first wife Lola, was a victim of cot death in 1959 at just two months.

The actor said: “It was really hard . . . as a parent, you blame yourself. It creates a scar that never completely heals.”

His second son, Jamie, who ­suffered constant ill health and underwent two liver transplants, died from cancer aged 58 in 2020.

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And eldest daughter Shauna ­witnessed the murder of her long-term boyfriend at university.

Redford told Garth Pearce: “All that personal stuff with my children meant some tough times. When you’re going through it, you lose part of yourself. I confess that I used work to prop me up.”

The Hollywood legend produced and directed films right into his 80s.

His final performance was an uncredited cameo earlier this year as a chess player in Dark Winds, a TV show he executive-produced. Redford officially retired from ­acting in 2018.

Redford is survived by second wife Sibylle, some 21 years his ­junior, who he married in 2009, and daughters Shauna, 64, and Amy, 54, from first wife Lola, who he divorced in 1985.

He said of his success: “The key to sanity in Hollywood is to have a life separate from movies and to never repeat yourself on film by doing a sequel.

“I lost my way and my focus ­several times. Having to deal with life, death, illness and catastrophe puts anyone to the test. Movies and acting was never my first love, but it was an enduring one.”

Emmerdale spoilers for next week tease the moment John Sugden is exposed as the police search for Mack Boyd, and injured Aaron wakes up and drops a bombshell on his family

It’s another huge week ahead on Emmerdale with spoilers teasing the moment John Sugden is rumbled.

Aaron Dingle’s fate has been confirmed it seems, after his horror clifftop plunge last week. He was dragged into a gorge by sick husband John, who was taking revenge over Aaron’s fling with his ex Robert Sugden.

John had just been caught out by Aaron who knew he’d done something to missing Mack Boyd, and he wanted answers. John confessed crimes including kidnapping Mack, killing Nate Robinson and drugging Chas Dingle.

Before Aaron could tell anyone though Robert raced to the scene, and a showdown ended with John framing Robert before dragging Aaron off a cliff. Robert is currently in a cell, charged over the attempted murders of Aaron and John, with John lying about what really happened.

Aaron remains in a coma, but that all changes next week according to new spoilers. In what’s no doubt set to be a massive week for the show, some key events happen.

READ MORE: Soap spoilers for next week: Emmerdale Mack twist and Coronation Street Becky falloutREAD MORE: Emmerdale’s John Sugden ‘prepares to kill Aaron Dingle’ in eerie hospital scene

Mackenzie is still left trapped in the underground bunker, chained up by killer John. Having been shot with an arrow, hit over the head, having his ankle broken with a rock and then a scary showdown weeks ago, Mack is a shadow of his former self.

John cruelly left Mack to die last week, giving him a syringe filled with a drug meant to kill him. He told Mack he was never going to be back, and told him when the time came that he couldn’t take anymore he could use the needle to be without pain.

The sick twist saw Mack faced with death once more, and spoilers recently revealed a scene next week sees him inject himself. Mack hallucinates his wife Charity Dingle, but just as some news could save him – will they be too late after Mack uses the syringe?

Aaron wakes up next week, confirming he’s alive. Chas Dingle is there for her son, with Charity and Moira Dingle also there with the police.

It seems Charity fears something is up with Mack, finally, given the spoiler says she is “desperate for answers” and she presses Aaron with questions. It also seems that they know about John or that something is up.

With Aaron awake, does he manage to tell them what John did? Does he even remember? What’s interesting is that Cain Dingle arrives to see his nephew, and admits he’s dropped John off at the cottage.

On hearing this, the detective rushes out – so why are they after John, or at least keen to talk to him? Does this prove he is finally exposed?

Aaron makes a comment about a bunker at the cottage, the one Mack is in, while it’s not stated whether he says anything about Mack. It’s enough to spring Charity into action though, as the spoiler states she isn’t far behind the detective so do they know the truth, and will Mack be found alive?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

A stunning Love Island UK star has been lined up as a bombshell for season 2 of US Games. 

Two Brit Love Islanders have already been announced for the show and now a third will be added to the mix in a bid for her to crack America. 

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Irish lass Catherine Agbaje, 25, is taking another shot at love and money as she enters the villa for a third time.

The brunette bombshell first appeared on the ITV2 dating show back in 2023 but failed to find love on the show.

During her first time in the villa Catherine coupled up with Zachariah Noble, Scott van der Sluis and Elom Ahlijah-Wilson.

While she left the villa with Elom, Catherine was left heartbroken when things didn’t work out with Scott.

She went back for a second time on All Stars and met Omar Nyame and the two coupled up eventually exiting the show together. 

Omar and Catherine managed to reach the final during their stint, finishing in fourth place. 

But, the couple failed to make it work once the show ended and they went back to their normal lives.

Now Catherine will be trying her luck in Love Island Games as a bombshell, an insider told us: “Catherine has flown out to Fiji and is in holding right now – she’s being lined up as a bombshell for Love Island Games. 

“She didn’t find love the first two times around on the ITV show – but wants to find a man and crack the US this time!”

Catherine’s rep and Peacock have been contacted for comment.

Series two of Love Island Games kicks off on Wednesday, September 16 and UK viewers will recognise a few of those taking part. 

The spin-off will bring together iconic Islanders from the UK, USA, France, Malta, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Lucinda Strafford, who shot to fame on series seven of the UK version before appearing in Love Island Australia series five, and series 10’s Tyrique Hyde will both be part of the starting line-up. 

But Harriett Blackmore – from series 11 and All Stars series two – and Toby Aromolaran, who first appeared on the same series as Lucinda before returning for the first All Stars spin-off in 2023, will make a splash with late entrances. 

Meanwhile, fellow Islander and All Stars winner Gabby Allen has also signed up for the Games spin-off.

She agreed to take part in the upcoming series filmed in the US after her split from Casey O’Gorman.

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EastEnders aired a much awaited ‘reunion’ between Max and Stacey in tonight’s episode – and although it wasn’t face to face, it doesn’t look like we’ll be waiting very long…

The drama continued in tonight’s EastEnders, after last night’s cliff hanger saw Max Branning (Jake Wood) make his return to the show four years after his exit. It was revealed he was calling Zoe, with fans left wondering why. In tonight’s episode there connection was revealed, with a ‘reunion’ between Max and Stacey.

