Author: banga

Vicky Pattison became the seventh star booted from Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday in what has been branded the ‘most shocking elimination yet’ after the results leaked online ahead of the show.

The TV personality, 38, and pro partner Kai Widdrington, 30, missed a place in next weeks Blackpool special after losing the dreaded dance-off against EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, 46, and Julian Caillon, 30.

After both couples performed again, judges Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Balvinder, while Craig Revel Horwood, who this week had the casting vote, said he too would have saved the soap star should he have been required to vote.

Despite both pairs landing at the bottom of Saturday’s leaderboard fans were shocked by who the judges decided to save.

An emotional Vicky told host Tess Daly: ‘It was so lovely while it lasted, and I’ve had the nicest time. I knew this week was a difficult one for me, and I tried my hardest as I have every week, listen, I didn’t think I’d get past week one’.

‘And I’m really honoured to have shared this experience with so many amazing people. Mostly with this fella [Kai] right here. I don’t want to sound too cheesy but [to Kai] you’ve been the best partner a girl can ask for. I’m so sorry I didn’t get you to Blackpool but I feel like I’ve won just by having you as my partner and I’m so grateful’.

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Vicky Pattison became the seventh star booted from Strictly on Sunday in what has been branded the ‘most shocking elimination yet’ after the results leaked ahead of the show

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The TV personality, 38, and pro partner Kai Widdrington , 30, missed a place in next weeks Blackpool special after losing the dreaded dance-off against EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal

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After both couples performed again judges Motsi Mabuse , Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke and Craig revel Horwood all chose to save Balvinder

While Kai gushed: ‘[Vicky] You are everything that this series is about. Strong, confident, independent – and all that I can say is, I have loved every single second’.

‘I’m going to be gutted not coming to Blackpool with you on Monday. But I just want you to know that I feel like I have also won getting you as my partner, and you will live on in Strictly history forever’.

Sunday’s results episode is pre-recorded in secret following the main show with strict security measures in order to keep the identity of the eliminated star a secret.

But fans were left dismayed after the ‘shock’ news result was leaked on while cameras were still rolling on Saturday.

A source told The Sun: ‘Spoilers have plagued Strictly for years with fans struggling to avoid finding out who leaves before the Sunday results show airs.

‘Now, results are ending up online while the cameras are still rolling. It means there is a whodunnit mystery gripping the set’.

And after learning of which celebrity has narrowly missed out on Blackpool Week, fans took to social media to admit they were ‘devastated’ and ‘fuming’, with the majority confessing they hadn’t seen the result coming.

Voicing their shock, they wrote: ‘Wow, wasn’t expecting that result. I need a lie down , flippin eck’;

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Despite both couples landing at the bottom of Saturday’s leaderboard fans were shocked by who the judges decided to save

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An emotional Vicky told host Tess Daly : ‘It was so lovely while it lasted, and I’ve had the nicest time. I knew this week was a difficult one for me, and I tried my hardest’

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Sunday’s results episode is pre-recorded in secret following the main show with strict security measures in order to keep the identity of the eliminated star a secret

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And after learning of which celebrity has narrowly missed out on Blackpool Week, fans took to social media to admit they were ‘devastated’ and ‘fuming’, with the majority confessing they hadn’t seen the result coming

Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard: Week Eight

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe – 36

Amber Davies & Nikita Kuzmin – 38

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones -37

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe – 35

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec – 33

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu – 31

George Clarke and Alexis Warr -29

Amber Davies & Nikita Kuzmin – 38

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon – 27

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington – 27

”Really shocked. Thought the eliminated person would definitely be in the final.’; ‘This bottom 2 was expected but I am SO shocked at who the judges saved’.

‘First time this series that I’ve been surprised by who was voted off.’; i am STUNNED with that spoiler, a bottom two that should never have been’.

‘This is a shocker, something must of happened! I genuinely thought they were a finalist’; ‘THIS IS INSANE WTF MOST SHOCKING ELIMINATION YET??’.

