Author: bang5

In a dramatic and explosive shift within the House of Windsor, Meghan Markle may be on the brink of losing everything — her titles, her influence, and what little remains of her royal credibility.

The latest blow came not from a new Netflix documentary or a self-pitying podcast, but from beyond the grave.

Lady Elizabeth Anson, a respected cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, revealed in stunning new testimony that Meghan was never truly loved by the Queen — and was, in fact, the source of deep pain and regret during the monarch’s final years. According to Anson, Meghan was “rude,” “manipulative,” and “never truly in love with Harry.” Even more shocking: Harry allegedly spoke to his grandmother in “revolting” ways behind closed doors.

For many royal watchers, this was confirmation of what they long suspected — Meghan used the royal family as a springboard to global fame.

But now, the palace is fighting back.

Prince William, long silent in the face of his brother’s and sister-in-law’s media ambushes, is reportedly plotting to take the nuclear option: the removal of Harry and Meghan’s Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Sources say William has “had enough” of the couple’s repeated attacks and has received a tacit blessing from his ailing father, King Charles, to act once the throne is his.

Charles, battling cancer, is said to fear public backlash if he revokes the titles himself. But William — fiercely protective of his wife, Princess Catherine, and furious at the damage done to the institution — reportedly has no such hesitation.

“It’s a matter of when, not if,” said one insider.

The issue isn’t just Meghan’s constant undermining of the monarchy or her gleeful trashing of the late Queen. It’s her alleged intent — a calculated campaign, critics claim, to infiltrate and destroy from within.

Royal biographer Angela Levin didn’t mince words. “She’s lied, she’s manipulated, and she’s treated the Queen with shocking disrespect,” Levin declared. “She deserves punishment. Prison, if possible. And I’m not saying that as a joke.”

Such statements may sound hyperbolic, but the sentiment is gaining ground. Across the UK, a growing number of commentators, MPs, and royalists alike are voicing the once-taboo opinion: that Meghan’s behavior has crossed a line from controversial to dangerous.

But the revelations don’t end there.

Veteran royal journalist Phil Dampier added fuel to the fire, claiming Meghan saw the royal family “as a stepping stone” — a means to gain global recognition after a fading Hollywood career. According to Dampier, even the Queen came to believe Meghan had no intention of remaining a working royal.

And then there’s the matter of the wedding — the £32 million taxpayer-funded spectacle that Meghan now dismisses as something “she never wanted.” As Levin put it: “She never said a word of gratitude. Not once. Instead, she smashed the institution to pieces.”

The question now being asked across royal circles: how much longer will this continue?

Despite years of scandal, leaks, and tell-all interviews, Meghan and Harry still carry their royal titles. They still capitalize on their connection to the Crown, while seemingly doing everything in their power to tear it down. Critics argue that this hypocrisy has to end — and fast.

Interestingly, William may not have to act alone.

The Mail on Sunday recently floated the idea that the UK could follow the Danish model. In 2022, Queen Margrethe of Denmark stripped her grandchildren of their princely titles, arguing that it would give them freedom to pursue lives outside the royal spotlight. The move was decisive, graceful — and widely applauded.

Could King Charles, or one day William, do the same?

Levin thinks so. “It’s a brilliant solution. But Meghan will fight. She’s spiteful. She’s dangerous. And she won’t go quietly.”

The risks of retaliation are real. Meghan has a global platform, a loyal American base, and a long memory. Any move against her could trigger another media firestorm — or even legal action. But increasingly, British voices are saying: Bring it on.

Because for many, this isn’t just about royal drama. It’s about justice, integrity, and protecting the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II.

“She was old, she was ill, and Meghan still attacked her,” Levin said, her voice full of fury. “That’s not royal rebellion. That’s cruelty. That’s treason.”

Indeed, the term “treason” — once unthinkable in this context — has now entered the conversation. Whether used metaphorically or not, it signals a new level of outrage. A sense that Meghan hasn’t just disrespected the monarchy — she’s tried to dismantle it.

And in a final twist, even former allies appear to be turning.

James Holt, once a trusted communications advisor to Meghan and Harry, has raised eyebrows by “liking” posts praising Prince William’s Earthshot Prize and supporting former staffer Jason Knauf — the man who exposed Meghan’s alleged bullying of royal staff.