As Zoe lay fighting for her life in hospital, Stacey was the one in charge of her phone, and decided to give the “mystery man” a call, with no clue it was her former flame Max Branning.

After last night’s jaw-dropping reveal, fans were sure Max was after Zoe. In tonight’s episode, it was revealed that they were together romantically after having met in a bar just a year ago. The pair had never met prior, but were aware of each other’s families.

READ MORE: Zoe Slater’s daughter ‘still alive’ as EastEnders fans spot ‘huge clue’ in episodeREAD MORE: Inside EastEnders’ Max Branning star Jake Wood’s real life from holiday horror to hidden talent

Max then leant her £5,000 to assist her in tracking down her son, as a private investigator found out had been fostered.

She then went to visit the foster parents neighbour in a bid to get information, but as he attempted to sexually assault her, resulting in Zoe striking him with a lamp. He was rendered unconscious, with Zoe believing she had murdered him.

Max refused to become involved and a furious Zoe stormed out his car as she proceeded to ring Stacey Slater, although we have no idea what was said.

Cut back to the present day, and as Stacey held Zoe’s phone in the waiting room, she saw a number of messages from Max, telling Zoe he still had the necklace he bought her, and can also get money to her. Of course, Stacey had no idea who was on the other end, as she attempted to phone him.

Obviously thinking it was Zoe on the other line, Max answered by saying: “Did you miss me? Is everything okay?”

With the bad signal, Stacey didn’t recognise Max’s voice, although he clearly recognised hers and she asked who he was and what he wanted.

Max stopped speaking as he was left in shock, and although he hasn’t reunited with Stacey face to face yet, it may not be long until they do as he ‘threatened’ to return to Walford in a later conversation with Zoe.

As Zoe rang Max at the end of the episode, he guessed she was in Walford, after hearing Stacey’s voice.

Zoe warned him to stay away, saying she would “end him” if he came anywhere near, but Max wasn’t having any of it, as he told Zoe he hates being told what to do.

We know Max is making a permanent return to the Square, and although Stacey is set to be leaving soon, we’re sure the soap won’t miss a chance to have them face to face once again.

In the historic 2007 Christmas episode, Max and Stacey’s affair was finally exposed in dramatic fashion when Lauren put footage of them kissing on the wedding DVD. The Slaters and Brannings watched on in horror, before furious Bradley, who was married to Stacey, tried to attack his dad.

They hooked up once again ten years later on Christmas Eve. They planned to run away together, but things took a tragic turn when Tanya turned up and Abi and Lauren fell off the roof of the Vic.

With their digital reunion today – how will Stacey react when she finds out who really was behind the phone?

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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A CONTROVERSIAL Love Island bombshell is in talks for the Games spin-off series – just weeks after causing chaos in the villa. 

Remell Mullins was dumped from the Love Island villa after furious Alima Gagigo discovered he’d snogged Poppy Harrison during the sleepover. 

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But The Sun can reveal fans may soon get to see him back on TV as he’s in the running to appear on Love Island Games when it returns later this year. 

An insider said: “Remell has had talks about heading over to Fiji to film the popular US spin-off. He is well up for it. 

“There are said to be around eight British islanders heading over and the final cast hasn’t been fully confirmed yet but he is a definite contender. 

“He proved very controversial on Love Island UK over the way he treated Alima and Poppy and bosses really want a few bad boys in the mix.”

And Remell has also hinted at something big coming up for him.

He shared a snap taken during a gym session and teased: “Just know I have been preparing for more than the gym.”

After being dumped alongside Megan Forte Clarke when they were voted the least favourite boy and girl by the public, Remell assured fans he wouldn’t be gone for long.

He wrote on Instagram: “And just like that… I’m officially out of the love island villa. What a mad, unforgettable ride.

“First off, thank you to every single one of you who’s supported me—whether you were backing me to find love, keeping up with the show, or just curious from what you’ve seen online—I’m genuinely grateful.

“My journey might’ve been shorter than expected, but I walked in as me and walked out as me. No regrets,” he continued.

“I got to meet some incredible people, make real bonds and live out something most only dream about.

“Seeing my name in headlines has been surreal to say the least—but trust, this is just the beginning.”

“I’m walking out with my head high and my heart full. Can’t wait to show you lot what’s next.”

Three of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing are reportedly in a ‘throuple’, which is said to have ‘raised more than few eyebrows’ backstage of the BBC family show

In the latest shockwave to hit Strictly Come Dancing, three of its stars are said to be in a ‘throuple’. The BBC has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years, following a slew of scandals for the primetime programme.

After Amanda Abbington accused Giovanni Pernice of bullying her on the show in 2023, GoCompare star, Wynne Evans was given the chop from the tour last year after allegedly making a crude sexual slur. Then, there were claims that two of the show’s stars were using cocaine, followed by the shocking news that someone involved with the programme had been arrested on the suspicion of rape.

In the latest setback for the sequin-strewn show, three Strictly stars have been accused of being in a throuple – a relationship involving three people.

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Nadiya Bychkova ‘lets slip’ celebrity partnerREAD MORE: Mathew Horne announces very unexpected career move as fans say ‘I can’t believe it’

Sources allege some of the show’s cast were left “absolutely shocked” as the news of the non-monogamous relationship was let out of the bag, according to MailOnline.

The term ‘throuple’ was first bandied about in the press in 2022 when Saturdays star, Una Healy popped up in a photo with boxer David Haye and his girlfriend – although the singer later denied she was in a relationship with the pair.

Now, Strictly has been tarnished with the term, with a source claiming “there is a ‘throuple’ taking place behind the scenes, which has angered some Strictly stars.”

The source, who claimed that the three people can’t be named for legal reasons, had “raised many eyebrows backstage.” They added: “It is, like, the best gossip ever. It all came out during a night out, people were absolutely shocked.

“These are people who have many friends and many connections to Strictly and while nobody is actually doing anything wrong in the scenario, you can only imagine how it has become the talk of the show.”

