Before the shooting, Susan Lorincz had often complained about AJ’s children, who would play in an open field near her apartment.
She would call them derogatory names and racial slurs, but things came to a head on June 2, 2023, after AJ went to Lorincz’s apartment to confront her following a reported incident involving one of her sons.
When AJ knocked and shouted for Lorincz to open the door, Lorincz fired a single shot through the locked door and it killed the 35-year-old mother. Lorincz claimed it was in self-defence, but she was eventually charged with manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
To this day, AJ’s death has had a harrowing impact on her children – Isaac, Israel, Afrika and Titus – and their lives.
Israel was standing next to his mother when she was shot and he was just nine years old at the time.
Isaac, her eldest son, also witnessed the shooting and called 911, running to a neighbour’s house to get help.
Heartbreakingly, Israel and Isaac have both admitted to feeling responsible for their mother’s death.
On the one-year anniversary of her death, AJ’s children recited a poem at a memorial service.
Ever since, the children have been raised by their grandmother, Pamela Dias.
Dias revealed the impact AJ’s death has had on the children, saying Isaac has been in trauma therapy, according to People.com.
She was also researching counselling for Israel, while sharing how Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was “confused, irritable and inconsolable” in the weeks after.
She told CNN in October 2025: “It’s been very hard for the children – they were very young when they lost their mother, and it’s something no child should have to endure.
“At the same time, they’ve shown strength and resilience that continues to amaze me.
“I can see the values my daughter instilled in them – her kindness, her love, her faith – and that means they carry a piece of her wherever they go.”
Dias has since co-founded a non-profit organisation in honour of her daughter called the Standing in the Gap Fund, which aims to support families impacted by gun and racial violence and to fight for legislative change.
Charlie Cosser heartbroken dad makes a solemn promise to his tragic son Charlie, while sister Eloise reveals the devastating moment she heard her brother’s heart stop
Charlie Cosser was stabbed three times(Image: ITV)
After his 17-year-old son Charlie was fatally stabbed, dad Martin Cosser made a solemn double promise – he would get justice and he would dedicate the rest of his life to preventing knife crime.
Charlie was murdered by 16-year-old Yura Varybus at an end-of-term party on 23rd June 2023 in a farmhouse in West Sussex. Medics worked tirelessly to try to save his life but tragically, Charlie died two-and-a-half days later in hospital.
His father Martin broadcast his grief on TikTok, and now the story of how the murder case went viral is being told in the second series of ITV1’s TikTok: Murder Gone Viral.
In heartbreaking scenes viewers will see Charlie’s younger sister Eloise recall how police came to the family home in the night. She recalled: “I woke up to the sound of the door being banged on really hard. The police officer tells us she’ll be driving us to the hospital where they’ve taken Charlie. I didn’t have time to put my shoes on. I just ran out in the darkness into the police car.”
One of the three stab wounds had damaged Charlie’s aorta and he had a cardiac arrest in the ambulance. However, medics operated in the ambulance then managed to stabilise him before his family gathered at his bedside. Tragically, Charlie died when his heart broken family agreed to turn off his life support on the advice of doctors, whose tests showed Charlie had suffered irreversible brain damage.
Eloise revealed how she watched the life drain out of her beloved big brother, who was nicknamed Cheeks, as his heart stopped beating. She said: “I can’t even describe how it feels like to watch your brother die. I put my head on his chest and I was listening to his heart beat for the last time. I looked at his face and I could see the colour draining from his face and he became even more pale than he was before. I was told I needed to step back because I was in such a state but I’m refusing because I don’t want to leave his side in his last moments and that’s when I put my head back on his chest and realised his heart was no longer beating.”
Losing his son galvanised dad Martin to do everything he could to stop knife crime. “I just held Charlie’s hand and I made him a promise. I promised him justice but the main promise was that I would spend the rest of my life educating people about the dangers and immeasurable impacts of knife crime. I felt so isolated and alone in the immediate aftermath and I just recorded into the phone.”
Martin posts under his son’s name @CharlieCosser17. His most watched video sees Martin reacting tearfully to Varybus’ conviction and has been viewed 4.7 million times.
ITV reporter James Dunham, who covered the case, revealed how the posts made the murder go viral. He said: “Once Martin started posting his videos on Tiktok he soon gained a lot of attention but because police had arrested their prime suspect quite quickly, there wasn’t the usual Tiktok speculation about who the killer might be or where they might be hiding. Instead we got raw, unfolding agony.”
The documentary reveals how the violence unfolded. Charlie was stabbed three times after an altercation at the party. When he was arrested he initially pleaded guilty, but was later given permission to change his guilty plea to not guilty, forcing the family through a lengthy murder trial.
“An application had gone in for him to vacate his guilty plea,” Martin tells the documentary. “As far as we were concerned he’d already been found guilty, he was guilty. That was torture, absolute torture.”
However, the evidence against Varybrus was overwhelming. While the murder weapon was never recovered, there were eye witness accounts that reported Varybus being “drenched in blood”, and one witness said they heard him say “I’ve stabbed someone”. He later burned the clothes he was wearing and was also seen changing the settings on his mobile phone which detectives believe was intended to tamper with the evidence of his location. Varybrus was convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of sixteen years. Because Varybrus was under eighteen at the time of the killing, reporting restrictions initially protected his identity, but the judge lifted these after conviction, allowing the press to publish his name.
On the show Charlie’s dad Martin holds up the grey t-shirt Charlie was wearing on the night he was murdered. “You can see three stab wounds clearly on there,” says Martin. “Actually they are really small knife wounds and yet they caused catastrophic damage.”
Martin’s campaigning helped make the story a national talking point and start his work to educate people about the horrendous ramifications of knife crime. Now Martin and his wife Tara have set up a charity called Charlie’s Promise which raises awareness of the dangers of carrying and using a knife.
Martin said: “I set about putting the wheels in motion and setting up a charity called Charlie’s Promise and the talks I go out and give are to prevent and make a difference to knife crime in this country. And while there is air in my lungs I will continue to tell the story of my little boy and how incredible he was and make a difference in this country to prevent other families like ours going through this misery.”
Taylor Swift will be releasing not one but two projects around her record breaking Eras Tour.
16:29, 13 Oct 2025Updated 16:38, 13 Oct 2025
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is getting a behind-the-scenes docu-series that will give fans new insight into the “inner-workings that created the phenomenon”.
Last week marked the launch of the biggest album in history, Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl with more than four million equivalent album units earned in the US.
But the 14 Grammy-winning artist isn’t slowing down with two projects in the works that will provide a whole new look at her iconic The Eras Tour which came to an end last year.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, The End of an Era is described as an “illuminating docu-series” that will give an “intimate look at Taylor’s life as her tour made headlines and thrilled fans around the world ”.
Not only will the series provide fans with “never-before-seen” content, it will also spotlight performers, family members and friends, including Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran and Gracie Abrams.
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Taylor Swift: The End of an Era episode release schedule
Taylor Swift’s upcoming The End of an Era docu-series is going to debut on Friday, December 12, on Disney+.
Unfortunately, all six episodes are not going to be available to watch on this release date with just the first two dropping on December 12.