Is Holt jumping ship? Or is this part of a broader Sussex rebrand?

Nobody knows for sure. But the walls may be closing in.

For now, Meghan remains Duchess of Sussex. But her support is shrinking. Her approval ratings are plummeting. And in the royal palace, the knives are quietly — but unmistakably — being sharpened.

The question is no longer if the hammer will fall… but when.

And when it does, the monarchy will be ready. The public will be ready. And perhaps, finally, Queen Elizabeth II will rest a little easier.

In a dramatic, fiery, and — at times — painfully uncomfortable on-air confrontation, British commentator Owen Jones found himself flailing under the relentless questioning of Piers Morgan, who delivered one of his most brutal takedowns to date. At the center of the chaos? A chilling chant from Glastonbury’s most controversial performer, Bob Vylan, and a political left scrambling to defend the indefensible.

It began with one phrase: “Death to the IDF.”

Bob Vylan, a rapper whose performance at Glastonbury was already drawing heat for his anti-Zionist rhetoric, crossed a line many believe is irredeemable. The chant — echoed by thousands in the crowd — was no longer vague metaphor or protest poetry. New footage emerged, making it horrifyingly explicit: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror.”

And Owen Jones, the hard-left columnist and frequent TV fixture, had publicly defended him.

Enter Piers Morgan, with receipts.

On his show Outspoken, Morgan dissected Jones’s prior statements, catching him in what some now call a public unraveling. At first, Jones insisted Vylan was attacking “the entity,” not individuals. But once Morgan played the unambiguous footage, it was game over.

Cornered, flustered, and visibly shaken, Jones offered a qualified admission: “Obviously the statement is not true,” he muttered. But Morgan wouldn’t let up: “You now see you were wrong. Why did you defend him? He lied to you.” The humiliation was complete.

What followed was a broader cultural reckoning.

Morgan and his panel didn’t just take issue with anti-Israel rhetoric — they raised alarms about what they saw as escalating anti-white sentiments in British media and music. Co-host Connor Thompson went further, claiming Vylan’s true offense wasn’t just anti-Semitism, but “gloating about having stolen the country from the white English.”

It was a moment of blunt, incendiary clarity in a country increasingly fractured by identity politics.

Even as the left condemned Vylan’s words about the IDF, voices like Thompson’s asked why no one cared about the far more chilling chant that followed: “How do you want your country back?” shouted repeatedly in mocking tones, the crowd erupting as Vylan sneered, “You can’t have that.”

Thompson declared, “That’s far worse than anything said about Israel. That’s him telling English people — this isn’t your home anymore.”

And yet, the real story here wasn’t just Vylan’s performance — it was the sight of Owen Jones, once a lion of the progressive left, looking, as Thompson cruelly described, “vacuum packed from the inside out” and “tweaking” under the lights.

Critics online noted that Jones appeared pale, nervous, and unable to hold his own in the debate. “Twitchy, erratic, completely rattled,” one viewer posted. “You can see the collapse of his credibility in real time.”

Morgan, ever the showman, struck a balance between brutal and bemused. “I’ve known you a long time. I respect you,” he said, with a tinge of sarcasm that made his rhetorical knives all the sharper.

And just when the flames began to die down, they poured more gasoline.

Connor Thompson and Dan Wootton turned the conversation to the racial implications of the entire scandal. “The flying of Palestinian flags at Glastonbury isn’t solidarity — it’s a promise,” Thompson argued. “A promise that if October 7th [Hamas’s massacre in Israel] happened at Glastonbury, they wouldn’t shed a tear.”

It was a searing accusation, but one that resonated with many viewers who see mainstream British institutions — from the BBC to the record labels — as increasingly hostile toward white Britons.

“You know what’s really shocking?” Wootton asked. “The record label only dropped him after the anti-Semitism. But he’s been saying ‘we stole the country from the English’ since 2021.”

The silence from the left, they argue, speaks volumes.

As the segment drew to a close, Morgan asked Jones one final time whether he regretted defending Bob Vylan. Jones hedged, deflected, and finally conceded: “Well, I wouldn’t have defended him on the basis of that statement, no.”

Too little. Too late.

This wasn’t just a clash of opinions — it was a televised collapse of narrative. A reminder that when political ideologues build their arguments on sand, all it takes is one gust of truth to bury them. Jones’s attempt to distinguish between criticism of an “entity” and a call for actual violence was obliterated by the footage, by facts, and by his own inability to say plainly: “I was wrong.”

