Author: bang1

Actress Judy Parfitt has been a regular on TV screens for almost seven decades and the Call the Midwife star has had her fair share of heartache and happiness both on and off screen

Judy Parfitt, the star of Call the Midwife, has had a long and successful acting career and has been a part of the popular BBC drama since 2012 – but what do we know about her?

Best known for her role as Sister Monica Joan in BBC’s hit series Call the Midwife, Judy Parfitt has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning several decades.

The 89-year-old actress, who has been a mainstay on Call the Midwife since 2012, boasts an impressive CV that includes stage, film, and TV roles.

Her journey began in 1953 when she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, sharing the stage with legendary actors like Laurence Olivier.

English actress Judy Parfitt back in 1971 ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Over the years, she has earned numerous BAFTA nominations for her sterling performances in popular dramas such as The Jewel in the Crown and Pride and Prejudice.

Despite missing out on the top prize for her supporting role in 2003’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Judy continued to captivate audiences with her performances in beloved shows like Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, Jonathan Creek, and Vera.

Judy has spoken affectionately about life with her late husband, Tony Steedman, who she married in 1963 and shared a son, David, born a year later.

The actress, reminiscing about her early days with Tony, known for his roles in Coronation Street and Citizen Smith, told the Express: “Tony had the leading role and he was always trying to make me laugh as I was a terrible giggler. The first time I saw him he was wearing this absolutely hideous bright red jumper, so he definitely made an impression.”

Judy Parfitt has been on the BBC show since 2012 ( 
Image:
WireImage)
Judy continued, recalling Tony’s comedic nature, stating: “He had people in stitches wherever we went and he was always playing the fool. Whereas I tended to worry, Tony didn’t and he never took himself or anything too seriously.”

Tony sadly died in 2001, and since then, Judy has not remarried. She previously told Mail Online that, despite their careers, their home life was rather conventional.

She mentioned: “While both of us were very busy, at home it was a very traditional marriage. I enjoyed cooking and ironing his shirts for him.

“He loved to be my sous chef, chopping the vegetables while I made dinner. He enjoyed accompanying me to the supermarket, pushing my trolley – but it wasn’t to help me so much as he loved the opportunity to chat and joke with the other shoppers.”

Judy has candidly discussed her husband’s dementia struggle, previously sharing with the Loose Women panel why it’s vital to have conversations about it. Recalling her journey with her husband’s condition.

Judy in character as BBC’s Sister Monica Joan ( 
Image:
BBC / Nealstreat Productions / Ray Burmiston)She revealed: “I always said with my husband, I lost my husband that I loved, but I gained a child that I love because they become your children, and they’re there physically, but they’re not with you.”

Despite facing personal tragedy, Judy continues to win over viewers in her role as Sister Monica Joan on Call the Midwife.

Born in Sheffield back in 1935, Judy reminisced with Saga magazine about her wartime childhood and how it taught her about resilience, saying: “Growing up in the war, I learned how people just got on with [things] despite food rationing, bombs dropping, not knowing if they’d be alive the next day.”

She shared a particularly strong memory of the war when she was nine years old, recounting how her dad protected her: “[held] me in his arms as Sheffield lit up around us because it was being blitzed – yet people still went to work the next day!”

Loose Women star Frankie Bridge hit back at her co-star Kaye Adams on the show today as the pair clashed over Frankie’s cooking skills

Loose Women star Frankie Bridge called her co-star a grandma in a cheeky dig on live TV.

Kaye Adams was hosting the ITV show on Monday, alongside Linda Robson and Myleene Klass as well as Frankie. As part of the episode, Frankie took part in a cooking challenge with chef and air fryer lover Nathan Anthony

They were tasked with making toasties with the leftovers from Christmas, including stuffing, brussels sprouts and turkey – but before the other panellists tasted the toasties, Frankie stopped Kaye, who tried to tell her not to influence their decision.

“No let me say my peace,” she said jokingly, before explaining that she didn’t know she had to put butter on both sides of the bread – and also claimed she needed Nathan’s help to sort the air fryer, and his finished much later than hers.

Kaye was called a grandma by Frankie

They tried the toasties, with Linda not very keen on Frankie’s, whilst Myleene loved Nathan’s. Kaye had the deciding vote and tried both, with her praising Frankie, before the former Saturdays singer quipped: “It’s always nice to have my grandma’s support,” leaving Kaye open-mouthed as they both laughed at Frankie’s joke.

