This article contains spoilers for the finale of Prime Video’s “The Girlfriend.”
After reading the pilot for “The Girlfriend,” Robin Wright could see how the entire series would unfold. She was initially approached to direct the first episode, but she was so entranced by the adaptation of Michelle Frances’ 2017 novel she came on board not just as a director, but as an executive producer.
And when it came to casting Laura, a fierce matriarch committed to protecting her son, Daniel, from his new girlfriend, everyone she pictured in the role was unavailable.
“My dream was Tilda Swinton,” Wright says, speaking from the Ham Yard Hotel in London alongside her co-star Olivia Cooke, whose Prime Video series premiered Wednesday. “The time crunch was getting narrower, so Jonathan Cavendish of Imaginarium [Productions] finally said, ‘Would you consider playing Laura? You know her so well.’ What interested me was expanding on each character and developing this show beyond the book, which was already very full and rich.”
Cooke was Wright’s first choice to play Cherry, Daniel’s working-class girlfriend, who may or may not have suspicious motives and a violent past. The actors hopped on a Zoom call at the end of 2023 and were immediately on the same page about the thriller series. Both were intrigued by the idea that each episode depicted the characters’ individual takes on the events, forcing viewers to frequently change their allegiance about who is right. Is Cherry deviously trying to push Laura aside for better access to Daniel, or is Laura paranoid and overbearing?
Laura (Robin Wright) is suspicious of Cherry and her motives. (Christopher Raphael / Prime)
“I was enticed by the dual perspectives and delving more into that reality because that is how we operate,” Wright says. “That is the human condition. You perceive [something] in a different way than I do. We’re all a hero of our own story and of our own perspective, but we could be the villain in someone else’s perspective. That’s what happens with Cherry and Laura. Jealousy turns into a power struggle.”
“It’s really fun to dial up the maliciousness and the duplicitous nature of a woman,” Cooke adds. “To play all these different sides and all these different faculties. And both our characters contain them all.”
“It was almost like having the variety pack of being a female,” Wright continues. “It’s easy for the viewer to go back and forth, where you’ll be in favor of this one and then not in favor. And it’s always rooted in true emotion. Wherever Laura or Cherry is coming from, that’s her truth. That’s her story.”
“You’ve always got to champion the characters you’re playing in order to play them honestly,” Cooke says. “I completely understood where Cherry was coming from. A lot of that is lack and fear and scarcity. Not having a parachute or a safety net, and having to constantly strive and move forward. She’s a survivor and she’s scrappy, and she will be the quickest and most ferocious to her own defense.”
The conflict between Laura and Cherry aggressively ratchets up over the course of six episodes. After a rock climbing accident that puts Daniel (Laurie Davidson) into a coma, Laura convinces Cherry that he’s died. Cherry later threatens Laura with a knife — or does she? Cooke says she loved “having the excuse to go f— feral.”
“What’s fun about Laura’s perspective is Cherry seems completely unhinged and that there’s a real malevolent undertone to her behavior,” Cooke says. “But in Cherry’s perspective, it’s all coming from a place of just scrambling. She’s tried to put her best foot forward when she meets Laura for the first time and she’s tried to cover up her past a little bit by saying the odd white lie. And a mum sniffs that out immediately.”
“What’s fun about Laura’s perspective is Cherry seems completely unhinged and that there’s a real malevolent undertone to her behavior,” Olivia Cooke says. “But in Cherry’s perspective, it’s all coming from a place of just scrambling.”
(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)
Cooke describes Cherry as an “underdog trying to claw herself up.” “I want the audience to really be of two minds about her,” she says. “And women usually have to be so buttoned up.
“It’s always, ‘You can’t say that or don’t emote that,’” Wright chimes in. “This gave us an opportunity to do what a lot of women would like to say or do, but they can’t. You always have to be a diplomat. This was about being a human being. Women are very layered individuals. We can do 16 things at once. That’s why we can carry children for nine months and then raise them. I wanted to show all of those colors of a woman.”
The role gave Cooke the chance to showcase her range and expressiveness.
“Even just for my own personal life, it felt really cathartic to be able to be angry and be able to scream and be a person who wears their emotions so closely to the surface,” Cooke adds. “Cherry is effervescent. It’s always there waiting to come out. She’s so reactive. And I’m hypervigilant for the warning signs before I react. This was like a rage room.”
