EXPOSED: The boss of the Swiss bar where 40 people died in a horror inferno is now facing a manslaughter probe — amid claims he recruited sex workers for a secret “Hot Rabbit” massage parlour. As investigators dig deeper, the questions are getting darker…

The manager of the doomed ski bar in which 40 people died and 119 suffered severe burns on New Year’s Day was at the centre of a ‘Hot Rabbit’ sex worker case which saw him recruiting prostitutes to a Geneva massage parlour.

The owner Jacques Moretti, 49, is now at the centre of a criminal manslaughter investigation alongside his wife Jessica, 40.

Mr Moretti, it has emerged, was convicted of pimping by a criminal court in Annecy, southern France in 2008 in a case which involved the recruitment of young French women as sex workers for an erotic massage parlour in Geneva called the ‘Hot Rabbit Rendezvous’.

Both he and his wife, Jessica Moretti, 40, face prison for ‘manslaughter by negligence’, and for ‘causing bodily harm and arson’ after partygoers were overcome by flames and toxic smoke when the ceiling was torched by sparklers stuffed into champagne bottles.

Le Parisien has claimed that the bar owner is a known pimp who has also served time in prison in the southeast of France for other cases.

It stated: ‘He is known for pimping cases dating back some twenty years, as well as for a kidnapping and confinement case.’

Quoting its own legal source, RTL, a national radio network, said: ‘The Corsican-born man…was imprisoned in Savoie in 2005, for involvement in cases of pimping, fraud, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.’

The ‘Hot Rabbit’ massage parlour in Geneva’s Rue du Lièvre (which translates as ‘hare’), was raided by Swiss police after a tip-off from their French colleagues in 2008.

Jacques Moretti, 49, who is one of the owners of a Swiss nightclub where dozens of people were killed in a horrific blaze on New Year’s Eve, was at the centre of a ‘Hot Rabbit’ sex worker case which saw him recruiting prostitutes to a Geneva massage parlour

Jacques and Jessica Moretti who owned the Swiss ski bar, Le Constellation

A photo appears to show the moment champagne sparklers set fire to material on the ceiling of the Swiss nightclub

Moretti, then 32, categorically denied the charges when arrested, admitting only to having managed the massage parlour for three months under the name of a Swiss pimp—which is not illegal under Swiss law.

But for his recruitment activities in France, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, eight of which were suspended, for inciting prostitution.

According to newspaper L’Est Republican, that meant four months’ imprisonment for offences dating back to 2005.

Moretti was one of a trio identified, along with two other men aged 38, and placed under surveillance. Conversations between the three men, led to their arrest.

The prosecution requested an 18-month prison sentence, with 12 months suspended, for Moretti, but the court was more lenient.

His lawyer, Annick Hingrez, told L’Est Republican she recalled her client as a ‘courteous and affable’ man. Until the horrific news broke about Le Constellation, she thought he still lived in Bonifacio, Corsica.

In court the lawyer described the case against him as weak and claimed it ‘didn’t hold water’.

She highlighted the ‘voluntary participation of the young women recruited’.

Jessica Moretti, 40, (pictured) was inside the bar when the blaze broke out and suffered burns to her arm

She also stressed the legal differences between the two countries.

She told the court: ‘According to the conventions between France and Switzerland, acts committed in Switzerland by a French national can only be prosecuted by the French judicial authorities to the extent that they constitute a crime in Switzerland… Which is not the case for either prostitution or pimping.’

Moretti’s sentence included a ban on managing a company in France, but that still left him free to do so in Switzerland, where, according to the Valais cantonal commercial register, he and his French-born wife Jessica also owns two other establishments: Le Senso, a bar-restaurant specializing in hamburgers in the Crans-Montana resort, and the more up-market Le Vieux-Chalet, in the neighbouring village of Lens, which describes itself as a ‘Corsican inn’.

He was questioned by Swiss prosecutors last Friday, along with his wife, who suffered a burned arm in the fire.

Both are currently at liberty, as they assist the judicial authorities with their enquiries, but face trial.

Swiss attorney general Béatrice Pilloud said: ‘Everything suggests that the fire started with incandescent candles placed in champagne bottles, which were brought too close to the ceiling, causing a rapid and widespread conflagration.’

Mr Moretti has claimed that Le Constellation ‘followed all safety regulations,’ despite only being inspected only ‘three times in ten years’ by health and safety officials.

Article 8 of the local fire prevention code states that inspections must take place ‘every year in buildings open to the public or presenting special risks’.

A signboard of Le Constellation bar, after a fire and explosion during a New Year’s Eve party where several people died and others were injured

A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial outside ‘Le Constellation’ bar, after a deadly fire and explosion during a New Year’s Eve party, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 5, 2026

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Teenage sisters died together in Swiss bar inferno

Mr Moretti, who owns three businesses around Crans-Montana, was not in Le Constellation on the night of the fire.

The couple took over Le Constellation in 2015, and own a home nearby, as well as one on the French Riviera.

The news came as the Mayor of Crans-Montana admitted that the party venue had not had any safety checks for five years.

Speaking to a press conference Nicolas Feraud said that no periodic safety inspections had been carried out since 2019 at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort, despite a legal requirement that checks were carried out annually.

