Author: bang5

Kensington Palace has taken the rare step of issuing a fresh statement clarifying one of its policies regarding Princess Kate after facing a backlash from her fans

Kensington Palace issued a statement clarifying the official policy for sharing information about Princess Kate after a backlash over new guidance.

At the start of the month, the Sunday Times published an article titled “Princess of Wales: Focus on my work, not my wardrobe,” which quoted a royal source as saying that Kate “wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting”.

The report further stated she found it “frustrating and difficult” when the spotlight is instead on what she looks like rather than her work. On Tuesday, a Kensington Palace spokesperson responded with a rare statement where they insisted there was “no change in our approach to sharing information”.

They told the Mirror: “Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales’s clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits.

“To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not The Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to The Princess of Wales. To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing.”

Royal fans had been left disappointed by the possibility that the Palace would no longer share details of Kate’s clothing, with one expert admitting that his heart ‘sank’ when he heard the news. The Princess is considered a global style icon, with fashionistas rushing to buy whatever the Princess wears in record time.

As such, fans argued that Kate plays a key role in shining a spotlight on British designers and boosting the British fashion industry. Her endorsement was recently estimated to be worth £1bn annually to the fashion industry, according to Newsweek.

Kate has undergone a style shift in recent years. When she first embarked on royal life, the Princess relied heavily on floral dresses that were fitted and flared. But she now has a new fashion formula, and it’s boosted her style credentials even further.

The mum-of-three’s go-to outfit now typically consists of a beautiful tailored trouser suit, a T-shirt or blouse and pointed court shoes. It’s seen as an ideal choice for a modern-day Princess; polished and formal but also relaxed and understated with the addition of a more casual top.

According to a number of experts, the change in Kate’s style sends a clear message. “I think it marks a new era in her royal life,” Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph told People magazine. “It shows her confidence is growing and that she’s willing to take more risks and do something that might not have come naturally to her.”

Bethan continued: “She’s transforming before our eyes. She might not be able to say to us, ‘Look, my life is now completely different, me and my husband are one step closer to the biggest job of his life,’ but she is saying that through her fashion choices.”

Her comments have been echoed by royal style expert Miranda Holder. ” Princess Kate ‘s image has definitely taken on a more business-like feel ever since she became the Princess of Wales; her more serious wardrobe reflecting the gravitas of her heavyweight role within the Firm,” she told HELLO! . “She has literally been rebranded in line with her new level of authority as the Princess of Wales and her position as our future Queen.”

Notably, Princess Kate is not the only royal to undergo a major style shift at a pivotal time in her life — so too did her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. “Diana had her own trouser suit moment in the late 1980s at a time when she wanted to be taken more seriously,” Holt further added. “She said to designers, ‘I’m sick of the frothy ball gowns — I want to wear menswear.’ And she had these fabulous power suit moments!”

The Sussexes raised eyebrows with their very tactile displays during the Invictus Games, so fans were surprised to discover they will be spending the most romantic day of the year apart

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made headlines with their highly tactile and loved-up appearances at the Invictus Games.

So, it has come as a surprise to their fans to learn that the couple will be spending Valentine’s Day apart this year – and it’s a date in the calendar that the Duchess of Sussex previously said is ‘special’ to her. After packing on the PDA and gushing about each other at the tournament, Meghan left her husband in Canada on Tuesday in order to fly home to get back to their children, Archie and Lilbet.

Meghan, 43, spent five days at the competition after arriving in Vancouver alongside Harry, 40, on Friday afternoon. Aides kept her travel plans under wraps for security reasons, but it is understood she had always planned to leave the event early.

Harry and Meghan have been incredibly tactile during their stay in Canada ( 
Image:
Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Meghan cut her trip short as the Games continue ( 
Image:
Humphrey Nemar/staff Photographer.)
Before Meghan’s departure, the couple made a point of putting on an affectionate display with Meghan expressing her overwhelming pride in her husband. They enjoyed the show from the stands, danced away to pop hits and cosied up with champagne.

