reveals

FABIO WARDLEY has floored the baffling suggestion that he could fight his mentor and pal Dillian Whyte.

After following all of Wardley’s career, we were stunned to hear the idea even mooted from some clumsy pundits.

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But Wardley told SunSport with a laugh: “From the second it would be announced, everybody who knows the sport and who knows us, would know it would be fake and not something I would ever do, because of the amount of love, respect and admiration I have for Dills.

“People go on about my story, white-collar, coming from nowhere, sparring Usyk.

“But none of that is possible without Dillian at the beginning, giving me all of these opportunities.

“So I would never spit in his face and fight him.

“Even if all the sanctioning bodies called for the fight and somebody was silly enough to put all the money up, I would take a knee in the first round and give him the win.”

Ipswich’s 30-year-old former recruitment worker and white-collar boxer headlines Portman Road on Saturday night against tough Australian Justis Huni.

Whyte was due to feature on the Ipswich undercard but pulled out to secure a summer showdown with Lawrence Okolie.

He has not boxed in England since November 2022 and was supposed to have a rematch with Anthony Joshua in August 2023.

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FABIO WARDLEY VS JUSTIS HUNI: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE BOUT

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

But that O2 sell-out was scrapped when Whyte failed a doping test.

Whyte has boxed in Gibraltar and Ireland since that big-money clash was binned, landing underwhelming wins.

For Wardley, on June 16 his partner is scheduled to give birth to his first child, a bouncing baby girl.

For anyone else, the nail-biting fortnight would be a crippling rollercoaster of emotions impossible to combine. 

But the Suffolk Puncher – who went on an Oleksandr Usyk sparring trip to Ukraine in 2018 when he barely knew how to throw a jab – is loving the chaos.

The class act told SunSport: “June 2025 is going to be a wild month I talk a lot about, for the rest of my life.

“I will be an old man in a rocking chair, telling people about it and wondering how we pulled it off.

“Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.”

Nine months ago, the 18-0-1 ace got the wonderful news he would be a dad for the first time.

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And a few weeks later he got the offer of a lifetime, to headline at his boyhood football club, a chance that some Olympic and world champions never get.

It seems like a psychological and logistical nightmare that would be destined for the divorce courts but Team Wardley is way too tight.

“If my little girl is anything like me, then she’ll be chilled out and late, which will give me a little bit more time to decompress from the fight,” he grinned.

“The flight date has been moved around a few times but my missus has been unbelievable.

“I have just promised to her that, as soon as Saturday night is over, I am all theirs.

“This week, though, is just my week. I need to be totally focused on me and then it’s all on them.”

Wardley – who cracked 2020 Olympic bronze winner Frazer Clarke’s skull in their one-round rematch in October – somehow combines being a brutal boxer with being a lovely bloke and he insists that won’t change with another win or a baby.

“I don’t know how parenthood will affect me,” he said. “I do plan to be the fun-dad though. 

“I want mum to do the telling off. I think I will always be driven to push myself in everything, though. 

“That’s something just innate in me. And I am sure I will need to feed and stoke that fire regularly.”

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WHAT could you do with a square meter in your outside space?

Turns out – quite a lot – says Gardeners’ World presenter Nick Bailey – who’s spearheading new campaign Make a Metre Matter.

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He wants to get Sun Gardening readers involved too – supporting wildlife and sustainability – and making the planet a better place.

“There’s 20 million gardens in Britain. If 20 million people just dedicated one metre, that’s quite a lot of metres isn’t it?,” he told me.

“There are loads of ways you can make a meaningful difference, including growing plants for pollinators, growing veg to cut down on food miles and creating a compost heap.”

Nick’s created a Headline Show Garden for BBC Gardeners’ World Live later this month – with lots of Make a Metre Matter ideas to take home.

He added: “You can grow nine lettuces in that space. You could grow four compact courgettes and supply your family with more courgettes than you could eat for the summer.”

Currently Asda are selling courgette seeds for £2 – and you can get them in the ground now.

“You could choose to put acid compost in there and put four blueberries in there ” he said.

“Within your first harvest you’ve made your money back.”

“Equally you could just sow some British native wildflowers, which could be as cheap as £2 to £3 for a packet.

“It will give you a brilliant long run of colour from May through to October,  with lots of interest for pollinators.

“You could also create a square metre pond. In the first month you’ll have about 10 species in the pond.

“A year down the line you’ll have 20 plus species and it just goes up and up and up.

“Insect and bees will come and feed from there, you’ll support birds, you’re supporting the aquatic life itself.

“It doesn’t have to be a big space to make a big impact.”

If you’re inspired to make a difference – you can register your meter to be entered into a Gardeners World prize draw to win a £1k voucher to spend at Crocus or two runner up Crocus prizes of £500.

Visit www.Gardenersworld.com for more information. Gardeners World Live takes place at Birmingham NEC from June 12 – 15.

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

Top tips, news and a great competition to win a £100 Westland plant feed bundle.

TOP TIP Salvias are coming into their prime right now – especially the Mexican hardy shrubby ones like Hot Lips, Limelight and Amistad.
To ensure you get the best blooms all summer, we’ve got some top tips from expert William Dyson, from Great Comp Garden in Kent

• Grow them in pots, or in your borders – they like free draining soil and sunshine.
• If you give them an extra chop in mid to late of July – cutting a third of the growth-  they’ll spring back and reward you with tons of flowers until November.
• Companion plant with perennials to give a cottage garden look
• Or make a statement in a large pot.
• Don’t let them get too dry – they do like to be watered,
• Don’t feed them with nitrogen plant food because you’ll get more leaves and less flowers.

