Andre Portasio appeared on Loose Women today for his first live TV interview after the sad death of his husband Paul O’Grady, where he opened up about everything from how he is coping and the dogs’ heartbreaking reaction to Paul’s passing
Andre Portasio appeared on Loose Women today for his first live TV interview after the sad death of his husband Paul O’Grady, where he opened up about everything from how he is coping and the dogs’ heartbreaking reaction to Paul’s passing (
Image: ITV)
Loose Women stars Charlene White and Denise Welch vented their anger over the sharing of ITV newsreader Rageh Omaar falling ill live on TV
Loose Women stars Charlene White and Denise Welch have vented their anger over the sharing of a clip of ITV newsreader Rageh Omaar falling ill live on TV.
The 56-year-old presenter started to noticeably struggle with his words during a report towards the end of the news programme on Friday and straight after the show, Rageh was rushed to hospital where he immediately received treatment. It remains unconfirmed as to the nature of his illness but experts believe that he was showing early signs of a mini-stroke, called ca transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
Charlene has taken umbrage at the number of people who have been sharing the video of Rageh falling ill, with many making wild assumptions as to what happened before any reports that he was suffering with medical difficulties. The Loose Women star hit out, writing on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter : “How about everyone stops posting and re-posting a video of a man becoming unwell live on TV. Who does that benefit? Sometimes real life isn’t just about upping your engagement figures, and upping your likes”.
Loose Women’s Charlene White has hit out at the sharing of a video of Rageh Omaar
Her feelings were echoed by her fellow Loose Women panellist, Denise Welch, who commented on Charlene’s post, writing: “My thoughts exactly Charlene. Honestly this world [angry face emojis].” Denise’s comment prompted another to add their disgust that Rageh was not taken off air to receive immediate attention. They wrote: “Totally agree with you both but where was ITV’s duty of care for the poor bloke. They should have cut the stream or went to a break immediately to get him medical attention. It’s not like it was a coughing fit etc.”
Loose Women’s Charlene White and Denise Welch unleash fury over Rageh Omaar video
A ITV News source told Mail on Sunday that the producers were trying to replace Rageh but he wanted to complete delivering the news: “The programme team were trying to replace him when they realised there was a problem. They sent the standby presenter to the set to take over but he insisted on remaining on air. No-one could get him out of his chair. He refused to move. Even when he was told he had to go and that the team had called for medical help. Everyone did everything they could to help him. Rageh is a consummate professional. He was determined to finish what he had started. It was an awful, awful night.”
Rageh was discharged the following day and is spending time at home recovering with his family. The mini-stroke condition, TIA, is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain caused by a travelling blood clot or the “furring” of the arteries.
Fiona Clark, who is a staff nurse, said she called ITV at 10.30pm and informed them that “as an ICU nurse who worked in stroke, that Rageh Omaar required an emergency ambulance, he was dysphasic, drooped left eye, slurred speech and agitated all Fast symptoms.”
Coronation Street icon Philip Middlemiss looked totally different from his soap days as a he made a rare public appearance and reunited with on-screen wife Denise Welch
![Natalie Horrocks [Denise Welch] and Des Barnes [Philip Middlemiss]](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article32699462.ece/ALTERNATES/n615/0_Coronation-Street-Weddings.jpg)
Philip Middlemiss made a rare TV appearance as he reunited with Denise Welch (
Image: Granada TV)
Loose Women star Stacey Solomon also moonlights as something of a fashion designer – and has been left overwhelmed with emotion as she prepares to unleash her latest collection
Stacey Solomon has been left on the verge of tears over her latest fashion collection for children – which she has described as a ‘privilege’ to create.
The 34-year-old singer and Loose Women star is proud wife of former EastEnders actor husband Joe Swash, 42, and matriarch of their blended family. She has a 15-year-old son named Zachary who she shares with ex-boyfriend Dean Cox, and an 11-year-old son named Leighton who she shares with ex-fiancé Aaron Barnham.