It comes after the show was rocked by a shocking allegation, with one of the stars being arrested on suspicion of rape.

The male suspect, who has not been named for legal reasons, is also reportedly being questioned by police over allegations involving “non-consensual intimate image abuse”.

The BBC confirmed to The Mirror that there is an “ongoing police investigation”. The police inquiry is not related to the current series.

A Met spokesman told The Sun on Sunday: “On Friday, August 22, officers arrested a man on suspicion of rape and non-consensual intimate image abuse.

“This is a joint investigation… and while the investigation is in its early stages, we urge anyone with any information to come forward to us. The arrest follows a third party ­allegation of sexual and drug-related offences. Enquiries are ongoing.”

They added that the alleged rape victim is being supported by specialist officers.

The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment on this story.

* If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999

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NIGEL Farage today appeared to row back on his pledge to include women and children in illegal migrant deportations.

The Reform leader said the two groups would be “exempt” from being sent packing for five years – but not “forever”.

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On Tuesday Mr Farage declared that under his mass deportation plan, 600,000 illegal migrants, including females of all ages, would have no right to stay in Britain.

But pushed on the issue again at a press conference in Edinburgh today, he clarified:  “I was very, very clear yesterday in what I said, that deportation of illegal immigrants – we are not even discussing women and children at this stage.

“I didn’t say exempt forever, but at this stage it’s not part of our plan for the next five years.”

It comes as the Taliban confirmed it is “ready and willing” to strike an illegal migrant returns deal with Mr Farage.

A senior official suggested the extremist group would ask for aid to support deported Afghans instead of money.

The official told The Telegraph: “We are ready and willing to receive and embrace whoever he [Nigel Farage] sends us.

“We are prepared to work with anyone who can help end the struggles of Afghan refugees, as we know many of them do not have a good life abroad.

“We will not take money to accept our own people, but we welcome aid to support newcomers, since there are challenges in accommodating and feeding those returning from Iran and Pakistan.

“Afghanistan is home to all Afghans, and the Islamic Emirate is determined to make this country a place where everyone – those already here, those returning, or those being sent back from the West by Mr Farage or anyone else – can live with dignity.”

The Taliban official also suggested it will be easier for Afghanistan to “deal” with Reform than Labour.

He said: “We will have to see what Mr Farage does when or if he becomes prime minister of Britain, but since his views are different, it may be easier to deal with him than with the current ones.

 “We will accept anyone he sends, whether they are legal or illegal refugees in Britain.”

The Taliban are hardline Islamist militants who seized back control of Afghanistan in 2021 after two decades of war.

They enforce brutal Sharia law, with strict rules on women, media and daily life, backed by violence and fear.

Branded terrorists by the West, they’re accused of harbouring extremists and crushing human rights while clinging to power.

Mr Farage yesterday vowed to deport 600,000 illegal migrants in his first term in office – in a crackdown he claims will save taxpayers billions.

The Reform UK boss said the public mood over Channel crossings was “a mix between total despair and rising anger”, warning of a “genuine threat to public order” unless Britain acts fast.

This morning Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake confirmed his party would also “potentially” look to strike a returns agreement with the Taliban.

He added that his party’s deportation plan, which was published in May, is “far more comprehensive than the one we’ve seen from Reform, in that it dealt with both legal migration and illegal migration”.

Unveiling a five-year emergency programme, dubbed Operation Restoring Justice, Mr Farage yesterday tore into what he called an “invasion” on Britain’s borders and pledged the boldest deportation plan ever put forward by a UK party.

Speaking at an aircraft hangar in Oxfordshire, Mr Farage declared: “If you come to the UK illegally, you will be detained and deported and never, ever allowed to stay, period. 

“That is our big message from today, and we are the first party to put out plans that could actually make that work.”

Reform’s plan centres on a new Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill, which would make it the Home Secretary’s legal duty to remove anyone who arrives unlawfully, and strip courts and judges of the power to block flights. 

Britain would quit the European Convention on Human Rights, scrap the Human Rights Act and suspend the Refugee Convention for five years.

Reform would also make re-entry after deportation a crime carrying up to five years in jail, enforce a lifetime ban on returning, and make tearing up ID papers punishable by the same penalty.

Mr Farage said women and children would be detained and removed under the plans, with “phase one” focusing on men and women and unaccompanied minors deported “towards the latter half of that five years”.

He even raised the prospect that children born in Britain to parents who arrived illegally could also be deported, but admitted it would be “complex”. 

He said: “How far back you go with this is the difficulty, and I accept that… I’m not standing here telling you all of this is easy, all of this is straightforward.”

There would also be a six-month “Assisted Voluntary Return Window” with cash incentives to leave before Border Force begins US-style raids. Mr Farage said: “Will Border Force be seeking out people who are here illegally, possibly many of them working in the criminal economy? 

“Yes, it’s what normal countries do all over the world. 

“What sane country would allow undocumented young males to break into its country, to put them up in hotels, they even get dental care? How about that?

“Most people can’t get an NHS dentist. This is not what normal countries do.”

The scheme would also see prefab detention camps built on surplus RAF and MoD land, holding up to 24,000 people within 18 months. 

Inmates would be housed in two-man blocks with food halls and medical suites – and would not be allowed out.

Five deportation flights would take off every day, with RAF planes on standby if charter jets were blocked. 

KATIE Price is facing a new legal battle with all three of her ex-husbands.

Kieran Hayler, 38, and Alex Reid, 50, are said to be consulting lawyers in a bid to stop her explosive Sky documentary airing next year.

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It comes after Katie’s ex Peter Andre accused her of making “baseless accusations“ against him, and claimed their children Princess and Junior have been in his care since 2018 ‘for their safety.’

Peter finally snapped after Katie moaned about being frozen out of her daughter Princess‘s blossoming career – and claimed that their kids live with both Pete and her.

He said: “Unfortunately, there are many more lies and baseless accusations that I have yet to address. Those will be dealt with in the coming months.”

Now Kieran and Alex are in contact via an intermediary after a tell-all documentary was announced.