For Morgan and his supporters, it was a watershed moment.

For the left? An existential crisis.

Owen Jones may continue to write his columns and appear on panels. But after this week, the aura of invincibility — the quick wit, the moral clarity, the righteous outrage — may never return. He looked like a man who had nothing left to defend… and knew it.

And perhaps, as Wootton said, that’s the most important story of all.

Former Neighbours star Holly Valance is reportedly set to fight for a substantial financial settlement after splitting from billionaire husband Nick Candy, reports have claimed

Holly Valance ‘vows to claim every penny’ in split from billionaire husband(Image: PA)

Former pop star Holly Valance is reportedly gearing up for a fierce battle over finances following her split from billionaire husband Nick Candy.

The Australian singer and actress, 42, is reportedly determined to claim every penny she’s entitled to after their 14-year marriage ended. Sources claim Holly feels like the injured party in the separation, which she insists was not on her terms.

“Holly is incredibly upset. Her main concern is, and always will be, for their two daughters,” a source close to the couple told The Sun. “But when it comes to the divorce, she’s made it clear she wants what she’s owed and will take Nick for every penny. She insists that she is the injured party in this.”

The pair tied the knot in 2012 in a lavish ceremony costing around £3 million. Before their marriage, they signed a pre-nuptial agreement intended to protect their assets. Despite this, those close to Holly reportedly believe there may still be some room for negotiation.

Holly Valance married billionaire Nick Candy in 2012 and the pair share two daughters(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images )

“It’s been a very painful time for Holly and she has told friends that the split was not on her terms,” the insider added. “Given the circumstances, it feels as if there could be some room to manoeuvre. Whatever the sum ends up being, it will be in the tens of millions of pounds.”

Since news of their breakup emerged, Holly has been spotted for the first time without her wedding ring, arriving at London’s Heathrow Airport. A representative for the couple confirmed the divorce is underway but declined to comment further.

Nick, 52, has supporters who stand by his character amid the split. A friend said: “Nick is a very decent guy and he will always do right by Holly and their children.”

Nick and Holly are said to have been living ‘separate lives for a long time’ (Image: Getty Images)

The former couple were last seen together publicly in March, dining out in London. Their love story began in 2009, with Nick proposing two years later during a trip to the Maldives.

Their wedding took place in California, attended by 300 guests including Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell.

Holly rose to fame on Australian soap Neighbours , playing Felicity “Flick” Scully before launching a successful pop career with three Top Ten hits from her 2002 debut album.

Holly Valance first shot to fame on Neighbours(Image: PA)

Meanwhile, Nick started building his property empire in the early 1990s alongside his brother Christian, creating a portfolio that includes the ultra-luxury One Hyde Park development in central London, valued at over £1 billion.

In recent years, Nick shifted his political allegiances, resigning from the Tory Party to become treasurer of Reform UK in December. Holly has also become a notable figure in right-wing politics, having visited former US President Donald Trump in 2022 alongside Nick and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Loose Women star Katie Piper, who survived an acid attack orchestrated by her evil ex-boyfriend, has opened up about the health challenges she still continues to face, and why she’s never been discharged

Katie Piper has faced many health struggles following a horror attack(Image: PA)

Our good health is a privilege, says Katie Piper. And as she knows only too well, it can change at the drop of a hat whether by chance – or evil design.

In 2008, an acid attack orchestrated by an ex-boyfriend left the then 24-year-old model with life-changing injuries and permanent scarring.

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It has meant years of operations and pioneering surgery to repair damage to her face, skin and eyesight, which she is still undergoing.

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“I’m never discharged,” admits Katie, now 41. “I have to go back for my eyes, nose, and throat.” Yet her stoicism in the face of adversity has brought her peace and success as a presenter, author and charity fundraiser expert.

“I learnt at such a young age the value of looking after your mind, your body, how our health is a privilege and how it can suddenly change,” she says.

READ MORE: ‘I was put on end-of-life care at 15 after losing my eye – now I’m a Vogue model’

At a heartbreakingly young age, Katie learned that health is a ‘privilege’ (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

The Loose Women presenter recently revealed her decision to get an artificial eye, a prosthetic shell, to fit her left eye, damaged in the attack.