A passionate on-stage kiss was shared by the affectionate duo, and they also made rare comments about their young children. While returning to Archie and Lilibet is clearly at the centre of Meghan’s decision to leave, she will be disappointed not to be spending Valentine’s Day with her husband.

Meghan previously spoke of her love for the celebration on her blog The Tig, writing: “Hook, line and sinker, I am such a sucker for Valentine’s Day. Without fail, every February 14th, I wake up feeling like I’m immersed in a Robert Doisneau photo, waiting with bated breath to be dipped into a kiss.

“This is all happening in black and white, of course. And in Paris, if I had my way. But delusions of francophile grandeur aside, Valentine’s Day is special wherever you happen to find yourself.”

Harry and Meghan’s loved-up display in Canada was a marked difference from their tour of Colombia in September 2024, when experts suggested Harry seemed “distant” and “hesitant” in contrast to his wife, who seemed to be “running the show”.

Following their return from South America, the Duke and Duchess then embarked on a series of solo engagements and outings – perceived as a ‘professional split’ by some experts – and as a result, were plagued by divorce rumours, something Harry later addressed.

Body language expert Judi James has examined the change in Harry and Meghan’s dynamic, and told the Mirror that the public have been presented with a “state of eternal honeymoon re-boot through a deluge of romantic statements, both verbal and non-verbal, from Meghan”.

Judi said: “Meghan’s romance signals with her husband on this trip look like deliberate and emphatic ‘statement’ displays. They don’t veer from their normal signals of love but they do appear to suggest something of a re-brand, as though they’ve left both fans and critics to wait for too long and that she now wants to show that the Harry and Meghan romance narrative is still firmly on track.”

The expert continued: “Her introduction of Harry on stage in Canada involved the kind of coy, eye-rolling, knowing asides to the audience of your average newlywed. Meghan’s coyness over a marriage of six years suggests she is still in a state of blushing swoon over her wonderful ‘husband and father to my two children’.”

She further noted that Meghan’s ‘touch rituals’ have only intensified during their time in Canada. “The couple have tended to retain their signature hand clasp over the past couple of years but now Meghan is using ‘limpet’ behaviours, clinging to Harry’s arm with one hand and holding his free hand with her other.

“She has been resting her head on his shoulder as though on a date night and her ‘seal clapping’ at him and even her filming or photographing him suggests a born-again adoration of the man she’s already made it pretty clear that she loves.

“There is now facial touch and back of the neck strokes. When Harry stood to take his turn onstage during the opening ceremony, Meghan cupped his face in her hands to bestow a kiss on him, making him look like her own hero in a stadium full of actual war heroes.”

The plane was forced to make a priority landing at Juan Santamaría International Airport after a malfunction appeared in the cockpit – Queen Mathilde was on board

A plane carrying the Queen of Belgium was forced to make an emergency landing after the aircraft malfunctioned.

Queen Mathilde, the 52-year-old wife of Belgian monarch King Philippe, was flying to Costa Rica for a three-day royal visit on Sunday when the KLM-operated Boeing 787-9 had to make an early landing shortly before arrival. The flight PH-BHD took off from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and was on its way to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José when a crack suddenly appeared in the cockpit window. The crew continued the flight but requested priority landing at the Costa Rican airport, which was granted. KLM later confirmed the incident, and stated that the safety of the passengers and crew was never at risk.

Pictures shared online showed cracked glass at the front of the cockpit ( 
Image:
fl360aero/X)

Queen Mathilde of Belgium visited Costa Rice for a three-day royal trip ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Images shared online showed shattered glass at the front of the cockpit. One man on board said passengers were not informed of the issue during the flight. Belgian royal commentator Wim Dehandschutter wrote on X: “The aeroplane with Belgian Queen Mathilde landed in Costa Rica with a cracked windshield, according to this account and local media. I was on that flight. As passengers, we didn’t notice anything, and we didn’t receive any notification during the flight or upon landing.”

“Our KLM flight did leave Schiphol 20 minutes late, there was turbulence – as on many flights – and the landing was quite hard, but nothing seemed to be alarming. So I was a bit surprised when I read reports in the local media and on X about the ’emergency landing’.”

