MARTIN Kemp has given his followers an update on his health after his horror chainsaw accident, as he reveals whether his gigs will be still taking place.
Martin Kemp was rushed to hospital after a shocking chainsaw accidentCredit: PAToday the singer gave an update on how he is doingCredit: InstagramMartin’s son Roman explained what had happened to his famous dadCredit: tiktok
Giving fans an update on how he was doing following the accident. which saw him injure his fingers, Martin said: “Addressing Hey guys, just a little message.
“You might have seen in the paper that I had a terrible accident with a chainsaw, which I did, but it was last week.
“I’m a lot better now.”
Reassuring fans he wasn’t cancelling any gigs, Martin said: “And just to let you know, if you were worried and you are going to Lincoln Cathedral tonight for the DJ gig, right, it is still on.
“Yeah, but I appreciate your concerns and listen, it’s getting better by the minute, but I will explain how it happened another time, but just to reassure you, I am alright.
“Alright, lots of love. Bye.”
Yesterday, his son Roman shared the news about his dad’s hospital dash.
He explained on the You About podcast with Tom Grennan that his dad had had an accident with a chainsaw.
The star said it was lucky that his dad wasn’t “fingerless” after the incident, which saw Martin pick the chainsaw up by the blade, to cut down a piece of wood.
The chat began with music star Tom saying to Roman: “What the hell has happened to your dad’s fingers?”
“Oh God,” Roman said, and then added: “It’s scary. Friday night I’d just finished work and looked at my phone, and dad sent a picture of his hand with all fingers heavily strapped up.
“And all he writes underneath in the family WhatsApp group is ‘yep… chainsaw.’”
Roman continued: “I was texting him saying ‘what?!’ but got no reply, and then Harley my sister is like ‘what’s happened?’ but again, no reply.
“So he said ‘Oh there was a bit of the branch that we wanted chopping down so I went and got a chainsaw.”
Roman said his first issue with what had happened was that his dad was handling a chainsaw in the first place.
“He’s 65. He’s got more than enough dough. Get a professional in, you can’t be doing that,” Roman said.
He then added: “My dad said ‘Oh yeah I picked it up by the blade.”
Reality TV star and social media influencer Kim Kardashian made a bombshell admission about the future of her career in the spotlight as she revealed she is planning a new path
23:32, 24 Oct 2025Updated 23:32, 24 Oct 2025
Kim Kardashian revealed when she will change careers(Image: PA)
Kim Kardashian has revealed exactly when she will give up her famous life in a bombshell admission. The reality TV queen, 45, has been entertaining fans for years thanks to her shows alongside her famous family.
However, it seems Kim may be ready to take a step back from the limelight. Away from the spotlight, Kim has been busy working on her law career and is currently awaiting the results of her California bar exam.
She has expressed her interest in becoming a lawyer, having already completed a six-year legal apprentice programme. Her hard work has even inspired her acting career as she stars in new series All’s Fair on Disney+.
Kim promoted her acting debut on the Graham Norton Show on Friday night, where she made a surprise admission. Host Graham asked: “You are very nearly qualified aren’t you?”
She replied: “Yes, I am. I took the bar exam in July and I get the results a few days after our premiere. So in two weeks. Everyone please pray for me. I worked really, really hard on this.”
Fellow guest Bryan Cranston asked Kim: “Was this something you always wanted to do? Are you going to actually practice law?” In a surprise admission, Kim revealed: “I hope to practice law. Maybe in like 10 years, I will give up being Kim K and be a lawyer. A trial lawyer. That’s what I really want.”
Kim’s dad Robert Kardashian defended OJ Simpson at his trial when she was 14-years-old. She revealed she was invited by her dad to go to court for one session as he said it was “a piece of history”.
Kim decided to make her health scare public on the season seven premiere of The Kardashians while speaking with sister Kourtney Kardashian. “They found a little aneurysm,” Kim said, before a visibly shocked Kourtney placed her hand over her chest and replied: “Whoa.”
The episode showed Kim at a medical facility and being rolled into an MRI machine as images of her brain appeared on a monitor. In a later scene, the mother-of-four became tearful on the phone, as she asked: “Why the f**k is this happening?”
According to the NHS, an aneurysm is a ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain. If it ruptures, it can lead to severe internal bleeding and be life-threatening.
Small aneurysms that have not ruptured are usually monitored with regular check-ups rather than immediate surgery. Kim has long dealt with autoimmune conditions, including psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
In 2022, she revealed that a rapid 16-pound weight loss to fit Marilyn Monroe’s gown at the Met Gala triggered a psoriasis flare that led to arthritis. She has discussed the psychological toll of her marriage to West on her new series, describing feelings similar to “Stockholm Syndrome,” – a condition where victims form attachments to their abuser.
Kim admitted: “I’m happy it’s over,” but she added: “People think that I have the luxury of walking away. My ex will be in my life no matter what. We have four kids together.”
Kim and Kanye were married from 2014 until 2022 and share four children together – North, 12, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6.
MEL B has admitted she’s been kicked out of the Spice Girls WhatsApp group chat in a new social media post.
Scary Spice says she’s been removed from the girl group’s chat after suggesting that they go on tour again.
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Mel B told her followers she’s been removedCredit: SplashIt’s not the first time she’s been pulled from the chatCredit: TikTok/@melaniebrownmbeFans are calling for the Spice Girls to go on tourCredit: Alamy
She announced the ordeal in a TikTok video, posing up a storm in a striking number while strutting in a pair of heels.
“Me on my way back to spice group chat after being kicked out for saying we are going on tour… again,” she wrote on-screen.
Mel, 50, made sure to use the hashtag “letmebackin” while tagging the Spice Girls.
Paired up to the tune One Step At A Time, the post has sparked comments from followers calling for another tour.
“The fact that we’re all still healthy and living life and all talking still. It’s nice.”
“I can’t say anything else to get myself kicked out. Don’t try Alison.”
The Spice Girls group chat has been discussed beforeCredit: GettyIt’s not the first time Mel has left the chatCredit: AlamyFans want the girls to play in VegasCredit: Rex
Eating dirt is usually not a good thing, but in the new Amazon Prime series “Cometierra,” it’s a superpower.
The supernatural crime thriller, which premieres on Halloween, is based on the 2019 Dolores Reyes novel of the same name. The book follows the story of a young woman who has the ability to communicate through visions with the dead and missing people of Argentina by eating the physical land they trod.
“Cometierra” stars Lilith Curiel with supporting roles from Oscar nominee Yalitza Aparicio and Gerardo Taracena. It follows the same outline of the book but is set in contemporary Mexico to address the themes of state violence, femicide and the missing persons epidemic.
The source material and its new twist were what drew Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade to perform the series’s title song, “La Cometierra.”
“We have this reality in Mexico, there’s violence against many women and there’s the disappeared. It’s a very sad situation that we have, but it’s a fact,” the singer said. “It’s inspiring the way the series develops and how this girl, alongside her neighbors, creates a [positive] tribal strength out of her situation.”
Lafourcade especially liked that the series provides an organic avenue for debate and serves as a call to action to recognize that these are all problems in Mexico, while also showing that there is a deep well of beauty within the country.
“We all have a talent that we can always put forward as a service for our family, our country, just for other people,” she said.
The 41-year-old artist’s recently released single channels the energy of the series and its themes by conjuring a spoken word cadence that culminates in a nursery rhyme chant about the powers of the Cometierra.
“I wanted to make a sound that would be very strong and that would present a reality and that the lyrics wouldn’t be smooth,” Lafourcade said. “But at the same time, it would have hope and light and this feeling of joy for the next generations. So I wanted to have this mix of girls singing in a very naive tone, but also mix in a straight voice telling hard truths.”
The song, while geared toward a Mexican experience, now has a striking relevance in the United States as Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids — largely targeting Latinos — continue to take place across the country and as hundreds of detained people have been unaccounted for.
“I hope that music has this capacity to make us wake up and be conscious of situations,” Lafourcade said. “I have realized there are many themes that you can take through music, but sometimes music can become something that you hear truths that probably are not so pretty.”
Regarding some of the ugly truths of the U.S. at the moment, the “Nunca Es Suficiente” artist said that it’s not right that people should feel shame of where they come from and that communities need to show up for themselves at this point in time.
