Author: bang7

The Unraveling Dream: Lewis Hamilton’s Resignation Exposes the Twin Crises Threatening His Legacy and Formula 1’s Integrity

The cockpit of a Formula 1 car is usually a place of furious energy—a vessel for adrenaline, anger, or elation. But for Lewis Hamilton at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil, it became a chamber of devastating, silent defeat.

As the static of the team radio cleared, following a disastrous Sprint Qualifying session that saw the seven-time World Champion eliminated in the second phase (Q2), three words cut through the air. They were not a protest. They were not a complaint. They were an acknowledgment so weary, so final, that they resonated with far more danger than any scream of frustration: “Yeah, every time, man.”

Hamilton, the most successful driver in Formula 1 history, had reached a breaking point, a moment of profound resignation. The incident in Brazil didn’t just mark the loss of a qualifying session; it signaled the tragic loss of faith in the two pillars that define his career: the team he joined to resurrect his legacy, and the governing body that is supposed to safeguard the integrity of the sport.

What happens when a champion of his caliber—a man who built his legend on precision and unyielding control—stops believing? What follows is the slow, painful unraveling of a dream, played out in front of a global audience, at the very venue where he claimed his first championship title.

The Brazilian Betrayal: When Internal Chaos Becomes Catastrophe

The Brazilian Grand Prix was supposed to be a turning point. Hamilton had been building momentum, and his team had promised—or at least implied—progress. Interlagos is sacred ground for him, a track synonymous with miracles. Yet, from the very first session, the weekend felt cursed, a casualty of operational chaos.

The first mistake, a fatal one in hindsight, was made hours before qualifying even began. While rival teams like McLaren and Red Bull methodically gathered critical performance data on medium and soft tires, his team made a baffling choice: Hamilton and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, ran exclusively on hard compounds. This conservative caution left them utterly blind. They had no competitive baseline, no crucial data, and no understanding of where the car’s limits truly lay. The result spoke for itself: Hamilton finished practice in 18th position, Leclerc in 19th, more than a second and a half off the pace. The car, the SF25, wasn’t merely slow—it was lost.

Despite this crippling disadvantage, Q1 of the Sprint Qualifying offered a fleeting glimmer of hope, with Hamilton scraping through in seventh. But the car was unpredictable, demanding a prayer at every braking zone and a correction at every corner.

The real disaster, the one that broke the champion’s spirit, was reserved for SQ2. With the clock ticking down, Hamilton launched his final, desperate attempt to advance to Q3. He needed perfection, a salvage operation for a weekend already slipping away.

It was his own teammate who delivered the crushing blow. At Turn 9, Charles Leclerc locked up under braking, spun violently, and left his car sideways on the racing line. Double yellow flags instantly exploded across the sector. Hamilton, arriving at maximum attack, had his lap instantly neutralized—his chance at Q3 gone in the time it took Leclerc’s car to complete a 360-degree spin.

The devastation, however, was compounded by a chilling fact that went largely unnoticed in the initial shock: even without the yellow flags, Hamilton’s time would not have been enough. He would have finished 14th anyway. The SF25 simply lacked the fundamental pace required to compete.

The team immediately defaulted to damage control: arguments of bad luck, the wrong setup, and unfortunate timing. But for Hamilton, sitting helpless in 11th position, these were just standard excuses for an extraordinary, and increasingly repetitive, failure. When his engineer offered apologetic sympathy, the three words of resignation followed: “Yeah, every time, man.”

This was not a singular event. It was the weary acknowledgment of a pattern: conservative strategies that backfired, data collection that missed the mark, and internal errors that consistently cascaded into catastrophic results. For a driver whose career is defined by relentless precision, being trapped within a system that consistently stumbles is nothing short of psychological torture.

The Shadow of Scrutiny: A Calculated Threat from the FIA

But the nightmare of the on-track failure was only half the story. Hours after qualifying ended, the drama escalated when the FIA summoned Hamilton for a formal investigation. The charge? Failing to slow down sufficiently under double yellow flag conditions.

Telemetry data presented a damning case: Hamilton had, paradoxically, set a personal best micro-sector time precisely where Leclerc’s car was stationary. Suddenly, the issue was no longer just a bad qualifying session; it was about potential grid penalties, super license points, and the public scrutiny of his conduct on the track.

This threat was especially potent given Hamilton’s history. Earlier in the season, at the Dutch Grand Prix, he had faced an identical infraction, resulting in a five-place grid drop and points added to his license. The agonizing lesson in narrow margins loomed large over him again in Brazil.

The FIA investigation dragged on for hours, with multiple camera angles, GPS data, and telemetry scrutinized down to the millisecond. The team’s defense was that Hamilton had reacted appropriately, lifting slightly, modifying his line, and abandoning the lap attempt. The stewards faced a dilemma: technically, the rules had been breached, but context—distance, partial deceleration, and immediate lap abortion—complicated a simple ruling.

Finally, the verdict delivered a temporary reprieve: no additional penalties. Hamilton was absolved, but the warning issued felt more like a threat than a gesture of mercy.

