Author: bang5

After the annual royals’ accounts revealed expenditure of £2.7million last year on travel by private jet, helicopters and rail, we want to know whether you think the family cost the taxpayer too much

Is the royal family costing the taxpayer too much? Take our poll(Image: Chris Jackson, Getty Images)

The annual royal accounts have revealed that the family have spent a total of £2.7million last year on travel by private jet, helicopters and rail. One trip by the King and Queen to Australia and Samoa last October cost a staggering £400,000.

Following the accounts being published, it was announced that King Charles would be axing the late Queen’s beloved Royal Train after decades of service in an attempt to save cash. New figures found that the nine-carriage locomotive was only in action twice in the last year but cost £78,000.

As the Royal Train is scrapped, accounts show Charles and the many of the royal family will rely on two new helicopters to get around. Palace aides stressed trains and other transport will be used, however, Charles arrived in Scotland this Wednesday by helicopter. If you can’t see the poll, click here.

James Chalmers, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said axing the Royal Train was an example of the royal family applying “fiscal discipline” in its drive to deliver “value for money”. Mr Chalmers said: “The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved. But in moving forward we must not be bound by the past.

“Just as so many parts of the royal household’s work have been modernised and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too, the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward in our allocation of funding. With His Majesty’s support it has therefore been decided that the process to decommission the royal train will commence next year.”

The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the royal family’s official duties and the upkeep of royal palaces, is met from public funds in exchange for the King’s surrender of the revenue from the Crown Estate. The royals then in return get 12 per cent of this revenue back to run their affairs including travel, engagements at home and abroad and welcoming tens of thousands of people to the royal palaces.

The Royal Train was once Queen Elizabeth II’s preferred mode of travel(Image: SSPL via Getty Images)

For the accounts last year, the royals cost the taxpayer £86.3 million for a fourth consecutive year. But record offshore wind farm profits have seen the Crown Estate net profits for the last financial year and hit £1.1 billion – meaning a record breaking Sovereign Grant of £132million will be handed out next year and the year after.

Aides say the extra cash will go towards paying for the £369million refit of Buckingham Palace and the upkeep of other royal residences.

Writing for the Mirror, Norman Baker slammed the royals, saying: “Buckingham Palace pretends the royals are prudent with our money – it’s utter hogwash. Another year, another multimillion-pound splurge on one of the richest families in the country.

“Buckingham Palace pretends the royals are being prudent with public money. What utter hogwash. They even have the cheek to suggest that Charles is being generous because he only takes 12% of the income of the Crown Estate.

“Reality check: the Crown Estate has in effect been a public body since 1760, and until 2011, 100% of its profits went to the Treasury to pay for schools, hospitals, defence and, yes, disability benefits. This 12% is a new royal tax on the public purse.”

What do you think? Is the royal family costing the taxpayer too much? Take our poll and have your say in the comments below.

Chris Hughes is said to be ‘upset’ that his Love Island ex Olivia Attwood landed a role with ITV’s This Morning after her ‘hitting out’ at his current relationship online

Chris Hughes is reportedly dreading crossing paths with his ex Olivia Attwood on the set of ITV’s This Morning(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood’s bitter history is threatening to spill over into ITV’s This Morning as the exes now find themselves working on the same show.

Seven years on from their fiery split the former Love Island stars are set to run into each other again as Olivia steps in as a guest host on the daytime programme this summer, which has reportedly left Chris rattled. Sources told The Sun that Olivia’s new role has sparked behind-the-scenes headaches for This Morning bosses, who are keen to keep the former couple apart.

Chris has been appearing regularly on the show as a roving reporter since his stint on Celebrity Big Brother, and it seems that Olivia’s arrival has thrown a spanner in the works for him.

The Love Island alums split up seven years ago but are still said to have major friction(Image: Getty Images)

An insider said: “Chris has been doing regular presenting gigs on location for This Morning ever since Celebrity Big Brother.