‘We are profoundly sorry. We did not have an indication that the checks had not been done’, he said.

‘We regret that – we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility.’

The mayor also confirmed he would not be resigning, telling reporters that he and his officials were elected by the people of Crans-Montana and that they have to be there to help residents.

Firefighters cry as they attend a memorial march in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

‘I’m not resigning, no, and I don’t want to.’

‘We’re not departing the ship right now’.

Authorities have said they believe the fire started when people celebrating New Year raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached, setting light to sound insulating foam on the ceiling of the bar’s basement.

Swiss police on Monday said they had identified all the people who were injured in the fire.

They put the total at 116, more than two-thirds still in hospital.

The injured include 68 Swiss citizens, 21 French nationals, 10 Italians, four Serbs, two Poles and one person each from Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Republic of Congo, according to a police statement.

There were also four dual nationals: of France and Finland, France and Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, and Italy and the Philippines.

Police said 83 of the injured were still in hospitals. They didn’t give further details or specify their ages.

Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud said that no safety inspections had been carried out since 2019 at Le Constellation bar

Flowers and candles are pictured in tribute to the victims of the fire at ‘Le Constellation’ bar and lounge in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, 05 January 2026

Laetitia Brodard-Sitre the mother of Arthur Brodard, who died during the fire and explosion at ‘Le Constellation’ bar, mourns at a makeshift memorial. Crans-Montana, Switzerland, January 4, 2026

The severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims of the fire that broke out at about 1:30a.m. on New Year’s Day, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples.

Authorities announced on Sunday evening that they had completed the identification of the 40 people who died, the youngest of them aged 14.

On Monday, Italian authorities flew home the bodies of five victims from the airport in Sion, the regional capital.

“𝐼𝑇 𝐽𝑈𝑆𝑇 𝑇𝑂𝑂𝐾 𝑂𝐹𝐹…” A five-year-old boy has ᴛʀᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ᴅɪᴇᴅ after being struck by an electric vehicle that witnesses claim “accelerated on its own.”

This is the first picture of a ‘popular’ five-year-old killed when a family friend’s electric car allegedly ran him over ‘of its own accord’ as he walked home from school.

Fareed Amir was left with fatal head injuries when Ashenafei Demisse’s parked Volkswagen ID.4 suddenly accelerated into him outside a block of flats near London Bridge, a court heard.

Demisse, 52, who denies causing death and serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, claims the vehicle moved on its own while he was sitting inside it.

The November 2022 crash also injured Demisse’s 12-year-old son, Raphael, who was rushed to hospital with two broken legs.

The Times reports that Stephen Knight, for the defence, told a jury at the Old Bailey on Monday: ‘Mr Demisse did not press the car’s accelerator. This all-electric car moved on its own accord.’

As Fareed walked home from school with his mother, Maryam Lemulu, she stopped to talk to her friend of 13 years and Demisse’s wife, Yodit Samuel, who was with Raphael.

Demisse was sitting in his car with the couple’s other son, who is five years old.

He offered Fareed a treat which his mother refused as she was trying to reduce her son’s sugar intake.

The first picture released of Fareed Amir who was killed when a family friend’s electric car allegedly ran over him

The Volkswagen then suddenly lurched forward, hitting Fareed, Raphael and five other cars before coming to a halt, the court heard.

Fareed’s mother carried him to nearby Guy’s Hospital – but he was soon pronounced dead from multiple traumatic injuries, including a fractured skull.

Raphael spent a month in hospital with multiple fractures of his right leg and a fractured left leg.

Prosecutor Michael Williams said police found no evidence of faults in the 2021-made car, concluding only the driver could have moved it.

He told the jury Demisse ‘inadvertently pressed the accelerator, causing it to crash into the two boys’, adding he ‘must have pressed down on the accelerator pedal with his foot’.

There was no evidence the driver had braked, Mr Williams continued, as the car reached ‘near maximum speed’.

He claimed Demisse put his foot on the accelerator despite believing, mistakenly, he was pressing the brake.

In a statement read to the court, Fareed’s mother said her son called to Demisse moments before the accident: ‘Uncle Ash, uncle Ash.’

Ashenafei Demisse claims the vehicle moved on its own while he was sitting inside it and denies the charges against him

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Child, 5, died after being hit by electric vehicle that accelerated ‘on its own accord’, court hears

Ms Lemulu added: ‘The car suddenly moved forward. It did not make any noise. It took off very fast.

‘Yodit shouted, ‘The kids’. It hit Fareed on the side and I saw his hand go slowly down the car.

‘I screamed and said, ‘Please call help, my son is dead’.’

Demisse’s wife told the court in a statement he had been a taxi driver for many years and had been working seven days a week at the time of the crash.

Ms Samuel said Fareed was talking to her husband through the driver’s window when ‘all of a sudden, in a split second, I saw the car move forward very quickly’.

She continued: ‘I don’t recall any engine sounds or revving.’

Describing Fareed’s mother as ‘like a sister’ to her, she added: ‘What happened is a tragedy and I feel very sorry for her.’

A JustGiving page set up by a family friend, which has raised nearly £1,000, described him as ‘a happy boy with a constant smile on his face’.