“Nobody should take our pride for our roots, our culture, our people,” she said. “The young lady [in the show] reaches a point where she’s confused about if she should use her power and give it to her people or not. She feels very afraid and insecure and she’s going through all that. But I love how she becomes a hero of her own power and I think that’s the fate of many of us, the way we can make a twist in the story we’re living every day.”
Neighbours star Stefan Dennis was forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing this week after he ‘tore his calf so significantly’
23:54, 22 Oct 2025Updated 23:54, 22 Oct 2025
Strictly Come Dancing’s Stefan Dennis reveals future on show following injury and exit(Image: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing star Stefan Dennis has confirmed his future on the dance competition after he was forced to quit due to an injury. On Monday, the Neighbours star announced his departure in a lengthy post shared on social media, explaining he ‘tore his calf so significantly that he was forced to withdraw from the show’.
“I owe both the Strictly Family and Dianne [Buswell] a massive debt of gratitude for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dream of being able to dance with my wife. (When my leg is better),” he said. Stefan – whose soap character Paul Robinson lost a leg in a cliff fall – added he was “gutted” about leaving.
Despite the blow, fans will still be able to see him on Strictly before the programme ends.
“It’s a bit of a s****er, but I’ll be back at the end of the year, for the final,” he explained to The Sun.
However, it is not known whether he’ll be joining in on the group performance or if he will even be able to perform with his injury.
Meanwhile, Stefan recently confessed he felt like ‘he let people down’ because of the injury and subsequent exit from the beloved competition.
“I just feel like I’ve let everyone down,” he said to The Mirror during the Pride Of Britain Awards. “They all say I haven’t, of course, and the pros know all about injuries, but it feels like a shame to go out in this way.
“It was all going so well. When you go out, you want it to be because the viewers have spoken, because it’s your time, not like this.”
The news was a particularly upsetting blow for Stefan as the news came after viewers saw Chris Robshaw and his partner Nadiya Bychkova get voted out.
Stefan then revealed he begged producers to let Chris return to the show in his place. “I said they should keep Chris in now that I’m going but they said they couldn’t do that – once you’ve gone, you’ve gone.”
Two exits in two days could lead to just three pairings in the live final in December – provided no one else gets injured along the way. “That’s what has happened before I believe,” says Stefan.
Speaking about the severity of the injury, he added: “I thought I’d be able to carry on but they said absolutely not,” Stefan admitted. “The muscle needs complete rest. So that’s me done unfortunately.”
Liverpool boss Arne Slot reveals he withdrew Alexander Isak at half-time against Eintracht Frankfurt because the striker had felt discomfort in his groin.
Brookside icon Tinhead is returning to the famous close for a one-off episode twinned with Hollyoaks, and actor Philip Olivier has opened up about the character’s nickname.
Angie Quinn Screen Time Reporter
15:43, 22 Oct 2025
Philip Olivier is returning as Timothy ‘Tinhead’ O’Leary (Image: Lime Pictured)
Brookside legend Tinhead is making a comeback to the renowned close for a special one-off episode alongside Hollyoaks.
Both beloved Channel 4 dramas were created by Grange Hill mastermind Sir Philip Redmond, with Brookside subsequently inspiring the development of Chester-set Hollyoaks.
To celebrate Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary, the shows are joining forces for a landmark crossover episode, with Philip Olivier returning to his memorable role as Tinhead.
Tim “Tinhead” O’Leary made his debut in 1996 as the offspring of Carmel and Tommy O’Leary, portraying a wayward pupil at Brookside Comprehensive High School.
Throughout his storyline, Tinhead formed an intricate relationship with beloved character Sinbad, portrayed by Michael Starke, who served as a mentor figure for the rebellious youngster, reports the Manchester Evening News.
However, Tinhead was compelled to transform his ways following a devastating incident that nearly claimed his sister Melanie’s life.
His future seemed promising when romance blossomed with Emily, portrayed by Jennifer Ellison, and the couple wed in 2001.
Yet marital happiness wasn’t destined for the pair.
Following further involvement in unlawful activities, Emily perished during a burglary in 2002, leaving Tinhead bereaved at a young age.
Philip Olivier, 45, last appeared as Tinhead in November 2003 when Brookside broadcast its concluding episode.
However, over two decades later, he’s reprising his role as Timothy O’Leary, alongside Suzanne Collins as Nikki Shadwick, for a special Hollyoaks and Brookside episode.
How did Tinhead earn his nickname?
Despite the character’s actual name being Timothy, soap fans will recognise him by his unusual moniker.
Ahead of the rebooted episode, Olivier shed light on how his character acquired the nickname, revealing it was purely coincidental.
The actor shared: “There was a pretty rough school in my area with a really hard kid who everyone knew as Tinhead. This was before I got the part. The name was spray-painted on the side of a building near the school.
“I know a lot of Brookside writers used to live round that area so they must’ve drove past and remembered the name. People thought I’d suggested it but it was a coincidence.”
Olivier also disclosed that he had initially auditioned for a different role in the show before landing the part of the teenage troublemaker.
He elaborated: “Originally, I went up to play the character of Danny Simpson, then ended up playing the kid that bullied him at school.
“I auditioned for Danny then got a call a month later about this character called ‘Tinhead’.”
The Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode airs on Wednesday (October 22) at 7pm on E4.
Rapper Gucci Mane’s newest release might be his most vulnerable yet.
The Atlanta-based musician, promoting his third memoir, “Episode,” revealed to “The Breakfast Club” crew on Monday that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He also went into detail about how he has learned to manage the mental health conditions, with a stern but helping hand from his wife, Keyshia Ka’oir.
The 45-year-old hip-hop star, born Radric Davis, said in a joint interview with Ka’oir that he sought professional help for his mental health after experiencing an episode during the pandemic. “After that I was just like, ‘Man, I gotta really hold myself accountable and take care of my health,’” he said.
“I don’t ever wanna have another episode again. I’m like, I’m gonna see a therapist, if I have to take medicine — I kinda like threw in the towel,” the rapper continued. “Whatever I need to do to get better.”
Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects how people behave, think and feel, according to the Mayo Clinic. Someone living with schizophrenia — which the clinic says can be managed with medicine and therapy — can experience “a mix of hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking and behavior” and can “lose touch with reality.”
Bipolar disorder is a treatable mental health condition marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and behavior, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. A widely known symptom of the illness is manic episodes, which are marked by elevated changes in mood or behavior. But many people with a bipolar disorder diagnosis more commonly experience depressive episodes.
During the hour-long conversation, the “Wake Up in the Sky” rapper and Ka’oir shared details about his various episodes over the years and how it affected their relationship. They married in 2017 and share two kids. Ka’oir recalled witnessing Gucci Mane’s episodes even before they tied the knot.
During the episodes, “you’re seeing someone you don’t know,” said Ka’oir, who was born Keyshia Watson and modeled as Keyshia Dior. She recalled the rapper making “disrespectful” remarks and understood that he didn’t mean it. “I felt like if I left, he wouldn’t have been the same,” she said Monday. “He needed someone to help him.”
“I’m cool with this,” Ka’oir recalled thinking when someone voiced concern for their marriage.
Helping the Grammy-nominated “Exactly How I Feel” rapper manage his conditions proved challenging over the years, Ka’oir said. She said she worked with his inner circle to plan a “kidnapping” to a hospital so he could receive professional help. Ka’oir said she was confident that the rapper would never hurt her, even if other people worried otherwise.
Gucci Mane, who has faced legal woes including a federal prison sentence that ended in 2016, said he was “super embarrassed and hurt by the things I said” during his episodes. After his release from prison, he said, he apologized to a number of rap artists, name-dropping Rick Ross, Drake and Nicki Minaj. The latter had her own thoughts about the pair’s interview, accusing Ka’oir on X of sedating the “I Get the Bag” artist.
“I felt bad. I felt terribly bad,” he said, adding that apologizing to fellow stars felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Ka’oir said she worked to keep her husband’s episodes away from the public eye by controlling his social media presence. She explained that she learned how to identify an episode before it became a full-blown incident, noting that some signs included him making mean comments or odd requests. Gucci Mane said that during episodes of what he called “psychosis,” he would hear voices speaking ill about people in his close circles.
Drug use, stress and a lack of sleep were among his triggers, he said. He added that other musicians did not reach out to support him during his episodes.
Throughout the interview, Gucci Mane made it abundantly clear that he prioritizes his family life, noting he sought professional help to be present and to raise his children with Ka’oir.
“My best decision was to marry her and be with her,” he said. “I got somebody to hold me accountable and I got somebody to watch TV with. Sometimes that’s all you wanna do … I don’t really need a lot.”