“He was starting to build up a really good relationship with the producers on the show and was hoping it would lead to more regular appearances over the summer – including a potential spot on the sofa or in the studio.

“Olivia coming on board to front the show for several dates over the next few weeks feels like a huge blow to him. He doesn’t want to have to do live crosses to his ex in front of the nation – it’s so awkward and he feels like the viewers will be scrutinising their every interaction and every little facial expression will be analysed. It’s the last thing he wants.”

Although it’s been years since they dated, Chris is said to have been hurt by comments Olivia made about his relationship with housemate JoJo Siwa during his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

While he was on the Channel 4 reality show, Olivia revealed she needed therapy after dating him. She also accused him of acting “creepy” around JoJo, who is 11 years younger than Chris.

In one TikTok video, Olivia said: “The therapy was expensive and now I’m going to have to go back for another round because I’m getting trolled on this app and because every weird, creepy thing that happens, I’m getting tagged in it.”

She went on to claim Chris was putting on a performance for the cameras. She added: “[Some] people, they go on reality TV, they are one person and when you experience them off camera… It’s like shapeshifters.”

When she was asked about Chris’s romance with JoJo after the show online, Olivia hinted he might be using the relationship for publicity, quipping: “she’s really famous”.

One of Chris’s friends has claimed he was upset by the snippy remarks, adding: “He didn’t understand why she needed to comment on him at all, as he never mentions her publicly. He has always only said positive things about her, both at the time of the split and since then.”

They went on to share more about his current dilemma, saying: “Now, just when all that post-CBB stuff has died down and he is happy with JoJo and really busy with work, Liv lands a gig on This Morning.

“Chris was really shocked as she is a regular on Loose Women, so he didn’t expect her to cross over to the show he works on. He felt like they had their own patches and now that’s no longer the case.

“Liv’s basically the new golden girl of ITV daytime, and he worries he’s going to be phased out, especially as she is the one with the plum main presenter spot on the sofa and he is a smaller part of the This Morning family.

“Ultimately, if bosses have to choose between her and him, he fears he’ll be the more expendable one. He’s also really not someone who likes conflict, so he would rather walk away.”

This Morning and Chris Hughes’ reps have been contacted for comment.

Strictly Come Dancing star, Dan Walker, has broken his silence after leaving viewers concerned following his lengthy absence from Channel 5 News and Classic FM

Presenter, Dan Walker, has assured fans there is nothing to worry about after taking leave from his Channel 5 News and Classic FM shows. The former Football Focus host, 48, is one of the nation’s most recognisable presenters and is usually on our screens weeknights on Channel 5 and on the radio on Sunday for Classic FM.

However, Dan has recently been absent from both programmes, prompting viewers to express their concern. Revealing the real reason for his mysterious disappearance, he took to Instagram, saying the “answer is twofold”. Explaining that he’d been on a family holiday as well as filming a new show for Channel 5, he said, sitting in his car: “Hello, I’ve been asked by quite a few people if I’ve left Channel 5 and why I’ve disappeared from Classic FM. The answer is twofold.”

Dan Walker usually presents Channel 5 News on weeknights

Dan continued: “First is, I’m on holiday with the family for a couple of weeks and the second is that I’m filming a new series for Channel 5, which you should be able to see I think in September, which I can’t tell you too much about but it’s going to be great fun.

“So that’s why I’ve not been on the telly. The radio I’ll be back on Monday and I’ll be back on 5 News in a couple of weeks time once I’ve finished filming the series.

“There you go, that’s the answer, it looks like the lovely weather is over, the rain has returned, have a great day.”

BBC Breakfast viewers were stunned when Dan jumped shipped and headed over to Channel 5 in 2022. Dan had been at the helm on the red sofa at the Beeb since 2016, but decided it was time for a change – as well as a lie-in.

Speaking on This Morning, he admitted he used to “cry in the toilets” while at the BBC as he opened up about his tough schedule. Talking to hosts Dermot O’Leary and Josie Gibson, he said: “When I used to do BBC Breakfast, you know what it’s like. If that alarm goes off at three that’s far too early, that’s flight to Spain time isn’t it.

