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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THEY were the larger than life characters who ruled the MasterChef kitchen for 20 years.

But as Gregg Wallace and John Torode’s reign as judges ended under a murky cloud of accusations of sexist and racist language, the relationship between the two men publicly soured quicker than warm milk.

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They may have known each other for more than 30 years, but their relationship has always been complicated.

When accusations of misconduct first surfaced against Wallace, Torode’s silence was deafening.

Instead of coming out to support his colleague, Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner stayed quiet, causing furious Wallace to unfollow them both on social media.

But those who know Wallace, 60, and Torode, 59, best are unlikely to be surprised that battle lines were drawn.

Despite their on-screen chemistry winning them an army of fans, their relationship behind the scenes seems unconventional to say the least.

As Torode once said bluntly: “It’s funny, we’ve never been friends.” 

After moving to the UK in the 1990s, Australian Torode was working at a London restaurant when he first encountered Wallace, who was the owner of George Allan’s Greengrocers.

And despite their good working relationship as chef and supplier, in 2013 Torode spoke about his doubts about Wallace for MasterChef.

“In 2005 I was asked to go to an interview about some cooking show and Karen Ross, the boss at Shine, the production company involved, said, ‘I’d love you to do it, but I need to audition people to partner you with.’ I had everyone from AA Gill to Oliver Peyton,” he told The Independent.

“One day she asked, ‘Do you know a guy called Gregg Wallace?’ I had misgivings, as Gregg was big, brash and loud.

“Actually, nothing has changed, except no one expected the success the show has had.”

And Wallace had a similar view of Torode from their old days, recalling their first meeting: “It was a hot day and the kitchen door was open into the alleyway and I saw this young brash Aussie chef with his trousers rolled up around his knees, a tartan baseball cap, and a voice that was as loud as his attire.”

But working together so closely filming MasterChef – which returned today – was always going to take its toll on two big characters. 

Torode told The Independent: “Spending 200 days a year filming together, we got a lot closer, but any relationship where you spend that much time together inevitably gets strained. 

“We used to fight about stuff, as we’re both so opinionated. In the first series it was over [eventual winner] Thomasina Miers, as Gregg had said, ‘There’s no way I want her.’

“Then in the second round he said, ‘I want her.’ And I said, ‘You git, how can you hate someone vehemently one day then like them?’”

6am phone calls

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Wallace has said there is no-one he is closer to, other than his mum, than Torode and has praised his former co-star for supporting him with his mental health struggles.

But it has seemed that it is Torode who has wanted to keep their relationship purely professional, complaining about everything from Wallace’s 6am phone calls to his OCD tendencies.

Speaking to The Times in 2022, Torode said: “We know each other so well. But that’s not to say we don’t have our moments.

“With Gregg my issue is the 6am phone calls. Last time it happened I wasn’t very happy and I said, ‘Gregg, mate, it’s 6am.’ And he said, ‘But you’re on my list!’

“That’s the thing with Gregg, he gets up very early and his whole life is diarised and run on lists. Anyway, the next time I saw him face to face I sensed that disturbance in the force — I knew there was something wrong. I said, ‘Mate, come on, what’s up?’

“He said, ‘You weren’t very nice to me on the phone the other morning.’ I said, ‘It was 6am!’ and he said, ‘But I get up at 5am and you were on my list!’

Best man… but ‘not friends’

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But in 2013 Torode was the one who said he would be open to expanding their friendship, but Wallace’s OCD made it complicated.

He claimed: “Gregg has rules in the dressing-room that are pretty easy to understand as they are vocalised quite often.

“Things like, ‘Don’t put anything on my table, don’t touch my stuff and stay on the left-hand side of the room until lunch.’

“I know that, with his OCD, if I went to his house, say, I’d have to sit in a certain place. It’s frustrating, as I’m open [to expanding the friendship], but I don’t feel Gregg is.

“But he’s also given me so much: he’s taught me the importance of being self-deprecating and he’s made me laugh at myself. He’s fun and very funny.”

In 2016 Wallace asked Torode to be his best man at his fourth wedding to Anne-Marie Sterpini.