While many angrily declared that the judges had made the wrong call, insisting the person eliminated had been in line for the final.

They said: ‘Only my opinion but I think it’s one of the first times this series the wrong person has gone.’; ‘Won’t spoil it for anyone else but I do not agree with the judges!’; ‘Gutted they were my faves.

‘I’m shocked. Wrong person went home’; ‘Definitely not the worst dancers & I’m so sad they didn’t get to Blackpool’; ‘The wrong person went’;

‘I knew the other person would be in the Dance off again but the person who left shouldn’t have been there.’; ‘NO I AM DEVASTATED FOR THE PERSON WHO LEFT’.

‘Oh I’m mad. Intrigued to see the dance off because based on tonight’s performances, this seems like the wrong decision’; ‘Totally the wrong decision.’

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Saturday’s show was an emotional one, with George Clarke dedicating his Rhumba with pro partner Alexis Warr to his beloved mum amid her battle with cancer

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Overcome with emotion George was watched from the audience by his mum and dad as he described the routine as a ‘love letter’ to his family

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While La Voix also left viewers emotional as she tearfully opened up about her beloved mother’s recent death during Saturday’s show

‘Noooooooo fuming with that result’; ‘Wrong person went this time’; ‘Something HAS to have happened in that dance off for that to be the result cos what??’

But others agreed with the result and admitted that right person had been sent home, saying: ‘I’ve seen the #StrictlySpoiler… apparently an unpopular opinion but the correct result based on the night’.

‘Fook me, I’m shocked. I expected at least one to be in the DO. I hope they don’t get a backlash for being saved, as I can see that happening. But if what I heard is true, the judges didn’t have a choice, really, who to save/not save.’

‘I’m not shocked. The person who left was never as good as they were hyping them to be tbh.’; ‘Nah I’m actually devastated icl. Can’t believe that celeb has gone home but so happy the other celeb is still here and survived the dance off again.’

‘Just seen #StrictlySpoiler result, and I must say that, as far as I am concerned, I am glad of the result! So glad for the person who was saved…’

Saturday’s show was an emotional one, with George Clarke dedicating his performance to his beloved mum amid her battle with cancer.

The YouTube star, 25, took to the dance-floor with pro partner Alexis Warr for an emotional Rhumba, leaving fans at home and head judge Shirley Ballas in tears.

Overcome with emotion George was watched from the audience by his mum and dad as he described the routine as a ‘love letter’ to his family ahead of next week’s Blackpool special.

Speaking in his pre-recorded VT George recalled how his mother had spent years battling Encephalitis, a dangerous condition that causes brain inflammation, before being diagnosed with cancer.

‘She’s the most selfless person that I have ever met. The first thing she did when she came out of hospital was apologise to us for what she has put us through’.

He continued: ‘Nobody deserves to be put through what she has been through and least of all her’.

Dave never imagined that one day he would sit before a quiet room, holding his breath as he tried to find the right words to explain what had been happening to Shirley Griffiths behind the scenes, away from the cheerful comments, warm banter, and familiar laughter that viewers had come to love from their appearances on Gogglebox. To most people, Shirley had always been a symbol of brightness, a woman whose resilience seemed almost built into her bones. Even as age quietly crept up around her, she somehow carried herself with the same spark, the same lightness, the same stubborn refusal to let time win. But life has its way of reminding us that even the strongest can falter, and that sometimes, the battles we fight are the ones no one can see. When Dave finally spoke, his voice was softer than usual, as though he feared the truth itself might crack if spoken too loudly. He said it took him months to gather the courage to share what he now believes he should have said far earlier: that Shirley had been living with a relentless enemy for many years, one that slowly, silently chipped away at her strength. High blood pressure, a phrase often tossed around lightly, had embedded itself into her life like a ghost that refused to leave. It had lingered for so long that it became an unwelcome part of their routine—morning medications, afternoon check-ins, casual reassurances that she was “just a little tired,” and countless moments where she brushed off warning signs as nothing more than the inconveniences of growing older.