“I get up now about 5.30am/ 5.45am, which is essentially a lie in and I feel great, I feel refreshed and I really enjoy the job I do.”

He continued: “By Wednesday I was, like, full zombie mode. And also you get really emotional. By Wednesday I was like, end of the show, you are like, in the toilets just crying.

“Anything sets you off. Someone says something nice about your trousers and you are like [fake cries]. Not everyday, but I think you just get a little bit emotional when you are sleep-deprived.”

Dan went on to bag a reported £1.5million deal with Channel 5 to host it’s nightly news programme in 2022.

He made the announcement posting a short video on Twitter, now X, with the caption: “Here we go. See you next Monday at 5, on 5.

“It’s great to be joining Channel 5, but news is never about who sits in the chair. It’s the stories that matter most from a team you can trust.”

The annual royal accounts have revealed the Firm cost the taxpayer £86.3 million last year, as King Charles derails the Royal Train in a bid to save cash – and we asked Mirror readers to share their thoughts

We asked readers if the royal family costs the taxpayer too much(Image: Getty Images)

The royal family spent a staggering £2.7 million on travel last year, including journeys by private jet, helicopter, and train, the newly released royal accounts have revealed – and we asked Mirror readers if the Firm is costing the taxpayer too much.

Last year’s accounts show that the royals cost the taxpayer £86.3 million for the fourth consecutive year, while the King and Queen’s trip to Australia and Samoa in October came with a hefty £400,000 price tag. Following the publication of the annual accounts, it was announced that King Charles plans to derail the Royal Train after nearly 125 years of service in a bid to save cash.

The nine-carriage locomotive, which was once Queen Elizabeth II’s preferred mode of travel, was only in action twice in the last year but cost £78,000. It comes as the King attempts to “modernise” the Royal Family, as Keeper of the Privy Purse James Chalmers said: “The time has come to bid the fondest of farewells as we seek to be disciplined and forward-looking in our allocation of funding.”

The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the royal family’s official duties and the upkeep of royal palaces, is met from public funds in exchange for the King’s surrender of the revenue from the Crown Estate. The royals then in return get 12 per cent of this revenue back to run their affairs including travel, engagements at home and abroad and welcoming tens of thousands of people to the royal palaces.

Record offshore wind farm profits have seen the Crown Estate net profits for the last financial year and hit £1.1 billion – meaning a record breaking Sovereign Grant of £132million will be handed out next year and the year after. Palace aides say the extra cash will go towards paying for the £369million refit of Buckingham Palace and the upkeep of other royal residences.

However, former Minister of State for Home Affairs Norman Baker slammed Buckingham Palace ‘pretending to be prudent’ as ‘utter hogwash’. He wrote in the Mirror: “Reality check: the Crown Estate has in effect been a public body since 1760, and until 2011, 100% of its profits went to the Treasury to pay for schools, hospitals, defence and, yes, disability benefits. This 12% is a new royal tax on the public purse.”

We asked Mirror readers if they think the royal family is costing the taxpayer too much, and 62 percent said ‘No’. Around 3,169 people took part in our poll, and 1,955 selected the option ‘No – I don’t think so’.

Voicing their thoughts in the comments section, one user said: “The RF are the head of the UK and I love what we have, I am a royalist and I’m very proud to say so. I think the RF bring a lot of tourists to our country. King Charles has scaled down the working royals and has been scaling down on some ceremonies and Prince William has plans to scale back even more and wants to modernise the RF and make it less austere, it seems William and Catherine are doing that already.”

Another echoed: “Westminster Abbey, one of the most popular attractions for oversees tourists, a symbol of British history & the final resting place of revered monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth I & her half sister Queen Mary & famed British icons (Charles Dickens). An unprecedented symbol of hierarchical succession & constitutional monarchy with every coronation conducted there & all monarchs anointed. Tourists want to see symbols of monarchist power, influence & status.”