A source told the Mirror: “They feel like they have been backed into a corner and have no choice. They just want her to stop trashing them, and can’t believe she is being given a platform.”

A spokesman for Kieran said: “We are keeping all our options open. I can confirm Alex Reid is on the same page.”

After Peter broke his 16-year silence on Katie, she spoke out in a statement via her rep.

A spokesman for the mum of five told The Sun: “Kate is in a much better and clear headspace and is at peace with the situation.

“This was in the past and she doesn’t feel the need to bring up tit for tat comments, but more importantly she’s dealing with this the right way and it’s now in her lawyers hands.

“Kate will no longer be gaslighted and bullied as she once was…”

Katie is currently dating MAFS star JJ Slater, but before this she had a long-term romance with Carl Woods. 

Before falling for Carl, Katie was engaged to fitness trainer Kris Boyson, 29, and before Kris she was married to Kieran. 

Katie married MMA fighter Alex in Las Vegas in February 2010 and before Alex there was Pete, who she met on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2004. 

The pair soon got together and married in a lavish ceremony in September 2005 in Highclere Castle.

After Peter released his statement, Katie’s ex Kieran Hayler shared a cryptic post about “rising like a Phoenix” amid their public feud.

Kieran, 38, who was married to the former glamour model, 47, for five turbulent years before their divorce was finalised in March 2021, took to his Instagram to share a photo of the mythical bird.

Emmerdale spoilers have revealed the moment removal man Ben makes a jaw-dropping admission to the police about Nate Robinson’s presumed killer Owen amid John Sugden’s lies

New Emmerdale character Ben makes his return to the ITV soap next week leaving Nate Robinson’s loved ones reeling. Fans may recall the character was the removal man who came to collect Nate’s belongings from his wife Tracy Robinson, prior to Nate’s death being announced.

At the time Nate was believed to have moved away and cut off his family, sending removal guy Ben to get his things for him. Now knowing that Nate was murdered, it became apparent to the police that it could not have been Nate who did this, and was likely his killer.

It comes after Nate’s murderer John Sugden successfully framed a patient called Owen for the crime, leaving him to die after an apparent overdose all so he could make it look like Owen was the killer. Next week Ben shows up in the village leaving Tracy stunned, with her and Nate’s loved ones keen to finally see whether or not Owen killed Nate.

READ MORE: Coronation Street’s Kit ‘rumbles Costello’s secret’ as mystery caller ‘sealed’READ MORE: Emmerdale first look as Aaron and Robert kiss after emotional confession

When an update sees the detective tell Nate’s father Cain Dingle that there’s been some new evidence, the arrival of Ben sparks more intrigue. Now a new preview has revealed the moment Ben is in the shop with Tracy and Cain, as well as Mackenzie Boyd.

The detective on Nate’s case is called there and approaches Ben asking him where he’s been and why he hasn’t come forward. He claims he’s been away and hadn’t heard about Nate’s murder.

It then comes out that Tracy has showed Ben a photo of Nate, and Ben is able to confirm it was not him that booked the service or who he met with to hand over the items. The police are keen for Ben to identity whoever it was, believing this will give away who killed Nate.

As they open up a file, the show him a picture of Owen. Immediately Ben claims that Owen is the guy he met with and who asked for Nate’s belongings, posing as Nate.

With that it appears to confirm to the police and Tracy, and the others, that Owen had Nate’s stuff removed, and that this likely means he killed Nate. But as a viewer, we know full well that this just isn’t adding up, and there has to be something about newcomer Ben.

If Ben literally met the person who wanted Nate’s belongings, with him now claiming this was Owen, then he would know it was actually John or someone else. Given John had Nate’s belongings and he burned them, and he organised the pick-up in the first place, Ben would know it wasn’t Owen, the man in the photo.

Owen did not kill Nate, fact, and he wasn’t even in the village until months later. By the time Owen was on the scene, Ben had been and gone and Nate’s death was exposed. So it can’t have been Owen and we, the viewer, know that it wasn’t as we saw the flashbacks proving John did it, and then we saw him burn the items too.

So very clearly here Ben is lying to the police, but why? Unless of course Ben never actually saw anyone, John or not. But that said John wouldn’t have known Owen back then to set him up, so there’s just no way Ben has seen Owen, and therefore his identification to the police is false.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Coronation Street’s Abi Webster (Sally Carman) was dealt with some major truths as her affair with her brother-in-law Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) heated up on Monday night’s episode

Abi Webster on Coronation Street was dealt with a series of truth bombshells as her affair with her brother-in-law Carl heated up during Monday night’s episode.

The mechanic, played by Sally Carman, is married to Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) on the ITV soap but viewers have seen things bubbling away between her and Carl (Jonathan Howard) for several weeks now. Things came to a head last week when she found out that Kevin, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year, had chosen not to tell her that he had been given the all-clear as he suspected something was up.

It was then that Abi finally decided to act on her feelings for Carl and they became physical at the garage, but Abi called the whole thing off just hours later when Carl urged her to go back to her husband. As viewers will know, this was because Kevin discovered that Carl that he and accomplice Fiona Morley (Sara Poyzer) had organised the theft of an expensive car, and could have him arrested at any moment. It comes as one Coronation Street star announced an abrupt exit which saw their alter-ego ‘killed off’ without warning.

READ MORE: Coronation Street’s next landlady ‘revealed’ as returning legend ahead of Jenny’s exitREAD MORE: Coronation Street Becky Swain’s real killer ‘solved’ as villain’s return ‘sealed’

On Monday, when barmaid Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger) asked Kevin how his cancer treatment was going, he could not come up with a lie quick enough, so Abi took it upon herself to announce that Kevin had finished his chemo and had been given the all-clear, but covered for him by not revealing that this had actually been the case for several weeks. Glenda announced the news to the pub, and Kevin kept up his pretence as she insisted on giving him a pint on the house as the other Weatherfield residents congratulated him.