While together with Joe, she is also the mother of four-year-old son Rex, two-year-old daughter Rose, and youngest daughter Belle, aged one. Joe also has a 16-year-old son of his own, named Harry, from a previous relationship with ex-fiancée Emma Sophocleous. As a mother of such a brood of children, Stacey is in the fortunate position to be able to design clothes that they can wear thanks to her deal with budget high street chains Primark.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Stacey shared an emotional post where she explained she was feeling so overwhelmed over her latest collection. She enlisted her three youngest children to help show off the new designs – sharing snaps of them wearing matching peach and white striped outfits, jungle print designs, summer outfits, and even some children’s formal wear.
Stacey Solomon has proudly shown off her latest Primark collection of children’s clothes – with her own children modelling (
Image:
@staceysolomon/instagram)
Uploading the images to her feed, Stacey typed: “My Heart … I don’t know why I feel so emotional. Even after 5 years & 8 collections I still don’t know how I got so lucky. This is collection number 8!! HOW?!? 4 years I’ve had my dream job of designer children’s wear with @primark and I genuinely can not believe it.
“Each time they ask me to do it again I pinch myself because nothing is ever guaranteed and I just feel so damn lucky & privileged to get to do it. I hope you love this one as much as the others & from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU. I can’t say it enough because without you guys I would NEVER get these opportunities in the first place let alone be able to do it over & over again.”
Signing off, Stacey wrote: “Thank you thank you thank you! To the moon and back.” And with a final plug, she added: “In store from tomorrow.”
Stacey shares three of her five children with husband Joe Swash (
Image:
@staceysolomon/instagram)
Stacey’s youngest children have been dressed up in her latest designs (
Image:
@staceysolomon/instagram)
Stacey also shared her grid post via Instagram Stories – explaining that she fears she does not deserve the success she is enjoying. She wrote: “The thing is, it doesn’t matter how many times I’m lucky enough to do this. The imposter syndrome is real.”
She continued: “I am honestly so so grateful for you guys & your support. It’s down to you that I get these chances & I’ll never take it for granted. Please let me know what you think… [love you] to the moon and back always.”
The collection includes jungle prints and simple stripes (
Image:
@staceysolomon/instagram)
Fans can buy the designs for their own children from Monday (
Image:
@staceysolomon/instagram)
Any concerns that her collection would not be appreciated by her fans were wildly off the mark, however – as many of her followers took to the comments section of her main post to congratulate her on the new designs. One hugely impressed follower wrote: “Absolutely gorgeous ! Can’t wait to shop it … love the swim towel zip throughs … you should be so proud mama.” And another gushed: “Your collections are beautiful and your children look so adorable.”And further fans urged Stacey to expand her design skills even further. One requested: “So cute! Beautiful colours … matching ones for mums now please,” along with a string of red heart emojis and a laughing face emoji. While another suggested: “I’d love to see a mother and son collection. If anyone can, you can!”
Loose Women star Linda Robson and ex-husband Mark Dunford ended their ‘sexless’ marriage after more than three decades. Now single, she said she isn’t looking for love
Linda Robson called it quits with her husband of three decades late last year – and she’s not held back on the intimate details of why the marriage ended.
The popular Loose Women host, 65, candidly opened up about her lacklustre union with Mark Dunford over the years and in recent times, shared her disappointment over their activity in the bedroom. Linda, who shot to fame on Birds Of A Feather, is now looking for a new place in Islington for just her and her dog after putting the family home on the market.
She previously revealed that she and Mark, the father of her two children, Louis, 32, and Bobbie, 28, “simply grew apart” and that they never had sex, labelling herself ‘celibate’. She confessed earlier this year that after losing her spark with Mark, she couldn’t be bothered to find love again and isn’t interested in all that ‘jiggy jiggy’.
As she returns to screens this morning for James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen, The Mirror takes a look at her former bumpy marriage and Linda’s first love she never quite got over…
Linda on her wedding day with ex-husband Mark (
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)
Linda and Mark got to know each other as teens but didn’t start dating until years later. In 2017, she explained: “I used to babysit for Mark – he was a couple of years younger than me… I was 16 and he was 13 and a half, and he was a bit of a pain, to be honest. And we lived in the street next to each other.”
It wasn’t until they were both in the park one day, Linda with her eldest daughter Lauren, 40, that they crossed paths again. The pair dated and tied the knot in 1990.