From then, two episodes are going to be released each week until the penultimate and final instalments are dropped on Boxing Day, Friday, December 26.
Here’s a full rundown of when Disney+ subscribers can expect Taylor Swift’s The End of an Era to come out:
Episodes One and Two: Friday, December 12
Episodes Three and Four: Friday, December 19
Episodes Five and Six: Boxing Day, Friday, December 26
A teaser trailer for the documentary has been released with the award-winning artist telling fans: “The Eras Tour wasn’t when all the pieces fell into place.
“This tour was just when every single one of us who had done so much work, pushing inch by inch, to where we all clicked together.”
The End of an Era docu-series won’t be the only project that Swifties can get excited about either.
It has also been confirmed that The Eras Tour: The Final Show, which will be the full concert film, is also going to be available from December 12.
The last concert on the tour took place in Vancouver and features the entire set of The Tortured Poets Department which was added to the tour following the album’s release in 2024.
Taylor Swift: The End of an Era debuts on Friday, December 12, on Disney+.
Shirlie Kemp talks about being married to a rockstar and mum to Roman Kemp and Harleymoon – and the real reason she refuses to take part in Strictly Come Dancing
17:00, 11 Oct 2025Updated 17:08, 11 Oct 2025
Shirlie Kemp has just taken Bupa’s Medication Check DNA test(Image: LORNA ROACH PHOTOGRAPHY)
She toured with Wham!, had two Top 10 hits, married a Spandau Ballet superstar and appeared in a Spice Girls video — but Shirlie Kemp never wanted to be famous. Shirlie, 63, who grew up with four siblings on a London council estate, has had such a wild life and career, you’d be forgiven for thinking it must have been planned and executed with military precision.
“It just felt like destiny, like everything happens for a reason,” says Shirlie, who started singing backing vocals for Wham! during an early romance with Andrew Ridgeley before forming pop duo Pepsi & Shirlie when they split. “I was where I was at that time… As I get older, I realise, ‘Wow, my life felt like it was actually mapped out for me.’ There is that saying ‘God laughs at your plans,’ which I really love. For me, I just see space and I don’t know what’s going to come in but I’m always attracting the positive.”
Touring the world and performing to millions is miles away from the life Shirlie expected. “I was told you leave school, get a job, get married and then have kids,” she explains. “But in my heart I knew there was so much out there. I’ve never put limits on myself.”
Shirlie and Martin married in St Lucia in 1988. After their daughter Harleymoon was born in 1989, followed by Roman in 1993, Shirlie retreated from the public gaze. “I lived in baseball caps and sunglasses when I was younger,” she admits. “Then after I had children, I backed out of it. I didn’t go anywhere to be seen. I just wanted to be a mum and devote myself to my children.”
Even when Martin swapped Spandau Ballet for EastEnders in 1998, Shirlie stayed out of the limelight. And these days Martin and Shirlie’s children are eclipsing their fame. Roman is a successful documentary maker, TV presenter and DJ, while Harleymoon is a singer-songwriter, who recently duetted on stage with Ronan Keating.
“It’s such a stupid saying. It’s like farmers, are they called the ‘nepo baby farmers’? I have so many friends whose sons have gone into business with the dad because the dad wants them to take over that family business. With my kids, it was in their DNA. Harley’s been singing and songwriting since I can remember. And Roman, when he was about three or four years old, we called him Roman the Showman. He would watch Frank Sinatra and next minute he was doing a show for us.”
Watching her children grow up, Shirlie knew they had what it takes to thrive in the entertainment industry. But despite her instincts, she decided to let them carve their own path. “I actually thought they should go to stage school,” says Shirlie. “I would love to have gone to a drama school. But then we thought, ‘No, we don’t want them to go down that route.’ So I purposely did not put them into any type of drama school. But they’ve taken that route and they’re not after it for the fame, they’re after it because that’s their joy area. That’s what they can do and they can do it really well. It just comes naturally.”
Roman is currently spearheading a new campaign called Together Against Suicide in partnership with the Premier League. It follows his 2021 BBC documentary Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, which saw him shine a light on the mental health crisis affecting young men after his friend Joe Lyons took his own life.
Shirlie is incredibly proud of her son’s work. “I was in Marks & Spencer and this young lady came up to me and she said, ‘Roman’s documentary was so powerful. My brother committed suicide. I wish he could have seen something like that.’ And I stood there crying and holding her, because you realise that if there is just one person you can save, that’s enough. So I am proud of him for doing that. It’s the heaviest of topics, but it has to be done.”
Like her son, Shirlie doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects and she’s proactive about her wellbeing and mental health, making sure she lifts weights, plays tennis and regularly socialises with friends. “As you get older it’s a necessity because there is that saying, ‘Use it or lose it.’ Well, that’s true! You get muscle waste, you get aches and pains. And also for your mental health, for your brain health. Tennis is great for hands and eye brain coordination, which is also preventative. So I look at everything I’m doing now as a preventative [measure], but I wish I knew this when I was younger. I just thought, ‘Keep fit, then you can fit into the dress you want to wear,’ not realising the real goodness that it was doing.”
As part of her effort to stay healthy, Shirlie has just taken Bupa’s Medication Check DNA test, to help us understand which medicines are more likely to work, and which might not. And the results shocked her. “I’ve always said that prevention is half the cure,” says Shirlie. “So when Bupa approached, I put my hand up straight away. Shirlie swabbed her mouth and sent her DNA back where it was analysed before a GP talked her through her results, which revealed that anti-inflammatory tablets were not suitable for her. “When I was younger I had endometriosis, and excruciating pain,” shares Shirlie. “The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets. So I took them constantly for the pain. Now I know I have to find an alternative.”
With good fitness and a can-do attitude, Shirlie sounds like the perfect candidate for Strictly Come Dancing. She could even do a quickstep to Heartache, Pepsi & Shirlie’s biggest hit. However, Shirlie isn’t keen. “I couldn’t take the pressure,” she admits. “I love going to the supermarket, going to the gym and being out. I would hate, ‘Oh, you’re off Strictly!’ I’ve done what I did, and now I’m enjoying everything.”
“Shirlie Kemp in partnership with Bupa – learn more about their genomics products and Medication Check here “
Victoria Beckham’s highly anticipated Netflix documentary is set to be released on October 9, and the streaming giant has released a brand new trailer.
The eagerly awaited docuseries will arrive on Netflix next week, leaving fans absolutely buzzing with excitement. The three-part programme is scheduled for release on 9 October, and is crafted by the same team behind the Emmy award winning BECKHAM series.
Featuring exclusive chats and shocking revelations, the docuseries will give viewers an unprecedented peek behind the curtain of Victoria Beckham’s world, encompassing both her professional journey and family dynamics. And supporters won’t have much longer to hold their breath.
Netflix has unveiled a fresh teaser as the fashion mogul opens up about her family memories, reports the Manchester Evening News. In the footage, Victoria Beckham reveals: “I’ve always wanted to do this.
“Throughout my life, I’ve used clothes to become someone else, be the person that I always wanted to be, that maybe naturally I wasn’t.
“I used to customise the school uniform in the bathroom at lunchtime. I used to love watching my mum get dressed up, you know she really cared and made the best of herself.