But it was just a year later that Torode said they weren’t even friends.

“It’s funny, we’ve never been friends,” he told The Mirror.

“We’ve not been to each other’s houses… He’s so OCD, he wouldn’t know what to do. He’d build it up in his mind for three days, and probably make himself quite sick, then he’d have an argument with his wife and not turn up.

“If I went to his house, he would feel like he wasn’t in control.”

Fractured

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Whatever their relationship was before the MasterChef scandal saw them both out of a job, it seems that it is now fractured beyond repair.

The pair were both fired by the BBC last month after a report into the cooking show upheld allegations against them.

The report revealed that more than 40 complaints against Wallace had been upheld, including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.

He has insisted he was cleared of “the most serious and sensational allegations”. 

The upheld complaint against Torode related to a severely offensive racist term allegedly used on the set of MasterChef in 2018.

The presenter said he had “no recollection” of it and that any racist language is “wholly unacceptable”.

Despite unfollowing Torode and his wife Lisa on social media, Wallace defended Torode in an interview with The Sun, saying: “I’ve known John for 30 years and he is not a racist.”

But he added: “We never really did get on that well. We’re two very, very different characters.

“But we made bloody good telly together for 20 years.”

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Alison Hammond’s son Aidan has revealed that as a child he would seek solace at his grandmother’s house which was across the road every time his mum annoyed him

Alison Hammond is best known for her bubbly personality while presenting This Morning along with Dermot O’Leary. However, according to her son and Celebrity Gogglebox co-star Aidan, the TV presenter wasn’t always a delight to live with.

Alison, 50, who soared to fame following her memorable stint on Big Brother back in 2002, made her Celebrity Gogglebox debut last night, critiquing TV shows with her rarely seen sister Saundra and her 20 year old son. Giving fans a more intimate account of his mother while growing up, Aidan revealed that he used to run away from home and stay with his grandmother, who lived across the road.

And this would happen on a regular basis every time he and Alison failed to agree on certain things. Speaking on the Spin Justice podcast, Aidan said: “When we were in the flat, she (his grandmother) had a house pretty much opposite us, so we could literally leave and run across the road.”

He added: “So when my mum was doing my head in, I’d just go to my nan’s.”

Before Alison’s mother Maria sadly passed away five years ago, the trio enjoyed an incredibly special bond. Aidan described their relationship as “very, very close”.

Despite his youthful age, Aidan is no stranger to the world of TV after appearing on a number of quiz shows with his mum and starring in their very own travel show, Florida Unpacked which aired on BBC Two.

He then went on to say: “She’s passed away now, but we were very close all the time – me, my mum and my nan – and that was kind of the little trio.”

Alison will sit along side her sister and son for their debut on the popular TV show, mugs in hand ready to analyse TV shows watched by the nation.

Speaking about sharing the moment with another family member apart from her son, Alison chimed in: “I’m so excited to be doing Celebrity Gogglebox with my son Aidan.”

She said: “We’ve always loved watching telly together, and now we get to do it on the sofa for the nation! It’s a real family affair too, because my fabulous sister Saundra is getting involved as well. “

The Great British Bake Off presenter then went on to say: “Expect laughs, eye-rolls, and lots of commentary, classic Hammond style!”

Alison and her family with join the cast of the new series for the charity Stand Up To Cancer.

A TV source reportedly told The Sun: “Producers were impressed by the dynamic between Aidan and his mum on their new travel show, so wanted a piece of it for Celebrity Gogglebox.”

They added: “They’re always looking for new duos to appear on the programme to keep it constantly feeling fresh, and, of course, fronting the Great British Bake Off means she’s already part of the C4 family.”

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Celebrities and the world’s toddlers adore the long-running Aussie children’s TV entertainers, but now in it’s third reincarnation, the punishing schedule has taken its toll on the kiddie supergroup

Robert De Niro, Dolly Parton and Jessie J are fans, they’re worth millions and play sell-out concerts around the world. The Wiggles – aka The Beatles for toddlers – are a preschooler’s entertainment juggernaut that has taken over the world.