“Many presidents of other countries are costing a lot more. If you don’t take my word, do your research. On top of that tourists don’t go visiting countries wanting to see any president, but they may do to see a king. Also The cost isn’t only about the king head of state, but other working royals doing complimentary work for the king,” wrote a third.

Another added: “If the Royals bring in more from tourism than is spent on them, that has got to be a win.” However, 38 percent said the Firm is costing the taxpayer too much, as one reader fumed: “All of the information out there and people still believe we aren’t giving these over privileged people too much money, throwing millions at them each year doesn’t make them any better.”

A second wrote: “It is absolutely ridiculous to believe anyone is coming to the UK to catch a glimpse of the King! or the Royal Family! They aren’t in a zoo and they aren’t magical beings from Fairyland. How absurd. No matter how you feel about elected Heads of State, at least they aren’t automatically put in office just for coming out of the womb, and getting oiled up while pals hold up the sheets. Nobody’s spending money and wasting time coming to Britain for that.”

Another voiced: “The monarchy supporters distort the figures. Vastly over estimate any money they bring in (if any), under estimate what they cost. If they were abolished the country would benefit from the companies they own and the taxes they don’t pay.”Do you think the royal family is costing the taxpayer too much? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and you can still vote in our poll HERE to have your say.

Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso posted a tragic message and dedicated it to her then partner, writing ‘we said it would be until death tore us apart, today I say not even death can do that’

Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso posted a now-tragic tribute to her footballer husband, where she wrote: “We said it would be until death tore us apart, today I say not even death can do that”.

In a heartbreaking message, posted in 2019, she wrote: “Seven years ago two kids, 15 and 16 years old, began their story. Two friends, same class, that never even dreamed what the future could bring!

“Who would’ve thought that it would turn out like this.. who would’ve thought that seven years later we would have lived in three different countries, visited ten countries and we still are the same two kids! Happy! We know highs and lows but we keep pushing and overcoming our own goals, holding each other’s hand.”

Diogo Jota and his wife Rute Cardoso
Heartbreakingly, she added: “We grew up together and we’ll grow old together too! Seven years ago we said it would be until death tore us apart. Today I say not even death can do that.”

Diogo died after a car crash in Spain on Thursday morning. His brother Andre also died. Pedro Proenca, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, paid tribute to Jota in a statement on social media shortly after the news broke.

He said: “The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, this early morning, in Spain.

The pair recently got married ( 
Image:
Instagram/rutecfcardoso14)
“Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 international appearances for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.”

Rute and Diogo had been together since they were teenagers in high school and had recently finally got married just recently. Alongside a video of their nuptials, she captioned it: “A day we will never forget.”

Diogo and Rute as childhood sweethearts ( 
Image:
@rutecfcardoso14/Instagram)Diogo recently did an interview where he spoke about being a young dad. He said in the video shared on Facebook: “It was a bit of a shock when I first found out, but when the baby was put in my arms for the first time… you always think about that moment but when it actually happens, you can’t describe the feeling.

“One of the midwives offered for me to cut the cord, but I couldn’t do it, I’m too sensitive.” When asked for advice for any new dads, Diogo said: “I would say speak to Joe because he’s more experienced but I would say patience is key.”

Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen has died at the age of 67 after being found unresponsive at his Malibu home

Hollywood star Michael Madsen dies after being ‘found unresponsive at home’. The Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs actor was aged 67. The actor was found in his Malibu home on Thursday morning. His manager confirmed he had died from cardiac arrest.

Michael was best known for his iconic roles in a number of Quentin Tarantino movies over his 40 years in showbiz. He featured in hit films, including Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Reservoir Dogs, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His impressive resume also featured films such as Donnie Brasco, Thelma & Louise, The Hateful Eight and Free Willy.

He was expected to be involved in a number of upcoming movies, too. The star’s representatives said the actor had spent the last two years working on independent films. They included feature films such as Resurrection Road, Concessions, and Cookbook for Southern Housewives.