Queen Mathilde, who was heading to the South American country as part of a Unicef mission, was not harmed. Later in the day she was officially welcomed to the country by children waving national and Unicef flags, and met Costa Rica’s president, Rodrigo Chaves and first lady Signe Zeikate. No military honours were given, as Costa Rica has no army. She also visited a coffee plantation supporting children of seasonal workers, and stopped at a community programme for vulnerable children.

The damaged Boeing 787-9 was taken out of the regular flight schedule after landing, reported Aviation Direct, and is now in Costa Rica awaiting repairs. Passengers due to use the plane for the return leg were rebooked on alternative connections.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is poised to drop her new lifestyle show for Netflix – but reports have claimed that since its initial release was postponed a major change has been made

When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex returned to Instagram over the New Year, it caused something of a frenzy amongst royal fans – and shortly afterward she dropped the first trailer for her brand new Netflix show on her profile.

Meghan – who alongside Prince Harry signed a multi-year deal with the streaming giant back in 2020 – is returning to the lifestyle space with a new eight-part series that will see her explore hosting and entertaining tips with the help of some celebrity pals

With Love, Meghan was set to drop in January, but after terrifying wildfires devastated the LA area – where Meghan herself grew up – she and Netflix decided that postponing the release was the most appropriate choice.

“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said in a statement.

Meghan’s decision to postpone her new show was ‘easy’ given ‘catastrophe’ of wildfires ( 
Image:
(Image: Netflix))

Where the Duchess would likely have been focussed on promoting her new offering, which sees her return to familiar territory that she worked in before her marriage to Harry – for many years she ran a popular lifestyle blog called The Tig that covered everything from wellness and food to travel – she instead threw herself into supporting those who had been evacuated and even lost their homes in the devastating blazes.

A new report has claimed that these efforts to help displaced communities will now be included in the series, marking a major change from the aspirational content originally planned, which is said to aim to elevate the every day to the extraordinary.

“It is understood the show is being edited ‘to include Meghan’s philanthropic work around the fires’ which included visiting victims in Altadena, California,” the Daily Mail reported.

However, in some quarters Meghan faced some criticism for her efforts in wildfire relief, leaving one royal expert to point out that in some ways she and Harry are “damned if they do, damned if they don’t”.

After Prince Harry and Meghan’s volunteering efforts were reported, actor Justine Bateman accused the couple of being “disaster tourists” and said they were only there for a “repulsive photo op” – despite the fact that LA is Meghan’s hometown, and other locals were full of praise for her efforts to help.

Harry and Meghan chat to a volunteer
Mayor of Pasadena Victor Gordo was seriously impressed when Harry went above and beyond to help a bedridden elderly man who had been evacuated from his home – and had no idea it was a royal that was giving him a hand – and even went as far as to say that if the Duke were to ever run for office, Harry would have his vote.

For her part, Meghan has also tried her best to make a difference to those affected by the fires. When one 15-year-old girl was left devastated by the loss of her prized possession – a t-shirt from a recent Billie Eilish gig – Meghan tried her hardest through her network of celebrity pals to get the young woman a replacement, and she came good.

In a video she excitedly posted on Instagram, Meghan explained that mutual contacts had gotten her message to the singer-songwriter, who promptly sent over a haul of merchandise for the teenager who had been left homeless after the fire – including a signed copy of her new album, Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Whilst many royal fans were impressed with Meghan’s efforts to brighten the young girl’s day and praised her, other reviews were pretty brutal, with some criticising her video heavily. One social media user called it “disaster marching” and another said they felt it was “tone deaf”.

Meghan Markle spotted bringing donations to the Altadena Girls Fire Recovery Fund ( 
Image:
altadenagirls/Instagram)“Someone’s lost their home and she is gushing about how amazing she is,” another posted.

Despite criticism on social media for her work, those directly impacted by Meghan’s helping hand are altogether more positive. Avery Colvert, 14, who founded the Altedena Girls charity in response to the devastating fires said to Marie Claire she “just started to break down crying,” upon finding out Archewell – Meghan and Harry’s foundation – wanted to help them.