While it initially looked like Carl had set his sights on Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) after buying her a drink in the pub, he was soon seen in bed with Abi, who had called round after becoming jealous that Carl had possibly invited Tracy round. Afterwards, he told her: “I didn’t have that on my to-do list. I will have to go to the Rovers more often!” But when Carl received a threatening text message from Fiona about their dodgy dealings, he had to reveal all to Abi after they got dressed. He confessed: “I have seriously messed up. I’ve been doing illegal MOT inspections. For that Fiona. Write-offs, cut and shuts. You name it, I’ve passed them all. And I’ve been doing it from Kev’s garage.”

He tried to explain to a shocked Abi that he had only been doing it to settle huge debts he had accrued but she shot back: “You told me that debt was paid! You lied?! Oh there’s a surprise! Those cars were not roadworthy. Someone could’ve died. Did it give you a bit of a thrill, ruining your brother’s business and then bedding his missus for good measure?!”

Amidst all this, Kevin invited Abi on a last-minute holiday with him but she told him that she has not forgiven him for all the lies he told her about his cancer. Following a heart-to-heart with her sister-in-law Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney), who was diagnosed with vascular dementia earlier this year, she accepted the invitation but demanded to know from Kevin why he failed to tell her about the MOT scam.

He explained: “Firstly, we couldn’t report it to the police, not without doing damage to the business. And secondly, he’s still my brother and I suppose I’m trying to protect him. For now, we forget about Carl, and concentrate on our marriage. He’s gone from the garage, he’s out of our lives and now it’s about us.”

Despite this, as Kevin was speaking to Abi, she received a text message and quickly read it before putting her phone back in her pocket. She then confronted Carl about the lies he had been telling, and he told her that he had been ‘blackmailed’ after he found out that about the cancer lie. She said: “I came here to call it off, to tell you that I’d forgiven him and I was going to make my marriage work,” but Carl quickly told Abu that she was no longer in love with Kevin.

She confirmed: “Yeah, but he loves me and even with the lies he makes me feel safe,” and reminded Carl that she has her son Alfie to think about as well. In deciding to keep their affair going, Carl vowed to be Abi’s ‘little secret’ for the time being and the pair promptly hopped back into bed together.

Carl is the son of Kevin’s dad Bill Webster (Peter Armitage) and his second wife Elaine (Judy Gridley) and spent most of his life in Germany with his parents until he arrived on the Manchester backstreet earlier this year. In real life, Jonathan spent 10 years in LA and working alongside big-name stars including Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, but the 38-year-old actor ranks landing a part in Corrie among his greatest achievements.

He told The Mirror : “Being in Coronation Street is just as big a thrill as being in a Hollywood film or an American TV series. It’s all the same, everyone’s telling stories, whether it’s a big $200m movie or a soap like Corrie. As a Lancashire lad born and raised, the dream was to be in Coronation Street – that was the ceiling, so it feels wonderfully surreal to now be acting with people like Kevin Webster that I watched religiously as a kid.

“My friends ask me, ‘what you have been up to today?’ and I reply ‘I took Tracy Barlow for a drink in the Rovers Return!’ It’s just incredible to say these things.”

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

CRUCIAL evidence used to prosecute Britain’s worst child serial killer Lucy Letby has been ripped apart by experts who claim “grossly misleading” methods were used to secure the nurse’s conviction.

Now, The Sun’s chief feature writer Oliver Harvey – who has studied the trial intently and is convinced of the nurse’s innocence – delivers his damning verdict, picking out four key claims that will further growing calls to reexamine the case.

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After two trials, Letby was found guilty of killing seven newborns and attempting to kill eight others in one of the most shocking murder cases in the nation’s history. 

She was handed 15 whole life sentences, meaning she will never be released from prison.

Described as a cold-blooded, calculating killer, Letby was said to have used her trusted role on a neonatal intensive care unit to cause catastrophic harm to the most vulnerable newborn babies – without leaving a trace. 

But even as authorities consider more charges against her, a growing number of expert voices are now questioning the evidence used to convict the former nurse.

A new ITV documentary explores the views of a team of international scientists who claim the prosecution case simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, including crucial statistic evidence and claims over the methods used to kill newborn babies.

Between 2015-2016 something was going terribly wrong at the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Nearly three times as many newborn babies had died in that period than normal.

Doctors raised suspicions that Lucy Letby had been present at a number of these baby deaths, so she was moved off the unit and into a desk job.

A team from the Royal College of Paediatrics was invited in to investigate. It identified a shortage of nurses and a lack of consultant cover risking patient safety – but could find no definitive reason for the rise in mortality.

However, the unit’s senior doctors were unhappy with the outcome of the reviews and wrote to hospital bosses doubting that the deaths and collapses could be explained by natural causes.

In March 2017 the police were called, and in November 2020 Letby was charged with seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder, relating to 17 babies. She pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution’s case centred on a few central pillars; a shift chart, which showed Letby was always there when something terrible happened, hand-written notes presented as confessions, blood tests suggesting babies had been poisoned, and medical evidence taken from the babies’ notes to support theories that Letby had attacked them.

The person who came up with most of those theories was a retired paediatrician, Dr Dewi Evans.

During the trial there was eight months of prosecution evidence and a series of prosecution witnesses.

But Letby’s legal team presented not a single expert medical witness in her defence.

She was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others.

As the country started to reflect on the horror of Letby’s crimes, concerns were already being raised about the evidence that was used.

Mark McDonald, Letby’s new barrister, was instructed last September after two failed attempts to appeal her convictions.

He says: “People started contacting me, medically qualified people, scientifically qualified people, statisticians saying ‘we think something has gone wrong here’.”

In the weeks after Letby was convicted, professor of statistics Richard Gill was among a handful of professionals who were questioning the verdict.

He is known to be controversial and outspoken but his work has led to two nurses in Italy and the Netherlands who were convicted of similar crimes having their convictions overturned. 

Professor Gill believed the shift chart which helped convict Letby was misleading.

Leading medical statistician Professor Jane Hutton agrees, saying: “It has influenced a lot of people into thinking she must’ve done it because she was always there and nobody else was.

“It has a very strong visual impact but it doesn’t tell you how the data has been selected. You know it is clear that this is aimed to present a conclusion.”

Their main concern was the left hand column of the chart. Each entry presents a death or life-threatening event.