Gucci Mane released his memoir and his newest album — both titled “Episodes” — on Friday. This marks the third book from the rapper, who previously released memoirs in 2017 and 2020.
Maya Jama revealed that she was put on an IV drip after falling illCredit: Instagram / @mayajamaShe has been battling the flu this weekCredit: Instagram / @mayajama
“The flu struck,” she revealed alongside a photo of her with the IV drip in her arm.
Maya could be seen getting her makeup done while on set, with her hair in rollers.
As people flocked around the TV star and did her hair and makeup, someone else tended to her IV drip.
Maya explained how the IV drip came to “save the day”.
She later shared snaps of her dinner after heading out for a swanky meal.
It seems Maya is battling through the flu and continuing to work hard despite feeling under the weather.
Maya recently shed light on the mounting speculation over her Love Island hosting role – after we reported she hadn’t signed a contract earlier this year.
Eager to open up on her plans Maya took to social media and referred to the speculation she was about to walk away, before revealing she would be back.
“I did tell you if you were going to hear any news about it, it would come from me and me only,” she said.
“I will be hosting next year, I’ll be back for All Stars in January and then summer series in June and July. We go again, mother lovers.”
She also explained why she is not back hosting US spin-off, Love Island Games, which she presented the first series of.
She added: “Oh and I am obviously not hosting Love Island Games this year, as much as I love the show I physically could not host three Love Island series a year but Ariana [Madix] is doing a great job and I hope you are enjoying that one too.”
It comes as ITV chiefs offered Maya a deal reported to be worth nearly £2million to stay on.
It was believed Maya has been planning to walk away to explore work with streaming giant Netflix.
VIRGIN Radio Breakfast Show host Chris Evans has revealed the hit TV programme he turned down presenting.
The broadcaster was speaking with The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant on today’s show when Noel Edmonds cropped up in the conversation.
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Chris Evans revealed the popular gameshow he turned down hostingCredit: Virgin Radio UKStephen Merchant recalled his early career at the BBCCredit: Virgin Radio UK
Stephen explained: “One of the first times I got a little bit starstruck is I first joined the BBC as a trainee and I was walking around the doughnut at the BBC and coming the other way, Noel Edmonds.
“I think he might have had Cuban heels on, I’m not sure. He had an attaché case. I thought, ‘What are the ideas in there? I bet there’s some quality in there. I bet there’s a Blobby spin-off’. I was a massive Edmonds fan.”
The comedy writer and actor then praised Edmonds’ ability to make long-running gameshow Deal or No Deal a national TV institution.
He said: “That guy, the fact that you could keep that going day in, day out of people opening boxes. I mean, only Edmonds could do it. It’s extraordinary.”
Chris then revealed the show could have been very different if he’d agreed to present it.
“I was offered that show,” he said Chris. “Thank God I turned it down.”
When Stephen responded, “you’re extraordinary,” Chris quickly clarified that he wasn’t blowing his own trumpet, rather making the point that fate intervened and everything worked out as it should.
Chris explained that production company Endemol offered him the job without the need for an audition or pilot episode, but the former TFI Friday host never entertained it.
He said a DVD of the format lay on his coffee table “for ages” and remained unwatched.
“I wasn’t interested,” said Chris. “No, not for a second. It’s not what I do and Noel did it, it brought him back and he’s one of my heroes. It’s a genius show anyway.”
The pair then laughed about Noel turning the act of opening a box containing a mystery amount of money into a spiritual process that tapped into each contestant’s intuition.
Noel hosted the programme for 11 years between 2005 and 2016 before it was shelved by Channel 4.
The format barely changed in that time with 22 contestants all given a red box, containing an unknown some between 1p and £250,000 in value, at random.
A chosen player then has to select which of their co-stars’ boxes they want to open, hopeful of avoiding big money sums as they go
At intervals, the banker makes the player an offer for their box, which they can decide to take in exchange for their sum or play on until the very end where they will walk away with the mystery amount they were originally allocated.
The programme made a comeback in 2023 on UTV with Stephen Mulhern at the helm.
Listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery on Virgin Radio UK, weekdays from 6:30am
Noel Edmonds revitalised his career with Deal or No DealCredit: Channel 4
In a realist world, power is rarely exercised alone. It takes coordination, sustained support, and mutual loyalty to project strength. That is the foundation of any enduring alliance. Since the Cold War, Western powers have built a sophisticated web of strategic alliances, sometimes tested but still intact. Even amid nationalist disruptions under figures like Donald Trump or Viktor Orbán, the Western alliance remains functional and coherent. But what about the non-Western bloc, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and others?
The truth is that non-Western alliances remain weak, fragmented, and often symbolic. Lacking geographic proximity, institutional architecture, or political cohesion, these alliances fail to act in unison, especially in moments of crisis. Military cooperation, defense technology sharing, and strategic communication remain alarmingly underdeveloped.
The recent Israeli attack on Iran exposed this blatantly. Reportedly Isreal forces used the Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killing multiple top officials. While rumors circulated about an imminent war, Iran’s response was surprisingly feeble. It’s defense systems failed to intercept the attacks, and its military preparedness appeared outdated from the start. But recent retaliation followed a little bit of promise.
The United States denied direct involvement. Yet Washington, alongside the European allies, refrained from condemning the strike. Germany, France, and the United Kingdom stood silent, indirectly backing Israel through intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and diplomatic support. Their strategic coordination remains strong, despite tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.
What about Iran’s Non-Western allies?
Russia, arguably Iran’s closest partner, is deeply engaged in its own war in Ukraine. Yet strategic alliances are tested precisely in such moments. Iran and Russia have long shared regional interests in Syria and other part of the Middle East. Now, that cooperation seems one-sided. While Russia uses Iranian drones in Ukraine, Tehran receives little in return. No warning, no defense coordination, and certainly no technological assistance ahead of Israel’s strike.
Why hasn’t Russia helped accelerate Iran’s nuclear program as Western powers once did for Israel? Where was the intelligence sharing, the strategic dialogue? These absences raise serious questions about Russia’s role in the non-Western alliance framework: Is it simply a transactional partner or something more?
China is a different story. With an advanced defense industry and growing geopolitical clout, Beijing has demonstrated capability. The recent deployment of Chinese J-10C jets to Pakistan, for example, during tensions with India, signaled a serious technological and symbolic counterweight to Western influence. China even provided real-time intelligence to Pakistan. But where was this level of support for Iran? Through recent rumor said, there are couple of military assistance provided to Iran but still not like ally.
A newly inaugurated Iran-China railroad project suggests growing economic ties, but modern alliances require more than trade. Strategic defense coordination is fundamental. Despite Iran’s geopolitical relevance, Beijing remains largely absent in Iran’s security calculus.
Then there is Iran’s own regional network, its so-called “axis of resistance.” Historically, Iran projected strength through proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. But this too is unraveling. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh were both reportedly killed by Israeli operations, Haniyeh during an official visit in Tehran itself. These assassinations not only reflect Tehran’s inability to protect its partners but also signal a crisis of credibility. No meaningful retaliation followed. This absence of action weakens Iran’s reputation as a guarantor of its proxies’ survival.
The broader picture is troubling. Non-Western powers often operate like solo actors in a system that punishes isolation. The world is a dark forest; walk alone, and sooner or later, the wolves will find you. This is the lesson non-Western allies must internalize. Shared struggle requires shared commitment. Each country will always have its own domestic priorities, but alliances demand sacrifice, coordination, and strategic depth.
It seems like their trust-building process is yet to work. Or are they afraid to confront Western allies’ wrath over sanctions? China and Russia have been conducting business and various forms of economic cooperation with most of the Western blocs, despite sanctions threats and targeted regulations. These two nations need to step up and anchor the non-Western bloc. A multipolar world needs a table where bipolar allies can collaborate and pave the path for a democratic alliance for the world. Trump’s approach to Europe and other Western countries is not seen as a sign of alliance. So at this moment, non-Western countries can show unity. This not only gives the world new hope for cooperative living ideas but also threatens Trump’s leadership position on global order.
China has the defense capacity to empower allies but remains hesitant. Russia, once a superpower, is now locked in a war that undermines its influence and exposes its limits. In today’s geopolitical landscape, superpowers act more like coaches than players. Mediation, defense sharing, and regional stabilization efforts, rather than confrontation, are what build strategic resilience.