Avery added, “Meghan is so incredibly kind…She was so excited to help.” The 14-year-old also said she thought the idea Meghan was looking for a photo opportunity was “ridiculous” and said no one accusing the Duchess of this saw just how hands-on Meghan was when she came to help and added that the royal even styled girls with donations and “was there for multiple hours in a day”.

The Duke of Sussex was likened to a hapless character from Blackadder by some of his former staff members, according to an explosive new book by royal author Tom Quinn

Prince Harry was given a savage nickname by royal staffers which likened him to a hapless character from the Blackadder series, an explosive new book has revealed.

Speaking anonymously to Yes, Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants by Tom Quinn, which will be released later this month, one insider opened up about what it was like to work for the Duke.

“I remember once in his private apartments I’d muddled something – some of his papers on his desk or something,” they revealed, in an extract obtained by the Daily Mail. “He was immediately angry and it was out of proportion to the problem, or at least I thought it was.”

The source further added that other staff had “experienced similar incidents” – and would make jokes about Harry’s temperament.

Harry was likened to Blackadder’s Prince Regent character, according to a former staffer

“We thought it was a bit rich complaining about me being muddled given that Harry was probably the most muddled of all the royals of his generation,” the insider continued.

“The joke used to be that Harry was very much like the Prince Regent in the Blackadder television series. People used to say that without a servant, Harry would take two weeks to put his own trousers on.”

The Prince Regent character was played in the series by Hugh Laurie – and in one episode does take a whole week to put on his own pair of trousers.

Elsewhere in the new book, it is asserted that Harry’s wife Meghan felt that he was being ‘belittled’ by the fact he lived in Nottingham Cottage – the couple’s first home together.

“‘Meghan felt it was so small that it must be a reflection on how the Royal Family were belittling her husband. She just didn’t understand that real royals don’t care much about houses and material possessions because, having always had them, they take them for granted, said one member of staff who helped out regularly at Nottingham Cottage.”

Quinn continued: “A rather beautiful house in the grounds of a famous palace hardly seemed to Harry the equivalent to being forced to live in a shed at the end of the garden. But for Meghan things were more complex. She saw Kate and William living just a few yards away in Kensington Palace itself with teams of live-in servants.

“She also undoubtedly felt constrained by protocol. ‘Meghan quite rightly hated the fact that when she was in Nottingham Cottage, she had to agree well in advance what time she might leave for an appointment or an event and she had to make sure she didn’t leave at the same time as, or clash in any way with, a more senior royal leaving the palace,’ a former Kensington Palace staffer said.”

Harry and Meghan moved out of Nottingham Cottage in 2019, setting up home in Frogmore Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle – a wedding gift from the late Queen – ahead of the birth of their first child, Archie.

But Meghan was again said to be unhappy with their living arrangements and made a request that the monarch deemed entirely “inappropriate”.

According to The Times , Harry and Meghan wanted to live within the Castle itself and reportedly asked if “living quarters could be made available after their marriage”.

At the time, only the Queen and Prince Philip had private apartments within the actual castle, with everyone else living elsewhere on the estate.

The monarch deemed their request ‘inappropriate’ and “politely but firmly suggested” that they live in Frogmore Cottage instead.

It looks like Prince William’s beard is here to stay. The future King rocked full facial hair during an appearance at Windsor Castle this week, having previously come to blows over the issue with Prince Harry in the past

The Prince of Wales had royal fans feeling a little hot under the collar when he carried out an investiture at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

William, 42, performed the ceremony looking smart in his military uniform – but it was his facial hair that proved to be the main talking point.

The future King is still sporting a full beard – which he first debuted in August. And it seems it is here to stay, much to the delight of royal watchers, who can’t get enough of his rugged look.

Fans quickly took to X in praise of William’s closely-cropped beard, sharing love heart and flame emojis as they raved over his appearance.

Prince William performed an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday – and he’s still rocking a beard ( 
Image:
PA)

It comes after Prince Harry claimed that William was jealous of his beard, and the fact he was allowed to have facial hair at his wedding to Meghan Markle, whereas William was not.

According to military dress codes at the time, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. But he sought special permission from the Queen – something that reportedly infuriated his sibling.