But these were not all the deaths or life-threatening events in that period. The prosecution made a selection.

Dewi Evans’ early reports for the police identified other events which he said were attacks on babies. But these happened when Letby wasn’t on duty and those events don’t appear on the chart.

“This is a summary that is so crude it can only be described as grossly misleading,” says Jane Hutton.

According to the prosecution, Letby used various methods to try to kill. The most simple was by dislodging a baby’s breathing tube.

This is a summary that is so crude it can only be described as grossly misleading

Jane Hutton

Countess of Chester paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram told the court he had never known of the breathing tube of a baby born at 25 weeks to become accidentally dislodged.

But Dr Richard Taylor, a neonatologist with over 30 years experience, and some of his colleagues disagree.

He explains: “The prosecution allege that the tube was intentionally dislodged and the first thing I would say is accidental dislodgement is distinctly common.

“It can be dislodged by the operator and it can also be dislodged by the baby themselves just by moving their head or thrusting their tongue.”

Convictions ‘unsafe’

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The jury couldn’t decide if Letby was guilty of attempting to murder one of the babies, Baby K, by dislodging its breathing tube. That single case went to a retrial and Dr Ravi Jayaram gave evidence.

He told the court he went into the room and saw the baby’s blood oxygen levels dropping dangerously low while Letby stood by and did nothing. He also said Letby had not called for help.

But an email has come to light from Jayaram detailing the event in which he said Letby herself had called him in because the baby was collapsing. The jury was never told about this email.

The documentary claims that Dr Jayaram isn’t the only medic who appears to have contradicted his own testimony. Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering baby C by forcing air into its stomach.

ITV’s documentary will only add to the increasing groundswell of opinion that an innocent woman now languishes behind bars

The Sun’s Oliver Harvey

Dr Dewi Evans based this theory on an X-ray taken on June 12, 2015 which showed air in the baby’s stomach. But Letby had been off work that day and she hadn’t met Baby C when the X-ray was taken.

When challenged on this at trial, Dr Evans couldn’t rule out that air had been injected into the veins, but the prosecution maintained that Letby must have injected air into the baby’s stomach.

Now Dr Evans has committed to another theory. He says Letby killed Baby C a day later by injecting air into the veins, causing something called an air embolism.

Mark McDonald claims the fact that Dr Evans has changed his mind, and was the lead expert for the prosecution, makes all the convictions unsafe.

Mental anguish

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Police investigated Letby for three-and-a-half years before she was charged. During searches of her home, some notes were found which appeared incriminating, with one noting: “I’m evil, I did this.”

In court Letby admitted writing the notes, but said she did so at a time of mental anguish and she was just scribbling down thoughts as a form of therapy.

The hospital had provided a therapist to support Letby during the investigations. Her name appears several times on the notes.

The jury was never told it was this therapist who suggested Letby express her feelings in this way as part of her treatment.

Nearly a year after the police began investigating Letby they made a breakthrough: blood tests which showed high levels of insulin and low c-peptide. The prosecution said this was proof that insulin had been given to the babies externally and was therefore an attempt to poison them.

The prosecution told the jury that two of the babies had been poisoned with insulin and they had test results that proved it.

But a leading forensic scientist says those results cannot be relied on as they will have been done quickly in a medical setting for diagnostic purposes and were not retested to forensic standards.

Over the last six months a team of scientists have been instructed by Letby’s legal team.

They have been given access to the babies’ medical notes and asked to look again at the insulin test results.

Chemical engineer Helen Shannon says: “We have spent hundreds of hours investigating every facet of the science and there is a completely obvious solution that does not involve poisoning.”

We have spent hundreds of hours investigating every facet of the science and there is a completely obvious solution that does not involve poisoning

Helen Shannon

“The insulin case has applied basic clinical guidance for healthy adults to tiny, compromised neonates,” adds Helen.

Many newborn babies are born with proteins in their blood called antibodies. The team says that insulin in the blood stream can stick to these antibodies, giving a higher reading, while c-peptide continues to be cleared, giving a low reading.

Helen says: “It doesn’t have any effect on the child at all, it just floats around. So as a result it gives a very high reading on the test that was done at the time.

“We can’t see any justification at all for the prosecution statement that it can only be poisoning.”

Earlier this year a panel of international medical experts, who reviewed Letby’s case, told a press conference that they did not find any evidence of murder. 

Chairman Dr Shoo Lee provided what he said were highly detailed grounds baby-by-baby for concluding that none of the murders occurred.

He added: “We did not find any murders. In all cases, death or injury were due to natural causes or just bad medical care.

“Lucy was charged with seven murders and seven attempted murders. In our opinion, the medical opinion, the medical evidence doesn’t support murder in any of these babies.”

‘Deeply distressing’

The expert panel report has been delivered to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and her case can only be returned to the Court of Appeal if there is new evidence.

To reexamine the cause of the babies’ deaths, the expert panel was given access to all the babies’ medical records to compile their report. For Professor Neena Modi those records tell a story of failure by the hospital and the doctors.

She says: “On reading through the detailed medical notes, what was harrowing was seeing a story unfold where possibly things could have been recognised earlier and interventions put in place and possibly for some of the babies the outcomes might not have been what they were. This was deeply distressing.”

The increase in deaths coincided with the unit having to take babies who were more unwell than they were equipped or staffed for, it is claimed.

Professor Modi says: “The babies we are referring to were all extremely vulnerable. Some of them were demonstrably and recognisably on a knife edge.

“Others could have been recognised to be on a knife edge but they were not monitored appropriately or treated appropriately.

“Problems went unrecognised until the point at which a baby deteriorated very abruptly. The babies might not have died had their difficulties been addressed earlier.”

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In a statement to ITV, the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Lucy Letby was convicted of 15 separate counts following two jury trials. In May 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed Letby’s leave to appeal on all grounds rejecting her argument that expert prosecution evidence was flawed.”

They confirmed they are considering a file of evidence from the police relating to further deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “Due to the Thirlwall Inquiry and ongoing police investigations it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

Dr Dewi Evans told ITV that his evidence was subject to cross examination agreed by a jury after thorough review from a judge and subsequently agreed by the Court of Appeal.