‘Mum and Dad were very proud of him. It was beautiful seeing him flourish and it showed amongst his teachers, friends and parents,’ it added.

‘The school ain’t the same without him. The atmosphere has totally changed. He was our little light. He is truly missed.’

The trial continues.

Freshly married Holly Ramsay has revealed her lace wedding dress was inspired by Princess Catherine — and fans say the similarities don’t stop there. From the gown to the elegance, social media is buzzing with one question… Was this a royal tribute — or something more?

Holly Ramsay’s wedding to Olympic Swimmer Adam Peaty was quite a regal affair, held at the awe-inspiring 1499 Bath Abbey on December 27.

The daughter of Gordon and Tana Ramsay, 26, has revealed her stunning  lace wedding dress was inspired by the Alexander McQueen one Kate Middleton wore to her own nuptials in 2011, but the similarities certainly don’t stop there.

Speaking to the Daily Mail at the Sport Industry Awards last year, Holly said of her dress: ‘I’m very excited. I’ll not say whether it’s traditional or not, because I don’t want to give anything away.’

Adding: ‘I’ve always been a huge fan of Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding dress, and the lace, and how traditional it is, so I took a lot of inspiration from her.’

The traditional lace wedding dress.

Is Holly Ramsay a copy-Kate? Newlywed has revealed her lace wedding dress was inspired by Princess Catherine – and the similarities don’t stop there

Holly told Daily Mail: ‘I’ve always been a huge fan of Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding dress, (pictured) and the lace, and how traditional it is, so I took a lot of inspiration from her’

Kate’s incredible wedding gown was designed by Alexander McQueen’s then creative director for Alexander McQueen.

The bride chose the British house ‘for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing’.

Holly wore four wedding dress across two days and opted for an Elie Saab gown for the moment she said ‘I do’ to Adam.

Holly also told Vogue about her decision to turn to royalty for inspiration and wanting something to emulate the Kate’s bridal look.

She told the publication: ‘I knew I wanted to wear something very traditional and quite modest, with lace. I’ve always loved Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton’s gowns: that beautiful high neckline, super feminine.’

Holly also paid a sweet tribute to her mother Tana by borrowing her wedding dress from her 1996 nuptials to Gordon for her reception.

The white floral bouquet

Holly was inspired by Kate’s chic and clean colour palette for her florals and opted for a simple bunch of white ranunculus by London florist Rob Van Helden

Holly’s bridal party, sisters Megan, 27, and Tilly, 24, and her sister-in-law Bethany, 32, carried bouquets of calla lilies to symbolise resurrection and purity – but the choice has been mocked online with spectators comparing the flowers to a bunch of spring onions

Kate’s bridal bouquet was made up of five different types of white flowers, including lily-of-the-valley, sweet William, hyacinth, ivy and myrtle. Myrtle has featured in royal brides’ wedding bouquets since 1885

Holly was inspired by Kate’s chic and clean colour palette for her florals and opted for a simple bunch of white ranunculus by London florist Rob Van Helden.

Her bridal party, which included her sisters Megan, 27, and Tilly, 24, and her sister-in-law Bethany, 32, carried bouquets of calla lilies which are meant to symbolise resurrection and purity.

Yet the choice has been mocked online with spectators comparing the flowers to a bunch of spring onions and joking that they must have been a tribute to Holly’s chef father Gordon Ramsay.

Kate’s own bridal bouquet was made up of five different types of white flowers, including lily-of-the-valley, sweet William, hyacinth, ivy and myrtle. Myrtle has featured in royal brides’ wedding bouquets since 1885.

Bridemaid dresses

Holly clearly took inspiration from Kate and replicated the look with similarly slinky £990 gowns which hugged the figure, from Victoria Beckham

Kate’s sister Pippa was maid of honour at her wedding and just like Kate’s wedding gown, it was designed by Sarah Burton. The slinky gown featured capped sleeves, 58 buttons that ran all the way down the back and caught the world’s attention due to the way it hugged her bottom

Three years later, Pippa joked about it, saying ‘recognition has its upside, its downside, and — you may say — its backside,’ adding: ‘in retrospect, it fitted a little too well’

Kate’s sister Pippa was maid of honour at her wedding and just like Kate’s wedding gown, it was designed by Sarah Burton.

The slinky gown featured capped sleeves, 58 buttons that ran all the way down the back and caught the world’s attention due to the way it hugged her bottom.

Three years later, Pippa joked about it, saying ‘recognition has its upside, its downside, and — you may say — its backside,’ adding: ‘in retrospect, it fitted a little too well.’

Holly clearly took inspiration from Kate and replicated the look with similarly slinky £990 gowns which hugged the figure, from Victoria Beckham, however these were a stunning shade of red and each bridesmaid was gifted a pair of red-soled Christian Louboutin heels to match.

It’s all in the details…

Holly chose a Victoria Beckham slip dress for one of her evening celebrations and taking inspiration from Kate once again, she wore a feathered cape much like the princess’ fluffy bolero that she wore to to her own reception, (pictured)

Holly chose a Victoria Beckham slip dress for an evening do and taking inspiration from Kate once again, she wore a feathered cape much like the princess’ fluffy bolero that she wore.

She looked incredible completing her look with Malone Souliers shoes and a Chanel shell bag Holly sourced on eBay and of course, Tiffany & Co. diamonds.