In the tumultuous finale, Laura drugs Daniel to keep him away from Cherry. After Cherry breaks into Laura’s house, the duo find themselves in a physical altercation in the basement swimming pool. An addled Daniel discovers them fighting and jumps in to protect Cherry, accidentally holding his mother under the water for too long. The immediate interpretation is that Laura dies at the hand of her son, which is what the actors shot on set in London last year.
“There was an aerial shot of mom dead in his arms,” Wright says. “It was beautiful. He was holding her and he looks at Cherry and mom was dead in his arms in the way I had held him in Spain. But the [producers] cut it out because it showed that she had died.”
Laurie Davidson, who plays Daniel, and Robin Wright in a scene from “The Girlfriend.”
(Christopher Raphael / Prime)
The decision to have Daniel accidentally kill (or not kill) Laura resulted from a “big discussion,” as Wright puts it. The obvious conclusion was to have Cherry purposefully murder Laura, but Wright pushed against that.
“I said, ‘It needs to be the son that kills his mother because he will never get out of her clutches when she’s alive,’” Wright says. “He’s going to be in the middle of this war zone for the rest of his life. When he comes down [to the pool], he’s in a stupor. He’s almost hallucinating. When he dives in the pool and he sees [Laura] trying to drown his girlfriend, he doesn’t know what’s happened prior to that moment, which is she’s tried to kill mom. He has no sense of time and space because he’s under the influence.”
Cooke says she didn’t play the scene as Cherry wanting Laura to die. “Maybe people will read it as that, but I didn’t,” Cooke says. “She knows it’s gone too far. That’s what I played in the moment, shouting at Daniel to snap out of it. But, you know, she did get the house.”
Shooting the pool altercation was a challenging day. Much of the series was filmed in a private house in London’s St. John’s Wood neighborhood, which had an actual swimming pool in the basement. Although the pool was supposedly heated, the actors didn’t experience any warmth.
“It was f— hard,” Wright recalls. “For me, it was like waterboarding. People think, ‘Oh, my God, so much fun to act in those scenes.’ No, it’s not. It’s really tough. We were all drowned rats and freezing cold.”
Still, Cooke says it was enjoyable to go to such intense limits emotionally.
“It’s fun being able to go to the very edge of your emotional capacity in a very safe, fun, embracing environment,” she says. “We wouldn’t have been able to do that in the pool, and be able to try and murder each other and then laugh, if it wasn’t built on trust and love. … These characters do very heightened, crazy stuff, but it’s still seeped in honesty and naturalism, which you need in order to go on this journey.”
Robin Wright recalls how difficult shooting the pool scene was: “For me, it was like waterboarding.” Nevertheless, Olivia Cooke says it was “fun being able to go to the very edge of your emotional capacity.”(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)
At the end of the finale, Cherry and Daniel move into Laura’s mansion with the blessing of Daniel’s father, Howard (Waleed Zuaiter). Daniel discovers a voicemail from Laura recounting how Cherry’s mother, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warned of her daughter’s malicious motives. But while Daniel is clearly in trouble, Wright says you’re not necessarily meant to interpret it as Laura being completely out of the picture.
“We wanted to leave it a little bit open,” she says. “You see the pregnant family living in the Sanderson house and mommy’s gone. Could Laura still be alive? Did she really die? Has she just been shunned to the priory?”
Wright says they wanted to leave it to the audience to decide what happened.
“But Daniel is awakened,” she adds. “If Laura is alive, he could go back to her and say, ‘I now believe you and now I’m with a crazy woman and afraid she’s going to kill me in my sleep.’ There are many iterations where it can go if there is a Season 2.”
As of this interview, no announcement has been made about another season. Cooke, who also stars as Alicent Hightower in “House of the Dragon,” says she would have to get permission from HBO to be part of a concurrent episodic series. Plus, as Wright notes, it’s all about the algorithm. “You always have to wait and see if it’s a semi-success,” Wright says. She adds, turning to Cooke, “If there is a Season 2, I think you should kill the cat in Episode 1, gut it and wear it as a hat.”
For Wright, that’s part of the appeal of being an executive producer — she could brainstorm all the unhinged things that could happen between the characters. She loved coming up with story ideas and character backgrounds, and helping to sculpt the ending, which differs from the novel, was pure joy.
“This was my first opportunity to develop something from the ground up,” says Robin Wright, who executive produces and is a director on the series. “I took a bunch of personal stories, things that I’ve heard, and threw them in there.”