They’ve got a new country album out, Wiggle Up Giddy Up, featuring two songs with the rhinestone queen herself, Dolly Parton. And tickets to their current world tour are hotter than an Oasis reunion gig.

They have previously sold out Madison Square Garden in New York for 12 days in a row and, ahead of this week’s show in the US, Hollywood legend De Niro, 81, was granted a backstage pass with his two-year-old daughter, Gia, to meet her idol – founder member, Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle).

Like most people over the age of five, De Niro didn’t have a clue about this global phenomenon until he had Gia with professional martial artist girlfriend Tiffany Chen, 45.

The Wiggles sang their classic banger Rock-A-Bye Your Bear for the veteran actor’s family, which drew a rare smile. And De Niro admitted: “I didn’t know of them until I started seeing them and my daughter loves to watch them… but they’re great!”

With the advent of YouTube and the arrival of their shows on Netflix, a new British audience is embracing The Wiggles.

When they came to the UK recently, Jessie J met them with her son Sky and was treated to some of the Tree of Wisdom’s viral TikTok dance moves.

They’re also part of a wave of Australian children’s TV, like Bluey, that is captivating British kids, giving them Aussie accents and pushing CBeebies off the map.

READ MORE: UK location that gets more UFO sightings than anywhere else on planet

Borkowski PR’s Gregor Cubie expects his 19-month-old to join the fan club soon, and wonders if ‘Aussie-ness’ is the magic ingredient wooing international audiences.

“In the same way that Bluey is almost universally popular and accessible, The Wiggles’ sheer Aussie-ness might work in their favour when it comes to their reputation,” he says.

But, scratch the surface, according to Gregor, and you’ll find a long-running supergroup, dogged by controversy, ill health and accusations of “going woke”.

One of Australia’s most successful exports, The Wiggles take it in turns with pop sensation Kylie Minogue and Hollywood actor Russell Crowe to top the Aussie rich list.

Majority owner Anthony is estimated to be worth £25m, on top of the £10 million a year the band rakes in from tours, TV shows, new releases, merchandise and sponsorships.

They have their own TV series Ready, Steady, Wiggle, have produced 62 studio albums, sold 40 million books, CDs and DVDS, and attracted more than 5 billion views on YouTube and 3 billion streams across various music services.

READ MORE: Inside the playboy princes’ Royal love train where Charles had secret tryst

They’ve been making ear-worm sing-a-long pop since 1991, when kindergarten teaching students Anthony and Jeff Fatt, who were members of the R&B pop band the Cockroaches, and got together with two fellow students – Murray Cook and Greg Page – in Sydney, to make an album of simple, catchy songs for pre-schoolers

After Anthony’s infant niece tragically died from sudden infant death syndrome, the Cockroaches disbanded.

One of the songs Anthony wrote, Get Ready to Wiggle, inspired the new band’s name because they thought “wiggling” describes how children dance.

“We met at university doing a course in early childhood – this connection with music and teaching is what became The Wiggles,” explains Anthony.

While The Wiggles has evolved since those early days, the four original members hold a special place in people’s hearts – Anthony and Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle), Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) and Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle). And their hits like Hot Potato and Fruit Salad, were toddler dance floor fillers for the next two decades.

READ MORE: ‘Gran’s saucy paintings were slammed – but we’re having last laugh’

While members have changed, the primary colours of red, yellow, blue and purple that they wear is no doubt the secret of the Wiggles’ success with the ankle biters.

In Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles 2023 documentary, Anthony says: “It doesn’t matter who wears the skivvies, as long as we reflect our audience and communicate with children.”

Like any band, they had to break America to go truly global – and when the Disney Channel played them four times a day to their 85 million subscribers, their success was meteoric. All of a sudden, they were playing 10,000 seater arenas.

PR, Gregor puts their success down to a “combination of their prolific output with its ceaseless ability to hypnotise toddlers”.

He adds: “Also, a less extreme version of the Royal Family’s ‘never complain, never explain’ approach. Instead of saying nothing, they say the bare minimum and carry on as if nothing happened.