But what Dave didn’t know—what none of them understood at the time—was how deeply that condition was affecting her heart, her brain, her memory, and her sense of balance. That the same blood pressure she waved off as harmless was quietly rewriting the rhythms of her body, like an invisible hand erasing lines in pencil only to redraw them in ink somewhere else. He recalls one evening not long ago, when he found Shirley sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a cup of tea that had long gone cold. She looked up at him and smiled, but just for a moment there was confusion in her eyes—confusion that vanished as quickly as it came. Dave pushed the worry aside, convincing himself she was simply tired. After all, they were both getting older; tired moments were part of the deal.

But then came the day when she called him from the living room and asked him to help her remember the name of a neighbour she had spoken to nearly every day for a decade. Dave laughed it off at first, teasing her gently. Yet deep down, something tightened inside him. It wasn’t like her to forget a name she used so frequently. Soon after, things worsened. She misplaced household items that had never left their usual spots. She repeated the same stories without realising it. She sometimes stopped midsentence as though her thoughts had slipped right out of reach. Dave tried to protect her from embarrassment, filling in words when she struggled, guiding her through conversations without making it obvious that he was doing so. He told himself it was normal. What else could he do? People forget things as they age. It’s harmless, he thought. It’ll pass

.

But it didn’t pass. It lingered, pulsing beneath the surface, until the day the world shifted in a way Dave could never have anticipated. Shirley had been quieter that morning, moving slower, breathing heavier. She waved off his concern with that stubborn smile he knew all too well, telling him she was fine, that he fussed too much. But as the afternoon sun filtered through the curtains and the house fell into that peaceful lull, she suddenly slumped back into her chair, her eyes unfocused, her words trailing off into nothing. There was no dramatic collapse, no panicked scream, no frantic scramble—only a chilling, unnerving stillness. Dave watched her for a moment, waiting for her to finish her sentence, waiting for her to look at him, waiting for something he could not name. And then, with a sinking weight in his stomach, he realised that something was terribly wrong.

At the hospital, the truth hit him harder than any blow he had ever taken. The doctor’s words blurred into a single, devastating message: Shirley had suffered a silent stroke. A “quiet attack,” they called it, the kind that doesn’t announce itself with sudden paralysis or slurred speech but creeps in like a shadow that slips across the room without a sound. It had likely begun hours before they arrived. Perhaps even days. The thought that he had missed the signs, that he had been sitting beside her while her body cried for help, was a guilt that would gnaw at him long after the diagnosis was given. Shirley, lying in the hospital bed with an oxygen tube resting beneath her nose, looked smaller than he had ever seen her. The woman who once lit up rooms, who teased him about his snoring, who could recount memories with vivid detail, now struggled to recognise the timeline of her own day.

Her blood pressure had been far higher than either of them realised, and years of pushing through discomfort had worn down her heart and damaged the blood vessels in her brain. That previous heart attack—the one she shrugged off with jokes about “being too stubborn to go anywhere”—had already weakened her. And now, the stroke had stolen another part of her strength, chipping away at her memory and her ability to express herself. The doctors talked about long-term effects: cognitive decline, increased confusion, possible dementia. Words Dave had only ever heard in conversations about other families, never imagining they would someday be spoken about the woman lying just inches from him.

He sat beside her for days, rarely leaving the chair by her bedside. Nurses came and went, adjusting machines, checking vitals, whispering updates in hushed voices. But Dave barely heard any of it. His world shrank into the space between Shirley’s hand and his own, into the slow rise and fall of her chest, into the moments when her eyes fluttered open and she searched the room until they settled on him. Sometimes she smiled, and in those fleeting seconds he could almost believe everything would be alright. Other times she seemed lost, drifting somewhere in her mind where he could not follow.