The deeper truth, however, remains unavoidable: Hamilton never should have been in that position in the first place. If the team had done their homework on Friday, if they had coordinated their drivers, and—most crucially—if the SF25 had possessed the baseline performance it was promised, none of this administrative chaos would have mattered. The FIA investigation was merely a symptom of the team’s larger, systemic disease—operational chaos dressed up as “bad luck.”

The Voice of the Paddock: Hamilton’s Calculated Critique

Hamilton’s frustration with his team was palpable, yet it was only half of the story behind his resigned outburst. Just days before the Brazilian GP, he had unleashed something far more explosive: a direct, calculated attack on Formula 1’s governing body itself.

Still simmering from the controversial Mexican Grand Prix, where he felt he had been selectively penalized while others escaped punishment for similar incidents, Hamilton delivered one of the most brutal public statements of his career.

“There isn’t any clarity,” he told reporters at Interlagos, his voice calm, yet cutting. He demanded transparency and accountability, criticizing the decision-making process: “Too many decisions are made behind closed doors.”

This was more than emotional venting. This was calculated criticism from a man who had watched entire championships decided by questionable calls, notably the controversial officiating in Abu Dhabi. He questioned the secrecy, the inconsistency, and the selective rule enforcement that left drivers perpetually guessing what constituted fair racing.

“I don’t know if they realize the weight of their decisions,” he stated, warning that these choices “can decide the results of championships. Some work needs to be done there.”

The timing was devastating. A seven-time world champion, struggling with an underperforming car, publicly dismantling the credibility of the FIA at one of the sport’s most iconic venues. The paddock went silent, with other drivers privately echoing his concerns, yet fearing to express them publicly. Hamilton had become the singular voice of a profound, collective frustration. The FIA’s response to this extraordinary critique? Deafening silence.

A Warning of Acceptance

The Brazilian Grand Prix leaves F1 at a crossroads. Will the team finally listen, restructure their operations, and give Hamilton the car he deserves, allowing the legend to rise one more time? Or will his patience run out, turning the move that was supposed to define his legacy into the one that ultimately destroyed it?

And what of the FIA? If the inconsistency and secrecy continue, driver trust will erode further, and the sport will hemorrhage credibility, becoming a spectacle where the rules only make sense to the people writing them in secret.

Has Lewis Hamilton made the biggest mistake of his career by joining a team plagued by operational instability, or is the real, existential crisis that Formula 1’s governing body has lost control of its own sport?

The question now is whether a seven-time world champion can possibly survive in a system where both his team and the rulebook appear fundamentally designed to break him. One thing is certain: that radio message from Brazil wasn’t mere frustration. It was a warning. When legends stop fighting and start accepting failure, that is the moment you know something fundamental is irrevocably broken. The fate of the sport—and of Hamilton’s final years in it—now hangs on whether anyone has the will to fix it before it is truly too late.

The air at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo always carries a particular charge, but this year, it was electric—the dense, heavy atmosphere of a title fight coming to a head. The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, a story of fluctuating fortunes, emotional victories, and a rivalry turning increasingly iconic, arrived in Brazil carrying the weight of an entire season. This was not just another race weekend; it was the psychological epicenter of a battle between two young champions, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, fighting for McLaren glory.

Yet, when the cars rolled out onto the scorching asphalt for Sprint Qualifying, something felt fundamentally different. The tension was not merely about the title; it was sharper, closer, and more dangerously internal. By the end of the decisive session, Lando Norris had delivered a devastating blow, snatching his first sprint pole of the year. It was a perfectly timed, exquisitely driven lap that seized back control of the championship fight. But beneath the surface of that spectacular result lay a series of small, technical miscalculations and an internal strategic debate that is now being exposed as the moment the delicate balance within the McLaren garage finally tipped.

The Defining Lap and the Fractured Momentum

Oscar Piastri arrived in Brazil needing stability. After losing the championship lead in Mexico, he required a clean, controlled weekend to immediately rebuild his momentum. Instead, he walked straight into the kind of qualifying session that doesn’t just cost grid positions—it fractures a title challenge and dents a driver’s confidence.

Lando Norris, performing under immense psychological pressure, produced one of the most decisive laps of the season. His 1 minute 9.243 was executed in falling temperatures, swirling winds, and on a track that was changing corner by corner. This was more than just raw pace; it was a masterful display of control and nerve. Norris delivered that pole lap at the precise moment Piastri faltered, and that contrast is what makes the Brazilian weekend a potential championship decider.

While Norris was upbeat, praising the team for doing “the job we needed to do,” Piastri’s post-session tone was one championship contenders desperately try to avoid. He spoke of “big moments” on his crucial first flying lap—an unusual admission in the guarded language of F1. In practical terms, it means the car snapped aggressively, costing him critical confidence and, more importantly, compromising the preparation of his delicate soft tires. When soft tires lose temperature at Interlagos, even for a single corner, the momentum is lost, and they simply do not recover for the decisive run.

The Sensitive Truth: Unintentional Compromise

The immediate question that resonated around the paddock was simple: Why? Why did the car, which had shown strong pace, suddenly become a volatile entity for Piastri? The answer, while sensitive, points to a subtle, yet powerful, internal shift.