He added: “None of the evidence presented by Shoo Lee’s expert panel has been subject to any such scrutiny and it contains factual errors. It is trial by speculation.”

Dr Ravi Jayaram declined to comment.

Lucy Letby: Beyond all Reasonable Doubt? Is on ITV1 on Sunday 3 August.

Additional reporting by Amanda Killelea

A 80s movie bombshell looked unrecognizable after becoming the ‘world’s richest actress’ – despite quitting Hollywood.

The star, now 59, appeared alongside a popular TV actor in a classic 80s film.

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One of her early films, 1981’s Endless Love, was Tom Cruise‘s film debut.

The actress’ most recent regular role on television ended in 2014.

Jami Gertz appeared in 1987 flick The Lost Boys, starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland, who played David.

She played the role of Star, a member of David’s vampire gang, and is a half-vampire after resisting the urge for human blood.

Almost four decades on, Jami looked unrecognisable as she enjoyed lunch in West Hollywood.

The star headed to the San Vicente Bungalows – an exclusive private members club known for its celebrity clientele.

She wore a powder blue shirt, accompanied by white trousers and an orange satchel.

According to MailOnline, Jami is reported to be the “richest actress in the world.”

In 1989, she tied the knot with businessman Tony Ressler – who became a major player in private equity.

The now-64-year-old co-founded Apollo Global Mangement and Ares Management.

Forbes’ prestigious annual list reports Tony is currently credited as being worth $14.2 billion.

Elsewhere, Jami herself is reportedly worth a staggering $12 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Jami and Tony own the Atlanta Hawks basketball team, having acquired it in 2015.

They made the purchase alongside former basketball player Grant Hill.

Meanwhile, Tony was previously a contender to buy Chelsea Football Club.

On television, Jami most recently starred in sci-fi sitcom The Neighbors.

Created by This Is Us boss Dan Fogelman, she portrayed Debbie Weaver.

Her most recent film, romantic comedy I Want You Back, was released in 2022.

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With Virgin River becoming one of Netflix’s biggest shows of all time and Sullivan’s Crossing following in its footsteps, could a crossover be on the cards?

Virgin River might potentially merge with another beloved small-town romance series, according to claims from this prominent star.

Drawing inspiration from Robyn Carr’s cherished bestselling novels, the Netflix sensation chronicles Mel Monroe (portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who relocates to a remote community after experiencing personal tragedy.

Upon arrival, she encounters bar proprietor and ex-Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), with instant chemistry developing between them.

The captivating romance has recently concluded filming for its seventh series, anticipated to arrive on Netflix towards the end of this year or potentially in early 2026.

Meanwhile, American audiences have been engrossed in the newest series of Sullivan’s Crossing, which follows comparable themes and draws from another Carr book collection, reports the Mirror US.

Given this link, viewers have speculated whether these programmes might intersect, and it seems we now have our response.

Starring Morgan Kohan and Chad Michael Murray, this heartwarming romance unfolds in Nova Scotia, centring on Kohan’s character Maggie, a neurosurgeon who chooses to reconnect with her father Harry, known as Sully (Scott Patterson), whilst developing feelings for former solicitor California ‘Cal’ Jones (Murray).

In conversation with TechRadar, Kohan revealed she’d enthusiastically welcome the opportunity to interact with Mel, Jack and the entire Virgin River ensemble should circumstances permit.

“That would be so fun, why not!” she declared when presented with the concept. Despite the considerable geographical distance between the two towns, there’s no reason why Virgin River and Timberlake can’t exist in the same universe.

Interestingly, Sullivan’s Crossing, which airs on CTV in Canada and The CW in the US, has also found significant success on Netflix, much like Virgin River, becoming its streaming home in the States.

The two shows even share a producer, Roma Roth, who is an executive producer for Virgin River and the creator and showrunner of Sullivan’s Crossing.

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This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things.

With the Canadian drama gaining momentum and Mel and Jack’s love story captivating millions, could a crossover episode be on the horizon?

Regardless, Kohan has teased plenty of unexpected twists in the newly renewed fourth season of Sullivan’s Crossing, especially with the shocking revelation that Maggie is still wedded to her ex-lover, Liam (Marcus Rosner).

“I hope they can [stay together],” she commented about her relationship with Cal.

“They’ve built such a beautiful foundation, and clearly this is a bit of a bombshell.

“I think it will take some trust to build them back up, and maybe a lot of explaining… but they are so good together.”

As the fanbase for both shows continues to expand, could Netflix surprise viewers by linking the Robyn Carr universe on screen?

Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix. Sullivan’s Crossing airs on CTW and is on Netflix in the US.

The Love Island villa is about to see yet another new bombshell stir things up, and this time, it could even result in another shock dumping

Love Island is set to experience a huge shake-up as a new contestant, Angel Swift, enters the villa in what could be the most dramatic bombshell so far this series.

The last episode showed, after taking part in a ranking challenge, an unexpected text asking the islanders to guess which three boys a brand new bombshell wants to get to know the most. Tonight’s episode, Friday July 18, will reveal all as viewers watch the latest bombshell turn some heads.

Her big TV entrance results in a rather cheeky conversation with the ever-controversial contestant, 30-year-old Harry Cooksley. While currently being coupled up with Helena Ford after a tumultuous start to their time in the villa, in a series of on-and-off-again recouplings, he entertains the new islander following her shock entrance.

Angel wastes no time getting her graft on and pulls Harry for a chat to see how he’s feeling about his current couple. As expected, it’s not long before their polite exchange turns saucy.

Harry makes intense eye contact when talking to her about mornings, saying: “You like the mornings, do you? What about…?” He stares at her intensely as he hints at a more sexual subject. Harry continues to say: “Cause I’m into that. Ends up with a little spooning.” Angel responds by telling him that she does “like being a little spoon”.

Intrigued, the OG islander asks the bombshell how her typical romantic interactions come about and if she finds she gets attached to boys easily. It’s then that Angel confesses why she can’t sleep with a boy casually, admitting: “When I sleep with someone, I get feelings. So I can’t sleep with them because I’m just like, ‘Ah, I’m in love.’”