There were moments that felt almost unbearable—like when she asked him, quite earnestly, whether they had already eaten dinner, despite having finished their meal just before her collapse. Or the time she asked him what day it was three times in five minutes. Dave learned to hide the heartbreak behind soft reassurances. He didn’t want to confuse her further. He didn’t want to frighten her. He didn’t want her to see the man she loved falling apart. So he smiled, stroked her hand, and repeated whatever she needed to hear, even if it pained him every time.

As word of Shirley’s condition quietly reached fans, the reaction was a wave of shock and heartbreak from those who had followed the couple’s warm presence on Gogglebox. Viewers remembered the playful exchanges, the gentle teasing, the comments that made them laugh on nights when they needed it most. Now, learning that Shirley had been silently fighting a chronic illness for years made those moments feel even more precious. People who had never met her in person found themselves hoping, praying, wishing that she would find the strength to recover, even partially, just enough to return to the spark they remembered.

 

For Dave, the outpouring of support meant more than he could express. He was not a man used to showing vulnerability, and yet this ordeal had stripped him bare. He told friends that he felt as though he was walking through life holding his breath, waiting for someone to tell him things would go back to how they used to be, even though he knew they might never fully return. But there was one thing he was certain of: he would never leave Shirley’s side. Not now, not ever. He recalled that when they were younger, Shirley once told him she feared the idea of becoming a burden more than anything else. “Promise me you won’t let me be a bother to you,” she had said with a nervous laugh, brushing off her own fear. And he had promised, without fully understanding what he was agreeing to.

Now, as he watched her sleep, her breathing steady but fragile, he realised what that promise truly meant. It meant being there on the days when she didn’t recognise the room. It meant reminding her gently of things she forgot. It meant sitting patiently while she struggled to find words. It meant holding her hand through every doctor’s appointment, every difficult night, every quiet tear. It meant being strong enough for both of them when she no longer could be. And despite the exhaustion, despite the fear that sometimes gripped him late at night, Dave found a strange sense of peace in that commitment. He didn’t see her as a burden. He saw her as the person who had made his life richer in ways he could never repay.

Shirley’s health journey became a test of love, one that revealed depths of devotion that even Dave hadn’t realised were there. He found himself admiring her courage even more in her moments of weakness. She never complained, never raged against the unfairness of it all. Even when she struggled to remember simple things, she would still whisper, “I’m okay,” trying to reassure him. It broke his heart and healed it all at once. There were evenings when he would sit beside her in the dim light of the hospital room, telling her stories from their early years—their first holiday, the embarrassing nights out, the times when they couldn’t stop laughing long enough to finish dinner. Sometimes she remembered. Sometimes she didn’t. But every time, she listened. And that was enough.

The doctors say recovery from a silent stroke can be slow. Some days progress is visible; other days, it feels like moving backwards. But Dave is there through it all, celebrating the smallest victories—like the morning she managed to walk a few steps with help, or the moment she correctly recalled a memory from last Christmas. Each tiny success feels monumental, a reminder that she is still fighting, still here, still Shirley.

And so the story of Shirley Griffiths is not one of defeat. It is the story of a woman who battled illness silently for years, who carried herself with grace even as her body betrayed her, and of a man who refuses to let her fight alone. Their journey is filled with pain, yes, but also with love so steadfast that it softens even the harshest edges of reality. And as Dave holds her hand, whispering that they still have time—maybe months, maybe years, maybe just moments—it becomes clear that this is ultimately a story about devotion, resilience, and the quiet strength that binds two people together through every storm.

EXCLUSIVE: Channel 4 star Jasmine Harman says people make a huge assumption about her.

 

Jasmine Harman is rarely off screens thanks to constant repeats of A Place In The Sun

Jasmine Harman says people always ask her how many children she has due to viewers seeing her pregnant so frequently on screen. As one of the longest serving A Place In The Sun presenters to have joined the Channel 4 property show, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, way back in 2004, she had over 440 episodes under her belt. That’s approximately 1,770 house tours, which means she is on screens a lot, thanks to constant repeats of the show that run alongside her newer episodes.