McLaren confirmed they had made setup adjustments on Piastri’s side of the garage between practice and sprint qualifying. These changes—subtle tweaks to suspension stiffness or a half-degree shift in camber—might appear minor on a data sheet. But in the unpredictable, rapid direction changes of Interlagos’s Sector 2, especially as track temperatures plummeted from a blistering 43°C to the mid-30s on the asphalt, those minute adjustments could have been the precise cause of the instability Piastri described.

This technical decision opens the door to a sensitive but ultimately unavoidable theory that now defines the tension within the team: Is McLaren, perhaps unintentionally and invisibly, gravitating toward a setup that gives Norris the most stable, most confident baseline?

This is not a conspiracy theory, but a hard reality of top-tier F1 racing. Teams, by their nature, gravitate toward the setup philosophy that best suits their fastest, most experienced, or currently leading driver. Over the course of a demanding season, the car’s development trajectory—its subtle evolution through setup changes and minor part adjustments—will almost invisibly lean toward one style more than the other.

Lando Norris, with more experience within the McLaren system, has evolved alongside the car’s quirks. He is often comfortable when the car slides—a trait that can be fast but requires supreme confidence. Piastri, though blindingly fast, prefers stability before turning, relying on a more planted rear end for maximum attack. In São Paulo, in the most critical qualifying session of his year, the stability Piastri desperately needed disappeared at the worst possible time. The subtle, yet unavoidable, bias towards Norris’s established preference has potentially resulted in an unintentional compromise to Piastri’s perfect setup window—a compromise that could now decide the world championship.

The Triple Threat: Antonelli, Verstappen, and the Clock

The drama was compounded by external factors. The insertion of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes between the two McLaren drivers was a major strategic blow, particularly for Piastri. Mercedes’ late-season improvement is tightening the title race, and Antonelli’s presence means Piastri has less space to attack Norris, more variables to manage on the starting grid, and a higher risk of getting caught behind a car with strong straight-line speed.

Meanwhile, the chaos surrounding Max Verstappen continues to swirl. The Red Bull driver’s radio messages—”the car is completely broken and undrivable”—suggest deep internal problems within the reigning champions’ camp. A sixth-place start is disastrous for a driver trying to claw back a 36-point deficit in the final four rounds. Yet, even a wounded Verstappen is dangerous. His brief ability to split the McLarens during the session showed he can still disrupt the rhythm, strategy, and mental composure of the title contenders.

This external pressure makes Piastri’s third-place finish far more damaging than it looks. He didn’t just lose two grid positions; he lost momentum, he lost the chance to maximize pressure on his teammate, and crucially, he lost the psychological advantage he desperately needed to reassert control in the championship fight.

The Sound of Silence: Paddock Whispers and Internal Pressure

Piastri’s post-session comments revealed a driver managing frustration, trying to stay calm but fully aware of the stakes. When he said he was “pretty happy overall,” it was the language of damage limitation, not the confident roar of a title contender.

Deep inside the paddock, one topic is being whispered with increasing volume: McLaren is entering dangerous territory. It’s not a team meltdown—they are too disciplined for that—but the subtle, silent tension inherent in two championship-capable drivers chasing the same dream. Engineers must choose who gets the priority run times; strategists must decide whose feedback dictates the final setup tweak. These are split-second choices that, however fair the intention, can inevitably favor one driver over the other. This is how internal pressure builds—quietly, silently—until a defining weekend like Brazil turns it into an unavoidable story line.

If Lando Norris extends his lead in São Paulo, the internal balance inside McLaren shifts definitively. Once momentum moves decisively in a title fight, it rarely returns cleanly. For Oscar Piastri, the sprint race and the Grand Prix have become more than mere opportunities; they are necessities. If he leaves Brazil trailing by more than a handful of points, the unforgiving mathematics of the championship will begin to twist irretrievably in Norris’s favour.

The question is no longer about raw speed, but about composure and strategy. Has Lando Norris just taken the decisive, psychological step toward becoming world champion? Or will Oscar Piastri strike back when the weather, the chaos, and the pressure of a subtle internal compromise collide on race day? Brazil is not just rewriting the 2025 championship story—it is exposing the ruthless reality of what it takes to win within a top team.

The Brazilian Grand Prix, long celebrated as one of Formula 1’s most thrilling and unpredictable calendar fixtures, has been plunged into total chaos. The spectacle of speed and adrenaline at the Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo is now battling a far greater, more terrifying force: the raw, untamed power of Mother Nature. Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology has issued a catastrophic ‘Orange Danger’ severe storm warning for the region, placing the entire weekend schedule—and the safety of every person involved—under immediate threat of postponement or, worse, outright cancellation.

This is not simply a passing shower; this is a meteorological siege. The severity of the forecast has prompted authorities to activate a state-level crisis office, a move that underscores the gravity of the situation unfolding just hours before the scheduled Sprint Race and crucial Grand Prix Qualifying sessions. This weekend was slated for high-stakes action; instead, it has devolved into a high-stakes waiting game against a storm that promises to overwhelm one of motorsport’s most historic venues.