Great Comp’s summer garden show is on August 9 and 10.

NEWS! The Beardy Gardener – an award-winning garden designer, broadcaster and mental health advocate, is hosting his first ever Garden Gathering on June 21 at the Longstock Park Nursery on the Leckford Estate, near Andover. 

The event supports Andover Mind’s ‘Garden for Mind’ initiative, a therapeutic green space dedicated to enhancing mental health and wellbeing.
The Garden Gathering promises a vibrant day filled with expert-led workshops, live demonstrations, plant sales, and family-friendly activities. For more info visit www.beardygardener.com/garden-gathering

NEWS! The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens across the UK while raising money for nursing and health charities. Visit the website to find a garden near you open this week.

WIN! Thanks to Westland  – we’re giving away two amazing plant feed bundles worth over £100 each. Each one contains Boost Boost All Purpose Granules, plant feed, Big Tom, Rose feed, bug gard and others. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/WESTLANDBOOST or write to Sun Westland Boost competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. June 28, 2025. T&Cs apply.

JOB OF THE WEEK You can move a lot of houseplants outside now to make space or give them a bit of a boost with natural light. Water hanging baskets daily, start deadheading roses.

TOP TIP – if you, like me, are struggling with blackfly right now – make a spray of washing up liquid (Ecover is best) and water – and give them a good soaking. 

FOLLOW ME for more top tips and news @biros_and_bloom

Coronation Street legend Jack P Shepherd has opened up about his feelings after he missed out on a gong at the British Soap Awards as he admitted “it was a shock”

Coronation Street’s Jack P Shepherd has expressed his “shock” at missing out on a British Soap Award last weekend (Saturday, May 31).

The actor, who has played David Platt since he was just 12 years old in 2000, is a key part of the Platt family and recently celebrated his 25th anniversary on the show.

Jack’s character has had several near-death experiences on Corrie, including a terrifying incident in 2003 when Richard Hillman attempted to kill the Platt family by driving them into a canal.

Despite these dramatic moments, Jack was nominated for Best Comedy Performance at this year’s British Soap Awards, alongside Patsy Palmer (EastEnders), Nicola Wheeler (Emmerdale) and Nicole Barber-Lane (Hollyoaks).

Having previously won Villain of the Year in 2008 and Best Actor in 2018, Jack was hoping to add a third award to his collection, reports Leicestershire Live.

In response to his On The Sofa co-star, Colson Smith, Jack joked: “I’ve been trying for years to get a nod for comedy because I’ve never been nominated for it before.”

Reflecting on his disappointment at not winning, he admitted: “It was a shock.

“If you watched it the other night, you will notice that my reaction is genuine. And I’m completely blown away that I didn’t win.”

In an earlier episode of the show, Jack had admitted he would have been especially “devastated” if he had lost out on the award to Patsy Palmer.

Despite the potential disappointment, the 37 year old emphasised that there was never any “hatred or rivalry” when watching stars from rival soaps take to the stage for their prizes.

Corrie’s Jack P. Shepherd certainly didn’t hide his shock during the recent ceremony, as Coronation Street actors left with little to toast, compared to EastEnders which dominated the evening by sweeping up seven awards.

Only David Neilson managed to snag a trophy for the Weatherfield regulars at the eventful night.

Coronation Street returns this evening (Friday, June 6) at 8pm on ITV.

ATOMIC Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton opened up about her skin cancer battle, revealing she was diagnosed with the disease after getting a persistent itchy spot on her back.

In an emotional Good Morning Britain interview, the singer, 42, revealed she’d had basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

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BCC is the most common skin cancer type in the UK.

It begins in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off – and is more likely to develop on skin regularly exposed to the sun, like the face, head or neck.

The cancer often tends to appear as a pearly lump, but it can also develop as a scar-like patch on the skin or rough, scaly growths.

Natasha initially mistook the diseased patch of skin as a mosquito bite.

She told her hosts Kate Garraway and Rob Rinder that she developed an itch after catching a bit too much sun while on holiday in Majorca.

Natasha said: “So I had been on holiday, I wasn’t actually in the sun a lot, my baby was only about five months old and I was breastfeeding.

“One afternoon I had her on my lap, my back was in the sun and I burnt.

“I don’t know if it was later that day or the next day, I had an itchy spot on my back.

“I felt it, I went “oh mosquito bite”.

‘It wasn’t until four weeks later when I was at home and it was itching I was like ‘hang on a minute, that seems a bit long for a mosquito bite’.

‘I asked my husband to have look and he went “oh that’s not a bite,” he took a picture.

Natasha revealed: “Originally it had just been a dark freckle that I’d had on my back for many years.

“It wasn’t even raised, it wasn’t a mole, it was just a freckle.”

The star sought specialist help and was diagnosed with BCC.

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She was able to have the cancerous skin removed and is now living cancer-free.

But she revealed: “Now I have to be really vigilant, I have to check my skin all the time.