This seems to confuse people as the 50-year-old star explained: “I worked throughout both of my pregnancies, and people very frequently ask me how many children I have as I ‘always seem to be pregnant,’ not realising that they are watching repeats!” she laughed. Despite what some quarters of the public may think Jasmine is a proud mum to just two children – 12-year-old Joy and 8-year-old Albion.

They are currently appearing alongside Jasmine and their dad cameraman Jon Boast, 46, in Jasmine’s Renovation In the Sun, which documents the family’s move to a run down villa sunny Spain which they renovated themselves.

 

The bubbly presenter admits it wasn’t always plain sailing mixing her family life with work. “Sometimes it was quite tough for the children, because if they had been at school and were tired and we wanted to film something…” she trails off.

“We did really fun things, which we wouldn’t have done otherwise, so that was great, but there were times when the filming slightly encroached on family life.”

Despite this, Jasmine appreciates that level of access was necessary for the show.  “That was the whole point of it, it was basically full access filming,” she says. “That’s what we were doing. We were documenting our family life.”

So did anyone in the family enjoy the experience? “The cat and the dog were very happy to be on camera,” she laughs. “Especially the cat! She was always present in the middle of everything. Just checking out her subjects.”

Jasmine Harman and her husband Jon Boast renovated their Spanish home themselves (Image: Channel 4)

Explaining why she made the monumental decision to uproot her family and live in chaos while the work on the property was being done, she admitted it was the only way they could afford the lifestyle they wanted.

“My husband also wanted to live by the sea, so I said, ‘If we’re going to live by the coast, let’s move to the Mediterranean coast! I always knew that we were probably going to be biting off more than we could chew at some point,” she says. “It was definitely more stressful and more intense than I possibly imagined. At the same time, I always knew it was going to be full on.

“But then you are just haemorrhaging money and trying to get things done in time and working with all the usual delays you have with any kind of construction or this sort of job. There are always things that you discover along the line that make it harder or that make it take longer. Maybe my lack of renovation experience was a blessing in disguise, because maybe I wouldn’t have done it had I known,” she reflected.

Anne Diamond has revealed the heartbreaking truth behind her recent disappearance from television — and it is far from the carefree “world cruise” that social media gossip imagined.

The 70-year-old broadcasting icon, who has spent decades brightening Britain’s mornings, shared that she has been quietly fighting breast cancer, a battle that has left her exhausted, fragile, and facing unexpected medical emergencies completely on her own.

Speaking with raw honesty, Anne explained that she had been forced off-screen not because of travel, but because of dangerously high blood pressure that spiraled so suddenly paramedics “went white with concern” the moment they saw her numbers.

“I had no idea my blood pressure was so high,” she admitted. “They took one look and said, ‘You’re going to hospital — now.’”

That frightening emergency unfolded just months after Anne had undergone a double mastectomy as part of her battle with breast cancer — a battle she previously kept intensely private.

Despite her long resilience, Anne said her health has been unpredictable and overwhelming, leaving her unable to return to her beloved studio job for now.

She confessed that working in television once helped her feel “less alone” amid illness, offering a brief moment where she felt like herself again.
Now, however, the physical toll has made it impossible.

Still, her message was not despair — but a plea for awareness.

Anne urged viewers to take blood pressure seriously, calling it “one of the most overlooked dangers,” and shared how she had been stunned by how quickly her own condition escalated.

She also reflected on the emotional part of her journey — months of fighting cancer largely in silence, relying only on a small circle of trusted friends.

Last year, Anne revealed that she had received her breast cancer diagnosis on the very same morning she was notified she would be awarded an OBE for her decades of campaigning work for children’s health — a bittersweet moment she described as “life coming at you from both sides.”

A beloved figure of daytime television since the 1980s, Anne has fronted programmes for the BBC, ITV, and most recently GB News, where viewers had grown worried about her long absence.