The Anatomy of a Crisis: Conditions That Demand a Halt

The official severe storm warning is not a mere precaution; it’s a forecast for genuinely dangerous, race-stopping conditions. The weather model predicts a frightening combination of extreme elements that make Formula 1 racing an absolute impossibility.

Torrents and Floods: Heavy rainfall is expected to dump between 30 and 60 millimeters per hour, with total accumulation over the course of the day potentially hitting a staggering 50 to 100 millimeters. To put that figure into perspective, this is the kind of deluge that surpasses the capacity of most urban drainage systems, let alone a high-speed racing circuit.

In racing terms, this volume of water means instant, catastrophic aquaplaning. Formula 1 cars, even on their full-wet tires, cannot cope with vast amounts of standing water. When the tires lose contact with the track surface, the drivers lose all grip, turning a high-tech racing machine into an uncontrollable, high-speed sled. The resulting lack of traction and the immense water spray reduce visibility to effectively zero, making it impossible for drivers to see marshals, pit boards, or, most critically, the car immediately in front of them. As the rules clearly state, if visibility is too poor, the session cannot, and will not, go ahead safely.

Wind and Weaponry: Compounding the rain threat are the projected wind speeds, which are forecast to hit between 60 and 100 kilometers per hour. For Formula 1 cars, which are aerodynamic marvels built to harness airflow, powerful crosswinds are a major structural and safety hazard. The complex wing elements and undertrays are designed to generate immense downforce, pinning the car to the track. However, a sudden, strong crosswind can brutally disrupt this delicate balance, fundamentally upsetting the car’s stability and making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for drivers to maintain control at race pace. Beyond the cars themselves, these high winds are strong enough to blow debris—signage, sponsorship banners, trackside equipment—across the circuit, turning ordinary objects into dangerous projectiles for anyone standing in the open, including the drivers themselves.

The Hail ‘No-Go’ Zone: Perhaps the most chilling element of the forecast is the risk of hail. Across all professional motorsport, hail is an absolute, non-negotiable no-go. Hailstones pose a direct threat of damage to the highly sensitive carbon fiber structures of the F1 cars. More importantly, they present an extreme danger to the drivers themselves, who are essentially sitting in an open cockpit. If the threat of hail materializes, the race director will not hesitate for a second: the session is immediately over.

The Logistical Nightmare of the Sprint Schedule

The severe weather window—which is expected to hit on Saturday morning and continue into the afternoon—is a direct collision course with the two most critical sessions of the weekend: the morning Sprint Race and the afternoon Grand Prix Qualifying. The structure of a Sprint Weekend leaves precious little room for error or delay, and this storm has instantly evaporated any logistical flexibility.

With safety being the paramount concern, the FIA and Formula 1 are closely monitoring the situation. A decision on whether to proceed will be made early Saturday morning, but based on the current forecast, postponement is the most likely scenario. The crucial question then becomes: where do they put two high-priority sessions?

The answer, as history suggests, is Sunday.

The weather forecast for Sunday is significantly more promising, predicting light rain that is expected to ease as the day progresses. This opens the door for a drastically revised and intense Sunday schedule. Grand Prix Qualifying, which dictates the starting grid for the main event, would likely be held on Sunday morning, followed by the Brazilian Grand Prix itself in the afternoon.

This double-header would create an unprecedented logistical nightmare for the teams. Mechanics and engineers would have virtually no breathing room. With a tight turnaround between qualifying and the Grand Prix, there would be minimal time for necessary car setup changes, repairs, or detailed analysis. Drivers, too, would face an immense physical and mental challenge, having to switch focus and intensity between a high-stakes qualifying lap and a full-distance Grand Prix in a matter of hours.

Interlagos’ Last Stand: Drainage vs. Deluge

In a testament to Formula 1’s proactive stance on safety, the Interlagos circuit management had already taken measures to improve drainage ahead of this weekend, learning lessons from past wet-weather events. Track owners engineered grooves into the surface at several key points notorious for collecting water.

These drainage grooves were cut into critical areas: the fast, demanding Center S corner complex after the start; the long straight between the pit exit and Deida do Lago; the approach to the tight Junção corner; and between the rear of the grid and the start/finish line. These modifications are a strategic attempt to channel water away from the racing line, aiming to reduce standing water and mitigate the risk of aquaplaning.

However, even the most meticulous engineering has its limits. If the forecasted 50 to 100 mm of rain materializes, the system will be utterly overwhelmed. As experts have warned, no amount of newly cut grooves can clear that much water in such a short time frame. The track will simply flood, leaving the FIA with no choice but to keep the cars parked.

The Weight of Precedent and the Final Call

Formula 1 is no stranger to battling the elements, and there is a clear, established precedent for tearing up the schedule when safety demands it. At this very circuit in 2024, the threat of heavy rain led to the Grand Prix start time being brought forward by 90 minutes to ensure the race finished safely. Furthermore, qualifying was postponed from Saturday to Sunday morning that year due to wet conditions, proving that a full schedule reshuffle is well within the sport’s crisis management capabilities. Other examples this season, such as the rain-delayed Sprint Race in Miami and the delayed start of the Belgian Grand Prix, show that flexibility is a necessary tool in the modern F1 toolkit.