“I remember my mum saying to me if you dress up to get on the aeroplane, if there’s any chance of being upgraded they’re always going to look at who looks the best. I mean the truth is, there is no first class on budget air lines.”
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Posting the teaser on Instagram, Netflix captioned: “Victoria Beckham looks back on the importance of fashion in her life VICTORIA BECKHAM comes to Netflix October 9.”
One excited fan responded: “I can’t WAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIT!” Another chimed in with: “Welcome back.”
While Netflix has already given us a glimpse into the life of her ex-footballer husband David Beckham, this new series will shine the spotlight on the former Spice Girl.
Netflix tantalises viewers with: “VICTORIA BECKHAM, a three-part documentary series, gives all of us a front row seat as Victoria prepares for the fashion show of her life.
“From the teenager who restyled her school uniform, to the Spice Girl who fought to be accepted by a notoriously demanding fashion industry, Victoria Beckham is the story of resilience, reinvention and self-discovery.
“From the makers of the Emmy award-winning BECKHAM and the award-winning director of Michelle Obama’s Becoming.”
Last month, Netflix released the official trailer which saw the star breaking down in tears as she made a shocking confession. She revealed: “We were millions in the red”, while husband David confessed it “made me panic.”
Victoria Beckham premiers on Netflix on October 9.
The 51 year old shepherdess posted a series of photos featuring some of her nine children at their home, Ravenseat Farm in the Yorkshire Dales.
In a poignant message, Amanda, who recently took a swipe at her ex-husband Clive Owen, wrote: “The ace of spades. Whatever life throws at us [dump and explosion emojis]. Come rain or shine. We deal with it.
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it’s from what you reckoned you couldn’t. You can be proud and humble you know and farming is a great leveller.
“You can’t ever get too far ahead before rot sets in, the heavens open or the wheel comes off (literally or metaphorically).”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“Farming is, after all a profession of hope. #yorkshire #grit #resilience #farm #family #shepherdess #books.”
Her 543K followers were quick to react to the post, with one fan commenting: “You’re an amazing family x” alongside a heart emoji.
Another follower wrote: “Love your posts Amanda.xx”, while another said: “love your family, since I first read your book before you were on telly xx”. Another added: “Love this take on all of what you do supporting one another on the farm x.”
Amanda and her former husband Clive Owen are parents to nine children: Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine, and Nancy.
Their popular documentary series, Our Yorkshire Farm, ended in 2022 following Amanda and Clive’s split. The show first hit our screens back in 2018.
The Owen family are back on our screens with a new series, Our Farm Next Door, which documents their adventures as they renovate a historic farmhouse nestled in the stunning Yorkshire Dales.
This comes as Amanda candidly discussed her co-parenting journey with ex-partner Clive during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine.
Lorraine Kelly, the show’s host, noted: “The fact that you have managed, even though you’re separated, the two of you – you and your husband – have managed to still work together, parent together, can’t have been easy but you’ve made it work!
“I’ve talked to you about this before Amanda, you have made it work and that’s a wonderful thing to have done.”
Amanda replied with a humorous anecdote: “He was on the phone this morning, he had fried eggs in some yellow washing up liquid!
“So he was complaining that I shouldn’t buy washing up liquid in yellow! Washing up liquid should only be green!”.
Lorraine responded with amusement: “Oh I see… because he thought it was like, okay…” before breaking into laughter. Amanda insisted: “So you see, we are up against it!
“Believe me, it’s the idea that we’re just getting on with it, there’s plenty to do, plenty of space and a heap of things always on the go. Let’s be honest, that’s reality!” with Lorraine replying: “Of course it is!”
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay looks completely unrecognisable in an unearthed snap that was taken before his incredible rise to fame on social media over the summer
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay shot to fame on TikTok(Image: Jack kay Instagram)
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay looks completely unrecognisable in an unearthed snap that was taken before his incredible rise to fame. The 26-year-old construction worker, who hails from Newcastle, has become instantly known thanks to an eight second video posted on TikTok that has landed him a Channel 4 documentary and a multi-figure brand deal.
The viral social media star is known for his famous haircut, but in a newly-resurfaced photograph, the influencer looks totally different with a style that is worlds away from his signature look.
Standing on the right end in a snap taken in a pub, Jack can posing in front of a pint and is sporting with a much-less defined fringe whilst his beard and chain are nowhere to be seen.
Speaking about his incredible rise to fame, he said: “Where I’m from is like a council estate. Not much happens round there for people like me. People like me don’t get the chance to make it to this level, do you know what I mean? To make it to this level is like a dream, honest to god!”
On August 3, Jack was dancing at a party when he caught the attention of clothing label Zero Six West Ibiza. He had black and gold sunglasses on to match his black vest and massive gold chain. His muscled arms were on display and his now iconic bowl haircut had been shaped to perfection. The clothing label posted an eight-second clip of Jack dancing, and asked: “Does anyone know this absolute legend coz we’ve got 2 free guestlist with his name on it!”
On TikTok alone, the video has had almost 30million views and Jack became a meme, dubbed the Ibiza Final Boss. He captured the attention of many and soon signed with a talent agency and embarking on a club appearance tour, which one PR expert estimated could earn him £1k-5k per night. With at least eight appearances under his belt, that is an estimated earning of anywhere between £8k and £40k from club appearances.
The new film follows Jack as he adjusts to life in the spotlight and tries to find longevity in his newfound career as an internet personality. When asked why millions went wild for his unique look, Jack said: “I think why people love that video because it’s just my aura.
“I think no one has seen us before. When I’ve just stepped in the dance, looking the way I’m looking with my shades and my hair. My tattoos, my muscles, my beard and stuff. People think, ‘Who’s he?’ That’s what I think.”
He went onto reveal that he now goes to the hairdresser three times a week to keep up his look – and spends nearly £80 weekly.
“Before the fame, it was twice a week but now it’s three times,” he said. “I’ve got to keep myself on point.
“Three, four years ago, I had long hair, like a slick-back. I got sick of it and changed it to a Scouse trim. It’s basically just a low fade. Brush my hair to the side, put a bit of hairspray on. It’s got to be spot on.”
He added: “It looks fresh doesn’t it? Everyone loves it. Especially the birds. They loved it before the fame and now.”
Debbie Slater, the mother of Jay Slater, who went missing in Tenerife in 2024, is heard speaking to UK police the day after her son went missing in a new Channel 4 documentary
Jay Slater’s mum says her “legs turned to jelly” and she called police to report him missing
In a new Channel 4 documentary, viewers will hear Debbie Duncan speak to the UK police the day after Jay went missing on holiday. “He has been located miles and miles away from where he is staying, up a bloody mountain,” she tells UK police after calling 999.
She then tells police how Jay spoke to his friend Lucy Law but only had 1% battery so the conversation was short-lived and speaks of her concern and not knowing the two lads he went off with.
Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife in June 2024 after attending a music festival.
Jay Slater’s mother speaks in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary (Image: Supplied)
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next weekend (Image: Channel 4)
CCTV footage showed him in nightclubs but he then got into a car with two men he had met on the holiday and was driven to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 22 miles (36km) away from where he was staying.