However in recent times, Linda made it clear things weren’t as they seemed after more than three decades. While appearing as a panellist on ITV talk show Loose Women, she revealed the ups and downs of her marriage, admitting that things between them ‘weren’t plain-sailing’ and that she even considered herself ‘celibate’.
Linda confessed that she and Mark, whom she previously described as her ‘rock’, hadn’t had sex in two years, but that it didn’t bother her. “Can I just say I’ve been celibate for two years?” she began, “I can’t be a**** with all that [romance stuff]. I’m just happy going out with my mates and my children and my grandchildren.”
The couple were left in a ‘rough patch’ after 33 years of marriage (
Image:
WireImage)
Before their separation last year, she insisted: “We’re still living together. We both love our kids more than anything else in the world, obviously, you have a few hiccups in every marriage. We’ve been married 33 years so it’s not going to be all plain sailing, but we’re still together at the moment.”
She later revealed their split in an interview with Woman magazine, confirming she was in fact single. She said of her ex-husband: “He’s a really good dad and we had some good years, but enough is enough. I’ve got my family and my kids around me. And I’m going on a cruise with Lesley Joseph in November. I’m keeping busy.”
And in an interview with OK!, she admitted they grew apart, explaining: “People do, sometimes, don’t they? We never had that much in common. I’m very sociable. Mark never enjoyed that side of thing.”
The mum believes they stayed together for more than 30 years for the sake of their children, who are now ‘grown up’ with their own lives. But while she’s officially single again, Linda is not looking for another relationship.
Speaking with OK! she squealed: “I don’t need a man. I’ve got my friends and my family. I’m not interested in dating, I’m too old now. I can’t be bothered with all that ‘jiggy jiggy’.”
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Linda had eldest Lauren with her ex Tony Tyler, whom she describes as her ‘first love’. Not much is known about him but the pair were together for 11 years and welcomed their daughter before parting ways.
In 2016, Linda opened up about her heartbreak following her first love cheating on her. Speaking of her regret at how long she let her “serial cheat” ex be unfaithful, she said: “I caught him lots and lots of times, probably my biggest regret is that I didn’t finish it earlier. The strange thing was there was a family do not too long ago, and he actually blamed me for the break-up.”
She revealed how he went on to blame her for always being away for work for his infidelity. However, she furiously said at the time that the excuse was a ‘lie’ anyway, saying she “was always there”. In another segment of Loose Women, where the panel discussed the idea of how quickly they would move on and remarry after splitting up with a long-term partner, Linda was quizzed on her thoughts following her split from the father of her eldest.
“It took me a long time to get over that because that was my first love,” admitted Linda. “But I feel like I don’t really need a partner to love because I’ve got my children, my grandchildren, my sisters and my friends…”
Coleen Nolan isn’t a fan of the London Tube for this reason (
Image: Instagram)
Katie Piper, who was the victim of a horrifying acid attack in 2008, has tirelessly worked to raise awareness since the life-changing incident, and has even been awarded an OBE
Katie Piper plans on more surgeries this year (
Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Meghan Markle beamed with delight as she and Prince Harry were gifted a traditional Nigerian outfit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a Sit Out at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in Abuja on May 11, as part of their visit to the country to help celebrate the Invictus Games anniversary. Dressed in a simple figure-hugging white bandeau dress, Meghan appeared delighted as she soaked up the culture of the event.
She wore her hair in a sleek updo and accessorised with an array of jewellery including a sparkling cross pendant worn around her neck. Harry meanwhile complimented her look in a cream linen suit worn with a white shirt and dark-coloured tie as they greeted guests before taking their seats, which notably referred to their Royal roots and were labelled “Duke” and “Duchess” instead of using their first names.
Meghan and Harry took up seats labelled with their Royal titles (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
The Sussexes were invited to Nigeria by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who met Harry last September at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany. Their invite came after Meghan found out about her Nigerian heritage.
The outing comes after Harry gave a moving speech about mental health while the couple visited a school on Friday. Speaking to the children and addressing the room, the Duke said: “In some places around the world, more than you would believe, there is a stigma against mental health. Too many people don’t want to talk about it because it’s invisible, it’s in your mind and we can’t see it.”