The ultimate authority rests with the Race Director and the FIA. They possess the final call and the experience to know precisely when the line between competitive challenge and unacceptable danger has been crossed. Their primary mandate is the safety of the drivers, the teams, and the hundreds of thousands of spectators and staff on site.

As the world’s racing community waits with bated breath, the next 24 hours will be a tightrope walk. Teams are preparing complex setups for both potential wet and dry conditions, their strategies changing by the minute based on the latest radar updates. Fans who have traveled thousands of miles to witness this spectacle face disruption, uncertainty, and disappointment, but the universal consensus remains: safety comes first. The passion of the Brazilian Grand Prix is undeniable, but it cannot come at the expense of a disaster. For now, the thunder and wind hold court over Interlagos, and Formula 1 can only wait for the storm to pass before the roar of the engines can finally replace the sound of the rain.

LBC and This Morning star Nick Ferrari was in talks with I’m a Celebrity chiefs about taking part this year but his radio bosses vowed to match any lucrative fee to make him stay

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Nick Ferrari was at the top of the list for producers

Presenter Nick Ferrari pulled out of talks with ITV to join I’m a Celebrity after his radio chiefs vowed to match his lucrative jungle fee. The LBC star, who is also a favourite on This Morning, was wooed by show chiefs during what insiders say were “really productive conversations.”

But sources claim that after Ferrari mentioned the plans to his bosses at Global, they begged him to reconsider. A source said: “They pledged to match any fee he was set to receive as they consider him such a vital and well-loved part of the LBC schedule.”

The 66-year-old was first linked to the hit ITV show at the end of September, with increasing speculation he was due Down Under in recent weeks. An insider claimed at the time that producers were “determined to bag him” and “prepared to dig deep into their pockets for a lucrative fee.”

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Nick Ferrari is often a guest on This Morning (Image: ITV)

But a source said: “Ultimately, Global was able to flex its financial muscles and managed to keep their man. If he had signed up, he would have been off air for up to six weeks which they were keen not to happen. Nick is really well liked by those working on LBC and everyone thinks he has played a blinder by getting a payrise out of it.”

The source added: “Nick is known to have been a big fan of the show for years. Remember he was Carol Thatcher’s ‘celebrity friend’ when she won the series all those years ago and has been known to the production team since.” ITV were keen to secure his services but hadn’t tabled an official offer, it’s understood.

And a source said: “Nick would have been great but alas it wasn’t to be.” It comes as Nick has also proved a hit with the channel’s daytime audiences with regular This Morning appearances.

This year, a whole host of famous faces are flying out to Australia this weekend to take part. These include Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley, former model Kelly Brook, and ex-EastEnders star Shona McGarty.

Lisa herself recently dropped a huge hint she would be jetting Down Under, saying: “I’m A Celebrity…is something I would do before I turned 50 as a test for myself.”

Elsewhere, YouTuber Morgan Burtwistle, better known as Angryginge, musician Martin Kemp, comedian Ruby Wax, TV presenter Alex Scott and Jack Osbourne. The 25th series, hosted again by Ant and Dec, is set to start a week on Sunday.

The Mirror has exclusively revealed that Spandau Ballet star Martin was “advanced talks” to join the hit ITV show, following in the footsteps of his son Roman, who entered the jungle back in 2019.

Our insider said: “Martin is a household name having been top of the hit parade with Spandau Ballet in the 80s and then in EastEnders in the early 2000s – he’s a great signing and everyone is very excited at the prospect of getting him Down Under.”

Roman will no doubt be thrilled seeing his dad in the jungle. “Listen, I would do anything to see my dad eat llama anus,” Roman told the Mirror in 2022.

“I’ll tell you why, because when I got nominated the first time it was the eating trial,” he recalled. “When you’re in there, you get so paranoid about why people are voting for you, because you’re like ‘Am I coming across as a d*** and people want to see me suffer?’”

Loose Women star Denise Welch has opened up about her past relationship, saying she was in an “abusive relationship” with her former partner, who was “very controlling”

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Loose Women’s Denise Welch has opened up about a heartbreaking abusive relationship(Image: ITV)

Denise Welch has opened up about a devastating confession regarding an “abusive relationship”. The Loose Women presenter revealed she was trapped in a “coercive” relationship “many, many years ago”.

The 67-year-old mum-of-two explained her former partner wasn’t physically violent but described them as “very manipulative”. She revealed her ex would “chip away” at her character through subtle remarks.

However, Denise acknowledged she was reluctant to reveal what was happening to her friends at the time, reports the Manchester Evening News. She explained she knew they would urge her to leave her partner, but felt she wasn’t “ready” to end the relationship.

Speaking on the Loose Women: Just Between Us podcast, Denise revealed: “I was in a coercively controlled relationship without physical violence, many, many, years ago. What they do is they’re very manipulative, they chip, chip away at your personality in very subtle ways.