It is thought he then tried to get back to where he was staying and got into difficulty.
On a separate second call to Spanish police, his friend Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down. And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next Sunday night and has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
After the calls to police a huge search was launched before Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
Debbie paid tribute to her late son at an inquest into his death in July
Within hours of Jay ‘s disappearance in the summer of 2024, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives.
The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
At an inquest into Jay’s death in July, the late teenager’s mother told how her son’s death had “touched the hearts of the nation”. Debbie gave a tribute to the 19-year-old, whose death from head injuries was ruled an accident, following a two-day hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court.
Coroner Dr James Adeley ruled Jay, who had taken a number of drugs, had fallen in a dangerous ravine, suffering un-survivable head injuries while try to walk back to his holiday let across mountainous terrain in Tenerife, in July last year.
Debbie, accompanied by the teenager’s father, Warren Slater, wept as she told the court her son was “full of fun and was always a joy to be around” with many friends.
He was close to completing his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, was learning to drive and had been “counting down the days” to his first holiday with friends abroad.
“Not in a million years did we predict what was to unfold,” she said. “He had a large circle of good friends who have been left devastated at his tragic death. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it.”
Her son’s disappearance prompted huge media coverage and sparked a multitude of conspiracy theories on social media.
Debbie added: “He may of just been a story for the past 13 months, a story full of untruths. He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. We ask you to please now let Jay rest in eternal peace.”
*The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Jay Slater’s disappearance sparked a social media storm as the 19-year-old tragically died while on holiday in Tenerife after sending a haunting message to his friend
A vast search was carried out in an effort to find Jay after he was reported missing on June 17, 2024. Sadly, Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
The search for Jay revealed he had vanished after being driven about 22 miles into the mountains to an Airbnb with two men he had met on the holiday. He fell around 80ft to his death in a treacherous ravine while trying to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos.
Jay’s mum revealed she saw his final text message that was never sent(Image: Channel 4)
Debbie logged into Jay’s phone following his death(Image: Supplied)
Within hours of Jay’s disappearance, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives. The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
Now, a new documentary is set to detail his family’s hunt for answers and is the first time they have spoken publicly about the tragic case. During one moment, Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan recalled finding an unsent message when she logged onto her son’s Snapchat account.
After finally receiving Jay’s phone, Debbie found a devastating unsent message to his friend. She said: “When we signed into Jay’s Snapchat there was an unsent message from Jay to Brad [Geohegan].
“So the message was obviously just flying around and then the message sent to Brad, which obviously gave Brad a fright. He messaged me straight away ‘are you on Jay’s phone?’. I said yeah we’ve just signed into his Snapchat.
“He said ‘I’ve just got a message that’s just come through from Jay’. The last message he sent. He said ‘listen, I’m not going to make it’. It’s kind of like he knew he just wasn’t going to make it.”
He sent a message to his friend Brad, but it never went through(Image: C4)
Jay’s phone is believed to have ran out of charge when his call to friend Lucy Law ended at 8:50am. The documentary plays the desperate ‘999 call’ she made to Spanish police where she tells them: “Jay said he is going to die up there”.
Lucy had known Jay for about six years and was the last person to speak to him on the phone. On the call to Spanish police, Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down.
“And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.” The police then asked for the friend’s name and Lucy tells them it is Jay Slater.
The police ask if her friend has asked to be rescued and she added: “Yes, said he feels like he’s going to die up there. And then the phone cut off.” The audio from the call with the police has never been heard before and sheds new light on the events of June 17.
Channel 4 ’s new film The Disappearance of Jay Slater will air next weekend. The Disappearance of Jay Slater also has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
* The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
One civil service whistleblower told ITV filmmakers he was “disgusted” by amount of profits some companies made
19:30, 19 Sep 2025Updated 19:32, 19 Sep 2025
Matt Hancock was Health Secretary during the covid crisis when a VIP priority lane was set up for PPE(Image: PA)
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.
Baroness Michelle Mone is being sued by the Department for Health for more than £120 million(Image: Getty Images)
The procurement unit saw staff from Gove’s Cabinet Office join the team(Image: Getty Images)
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.
Charles Huang’s firm, Innova, secured a contract after reaching out to Cummings
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.
Now, Cecilie has teamed up with private investigator Brianne Joseph to help other victims share their stories.
The duo interviews the participants and investigates their cases in the hopes of gathering enough evidence for each victim to take to the police.
Cecilie Fjellhøy (left) and private investigator Brianne Joseph team up in the new Netflix show (Image: Netflix )
Netflix’s official synopsis teases: Victims of romance scams try to reclaim their lives with help from The Tinder Swindler target Cecilie Fjellhøy and private investigator Brianne Joseph.”
Within just hours of its premiere, Love Con Revenge has received praise from viewers.
An online reviewer urged true crime fans to tune in, writing: “If you were fascinated by The Tinder Swindler, then obviously, this investigative (and often very emotional) docuseries is perfect for you.”
They added, “I think it’s safe to say that Love Con Revenge will be a guilty pleasure for many. Especially fans of true crime documentaries like The Tinder Swindler. And the cases covered in the six episodes of season 1 are pretty damn brutal.”
The docu-series has left viewers in disbelief (Image: Netflix)
Over on X, formerly Twitter, Netflix fans have been left in disbelief by the show’s fraud cases.
One wrote, “Love Con Revenge on Netflix is insane, omg. ” Another agreed: “Love Con Revenge on Netflix is so crazy.
Someone else chimed in with: “Love Con Revenge on Netflix. These stories are wild.”
A fourth urged, “I hope we are all watching Love Con Revenge on Netflix. It’s so interesting how these fraudsters operate.”
And a final viewer voiced: “Busy watching Love Con Revenge on Netflix and people are still catfishing and scamming people in the name of love in 2025?! I thought we all learnt our lessons after The Tinder Swindler.”
Crime+Investigation UK will debut Laura Whitmore on Britain’s Killer Teens on Monday, 8th September at 9pm, delving into some of the nation’s most disturbing teenage murder cases. The host will examine Britain’s most harrowing youth crimes as she seeks to tackle the pressing question of why these tragedies occur.
Featuring exclusive chats with family members alongside experts and investigative teams, the documentary series will also explore whether measures can be taken to prevent future devastating killings. Across five episodes, each programme will spotlight a different case.
Laura Whitmore investigates some of Britain’s killer teens including a Dexter copycat killer as she returns to screens(Image: Crime+Investigation)
From a Dexter-inspired murderer to a teen who slaughtered his own parents before departing on holiday whilst leaving their corpses behind, reports OK!. But who exactly is Laura Whitmore?
Celebrity spouse
Laura Whitmore is married to comedian Iain Stirling, who is renowned for providing the voiceover for the hit Love Island reality programme. Their relationship flourished in 2017 when reports emerged of the pair enjoying a “secret relationship”.
Following months of rumours, it was finally confirmed the duo were flourishing as a couple, with both taking to their social media platforms to become ‘Instagram official’.
Since that time, they frequently share sweet photographs of themselves and their family. In 2018, Laura and Iain took the plunge and moved in together, documenting their moving journey online.
Speculation was soon rife when Laura was seen sporting a ring on her finger. The dynamic duo have been spotted working together on Love Island and also launched their own podcast, Murder They Wrote as their relationship goes from strength to strength.