For the non-Western bloc, the Israel-Iran crisis must serve as a wake-up call. Without solidarity, without trust, and without strategy, they risk becoming a coalition of convenience. This also reflects unity in rhetoric but division and defeat in reality.
Tensions are headed to Dolphin Cove as DI Mackenzie Clarke finds herself involved in a love triangle alongside her ex-fiancé Glenn in the second season of Return to Paradise.
Anna Samson reprises her role in the second season of Return to Paradise (Image: CREDIT LINE:Red Planet / BBC Studios / John Platt)
Actor Tai Hara has revealed DI Mackenzie Clarke and his on-screen alter ego Glenn Strong are set for a tense love triangle in Return to Paradise‘s second season.
Lloyd Griffith returns to Dolphin Cove as Colin alongside Mackenzie’s Anna Samson, and he’s convinced his character’s relationship with Mackenzie has more benefits than he may imagine.
“Colin is becoming a better police officer because of his relationship with Mackenzie,” Lloyd says, “And Mackenzie is becoming a better human because of Colin. It’s a relationship that works both ways. They slowly realise that they are friends by the end of it,” Lloyd says.
Season two’s opening episode, where a shark researcher is found dead at sea, surprised Lloyd. “It could seem far-fetched but when we were going to the beach, even before filming, there would be signs saying the shark nets had been removed,” remembers Lloyd.
“It’s a genuine thing where there are sharks and you do have to be careful.” Sydney native Tai Hara adds: “There are attacks as well. It’s a very real part of our lives.”
Tai Hara reprises the role of Glenn Strong, navigating the rocky dynamics of the pathologist’s love triangle with Mackenzie and his fiancée Daisy.
“There’s a lot in store for their relationship,” he teases, “He’s navigating the love triangle he has with Daisy. A lot of work goes into making that a fully-fledged arc in the series.”
Last season, Mackenzie left London amid professional setbacks, landing in the fictional Australian town she once fled under a cloud of suspicion.
Season one saw her embroiled in multiple murder cases and a tense reunion with ex-fiancé Glenn Strong. Glenn has moved on with Daisy Dixon (Andrea Demetriades) but made his feelings for Mackenzie clear – complicating her plans to escape.
The new season opens with Mackenzie choosing to stay in Dolphin Cove, much to fellow detective Colin Cartwright’s (Lloyd Griffith) exasperation.
For Lloyd, however, Colin’s reunion with his friends from home posed a real challenge. “Colin’s friends come from Lincolnshire and you find out a little bit more about Colin. You see a different side to him,” Lloyd says.
The change required adjustment. “Colin is very happy-go-lucky, he loves the community that has welcomed him with open arms. In that episode, you see why Colin has come to Australia. I found that most challenging but also rewarding and loved it.”
Overall, the pair were thrilled to Return to Paradise and Tai was thrilled to share the spotlight with his good friend Anna Samson. “We have a really wonderful friendship outside of the show, it was the first time we’d ever worked together,” Tai says. “It always feels easy. That’s one of the benefits of working with someone who you consider a really dear friend.”
Anna reveals that Mackenzie will also have time to explore dating apps this season. “One episode is about online dating, the comedy and tyranny they come with,” she says, “That’s another glimpse into Mackenzie. For the first time, I’m in an entirely different costume for one whole episode.”
Return to Paradise comes back to BBC One on Friday, October 31st at 8pm.
Dame Penelope Keith has spilled the secrets of The Good Life as she claimed a sequel would be ‘tedious’ and would not work
Penelope Keith spills the secrets of The Good Life
Dame Penelope Keith has revealed how she turned down the chance to star in a spin-off of The Good Life as she claimed it would be ‘tedious’ and would not work. The actress, who is now 85, became a household name in the 1970s BBC sitcom which drew audiences of up to 20 million viewers.
She starred as the snobbish social climber Margo Leadbetter who was married to the poor hen-pecked husband Jerry (played by the late Paul Eddington).
Every week fans tuned in to see her disapproving sneers as she struggled to deal with her suburban neighbours Tom and Barbara Good (portrayed by the late Richard Briers along with Felicity Kendall) who had swapped the rat race for ‘the good life’ of make-do-and-mend sustainability – trying to grow their own food and keep chickens, pigs and a goat in their garden.
The show – which ran from 1975 until 1978 – ended after four series and a TV special filmed in front of the royal family. However, soon after, the idea was raised about writing a spin-off series for her and Paul featuring just The Leadbetters.
But she explained: “People mentioned ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Leadbetter spin-off and I said ‘No. It’s a situation comedy and the situation is strong because of the two couples’.
“Can you imagine how tedious it would have been having Margo and Jerry having their own series?”
A year after The Good Life ended, instead Penelope landed another huge BBC hit playing posh Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To The Manor Born from 1979 to 1981. Later she appeared in sitcoms Executive Stress and Next of Kin and No Job For A Lady before embarking on a highly successful theatre career.
The Good Life ran for 30 episodes in total and its 50 th anniversary this year is being marked by a forthcoming TV special called The Good Life: Inside Out fronted by Penelope.
It reveals how, when the show first launched, the TV critics and audience were lukewarm and did not find it that funny.
Penelope even admits that the ‘green theme’ was a brave choice of plot line adding: “It was a sort of fantasy. People weren’t packing up and thinking ‘Oh there must be more to life than this daily grind.’”
One reviewer even risked causing a tense atmosphere on-set by claiming that The Leadbetters ‘stole the show’. Briers, apparently, saw the review but brushed it aside joking that he was the one with the top billing and getting all the money.
But soon viewers fell in love with both couples as The Goods struggled to deal with surviving on growing their own dinners and milking Geraldine the goat for milk in their tea.
Meanwhile posh middle class Margo would look on disdainfully at their antics which she felt brought down the neighbourhood. The plots included a touch of sauce too.
In one episode, both couples get drunk and Jerry admits to fancying Barbara and Tom tells Margo she is a good looking woman.
Penelope says about this: “There was flirting and all those sorts of things but you never felt that there was any wife swapping or anything like that. It was a very strong bond between them and I think that was again in the writing that was so clever.”
In another episode, Margo decides to add some spice to an afternoon by playing the seductress to Jerry – but he is distracted and completely blanks her, leading her to utter the immortal line ‘That’s the last time I play the tart for you, Jerry’.
Penelope loved the script and admits she is shocked that fans come up to her wanting her to say the line.
She said: “When I saw the line ‘That’s the last time I play the tart for you Jerry’ I thought ‘Wow that is a humdinger’.
“I had people coming up to me and saying ‘Will you say that line for me please?’ which I thought was most peculiar – but I said it!”
Penelope salutes the writers of the sitcom John Esmonde and Bob Larbey for creating such wonderful characters – with all their flaws – for the viewers to take to their hearts.
She points out that Tom could be quite beastly and selfish to wife Barbara but he got away with it (‘You love Richard. You adore him. You laugh at him even when he is being an absolute horror because he does with a sense of humour’.)
Barbara was cute and long-suffering but adored Tom and everyone felt nothing but sympathy for poor Jerry. However it was Margo – a Conservative-supporting, Telegraph-reading domineering social climbing wife – who got the most attention and some of the funniest lines.
Penelope explains: “Margo was the prime lady of the avenue with all the dinner parties and whatever she took part in, she had to do it perfectly and had to be top dog and sometimes she was terribly disapproving. She had no sense of humour but she was terribly kind and didn’t want to offend but she engaged mouth before brain so often.
“She had enormous warmth and adored the goods and likewise jerry but he infuriated her. There is a line where she says ‘I am the silent majority’ and she said it dead pan and that is what she felt and that is what half the country felt at the time as well.”
As its popularity grew, so did the laughs especially at the expense of Margo. Fans loved the scene where she tried to help The Goods with planting in the garden and decked in yellow oil skins and boots she slipped over and fell knee deep in mud.
Penelope recalls: “Someone actually asked me the other day – ‘Was it a mistake?’ and I said ‘No. I did five times’. I couldn’t walk for about three days afterwards because of my back and of course every time I fell over I was covered in mud and so I had to be hosed down afterwards.”
And another of her favourite scenes was when one of The Good’s pigs was in labour and Tom asked Margo to go and fetch some brandy as ‘a stimulant’.
The actress recalls: “I walked out of shot and then back into shot and asked Tom ‘Remy Martin or VSOP?’ I mean what a wonderful line. It was so witty and so funny. It is one of my favourites.”