Michael Madsen as Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs
In a statement, his publicist Liz Rodriguez and his managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith said the star “was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life”.

The statement read: “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.” His performance in Reservoir Dogs, which was a low-budget Tarantino production, earned him a place in film history. His role as Mr Blonde – a sadistic and trigger happy bad guy – earned him a place in the nomination list for the American Film Institute’s list of the all-time greatest movie villains.

As well as his impressive movie portfolio, Madsen was also known for his voice work in video games, including Grand Theft Auto III and Dishonored.

He also wrote poetry and published a number of books before his death. The actor had also released a line of hot sauces that were called American Badass.

Michael Madsen died at his home in Malibu ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Following the news breaking, fans were quick to take to social media to pay tribute. On Twitter/X, Captain America co-director Joe Russo shared an image of him in Reservoir Dogs.

He wrote: “Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?” Michael Madsen ALWAYS had bite. RIP.” Film writer Todd Spence also said: “Rest in peace to Michael Madsen. I’d argue his work in this one scene from Reservoir Dogs birthed Tarantino’s whole career. One of the greats.”

Another added: “Losing Michael Madsen is an absolute gut-punch. What an incredible actor, gone way too soon. Without question, I’ll remember him in part from his outstanding performance in Kill Bill. Madsen’s partnership with Tarantino was so special. This is incredibly sad news.”

Madsen was married three times and had six children, including actor Christian Madsen, with whom he shared with Jeannine Bisignana. His other child with Jessica is called Max.

Madsen shared daughter Jessica with Dana Mechling, and sons Luke and Kalvin with DeAnna Morgan. Madsen and Morgan also shared son, Hudson Madsen, who died by suicide at age 26 in 2022.

Madsen was also previously married to Georganne LaPiere, who is the half-sister of Cher, from 1984 to 1988.

Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom has shared a series of quotes. attributed to psychologist Carl Jung, following reports in recent weeks that he has split from Katy Perry

Orlando Bloom has shared a series of quotes on social media this week(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Orlando Bloom has shared a series of cryptic quotes referring to “darkness” and “loneliness” following his reported split from his fiancée Katy Perry.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 48, and Katy, 40, have reportedly parted ways after nine years together. The couple, who are parents to four-year-old daughter Daisy, have faced speculation over their relationship in recent weeks, with there once even the suggestion of potential “make or break talks” in the future.

Following yet more reports that they had separated, Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando has shared a series of quotes, which aren’t attributed to him, on Instagram. They featured in a post that he shared on his account yesterday.

He shared a post by the account @sapienkind which focused on the late Carl Jung, who’s considered the founder of analytical psychology. The post included more than a dozen quotes attributed to the psychologist.

One quote included in the repost from Orlando was about loneliness. It read: “Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself.”

Orlando Bloom recently shared a post, uploaded by another account, that included a series of quotes attributed to psychologist Carl Jung(Image: sapienkind/Instagram)

Whilst another of those featured in the post focused on love and power. That quote read: “Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominates, love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.”

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness,” one quote read. Whilst another read: “Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul, be just another human soul.”

Orlando later shared his post on his Instagram Story. He went on to highlight some of the quotes in particular, including specifically sharing the loneliness comment and the one that had referenced touching the human soul.

He also highlighted another quote on there. The third quote from the post that he shared on its own through his Instagram Story yesterday read: “We are not what happened to us, we are what we choose to become.”

It comes following reports that Orlando (right) has split up from his fiancée Katy Perry(Image: Variety via Getty Images)

It comes after Orlando previously shared some quotes from other sources just days ago. As reported at the time, he posted a quote attributed to Buddha that read: “Each day is a new beginning. What we do today is what matters most.”

Amid ongoing speculation over his relationship with singer-songwriter Katy, it’s been reported that they are “amicable”. A source told US Weekly for an article that was published last week: “It’s not contentious at the moment.”