Earlier in the show, Frankie opened up about how she struggles with her mental health during this period between Christmas and New Year. It is something she has discussed before, admitting she feels the “pressure”.

Frankie took part in a Festive Feast Off on the show today

She explained back in 2022: “Actually this time of year comes a lot of pressure. You can’t necessarily do exactly what you want to do, you’re travelling here, there and everywhere, you’re trying to keep everyone happy. Although it is something I love, I find when I’m supposed to feel happy in a situation, I feel that pressure.

“I am literally Mrs Claus, I love Christmas, I love the lead up to it, I love the decorations. I was just aware I had this low moment and I thought I’m gonna share it because all anyone’s seeing is me out having all my Christmas parties and out with the girls, and it all looks fun and games. I wasn’t sure if I should share in case I’d bring other people down if they’re feeling festive.”

The Traitors is back for a third series on New Year’s Day and host Claudia Winkleman has shared some ‘exciting’ changes in the ultimate ‘psychological game show’.

Claudia Winkleman has confessed that spilling the beans on The Traitors’ third series would see her sacked from the popular reality TV show. Set to premiere on New Year’s Day, the upcoming season promises a fresh batch of contestants vying for a hefty cash prize that could reach £120,000.

The second series had viewers gripped as “traitor” Harry Clark cunningly clinched £95,000 in a nail-biting finale. Chatting with The Sun, the Strictly Come Dancing star disclosed she’s been gagged from revealing any juicy details about the new instalment or risk losing her gig.

She teased: “I would love to tell you all about series three, but then I will get fired so I can tell you absolutely nothing. What I will tell you is that things are different.”

Winkleman hinted at thrilling twists, adding: “There are some really exciting things that have changed, which keeps everyone on the toes and feeds into the central premise of trust. I can’t wait for everyone to see.”

Claudia Winkleman is back

In The Traitors, inspired by the Dutch show De Verraders, Winkleman picks a few players as traitors while the rest, known as the faithfuls, must suss out the imposters to win the jackpot, reports Lancs Live.

The nation was left gripping their seats as 23-year-old Clark masterfully deceived his way to a staggering £95,150 jackpot on the intense game show, blindsiding his close mate Mollie Pearce into thinking he was one of the ‘Faithful. ‘

Pearce was under the impression they were in it together for a split win, especially when Harry looked her dead in the eye reassuringly saying: “It’s not me.”

The heart-stopping moment played out with viewers hiding behind their hands as an emotional Mollie walked offstage upon the revealing of Harry’s true colours.

The Traitors returns on New Year’s Day
52-year-old host Winkleman confessed that she was caught up in the nerve-wracking final just like viewers at home, attributing the success of the show to its sheer unpredictability.

She explained: “I think that the absolute kicker, the joy of the show, is the game itself. You’re watching a psychological game show, that’s the only way I can describe it.

“You’re watching to see whether people can persuade somebody to think like they do, and even if you know, even if you’re sure of what’s going on, if you can’t persuade them, it’s worthless, and that’s heartbreaking.

“Last series, the final surprised me as well. I couldn’t look up as it was so tense, but I loved every one at that final roundtable so I was backing all of them, which was complicated.”

The first two episodes of The Traitors will air on January 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

TV star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Nick Knowles is being assisted by healthcare professionals in his recovery from surgery after an injury during rehearsals for the BBC show

Following Nick Knowles ‘ injury during Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals in October, the DIY SOS star has undergone two major surgeries and is now ‘learning to walk again’.

The TV star, 62, who was teamed up with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk on the BBC dance competition, was forved to withdraw after landing badly and injuring his knee. He had actually torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and is now navigating recovery from an operation to repair it, which the NHS states can take up to a year.

Now, he’s shared a video of a healthcare professional helping him up the stairs on crutches, with one of his legs bandaged up under a bulky brace. Next to the video, Nick wrote: “So it wasn’t on my letter to Santa for two major operations – one to reattach my bicep and a second to build a new ACL and mend two tears in the meniscus.