“Since then I’ve had a few things appear where I’ve had to go back to the dermatologist, they’re on the ‘watch list’.  

“This is probably something I am going to have to keep an eye for the rest of my life,” Natasha said.

The 4 signs of BCC

When you think of signs of skin cancer, a mole probably comes to mind.

This is usually the case with melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease.

But non-melanoma skin cancer – which includes BCC – can manifest in other more subtle ways.

According to Macmillan Cancer Support, a BCC might have some of these features:

1. A smooth, firm lump that may be pearly, pink, red, brown or black – on black or brown skin, it is more likely to be pearly, brown or black
2. A lump that is sunken in the middle like a crater
3. A flat patch of scaly, crusty or irritated skin
4. A scar-like area of pale, shiny skin

This type of skin cancer tends to be painless but it can cause itchiness or bleeding.

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Over time, a BCC may develop into an open sore that does not heal.

Any part of your skin can be affected, but it’s most common in areas exposed to the sun, such as the:

• Head, face and ears
• Neck and shoulders
• Back
• Hands
• Lower legs

BCCs mainly people with fair skin, but those with other skin types may also be at risk, according to the British Skin Foundation.

Those with the highest risk of developing a basal cell carcinoma are: 

• People with pale skin who burn easily and rarely tan
• Those who have had a lot of exposure to the sun, such as people with outdoor hobbies or outdoor workers, and people who have lived in sunny climates
• People who have used sun beds or have regularly sunbathed.
• People who have previously had a basal cell carcinoma

Almost all cases of BCC can be cured and it’s almost never a danger to life, according to the charity.

However, if a BCC is not treated early, it may get larger and may be more likely to come back.

Treatment can include surgically removing the affected area of skin.

AN INTERACTIVE tool can show you the best budget festival near you this summer.

This handy tool shows how you can max out your festival experiences – on a budget.

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Input your postcode and your favourite partying partner’s, and it will show all the summer shindigs you could be going to.

From comedy to music fests of all genres – the tool has it all.

It comes after research of 2,000 adults found Gen Z’s ideal summer would consist of five festivals and four trips abroad – but they have less than £1,000 to spend.

They would like to have a day at the beach seven times and go on four staycations during the three hottest months of the year.

And visiting a theme park is a summer must for 23 per cent.

But 79 per cent aren’t sure they’ll be able to afford everything they’d like to do – so, nearly four in 10 are planning to find cost-effective ways to travel to make the most of their budget.

Despite this, 23 per cent insist on tickets to at least one music festival this summer and a holiday abroad with pals is a ‘non-negotiable’.

But 24 per cent won’t compromise on comfortable and reliable travel to any events they go to.

As three quarters believe quality transport between events is important, because they want to be comfortable on long journeys (46 per cent) and want to get their trip off to the best start (44 per cent).

John Boughton, commercial director for National Express, which commissioned the research, said: “While the appetite for adventure is sky-high, the reality of rising costs means many young people are having to balance their dreams with what’s actually doable.

“As our tool shows, we are lucky enough to have hundreds of festivals and events around the UK at our fingertips, but a big blocker is the cost of an entertainment-filled weekend in a field – the prices can be well into the hundreds.

“That’s why we’re seeing Gen Z getting smart with their spending—being selective, savvy and seeking out ways to make the most of their money, with the travel there and back being key.”

The research also found Gen Z would like to attend six BBQs this summer and have fish and chips by the beach six times, while 29 per cent would love to spend more cash on dining out or takeaways, to save the strain of cooking.

And one in five have made plans to splash out on one or two key things this summer, but 17 per cent admit they’ve barely thought about it.

However, 72 per cent now feel as though having fun in the summer is a ‘luxury’, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Although 43 per cent still say it’s more important to have fun in the sun – compared to the 15 per cent who reckon being sensible is a better option.

John Boughton, commercial director for National Express, added: “Ultimately, Gen Z aren’t prepared to sit the summer out.

“They’re finding clever ways to stay in the moment, prioritise what matters most, and still have an unforgettable time and it is encouraging that they are looking for affordable, reliable and comfortable travel to get the most out of their summer.

“This is a generation that thrives on fun, freedom and flexibility—and they’re making it work, one plan at a time.”

BONNIE Blue has been slammed for “promoting rape culture” and labelled “vile” after revealing her sickest ever sex stunt.

The adult ‘star’ has already hit headlines with previous desperate stunts including apparently breaking the world record by sleeping with 1,057 men in just 12 hours.

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She then challenged Spring Break ‘barely legal’ college boys to see who could give her the best orgasm – with a pledge to pay for the tuition of the ‘winner’.

But now Bonnie has announced her most depraved stunt to date, immediately sparking disgust from people online.

She revealed her next challenge during an interview on Kat Baker’s podcast – leaving the interviewer lost for words as she did so.

“What challenges do you have next?” Kat asked Bonnie during their conversation on The Kat Baker Show.

With Bonnie replying that she’s called it “Bonnie Blue’s petting zoo”, and said it will be taking place on June 15.

Explaining the sickening idea, she said that she’s going to be naked and tied up in a glass box, which would be “open for the public” to do basically whatever they want to her.

When Kat asked “where” the box was going to be, Bonnie continued that she’ll be in “the centre of London” but “in a house”.