“I’ve always had problems with my eyes, especially the left,” she continues. “That was so damaged on the surface.” She’s been in the care of a cornea consultant for 16 years, but had “a huge trauma last summer with the retina detaching. I was left with a condition called phthisis bulbi, where the eye cannot be reconnected to the retina. Mine had disconnected and was shrunken. It really marks the end of the road for treatment.

“I knew in the back of my mind it would happen to me one day. I would class myself as a realist and someone who is very practical.”

That practicality and incredible inner strength led to her becoming an advocate for burns and scar survivors, raising awareness, and setting up her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation. And for Katie personally, physical and mental health are paramount.

“I’ve had this unique experience as a 20-something where I know what it is like to be incapacitated, to be ill, to be in hospital for a long time. I always take myself back to that memory of ‘Do all this now, so when you are older, your quality of life is the best it can be’.

“I want to be healthy. I take looking after my body as a job. I want the best from it.”

One of the key factors for her is looking after her gut. She reveals she first became aware of its importance while in hospital as a burns patient.

“I came to know more about gut health in a more unconventional way than most people because I spent a lot of time on gastro wards in my recovery,” she says. “I was having tube feeding and all kinds of gastro problems. About 13 years ago I used the gut supplement Symprove which was really useful for me with my recovery. It was a really important part of my daily routine and I stuck with it a long, long time.

It’s not just a fluffy thing to say but your gut holds the score of everything, trauma, psychological things. And anybody who has had any kind of stay in hospital or been unwell, will know that when you take things like painkillers or opioids, you get really bad constipation. Then after that you get a really upset stomach, so you do have to do something for the stomach lining when it’s been through so much.

“With your gut being linked to everything now from dementia to Parkinson’s, you can see how it is the epicentre of everything. And because I have had specific problems with my eyes, my skin, I know from those specialists they also can be affected by diet, gut and sleep. They are all intrinsically linked.”

The Loose Women presenter recently revealed her decision to get an artificial eye(Image: Katie Piper Instagram)

She’s started feeling less lethargic after taking Symprove(Image: Katie Piper Instagram)

After having daughters Belle, 10, and Penelope, seven, Katie started taking Symprove again and says she feels less sluggish. “I was in my 30s, feeling lethargic and hungover when you haven’t been drinking – it was all linked to the gut. I rarely get sick now. I don’t get an upset stomach or diarrhoea and I sleep better.”

With the foundations of her gut and sleep working, does she also watch what she eats? “Just before Christmas I started intermittent fasting,” she says. “After the school run when I get to work, I’ll have scrambled eggs or take a box of yoghurt, berries and nuts with me. I’ve found it’s helped me be a bit more energetic in the mornings, to not need as much caffeine. I probably still eat the same amount of food and calories but it’s better spread out for the day.

“I’m not somebody who can cut out all sweets and wine. I try to make good choices, so I can have my glass of wine on the sofa on Friday evenings.”

At home she is conscious – along with husband, builder and carpenter Richie Sutton, 40 – that her daughters eat well. “It’s making sure I’m giving them the right messages at home about nutrition and food. Parenting is that whole thing of not what you are saying but what you do,” she says.

“I don’t want to demonise anything, so we’re not cutting out carbs. We’re trying to make it balanced and have helpful conversations in the house around that. Richie does most of the cooking. Nobody likes my cooking!”

She also runs and does weight training. “I try to make fitness purpose-led, so I do quite a lot of running. I’ll enter races you have to pay for, get sponsorship for my charity.

“You have that accountability and that makes me train. I can’t just say I will exercise four times a week and hope it happens, because it won’t.

“I got weights in lockdown and set up a makeshift gym in the garage. I sometimes go there before everyone’s awake. It’s finding time around family life. A little bit of me time.

“Motivation definitely ebbs and flows and sometimes when it starts to ebb away, you can become a bit self-sabotaging and destructive and say, ‘I’ve had a cake or I’ve skipped the gym, I’ll carry on’. That’s when you have to call on discipline.”

When exercising, motivational speaker Katie listens to podcasts or audiobooks. Her own book, Still Beautiful, is out in June. “I’m a multi-tasker. It’s that guilt where I think I’m technically doing research as well as exercising. I’m making good use of the time, which is ridiculous, as you should be allowed to go for a run for 30 minutes and not feel bad. It’s also where creativity ignites.”