“Thank you to my two magnificently talented surgeons – Mr Ahrens for the bicep and Mr Jig Patel for the knee. Three types of knee brace and one type of elbow brace – crutches – game ready ice and pressure machine – pressure leggings – physio stretching out for months ahead but I want to be walking normally by start of February for the next DIYSOS.”

Nick was injured during Strictly rehearsals ( 
Image:
Instagram/ @nickknowles)

The DIY SOS star has an ambitious target date of February 2025 to be walking normally ( 
Image:
Instagram/ @nickknowles)

Nick added: “Katie my fiancee has been patient and supportive and amazingly patient with me – the worst patient in the world. It’s been frustrating and very expensive but I’m determined to get back to 100% fitness which I hope will be around August 2025 Thanks for all the well wishes and encouragement – happy new year all.”

Nick was forced to pull out of a Strictly live show in October after he injured his knee. He became the third celebrity to leave the show, and admitted he “played down” the seriousness of his injury before he was eliminated.

Speaking with fellow Strictly competitor Wynne Evans on his BBC Radio Wales programme, Nick recently said: “I was trying to play it down, because I was determined to go out dancing rather than sort of go out with the injury… I had the operation four weeks ago and that’s all recovering quite nicely.”

Nick’s fiancée Katie Dadzie, 34, who runs a lingerie company, is supporting him through his recovery. They got engaged in 2023 after meeting through their children, and hope to tie the knot next year. Nick has previously said that his dream of dancing at the wedding is one of the major goals he has to keep him going through his tough recovery. “We’ve booked our wedding for next summer and the plan is for us to be able to do a first dance,” he shared. “It won’t be a full Strictly routine but I’m determined to have a special dance with Katie.”

Lisa Armstrong has had a tough year, with the Strictly Come Dancing makeup artist previously admitting to ‘silent battles’ following her split from partner James and ex Ant McPartlin’s baby news – but she’s looking ahead to 2025

Lisa Armstrong has posted a not-so-subtle dig at her exes, branding her former partners “losers” in a fiery New Year post.

The Strictly make up artist has had an emotional year, following her split with Sky electrician James and the arrival of her ex Ant McPartlin’s baby following their marriage breakdown after 23 years together. But Lisa, 48, has shared the sassy video, sending a message to fans that she is taking it in her stride.

Posting on her Instagram Story, she shared a video of two women taking a shot. Over the black and white video were the words: “Cheers to the people who love us, the losers who lost us, and the lucky bastards who get to meet us.”

Her post comes after she posted about welcoming a new addition to her own family, with Lisa sharing a photo of a newborn baby in an adorable elephant babygrow. She wrote on Instagram yesterday: “Introducing baby Bowers… Congratulations @morgan.brookex and @bowerz17 He’s just perfect!!…. Jude John-Noel born 26/12/24 5lb 5oz. Great Aunty Cise can’t wait to meet you baby boy.”

Lisa shared an uplifting quote on Instagram ( 
Image:
Instagram)

The makeup artist was married to Ant McPartlin for 11 years and together for 23 ( 
Image:
Instagram)

She then posted an inspirational quote, which made reference to the struggles she’s faced this year. It read: “You spent 2024 in survival mode. 2025 is your time to rise, rebuild, and thrive.”

Lisa previously shared a number of quotes referencing “silent battles”, which fans assumed alluded to her heartache over her break up.

Earlier this year Lisa’s ex Ant welcomed his and wife Anne-Marie Corbett’s first child in June, with sources saying Lisa only found out by reading the news, and wasn’t given a heads up.

Around the time Ant made his baby announcement, Lisa shared a number of cryptic quotes on social media. One read: “Be proud of how you have been handling these past few months. The silent battles you’ve fought, the moments you’ve had to humble yourself, the times you’ve wiped your own tears. Celebrate your strength.” Another quote read: “I no longer listen to what people say, I just watch what they do. Behaviour never lies.”

Ant introduced his son Wilder Patrick McPartlin to the world on Instagram, sharing a black and white image of his baby alongside the caption: “Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess.” The photo not only revealed his infant, but also an unseen tattoo of a family tree on his arm.

On the tattoo, his stepdaughter’s names Daisy and Poppy could be seen alongside his wife’s nickname Amzie. Insiders said the tattoo really affected Lisa, with both she and Ant previously being open about their desire to have a baby.