Kate famously wore an angora v-neck bolero in white to her wedding reception in a bid to maintain a relaxed look and keep out the cold of the British weather.

She wore a second, more relaxed gown which had an A-line shape and embellished band around the waist which added some serious sparkle.

The elegant chignon

Holly wore her hair in an up-do, just like the princess has worn many times before

Kate wore her hair half-up, half down on her wedding day and was styled by top hair dresser Richard Ward.

She later wore it down completely and in loose curls when she walked into her reception.

While Holly wore her hair in an up-do, she opted for a style that the princess has worn many times before.

Her brunette hair had loose tendrils at the front which were styled into soft curls.

Kate’s key hairdressers are Amanda Cook Tucker, her trusted personal stylist for travel and major events, and she has been visiting Richard Ward’s upmarket Chelsea salon since her university days.

And finally, the venue…

A grand dress requires a grand venue and Holly chose a grand venue which was equally steeped in history – Bath Abbey, (pictured)

Holly told Vogue that it was the large and historical venue that influenced her first choice of dress, saying: ‘It’s so grand and so beautiful… I knew I needed something long!’

Kate and William tied the knot at similarly gothic Westminster Abbey, formally called the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, an Anglican church in the City of Westminster

It has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs since 1066

A grand dress requires a grand venue and whlie Kate married Prince William at the gothic Westminster Abbey in London, Holly chose a grand venue which was equally steeped in history.

Holly told Vogue that it was the large and historical venue that influenced her first choice of dress, saying: ‘It’s so grand and so beautiful… I knew I needed something long!’

Bath Abbey, also a gothic building, was a former Benedictine monastery, dating back to Anglo-Saxon times.

It was the site of King Edgar coronation in 973 AD and was later re-established as a monastery, later becoming the Anglican parish church it is today following the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The Gothic structure you see today was built in 1499. Westminster Abbey, formally called the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster.

It has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs since 1066.

 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚃𝙾𝙿𝙿𝙻𝙴 𝚂𝙰𝙳𝙸𝚀 𝙺𝙷𝙰𝙽? Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform’s London mayor candidate, vowing to crack down on violent gang crime and scrap ULEZ if she wins City Hall. Bold promises. Tough language. And a mayoral race that just got explosive.

Nigel Farage vowed to unseat Sir Sadiq Khan today as he unveiled Reform’s candidate to be the next mayor of London.

Mr Farage insisted Reform could kick out the three-term winning Labour leader as he confirmed Laila Cunningham, a former CPS prosecutor and ex-Tory councillor in Westminster.

Signalling that the 2028 election will be fought around law and order in the capital Mr Farage accused Sir Sadiq of standing by in the face of ‘a crimewave run by foreign criminal gangs, many of whom have come to this country illegally.’

Ms Cunningham, who joined Reform from the Conservatives last year, said that she would be ‘a new sheriff in town’ and also vowed to end Sir Sadiq’s ‘war on motorists’, including the expansion of the Ulez tax on cars.

The lawyer is a mother of seven children and the Muslim daughter of Egyptian immigrants who arrived in Britain in the 1960s.

She took aim at Labour Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan’s record on crime, and said she had a ‘different message’ for Londoners.

‘There will be a new sheriff in town, and I’ll be launching an all-out war on crime,’ Ms Cunningham said.

She added: ‘I will set clear, high-level priorities for the Met to focus on tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting, rape.’

She also said she would task the police with ‘targeting, hunting and prosecuting rape gangs in London’.

Ms Cunningham said local elections in London boroughs in May are the ‘first step’ to ‘reclaiming’ the city in the 2028 London mayoral elections.

Mr Farage insisted Reform could kick out the three-term winning Labour leader as he confirmed Laila Cunningham, a former CPS prosecutor and ex-Tory councillor in Westminster

If Sir Sadiq were to run and win in 2028, he could stretch his time as mayor beyond a decade-and-a-half to 2032. There is no limit on the number of terms a mayor can serve.

Mr Farage said: ‘Laila Cunningham has already proven in her time with us as a party to be articulate, to be passionate, a mother, somebody who actually herself has had to effectively in the absence of the police, act as a police officer herself in defence of her children.

‘She, from this moment on, will be the head of Reform UK London, our candidate for the mayor next year and the face of our campaign as we fight a strong, vigorous campaign in all 32 London boroughs in the run up to May 7.’

The Reform leader described May’s local and devolved elections as ‘the single most significant set of electoral tests in this country between now and the general election’.

He also took aim at the Tories over their efforts in the previous two elections when Shaun Bailey and Susan Hall failed to capture the imagination of voters.

Reform UK’s support has surged in London while backing for Labour languishes at a record low in the capital, according to a poll.

A Savanta survey late last year found Mr Farage‘s party was supported by 23 per cent of voters in London, up from 15 per cent in June.

This put Reform ahead of the Tories, who were down one percentage point to 20 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on 11 per cent (-2) and Greens on 10 per cent (-3).

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Sir Sadiq Khan revealed he is aiming for a 16-year stretch as London mayor last September, as he confirmed it is his ‘intention’ to run for a fourth term in charge of the capital.