“Oh ok, because I was thinking like David Blaine,” Kat said, referring to the U.S. illusionist’s stunt in 2003, when he was confined in a transparent glass box, suspended 30ft over the River Thames, for 44 days.

While Bonnie said that she’d love to be in the box on the back of a lorry, with the abhorrent sex acts performed on her as she travelled through London, she mused that it was “probably illegal”.

Making the planned event even more repulsive, Bonnie told Kat that she wanted to beat her own record by “doing 2,000”.

Unsurprisingly, the comments on the Instagram video of Kat and Bonnie’s conversation took aim at the abominable plan – and even questioned the 26-year-old’s mental state to have come up with such a vulgar concept.

While another insisted she was “promoting rape culture” – which Fabulous Digital writer and rape survivor Kate Kulniece agreed with, as she said Bonnie’s latest stunt ends up “pushing victims like myself deeper into the abyss of trauma”.

“Her twisted antics are damaging impressionable young teenage boys – half of whom have been exposed to pornography by the age of 13.

“These very same boys will grow up thinking this is normal, this is what women want – and what we’re here for.”

In the comments on the Instagram post, one person insisted Bonnie has “no soul”

Sometimes I wonder if Satan is actually Bonnie in disguise

Instagram commenter

“She has no soul,” one wrote, while someone else called Bonnie an “attention craving sicko”, and another said she’s the “most disgusting in the world … by far”.

“She really needs help,” another agreed, adding: “For f**ks sake, it’s vile!”

“Her value as a woman is so low that she is offering her entire body for free,” someone else sighed.

“And we’re ok glorifying prostitution on media platforms for kids to see….? I genuinely think the future’s done,” someone else wrote.

“Sometimes I wonder if Satan is actually Bonnie in disguise,” another slammed.

Why Bonnie Blue MUST be banned from social media

By Kate Kulniece, Fabulous Digital writer and rape survivor

When it comes to sex, I like to consider myself open-minded – and non-judgemental.

But the vile, attention-seeking OnlyFans porn star Bonnie Blue makes me sick to my stomach.

When the 26-year-old first hit the headlines with her gruesome stunts in March 2024, I’ll admit – I didn’t pay much attention to her.

But as the challenges became more perverted and she eventually bedded over 1,000 men in just 12 hours, I became not just disappointed – but angry.

Her most recent – and most disgusting – stunt to date, of being tied up in a glass box for men to fulfil their sick desires, is wrong and worrying on so many levels.

The number of rapes being reported to police are at a record high, with a shocking 1 in 4 women, 1 in 6 children and 1 in 18 men falling victim to this horrific crime.

It’s an alarming rise and many believe, as I do, that the sexual assaults are fuelled by access to toxic online culture – with Bonnie seemingly leading the way with her vile sex marathon stunts.

As a young woman who is a survivor of two rapes – aged just 13 and 23 – and who has been sexually harassed on countless occasions, I feel sick and enraged.

In a society where sexual abuse, violence against women and misogyny have become a widespread pandemic, we should ban people like Bonnie from social media.

Her foul and obscene challenges, which are becoming worse every time, are a slap in the face to millions of rape survivors like myself.

Not only are her videos a constant reminder of the trauma and pain that was forced upon us, but she also teaches perverts that women are a piece of meat – and nothing else.

Despite repeatedly insisting she empowers women, Bonnie promotes a culture in which women are passed around by men like toys.

She also plays into the narrative that our husbands, fathers and sons can’t control their sexual urges – or shouldn’t have to.

As a vocal multi millionaire, Bonnie may think this is all harmless fun, paying her many assistants to keep her out of real harm’s way.

But in reality, the sex-insatiable Bonnie is promoting dangerous rape culture and pushing victims like myself deeper into the abyss of trauma.

Her twisted antics, and those of rival Lily Phillips and Aussie OF star Annie Knight, are damaging impressionable young teenage boys – half of whom have been exposed to pornography by the age of 13.

These very same boys will grow up thinking this is normal, this is what women want – and what we’re here for.

There are countless things I look forward to, but the day the sick content creator finally gets banned from platforms cannot come soon enough.

However, someone else questioned why Bonnie was even being allowed to speak.

“Why the f**k is she being given platforms like podcasts and broadcasts to act like she is some kind of trailblazer or icon?” they raged.

“She is sitting there saying her next challenge is to be tied up in public so people can touch her and another woman is sitting across from her acting like that is something worth clapping for.

“That alone is disgusting and degrading…

“This is dragging us backwards.

“And any woman who claps for this kind of behaviour has failed as a woman.”

“Never been so revolted in my life,” another agreed.

Even more shockingly, there were also some comments from monstrous people saying they were keen to get inside the box with Bonnie.

“I’ll be in the box,” one boasted.

“See you there,” another added.

As a third questioned: “Are girls welcome to join in too?”

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CHINA has given rare insight into its souped-up DF-5B nuclear missile – a 7,500-mile-range weapon with staggering explosive power.

The missile is said to pack hundreds of times the destructive force of the bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing tens of thousands in World War II.

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Although China has long kept its nuke programme secret, state broadcaster CCTV revealed details about the upgraded DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Monday.

This missile boasts a maximum range of 7,500 miles and an accuracy of 0.3 miles, as per reports by journalist Li Zexin on X.

This range is enough to reach most of Europe and nearly all of the US from launch sites inside China.