While Lisa started 2024 an independent woman after splitting her partner James. The two got together in 2020, with the electrician moving in to Lisa’s multi-million pound mansion. However, the pair called it quits in a bitter break-up three years later.

A source told MailOnline at the time: “I don’t really know what has gone wrong. The two of them were only on a swanky holiday together in the Caribbean or somewhere about eight weeks ago. He was with her one day, and he just wasn’t with her the next day. There was no inkling that anything was wrong.”

A huge survey of almost 11,000 affected 1950s-born women shows support for Reform UK has shot up to 24%, while support for the Conservatives stands at 13% and a mere 7% back Labour

WASPI women are flocking to Nigel Farage’s party amid a massive “betrayal” from Labour over compensation.

A huge survey of almost 11,000 affected 1950s-born women shows support for Reform UK has shot up to 24%, while support for the Conservatives stands at 13% and a mere 7% back Labour. Some 24% of WASPI women voters are undecided about how they will vote and 8% will not vote at all.

Asked how they voted in this year’s election, 30% of the WASPI women polled said they backed Labour, 18% supported the Tories and 15% voted for Reform UK.Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall last week stunned MPs by refusing to pay compensation to more than 3.5 million women who lost out on state pension payments when their retirement age was raised. It came after a number of senior figures, including Ms Kendall, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves backed the campaign in opposition.

A survey of WASPI women shows support among them is surging for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party

Elsewhere the polling showed a dismal 82% of WASPI women believe Labour “does not care” about them. Three quarters of affected women (74%) said any decision on compensating WASPI women should now be taken away from ministers and handed directly to Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats have said they could force a Commons vote on the issue when MPs return to Westminster in January. Reports suggest up to 100 Labour MPs could vote against the government’s decision to reject compensation. WASPI carried out its polling in the three days after the government’s announcement as well as for about a week before it.

WASPI chair Angela Madden said: “The findings show the stark electoral price of Labour’s betrayal of WAPSI women to ignore the findings of the independent Parliamentary Ombudsman. With overwhelming numbers of furious Labour MPs backing fair compensation for WASPI women, the Prime Minister must urgently change course and deliver on his previous commitments.” She told the Mirror last week that legal experts will be working over Christmas looking at grounds for a judicial review of the government’s decision.

Commons leader Lucy Powell on Sunday said she “can’t see” the Government revisiting the issue of WASPI women. She said: “For women at this pension age, the triple-lock is now really boosting the value of pension… we’ve had to look at the report of the ombudsman and take two decisions. Was the recompense for that particular miscommunication back in 2004, was that proportionate? And we found that it wasn’t.

“And is it the right use of public money at this stage? Of course I recognise that over many years for these women, they do feel that they’ve been hard done by. But it wasn’t in our manifesto at this election. It was in 2019, and we lost that election in 2019 because people didn’t feel we could afford all the promises we put in our manifesto.”

::: WASPI’s SurveyMonkey poll of affected 1950s-born women received 10,994 responses between December 11 – 20, 2024.

The first seat-by-seat analysis since Labour’s landslide win points to the increasing threat posed by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK which could become the third biggest party

Britain is on course for a hung Parliament, with Reform UK predicted to seize dozens of seats from Labour, according to a new mega-poll.

The first seat-by-seat analysis since Labour’s landslide win in July found Keir Starmer’s party could lose nearly 200 seats – 87 seats to the Tories, 67 to Reform UK and 26 to the SNP. The mega-poll by More in Common suggests Reform could overtake the Liberal Democrats to become the third largest party in Parliament.

The next election is not due to be held until 2029, which means it is too early to predict what would happen on polling day. The results show the increasing headache posed by Reform UK to Labour and the Tories. But the findings pour cold water on wild claims Nigel Farage could become Prime Minister – or even overtake the Tories to lead the opposition.

The analysis found Labour would still emerge on top with 228 seats, compared to 222 for the Tories, and 72 for Reform. The Lib Dems would win 58, the SNP on 37 and the Green Party would take 2.

But it suggests Mr Starmer’s massive majority would be wiped out, putting the country on course for a hung Parliament.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is proving a thorn in the side for both Labour and the Tories ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Seven cabinet ministers risk losing their seats, six of them to Reform, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting predicted to lose his Ilford North seat to an independent. He clung onto his seat by just 528 votes in July after a fraught contest heavily influenced by Labour’s position on the conflict in Gaza.