The source claimed that the apparent separation has been “a long time coming,” adding that things between them have been “tense” for months. They said that Katy is “of course upset” but “relived” to not have a second divorce ahead of her.

Rod Stewart has opened up about his marriage to his second wife Rachel Hunter, and has claimed that she left him because she was “too young” when they tied the knot

Sir Rod Stewart says marriage split from Rachel Hunter ‘tore him to shreds’(Image: GETTY)

Sir Rod Stewart has candidly discussed the collapse of his marriage to his second wife, Rachel Hunter. The 80-year-old rock legend was first married to Alana Hamilton from 1979 to 1984, with whom he shares daughter Kimberly and son Sean. Following the end of this relationship, Rod tied the knot with ex-model Rachel, who was a whopping 26 years his junior.

When they said their vows, Rachel was just 21 and Rod was 45. A year later, they welcomed their daughter Renee, and son Liam followed soon after. It’s suggested that the ‘Maggie May’ singer met his current spouse, Penny Lancaster, merely a day after parting ways with Rachel in 1999.

The split ‘tore him to shreds’(Image: GETTY)

Reminiscing about their initial encounter, he shared that Penny sought his autograph, which led him to ask her if she enjoyed dancing. “She was an incredible dancer, gorgeous, [and wearing] 6ft 4in heels,” he fondly remembered, during a chat with The Times.

Despite being instantly smitten with the Loose Women star, Rod confesses he was counselled to enjoy single life for a bit post his split from Rachel.

“There were six months between Rachel and Penny because my bass player, who had Penny’s number, wouldn’t give it to me,” he revealed to the newspaper.

He is now married to Penny Lancaster(Image: GETTY)

“He said, ‘All you’re going to do now is s**g around’. And he was right, I had a splendid time in those six months.” Rod and Rachel officially ended their marriage in 2006, and a year later, he wed Penny, the mother of his two sons.

“Rachel left me because she was too young. My sister said I should never have married her in the first place, but it tore me to shreds,” he opened up.

Reflecting on his relationship with Penny, he added that she’s “got everything” he’s ever desired. Their union has now spanned 18 years, and the couple is still as close as ever. Last week, Penny showed her unwavering support as Rod took on the legends slot at Glastonbury’s iconic Pyramid stage.

Also showing their support were the couple’s sons Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14, alongside Renee and Ruby, Rod’s daughter with ex-partner and model Kelly Emberg.

Before Rod’s performance at the music festival, he and Penny celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary in grand fashion.

To commemorate the occasion, they took a trip on the opulent Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, retracing the romantic stops from their engagement, wedding, and honeymoon journey.

It was in Paris where Rod proposed to Penny, before they exchanged vows two years later in Portofino, Italy, which was then followed by an indulgent honeymoon on board a luxury yacht along the Italian coast.

Linda Robson has revealed she can soon be seen on stage in an adaptation of a classic BBC comedy – meaning fans can soon see her treading the boards with their own eyes

Linda Robson has shared an exciting update about her acting career(Image: ITV)

Linda Robson has revealed she has landed an exciting new acting gig – and fans will be able to watch her perform in the flesh.

The 66-year-old TV star is known to millions as a panellist on ITV’s lunchtime talk show Loose Women – but for years before she pulled up a chair on the daytime show, she had a successful career as an actress. By far her most iconic role was playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom Birds of a Feather – a role she held from 1989 until the series was cancelled a second time in 2020.

Over the years, the star has made appearances on shows including police drama The Bill and Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks – as well as appearing as herself in reality shows including Celebs on the Farm and Celebrity Coach Trip. Since 2003, Linda has appeared on Loose women, more regularly appearing since 2010.

Later this year, fans of Linda will be able to see her live on stage – as she has revealed she has landed a role in a production of Fawlty Towers. The legendary comedy series aired as a sitcom on the BBC from 1975 until 1979 – and since 2016, a stage adaptation has been performed, with a recent run winning over audiences in London’s West End.