In a flirtatious response, Harry jokes: “We might have to hold off on that spoon in the morning then.” When the conversation draws to a close Angel asks if the 30-year-old is ready to go and join the rest of the villa, but he’s pretty smitten. Harry responds to say: “No, I want to stay here with you.”

This isn’t the first time Harry has had his head turned, and it may not be the last. Despite his recent recoupling with Helena, it seems he can’t help but fall for a new girl, which will undoubtedly land him in more trouble with the girls in the villa.

Speaking before her villa debut, Angel confidently confessed her plans to go after exactly what she wants and knows that couples will be split in the process. She said: “That is what’s going to happen, so it’s quite exciting, really. That’s what I’m in there for.”

“I feel like people have been getting their heads turned very easily. I do feel like I have quite a good chance of turning someone’s head.”

Rumours are spreading online that Angel’s arrival will bring a new recoupling, which means she has to choose one of the boys to pair up with, leaving one of the girls single. Many are speculating that it could be a final goodbye for the likes of Toni, Shakira, or, after a rollercoaster relationship, Helena.

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Footballer and model Catarina Pita is reportedly set to enter Love Island as a late bombshell – as tensions continue to explode in the villa following Movie Night

Professional footballer and part-time model Catarina Pita could soon be swapping boots for bikinis as she’s reportedly lined up to join Love Island as a late bombshell – just as the villa falls into even more emotional chaos.

The Portuguese defender, who currently plays for Atlético London, has built an impressive career in women’s football, previously playing for clubs including West Ham United, QPR, Millwall Lionesses, and Porto FC. But now, show insiders say she’s on Love Island producers’ radar to make a dramatic entrance during the latter half of this season.

“Cat has been busy in pre-season training but is on ITV2’s list as a late bombshell. As always, the cast are pulled into suit storylines to create maximum drama. Bosses loved the idea of having a female footballer on the show during the Women’s Euros,” a source told The Sun.

With the villa still in shambles following the explosive Movie Night, the timing for a fresh arrival in the form of brunette bombshell Cat couldn’t be more perfect, as her entrance into the villa could turn heads and cause even more drama for the girls.

On Friday’s episode, the annual Movie Night twist caused chaos as Islanders were shown clips of secret moments from Casa Amor and the unexpected ‘Sleepover’.

Meg and Dejon’s relationship, once seen as one of the villa’s most stable, is now hanging by a thread after damning footage exposed Dejon’s flirty behaviour with both Andrada, Malisha, and Caprice.

Meg, clearly stunned by what she saw, said: “F***ing hell, any more flirting?” Her anger grew as Dejon tried to defend himself, while Andrada, pulled into the confrontation, stood her ground. “I’m going to stand my ground,” she said firmly after the explosive clips were shown.

Later, Meg took Dejon aside to speak in private, accusing him of humiliating her. “I feel violated in front of all of the girls,” she said, holding back tears. Dejon, who looked visibly flustered after the drama, then admitted to feeling lost as he said: “I didn’t know if I was truly being honest, with Meg or myself.”

Naturally, social media lit up with opinions as some viewers empathised with Meg, while others questioned her reaction and insisted that she was being far too possessive over Dejon.

“Meg was WAY too calm for what she just saw. If I were her? Explosions. Nuclear. #LoveIsland,” wrote one viewer on X.

Another posted: “Dejon fumbled Meg for a Casa flirt and a laugh? Make it make sense.” Others pointed out the misdirected blame. “I actually think Meg was more mad at Andrada than Dejon?? Redirect that anger, babe.”

With the next recoupling on the horizon, Catarina’s rumoured arrival might be just the spark producers need to throw the villa into even deeper drama and chaos.

Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.

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Maura Higgins has made a surprising return to the Love Island US villa this week as she was dubbed the ‘ultimate bombshell’, admitting it ‘feels good to be back’.

Maura Higgins has said it ‘feels good to be back’ as she has re-entered the Love Island villa, but not quite in the way you’d think. The TV personality, 34, has headed across the pond to host the US version of the reality show’s spin-off, Love Island: Aftersun, once again – after conflicting schedules meant she had to bow out of the show.

The star, who rose to fame on the UK version of Love Island in 2019, made a surprise appearance at the Fiji villa this week, despite it being reported that she wouldn’t return.

Maura was hosting Aftersun earlier this year as Season 7 of the Peacock show kicked off, but mysteriously vanished from the screen as she left to film for The Traitors US. At the time, it was reported that she wouldn’t be coming back this season, with Sophie Monk – who hosts Love Island Australia – stepping in to take her place.

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Delivering all of the gossip from the villa and the show’s dumped islanders, Love Island legend Maura is following in the footsteps of Maya Jama, who fronts the UK main show and spin-off.

Upon her return, Maura was described as the ‘ultimate bombshell’ by host Ian Stirling, who said, “Tonight, the ultimate bombshell returns, it’s Maura Higgins, and she’s brought some All Star friends with her.”

“So happy to be back,” wrote Maura on Instagram as she arrived back to the show just 24 hours before the series’ finale, which airs this evening (Sunday 13 July).

Seemingly on a mission to crack America, Maura’s appearance on The Traitors is set to be released later this year, and comes after fellow Love Islander Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu took part in the reality show.

While filming the show, Maura rubbed She will rub shoulders with Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce’s mum Donna as well as Big Brother stars Ian Terry and Tiffany Mitchell.

Survivor’s Rob Cesternino and Yam Yam Arocho have also been named to take part alongside The Amazing Race winner Natalie Anderson.

The Bachelor’s Colton Underwood, Dancing with the Stars pro Mark Ballas, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Monét X Change, figure skater Johnny Weir and singer Eric Nam are all on the list.

Maura has been spending an increased amount of time stateside after hitting headlines earlier this year at an afterparty for the BRIT Awards, where she was filmed kissing married McFly singer Danny Jones.

The ordeal came following Maura’s split from former TOWIE star Pete Wicks, and saw Danny go on to issue a grovelling apology to his wife, Georgia Horsley, and son, Cooper, seven. Maura is yet to speak out on the scandal.

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