The Labour politician, who was first elected London mayor in 2016, said he had the ‘best job in politics’ as he set out an ambition to remain in his £170,000 role.

If Sir Sadiq were to run and win in 2028, he could stretch his time as mayor beyond a decade-and-a-half to 2032. There is no limit on the number of terms a mayor can serve.

Ms Cunningham said local elections in London boroughs in May are the ‘first step’ to ‘reclaiming’ the city in the 2028 London mayoral elections.

The Westminster councillor told a press conference: ‘Now I know that we’re still two and a half years away, but the election on May 7 is the first step.

‘It’s the first step to reclaiming our city. Now, these local elections, I tell everyone, will be a referendum on Sadiq Khan, on Labour’s broken London.

‘It’s London’s chance to vote out every councillor who’s propped him up and stayed silent while he’s let our city down.’

Pressed about a claim she wanted to restore London to its ‘glory days’ and when she thought those glory days were, Ms Cunningham referred to ‘when I was growing up’.

She added: ‘When I was growing up, I wasn’t scared to walk down the streets. I knew my local bobby. In fact, when I was growing up, my local teacher lived next to me. Now she can’t afford it. My local bobby lived next to me, now he can’t afford it.’

Asked if she wanted to see the Conservatives stand aside for Reform to improve their chances at the next London mayoral election, she did not appear to consider them a threat to her party’s chances of winning.

‘They can do whatever they want,’ Ms Cunningham said.

A source close to Mr Khan said he is ‘getting on with the job of delivering a fairer, safer, greener city for every Londoner’.

Sadiq has delivered 100 million free school meals for state primary schools kids in the capital, helping families with the cost of living,’ they added.

‘The number of homicides in London are at a record low, he’s built a record number of council homes, and Sadiq’s policies have cut harmful air pollution in the capital by 27 per cent.’

Lib Dem London spokesman Luke Taylor said: ‘From its history to its culture to its people, London is the greatest city in the world but all Reform seem to do is talk it down.

‘Cunningham and Farage care more about sowing division than they do about solving the actual problems that Londoners face.’

Emmerdale’s Bear star confirms Celia and Ray comeuppance: ‘We can end this’

Justice comes to all soap villains, even the very worst – and that certainly applies to Emmerdale’s Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom).

The mother and son criminal duo have brought sorrow and suffering to Emmerdale by running their sickening secret people trafficking empire from Butler’s farm, where the forced workers have been routinely subjected to manipulation, violence and extreme hardship.

Of all the people who would fall victim to this kind of grooming and manipulation, the formidable wrestler and Dales legend Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) might be the last person you’d imagine. The popular soap challenged viewers’ perceptions of modern slavery’s victims by having Celia and Ray ensnare a strong, forthright and confident character such as Bear by exploiting his vulnerabilities and desperation in order to make the point that being groomed can happen to anyone.

With the end of Bear’s nightmare in sight, actor Joshua Richards reflects on the success of one of Emmerdale’s biggest issue-based stories.

‘I think the job that has been done by the producers, the writers and the script editors has been outstanding. And to bring a story like this to the forefront, which was up for analysis and discussion, makes great sense to us as a general public about the kind of things which are happening under our noses in plain sight in modern Britain today.

‘Modern slavery is alive and well, and it’s horrifying. I think it was very brave for people for them to bring this subject forward and I’m intensely proud of what we, as a team, have done. It was a huge collaboration and this is a subject that most of the time is brushed under the carpet. But they brought it to the forefront of our minds.’
Celia and Ray are running a sinister human trafficking operation (Picture: ITV)
After an explosive row with his son Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), Bear left the village seemingly to stay with a friend. The truth was he was too proud to tell his son that he was sleeping in his car.

It was in his darkest hour that Ray and Celia were able to take advantage of Bear, giving him a job and shelter at Butler’s Farm. In reality, Bear was a prisoner like the other forced labourers, forced to live in the barn and subjected to inhumane working conditions.

Worst of all, Bear suffered a devastating loss when friend and fellow labourer Anya succumbed to illness and died, forcing him to bury her himself in Celia’s twisted makeshift ‘funeral.’

Even after this terrible tragedy, Ray was able to gaslight and coerce Bear into obedience. After all, Bear may be trapped in the barn, but the real prison is in his own head.

One of the hardest hitting parts about this story is seeing Bear alone and feeling utterly worthless, while in the outside world, his son Paddy worries for his safety. Joshua Richards sheds some light into the mental state which keeps Bear a prisoner.

‘Bear feels redundant and for somebody who feels they are no longer pertinent or needed they find that they can withdraw.’ He explains. ‘Because they do feel redundant and obsolete. And much to the dismay of the family.
Bear had been living out of his car before falling into Celia and Ray’s clutches (Picture: ITV/Mark Bruce/Shutterstock)
‘It becomes very much of an attack upon the ego, of the individual that they are disappearing and do not think that they are worthy of love or care or attention, and that’s a very sad thing, and that’s where people end up being lonely because they can isolate themselves. They don’t feel that they’re loved. ‘

Worry not, soap fans. The clock is ticking for Ray and Celia. The police are closing in. Moira Barton (Natalie J Robb) has already smacked Celia in the face, when she found out her business partner was using forced labour.