For example, the distance from Beijing to London is around 5,000 miles and from China to New York is roughly 7,000 miles.

The DF-5B is said to deliver a yield of three to four megatonnes.

This is about 200 times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, which had an estimated explosive yield of about 15 kilotonnes of TNT.

It also far surpasses the destructive power of the bomb unleashed on Nagasaki, which had a yield of around 21 kilotonnes of TNT.

The hi-tech missile has integrated Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle technology – allowing it to carry and release multiple nuclear warheads at once.

A single DF-5B missile can release up to 10 warheads, striking different targets across wide areas.

Since each warhead is independent, missile defence systems find it much harder to intercept, making this weapon far more lethal than other known weapons.

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CCTV described the missile as China’s “first-generation strategic ICBM”.

The DF-5B, first created in 2015, is an upgraded variant of China’s original DF-5 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which entered service in 1981.

It’s unclear why this information was released, but it is believed that Beijing wants to showcase its military modernisation and deter potential threats.

It comes just days after China deployed its most dangerous nuclear bombers to a tiny island, as revealed by satellite pictures.

Aerial photos show two hulking H-6 bombers on an airfield on Woody Island in the South China Sea, taken on May 19.

The long-range aircraft date back to the 1950s, and were modelled on Soviet-era warplanes.

But they have been upgraded to carry modern weapons, including hypersonic and nuclear missiles.

They are considered China’s most advanced bombers, and this is the first time they have been spotted on the outpost in five years.

US intelligence previously warned that China could seize Taiwan’s smaller islands as the first step of a full-scale invasion.

In September 2024, China launched a nuclear-capable missile into the Pacific Ocean, marking the first test in 40 years.

The ICBM, launched by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, carried a dummy warhead.

The Chinese defence ministry said in a statement the rocket “fell into expected sea areas”, and that it was a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan”.

China said the test was not directed at any country or target, and that it “informed the countries concerned in advance”, reports claimed.

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Former Love Island star Dani Dyer shocked viewers when she revealed that her new mother-in-law actually voted for her and her ex-boyfriend, Jack Fincham to win Love Island in 2018

Dani Dyer has revealed who Jarrod Bowen’s mother voted for on Love Island. The reality star, who recently tied the knot, appeared on the ITV special, Love Island: Decade Of Love, where she revealed that her new mother-in-law actually voted for her and fellow islander Jack Fincham to win the show.

Ahead of a brand new series, Love Island shared a special episode where they celebrated an entire decade of the show, with many surprise guests commentating on old clips.

The show marked Dani’s first TV appearance, although it was pre-recorded, since she officially tied the knot with her footballer boyfriend Jarrod Bowen in a romantic ceremony on Saturday, 31 May. As Dani watched old Love Island clips with her friend Samira Mighty, she revealed that her now mother-in-law was actually rooting for Jack and Dani to win as a couple.

She said: “My mother-in-law voted for me and Jack to win Love Island,” leaving fellow former islander Samira shocked.

Entering the villa as a 21-year-old barmaid, Dani quickly became a fan favourite with her down-to-earth personality and relatable charm. Dani and Jack ended up winning the 2018 series by a mile with 79.66% of the vote.

Post-show, they moved in together, adopted a puppy, and began filming a reality series about their life. However, just six months later, Dani announced their split, stating they had realised the relationship wasn’t meant to be long-term.

Seven years on from stepping foot in the Love Island villa and Dani is now living her own fairytale with her family. The reality star began dating West Ham United footballer Jarrod Bowen in 2021, and the couple went on to welcome twin daughters, Star and Summer, in May 2023.

One year later, they announced their engagement in July 2024 and have just tied the knot in a ceremony at the end of May 2025, which was attended by close family and friends.

Dani’s father, former Eastenders actor Danny Dyer, walked her down the aisle while two-year-old twin daughters, Summer and Star, were flower girls. Dani’s four-year-old son Santiago, whom she shares with her ex Sammy Kimmence, was also a page boy.

The bride and groom and all their guests dressed to impress for the ceremony in the British countryside. Dani’s white off-the-shoulder gown by British designer Suzanne Neville cost a whopping £10,000 and was paid for by Danny and her mum.

Love Island returns to screens on June 9.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

At the end of a nearly two-week trip to Melbourne, Australia, early last month, I drove with a friend 50 miles outside the city to a rural town with the amazing name of Cockatoo.

A once-in-a-lifetime Korean meal in Australia

She teetered her pickup truck at the edge of a steep driveway, double-checking the address to make sure we were in the right place. She inched her way down to park and we walked the short path to a house nestled in the woods. Yoora Yoon greeted us at the door and welcomed us inside. We had made it to our Saturday lunch destination: Chae, a six-seat restaurant centered on the talents of Jung Eun Chae, to whom Yoon is married.

Yoon stood at the crook of the L-shaped counter where the diners had settled and introduced Chae as she quietly glided between tasks in the open kitchen we sat facing. Then he left the room. Chae placed pots of ginseng tea on burners in front of us. We were in her hands.