He added: “There is no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day. Okay? If you woke up this morning feeling sad, if you left school feeling stressed, if you’ve lost a loved one in your family who you usually turn to or speak to, all of these things you may be led to believe are not for conversation
The pair looked at ease as they soaked up the atmosphere (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
“We are here today to tell you that that is not the case. Every single one of those things is completely normal. It is a human reaction, whether it’s grief, stress, whatever the feeling is, it comes from experiences you have had.”
Lynn Carratt from Press Box PR said told the Mirror the couple would likely want to “generate some positive stories” during their trip, with their security at the forefront of their minds. She explained: “Nigeria is a country where Meghan and Harry are celebrated, and they’ll want to generate some positive stories for the visit. I’m sure as they are with any overseas trip to any country, security will be [at] the forefront of their mind and will be meticulously planned.”
The Sussexes’ trip to West Africa comes after Harry jetted from America to the UK for a service of thanksgiving for the Invictus Games on May 8 in London. Harry gave a speech and was supported by his aunt and uncle during his brief visit, which came as his father was “too busy” to meet with him.
Meghan Markleopened up about her roots during her 72-hour trip to Nigeriawith Prince Harry, citing how she was “very overwhelmed”
Meghan Markle opened up about her roots during her 72-hour-whistle-stop tour of Nigeria with Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex opened up during a summit with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, to discuss the importance of mentorship for young women and the career challenges women face.
Saturday’s discussion hosted around fifty prominent women from Nigerian politics, business, media, and culture, which was facilitated by Nigerian media magnate Mo Abudu, the head of Africa’s first global Black entertainment lifestyle network.
During their discussion, Meghan proudly referred to Nigeria as “my country”.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US .
READ MORE: Meghan Markle stuns in red dress as Duchess dons third outfit of the day on tour with Prince Harry
Meghan Markle opened up about her roots (
Image:
Getty Images for The Archewell F)
According to PEOPLE, she said: ” I am just flattered and honoured and inspired. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more colour, so I can fit in with all of you and your incredible fashion!”
She added: “I am very overwhelmed. So I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country.”
Meghan was asked how she felt when she discovered she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test. She revealed that the first thing she did was call her mother because she “wanted to know if she had any awareness of it”. She explained that she did not understand it the way she does now and it has been an “eye-opening and humbling” to know about her heritage.
Meghan said that this is just the beginning of her journey of discovery and that representation to matters “tremendously” to her.
The Duchess of Sussex opened up about discovering Nigerian roots (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
She said: “Being African-American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, where you come from specifically and it was exciting for both of us to discover more and understand what that really means.”
On her second day in the country, the Duchess of Sussex looked incredible as she rocked three different outfits – a black and white dress in the morning, a white dress in the afternoon and the red number in the evening.
Meghan started the day watching a volleyball match at charity organisation Nigeria Unconquered in Abuja with Prince Harry. She then attended a Sit Out at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters.
Harry and Meghan’s romance confirmation has been removed from the Royal Family’s website (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story confirmation has been removed from the Royal Family’s website.
The prince released a statement in 2016 confirming his romance with the former actress and defended his then-girlfriend from racist abuse.
Reportedly, it has since been pulled from the Royal Family website, with the link to the statement not working for users.
Newsweek reported that the statement stopped being accessible sometime in early December.
The last time a working version of it was successfully captured by the internet archive Wayback Machine was on December 3, 2023, with an archive attempt a week later being unsuccessful.
Prince Harry released a statement defending Meghan Markle (Image: Getty)
It read, in part: “Meghan Markle has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper, the racial undertones of comment pieces, and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.
“Some of it has been hidden from the public – the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.”
It also said that Prince Harry was “worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her”.
The Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm.
“He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game.’ He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his.”
Prince Harry spoke of the statement in his memoir Spare: “We needed a statement out there – within a day we had a draft – strong, precise, angry, honest.”
He wrote: “By the time she landed at Heathrow my statement was everywhere. And changing nothing. The onslaught continued.”
He went on to say that it did not stop the abuse Meghan received and even left his father then-Prince Charles and his brother Prince William “furious”.
The Duke said: “In fact, my statement generated a whole new onslaught-from my family. Pa and Willy were furious. They gave me an earful. My statement made them look bad, they both said. ‘Why in hell?’ Because they’d never put out a statement for their girlfriends or wives when they were being harassed.”