Laura and her husband Iain Sterling(Image: Getty)
Secret Wedding
It wasn’t until 2021 that Laura dropped a bombshell that left fans stunned. She posted on Instagram: “A year ago Iain asked me to marry him and we had the most magical, perfect ceremony.
“We loved having it to ourselves. We had been planning the perfect celebration and I will forever be so thankful that’s what we got. We have never spoken publicly about our engagement or wedding.
“Back at the time we never felt the need to say anything as it’s all such a personal experience. We also were too busy enjoying it! We’ve never shared this picture before now but a lot of people have contacted us and congratulated us the last month with good intentions so here’s to good news!””
OK! previously reported that Laura shared an unseen wedding photo on her anniversary which featured the stylish shoes she wore to walk down the aisle. The monochrome snap showcased the Jimmy Choo heels she donned on her big day, simply captioned: “11.11”.
Laura Whitmore will return to screens with a brand new true crime series(Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Private Family Life
Despite her high-profile career, Laura keeps her family life away from the spotlight. She occasionally shares snippets of her private life with her followers on social media, including the birth of their first daughter in 2021 and glimpses into their uniquely decorated home.
In a humble Instagram post announcing the arrival of their daughter, Laura expressed: “thanks for all the kind messages at this time. We are in love.”
As previously reported by Mirror, their stunning home is filled with distinctive designs and vibrant patterns, creating a light and airy atmosphere. During lockdown, fans were treated to a look inside their main residence when the couple appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox, offering viewers a glimpse into their off-screen lives.
Presenting Career
Laura Whitmore is a well-known Irish broadcaster, author, and actress. Fans will remember her from her time as the presenter of Love Island before she stepped down in 2022, as well as her role on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Now!
The star also hosted her own radio show, The Laura Whitmore Show, and podcasts Murder They Wrote and Castaway. Now, Laura is set to present the brand new series Britain’s Killer Teens, aiming to give a voice to victims and their families.
Laura Whitmore on Britain’s Killer Teens, starts Monday 8th September 9pm on Crime+Investigation.
The Tinder Swindler shot to the top of Netflix’s charts when it premiered in 2022 – but what happened to its star Cecilie Fjellhoy after the fame?
Netflix’s new show follows in the footsteps of The Tinder Swindler, and it even features a familiar face from the hit 2022 documentary.
True crime series Love Con Revenge shines a light on men and women who lent thousands to their partners before discovering they’d been duped.
The six-part show is hosted by Cecilie Fjellhoy, who told her own romance fraud story in The Tinder Swindler.
The Norwegian-born star is now on a mission to help other love scam victims seek justice, with the help of private investigator Brianne Joseph.
But what has kept Cecilie busy since she found fame?
Cecilie’s life after The Tinder Swindler fame
Cecilie co-founded fraud centre LoveSaid (Image: Joshua Wilks/Netflix)
After topping Netflix’s charts, Cecilie teamed up with fellow scam victim Anna Rowe and set up LoveSaid, a think tank centred on fighting romance fraud.
The duo frequently share social media posts and publish articles raising awarenessabout love scams and offering support to other victims.
While the label ‘victim’ may have negative implications, it is not one Cecilie rejects.
The TV star made her thoughts on the label clear back in 2023, telling The Guardian: “Yes, f***, I want to be viewed as a victim. After being told by police: ‘It’s not really a crime.’ If that was the treatment I got, and my case was really high profile, what will they do to others?”
Beyond her collaboration with Anna, the entrepreneur has also found success as a public speaker, often leading talks on fraud detection and prevention.
The Netflix star has spoken at educational conferences everywhere from New York to Dubai, and more recently transformed her story into a novel.
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Titled Swindled Never After, Cecilie wrote the book alongside The Tinder Swindler’s other alleged victim, Pernilla Sjoholm.
The duo claim this novel is not “just a retelling of The Tinder Swindler” but “a powerful mix of personal storytelling and eye-opening insights.”
Cecilie’s latest venture in exposing romance fraud is of course her new Netflix series, which spotlights the many shapes that love scams can take.
Speaking before the series premiere, she told Netflix: “Since The Tinder Swindler, I’ve heard from people all over the world who’ve been targeted by criminals hiding behind love.
“Love Con Revenge is a way for me to use what I’ve learned to help others heal, reclaim their voices, their power, and their lives.”
Lily Phillips is the subject of a new episode of Stacey Dooley’s show, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, where she talks about her decision to leave university and enter the adult content creator industry
20:30, 25 Aug 2025Updated 20:35, 25 Aug 2025
Lily got emotional as her parents spoke of their struggles(Image: u.co.uk)
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to learn that their child has become an adult content creator. But that is the reality for the parents of Only Fans star Lily Phillips, 23.
Lily grew up in a small village in Derbyshire and dropped out of university after a few months to join the online platform. In her first 24 hours online, she made £2,000 and has since gone on to pull a number of ‘live stunts’ which has seen her sleep with 100 men in one day, taking her content very much offline as well.
“When I started that, I was like wow – I found a glitch in the matrix and I can make money doing what I love,” she says. Quickly, the conversation comes up about her parents feel about it.
“I described it to them as more like glamour modelling. Obviously, they were concerned at the start – are you safe, as long as it’s only online,” she says, before admitting she hadn’t told her parents about her latest ‘stunt’.
Stacey was with Lily as she got ready for one of her live videos(Image: u.co.uk)
The stunts happen in person – rather than online – and Lily will go out and physically recruit people for them. No one is off limits. The content was so shocking that none of it ended up in the documentary.
In a candid chat, Lily got emotional as she spoke with her parents on her regular Sunday catch up, joined by documentary maker and journalist Stacey Dooley. Speaking on Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, her dad says: “We’ve known for years she’s done OnlyFans and I thought it was just posing in swimwear and lingerie.”
“When she said she was doing Only Fans, we stood back because we want to continue our relationship with our daughter. We were pretty open with it, but when it went to the next step, we were like ‘no no’,” her mum says. Heartbreakingly, her dad says: “If there’s anything we could do to change her profession, we’d do it overnight … It’s the degradingness of it and making sure that she’s safe.”
Her dad says: “Sometimes we think have we done anything wrong with her upbringing, well as far as I’m concerned we’ve had nothing but nice times and love … Is it money? Because if it was money, we’d sell our house. You could have everything you want Lily if you gave it all up now.” When asked how she feels, Lily says she understands and respects how they feel and “that’s that”.
The conversation later gets too much for Lily and she walks away, hearing her parents get emotional over their daughter’s career choice. “I don’t want to be on camera, I just need a moment,” she says. Her mum is also emotional as they both apologise for upsetting her, as her dad says he receives calls from random people saying ‘I hope your daughter dies’.
Lily’s parents opened up about their own feelings towards what she does(Image: u.co.uk)
Lily says she’d do anything to stop her parents being affected by what she does – but talk of money doesn’t come easy for Lily. When pressed by Stacey about how much she earns, Lily eventually confesses to being a multi-millionaire.