She finds her mind is too active to meditate, so she turns to craft in quieter moments. “If I sit still, I think I haven’t done the online shop or I haven’t got the cleaning stuff. I do quite a lot of craft, gem art, it’s a bit like painting by numbers. You should preserve your mental health. Put yourself first, so you can help others afterwards.”

Former glamour model Katie Price cosied up to a man and a woman while in bed together as she fumed at not being invited to her daughter Princess’ 18th birthday party

Katie Price shared a very eye-catching bedroom snap(Image: Getty Images for The Cambridge Union)

Katie Price shared a very candid snap from the bedroom as she laps it up in Dubai after missing daughter Princess’ 18th birthday party. The former glamour model, 47, has been partying the night away on her trip following her most recent cosmetic work.

She sparked speculation she had snubbed Princess’ milestone occasion in favour of travelling abroad. After treating herself to a Brazilian Bum Lift, she partied away at Wayne Lineker’s Ocean Beach Club in Ibiza, where she was seen hanging out with the host and fellow guest Conor McGregor.

The parties continued as she then headed to Dubai, all while Princess’ birthday celebrations were taking place back home. Amid rumours as to why she didn’t celebrate with Princess, Katie furiously hit out that she was banned from attending.

Katie shared a cheeky snap from the bedroom(Image: BACKGRID)

She has continued to remain in Dubai and party with her pals and holidaymakers in the sun. The mum-of-five has been keeping her fans up to date on her travels, but it was her latest post that caught attention.

Katie shared a snap from the bedroom as she lay beside a man and a woman. She flashed her dazzlingly white teeth in the photo as she wore a white lacy bra top.

The man was topless, while the other woman took the snap in a black T-shirt. Katie cheekily captioned the eye-catching photo: “3 in the bed and the little one said…” She added a link to her Snapchat account, along with a series of eye emojis.

Just hours before, Katie fiercely hit out at her ex Peter Andre on her Katie Price Show podcast. She quipped: “Princess is now officially an adult so mummy and Princess can now go out together. If certain people would let her be seen with me.”

The mum-of-five continued: “Everyone knows she’s doing this documentary – and I’m not in it. Certain people don’t think it’s good for Princess to be seen with me. Certain people that used to look after me.”

Katie went on to explain the reason for her not attending Princess’ birthday bash as she fumed: “I’m just saying. Princess was like ‘I’m having a party’. And I wasn’t invited because it was for ‘filming.’”

She missed her daughter Princess’ 18th birthday(Image: Getty Images)

Katie snapped: “Of course mummy wasn’t invited because it was for filming.” She went on: “The fact is there’s stuff my daughter is doing and I’m not allowed to be seen at any of it. Certain people who are filming Princess’ documentary used to do my filming. It’s fine, it’s just there’s always conflict of interest. People will cotton on to this. So we do have to do something for Princess’ 18th.”

Princess is embarking on her own glitzy showbiz career and has landed herself her own ITV show. It will focus on her life with dad Peter and her step mum Emily as well as brother Junior.

The series is being made by Peter’s management company, who looked after Katie during her time with the Mysterious Girl hitmaker from 2003 to 2009. The company, Can Associates, were behind Katie and Pete’s mega money ITV show but the former glamour model has since fallen out with them.

“It should be Princess’s time in the limelight but, sadly, Katie just can’t help herself,” a source said as they explained Katie’s absence from the party. “She’s been doing everything she can to keep herself in the papers. Anyone who knows Princess will say she loves her mum but, equally, she is very difficult at times.”

“Nobody around Princess wants that for her, so it was very much for the best that Katie wasn’t at the bash,” they told the Daily Mail. “She was never going to be part of the celebrations, she wasn’t invited.

“Katie was not with Princess on her birthday as she was filming a special episode of her television show, something that her mum is not involved in. Instead, Katie was posting pictures of herself living it up in Dubai.”

Premier League footballer Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Felipe, died in a crash in Zamora near Spain’s north-west border with Portugal.

Romeo Beckham’s heartfelt call to Brooklyn in moving Diogo Jota tribute(Image: Getty Images)

Romeo Beckham shared a passionate post about telling the people you love how much you appreciate them following the tragic death of Diogo Jota. The Premier League footballer and his brother, Andre Felipe, died in a crash in Zamora near Spain’s north-west border with Portugal.