“You rarely see naval-gazing and the consistency and popularity of their work keeps generations of kids coming back for more.”

While there aren’t many skeletons to rattle in The Wiggle cupboards, behind their happy faces and signature finger point, members have been dogged by setbacks.

Controversies include the Hot Potato incident two years ago, when a council in Western Australia played their famous song on loop to deter anti-social behaviour at a homeless shelter.

The Wiggles complained, saying their music should only be used to “spread joy and happiness” but the damage was done.

But the fact De Niro was happy to be pictured with The Wiggles is a massive endorsement.

“Robert De Niro seems increasingly like the kind of guy who considers how his every public appearance and utterance might affect his legacy, so it’s a pretty major stamp of approval that he’s happy to be publicly associated with the Wiggles. Fundamentally they are free of reputation risk,” says Gregor.

“The irony is that the Wiggles have had a few controversies which are fairly stereotypical of long-running bands – walkouts, inter-band marriages and divorces; allegations that a song is racially insensitive, accusations of going ‘woke.’ They’ve been ruthlessly parodied on 30 Rock and, of course, the Hot Potato incident was unpleasant.”

For members of The Wiggles, the squeaky clean expectations can be tricky.

“During my time in The Wiggles, I was out at a gig one night and I was having a drink, and the next day a newspaper reported: ‘The Wiggles member caught having a beer’, and that was a shock. I am an adult!” says Murray.

And doing 400 to 500 shows a year – cramming up to three gigs into a single day – took its toll on the original members, with Jeff, Murray and Greg retiring for health reasons in 2012.

A mystery illness forced Greg to leave in 2006. He was replaced by Sam Morans, but came back in 2012. Then he suffered a heart attack on stage during a 2020 reunion show. That same year, Murray had open heart surgery.

Revealing his own struggles, Anthony released a memoir Out Of The Blue last year, detailing the years of mental and physical health problems he’s suffered, including depression, undiagnosed ADHD and chronic pain.

Yet Field created a second generation of Wiggles with Simon Pryce (Red Wiggle), Lachlan Gillespie (Purple Wiggle) and the first female, Emma Watkins (Yellow Wiggle).

“We might be responsible for their first experience of music,” says Emma, speaking about their responsibility to their tiny fans

Sadly, trouble soon upended their paradise, as shortly after Yellow Wiggle Emma married Purple Wiggle Lachie, they divorced and she left the group not long after.

Another shake-up in 2021 saw 15-year-old Tsehay Hawkins becoming Yellow Wiggle.

Now 62, Anthony is the only remaining original Wiggle, in a group of eight performers – Tsehay, Lachlan, and Simon, as well as Caterina Mete, Lucia Field, Simon Pryce, Evie Ferris, John Pearce – who are as gender-diverse and racially-diverse as their millions of fans.

Costumed characters, played by the more junior Wiggles, include Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog, and Captain Feathersword.

While some of the newer members say their estimated £72,000 earnings are a fraction of the big bucks of the original members, they have given the group a bigger presence on social media, where the Tree of Wisdom (played by Anthony’s nephew, Dominic Field) regularly goes viral on TikTok, with his exuberant dance moves.

And, in recent years, they’ve been noticing something new – a generational crossover, as kids grow up, but remain fans.

Dorothy the Dinosaur is also now a DJ, who remixes the original Wiggles classics for the older audience. And they’ve been getting down with the cool kids – covering songs by Fatboy Slim, White Stripes and Tame Impala’s Elephant.

“We’re bringing back happy memories,” says Anthony. “And it’s a real privilege to do that.”

Altogether now, kids, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!

Classic kids TV groups down the years:

The Monkees, 1960s – Four cute surfer boys Davy Jones, Mickey Donlenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith running around in zany plots to brilliant pop tracks, in a sitcom that captured the spirit of the era.

The Banana Splits, 1970s – Four costumed animal characters who’d perform songs and comedy skits in a psychedelic world, was just as weird and fun as it sounds. The makers had clearly been on the wacky baccy.

Rainbow, 1980s – Presenter Geoffrey and his camp puppets Zippy, George and Bungle and hippy singers Rod, Jane and Freddy took us “Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high” every week. I still miss them.