Harry wrote about ‘beard-gate’ in his tell-all memoir Spare . “And yet I now dared to make another ask – Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard? Not a small ask either,” he said.

“A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army.”

Harry was allowed to wear a beard on his wedding day, whereas his brother William was not ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
When William found out he had been granted permission, Harry said he “became livid” and claimed his older brother said: “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”

According to Harry, William would not let the issue drop, with the argument continuing for more than a week. It reportedly culminated with William ordering Harry to shave it off .

The Duke claimed he responded by saying: “For the love of God, Willy, why does this matter so much to you? ‘Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.’ Ah, there it was. After he’d come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he’d been denied.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Prince William’s former hairdresser Sam McKnight issued a message to the Duke of Sussex this week, relating to his recent hairloss.

Harry’s hairdresser recently sent a message to the Duke ( 
Image:
WireImage)The 69-year-old – who was a good friend and personal hair stylist to Princess Diana – shared a recent snapshot of Harry taken at the Invictus Games, highlighting his diminishing top, and urged him to go for a hair transplant.

He wrote, in part: “… the lush hedging is no more, a mere wisp or two of its former self. All is not lost, however, a good short clip at the barbers (like your big brother has done recently) would look sharp and clean, and take years off that handsome face.

“If I were your age I’d go for a transplant, so much more natural these days, unlike the plug plants of yore. And no need for a quick EasyJet trip to Turkey, you’re in California where they have the best!”

He also wrote about Harry’s hair in an article in the Telegraph, in which he likened him to a “1950s geography teacher”.

Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page, who previously spoke on Loose Women about her decision to have her fallopian tubes cut, has admitted to still feeling “very maternal”

Joanna Page has candidly discussed the possibility of expanding her family with her husband, despite previously having her “tubes tied”.

In a recent issue of Woman and Home magazine, the Gavin and Stacey actress and mother-of-four revealed that she’d had discussions with her husband, actor James Thornton, about potentially having more children.

Joanna previously told the Loose Women panel about her decision to have her fallopian tubes cut in her mid-forties, and reportedly considered reversing the procedure. She confessed to still feeling “very maternal”, but disclosed that a health check this year led to a moment that “felt huge”.

Joanna stated: “I’ve been thinking about fostering or adopting. It’s something I’ve chatted about with James because I’m still very maternal, and it’s something that I would think about in the future.”

Joanna Page admitted to still being “very maternal” ( 
Image:
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

“I don’t regret having my tubes tied, and although I felt broody at the start of the year, I don’t any more. At the beginning of this year, I did a health check, which involved a scan that showed that my right ovary had packed up.

“There wasn’t anything left, no eggs. That moment felt huge, as if my body was saying, ‘That is it’.”

She further revealed that she was prescribed HRT patches after visiting a menopause doctor, but was hesitant to use them as she believed that it meant she wouldn’t have any more kids.

However, she admitted: “I was very down, very depressed. I could cope with flushes, they weren’t bothering me. It was just my mood”.

Speaking previously on Loose Women, Joanna revealed she had been feeling “broody”, but, afterwards, didn’t give it much thought. She then realised that having another pregnancy would be impossible, admitting it would leave her “utterly exhausted”.

Joanna revealed that a health check this year led to a moment that “felt huge”
The Love Actually star continued: “But not that long ago, I went on the internet, I looked up: ‘Can you have your tubes put back together?’ You can. One-in-200 women can maybe get pregnant after doing that. I told James, he just looked at me and went: ‘You what? What on earth are you going on about?’ So I will not be having anymore. I’ve got my beautiful four children.”

As a mother of four young kids, Eva, Kit, Noah, and Boe, Joanna has reportedly decided to scale back her acting work and take on presenting roles to spend more time with her family. She previously joked about nearly divorcing her husband after the Covid lockdown affected their sex life, with the couple struggling to find time for each other while caring for their kids during the school closures.

Joanna shared that they argued and threatened to divorce throughout lockdown, even going a month without speaking to each other.