It seems Margo also got the most attention when it came to wardrobe. Since The Goods always wore the same clothes and Jerry was always in a suit, it did not take a genius to work out where the majority of the clothes budget went.
Fans loved seeing what dress or gown Margo would be sporting during each episode. They usually came from Harrods and some were even the high end fashion label Frank Usher.
Penelope said: “There was a budget I remember and the person who got the most spent on them as far as clothes were concerned was me. I don’t think I would have worn any of those dresses but Margo loved them.
“Everybody wanted to see what Margo was going to wear next. Monday used to be my one day off but I used to spend it in Harrods occasionally Harvey Nicks looking for beautiful clothes. Silk gowns in such lovely vibrant colours.”
In the TV special, Penelope visits a replica of Margo and Jerry’s drawing room which has been painstakingly recreated by designers.
She laughs: “I remember the sofa being so low. That was alright 50 years ago but I don’t know if I can get up today.”
And she revisits the garden in Northwood in west London which was used for all of the outside filming shots for Tom and Barbara’s farm and allotment.
She comments: “What a garden! It’s all trees now but back then it was all dug up. It looks a totally different place now. Must be good soil here – all that animal excrement because we had pigs and chickens and Geraldine the goat! But we loved it here – being released into the open air was freedom after working in the studio.”
One little known secret which Penelope does uncover delving back into the archives is that when the BBC planned a special to be filmed in front of the royals called When I’m Sixty Five, they asked playwright Alan Bennett to have a cameo role in the episode as a bank manager.
However he turned them down. He told them he was too ‘worn out’ and needed a holiday having committed to making a series of plays for ITV.
Instead an actor called George Cole got the role – just weeks before he was cast as Arthur Daley in Minder. The Good Life ended in 1978 and all the main stars thought it was the right time to bow out.
Penelope confessed: “I remember saying to Paul ‘I don’t think we can do any more. I think we have squeezed this orange to the pips really’ and I know Richard felt like that and Felicity too.”
But fans expecting a finale which ended on a high with a load of laughs were in for a shock. The episode ended with burglars ransacking The Goods’ home and turning it upside down and leaving everything in tatters.
Jerry tells Tom he must now give up ‘the good life’ and go back to work – but it is Barbara who says they must carry on and not be beaten. Penelope called the episode a stroke of genius.
She added: “When we got the script for the last episode we were all amazed, but in wonder, what a brilliant way to finish. When we came to the studio we did the beginning and then they had curtains which they drew across the set and then they sprayed (paint) all over the set and then the floor manager talked to the audience but said nothing about what was going on behind the curtains.
“Then the curtain went up and the audience gasped, absolutely gasped. It was extraordinary. People were in tears at the end.”
Asked about her time on the show, she now says: “I look back on it as one of the happiest times. It was of its time at the right time.
“It was as good as it was because of everything else behind it. Everybody cared. The laughter, the joy it brought and the fact that people liked it so much and believed in it so much is reward.”
After starring in the BBC sitcom for four years, Richard Briers continued his TV career, landing a lead part in another BBC sitcom a few years later. He played the unsympathetic Martin Bryce on Ever Decreasing Circles from 1984 to 1989. His character Martin was the polar opposite of Tom from The Good Life. He died in 2013.
Felicity Kendal has enjoyed a varied career on stage and screen including on TV a starring role in the thriller Rosemary and Thyme from 2003 to 2006, to guest appearances in Doctor Who in 2008 and Pennyworth in 2019. Paul Eddington played Jerry, who worked with Tom until he and his wife decided to make this life change.
Just two years after The Good Life he took on the title role of Jim Hacker in the comedy series Yes, Minister. He starred in the series until 1984, before taking on a main role in its spin-off Yes, Prime Minister.
Paul later reunited with his co-stars from The Good Life, starring opposite Felicity in The Camomile Lawn in 1992, and then alongside Richard in the play Home in 1994. The actor sadly passed away at the age of 68 in 1995 after a cancer battle.
* The Good Life: Inside Out airs on U&Gold on Tuesday October 28 at 9pm.
Explosives Officer Lana Washington is set to face some daunting times in Trigger Point’s third series as Vicky McClure teases another high-stakes season for the ITV hit series.
Trigger Point is back on ITV for a third season
Vicky McClure promises more adrenaline, danger and depth in the explosive third series of Trigger Point – but her alter ego Lana is set for a gruelling addiction and PTSD battle.
“It’s more exciting,” she says, “We made it bigger. We’ve got new cast members. People that weren’t on series two were really excited to be on the show.”
This year, the hit ITV show doesn’t just go bigger – it gets bolder. “We’re moving with the times,” Vicky McClure adds, “We’re making sure that it feels epic.”
Once again, the Line Of Duty star returns as bomb disposal expert Lana Washington – while also taking the reins as an executive producer.
Series three opens with a nerve-wrecking emergency: Lana is called to a wasteland where a man is trapped inside a taxi. A sign nearby orders him to “confess” to a mysterious crime – or die trying to escape.
What first appears as a one-off hostage crisis quickly spirals. As panic builds up, Lana realises she’s hunting a serial perpetrator. New actors have joined the line-up. Lost Kingdom star Mark Rowley plays Rich Manning, and Primeval actor Jason Flemyng is villain Steven Wyles.
“I always play a lot of baddies and I look like a baddie but the truth is he’s another little man that is fighting the system and that has been hard done by,” Jason says.
“He’s had enough of the capitalist system putting profit before people. He takes retribution.” The villain quickly develops a complicated bond with Lana.
“She’s not battling him, it’s just that he’s breaking the law and doing something which puts other people in danger. That’s the essence of that relationship,” Jason says.
Their bond culminates in a brutal face-off – one Jason vividly remembers. “We shot in this town hall in Wembley and we parked underneath it,” he says.
“I went to see Oasis recently and went to the town hall because that’s where Vicky and I had a fight. I parked right outside because I knew the town hall.”
This season also digs deeper into Lana’s personal trauma. After surviving a kidnapping by a terrorist group in season two, she’s still grappling with the aftermath.
“When we first started talking about series three, we wanted to touch on PTSD for sure and how that was for Lana,” Vicky says. “It’s so unique to everybody. We all know Lana’s lost a lot of people close to her throughout the series. There’s no way that’s not going to have an effect on her.”
The emotional toll takes unexpected forms. “We’ll see Lana going through an addiction while she’s working and how she handles that, who picks up on it,” Vicky teases, “She’s incredible but she’s also human. She makes a lot of mistakes. That’s the downfall of being a heroic character.”
Vicky also gets an upgrade – literally. “We’ve had three different bomb suits now,” Vicky says, “This was the lighter version and it was still bloody heavy . It was much easier to walk in.”
Despite the physical and emotional intensity, Vicky thrives on bringing Lana’s vulnerability to the surface. “It’s been nice because Lana’s having to lean more on other people,” she says.
“There’s a much closer knit between the EXPOs (Explosive Officers),” she adds, crediting former British Army bomb disposal expert Joel Snarr for his insight. “There’s a lot of life in it. It feels real. We’re trying to get into the mentality of an expo and speaking to people like Joel, you get that.”
Even the smallest details matter to Vicky. “One thing that drives me nuts is watching people drink tea on telly without tea or (carrying) bags without anything in them,” she says, “I’ve got this bag on my back every day, so I fill it with anything that Lana needs. I feel like I’ve got the weight of Lana on me.”
She even recalls a particularly funny moment on set. “They’d made a foam breezeblock for me. I know I’m 42 and cracking on but I can still pick up a breezeblock,” she says.
“Cut to take five and I was like, ‘what the hell did I choose the real one for?’ But the foam one looked terrible. After Trigger Point, I feel fit as a fiddle, which is rare for me because I’m not a massive fan of the gym. I went there once this year.”
Production for series three rolled straight into filming for series four, after ITV swiftly renewed the drama. The cast and crew spent a total of nine months shooting in London. “We just strap in and get the job done,” says Vicky.”
Dianne Buswell has opened up about juggling her first pregnancy while appearing on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and how much her unborn son loves the live band
Dianne Buswell has revealed she’s loving dancing while pregnant(Image: WireImage)
Pregnant Dianne Buswell says her unborn baby is already showing signs he’s going to follow in her footsteps. The mum-to-be took to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor again last night with celebrity partner, Neighbours star Stefan Dennis.