(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)
“This was my first opportunity to develop something from the ground up,” Wright says. “I took a bunch of personal stories, things that I’ve heard, and threw them in there. Like Laura kissing her son on the lips — that came from a friend of mine. And Laura spraying Cherry with her perfume in a shop and saying, ‘Daniel loves this,’ came from someone on set. Things were constantly percolating.”
Wright directed the first three episodes, setting the visual and thematic tone for the series, while Andrea Harkin took on the latter three. The actor says there was a real freedom on set, which was helped by the rehearsals the cast was able to do before filming. She made it a point to always give the actors their own take for each scene.
“Generally, I’d use the take where they went for a free-for-all,” she says. “You get locked in a box as actors. We all do. You pick a choice and you stick with that choice. But when you throw that out the window, the s— that comes out of actors is amazing. That’s what’s so beautiful about being able to direct and being an actor myself. I love watching how it evolves and the light that comes out of them and the emotion that’s brought to the surface.”
“I’ve never acted opposite my director before,” Cooke adds. “The chain of command was so short. Robin was acting with me, but also watching to see what I do and changing her performance to my reaction, which was amazing. It makes it very alive and kinetic.”
Ultimately, it’s up to the viewer to decide whether Laura or Cherry is the villain of “The Girlfriend.” And, as Wright says, it’s simply a matter of how you see things.
“You as the viewer get to decide: Is there a truth, or is it just subjective?” she says. “Because it is subjective for each of our perspectives and we own it. It happened the way you personally know it happened. But the truth lies somewhere in between.”
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.
Speaking to the Special Forces staff on the show, an emotional Adam explains how he was diagnosed with depression.
He struggles to get his words out before saying: “One of them was with my partner…and…we, erm lost something…when it was really close to getting there a second time and telling everyone.”
As the tears fall, the staff clarify that he’s talking about a miscarriage and Adam nods.
Read More on Celebrity SAS
He adds: “I think I was proud of the fact that I was excited for it, which I didn’t think I ever would be.
“And when it got taken away, and it was 10 times worse for her, I think it hit us like a tonne of bricks.
“We just really, really went to a bit of a bad place. And to be honest, in front of her I pretended I was cool, and pretended I was absolutely fine.”
Later in the episode, the tears flow again as the celebrities are tasked with reading out their ‘death letters’, which they were asked to write to their loved ones.
As Adam stands up to read his out, he pays tribute to Laura and how much he is thinking of her, before saying: “The last few months have been really tough, but nowhere near as tough as you.
Adam continues to read: “We lost a baby recently” but then starts to sob, as his co-stars look just as emotional, not knowing what he had been through until that moment.
Laura Woods gives birth to first child with Adam Collard as couple reveal sweet name in adorable post
He says: “I wish I had one more night to give you the world’s biggest cuddle. Love you always, Adam.”
Conor Benn then goes over to give Adam a cuddle, who sheds more tears as he is consoled over his loss.
In a piece to camera, Adam praised Laura, saying: “I’d say I’m pretty closed off as a person and she definitely helped me to open up.”
MISCARRIAGE is generally the death of an unborn baby in the first 24 weeks – approximately six months – of pregnancy.
Miscarriages may not be spoken about a lot but they are very common. Baby loss charity Tommy’s estimates there are at least 250,000 per year in the UK and that one in every five pregnancies ends in miscarriage.
It may not be clear why a miscarriage happens but they are rarely caused by anything done by the mother or father. Usually the embryo has a random genetic defect that means it cannot develop properly.
Most women can go on to successfully have healthy babies in the future.
The NHS says most miscarriages cannot be prevented but avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs while pregnant can reduce the risk.
Some of the other most common reasons for a pregnancy to fail in the first 24 weeks are ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy is where a fertilised egg implants somewhere outside of the womb, usually in a fallopian tube. It cannot survive and grow there so either dies naturally or must be terminated.
Molar pregnancy is rarer but happens when a fertilised egg and/or placenta does not develop properly at the start of a pregnancy. There is no single reason why it happens and cannot be prevented, though it may be more common in very young or old mothers.
A baby who dies after 24 weeks is considered a stillbirth.
Source: NHS
5
Adam is very emotional as he speaks about what they went through
5
The couple welcomed son Leo in January following their previous heartacheCredit: Instagram
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4 with all episodes available to plus members on Channel4.com
Wienroither moved to Arsenal from Hoffenheim in January 2022 and played 51 times for the Gunners.