Teletubbies, 1990s – Some called it the most disturbing children’s show on TV – but even now millions of babies are glued to repeats of these four tubby aliens, Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-laa, and Po, with coat hangers on their heads living on a mini golf course.

Zingzillas, 2000s – Puppet monkey band Zak, Tang, Panzee and Drum lived on a tropical island and made real music together and introduced tots to rock, soul, jazz and samba styles – along with some dodgy titles like Do You Didgeridoo?

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US president continues to fuel global economic uncertainty with erratic trade policy.

United States President Donald Trump has backed away from launching a trade war with the European Union, two days after threatening to impose punishing tariffs.

Trump said on Sunday that he has agreed to extend trade negotiations with the EU to July 9 following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. As part of that agreement, the US will also hold back from imposing a 50 percent tariff on imports from the bloc, which Trump announced on Friday would be imposed on June 1.

The announcement is the latest U-turn on US trade policy in a long series in recent months, and will only add to the uncertainty that Trump’s erratic and unpredictable policy is casting over the global economy.

Trump said, “[von der Leyen] said she wants to get down to serious negotiation. We had a very nice call.”

“She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” he told reporters.

The European Commission chief noted that she had shared a “good call” with Trump and that the EU was ready to move swiftly.

Backtracked

Trump set a 90-day window for trade negotiations with the EU in April, making them due to end on July 9.

He had backtracked on Friday, saying he was not interested in reaching an agreement at all and escalated the transatlantic trade dispute.

“I’m not looking for a deal,” the president said. “We’ve set the deal – it’s at 50 percent.”

However, by Sunday, he welcomed von der Leyen’s assertion that the bloc is willing to negotiate but needs more time.

“Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively,” she recapped on X. “To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.”

The bloc’s top trade negotiator, Maros Sefcovic, had on Friday urged the US to show “mutual respect, not threats”.

Trump roiled financial markets with his Liberation Day announcement in April, which threatened sweeping tariffs on multiple countries.

However, amid nosediving markets, threats of retaliation, and turmoil across the globe, the US president has in many cases softened his stance in favour of negotiations.

Washington has made deals with the United Kingdom and opened talks with China. Those moves have buoyed markets somewhat, but uncertainty persists as the US stance continues to shift.

An iconic UK seaside town propelled to fame thanks to a popular TV show also used to be home to a huge Billy Butlin’s resort – which was flattened after just 30 years

An iconic seaside town previously home to a huge Billy Butlin’s resort now looks completely different – but there’s still a small reminder of what once was. While many Brits think the hit TV series Gavin & Stacey cast south Wales’ Barry Island into the tourist limelight, the town was already luring in swathes of holidaymakers back in its hey-day.

Situated in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales, Barry and its eponymously named island boasts a sweeping stretch of golden sand beach, cobalt waters and a recently refurbished seafront complete with restaurants, cafes, and colourful beach huts. But back in 1966, the town also featured a Butlin’s resort that had the capacity to accommodate 7,000 overnight visitors every single week.

According to reports, Sir Billy Butlin is rumoured to have been inspired to create his holiday camp business after his family was accidentally locked out of a B&B in Barry Island by the landlady. The all-inclusive complex – which consisted of 800 ‘no-frills’ chalets – featured heated swimming pools, a cable-car ride, a miniature railway, bars, restaurants, and even a Fish & Chip shop – and of course, the iconic Red Coat staff.

READ MORE: Huge £3.5m UK floating hotel abandoned and left to rot in the sea

But, similarly to the Butlin’s resort in Filey, business started dwindling when package holidays to destinations like Spain started becoming more affordable. Hindered by the ‘Benidorm boom’, Barry Island’s Butlin’s, located on Nell’s Point, ran for just 20 years.

It was then taken over by Majestic Holidays – and renamed The Barry Island Resort – but only managed to last a further 10 years. In its last decade of welcoming tourists, the Red Coat staff were forced to wear blue uniforms following threats of legal action.