The tragic incident occurred just days after Jota’s marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, who had to identify her husband and his brother after the devastating crash. After the news was made public, Romeo took to his Instagram to share a picture of the footballer along with a few heartbroken emojis.

He later returned to his Instagram Stories to send a cryptic message to his older brother, Brooklyn Beckham, telling him that ‘the people that truly love you and care for you will always be there’.

Romeo shared a cryptic post(Image: @romeobeckham/Instagram)

The recent post comes amid a reported family feud between Brooklyn and his wife, Nicola Peltz, and the rest of the Beckham family.

Romeo wrote: “Life is too short, love who you love and tell them how much you really do! Life can flash before your eyes at any moment! But the people that truly love you and care for you will always be there…

“Don’t hold back from LOVE OR APPRECIATION for ANYTHING OR ANYONE.”

Piers Morgan also shared a tribute on social media. On Twitter/X, he wrote: “Desperately sad news coming out of Spain that Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota, 28, has died, along with his brother, in a car accident in Zamora. He only got married 2 weeks ago. Heart-breaking.”

Others paying respects on social media was footballer Harry Maguire’s wife, Fern Maguire. She shared the Premier League’s tribute as she wrote: “Utterly heartbreaking.”

It comes amid the family feud(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

David Beckham also penned touching tribute over the top of a black-and-white image of the star in a Portugal game.”Devastating to hear this such sad news.. Sending love to Diogo & Andre’s families,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Nicola sparked concern for the famous family when they failed to attend any of David’s 50th birthday celebrations in May. They had even jetted into London from Los Angeles but decided to stay away from the special family events.

It proved just the start of distance forming for the Beckhams, as Brooklyn failed to reach out to his football icon dad when he received his long-awaited knighthood.

Father’s Day also came and went without a murmur from the eldest son, with reports claiming he has stopped responding to his famous parents and siblings.

Little Britain star, Matt Lucas, has revealed he once asked Coronation Street bosses if he could be on the soap as new character, Teddy Pink, but admitted they ‘didn’t bite’

Matt Lucas has admitted he desperately wanted to be on Coronation Street(Image: Youtube/Making A Scene)

Matt Lucas has admitted he desperately wanted to be on Coronation Street, but was savagely snubbed by the soap’s bosses. The Little Britain star is one of the most recognisable faces on TV and has a legion of loyal fans, who have followed his impressive career since making his debut on Shooting Stars as giant baby, George Dawes, in the nineties.

Matt, 51, has appeared on a string of shows over the years, but Corrie has always eluded him after he revealed his plans to rock up on the cobbles as new character, Teddy Pink, were shot down by the powers that be. Chatting to his friend and fellow comic David Walliams, 53, on the latest episode of their Making a Scene podcast, Matt said: “I would like to be in Coronation Street because I feel like that’s the sort of funniest of the soaps.”

Little Britain star, Matt Lucas, has revealed he once asked Coronation Street bosses if he could be on the soap as new character, Teddy Pink(Image: Youtube/Making A Scene)

He continued: “And I’ve always wanted to be – and I told the people of Corrie this years ago, they didn’t bite – someone that goes into the hairdresser and sits down and has a haircut, even though I have no hair.

“And I’ve always wanted to be called Teddy Pink. And I said, ‘I’ll be in Coronation Street as long as I’m called Teddy Pink.’”

David, who starred with Matt in Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, has had more success in soap land. He appeared in an episode of EastEnders in 2003 as Ray Collins – the fake registrar who performed Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon’s (Shane Richie) wedding in the Queen Vic pub on Christmas Day.

Telling Matt he wanted to reprise his role, he said: “I played a character in 2003 in EastEnders, marrying Kat and Alfie in the Queen Vic in front of all the characters. So I was super excited. So I’ve been in EastEnders. And one day, I would like to come back as that character.

“Sometimes comes up, EastEnders are celebrating an anniversary or something. They’ll write down people who’ve gone on to different things from the show. So yeah, I loved it actually.”

Speaking about his excitement working with late stars June Brown (Dot Cotton) and Wendy Richard (Pauline Fowler), David could not contain his excitement.