The Austria international said making a permanent move to City, who finished fourth in the Women’s Super League last season, was a “no-brainer”.
Wienroither said: “I really enjoyed the last six months. I feel like I settled in well.
“I really like the girls, I really like the staff. So, when the opportunity came up that I can stay, I didn’t have to think twice.”
She has committed to City until 2027 and expects to be challenging for silverware.
“This club is made to win titles, to win trophies, and I’m here to do that,” Wienroither said. “The team definitely has the qualities and potential to do that, and we do have a very successful future ahead.”
However, Wienroither only featured three times for the Gunners last season before her loan to City, as she faced competition from USA full-back Emily Fox and academy graduate Katie Reid.
Up until last weekend, there’s a fair chance you may not have heard the name Sarah Calvert.
Yet, there’s not much chance of the 24-year-old post-grad medicine student going under the radar now. Her spectacular arrival on the British middle-distance scene has changed everything.
That also applies to the Livingston native herself thanks to her becoming Scotland’s new UK 1500m champion after pipping Olympic silver medalist Laura Muir to the title in Birmingham.
“It feels incredible,” said Calvert. “I did not expect this ever to happen, but especially not with being busy in May studying for exams, that was pretty stressful for me.
“As soon as I crossed the line I knew it was crazy. I knew this was the biggest moment of my life. Afterwards I had my first anti-doping test, so that was another good experience.
“Since then I’ve had so many messages from people from school, from all my friends, from my parents’ friends. It makes it all seem very special.”
Calvert’s sporting status is such that she’s now chasing fast races in Europe to try to make the British team for next month’s World Championships.
It’s her social status that has taken her, and her family, by surprise due to her newly found fame.
“My dad sent me a text yesterday to tell me I’ve got a Wikipedia page now, ” she told BBC Scotland at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank stadium, one of her regular training venues when she gives herself a break from her studies at Edinburgh University.
“It’s just kind of insane. I didn’t really expect it to blow up like this.”
Winning one of the top events in the UK calendar will do that kind of thing for your profile.
She now has an agent who is hunting down races to see if she can take six seconds off her personal best and run herself into the GB team for Tokyo at the World Championships.
And while Calvert is ready to give it her best shot, her life amid the chaos at the moment is still grounded in reality. She wants to be a doctor, as well as an athlete, and has tried to walk the fine line between excelling at both.
“Before last weekend I would have said absolutely no chance,” she conceded of making the World Championships. “It still seems pretty far off because I need to run a big personal best. I think I just have to go for it.
“I definitely feel busy, day to day, when I’m at uni. Training in the morning, cycling to hospital for my placement and then training in the evening again. But I enjoy both.
“I often worry that I’m compromising running for medicine and then the other way around, but I think I just have to accept that I want to be a runner and I want to be a doctor at some point in my life.
“So for now the best way for me to do it is to combine the two. I rarely have to miss training for medicine so I think I make it work pretty well.”
LOVE Island star Laura Anderson has backed Toni Laites and Cach Mercer to win when the series reaches its climax tomorrow night.
The Scottish beauty, who was runner-up in the 2018 series, believes former Las Vegas cabana server Toni and dancer Cach deserve to scoop the £50,000 prize.
6
Love Island legend has backed Cach Mercer and Toni Laites to win when the series reaches its climax
6
Lauren says she ‘really loves’ Shakira and Harry as a coupleCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
6
Yasmin Pettet and Jamie RhodesCredit: Eroteme
Toni brought Cach back from the other villa, Casa Amor, but left him in tears after deciding to reconcile with lothario Harrison Solomon.
However, since Harrison left the show, Toni and Cach have become the bookies’ favourites after winning the hearts of viewers with their rocky romance.
Laura said: “I think if Toni and Cach won, the general public would be very happy.
“Toni is my favourite and watching Cach get upset and then seeing them get back together . . . it was a lovely little story.”
Speaking about the Meet The Parents episode, in which sees the contestants’ families visit the villa, Laura said: “It was incredible to see Toni’s mum say such lovely words to Cach.
“It was a really nice moment. I thought it was really sweet.”
And her thoughts on their rivals for the prize, such as Yasmin Pettet and Jamie Rhodes, and Shakira and Harry?
Laura says: “Yas has really surprised me and I just think she is great, she is just so authentic. Her and Jamie seem really happy and sweet.
“I love Harry and Shakira as a couple. I really hope Harry can prove himself and I think Shakira is really emotionally mature.”
German Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier was struck by falling rocks while scaling Laila Peak in Pakistan on Wednesday.
Authorities have abandoned efforts to recover the body of German Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, who died in a mountaineering accident in Pakistan this week.
Dahlmeier was confirmed dead on Wednesday, having been hit by falling rocks while climbing at an altitude of 5,700 metres (18,700 feet) on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range.
Attempts to recover her body were abandoned due to “dangerous” conditions at the site, Dahlmeier’s management agency said Thursday.
In consultation with the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the agency said her relatives would “continue to monitor the situation … and are keeping the option of arranging a rescue at a later date”.
Several of Dahlmeier’s colleagues confirmed the two-time Olympic gold medallist had said she did not want her body recovered if it put any would-be rescuers at risk.
German mountaineer Thomas Huber was part of a team that had attempted a rescue, but told reporters on Thursday, “We have decided she should stay, because that was her wish.”
Another member of the rescue team, American Jackson Marvell, told AFP it would be “disrespectful” to recover her body contrary to her wishes.
Marvell said, “The recovery of Laura’s body will be possible, but it involves incredible risks, both on foot and by helicopter.”
Marina Eva Krauss, the climbing partner of the German double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier, who died after a mountaineering accident at an altitude of approximately 5,700m (18,700 feet) at Laila Peak, addresses a press conference in Skardu in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan [Qasim Shah/Reuters]
Dahlmeier’s climbing partner Marina Krauss, who was with her at the time of the incident, said at a press conference on Thursday that the former Olympian did not move after being caught in a rockfall.
“I saw Laura being hit by a huge rock and then being thrown against the wall. And from that moment on, she didn’t move again,” Krauss told reporters.
Krauss said she was unable to reach Dahlmeier and called for outside support.
“It was impossible for me to get there safely,” she said.
“It was clear to me the only way to help her was to call a helicopter. She didn’t move, she didn’t show any signs [of movement]. I called out to her, but there was no response.
“She only had a chance if help arrived immediately.”
Dahlmeier won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, she became the first woman biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games.
Dahlmeier retired from professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25.
Germany’s double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has been “seriously injured” in a severe mountaineering accident in Pakistan.
The incident occurred in the Karakorum mountains on Monday when the 31-year-old was caught in a rockfall.
Bad weather and the remoteness of the area prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching her until Tuesday morning.
Faizullah Faraq, a provincial government spokesperson, said the rescue operation is still under way with the co-operation of the Pakistan army.
In a statement to German broadcaster ZDF, Dahlmeier’s management said: “Laura Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner on 28 July when she was caught in the rockfall. The accident took place around noon local time at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres.
“Her partner immediately called emergency services and a rescue operation began immediately.
“Due to the remoteness of the area, a helicopter was only able to reach the site of the accident on the morning of 29 July.”
Dahlmeier has represented Germany at two Winter Olympics, winning two golds and one bronze medal in Pyeongchang in 2018.
She was the first woman to win both the sprint and pursuit event at the same Olympics, and won a further 15 medals, including seven golds, across five World Championships before retiring from competition in May 2019 aged 25.
Nothing should take away from how brilliant Siegemund was. She stepped forward to the Sabalenka serve, taking it on early, and chopped her way through her opponent’s huge groundstrokes.
Sabalenka held serve just once in the opening set – and even that required three deuce games – and quickly found herself a double break down.
She rescued one as Siegemund served for the first set at 5-2 but slapped a return into the net to concede the opener in 57 minutes.
Sabalenka immediately left the court to reset herself and it seemed to have worked. She broke straight away for a 2-0 lead but, visibly unsettled, conceded it in the next game.
The match could have slipped away in Sabalenka’s next service game as she was taken from 40-0 to deuce – but roared on by the crowd, she held, then won four games in a row to force a decider.
An early break to love in the third set – secured on a brilliant passing winner from Siegemund – looked to have rattled Sabalenka.
She should have broken back in the next game but ended up falling to her knees at the net, arms outstretched as she sent the passing shot wide to go 3-1 down.
A nervy ending saw Sabalenka break back, immediately concede it and then capitalise as Siegemund served to stay in the match, ultimately securing victory with a relieved-looking winner at the net.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a big-hitter or a big server – you have to work, run and earn the victory,” Sabalenka added.