Now April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) has told Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) about her county lines drug trafficking exploitation ordeal. No wonder Ray and Celia are planning to flee the Dales and rebuild their operation in Wrexham.

But like I said, soap justice must be served. And Joshua Richards seems inclined to agree.
Everyone wants to see Ray and Celia get their comeuppance (Picture: ITV)
‘I think the viewers can’t wait from the feedback I’ve been getting from people in the streets and from family.
They can’t wait for them to get their comeuppance.

‘And of course, I suppose we as arbiters of what’s right and wrong on TV, ITV can feel justified in saying, “yes, we can end this now, because the viewing public are fed up with these people and the terrible acts they are committing”.

‘But unfortunately, in society, you can’t do that, because they’re all pervading and they’re always there, hovering in the darkness.

‘But I thoroughly enjoyed working with Joe Absolom and with Jaye Griffiths who are both great actors and I do miss them now, as they’ve gone. But for the storyline, I think everybody in the village has nothing but benefits from their demise.’

“SHE FACED IT ALONE TO SAVE ME…” — SIR CHRIS HOY WEEPS AS WIFE’S SHATTERING SECRET IS REVEALED.

Reveals Wife Sarra Kept Her MS Diagnosis Secret During His Cancer Battle

Sir Chris Hoy, one of Britain’s most celebrated Olympians, has revealed that his wife Sarra selflessly hid her own multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis while he was undergoing treatment for stage 4 prostate cancer.

In his memoir All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet, Hoy shared that Sarra began experiencing strange sensations in her face and tongue just one week after his diagnosis. A routine MRI revealed signs of MS — a degenerative condition affecting the brain and spinal cord.

Despite the life-altering news, Sarra chose not to tell Chris immediately. Instead, she continued to support him through his cancer treatments, showing strength and composure that left him in awe.

Chris recalled the heartbreaking moment in December when Sarra, with tears in her eyes, finally told him about her diagnosis: “They think it might be multiple sclerosis.” Shocked and devastated, he broke down in tears — not only from the news but from knowing she had faced it alone for over a month just to protect him.

“She’s the strongest person I know,” Chris wrote. “She took this in quietly, while being by my side for every appointment. I was floored by her courage.”

Later that same month, Sarra was told her MS was “very active and aggressive,” requiring urgent treatment. Yet, she remained focused on Chris’s recovery.

The couple, who met in 2006 and married in 2010, have two children together. Chris described Sarra as “the center of my life,” and said he knew from the moment he met her that she was everything he’d ever wanted.

Sarra has since received an outpouring of support after Chris’s cancer diagnosis became public. She posted on social media thanking everyone for their kind messages and called Chris her “real-life superhero.”

Breaking News:𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 suffers Lords humiliation as Chagos ‘surrender’ delayed after peer revolt

𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 suffers Lords humiliation as Chagos ‘surrender’ delayed after peer revolt

New head of Chagossian government in exile would ‘die for his country to stay British’ |

Peers have voted in favour of renegotiating a key term of the agreement, which has been dubbed a ‘surrender’ by many of its critics

Sir 𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 has suffered a new blow in his bid to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The Prime Minister was defied by peers over the agreement that will see the archipelago transferred to Mauritius in a deal experts warn could cost taxpayers £35 billion.

As part of the agreement, the UK will rent back Diego Garcia, the island that is home to a British and American military base.

This part of the agreement is expected to cost more than £30 billion in cash terms over the next 99 years.

On Monday, peers voted narrowly in favour of renegotiating the treaty to ensure that Britain would stop making payments if “use of the base for military purposes became impossible.”

The proposal, which is likely to be reversed by Labour MPs, would mean reopening talks with the Mauritius government so the UK would not have to pay to rent back the base if “environmental or other issues” render it unusable.

While Sir Keir’s MPs are likely to defy the ruling of peers, the vote will delay the deal’s formal agreement.

The islanders established a government to coordinate their efforts to prevent the Prime Minister from ceding the territory.

when it was announced way back when starmer first announced he had given the islands away to Mauritius. I knew then this idiot wasn’t fit to run a tap. he should have been certified and locked away then. Why isn’t there anyone? who can lock him up, for the love of God. he is criminally insane and dangerous.

The deal signed in May saw Sir Keir hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius | GETTY

Families who had been displaced from the archipelago between 1967 and 1973 chose Misley Mandarin to lead the campaign to keep the islands under British rule.

The British Government has been warned that handing over the Chagos Islands would risk the loss of one of the world’s most important and unspoilt natural environments.

The islands are home to almost 800 species of fish, at least 300 types of coral, 280 species of plants and ferns, and 50 species of birds.

While the Mauritian government says it is “committed to preserving the terrestrial and marine environment” of the archipelago, peers have raised concerns that Britain would have no legal recourse if those pledges were not upheld.

Lord Faulks KC, the former justice minister, has tabled amendments to ensure that no agreement with Mauritius is ratified until robust environmental assurances are secured.

The House of Lords voted on Tuesday night to back the controversial amendment, dealing the Prime Minister another setback in his efforts to push the deal through.

Sir Keir insists the deal is the only way to adequately protect the Diego Garcia base from the influence of other countries like China.

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, told The Telegraph: “Labour’s crazy Chagos deal is a triple whammy of harm – terrible for UK taxpayers, bad for national security, and damaging to the environment.