Aussie Dianne – who is expecting a baby boy with YouTuber Joe Sugg early next year – says the baby is a big fan of the show. “There have been a few little Strictly kicks,” she beamed. “Especially when he’s listening to Dave Arch and the band.
“I don’t feel it when I dance. That’s probably rocking him to sleep. He will be having a good old time there.” Dianne, 36, announced last month that she was expecting a baby boy with her 2018 Strictly partner Joe, 34.
The first pro to compete while pregnant on the BBC show, she’s faced lots of support but also a barrage of opinions. Dianne brushed off any negativity, saying: “I have got some lovely messages. I want to be an advocate for mums who can stay active.
“I feel really good thanks. I feel pretty much the same as I felt last year. I feel better dancing. I felt worse when I had the time off last week, weirdly, so that was an interesting observation.”
Dianne was forced to miss out on last week’s movie week after Stefan was struck down by illness. They were back last night to perform Charleston to Dance Monkey by Tones and I.
Dianne said she’s loving dancing while pregnant. “So far so good,” she said. “I haven’t had to adapt anything at all. I’ve just continued doing exactly what I would normally do.
“We couldn’t be doing crazy lifts anyway because Stefan is the oldest competitor in the competition and you always choreograph dances that suit your partner. People who do these big lifts will be very different in height and size but me and Stefan are not like that so we go for what suits us better.
“I adapt not because I’m pregnant but because of my partner.” Actor Stefan, 66, said his week off gave him the chance to “rest and re-evaluate”.
“I came from the other side of the world and was thrown into a massive machine I didn’t really know anything about. Being sick gave me a chance to sit back and see what you do. The hardest thing has been learning how to dance and getting over the fear of I can’t dance. My subconscious thoughts are that I have two left feet. I don’t know how to move my body. I can’t do this. So the hardest thing is getting over that.”
Hoping to progress to next weekend’s show, Halloween week, Stefan says he’s already had to miss out on one spooky opportunity. “Before this my plan was to finish Neighbours,” he explained. “I was going to do a film and then I was going to go travelling with my wife and kids.
“It’s a shame I didn’t do the film because I was going to play a head vampire in a horror film which couldn’t be further from Paul Robinson but unfortunately I had to say no to the film because of Strictly.”
Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock performs on tonight’s results show. Watch at 7.15pm on BBC One.
Louis Tomlinson has opened up about losing friend Liam PayneCredit: You Tube/The Diary Of A CEOLiam tragically died a year ago in ArgentinaCredit: AFPThe pair kept up their friendship even after One Direction split in 2016Credit: Getty
The pair were firm friends after being in One Direction together from 2010 and 2016 and they continued their friendship after the band split up.
Speaking about the grief of losing Liam, Louis told The Independent: “I naively thought that, at this point, I’d unfortunately be a little bit more well versed with grief than other people my age.
“I thought that might mean something, but it didn’t at all. It’s something I’ll never really accept. I don’t think.”
This isn’t the first time Louis has opened up about Liam as he recently spoke about him during an appearance on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast.
He told the Dragons’ Den star: “I could just go on and talk all day about how amazing he was, but I think we all looked up to him.
“I don’t think we would have been brave enough to say at that age when I was in the bnd, I think I would’ve had too much pride, but we all looked up to him massively.”
“I had the same feeling that I had with Felicity, and I think anyone has this when they’re around someone who’s struggling; my 150 per cent wasn’t nearly enough.
“And that’s when it’s my own arrogance thinking that I could have helped really, because it was so much deeper than what I could have done for him. He was definitely struggling at that time in his life.”
Liam had flown to Argentina with girlfriend Kate Cassidy for a five-day holiday, to see his ex-1D bandmate Niall Horan in concert.
Liam extended the trip but Kate returned home to the US.
We’ve scoured the UK for the best festive holiday park deals on offer, with everything from Christmas entertainment and crafts to Santa’s grottos, for less than the price of a McDonald’s.
The three-night breaks work out as little as £9 per person and most cost under £15pp a night – at award-winning parks with waterparks, fairgrounds, as well as access to the UK’s best parks and beaches.
Christmas at Butlin’s offers loads for families, including a visit from Father ChristmasCredit: ButlinsHoliday camps offer Christmas crafts like bauble-making and stocking workshopsCredit: GettyHelen (pictured with daughter Isobel and Father Christmas) says these deals are fantastic valueCredit: Helen wright
As a travel blogger and influencer, I’m regularly being asked for things to do in the UK over Christmas.
And these cheap UK holiday parks offer some fantastic festive extras at Christmas, such as lights and decorations across the park, children’s craft workshops, visits from Santa and special shows and pantomimes.
Haven Craig Tara, Scotland
Nine of Haven’s holiday parks across the UK will be hosting special festive breaks this year.
These Christmas getaways start from mid-November and include access to entertainment throughout the day and evening, a Christmas tree in your accommodation, and yuletide food and drinks, including a turkey dinner on Christmas Day.
Christmas meals are priced separately, and it’s recommended that you book them in advance.
Caravans have a fully-equipped kitchen, so you also have the option to cook dinner in your caravan to save money.
The best value break we could find over the Christmas week, including Christmas Day, is at the beautiful Craig Tara Holiday Park on the Scottish coast in Ayrshire, with stunning views of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran.
With chances of a white Christmas here pretty high, this is a magical place to spend the big day.
For a winter break, the resort has a choice of indoor activities, including a water park with slides and an indoor sports complex called Airspace, which has everything from roller discos to crazy golf, a multi-level soft play area and a climbing wall.
Festive offerings include make-a-bear workshops, sand bottle creations, pic ‘n’ paint, bauble-making, stocking workshops, reindeer food, and family activities with a Christmas twist.
Plus, children can meet Santa in his grotto, though there is likely an extra fee for this, and it should be booked in advance.
There is also an on-site pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk, special festive shows from the Seaside Squad, lots of interactive fun with the elves and plenty of opportunities for a boogie.
If you’re staying for Christmas Day itself, you are able to book your dinner now, subject to availability.
Haven parks that have a J D Wetherspoon pub as their main venue (Primrose Valley, Kent Coast, Devon Cliffs) will also be open for Christmas Day table bookings, and you’ll choose from the menu on the day.
The other Haven parks hosting festive stays are: Seton Sands, Scotland, Blackpool, Devon Cliffs, North Wales, Kent Coast, Primrose Valley, Yorkshire, Dorset and Norfolk.
The price per night for Haven Craig Tara is £54.75 (based on four nights in a three-bed holiday caravan, which sleeps six), which works out at £9.12pp a night.
The holiday parks vary in price, and the next cheapest Haven parks to stay in over Christmas are Primrose Valley, Yorkshire, at £85 per night, and Rockley Park, Dorset, at £83 per night (based on four nights in a three-bed holiday caravan sleeping six).
The view across Loch Ryan is beautiful, especially in winter, on a coastal walk from the Craig Tara holiday parkCredit: AlamyThe Haven kids’ Christmas show is guaranteed to get families into the festive spiritCredit: Haven
Across its three holiday parks in Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead, Butlin’s offers festive breaks from November and specially-priced Christmas breaks, which run over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The huge parks get a magical makeover with fairy lights, decorations and indoor snow.
When you arrive, you’ll be rocking around the Christmas tree at the family welcome party.
Other special additions include a festive show, Christmas movies, a present drop, a firework display, children’s craft workshops and winter character meet-and-greets, all included in the price.
Better still, every family gets a visit to Santa’s Grotto for the Father Christmas’ Express Delivery, and each child gets a gift, fully included in the price.
Dining packages are available at Butlin’s and usually work out as excellent value. During the festive breaks, expect to see roasts with all the trimmings and mince pies, which aren’t available all year round.
Even if you decide to book without a dining package, the family can still sit down for a four-course Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for £58 per adult and £39 for kids. Choose from a set menu and finish up with coffee and mince pies.
The best value deal for Christmas week at Butlin’s is Skegness, which is £224 for four days (based on two adults and two children sharing). At only £14 per day per person, this is a superb seasonal staycation.
Skegness has a huge weather-proof waterpark called Splash, which will also play host to a Christmas pool party during the festive breaks.
There is also the award-winning Skypark, laser tag, bowling, a climbing wall, and go karts all on-site, as well as arcades and performances from the Redcoats.
Christmas Day breaks at Minehead and Bognor Regis come in a little bit more expensive, with Minehead starting at £15 per person and Bognor Regis at £22.50 per person.