Laura Woods is one of the most recognisable faces on TV when it comes to football presenting
Inside Laura Woods’ life off screen including Love Island star fiancé
The Women’s Euro 2025 has officially kicked off, with an exciting tournament expected as the Lionesses strive to retain their European Champions title.
Wales have also made their first appearance in the competition, having qualified for the first time.
The tournament got underway on Wednesday, July 2, at the Arena Thun stadium and will host 34 matches before a champion is crowned.
England and Wales will join 14 other nations in the quest to lift the trophy on July 27.
The final will be held at St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, Switzerland, conveniently located near the Eurovision final venue.
ITV has announced Laura Woods as part of its punditry team, following her successful stint covering major sporting events on the channel.
Laura Woods is now back presenting after she took a break during her pregnancy(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
The 36 year old, originally from Dagenham in London, is also well-known for hosting talkSPORT’s breakfast show, where she formed a brilliant partnership with co-presenter Ally McCoist, reports Lancs Live.
Laura commanded the 6am-10am breakfast slot on talkSPORT for three years, during which she garnered several awards, including the esteemed ARIAS Best Speech Breakfast Show and the SJA Sports Presenter of the Year twice.
In July 2023, Laura revealed she was leaving talkSPORT to take up the role of lead presenter for TNT Sports’ Champions League and boxing coverage. She also covered the Olympics and some Premier League matches.
Laura Woods is a presenter for TNT sports
Laura embarked on her television career in 2009, beginning as a runner at Sky Sports before working her way through numerous positions within sports broadcasting.
She has now established herself as one of the most familiar figures in English football presentation, progressing through the ranks at Sky Sports to secure prominent roles as both presenter and touchline reporter for their Premier League coverage.
Laura’s expertise eventually led her beyond Sky Sports as demand for her presenting talents grew. She joined DAZN to front Women’s Champions League and Matchroom boxing coverage, whilst also spearheading ITV’s Women’s World Cup presentation.
Despite her passionate Arsenal allegiance, Laura was drawn to TNT Sports’ fan-focused philosophy.
Discussing her excitement about the position, she revealed: “I think the thing that sold me the most was they want to be near the fans, they want to be by the fans. And I think for me as a presenter, what I’ve really enjoyed is that rough and ready presenting. Going to the ground, being amongst the fans – it’s different, isn’t it? You can’t replicate it in a studio.”
Buy the new Lionesses Euro 2025 kit
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
The Lionesses are among the favourites to win this summer’s Women’s Euros and the new official kit is out now. Fans can snag home, away and a new goalkeeper shirts in time for the tournament.
Laura Woods and Adam Collard welcomed their first baby together in January, 2025(Image: Instagram/laurawoodsy)
Laura’s family life
Away from the cameras, Laura and former Love Island star Adam Collard welcomed their first child together, son Leo Ernie Collard, in January 2025.
The pair went public with their romance in October 2023 before becoming engaged twelve months later in St Ives, Cornwall – described as the “place they fell in love”.
Last summer, Laura made the personal choice to keep her pregnancy under wraps while covering Euro 2024 for ITV, despite being in the know.
Speaking to The Times, she confessed: “It was constant, the morning sickness was quite difficult to battle and I was exhausted all the time.
“It didn’t matter how much sleep you actually got, you’d still be knackered. At least there were rest days when I was able to just chill out in my [hotel] room.
“I would have liked to keep it quiet for a little bit longer but I really felt like I couldn’t any more and now I’ve done it it’s a relief.”
Alex Corbisiero during the Lions’ tour of Australia in 2013(Image: Getty)
Laura Woods’ rugby ex
Before finding love with her current partner Adam, Laura had a long-standing relationship with Alex Corbisiero, an ex-England rugby star known for his participation in the triumphant 2013 Lions tour of Australia.
The duo ended their eight-year romance, with Laura indicating that they were too close for comfort, leading to her decision to part ways.
Alex, who has celebrated Premiership glory, bravely battled testicular cancer diagnosed in 2019 and joyfully shared his two-year cancer-free milestone on social media in 2022.
He is currently imparting his expertise as a scrum coach for San Diego Legion and contributes to rugby broadcasting stateside.
MARRIED At First Sight UK star Laura Vaughan has been left heartbroken following the sudden death of her stepfather after losing her biological dad to cancer.
In an emotional statement posted to social media, Laura, 35, revealed her stepdad Rich also died of cancer and said that the loss had left her family “devastated.”