The analysis predicts Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, John Healey, Ed Miliband, Bridget Phillipson and Jonathan Reynolds could lose their seats to Reform, which could surge for Reform in south Yorkshire and Tyneside.

The implied national vote share has Labour on 25% the Conservatives on 26%, Reform on 21%, the Lib Dems on 14%, the Greens on 8%, the SNP on 2% and other parties on 3%.

The model – which uses the multi-level regression and post-stratification method that predicted the last three election results – points to a fragmentation of the vote, with some contests too close to call. In 221 seats, the winner has a lead of less than 5 percentage points, while in 87 seats there is a statistical tie where the winner is less than 2 percentage points ahead.

Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common UK, said: “With potentially four and a half years to go, this model is not a prediction of what would happen at the next general election. Instead it confirms the fragmentation of British politics that we saw in July’s election has only accelerated in Labour’s six months in office.

“The first-past-the-post system is struggling to deal with that degree of fragmentation, which is why our model shows so many seats on a three-way knife-edge, and many being won on exceptionally small shares of the vote. There is no doubt that many voters have found the start of the Starmer Government disappointing, and Labour’s estimated vote share would drop significantly were there to be an election tomorrow.

“While the new Government is still in its infancy, it is clear that decisions such as means-testing the winter fuel allowance and other budget measures have landed badly.”

The analysis is based on voting intention data collected between October 31 and December 16 from 11,024 adults in Great Britain.

Jeremy Clarkson’s partner of eight years, Lisa, took to social media to share a sweet Christmas Day message with fans

Jeremy Clarkson’s partner, Lisa, was flooded with sweet messages after sharing a kind Christmas post.

The Clarkson’s Farm star, who recently celebrated her eighth anniversary with Jeremy, took to the show’s X/ Twitter page on Christmas Day to share a clip of all the sheep on their Diddly Squat Farm. In the video, she said: “Merry Christmas from all of us here at Diddly Squat Farm.”

“I hope you’re having a good day and just remembering the people who aren’t with their families and who are a little sad today. We are all thinking of you,” Lisa added as she panned the camera closer to the adorable sheep enjoying some hay. Fans immediately rushed to the comment section to share their support for her.

One user commented: “Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and may the farmers be free to farm in the new year,” while another follower posted: “Merry Christmas, Lisa and to everyone at the Farm! Thank you for everything You & Clarkson do to try to make it a better world.”

Lisa shared a sweet message with fans ( 
Image:
X)

Lisa and Jeremy recently celebrated their eighth anniversary ( 
Image:
Instagram)

“Merry Christmas from East Tennessee. Thank you for sharing your farm with us. Much love and blessings to you all,” another said and one posted: “Merry Christmas to you all!!! Thank you both for all you do.” Jeremy and his girlfriend Lisa started dating in 2016 after meeting at a friend’s Christmas party.

It followed the end of the TV presenter’s marriage breakdown to Frances Cain, to whom he was married for just over 20 years. Earlier this month, Jeremy and Lisa celebrated their eighth anniversary, with Lisa sharing some sweet pictures of the two on her social media page. In one picture, where Jeremy can be seen protectively wrapping his arm around Lisa’s shoulders while they are out at sea on a boat.

She wrote: “8 years today, I met Jeremy Clarkson.” She then shared yet another adorable picture of the pair at what looks to be a dinner party, and the journalist-turned-farmer has his arms once again wrapped around Lisa while she smiles for the camera. Lisa added some heart emojis to the picture.

Although they’re head over heels for each other now, it wasn’t always that way. Lisa shared in a previous interview that she didn’t give into her beau’s advances that easily and made him work for her love. Speaking to The Sun, she said: “I thought, ‘Ok, you’ve got a bit of a rep’—so he had to really court me!”

Dominic Wood – one half of children’s TV duo Dick and Dom – has watched his career go in a completely new direction after bursting onto the scene on the hit TV series in the early noughties

One former kids television presenter has stunned with his new look – and change of career.

In the early noughties, kids TV host Dominic Wood, now 46, was part of a formidable duo. Alongside Richard McCourt, the duo made up favourites Dick and Dom, with shows including Dick and Dom in da Bungalow. The hit show ran for five series, but Dom has now relaunched himself after stepping away from the small screen.