“For example, say they’ve met you and when they’ve met you, you’re maybe out somewhere and you’ve got your make-up on and you’ve got whatever you normally wear, which is why they fancy you, why they approached you, which is your personality, but very slowly it’s, ‘You know, you don’t need to wear that make-up. You look much nicer without make-up.’

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Denise says her former partner was ‘coercive'(Image: ITV)

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“That’s because they don’t want other people to see what they saw. So you start doing everything you can to avoid the kick-off.”

When asked if she shared her struggles with her friends, Denise confessed: “I never used to tell them things because I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed because if I told them what was happening, they would of course say to me, ‘You’ve got to leave.’ But I wasn’t ready to, I kept thinking that I could change him.

“When we got to the point where I would break the relationship off, I got the flowers, I got the chocolates, I got the tears and the car.”

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Denise Welch(Image: Getty Images)

She says her ex would promise to “change” so she would give him “more time”. She previously explained: “You are so desperate to change that person and they make you feel like you’re the centre of their life. It’s very easy to say ‘why don’t you leave’ but they are incredibly manipulative.”

She continued by saying that “for years” people believed abusive relationships had to be physical. She added: “The difference is you can’t see the bruises. There are bruises and the bruises can often last for longer.”

The TV star revealed she “often had a dysfunctional family” with her former partner, alleging he tried to gradually isolate her from her own relatives. As an example of his behaviour, she said he once made eye contact with a couple in a restaurant, which led him to flip a table in anger out of jealousy.

After leaving the relationship, Denise eventually married actor Tim Healy, with whom she shares children Matty and Louis, before tying the knot with husband Lincoln Townley in 2013.

One of the stars of Made In Chelsea has shared adorable pics of her second child, born just months after the tragic death of the reality TV personality’s sister

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Made In Chelsea star gives birth shortly after tragic death of her sister

One reality TV star finally has something to celebrate, as months after the tragic death of her sister, she has announced the birth of her second child and shared adorable pictures on social media.

Frankie Gaff, best known for appearing on Made In Chelsea, shared snaps from the hospital after giving birth to her second child. In the black and white pics, she is seen cradling her newborn, as is her fiance Jamie Dickerson.

The two had a daughter, who was delivered via C-Section. Sharing the news to Instagram, Frankie captioned the post: “She’s here.” This is the couple’s first girl, but they also have a three-year-old son, Theo.

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Frankie Gaff gave birth to her second child(Image: Instagram)

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She shared snaps of her newborn to Instagram(Image: Instagram)

Other than the fact that their baby is a daughter, Frankie hasn’t shared any other information. Fans jumped in the comments to congratulate the couple. One said: “The biggest congratulations lovely! So happy for you and baby girls safe arrival xxxxx”.

Another wrote: “Big congratulations to you and your expanding family. Such a blessing and miracle that your daughter is here and healthy”. Broadcaster Ashley James also congratulated Frankie, saying: “Huge huge congratulations. I hope you’re doing ok and had a calm birth.”

The happy news comes just over two months after Frankie’s sister died. In an Instagram update posted on 31 August, Frankie wrote: “My sister passed away early this morning.

“We will miss her forever but trying to find comfort in knowing she is finally at peace and is hopefully bouncing around up there somewhere, doing what she loved most.

“Gymnastics, being with her friends and family, surrounded by nature, eating terrys chocolate orange or green and blacks almond chocolate.

“We will miss her infectious, incredibly loud, laugh forever. Thank you to everyone, people I know and people I don’t know who have always messaged to check in on her.”

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Frankie announced her pregnancy shortly before her sister died(Image: Frankie Gaff /Instagram)

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Frankie used to be on Made In Chelsea

Frankie hasn’t chosen to share more about her sister’s death online, instead choosing to focus on her pregnancy journey. Just days ago, she posted a video sharing how she was getting ready for the birth of her baby, as she had gotten her due date.

The video showed her getting her breast pump ready to help with breast feeding and she shared that she wasn’t sure she was ready for her next baby.

“I really can’t tell if I’m ready for this next baby. 50% of me is like ‘let’s get her out now’. The other 50% remembers very clearly what it does mean to actually have her here. So I’m trying to enjoy a few nights of uninterrupted sleep.”

TV star and singer Peter Andre has revealed he had one ‘big fear’ about his eldest kids Princess and Junior as he reveals his relief at how he battled through the worry

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Peter Andre has revealed his worry for his eldest kids(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Peter Andre has admitted his “biggest fear” about his eldest children, Princess and Junior. The Mysterious Girl singer has been candid about his kids that he shares with ex-wife Katie Price as they carve out showbiz careers of their own.

His daughter, Princess, 18, entered the spotlight this summer thanks to landing her very own reality TV show. Junior, 20, is following in Peter’s footsteps and is focusing on her music career.

Peter recently gushed to the Mirror about how “proud” he is of Princess and Junior, yet he’s now admitted he did have one big fear. He has said the pair were very “easy teenagers” but he did worry about what Princess and Junior’s love life would look like.