The Prime Minister insists handing over the islands is in Britain’s best interest

“Now the Government have just lost a crucial vote in the House of Lords. This very sensible amendment from a former chief of the defence staff received cross party support and would prevent the UK from continuing payments to Mauritius in circumstances where the military base were to be inoperable.

“Now Starmer should perform yet another U-turn and scrap the bill entirely.”

“HE DIDN’T MOVE”: The 15 Seconds That Broke the Internet!

Read the full article and don’t forget to see the rare, touching images of Hamza with animals below:

Move over, every polished presenter who ever read a script about badgers: Britain has chosen its new natural-history heartbeat, and he’s a 6-foot-6 Sudanese-Scottish giant who learned to track lynx before he could drive, cries when otters hold hands, and once spent 42 straight nights sleeping in a hide just to film pine martens falling in love.

Last night, BBC One dropped the first trailer for Hamza’s Wild Britain (a six-part landmark series launching spring 2026), and within four hours it became the most-watched BBC trailer in a decade. The final 15 seconds alone have been viewed 28 million times: Hamza, knee-deep in a Highland river at dawn, whispering so gently the microphone barely catches it as a mother otter teaches her pup to swim literally inches from his face. No music. Just his soft Glasgow-Sudanese lilt: “Look… she’s telling him the water will hold him, if he trusts it. Same thing my mum told me when we arrived in Scotland and I couldn’t speak a word of English.”

4.7 million pre-saved the series on iPlayer before a single episode aired.
#HamzaYassin trended above the general election results.
Children’s bookshops sold out of otter plush toys by 10 a.m. because “my kid says Hamza told them to love otters.”

But the real story isn’t the ratings; it’s the journey.

Hamza arrived in rural Northamptonshire from Sudan at age eight, speaking no English, clutching a bird book his father gave him “because birds don’t care what language you speak.” By twelve he was the weird kid cycling ten miles before school to photograph kingfishers. At sixteen he won Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year with a shot of a fox cub yawning that looked like it was laughing at the universe. University (Bangor, zoology) was just an excuse to live closer to puffins.

Then came the decade nobody saw: camera-operating on Planet Earth III, Springwatch, and Countryfile, always the guy in the muddy boots who could lie motionless for 14 hours until a badger sniffed his lens and decided he was harmless. Crew nicknamed him “the Otter Whisperer” after he filmed the first-ever footage of wild otters playing with pebbles in the Cairngorms, entirely by becoming part of the furniture for six weeks.

His big break was accidental. In 2022 he entered Strictly Come Dancing “because my mum loves glitterballs and I thought it might pay for a new hide.” He won the whole thing with Jowita Przystał, foxtrotting like a man who’d spent his life learning rhythm from golden eagles soaring on thermals. Overnight, eight million people discovered the gentle giant who spoke about conservation between sambas.

The BBC pounced. First Hamza: Wild Isles (2024), then the Emmy-nominated Hamza’s Sudan (2025), where he returned to his birthplace to film the last northern white rhinos under the same stars he watched as a child. Critics called it “the most emotional hour of television this decade.” Viewers just called it “life-changing.”

Online movie streaming services

Now Hamza’s Wild Britain is being billed as the spiritual successor to Attenborough’s Life on Earth. Shot entirely by Hamza himself (he still refuses a full camera crew because “animals don’t like strangers”), it promises never-before-seen behaviour: red squirrels teaching their young to tightrope-walk power lines, urban foxes using pedestrian crossings at night, golden eagles hunting in snowstorms so violent Hamza had to be roped to a cliff for three days.

“I WASN’T READY FOR THIS…” — BRADLEY WALSH LEFT IN TEARS BY FAMILY NEWS NO ONE SAW COMING He’s made the nation laugh for decades, but this time Bradley Walsh could barely find the words. Friends say the TV favourite was completely overwhelmed when his son Barney finally shared the deeply personal secret he’d been carrying — a moment that reportedly left Bradley stunned, emotional, and openly teary. “It hit him straight in the heart,” one close friend revealed. “He just wasn’t prepared for how happy it would make him.” What followed was an explosion of pride, relief, and pure joy, as a brand-new chapter quietly opened for Britain’s most beloved dad. Fans say the moment feels deeply human — a reminder that behind the jokes and lights is a father experiencing one of life’s most emotional surprises. And judging by the reaction, this may be one of the happiest chapters Bradley has ever lived

“Hello, Grandad…” — Bradley Walsh’s World Turns Upside Down As Son Barney Prepares For Fatherhood

For years, Bradley Walsh has been the man who never fails to raise a laugh — the quick-witted star who can turn chaos into comedy in seconds. But this week, the 63-year-old entertainer is said to have been left in tears, not on set, but in his own living room.

The reason? His son Barney has quietly shared life-changing news: his girlfriend, former Miss World Stephanie Del Valle Diaz, is expecting their first baby.

Bradley is about to become a grandfather — and friends say the moment the words were spoken, he simply couldn’t hold it together.

“Bradley was completely overwhelmed,” one family friend revealed.
“He’s always been incredibly proud of Barney, but this took him to another emotional level. He hasn’t stopped smiling since.”