Matt did star in Aussie soap, Neighbours, along with David playing their Little Britain characters, Lou and Andy(Image: Hand out picture)

He gushed: “I was so starstruck, particularly by June Brown. I was so starstruck. And she was obviously different from the character, but she was dressed as Dot and smoking away in the dressing room.”

He continued: “And also Wendy Richard, I was incredibly starstruck by because we’ve grown up with her in Are You Being Served? It’s Miss Brahms. She was very sexy. Had a massive crush on her then.”

While Matt may not have appeared in any British soaps, he did rock up in Aussie staple, Neighbours, along with David in 2007.

The pair starred as their Little Britain characters, Lou Todd and his friend Andy Pipkin – who unbeknown to Lou pretends to need a wheelchair.

The hilarious scene saw Matt and David roll up in the Scarlet Bar alongside characters Steph and Toadie, played by Carla Bonner and Toadfish legend, Ryan Moloney, and had viewers both here and Down Under in stitches.

The Saturday Kitchen chef was meant to attend the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival but has pulled out as one of the headliners, citing circumstances outside his control

James Martin will no longer be headlining the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

James Martin fans have been left disappointed after he announced he will no longer appear at the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival just days before the event.

The 53-year-old ITV star shared the disappointing news in a statement posted on his Instagram account, where he has 761,000 followers. James wrote: “I’m so sorry but unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, I will no longer be appearing at the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival.”

He added: “Please contact the organisers if you have any questions.” The comments section on his post was quickly flooded with messages from fans who had been eager to see him in person. However, comments have since been switched off.

The telly chef said the cancellation was due to circumstances outside his control(Image: Instagram)

James had been one of the headline names expected at the festival, which is set to take place from July 18 to 20 at Aireville Park in Skipton. The popular event was launched in 2016 but didn’t run last year, so attendees have been looking forward to this summer’s comeback featuring music acts such as The Feeling and Go West.

After James’s announcement, Jon Arrowsmith, the managing director of The Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival, shared a statement with the Yorkshire Post.

He said: “We’re absolutely gutted that James has decided not to join us this year, we know how popular he is and understandably his fans will be disappointed by his decision.

“Running festivals is not for the faint-hearted and it certainly has its ups and downs. We’ve worked hard to rebuild the festival after it collapsed and we knew it would come with its challenges – maybe not as many as we’re facing – but we’re working through them.

“Please bear with us as we finalise our line-up and hire a replacement chef. But let me reassure everyone, we remain as committed as ever in our promise to deliver a festival Yorkshire will be proud of and one everyone will enjoy.”

James has been a staple of British television for years, and built up a fanbase via shows like Saturday Kitchen, Home Comforts, James Martin’s Great British Adventure, Islands to Highlands and James Martin’s French Adventure. He has also written more than 20 bestselling cookbooks.

The news that James has cancelled his appearance at the Yorkshire Food & Drink Festival comes after a challenging time in his private life. He previously revealed that he was diagnosed with facial cancer in 2018, which he kept to himself for years.

In November 2023, James admitted: “I was diagnosed with cancer on my face, and I had to have surgery, which I couldn’t do until two days before Christmas when we had finished filming. Since then, it has returned on several occasions, and I have to have regular treatments.”Despite his health struggles, James has continued to work in television and remains one of Britain’s most beloved chefs.

Clarkson’s Farm fans were shocked to see how much Kaleb Cooper’s rarely-seen brother looks like him, but Jeremy Clarkson had his eyes on a different aspect of the video

Jeremy Clarkson made a rude jibe under a video Kaleb Cooper posted with his lookalike brother(Image: Amazon Prime)

Clarkson’s Farm fans were shocked to see how similar Kaleb Cooper’s brother is to the farmhand after he posted a rare video of him on social media, complete with a cheeky response from Jeremy Clarkson.

Kaleb, who became a household name thanks to his appearances on the hit Amazon Prime series ever since it debuted in 2021, posted a clip on Instagram as he celebrated turning 27. The short video showed his brother pushing him on a tyre swing, which left many of Kaleb’s 2.9 million followers convinced they were seeing double.

Fans flooded the comments section, asking questions like: “Why is there two of you?” and “Hey is that your twin? Happy birthday.”

Fans were astonished by how similar the Cooper brothers look(Image: Instagram)

Others joked: “This is like a glitch in the Matrix. Why is the person pushing you also you?!” and “Kaleb squared.” Several were so confused they demanded answers, with one person asking: “How are you pushing yourself on the swing?”