A plate of jeok and jeon (Korean meat or vegetable fritters) at Chae, a six-seat restaurant run by Jung Eun Chae in Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

A trio of bites comprised the first of seven courses. Sanjeok can refer to skewered meats and vegetables; Chae reconceived the dish as minced chicken marinated in ganjang (the Korean version of soy sauce that Chae makes herself) and pan-fried. She hid a lightly candied walnut half in its center for crunch. It was flanked by two jeon, or fritters. One was a loose ball of shrimp and julienned king oyster mushrooms nipped with spring onion and chile, flattened where it had browned in the skillet. The other was a zucchini coin cooked in translucent egg batter.

Each was a microcosm of mixed textures and savory flavors. I looked over with “ok, wow” raised eyebrows at the friend next to me, Besha Rodell. Longtime food-obsessed Angelenos will remember Besha as the last food critic for L.A. Weekly, from 2012 to 2017. She’s currently the chief restaurant critic for the Age and Good Weekend in Melbourne, and this month her memoir “Hunger Like A Thirst” was published.

We’ve been close for 20 years and shared many exceptional meals. Chae was shaping up to be one of them.

Jung Eun Chae at her six-seat restaurant Chae in Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

A stone bowl filled with more diverse tastes arrived next. Pyeonyuk, striated pork meat and fat pressed into square slices for satisfying chew. Yukhoe, a tangle of chopped raw beef glossed with just-made sesame oil. The dish often includes Asian pear; Chae spritzed it instead with a fermented apple extract she had concocted. Cilantro leaves dressed in nutty perilla oil acted as mulchy contrast against poached octopus and a ojingeo-jeot, squiggly fermented squid.

In the center of the plate, to season and balance the tastes, was a dense pool of cho-gochujang, a vinegared variation on the ubiquitous Korean chile paste. Chae had made this, too, from the very building blocks of Korean cuisine: She ferments her own meju, the bricks of crushed soybeans also used to craft ganjang and doenjang, the paste analogous to miso.

A platter of meat, seafood and vegetables that’s part of a multi-course meal at Chae, the six-seat restaurant run by chef Jung Eun Chae in Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

I’m generally a fast eater. This collage of small dishes, where every element felt so considered, managed to slow me way down.

Something beautifully simple followed: chicken noodle soup, its poultry-intense broth sharpened only by thin triangles of radish kimchi.

Chae, who was born in Seoul, had been working in Melbourne fine dining when she injured her ankle in a motorcycle accident, forcing her to step away from the extreme demands of kitchen work. She was considering her next move when she watched the season-three episode of “Chef’s Table” on Netflix about Buddhist nun-chef Jeong Kwan, who lives and teaches at the Baegyangsa temple in South Korea. Moved by the clarity of her philosophy and relationship to nature, Chae went to study with her. It set the path for her tiny home-based restaurant, where she would make her own jangs — as she remembered her mother doing in her childhood — and serve meals only two days a week.

What we have (and don’t have) in Los Angeles

I read up on all this after my meal with Besha, but aspects of the cooking registered as familiar even in the moment.

Kwang Uh, the chef and co-owner of extraordinary Baroo in Los Angeles, also studied with Jeong Kwan; he met his wife and business partner Mina Park at the temple. With a couple of day’s notice, Uh will make a vegetarian or vegan version of Baroo’s set menu. When I think of its bowls of wondrous, seaweed-seasoned rice and banchan of seasonal vegetables, and treasures like dried acorn jelly with the thick chew of cavatelli, I can trace the through-line of Jeong Kwan’s influence to both chefs. I’m remembering Chae’s finale of rice crowned with spinach and mushrooms and sides of kimchi and spicy radish salad; she served it alongside jeongol (hot pot) of mushrooms and croquettes of minced beef and tofu.

Los Angeles, we all know, is blessed with one of the world’s great Korean dining cultures. If I’m hungry for jeon of many shapes, I can head to HanEuem in Koreatown. For soup that seemingly heals all ills, we have Hangari Kalguksu. For chefs that turn the essence of Korean cuisine into personal, meditative tasting menus, we have Uh at Baroo and Ki Kim at his new Restaurant Ki.

And still: How rich to have a meal, on the opposite side of the world, that expressed another side of the culinary Korean diaspora unlike anything I’ve experienced. The economics of a small operation like Chae‘s must sometimes feel precarious. But the impressive structure and flow of the meal, balanced with a forested home environment in a room full of honeycomb-colored woods, was singular. Would a chef anywhere in the Los Angeles area be able to age meju, produce their own jangs and serve meditative meals to a tiny number of people?

Unlikely, but if nothing else, it reminds me that the Korean dining possibilities here are inexhaustible.

A centered shot of ginseng tea at six-seat restaurant Chae in Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

Curtis Stone’s Malibu work retreat

I’ll be writing more in detail about my time eating in and around Melbourne in the coming months. Australia is on our minds at the Food section this weekend since the Times and Tourism Australia will present the 2nd Annual Great Australian Bite on Saturday, featuring chefs Curtis Stone of Gwen and Pie Room and Clare Falzon visiting from Staġuni above Adelaide in South Australia. The event has sold out, but food reporter Stephanie Breijo wrote about the Malibu property where Stone will host the event — and where he’s building a new lifestyle empire.

Chef Curtis Stone examines new growth in his vineyard at Four Stones Farm.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Also …

On this date in history:

In 1790, President George Washington signed a bill creating the first U.S. copyright law.

In 1859, construction concluded and bells rang out for the first time from London’s Big Ben clock tower.

In 1889, a flood in Johnstown, Pa., left more than 2,200 people dead.