Butlin’s has fantastic prices all year round, but at Christmas has extra festive events and activitiesCredit: ButlinsTrecco Bay is close to Porthcawl, South Wales, and is beautiful in both summer and winterCredit: AlamyYou might not fancy a sea swim in December, but a walk on the beach is the perfect way to work off Christmas dinnerCredit: Alamy
Parkdean Resorts at Trecco Park, Wales
Eight Parkdean Resorts are hosting Christmas Getaway breaks, with Trecco Park in Wales being the best value for money over Christmas Day.
Fun, festive activities include feeding Santa’s reindeer, a ‘pawsome’ Christmas party with the characters from Paw Patrol, breakfast with Santa, ice skating, a search for Santa game, a kids’ Christmas party and bauble-making workshops for the whole family.
Plus, children can meet Santa when he comes to visit the on-site grotto.
One of the largest holiday parks in Europe, Trecco Bay – on the stunning Wales Coastal Path, spanning approximately 10 miles from Ogmore to Sker Point – is a beautiful site that overlooks the water.
It’s probably too cold for a dip – unless you’re feeling particularly brave – but perfect for a Boxing Day walk.
Inside the large clubhouse, there is an amusement arcade and bowling, as well as the Aloha cocktail bar for adults and festive movie nights.
On Christmas Day, restaurants are closed for pre-booked Christmas lunch. Priced separately, the four-course dinner and nibbles are £49.99 for adults and £29.99 for kids 12 and under.
Over 21s get a welcome glass of prosecco too. Spaces are limited so booking in advance is essential.
The price for a four-night stay at Trecco Bay is £473, staying in a four-bed Bronze caravan that sleeps six people, which works out at £19.70 per person.
If you don’t want to go over Christmas Day, breaks for a family of four start from £169 (£42.25 per night) and include all the seasonal extras.
Dartmoor National Park in Devon is beautiful in the winter, and Hoseasons is just on the outskirts of the parkCredit: Alamy
Hoseasons Dartmoor View, Devon
Hoseasons holiday parks tend to be quieter and more chilled-out than some of the other major brands.
Over Christmas, there are no extras at the park itself, but they do make for brilliant budget places to stay for families who just want to get away for Christmas week.
You’re very much left to your own devices, meaning a turkey dinner in your cabin.
The best deal is at Hoseasons Dartmoor View in Devon. This pretty park is set close to Dartmoor National Park, with easy access to a wealth of picture-postcard villages bursting with quaint shops and cosy, traditional pubs.
Nearby boozer The Globe Inn in Chagford is a local institution. It’s closed on Christmas Day, but they still have availability on Boxing Day if you fancy some good pub grub and festive atmosphere.
The price for a four-night stay in a standard caravan (sleeping six) is £259 for four nights, which works out at £10.79pp per person, per night.
St Ives Bay Beach Resort looks extra pretty in the snowCredit: Facebook/ St Ives Bay Beach ResortWinterfest at Tattershall Lakes is also open to non-resort guests but adds to the festive atmosphere with themed bars and live entertainmentCredit: Away Resorts
Away Resorts, St Ives Bay, Cornwall
This friendly resort could not be in a more perfect location, surrounded by rolling hills and with its own private beach.
You may not be up for a seaside dip or cold water surf at St Ives Bay, but a Christmas Day walk on the beach is certainly one way to do Christmas a bit differently.
There’s also an indoor pool, a clubhouse with arcades and live entertainment.
For Christmas, kids can become an elf recruit and join the Sleigh Team, do Christmas crafts, experience the Elf Slime Factory, make snow globes and post a letter to Santa at the Christmas Post Office.
A three-night stay in a Comfort Caravan (sleeping six) over Christmas is £213 for three nights, working out only £11.84 per night, per person.
If you opt for Away Resorts’ Tattershall Lakes location in Lincolnshire, it’s slightly more expensive, but there is more on offer.
The price for three nights is £294 for a Comfort Caravan, sleeping eight, which is £98 per night (£12.25pp if there are eight of you!), but you also get access to the evening Christmas show and can book a Christmas Day dinner at the Tattershall Park Pub.
Three-course Christmas dinner is £79.95 for adults and £39.95 for kids (under-5s £4.95).
They also have their seasonal Winterfest event, which is free to enter and includes Christmas workshops, a North Pole-themed food courtyard, Santa’s silent disco and Father Christmas’ grotto. Some activities are priced extra.
Chris McCausland won the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Dianne Buswell, but the pair faced a number of challenges during their time on the show
Comedian Chris McCausland‘s triumph on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing came despite numerous obstacles – but not all of them were related to the Liverpool-born comedian’s retinitis pigmentosa, which robbed him of his sight almost entirely in his early twenties.
Indeed, he reveals, even if he’d retained his vision, he might have lost it regardless during rehearsal sessions for the programme.
While Chris and professional dance partner Dianne Buswell were rehearsing their Samba for Halloween Week, the Australian professional dancer, who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Joe Sugg, kicked backwards a touch too vigorously.
Chris remembers that the dancer “caught me so hard in the face that I almost threw up and had to lie down for twenty minutes to recover”.
In his new autobiography, Keep Laughing, he continues: “I took the entire impact of her flying foot right on one eyeball. It’s honestly a good job they didn’t work already or I would have been doing that dance half blind anyway and Strictly would have had an insurance payout like no other.”
But the biggest challenge to the dancing pair wasn’t Chris’ condition, but Dianne’s.
Their apparently effortless Week Eight Couple’s Choice routine to John Lennon’s 1970 classic Instant Karma masked a hidden crisis.
The dramatic performance featured a sudden blackout which, Chris reveals, was intended to transport the studio audience and BBC viewers into his world of darkness. It was an extraordinary television moment, and both the programme’s judges and fans had an enormous emotional reaction.
However, what nobody else realised was that Dianne had been genuinely struggling in the lead-up to the live programme.
Chris revealed: “The only downside to this dance for us was that Dianne had been really ill all day, so we hadn’t been able to enjoy it as much as we would have liked.”
Dianna had been battling a stomach bug, and Chris quipped that the daring moment when the stage lights returned after the blackout to show him spinning rapidly with Dianne draped across his shoulders could have had some very nasty outcomes.
He penned: “She had been unable to keep anything down and had spent a lot of that day in or near a toilet, so we were just grateful that it was only the pyrotechnics that went off, or that fast spin out of the darkness could have been a very different surprise!”.
The routine earned thunderous applause from the crowd and a score of 33 out of a potential 40 points from the judging panel – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.
Craig declared the “poignant blackout moment” was “absolutely spectacular” whilst head judge Shirley became tearful and, as she composed herself, told Chris: “You come out every week with your heart on your sleeve, and you give us 100%.”
He revealed that if medical science were to find a cure for his blindness one day, he would first look up some video clips from his time on Strictly: “I’ll certainly have to sit down with Dianne, to watch our dances and actually see what we were able to accomplish each week.”
A BBC star’s nepo daughter has revealed her addiction battle on her new single.
The singer has opened up for the first time about struggling with addiction, ADHD andsubstance abuse.
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A BBC star’s nepo daughter has revealed he addiction battle on a new singleCredit: instagramLine of Duty star Adrian Dunbar’s daughter, Madeleine Dunbar, 37, whose artist’s name is Minx has explored her past in her new music video.Credit: instagram
Line of Duty starAdrian Dunbar‘s daughter, Madeleine Dunbar, 37, whose artist’s name is Minx has explored her past in her new music video.
The artist took to Instagram with an image of herself spread across a lime satin bedspread with beer cans rolled into her hair as curlers
In the image she is surrounded by lines of fake white powder, pill packets and bottles.
The artist said: “My name is Madeline Dunbar, My artist name is Minx.
“Messy, Messy ADHD Queen and I am writing songs about it.
The camera then flips to Madeline’s cat and she jokes: “Oh that’s my cat Tony. I think he thinks I’m relapsing.
“Don’t worry baby boy we are not going back there. That is just my ADHD medication crushed up on a golden plate.”
Madeline then bursts into laughter and adds: “Anyways if any of this stuff resonates with you in the right place.
“I’m about to release a track called Dopamine on the 1st November.
“I think you’re gonna f**k with it.”
The singer describes her music as “high-energy pop rap with hip hop, house and Latin influences”, drawing inspiration from Madonna, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae and Rosalia.