A stage version of Fawlty Towers has been hosting performances since 2016(Image: PA)

Now Linda will be taking on a role in the stage adaptation of the show for a limited run. Speaking about her continuing acting career, she told The Sun: “I did The Good Ship Murder, and then I’m going into [John Cleese’s] Fawlty Towers, the play, for a couple of months, so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully I won’t have to sing.”

Discussing if she still gets nervous, Linda said: “A little bit, yes. Because I haven’t done stage for a little while. I’m going to see it on Friday night, and then we start [the live shows] in probably May/June.” It is unclear what part the TV star will take in the stage version of the comedy.

This marks the latest time Linda has opened up about her existing acting ambitions – having enjoyed her role in Channel 5’s crime drama The Good Ship Murder – which she starred in alongside X Factor’s Shayne Ward. She told The Sun: “I’ve just won a part in ‘Murder on the Ship’ or whatever it is called that Shayne Ward does. So yeah, I’m going to be doing eight days of filming for that in Malta. Hopefully I don’t die!

“My character’s name is Elsa and I think I play a cabin steward and I’m filming that in March. I’ve met Shayne quite a few times too – he’s been a guest at ‘Loose Women’ but apparently he sings in every episode doesn’t he?”

Meanwhile, Linda has been offering her support to Birds of a Feather co-star Pauline Quirk – who, it was revealed recently, is battling dementia and no longer recognises her co-star. Speaking to the Mirror at the TV Choice Awards, Linda said: “I knew about Pauline’s diagnosis for three years and it has been tough. I kept in touch with her husband Steve the whole time and she’s being really looked after. We FaceTime a lot but she doesn’t say too much, we’re always in contact and I’m seeing her next week. It’s nice to see the support for her but it can be upsetting to talk about it.”

Ruth Langsford’s mother, Joan, suffered a fall in December fracturing her pelvis less than a year after breaking her hip

Ruth said the previous incident had put ‘what’s important into perspective’(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Wicked London Production Ltd)

Ruth Langsford has given fans an update on her mother’s health following a recent accident. The Loose Women star previously shared that her mother, Joan, suffered a fall, fracturing her pelvis less than a year after breaking her hip.

Despite the family’s relief that Joan didn’t require surgery, the 94-year-old was advised to spend some time recuperating in hospital. Thankfully, she was given the all-clear to return home in January, where she joined Ruth and her dog, Maggie.

“Mum soaking up this gorgeous sunshine and rocking my sunglasses and padded gilet from @qvcuk,” Ruth said, posting to Instagram yesterday. “Thank you for all your kind enquires about her….she’s recovering brilliantly after fracturing her pelvis in December…

“Charging around again on her walker like a good ‘un! Hope I’ll have her grit and energy when I’m 94! LEGEND.” Joan received care from nursing staff at Woking Community Hospital and St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.

Ruth said the whole ordeal had certainly shifted her perspective on life, as her mother was sadly unable to partake in usual Christmas festivities last December. At the time, Ruth explained: “No dancing in my kitchen peeling the veg for my darling Mum this Christmas.

“This time last year she fell and broke her hip but recovered well…she’s a very strong woman so I’m sure she’ll recover from this too. Put’s life and what’s important into perspective eh?”

The heartfelt update comes just months after Ruth herself faced a health issue, having previously revealed to her followers that she’d been housebound for several days.

“I’ve had a couple of days at home with the lurgy but feeling better today so I ventured out for a stroll with Maggie,” the 64-year-old said, before commenting: “Nice to get some fresh air.”

Ruth and Eamonn were married for 14 years before announcing their separation last May(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Ruth’s health struggles also follow her recent split from ex co-star Eamonn Holmes. The couple were married for 14 years before announcing their separation last May.

Four months later, Eamonn was spotted in Barcelona with his alleged love interest, Katie Alexander, who is 22 years his junior. Reports suggest Eamonn and Katie met a few years ago and grew closer as things turned rocky between him and Ruth.