Paddy McGuinness has replaced Gregg Wallace as a co-host on Inside the Factory, with him having worked alongside the likes of Cherry Healey on the BBC show’s new series

Presenter Paddy McGuinness has addressed speculation over romance rumours with his colleague Cherry Healey after having worked together on a show.

It was announced in the summer of 2023 that Paddy, now 51, would replace Gregg Wallace on Inside the Factory. He’s since filmed the new series alongside co-host Cherry, 44, who has been on the BBC show since it launched in 2015.
Paddy made his debut in a Christmas special that aired last month, ahead of the ninth series launching on Tuesday. He reminded of the show’s return later this week in a message to his followers on Instagram over the weekend.

The post included several photos of Paddy and co-star Cherry – who present Inside the Factory alongside historian Ruth Goodman – together. The pair were seen beside each other in selfies, as well as in a photo of them at a restaurant.

Alongside the photos, Paddy wrote about his colleagues in the accompanying caption of the post. He told his followers last week: “The whole crew on Inside The Factory have been a joy to work with. A small but perfectly formed team.”

He continued: “Also I’d never met @cherryhealey before but we hit it off straight away. Absolutely love working with her, she’s an absolute diamond!” Paddy concluded: “The new series starts Tuesday 7th on BBC1 & @bbciplayer.”

Paddy McGuinness (left) has shut down speculation that he’s begun a romance with his Inside the Factory co-star Cherry Healey (right) ( 
Image:
Instagram/ @mcguinness.paddy)
The post was met with speculation about a potential romance between the colleagues. One person reacted: “Is this a soft launch of the new Mrs?” Another asked: “Ooh I’m liking this. New lady, Paddy? You look cute together.”

Paddy however has since addressed the rumours, which he shut down when responding to a fan who asked: “Is this your new love? If so all the very best (you look very comfortable together).” Paddy replied: “Not at all. She’s just a great person.”

Former Top Gear presenter Paddy was once in a long-term relationship with Christine McGuinness. The pair, who share three children, announced the end of their 11-year marriage in a joint statement released back in July 2022.

They said at the time: “We’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children. We’ll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.”

His colleague Cherry was once married to Rory Allen, with whom she shares her two children, but the former couple split up in 2016. She later began a relationship with Justin Mountstephens and they are thought to still be together, having celebrated her birthday together last month.

Darragh Ennis, also known as The Menace on ITV quiz show The Chase, appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday (January 22), where he opened up about losing his dad to dementia

The Chase star Darragh Ennis has revealed he struggled to film the ITV gameshow after his dad died from dementia.

Darragh, who is also known as The Menace, appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday (January 22) to discuss his father’s battle with the neurological disease.

After losing his dad in July 2024, Darragh shared that was “playing to a script” while going about his daily life, especially when he returned to The Chase.

“In the end it was quite sudden. He had been physically quite well but then I got a phone call, and I barely made it home in time,” he said, adding that he was left “broken” inside.

Darragh Ennis appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday (January 22) ( 
Image:
ITV)

“We had a natural break in filming, but when I did go back to work, I was put under that stressful situation,” Darragh continued.

He revealed that he struggled to answer questions under time restraint, saying: “Normally when I start making mistakes, I’d naturally be able to handle it.

“I’d just plant my feet and keep going, but this time when I went to put my feet down, there was nothing underneath them. They just fell away.”

Darragh also shared that he got “camera shy” as the pressure completely “overwhelmed” him.

Darragh Ennis lost his father to dementia in July 2024 ( 
Image:
ITV)
“I had a couple of episodes like that, where every time I tried to reach for that part of myself that’s normally very calm under pressure, it wasn’t there anymore,” he continued.

Darragh explained that the producers quickly clocked onto his struggles and offered him extra time off. They’ve also arranged for counselling

When he was first offered help, Darragh initially “shrugged it away” as he didn’t want to admit that he was struggling. Once he accepted the support, he acknowledged that it felt like he was being saved from “drowning”.

In light of his experiences, Darragh has since become an Ambassador for grief charity At a Loss.