In 1902, Britain and South Africa signed a peace treaty ending the Boer War.

In 1916, the Battle of Verdun passed the 100-day mark. It would continue for another 200 days, amassing a casualty list of an estimated 800,000 soldiers dead, injured or missing.

In 1921, the Tulsa race massacre was set off when a mob of White residents attacked the Black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District. The total number of those killed in the violence is unknown, with an Oklahoma commission established in 2001 estimating between 75 to 100 people dead. The number of displaced Black residents was far greater.

In 1940, a thick fog hanging over the English Channel prevented the German Luftwaffe from flying missions against evacuating Allied troops from Dunkirk.

Troops evacuated from Dunkirk on a destroyer about to berth at Dover, England, on May 31, 1940. File Photo courtesy of the Imperial War Museum

In 1985, seven federally insured banks in Arkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Oregon were closed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. It was a single-day record for closings since the FDIC was founded in 1934.

In 1996, Israeli voters elected opposition Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.

In 2003, Eric Robert Rudolph, the long-sought fugitive in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing and attacks on abortion clinics and a gay nightclub, was arrested while rummaging through a dumpster in North Carolina. Rudolph, whose bombings killed two people and injured many others, was sentenced to four life terms in prison.

In 2005, Mark Felt admitted that, while No. 2 man in the FBI, he was “Deep Throat,” the shadowy contact whose help to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein on the 1972 Watergate break-in led to U.S. President Richard Nixon’s resignation.

File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI

In 2012, John Edwards of North Carolina, former U.S. senator and presidential candidate, was acquitted on a charge of taking illegal campaign contributions, and a judge declared a mistrial on five other charges against him.

In 2014, U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 28, captured in Afghanistan nearly five years earlier, was released by the Taliban in exchange for five detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. In March 2015, the Army announced that Bergdahl had been charged with desertion.

In 2019, a shooting a a Virginia Beach, Va., municipal center left 12 victims and the shooter — a disgruntled former employee — dead.

In 2021, China announced plans to allow couples to have a third child, scrapping its controversial two-child policy amid a slumping birth rate and aging population.

File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI

DONALD Trump’s luxury “sky Palace” gifted to him by Qatar will cost a few billion dollars, says the President of Emirates airline.

The US government now faces a “Herculean task” to transform the huge Boeing 747-8 into a new Air Force One fit for a president, warns Sir Tim Clark.

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President Trump, 78, sparked concerns earlier this month with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion from the Qatari royal family.

The giant gift, worth an estimated $400m (£300m), has raised several ethical questions about if the US leader should be allowed to accept such expensive goods from other states.

But despite the controversy, Trump gladly took the 13-year-old mega jet back to Washington with him.

He now plans to make it part of his Air Force One fleet alongside two other Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets.

They have been operational since 1990 but are now said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes such as Qatar‘s 747-8.

In order for it to become a fully fledged member of the president’s aviation arsenal however, it will need to go through some serious work.

It would have to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before ever ferrying around Trump.

And significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials would be required.

Sir Tim, president of Emirates, told Piers Morgan Uncensored that President Trump’s flashy plans may cost a “couple of billion dollars”.

He explained to Piers: “I think you’re talking a couple of billion dollars to start with.

“Just roll back a little bit and look at what it takes for us to convert our 777s – from the old to the new – because we haven’t got the Boeing’s coming in at the pace we want them so we’re having to reconfigure all of them.”

The top aviation boss said trying to fix up all the jets as an airline has been an extremely tough task.

Tim admitted to “pulling his hair out” over the regulators and the tiny tweaks that have to be made to modernise a plane of that size and stature.

And he believes the US government will face an even trickier – and much more expensive – battle to get the gifted plane ready for presidential trips.

He said: “It’s a Herculean task, make no mistake about it.

“Whether President Trump will adapt fully, this present from Qatar, to an Air Force One I doubt it, but he’ll certainly get a lot of it done.”

Aviation specialist Jeff Wise also told The Sun that he expects the Air Force One replacement to take years and need billions of dollars pumped into the project to make the jet viable.

Trump’s Air Force One jets currently in use come with dozens of specialised security features.

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These include armoured glass and plating, on board flares to confuse enemy missiles, mirror-ball defences and even an electric jamming system.

Another unique yet needed element is an electromagnetic shield for nuclear explosions.

This has to be on a presidential plane as the leader of Washington can actually launch a nuke from the aircraft.

But the new Qatari jet lacks most of these security features.

Instead, the lavish aeroplane boasts a luxurious interior, featuring spacious suites and rooms with ornate interior decoration.

It also has glittering gold-coloured furnishings and hallways that echo Trump’s well-know interior design preferences.

The president is believed to have spent an hour inspecting the plan when when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport back in February.

The luxury Boeing was once even listed for a whopping $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler.

During his first stint in office, Trump had ordered two new Air Force One jumbo jets from Boeing to replace the pair that have been in service since George H. W. Bush’s presidency.

But the Boeing contract has faced delays, and reports suggest the new plans would not be ready until after Trump leaves the Oval Office.

Fears Trump’s new Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS – or worse

By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis

A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned.

The Boeing 747 – dubbed a “palace in the sky” – could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes.

He fears Trump may bypass necessary measures to save time and money – which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt.