Lyrics from the song include: “And every time I think that I’m in control / You serve another cocktail of chemicals / And it’s nice, but I wonder”
In an earlier post the singer wrote: “Fully clean and sober writing songs about addiction is cathartic but sitting in front of my favourite vices (albeit fake substitutes) was a bit triggering.
“It also made me feel a great sadness for the person I once was and the people still suffering.
“This track is a foray into the desperation felt by anyone suffering with adhd or addiction or like me, both!
“The frenzied need to feel better to feel different to feel normal.
“The futile necessity of instant gratification because that low dopamine is REAL and makes you feel so f***ing empty and unenthused.
“If you or a loved one are struggling speak out and seek help. It can be done, we do recover.”
Adrian is wed to his Australian actress wife Anna Nygh, after they got married in 1986 – as well as Madeline he also has a stepson with Anna.
Madeline has said her music is influenced by Madonna and Lady GagaCredit: instagramThe singer has opened up for the first time about her addictions and ADHDCredit: instagramHer father is best known for his role as Superintendent Ted Hastings, the head of an anti-corruption squad in Line of DutyCredit: PA
IT’S hard to believe, but at the age of 68, Gloria Estefan, one of the biggest-selling and most-celebrated artists of all time, is marking her 50th year in music.
She has had a stellar career, racking up everything from a slew of Grammy awards to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Gloria has recently released her album RaicesCredit: SuppliedThe star with The Sun’s HowellCredit: Supplied
But after her musician daughter Emily performed with Cyndi Lauper at Glastonbury last year, she now has one more thing she wants to strike off her bucket list – a major slot on the prestigious Pyramid Stage.
In an exclusive chat, she told Bizarre’s Howell: “It’s very exciting, big and complex from what I hear from Emily. Like, it was crazy. But that would be super exciting.
“If I’m still around, I would love to do that. Now, Glastonbury likes all kinds of artists.”
With hits like Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Dr Beat and, of course, Conga, she would have plenty of songs to entertain Worthy Farm.
And she may soon be wowing even more viewers, with a big-budget biopic on the cards.
For the first time, she has confirmed Rachel Zegler, who shot to fame in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Disney’s Snow White and recently in Evita on the West End, is set to play her.
She said: “I think she’s awesome. I think she’s incredible. I know she’s killed it in Evita.
“We’re still working on the green light because we’re figuring out where to do it, how to do it.
“This has been in the works for quite a few years now. And that’s how it is. You work, you work, you work, and then all of a sudden, boom, the trigger’s pulled and you’ve got to do it right away. But she’s lovely.”
But asked if she thinks Rachel will take the part, she continued: “I think she would. I just need to offer her an actual part. So we need to be greenlit completely and we’re almost there.
“I met her by Zoom. She’s got a beautiful singing voice and she’s a great actor. So absolutely.”
It was originally claimed the film will be an adaptation of her 2015 jukebox musical On Your Feet! although that idea has changed.
The star explained: “The movie’s not going to be the show. There’s a lot in there.”
Gloria was born in Cuba but her family fled to the US during the Cuban Revolution and she has now become one of Miami’s most famous residents.
And as one of the city’s stars, she has become pals with David and Victoria Beckham, who have a home there and have become key to the area with Becks’ football team Inter Miami CF.
But it’s clear they all move in the upper echelons when Stateside.
In a major name drop when quizzed on hanging out with them, she said: “I’ve been at their home. It’s lovely. David is such a lovely man – and Victoria.
“We actually went to a dinner at their home and President Obama was there, and the head of Reddit, and Jeff Bezos. It was really cool.
“It was small, but only the most powerful people in that room. It was great.
“They’re very kind people. And he’s done amazing things for soccer or football, as you call it here.”
Gloria pictured in 1989Credit: Alamy
And there have been more Brits in Miami, with Dua Lipa performing there last month, when she covered Gloria’s 1985 hit Conga.
“I was so sad that I wasn’t in town,” Gloria said.
“She had invited me to go and do that with her. And I love her. I’m a big fan of Dua Lipa. And that’s the sexiest conga you’re ever going to see, hands down.”
After such an illustrious career, she recently released her 30th album Raíces, which is largely Spanish-language escapism and the perfect soundtrack for a soiree or relaxing evening in.
And it was her husband of 47 years, producer Emilio, who made it happen.
Gloria, who was writing another musical at the time, explained how the salsa record poured out of him.
She added: “It’s got beautiful, romantic ballads. Emilio said, ‘I wrote you a love song’. I go, ‘Babe, you’re going to sing it?’.
He goes, ‘No, you’re going to sing it for me’.”
Charming.
And as for retirement after five decades in the game? Don’t count on it.
She giggled: “In ten years time, I hope to still be alive. That’s my first plan. Who knows?
“I only choose what I really, really want to give my time to. It’s just that. I had all these amazing opportunities. And they just converged this year.”
The singer has become pals with David and Victoria BeckhamCredit: Getty
Kristen chilled Water
Kristen Stewart showed off a stark fringe and bare legs as she left a screening of her new filmCredit: Splash
KRISTEN STEWART didn’t let the falling temperatures bother her as she headed out in this white mini-dress.
The Twilight actress showed off a stark fringe and bare legs as she left a screening of her new film The Chronology Of Water at the Curzon Mayfair on Thursday night.
It was part of the BFI London Film Festival and the movie, an adaptation of US writer Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, is her directorial debut.
Lily ‘cheat’ pain
Singing star Lily Allen is about to make a return with her fifth albumCredit: Getty
LILY ALLEN has confirmed my story that she is about to make a return with her fifth album.
And on it, she seemingly accuses ex-husband David Harbour of cheating on her.
But things crumbled last year, with the relationship inspiring the latest record which is expected to be released imminently.
A new interview with Lily came out in Vogue magazine yesterday.
It features lyrics from two tracks that suggest David romanced other women while they were together and the pair then decided to “open” their marriage.
On one song, Sleepwalking, Lily sings: “You let me think it was me in my head, and nothing to do with them girls in your bed.”
On another, called Dallas Major, she reveals: “You know I used to be quite famous, that was way back in the day.
“I probably should explain how my marriage has been open since my husband went astray.”
And Lily didn’t hold back in her interview, either.
She told the magazine: “I’ve had real problems with my food over the past few years.
She added that during their break-up “it got really, really, really bad”.
Lily, who is sober, said: “The feelings of despair that I was experiencing were so strong.
“The last time I felt anything like that, drugs and alcohol were my way out, so it was excruciating to sit with those [feelings] and not use them.”
KYLIE JENNER says being a pop star is her lifelong dream – despite being mocked this week when she sang on Terror JR’s new song Fourth Strike.
Having just started singing under the name King Kylie, she said: “You know this is my dream. I’ve been talking about this since I came out of the womb… that like I wanted to be a pop star.
“I just never had the confidence or… I think turning 28 just does something to you. Like I’m going to be 30 soon and I don’t want to look back on life and have any regrets.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to try.”
JENNIFER LOPEZ is up for returning to the Super Bowl stage in February – six years after her stellar half-time show with Shakira.
The singer, whose parents are from Puerto Rico, waved the country’s flag during her performance and next year will see rapper Bad Bunny, who is from there, playing the show.
Quizzed on US TV whether they could do something together there, she said there had been “no talk” of a collaboration but that she would be open to it.
She said: “There’s no talk. I have not gotten any calls. So I just want to put the expectation down. But of course if he wanted me to do something, I would definitely do it.”
Crouchy Enter the Dragon
Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch have been filling their home with pets, pictured with their four childrenCredit: instagram
ABBEY CLANCY and Peter Crouch are slowly turning their home into a zoo – and the next animal they are adding is a bearded dragon.
The couple, who live in Surrey with their four children, already own two dogs, cats and a horse but now they are adding reptiles to the menagerie.
Crouchy says they are getting the reptile, which is native to Australia, because their son is desperate for one as a pet.
As well as the lizard, Abbey wants to also get lambs and chickens.
Peter said: “The more animals the better, apparently. Bearded dragons are next on the horizon. My little boy has wanted one for years. They’re actually all right. I thought it would be a nightmare, but I’ve been down the shop and held them.
“We’re actually going to get one. They grow to be quite big but they’re quite chilled.”
Michael makes big money
MICHAEL McINTYRE’s firm raked in more than £3.2million last year – making him one of the biggest earners on TV.
He had another stellar year presenting Saturday-night series Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and quiz The Wheel.
The comedian’s TV production firm Hungry McBear paid £805,000 in corporation tax in its last financial year up to December 31.