The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV1

One Direction star Liam Payne’s former fiancée Maya Henry has spoken out for the first time since his tragic death as she reflected on their rocky relationship

Liam Payne’s ex fiancée Maya Henry has spoken out for the first time since his shock death and made a series of bombshell claims about her relationship with the late star.

The One Direction singer tragically died at the age of 31 in October last year after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was in a relationship with girlfriend Kate Cassidy at the time of his death, having started dating in 2022. Liam was previously with Maya on and off from 2018 till 2022.

The former couple had even considered tying the knot, yet Maya has claimed there were many strains on their relationship. Maya insisted she was hurt “for years” after they broke up due to their tumultuous time together. Last year, Maya wrote a fictionalised account of her time with Liam in her novel, Looking Forward.

Just under two weeks before his death, Maya posted a TikTok where she claimed Liam has been harassing her, her family, and her friends from various iCloud accounts. Maya’s lawyer sent him a cease and desist order days later to demand he stopped harassing her. Now, the influencer turned author has laid bare the dark side of their romance in a lengthy statement – while other sources and those close to the star spoke out on the star’s behaviour. Maya declined to answer specific questions on their rocky romance – but shared a statement. Here, we take a look at all the bombshell claims…

Liam and Maya had an on and off relationship ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation)

Maya has spoke out for the first time ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Bvlgari UK)

Being held ‘captive’ by star’s drug use

In a written statement to Rolling Stone, Maya opened up on Liam’s drug use as she admitted it was what “tore them apart”. Maya explained feeling torn as while she “loved him deeply” the singer “did things to hurt me in ways I’ll never fully understand”. Maya also claimed Liam “continued to hurt me years after we broke up”.

She said: “On drugs, he became someone unrecognisable – so different from his sober self. I kept hoping each incident would be a wake-up call for him to get help, but it never was. I tried to be there for him. I loved him so much that I convinced myself I could fix things.”

Maya added: “Anyone who has been with an addict understands how difficult that is.” Describing how she had “tried to be there” for Liam, Maya revealed she had mistakenly believed she could “fix things” and thought that if she held on for long enough, she could make him change. By her own admission, this often meant “ignoring every red flag” and putting herself in “unsafe” situations.

Meanwhile, a source close to Maya claimed to the publication that Liam’s drinking, drug use and mental health struggles were “such a burden” that the singer “couldn’t work properly”. The source added that Maya was “kind of held captive” by the star’s struggles as she couldn’t “do anything”.

By the time the pair split Maya learned the full extent of Liam’s addictions as it has been claimed by a source it was “normal” for Liam to do “cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and pharmaceutical pills”. It has also been claimed Liam “got into smoking heroin”.

Harrowing abortion ultimatum

The publication also claims that Maya learned she was pregnant in 2020, and Liam ‘gave her an ultimatum’ – it is claimed the options he gave her were to have an abortion and stay in the relationship or “raise the kid alone and he will not acknowledge either of them”.

They added the move was a “surprise” to Maya as Liam “wanted to have a family, and they were trying” to conceive. Maya later went on to have an abortion.

Sexting betrayals

Maya hinted at betrayals in their relationship as she said: “I saw the signs; I felt the distance. In the end, it wasn’t just the betrayals or the addictions that broke us — it was the realization that I had spent years in something that was never what I thought it was. I don’t fault him for his struggles.”

The publication also claims that Maya discovered sexting conversations “with strangers” when he “accidentally broadcasted them to their TV”.

Heartbreaking split after becoming ‘tired’

Liam and Maya split in 2022 – an insider claimed the influencer was “tired” of “babysitting”. They added: “Maya spent years helping and staying by the side of Liam, who in return wouldn’t get help or seek help for his drug use, violent outbursts, or addictions.”

Maya felt ’empty’ after their split ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

They started dating in 2018 ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fri)Meanwhile, in her statement Maya detailed the pain she felt from their split as she “left with nothing but emptiness”. Maya said she had stood by Liam “in his darkest moments” and “through things that broke her in ways she can’t explain”. She insisted: “But what I do know is this: It wasn’t about me or anything I did. It was about struggles beyond my control. And in the end, I had to choose myself. I had to walk away, no matter how much it hurt, because staying in his world meant losing myself.”