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Peter said he had a ‘big fear’ about Princess and Junior(Image: David Dyson / Daily Mirror)

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He said he ‘loves’ Junior’s girlfriend Jasmine (Image: Getty Images)

The dad-of-five had revealed his relief at being able to bond with both his son’s girlfriend, Jasmine Orr, and his daughter’s previous boyfriend. He told BANG Showbiz: “Do you know what, I have to say, the biggest fear, I think for me, when they were growing up and people don’t know what teenagers are like.

“I found them easy teenagers, but the problem is – it’s not with those two – but the problem for parents, what I find is when they have a partner, you either like the partner or you push them away. Thankfully, I liked Princess’ boyfriend and thankfully, I love both of them, I loved Princess’ previous boyfriend when she had one – and Jasmine, we love her, thank God. They’re dream teenagers now.”

Peter also has Amelia, 11, nine-year-old Theo and 18-month-old Arabella with his wife Emily. However, he has admitted that having adult children makes him feel “old”.

He joked at the launch of Boots presents Glide at Battersea Power Station: “Yes, I am old, I’m 52, hello? You know what, I was on the ice rink and someone’s going, ‘Aren’t you a bit old for this?’ And I was like ‘Ha – I got this’ but inside I was shaking.”

Last month, Peter told The Mirror about the rule he has over his younger children entering the spotlight. When asked if he and Emily would bring their youngest to the Pride of Britain, Emily told us: “We have talked about that!”

Peter added: “Amelia asked today. She said, ‘will I be able to come with you?’ I said, maybe when you are 16.” Emily agreed as she explained: “She’s at secondary school now, I think maybe when she’s 16.”

Despite the pair laying down new ground rules for their young kids, Peter and Emily are both proud of what Princess and Junior have achieved already. Princess has secured two more series for her own show, which Peter is delighted about.

“I know she’s gonna smash it,” he told us. “The next series she’s going to smash it, you watch her go, she’s great.” Speaking of his daughter’s success, Peter added: “Oh, I’m so proud. You know, we’ve got a good team, obviously. Claire’s been with us, with me, for 30 years.

“There’s a good team around her, but for me it’s about them being humble, it’s about remembering where they’re coming from and that people are so lovely, you’ve got to give back, you can’t just take. And they are good people, they’re good kids.”

Two stars are related to comedy royalty!

Several Gogglebox stars have become household names thanks to the Channel 4 show – but it turns out some of them already had links to the showbiz world…

The beloved programme has been a staple on screens since 2013 – and has introduced us to several iconic stars, including siblings Pete and Sophie Sandiford, and married couple Giles and Mary.

However, for some of the cast they have some rather famous connections… Here, ED is taking a look at the Gogglebox stars’ famous relatives and friends.

Sandi’s cousin is Naomi Campbell (Credit: Channel 4)

Gogglebox star is Naomi Campbell’s cousin

Sandi Bogle and Sandra Martin appeared on Gogglebox between 2013 and 2016 – and quickly became firm favourites.

After leaving the show, Sandi appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.

During her stint on the programme, she revealed she had a mega-famous cousin in the form of supermodel Naomi Campbell.

“Naomi is my cousin, her mother is related to my mother, so yeah, family,” she said.

Sandi also opened up about her relationship with Naomi in 2023 and told The Sun: “I am Naomi’s first cousin and yes we do talk to her and see each other.”

Sandi continued: “We do get together and have since we were kids. If there’s a celebration or something like a wedding we’ll get phone calls and we’ll go.

“At the end of the day it’s a family thing isn’t it. I’ve met her daughter, yes. At the end of the day she’s Naomi and I’m Sandi and it’s a family thing.”

The pair have comedy royalty in their family (Credit: Channel 4)

Pete and Sophie are related to the Chuckle Brothers

Siblings Pete and Sophie Sandiford – who joined the show in 2017 – are famous for their witty remarks.

And it’s no surprise, as it turns out they are related to TV legends The Chuckle Brothers; Paul and the late Barry Chuckle.

In 2019, Paul shared a snap on X of him posing next to Sophie and Pete. He captioned the picture: “This day 2018 with my great niece and nephew @PeteandSophie.”

Pete also shared an old family snap in 2018 of himself and Sophie with Paul and Barry; two weeks after Barry’s death.

He wrote: “We are lucky enough to call him Uncle Barry.”

The couple are apparently good friends with Boris (Credit: Channel 4)

Giles and Mary ‘friends’ with Boris Johnson

Married couple Giles and Mary are firm favourites on the Channel 4 show after making their debut in 2015.

It has previously been reported that the pair, from Wiltshire, have friends in some rather high places: former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his sister Rachel.

As The Telegraph claims, they have even allegedly been on holiday with them in Scotland. However, Giles and Mary have never addressed the reports.

Steph and Dom met up with Nigel for a one-off show (Credit: Channel 4)

Gogglebox stars’ close bond with Nigel Farage

Steph and Dom Parker were one of the OGs of Gogglebox – making their debut in 2013. The pair became a hit with fans before leaving three years later in 2016.

And it turns out they previously formed a close bond with I’m A Celeb star Nigel Farage.

In 2015, they met up for a one-off show at Steph and Dom’s hotel in South Thanet.