Wise told The Sun: “This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other.

“The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump.

“If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you.

“This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It’s just wide open.

“This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They’re using these off-brand apps to communicate. It’s just a hacker’s dream.”

Wise continued: “I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 

“America’s list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.”

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New data has revealed the “unprecedented reversal” of trans rights in Europe and Central Asia.

On 13 May, the Trans Europe and Central Asia (TGEU) organisation released its Trans Rights & Map 2025 report, which “shows country-specific requirements for legal gender recognition, protections for trans asylum seekers, hate crime and speech laws, and more.”

For the first time in its 13-year history, the report revealed that setbacks in human rights for trans people across Central Asia and Europe now outweigh progress.

Out of the 54 countries in the aforementioned regions, only 39 countries have legal or administrative measures in place that make legal recognition of gender available to trans people. Of those select countries, 24 require a mental health diagnosis, 12 demand sterility and 12 countries base legal gender recognition procedures on self-determination.

In regard to trans asylum seekers, only 27 countries out of the 54 reviewed offer explicit international protection on the grounds of gender identity.

When analysing hate speech and crime, the report revealed that 24 countries have laws in place that prohibit hate crimes against trans people, with 16 of those territories being European Union member states.

Regarding non-discrimination practices, only 20 of the 27 EU member states protect against discrimination in employment based on gender identity.

Of the 27 EU member states, 17 protect against discrimination in access to goods and services on the grounds of gender identity, while only 15 protect against housing discrimination based on gender identity.

Lastly, Iceland and Malta are the only two countries that have effectively depathologised trans identities, and 10 out of the 54 reviewed states prohibit conversion practices on the grounds of gender identity.

“The data confirms what trans people have been saying and feeling it. It shows a historically low amount of progress and historically high levels of stagnation,” TGEU senior research officer Freya Watkins said in a statement.

“In 2025, we saw more than twice as much regression as progress on our Map. This marks the first time in the 13-year history of the project when clearly more rights have been taken away than have been gained.”

TGEU Executive Director Ymania Brown echoed similar sentiments, calling on the EU to “actively defend trans people’s dignity and human rights by adopting an ambitious EU LGBTIQ Strategy.

“Despite the unmistakable deterioration of the situation for trans people, many political leaders halt progress and recoil from solidarity action–– as if this could stop the attack. The opposite is true. Only going forward will stop the attack on our rights and our value system,” Brown said.

“How the EU responds to this threat within its own borders sets the tone globally. In Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, Human rights protections are visibly eroding. This is a critical moment. Europe can defend or it can lead. But it cannot look the other way. Dignity is not optional. Equality is not negotiable. And most important of all, freedom, is not for the few.”

The recent report comes at a time when trans people worldwide are facing increased scrutiny and attacks from politicians and conservative figures worldwide.

From the UK Supreme Court’s rulling excluding trans women from the legal definition of womanhood to the 47th president of the United States issuing several anti-trans executive orders, the rights of trans people are being dismantled from every corner.

To view the entire 2025 Trans Rights & Map, click here.

In a world trying to erase LGBTQIA+ stories, we keep writing them. Join our mission as shareholders in Gay Times and help us fight for your rights. Find out more at investors.gaytimes.com.

The start date for Love Island’s 2025 summer series has been confirmed by ITV and while fans don’t have long to wait, it’s starting at a later date than usual this year

ITV has announced the start date for Love Island’s upcoming series – and fans will have to wait just a little bit longer than they’re used to for the hit reality show’s return. Hosted by Maya Jama, the series will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year as a new line-up of singles descends on the Majorcan villa in the hopes of finding romance.

While the show has typically aired on the first Monday in June for the past few years, Love Island is hitting our screens at a slightly later date this time around. The 2025 summer series is set to premiere on Monday June 9 – a week later than last year’s series.

ITV announced the return date on social media, writing: “Mark your calendar, you’re invited to this year’s hottest meeting… Agenda: Initial coupling, strategic navigation of red flags, and identification of potential long-term partnerships.”

Earlier this week, Love Island dropped the first trailer for its upcoming series, with Maya Jama teasing “huge twists” to come from the show’s 12th run.

“To the hottie this may concern,” Maya announced in the clip. “As per the last 11 Series we’re staying loyal to the entertainment and levelling up the twists. The stakeholders are aligned, the Islanders will be laying it on Factor 50, and we’re on track to hit our KPI on drama.”

She added: “It’s time to crack on and deliver serious results. Let’s circle back soon. Warmest wishes x.” Set in an office that’s decorated with neon signs and inflatable flamingos, Maya tells her team at Love Island HQ: “Right, this year, Love Island needs something bigger. Something bolder. I want ideas.

“This year I want more drama, more bombshells, more break-ups, more make-ups. I want more twists. I want more twists than ever.”

Earlier this year saw the return of Love Island: All Stars – and just months on from the 2025 series’ big final, couple Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Curtis Pritchard announced that they had split. Ekin-Su shared the news in an Instagram post, writing that they had decided to “go [their] separate ways” and that it had been a “tough decision”.

“He’s an incredible person and I’ll always cherish the memories we made both in and out of the villa. Thank you all so much for the love and support over the past few months,” she added.

“We’re both focusing on navigating this transition and would really appreciate privacy during this time. Love always, Ekin-Su xX.”

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