But in 1996, following a storm that worsened growing maintenance issues, the entire site closed. Rows of once fun-filled cabins, swimming pools, and restaurants were left to rot for almost an entire year, when Vale Council bought the site for £2.25 million.

It was later sold to Bovis Homes and bulldozed to make way for a new housing estate as part of a £3 million regeneration project in the area. Now, the Butlin’s resort looks like any normal residential area – filled with new-build properties and green space.

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While Brits heading over to Barry Island for a weekend of sun and ice cream won’t be able to watch an iconic Red Coat show – or spend their days by the pool – they’ll still be able to find a tiny slice of nostalgia. This is because in 2014, a blue plaque was erected at the seafront garden to commemorate the holiday entrepreneur.

Former Red Coat Tony Collier told the BBC: “We couldn’t want for a better position in this lovely garden for the plaque. Hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers and staff came from all over the country each summer and Christmas, to enjoy the facilities offered on site, and the beautiful Welsh countryside on its doorstep.”

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GABBY Allen has revealed some rows between Love Island All Stars’ Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu and Elma Pazar were axed from the final edit.

During the latest series of Love Island All Stars, Ekin-Su, 30, and Elma, 32, were involved in a fiery ongoing feud.

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Towie star Elma received a lot of backlash from fans over her behaviour towards Ekin-Su, but Gabby, 33 – who won the show with Casey O’Gorman – has claimed viewers didn’t see why Elma was getting so upset. 

Speaking to Closer, she said: “I think Elma got painted in a really bad light.

“She came out and she was getting lots of death threats and really awful things being said to her and all I know, apparently, is that a lot of the stuff that made Elma react in a certain way hasn’t been shown.”

Gabby added: “Elma is actually an amazing person, she’s so kind. Yes, she’s vocal, but that’s just the way she is and I think everybody needs to take it with a pinch of salt how she’s been portrayed because it’s not entirely accurate.”

Ekin and Elma initially fell-out after the heart rate challenge, during which Ekin gave Sammy Root a peck on the lips. 

Elma, who was coupled up with Sammy, 23, was left furious and it started a war between them and Ekin’s boyfriend Curtis Pritchard. 

But a day before the final, Elma decided to patch things up with 30-year-old Curtis. 

Pulling him for a chat, Elma said: “You know the other night when we had our little spat, and then you asked for an apology and I wasn’t ready to give you an apology.

“I stood by that. But after today, I was looking around at you and Ekin… obviously me and Ekin are completely fine. 

“And I was thinking you kind of got caught in the crossfire of something that me and Ekin ended up sorting out anyway. And I would like to apologise for saying ‘f*** you’.”

Elma added: “I do have a potty mouth so I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

LOVE Island Samie Elishi has fuelled her feud with co-star Grace Jackson after the pair clashed in the villa.

Samie, 25, made a beeline for Luca Bish as she made her bombshell return to All Stars earlier this month.

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But she was was left single and dumped from the villa when Luca decided to stick with Grace in a dramatic recoupling.

Grace and Samie struggled to see eye-to-eye as they pair battled over Luca.

And it looks like Samie has gone the extra mile to prove she’s no friend of Grace by unfollowing her on social media.

But it looks like there is no love lost as Grace has also done the same and unfollowed brunette stunner Samie.

Meanwhile Samie is still following former love interest Luca.

Following her exit, Samie broke her silence on her feud with Grace.

Speaking on Love Island: The Morning After podcast, Samie revealed she cleared the air with Grace following the awkward love triangle – but the conversation never made it to air.

She insisted: “So I had a conversation with Grace and we were fine. But obviously it was just uncomfortable the whole time.”

Asked about the friendships she made, she added: “All the girls to be fair, but the only person I didn’t really gel with one to one was Grace. For obvious reasons.”

Samie also admitted she wasn’t interested in getting to know any of the other boys, saying: “There were slim pickings!”

Despite her early exit, Samie appears to have no hard feelings – but made it clear she won’t cry over Luca again.

Looking back on her short-lived return to the villa, Samie joked her favourite moment was slamming a cream pie in Luca’s face during the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge.