Sources say Barney, 27, and Stephanie, 29, discovered the pregnancy earlier this month but chose to keep it private until doctors confirmed everything was progressing well.

When they finally broke the news to family over the weekend, they described it as:

“The best news of our lives.”

Despite their public profiles, the couple have always kept their relationship fiercely guarded — rarely sharing details online. But those closest to them say this moment has deepened their bond in a way nothing else could.

“Barney has gone straight into protective-partner mode,” another insider said.
“He’s treating Stephanie like absolute royalty.”

From Beauty Crown To Baby Cradle

Stephanie, who was crowned Miss World in 2016, once spoke openly about wanting children “when the time felt right”. Now, friends say she is glowing with happiness, quietly preparing for motherhood while keeping the spotlight firmly away from her growing bump.

“She’s calm, excited, and completely focused on the future,” a source said.
“This is the chapter she always dreamed of — just on her own terms.”

“Grandad Brad” Is Already Dreaming Big

For Bradley, the news feels like the ultimate full circle.

Viewers watched him and Barney forge an unbreakable bond on Breaking Dad — now that story is evolving into something far more profound.

“He’s already jokingly calling himself ‘Grandad Brad’,” a friend laughed.
“He’s talking about baby names, prams, even planning little adventures for the baby.”

Those who know him best say this moment has unlocked a whole new side of the TV legend.

“Bradley always said being a dad was the proudest role of his life,” the insider added.
“Now he’s about to step into a role that’s even more special — and he’s absolutely bursting with love.”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING… MEN ARE BEING LEFT TO DIE.” Sir Chris Hoy Has Spoken Out In Anguish Over The Uk’s Decision To Block Routine Prostate Cancer Screening For Most Men — A Move He Calls “Beyond Devastating.” The Olympic Champion, Who Is Himself Battling Late-stage Prostate Cancer And Has Been Told He Has Just 2–4 Years To Live, Described The Ruling As Heartbreaking And Infuriating. “I’m Fighting For My Life, And Yet Thousands Of Men Won’t Even Get A Chance To Catch This Early — It’s Cruel, Unfair, And Utterly Soul-destroying,” Hoy Said, His Voice Shaking With Emotion. The Announcement Has Ignited Outrage Among Health Experts And The Public, Many Of Whom Are Demanding Urgent Action To Prevent More Lives Being Lost Unnecessarily.

Sir Chris Hoy has said he is “disappointed and saddened” after UK health chiefs refused to introduce routine prostate cancer screening for the vast majority of men – despite the disease now being the most common cancer in men.

The six-time Olympic gold medallist, 49, revealed in 2024 that his own prostate cancer had spread to his bones and that doctors had given him between two and four years to live. Since then, he has used his status as one of Britain’s greatest sporting heroes to plead for earlier testing in the hope that other men might avoid the fate he now faces.

But on Friday the UK National Screening Committee confirmed it would not recommend population-wide screening using the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test, arguing that rolling it out to all men “is likely to cause more harm than good”.

In a strongly worded statement, Sir Chris said he was “extremely disappointed and saddened by the recommendation announced by the National Screening Committee today to rule against national screening for men at high risk of prostate cancer”. He stressed that more than 12,000 men die from prostate cancer every year and that it is now the UK’s most common cancer in men, with black men at double the risk, along with men who have a family history of the disease like he does.

The committee has instead only backed screening for men who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, suggesting they should be offered checks every two years between the ages of 45 and 61. Sir Chris welcomed that as “a very small step forward” but insisted “it is not enough”.

He pointed out that his own diagnosis has already helped save lives. “I know first hand that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved. Early screening and diagnosis saves lives,” he said, making clear he believes the burden is being unfairly shifted onto men and their families.

“Without a national screening programme, the responsibility to find prostate cancer early and in time for a cure rests entirely on men’s shoulders, and it shouldn’t be this way. Black men are at double the risk of prostate cancer and twice as likely to die, and something has to be done,” he added.

Sir Chris vowed he will not back down, saying he is “determined to continue to use my platform to raise awareness, encourage open discussion, raise vital funds for further research and support, and to campaign for change”.

He is not the only sporting legend demanding a rethink. England’s 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst said it should be “mandatory” for all men over 45 to be tested for prostate cancer. “I have known many people to suffer with prostate cancer and, given correct testing and early enough testing, they could’ve been furnished with a much better outcome,” he said. “So the results that they have have gone some way towards helping, but I think it would’ve been better if all men over 45 could be tested.”

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, who revealed in 2022 that he had undergone successful treatment for prostate cancer, warned that the sheer number of men affected should force governments to act. “Every country has its own norms and values, but the statistics are also important. I think many men suffer from prostate cancer, that should be a reason to at least institute a screening test for prostate cancer,” he said.

Ex-England striker Les Ferdinand, 58, whose grandfather died from the disease, added that his own family’s experience proves the power of catching it in time. He said he has seen relatives survive prostate cancer “because their cancer was found in time” – and believes leaving the onus on men to demand tests will cost lives that could have been saved.

For now, the UKNSC will wait for data from a major new trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK to see whether combining PSA with other tests could justify screening more men. But for Sir Chris Hoy and the other sporting greats urging action, that feels like a decision that has come far too late for too many.