“So the subscribers, they’ll give a tenner and she’s got 33,000 so that’s £330,000 a month,” Stacey reveals during one of Lily’s live videos – which all gets too much and Stacey walks out, unable to watch it continue.
Her empire has allowed her to buy her dream car outright and finance isn’t even a word Lily needs to think about. “Does multimillionaire mean lots of millions in the bank? I’d say multimillionaire,” she says rather bashfully, before adding: “I’m so English – I find money so uncomfortable to talk about… I find it a little bit distasteful.”
It comes just weeks after the Channel 4 documentary on her fellow adult content creator Bonnie Blue was criticised for appearing to promote their career choice with young women looking to enter into the industry.
At just 23-years-old, Lily believes she’s slept with over 1,000 men. One of her most viral videos – which saw her sleep with 100 men in one day – earned her a seven figure sum. Despite her parents’ worries, she has no plans to stop doing what she does.
When asked by Stacey if there was a world where she’d stop what she did, she say she wouldn’t. “I don’t see it as that extreme,” she says, appearing to double down on her decision to stay in the industry.
“Is all of this worth it?” Stacey asks Lily, who tells her: “I can’t imagine what else I’d be doing. It gives me so much drive and a reason to wake up in the morning. This is something that isn’t degrading for me – I still have to live my life how I want to.”
Lily’s appearance on Stacey’s show has been hit with furious backlash. One wrote: ‘I’m just losing my conviction towards Stacey’s content and the authenticity of her views… is it just documentary clickbait.” Another said: “Really disappointing, just don’t think Stacey Dooley should be promoting or giving this girl a platform. Lowest derivative entertainment, a real regression in content from Stacey.”
A study, published in 2021, revealed that one in five Britons open to working in adult industry, with 32% of those aged 18-34 saying they were tempted by the money – but is a show like this serving a warning or promoting it as lifestyle choice?
*Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over is available to stream on U.
The kidnapping of Shannon Matthews rocked the UK in 2008, and now a new documentary following the fake abduction plot will arrive on one of the world’s biggest streaming services
15:43, 12 Aug 2025Updated 15:44, 12 Aug 2025
The Hunt for Shannon Matthews will be released on Amazon Prime Video from Sunday 17 August
The kidnapping of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews dominated the headlines in February 2008 and created mass panic across the country. On a Tuesday evening, stay-at-home mum Karen Matthews reported her nine-year-old daughter missing to Dewsbury police, and West Yorkshire officials launched what became the biggest investigation in that area since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
After three weeks and three days, the search, which was also spearheaded by residents of the Dewsbury Moor estate, came to an end when Shannon was found alive in a flat in Batley Carr, just mere miles from her home. She was found at the home of Michael Donovan, the uncle of her mother’s then-partner Craig Meehan, who was convicted of possessing 49 indecent images of children in 2008 but was not involved in the kidnapping of Shannon and was never charged with any offences relating to the incident.
Karen Matthews had plotted the entire thing in an attempt to raise reward money whilst she made emotional pleas on television for her daughter’s safe return (Image: PA)
Karen, who had seven children by five different fathers, was found guilty of found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice sentenced to eight years in prison along with her accomplice, although by the time she was released early in 2012, he was already out.
Shannon, who had been drugged and tied up in the small flat, was immediately placed under police protection once she had been found and was given lifelong anonymity with a new High Court ruling. Now, the events of the entire plot have been re-explored in the The Hunt for Shannon Matthews, which viewers can watch on Amazon Prime Video from Sunday 17th August.
In the years since the bizarre case shocked Britain, the story has been told through several books and documentaries. In 2017, it was adapted into the BBC series The Moorside, starring Game of Thrones actress Gemma Whelan as the woman who was dubbed the nation’s worst mum, and Sheridan Smith as Julie Bushy, the kindly neighbour who headed up the communal efforts to find Shannon, completely unaware that it was all a hoax.
Julie Bushby, a former friend of Shannon Matthews who was played by Sheridan Smith in a BBC drama, will appear The Hunt for Shannon Matthews when it arrives on Prime Video on August 17(Image: DAILY MIRROR)
But TV insiders have insisted that this time round, the new documentary, which features new interviews with former friends and neighbours of Karen Matthews, will offer up a fresh perspective on the whole story, especially because such time has passed since the events took place. A source told The Sun: “The original case dumbfounded the nation when it happened and it took years before many could truly grasp what had happened.
“Shows like 2017, The Moorside which starred Sheridan Smith , tried to shed some light on the events but it continues to be a subject that stirs up an array of emotions. The creators of the new documentary hope that the passing of time and the benefit of distance might help lend some perspective on the story.”
It is the third in a series of recent true crime documentaries released by the streaming giant, the first of which was The Wimbledon Killer, which looked back on the murder of mum Rachel Nickell in the early 1990s, and the second was Surviving The Tunisia Beach Attack, which examined the shooting of 38 holidaymakers, more than a decade on from when the atrocity took place.
The feature film will tell an extraordinary true crime story
The creative team behind popular docuseries Don’t F*** With Cats have dropped their brand new title on Netflix about the ‘world’s greatest diamond heist’.
Stolen: Heist of the Century releases on the streaming platform from Friday (August 8). It is produced by the company RAW, not only known for the hit true crime series but also American Nightmare and The Tindler Swindler.
Their latest entry is said to tell the story of the ultimate true-life crime caper, the world’s greatest diamond heist. According to the synopsis provided by Netflix, the Antwerp detectives who cracked the case along with the alleged criminal mastermind are gathered for the first time to give a blow-by-blow account of what really happened.
The feature length documentary is said to reveal the secrets of ‘The Heist of the Century’. Unlike the previous limited series released, this will be a film coming in at around one hour and 35 minutes in length.
The detectives and those involved in the heist will reveal what really happened(Image: Netflix)
On the morning of February 17, 2003, detectives from Antwerp’s infamous Diamond Squad were called to investigate the brazen night-time robbery of an allegedly impregnable vault in the middle of the City of Diamonds.
It is estimated that between $100 million and half a billion dollars worth of diamonds were stolen. An ingenious gang of master thieves from Italy, known as The School of Turin were said to be behind the audacious heist.
Now, after more than 20 years, the world will finally learn how they pulled it off.
Sharing the same director as Don’t F*** With Cats, the new film is based on the book Flawless, which was written by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell.
Fans were full of praise for Don’t F*** With Cats, with one person claiming it was ‘the best documentary ever made’. Another fan posted online saying: “A really excellent crime and investigation series based on true events, the only downside is that at first it feels a little dry and uninteresting, but if you can tolerate the beginning, this is a masterpiece series.”
Between $100 million and $500 million worth of diamonds were stolen(Image: Netflix)
Someone else stated: “Don’t F**k with Cats” is a gripping rollercoaster of a documentary that will leave you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.”
It means that Stolen: Heist of the Century has been set a high bar of expectations if it is to be as well received. Anticipation has been building for its release ever since Netflix shared the trailer online.
Replying to the teaser on its YouTube page, one user claimed it looked like a real life version of action movie Den of Thieves. Another said: “These guys pulled off something so wild, I thought it was straight out of Grand Theft Auto.”
Stolen: Heist of the Century is streaming on Netflix.