The politician was warned about Steph and Dom’s reputation for boozing before meeting up and replied: “Don’t take me on.”

During their get-together, things didn’t go smoothly as Nigel ended up spilling champagne on his trousers and then had to wear a pair of Dom’s ripped jeans.

Paddy is set to find his dad in dire circumstances

Emmerdale has officially confirmed that Bear Wolf’s storyline is tackling the issue of Modern Slavery, shedding light on a crime that is far more common than many viewers realise.

After months of disturbing behaviour and a mysterious disappearance, the soap is now preparing to reveal the devastating truth behind Bear’s absence – and why no one suspected a thing.

Bear is missing under terrible circumstances (Credit: ITV)

Bear missing since July in Emmerdale

Paddy has finally discovered that his dad never made it to Ireland. Realising he hasn’t heard from him since their falling out, Paddy is desperate to find Bear and patch things up.

But next week, Emmerdale will expose the horrific circumstances Bear is living in – and why he feels he can never return home.

Although Bear is physically close to the village, he believes he’s too far gone to reconnect with his family. The strength and humour that once defined the former fighter have disappeared completely.

Flashback scenes will reveal what happened during the missing 100 days of Bear’s life. It will show how he was taken in by people who appeared kind and supportive. They offered him work in return for food and a place to stay.

It quickly becomes clear that Bear was coerced, manipulated and trapped. The ‘help’ he was offered became exploitation, and before long he was under total control.

Injured, malnourished and emotionally broken, Bear is shown to be entirely at the mercy of his captors. He has never been more isolated – or more vulnerable.

Bears has been taken and forced into Modern Slavery (Credit: ITV)

Modern Slavery storyline aided by The Salvation Army

Emmerdale has worked closely with The Salvation Army to portray this storyline authentically, focusing on an elderly, vulnerable man who becomes an easy target for traffickers.

Joshua Richards, who plays Bear, explained: “It may surprise many people, but slavery is alive and well, indeed prospering in the modern world… It is happening under our very own noses.”

He added that disadvantaged and isolated people are particularly at risk of being groomed and exploited. He also hopes the storyline can help highlight the reality of Modern Slavery.

Producer Laura Shaw also spoke about the importance of the plot. She explained that the countryside setting is not as idyllic as it appears. It can also conceal serious criminal activity.

She highlighted Ray and Celia’s involvement, pointing out that although Ray is far from a likeable character, the episode will show glimpses that suggest he, too, “may be trapped in a world beyond his control.”

As Bear’s standalone episode airs, Emmerdale promises a deeply disturbing, eye-opening exploration of Modern Slavery. Viewers will finally understand how Bear ended up in such unimaginable danger.

Can Paddy find his dad before it’s too late?

Emmerdale has finally answered one of the biggest questions looming over the village: what happened to Bear Wolf?

In Friday’s episode (November 7), viewers learned the truth – and Bear’s situation is far worse than anyone imagined. He is being held captive by Ray Walters, with Celia Daniels clearly part of the operation.

Paddy discovered his dad never went to Ireland (Credit: ITV)

Paddy realised Bear is missing in Emmerdale tonight

Paddy only realised this week that his dad was genuinely missing. Earlier in the year, their relationship fell apart after a heated argument, leading Paddy to throw Bear out.

He believed Bear had gone to stay with old wrestling friends in Ireland. Viewers, however, already sensed something more sinister was unfolding, as Bear was last seen alone in an unknown, rural location.

Tonight, Paddy received a parcel addressed to Bear, and Mandy insisted they open it. Inside was a letter from Bear’s supposed host, Gnasha, confirming Bear never arrived.

Panic set in as Paddy contacted Bear’s other friends, only to find no one has heard from him since summer. Mandy initially assumed Bear was sulking, but Paddy knew Bear would never punish Eve by missing her birthday. Convinced something is seriously wrong, he decided it was time to involve the police.

Bear is being held captive (Credit: ITV)

The truth revealed

Then the truth was shown. The door to a dark, decrepit room unlocked and a hooded man was sitting hunched on a bed in the corner. Ray entered with a screaming girl, who turned out to be Anya, the stowaway Caleb and Ruby took in before she disappeared.

Ray ordered the man to clean Anya up and locked them inside again. When he lifted his hood, it was revealed to be Bear. Anya recognised him and broke down, proving they both must have been trapped for some time.

Bear is in serious trouble (Credit: ITV)

Bear special episode in Emmerdale

The reveal sets the stage for next week’s major Bear-focused standalone episode, which promises to explain how Bear ended up in Ray’s hands and why he has been unable to escape.

Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy, told Emmerdale Insider the episode will be “harrowing” and “high-end drama,” highlighting the show’s commitment to tackling real-world issues such as grooming gangs.

“It is going to be harrowing viewing. But I think it’s really important,” she said. “When we tell these stories, we are informing people night after night of what’s going on everywhere, there are these grooming gangs and they are all over the country.

With Bear’s life now clearly in danger and Anya suffering the same fate, the stakes have never been higher. Paddy and Mandy must find out what has happened before it is too late – and viewers are questioning how far Ray and Celia’s crimes extend.