Asked about her “fun” and “fab Love Island moment” Samie said: “Probably pie-ing Luca.”

Viewers said Grace “gave away her true feelings” about Samie during the latest recoupling.

Meanwile, Samie previously revealed that hers and Luca’s secret connection went back a YEAR after he messaged her a “happy birthday” last year.

They spoke about it on their date in the villa, but Samie admitted she did not reply as she had a boyfriend.

It saw Luca chuckle that “must have been hard” before he then said: “I have a situationship so I can’t reply [to you].”

Although the pair kept things cordial on the date, it did not stop Grace from worrying back in the villa.

Grace and Luca managed to bag runner-up spot, while Casey and Gabby were crowned the winners.

3

JET the Gladiator has told of her heartache after her fairytale wedding collapsed within weeks.

Television heartthrob Diane Youdale tied the knot with teacher Zoe Gilbert after she was swept off her feet in her local Tesco.

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She said at the start of their whirlwind romance: “I knew in my heart I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life, and I proposed.”

But Diane, 54, has now spoken of her heartache as she revealed that the marriage hit the rocks almost straightaway.

She claims Zoe, 50, was jealous of her previous partners which led to rows.

Diane said: “She was funny, had a great mind, she made me laugh a lot and I was fully invested in the relationship.

“I tend to jump in both feet, pretty quick.

“But I became a bit of a passenger, I’m usually independent, proactive, and there’s things I like to do like walking but I stopped doing all that.

“She would say ‘what about Sonia? What about Lisa?’ These are exes, professionally and personally.

“I was like: ‘I don’t go on at you about your past I’m not insecure about that.’

“But it was endless. I lost ‘me’ really quickly. And that is possibly that something I’ve done in relationships in the past as well.

“What is the point in being with somebody in the now and having a future ahead of you if all you want to do is talk about that person’s past?”

The couple tied the knot in July 2023 but by the September Diane had moved out.

She said that Zoe suggested they give it another go but it didn’t work and Diane filed for divorce on their one year anniversary.

It is a far cry from when they both spoke of their joy after meeting in their local supermarket.

Zoe said to Diane: “I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. May I ask you out on a date?”

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Diane –famous on the show for her trademark flicking of her hair – said: “It was aisle six of Tesco and I nearly fell on the floor.

“It was like that feeling when your knees give way, I felt winded.

I was like, ‘Yes, of course’ and by the weekend we went to a local village and had a meal and we literally have not been apart since.”

Their romance came as a shock to Diane’s legions of fans from the show’s heyday who assumed she was straight after she dated Gladiator Hunter, real name James Crossley.

It just didn’t work out between us.” 

Diane

She was also married to a make TV exec for seven years and was in another long-term relationship with a man.

But she said her sexuality changed “organically” over the years.

Previously she was coy about putting a label on herself but she is now proud to declare: “I am gay. Sorry gentlemen! You boys have it lucky –  I think men are very lucky to love women.”

Her divorce from Zoe is now finalised and she added: “It just didn’t work out between us.” 

Zoe hit back at Diane’s claims that she was jealous of her ex-partners.

She insisted she was not jealous but was upset because Diane had not told her about them.

Zoe said: “I was continually lied to about these exes. I only found out about them when it came out in the press.

“I was upset because she hadn’t been truthful throughout the relationship. I had to find out about these previous partners in the papers.”

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Meet the Gladiators finalists

The Gladiators final takes place on Easter Saturday at 5.30pm on BBC One.

After ten gruelling weeks facing the superhuman Gladiators, four contenders have made it through to the grand final.

The Gladiators 2024 finalists are:

Finlay Anderson – Army officer Finlay, 34, from Edinburgh has made it to the final despite being injured in the quarter-final.

Wesley Male – Even though he joined in the quarter-final stage, part-time Leeds wrestler Wesley, 35, has proved a force to be reckoned with on the Gladiators gauntlet.

Bronte Jones – This 23-year-old firefighter from Sheffield is the youngest contender in the final.

Marie-Louise Nicholson – Hailing from Dublin, Marie-Louise, 28, is a fitness coach who has scored maximum points five times on Gladiators.