An Amazon Prime remake of the classic sci-fi War of the Worlds has managed to get the lowest-possible score on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning it has been universally panned
Ice Cube stars in a new version of War of the Worlds, but it has been panned by critics and viewers(Image: Prime Video)
An Amazon Prime remake of a classic sci-fi film has earned the lowest-possible score on Rotten Tomatoes. The streaming platform’s new version of War of the World stars Ice Cube and Eva Longoria, but even having two massive names attached to it did not help things when it came to impressing fans of the original.
On the review-aggregation website, which attracts nearly 80 million film and TV fans on a monthly basis, not one of the 13 reviews is positive and it has therefore been left with a rating of 0%. User ExxtraZY wrote: “I am traumatised. Not because of how graphic it is, but how awful it is. It feels like a 10 year old had a fever dream and decided to write the story at the top of their head.”
The film is the latest in a long line of adaptations based on the HG Wells classic(Image: Prime Video)
A fourth reviewer said: “Stayed 20 minutes longer than I should have because of Ice Cube. But even he couldn’t save this disaster of an adaptation,” whilst one social media user took to X to write: “This new War of the Worlds movie might be the worst movie I have seen in years.” Despite this, some fans who had watched the movie felt that they could defend it.
One wrote: “I felt the story was strong enough to suspend belief. I didn’t care too much about the special effects, I cared about are the kids going to be OK and how this story is different from the many other renditions I have seen,” and another said: “Ok so I am gonna buck the system here. I truly enjoyed WAR OF THE WORLDS. I thought Ice Cube was great – loved the entire cast. Eva Longoria – great. Loved the kids. What is the problem here??”
One irate viewer took to X to vent: “War of the Worlds (2025) is the worst adaption of the source material to date. It had no ideas beyond the found footage approach, and even then the film is struggling to find ways to present coherent scenes.
“Ice Cube is so lost. Maybe one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Most of the film just doesn’t make sense because they’re trying to rush through a mountain of developments.
The latest version of War of the Worlds, which focuses on an attempted alien invasion, was released last week on the streaming service. But the original novel by HG Wells was published in 1898, and the story has been adapted for the screen multiple times.
After first being broadcast on the radio in the late 1930s, three film adaptations were releases from 1953 and 1981. In 2005, Tom Cruise starred alongside a young Dakota Fanning in a modern remake of the Victorian classic.
The synopsis for the latest incarnation of the story reads: “‘A gargantuan invasion is coming with this fresh take on the legendary novel of the same name. Renowned actress Eva Longoria is joined by iconic rapper and actor Ice Cube, along with Michael O’Neill and Iman Benson, for a thrilling out-of-this-world adventure that is filled with present-day themes of technology, surveillance, and privacy.”
A childhood friend of Lucy Letby has revealed the serial baby killer attended her wedding day while she was on police bail after being granted ‘special permission’ to go
Liam McInerney Content Editor
23:00, 03 Aug 2025
Lucy Letby letting loose on the dance floor while supposedly on police bail (Image: ITV)
A childhood friend of Lucy Letby made a shocking revelation after showing off pictures of the baby killer at her wedding – while she was on police bail.
Letby was first arrested in July of 2018 on suspicion of murdering eight babies. She was officially charged in November 2020 before being found guilty across two trials of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more. Dawn Howe, who went to Aylestone Secondary School in Hereford with Letby, brought out a stash of photos during a new ITV documentary called Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?
Speaking on the documentary, Dawn said: “Definitely got some holiday snaps, birthdays, holidays I’ve forgotten we even had. The wedding photos are definitely my favourite.”
Laughing, she added: “There is Lucy at my wedding. I am just so glad she could be there because it was while she was on bail, she had to get special permission to be allowed to come from the police.”
Letby (right) pictured smiling during her friend Dawn’s big day (Image: ITV)
The shocking photo shows Letby, wearing a red top and grey skirt, beaming while others alongside her clap on the dance floor.
Another image shows a just-married Dawn walking past Letby, who is throwing confetti in the air.
Dawn and Lucy met as teenagers and reflecting on the wedding snaps, she said: “Shortly after this she was held in custody so… I don’t think Lucy has seen these.”
Speaking about how she reacted when her friend was arrested before her big day, she said: “I watched it all unfold every step of the way. I just couldn’t believe it. It was beyond belief that this could be happening.”
And later in the programme, Dawn features once again. She is seen driving to Letby’s former school, where they spent most of their adolescence together.
Out of their friendship group, she said Letby was the only one who had a clear career path, and during her A-levels, she was eager to one day “be a nurse and deal with really poorly babies”.
Dawn shared photos showing Letby at her special day (Image: ITV)
And speaking on camera, she said: “We were here and then university and then a few years after university is when she is supposed to have gone off on this killing spree…”
Dawn was working when Letby’s guilty verdict was announced in August 2023 and she described being “dumbfounded” when she heard the news.
Her immediate thought was what happened next. She remembered thinking: “She can’t just spend the rest of her life in prison.”
She is now serving 15 whole-life sentences (Image: PA)
Letby lost two attempts last year to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeals. Her legal team meanwhile, led by barrister Mark McDonald, also submitted evidence from a panel of international experts to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in April, in an attempt to have her convictions overturned.
Dawn supported Letby throughout the trial and is continuing to do so now, but she said she felt guilt for being free while her friend was serving 15 whole-life sentences.
She concluded: “I am living a life Lucy should be living beside me in parallel. We should both be having families and we both bought our houses and we were looking forward to the next chapter of our lives and then all this happened.
Lucy Letby pictured with her childhood pal Dawn Howe(Image: ITV)
“It is just… there is so much guilt that I am sort of living a life that Lucy should also be living.”
Cheshire Police were contacted regarding claims made in this story but they chose not to comment.
Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt? will air on ITV1 at 10.20pm on Sunday August 3.
Mild mannered presenter Michael Aspel is now 92 but caused uproar in his younger presenting days
Michael Aspel TV show was so outrageous it was banned by the BBC and government(Image: BBC)
Veteran broadcaster Michael Aspel has revealed how one of his TV shows was banned by the BBC and the Government.
The mild-mannered presenter – who found fame hosting Ask Aspel and This Is Your Life – was invited to front a documentary about the horrors of nuclear war but it was deemed too graphic and realistic. The 92-year-old star now admits: “I had no idea about the uproar that was to follow.” Aspel was invited to be part of a mini-film called The War Game in 1965 to mark the 20 th anniversary of the American nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Director Peter Watkins wanted to show Brits the realities of what could happen if the same happened here.
The show used actors to play the victims of an atomic attack and it gave gory detailed descriptions of what would happen to their bodies before death. Aspel was asked to narrate the project which would air on the BBC and he happily agreed.
He recalls in a new BBC 4 documentary: “Now I had done a few of those before but little did I know the furore this particular film would cause.
“It was made to reflect what had happened in Hiroshima and Peter wanted to see what life might have been like in this country if we had been the victims of an atom bomb.
“Although newsreaders used to do odd jobs away from the BBC with medical films and stuff like that, I was particularly interested why the director and writer of this film would want me to be the narrator.