Instead, he is now growing a following on social media. Under the Instagram and TikTok handle @the_houseofwood, Dom is sharing his best DIY tips with over 500,000 followers. His clips involve himself documenting his impressive home renovation projects. While they are informative, Dom hasn’t moved too far away from his satire, either.

Dom on his Instagram page

Dom has gained a large following online
His new project first began in the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. He started to film his renovation project of his own home he bough in Surrey with his wife and young kids. In one of his first posts, Dom shared a caption alongside a series of images from the brochure of the estate agents who sold him the property.

He said: “With no one able to work myself and Sandi had to do as much as we could on our own. It was hard work on top of homeschooling and losing work BUT we like a challenge and THIS was a challenge. The house had obviously been lived in and loved but needed some updating. These are the pics from the estate agents brochure. What would you do first?!?”

After successfully capturing his audience, Dom continues to tell his transformation stories – and looks miles away from the character who catapulted him to fame. Projects have came in different sizes and stature, but they always appear to be “Hard and VERY messy work,” according to Dom.

Speaking in 2019 about his experience working on the show, which aired between 2002 and 2006, Dom said: “All our mates worked on the show, we were mates together. You couldn’t wait to get to the studio – it was so exciting when the cab pulled up at 5am.”

Speaking to The Mirror in 2021, Richard recalled his favourite moments of the show. “Kids still play Bogies nowadays and people shout it at us all the time. I think we are on the third generation of kids growing up,” explaining the enduring impact they made. He added humorously: “The kids that have grown up with Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow are between 25 and 35, so they’ve had kids and are teaching their kids Bogies.” Richard, then added a touch of amusement saying: “I’ll be in the supermarket and you can see them egg their kids on to shout bogies.”

Rik Waller was one of the standout stars of the first series of ITV’s Pop Idol in 2001, but his music career didn’t exactly go to plan – here’s what he’s up to now

Pop Idol, one of the biggest TV sensations of the early 2000s, only ran for two series, but IT catapulted Kent-born singer Rik Waller to fame, who was a favourite to win the first series of the reality singing competition.

Back in 2001, the then 20 year old wowed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox with his stunning vocals, making it into the final ten. However, he had to bow out prematurely due to laryngitis. Despite this setback, he found chart success with his rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, which climbed to number six in the UK singles chart. He inked a record deal with EMI, rumoured to be worth around £400,000, and went on to release a cover of Something Inside (So Strong).

Rik Waller competed in Pop Idol during the first series ( 
Image:
ITV)

Rik appeared on Celebrity Boot Camp ( 
Image:
Granada Televison)
Now 43, Rik has appeared on various UK reality shows, including Celebrity Fit Club, but around this time, he was dropped by EMI and formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records. After disappointing ticket sales, they cancelled a planned tour and split up. The last time Rik graced our screens was in February 2007 on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Rumours spread that he had lost his singing voice due to damage, reports OK!

In a 2007 interview, he confessed: “I’m getting tired of singing and I can’t rely on it for 100 per cent of my income. I’ve got two people to think about now, and talent doesn’t always pay the bills.” At the time, he was in a relationship with a woman who practised Paganism, and they planned a Pagan wedding ceremony. However, the relationship ended with whispers that she had encouraged him to quit performing.

In a candid 2013 interview with the Daily Mail, Rik revealed the humiliation of visiting a Job Centre: “The most demoralising thing I’ve ever had to do was queue up at the Job Centre and have people look at me saying, ‘What a failure’.” He added: “When you’ve lost the ability to do the job you’ve always done, it’s an incredible stab in the back to find people are actually laughing at you.

It was previously rumoured that he had lost the ability to sing ( 
Image:
PA Photo/Channel 5 Handout)

The former Pop Idol star is now an exam invigilator ( 
Image:
SWNS Group)“It’s why I don’t make a lot of effort to talk to the press these days – it can be more trouble than it’s worth.” He added: “If you’ve got a roof over your head and food on the table I don’t know how anyone can be truly unhappy.” By 2014, Rik had moved back in with his parents and was working as a secondary school exam invigilator under his birth name, Richard. He also helped his father run a local mobile karaoke and disco service. According to his Facebook page, he still works as an exam invigilator and resides in Leicester.