But it was Jeremy Clarkson who delivered the most savage reaction, quipping: “I’d worry about that rope.” Kaleb captioned his birthday post: “Here’s to 27 years old! Thank you all for the birthday messages!”

Kaleb’s latest update comes after season four of Clarkson’s Farm season four came out on Prime Video at the end of May. In it there were periods where the farmhand was temporarily absent from Diddly Squat Farm as he took on a nationwide speaking tour.

During his time away, a new figure called Harriet Cowan stepped in to lend a hand. Kaleb recently reassured fans that he is still a part of the series on This Morning, explaining: “I’m still involved, there’s lots of rumours going about that I’ve been replaced but I’m still here, Harriet stepped in as I jumped away on tour, I’m very grateful that Harriet came along and saved the day.”

Ben Shephard noted that Harriet even helped Jeremy “tidy his eyebrows”, to which Kaleb teased: “I know his hair’s terrible but I don’t really notice his eyebrows.”

Kaleb went on to joke about Jeremy’s skills on the farm, saying: “He shouldn’t be trusted alone on the farm, he’s getting better but there are loads of things he still can’t do.”

Filming season four of Clarkson’s Farm was not always plain sailing, as Kaleb has revealed that he and Jeremy got into a number of rows during the latest harvest, calling the experience “pretty tough mentally”.

He admitted “Jeremy and I argued quite a bit in harvest because it was so stressful for me trying to do my very best again as a contractor. It was pretty tough mentally.”

He added that Clarkson can be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to working in the fields, saying: “Jeremy really enjoys doing the harvest, but he’s a pain. Life would be easier if he wasn’t there during harvest, just because he’s a bit incompetent!”

Despite their fiery rows, which included Kaleb calling Jeremy a “t**t” and Jeremy retaliating with choice words of his own, the pair ultimately teamed up to get the job done.

The ITV presenter paid his respects to the Liverpool star after the footballer is reported to have died in a car crash early on Thursday morning

This Morning presenter Ben Shephard has paid tribute to Liverpool star Diogo Jota following news of the footballer’s tragic death in a car crash.

Jota, 28, was killed alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva, when their car crashed and burst into flames in Spain’s Zamora region in the early hours of Thursday morning. During his regular slot on the ITV programme, Ben Shepherd spoke about the devastating news, telling viewers: “Diogo Jota has died in a car crash aged just 28. He was with his brother Andre Silva in the accident.

“It is really shocking because he only just recently got married. He’s the father of three young children as well. He’d had a very big footballing season and then a special summer marrying his wife. It’s really, really sad.”

Diogo Jota has been killed in a car crash ( 
Image:
PA Wire)
The Portuguese international had tied the knot with long-time partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple shared three children.

Jota and his brother were reportedly travelling along the A52 motorway, known locally as the Palacios de Sanabria, when the accident happened. Emergency services were called shortly before 1am after the car left the road and caught fire.

The Guardia Civil confirmed the details of the accident in a statement, saying: “The information we have so far is that the car, which was a Lamborghini, was in a road traffic accident and left the road due to a tyre blow out while overtaking.

“It was in the early hours, 00:30 BST, in the municipality of Cernadilla in the province of Zamora. The car caught on fire and the two occupants were killed.”

Jota signed for Liverpool from Wolves in September 2020 and soon became a big figure in the squad. He played an important role in Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning campaign last season, as he made 26 appearances and scored six goals.

His brother, Andre Silva, 26, was also a professional footballer, and played for Portuguese second-division side Penafiel. Jota had been on holiday after helping Portugal secure the UEFA Nations League title last month.

The Premier League have issued a lengthy statement paying tribute to Diogo Jota. It read: “Everyone at the Premier League is shocked and devastated to learn of the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre.

“Our sincerest condolences go to Diogo’s family, friends, Liverpool FC, and all their supporters at this heartbreaking time. Football has lost a champion who will be forever missed. We will continue to support our friends and colleagues at the club.”

Jota’s former club Wolves have also issued their tribute, saying they are ‘heartbroken’ by the news. A statement on social media read: “We are heartbroken. Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him during his time at Wolves.

“The memories he created will never be forgotten. Our hearts go out to the family, friends and loved ones of Diogo and his brother, Andre. You will be truly missed, and always remembered.”