3
Laura rose to fame on MAFS alongside then-husband ArthurCredit: E4
3
Laura spoke out about her heartbreak on InstagramCredit: Getty
“I’ve sat with this for weeks, not knowing how to find the words,” she wrote on Instagram.
“A few weeks ago, my family lost my stepdad, Rich – very suddenly to cancer. It has left my family devastated.”
Laura, who rose to fame on the reality show in 2023, also opened up about feelings of guilt over not being as close to Rich in recent years.
She said: “That’s a guilt I will carry with me for the rest of my life and right now, it feels very heavy.”
The reality star also reflected on the loss of her father to cancer years earlier, adding: “Lots of you know that I lost my dad to cancer, the same age as my half-sister is now.
“It feels as though sometimes, life plays out the most painful patterns.”
Paying tribute to Rich, she added: “He came into my life over 20 years ago and brought light and laughter into our family when we really needed it.
“I hope that where you are now, you are at peace and out of pain, and that West Ham are winning every match they play!”
Laura ended the post by announcing a temporary break from social media.
She said: “I don’t know how to show up online for you guys at the minute and therefore I am going to take a break.
Laura Vaughan’s MAFS diary: Kieran wasn’t emotionally available and it broke Kristina – and are Adam and Amy together?
“Sometimes this world feels so painful, so I’m sending an enormous amount of love to anyone struggling.”
Laura had a failed love match with tennis coach Arthur Poremba, 38, on MAFS.
She recently opened up to The Sun about her own private battle in a heartbreaking interview – after she was forced to make a terrible decision.
The TV star underwent a heartbreaking medical abortion after unexpectedly finding out she was almost eight months pregnant.
She endured the painful procedure after doctors told her she had been unknowingly putting her unborn foetus at high risk of “extreme” harm and severe birth defects by taking a powerful drug to treat her acne.
The medical abortion in 2016, when she was 26, left Laura struggling to make sense of what had happened.
“It was very difficult because I went from not thinking I was pregnant to being seven months pregnant to then having a very prolonged abortion and where I was so far gone,” she told The Sun in an exclusive interview.
“Then, when I got home from the procedure, my milk came in, which, as you can imagine, was just really hard to deal with.
“I hunkered down at home for weeks and didn’t talk to anyone.”
Multiple labour attempts
Laura initially thought it was “impossible” when a Clearblue digital pregnancy test revealed she was expecting.
And she was even more stunned when doctors told her she was in the third trimester.
Although the former finance manager had been suffering from bloating and missed periods, she says she had been told the symptoms were likely caused by a “ruptured cyst”.
She’d gone to see a GP about her symptoms – including bloating and pain in her stomach – but when they looked at her medical records they noticed she’d had a ruptured cyst the year before and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and said that was “likely the cause again”.
They referred Laura for a scan which she kept forgetting to book.
Laura was still able to “squeeze into size 6/8 dresses” while not being aware of her pregnancy, and considered her weight gain to be down to bloating the entire time.
She said: “It was literally the week I decided to test that my stomach popped, and I remember thinking ‘this isn’t right’.”
Recalling the moment the Clearblue test came up with the phrase “2-3 weeks [pregnant]”, Laura, now an influencer, said: “My first thought was ‘that’s impossible’… but then I realised that is how the tests display it, so I could’ve been pregnant for months – and I was.”
Clearblue’s ‘weeks indicator’ test is designed to be reliable in the early stages of pregnancy.
Laura’s shock at her cryptic pregnancy soon turned into an unimaginable ordeal when she learned the strong acne drug she had been taking, isotretinoin, can cause birth defects.
Due to the risk of birth defects to her foetus, Laura was offered a medical abortion – and, with a heavy heart, she accepted it.
Recalling the hospital procedure itself, she added: “I went for the abortion and I was meant to be in and out within a day and a half but I ended up being in for nearly a week.
“They could get me to contract but couldn’t get me to full labour, and so I was having contractions and then [they were] stopping.
“It was agony. It was just so awful for my state of mind, too, going into labour multiple times and then nothing.”
Laura, now in a happy and serious relationship, has been put off having children because she “doesn’t want to be reminded of what happened in 2016”.
She added: “We spoke about my abortion and he’s the first partner I’ve told about it for a long time.
“He’s been incredibly supportive, and we have discussed having children but neither of us see children in our future.”
3
Laura is smitten with her new boyfriend – and she says neither of them see children in their futureCredit: Supplied / Laura Vaughan