Aspel on This Is Your Life in 1989, a far cry from his controversial doc(Image: Mirrorpix)
“And I could only suppose, because being a newsreader and perhaps being familiar to listeners as well as to viewers in that role, it would suit his film very well.
“The idea was to give the film authenticity. The director wanted to present a very ordinary community of people in this country with all the foibles of the time such as casual racism.
“The film was made to be as realistic as possible so the viewer would believe what they wee watching it as though it was a Government warning.”
However, the programme was pulled from broadcast. The BBC claims it was their decision. It had given some members of Harold Wilson’s Government a copy of the violent and graphic documentary in advance as it feared it might be seen as an advertisement for nuclear disarmament with a pacifist CND agenda. Even the ex-BBC head of documentaries – the late Huw Weldon – branded it ‘a political hot potato’.
The BBC maintains it was told it had to make the decision over whether to broadcast the show itself. And the director general at the time – Hugh Carleton Greene – shelved the show saying it was ‘so shocking and upsetting’ that he could never forgive himself if someone ‘threw themselves under a bus’ because of it.
However Aspel reveals another side to the story. He claims Peter Watkins felt ‘betrayed’ by this decision and always believed it was really The Government who banned his documentary.
The TV host – who also presented Aspel and Company and Give Us A Clue and Crackerjack – adds: “He was always sure it was Government interference that stopped the film.”
And archive footage is shown from a 1998 interview with the late Labour MP and former postmaster general Tony Benn. He admits: “Frank Soskice, who was the home secretary, ordered me to ban the programme… because it was argued this would lead to panic.
“I was only his master’s voice and had nothing to do with it (the decision) so I had to send a directive to Carleton Greene saying ‘You must not broadcast it’. I greatly regret it. I never believe in censorship.”
It took another 20 years for the film to see the light of day. The War Game was finally broadcast on the BBC to mark the 40 th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ironically it even won an Oscar for best documentary feature.
Aspel now says: “It is now 80 years since the bombings in Japan and 60 years since I sat in that little recording studio with no idea of the uproar that was to follow.”
* Michael Aspel Remembers.. The War Game will air on BBC 4 on Wednesday July 30 at 10pm followed by a screening of the 1965 film.
Bonnie Blue insists she is happy but there is a cost to her fame and she does not live a normal life
21:19, 27 Jul 2025Updated 21:19, 27 Jul 2025
Channel 4 have gone behind the scenes of the Bonnie Blue business to see what it is really like(Image: Rob Parfitt / Channel 4)
Bonnie Blue has made millions from porn, inviting multiple fans to have sex with her and posting film of what some people would call orgies, but she calls “events”, online.
Her biggest event was in January, when she had sex with 1,057 men in 12 hours, the inspiration for the title of a new Channel 4 documentary, 1,000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story.
At a screening of the documentary, Bonnie insisted she was “very happy” with her life. But her notoriety, and her boasts of sex with married men, who, she says, should not feel guilty about cheating on their wives, come at a price.
In the film, Bonnie, a 26-year-old former NHS recruitment worker from Derbyshire, whose real name is Tia Billinger, says: “The last time I went out by myself was probably about six months ago. Now it is not that safe.
The dark reality behind Bonnie Blue sex fame(Image: bonnie_blue_xox/Instagram)
“I get 100s of death threats a day, so it is not that safe when I walk around.
“I say, ‘It is going to happen at some point, someone will come and give me stick’ and fair play to her, at least they are getting up off their sofa. My worst one is acid, if someone did acid, and I could see some spiteful girl doing that.”
Bonnie has split from her husband and her closest friends seem to be Josh, who posts her videos, and a stylist. She says: “My sort of circles got smaller, but my team are also my best friends.”
Director Victoria Silver followed Bonnie for six months, gathering footage of her having sex, and was at her January marathon for a couple of hours.
At the documentary screening, Bonnie expressed surprise at the amount of explicit footage used. Asked if she was expecting complaints, Victoria said: “If I was making a film about a musician or some kind of other performer their work would be in there. I think it is important to see what she does.”
And Bonnie is clearly proud of her work. Of her sex marathon, she says: “I love the fact that I was able to experience that day with over 1,000 subscribers, fans, people that spent time out of the day to come meet me.
“But, yeah, I also need money to be able to take time out of my days to be able to do that, to hold these events. These events aren’t cheap by the time you pay for staff, security, the venue.”
But she says she has earned more than £1million in some months, and the documentary shows the increasingly extreme lengths she will go to for clicks and views.
Bonnie is clearly proud of her work(Image: Jam Press/@bonnie_blue_xox)
In one stunt, she creates a school classroom for a sex show, with other, younger, contributors taking part after being sent invites.
The director’s voiceover says they are not paid but “appearing in their socials with Bonnie is payment enough”.
At the shoot in Birmingham, one girl called Codie says: “She got quite big quite fast, so it will be nice to see how she does things. No, I am not being paid today, it’d just be that I get tagged and then hopefully get followers and subs from that and then roll on to my page.”
She admits she does not normally do anything “adventurous” on her OnlyFans page and that this is the first time she has taken part in filmed group sex. She adds that making sex films is better than having to do an office job.
Another contributor, Leah, says: “I got a DM to see if I wanted to take part. As soon as I heard Bonnie Blue’s name I was intrigued because she’s everywhere at the minute.”
Leah says this is the first time she has been with other people in a room having sex and she is “definitely” nervous.
But Bonnie does not seem bothered or concerned by the fact the girls look a bit shy and intimidated. Bonnie says: “The fact they are so nervous works in my favour, because their reactions will be more realistic. Or if they feel intimidated, obviously, I want them to say, but sometimes sex is intimidating, so it’s going to be good.”
Another scene shows Bonnie at home with mum Sarah, who speaks with pride about how her daughter was a great dancer as a child.
She also seems proud of her career as a porn star. She says: “Would it be something that I chose for her to do, no. I was really, really shocked, but now would I want her to do anything else? No, not at all. It’s her choice.”
Sarah and other relatives have given up their jobs to be on Bonnie’s payroll.
Sarah says: “People I know always liked us both, but think it’s OK to make nasty comments.
“Most of the time I just laugh. I’m like, ‘If you could earn a million pounds in a month, your morals would soon change, and you’d get your bits out’. I don’t care what people say.”
Bonnie says: “My family started to put up with hate, I get that, but I also get the life I live and the money. So it’s like I also want them to receive some of the rewards.”
The documentary ends as Bonnie is about to head to Romania to meet influencer Andrew Tate, who is facing rape and human trafficking charges, which he denies, and is a self proclaimed misogynist. Bonnie says: “He’s probably just as controversial as I am. Whether people love him or hate him, he’s a marketing genius.”
Director Victoria asks her: “You talk about female empowerment, but how do you square that with aligning yourself with the most misogynistic male on the internet?”
Bonnie says: “Piers Morgan interviews serial killers all the time. It’s not messed up his brand. He [Tate] has been labelled multiple things by the media, and so have I. We’re probably the two most misunderstood people out there at the moment.”
Channel 4 defended the documentary, telling the Mirror: “The explicit content is editorially justified and provides essential context.”
And at the screening, commissioning editor Tim Hancock said: “We are very proud to do films like this.”
* 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story, Channel 4, Tuesday, 10pm.