While she remains determined and hopeful, she acknowledged that her road to recovery is far from over.

But even in the hardest moments, she carries the quiet strength of someone who has rebuilt herself before — through grief, illness, and unimaginable challenges.

And now, once again, she is fighting her way forward.

Carol McGiffin — one of Loose Women’s longest-standing and most recognisable panellists — has reflected on the devastating impact of the health crisis she first faced back in 2014. That year, she received the life-altering diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer, a discovery that set her on a gruelling and emotional medical journey.

The shock came after she found a lump during a holiday, a moment she kept from her partner until she could return home and consult her GP. Carol later admitted:
“I knew the moment I saw the doctor it was cancer. It was like, ‘Right then, I know exactly what this is.’”

What followed was a year she describes as one of the hardest of her life. She underwent a mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy, and a demanding course of 15 radiotherapy sessions. The treatment was ultimately successful in eliminating the cancer — but Carol says the effects have lingered far longer than anyone expected.

Speaking to Best magazine, she revealed:
“I haven’t felt ‘well’ in over ten years since I had breast cancer — but it wasn’t the cancer that made me ill. It was the chemotherapy.”

In her search for relief, the ITV star experimented with countless alternative therapies. From massages and spa retreats to yoga classes and meditation sessions, she tried everything she could — only to find none of it provided the promised improvement.
“If I’m honest, it was all a huge waste of time and money,” she said.

Carol remains highly sceptical of the booming wellness industry, which in the UK is now valued at more than £170 billion. She believes many of its offerings are built on clever marketing rather than real results, adding that for most people, the benefits are little more than placebo.

Instead, she argues that genuine wellbeing comes from simple, grounded living. Her personal formula includes enjoying the sunshine, following a relaxed Mediterranean-style diet, and refusing to deprive herself of life’s pleasures. The biggest enemy of health, she believes, isn’t diet or lifestyle trends — it’s stress.
“Stress is the biggest killer of all,” she insists.

Carol’s tough, practical mindset dates back to her childhood. Her mother also battled cancer, and Carol was raised to face illness with strength rather than fear.
“I thought: ‘So what if I’ve got breast cancer? Thousands of women get it every year. I’ll get through this.’”

When she first learned the news, Carol chose to share it with only a handful of people. She even told her partner, Mark Cassidy, that he didn’t need to accompany her to the hospital for an early scan. But when she emerged with the confirmation they’d dreaded, she surprised him with the blunt truth:
“I looked at him and said: ‘Yep, it is breast cancer.’ Then we went straight to the pub and got absolutely plastered.”

Carol lost most of her hair during treatment, endured painful side effects and emotional turmoil, but came through with the same unfiltered honesty and humour fans admire her for. And while the cancer is gone, the long-term toll it took remains a battle she continues to face every day.

The shock revelation came as the couple appeared on Strictly partner show It Takes Two

Carlos Gu has shared just how tough recent training sessions have been for celebrity partner Karen Carney, admitting there were moments “she couldn’t even breathe”.

The pair appeared together on Strictly’s companion show It Takes Two, where they spoke to host Janette Manrara ahead of their appearance at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom.

 

Reflecting on their American Smooth from the previous week, a routine that earned them an impressive 31 points, the Strictly Come Dancing professional explained how emotional he felt after seeing the judges’ reactions.

“Being a partner, being a professional partner, and seeing your celebrity practice so hard every single week. It’s inspiring,” he said.

Carlos Gu and Karen Carney

Mr Gu went on to praise the former footballer’s determination to flourish in a style she has struggled with.

“Particularly this week and the ballroom, like I said, is not her strength, and she worked so hard.

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“She came into the training room and said, ‘I really want to try and make it myself and improve, and let the judges see that I’m improving just a little.’”

The pro-dancer added that seeing the judges recognise her efforts meant a great deal to him.

“And she did absolutely amazing, and they saw it! I was so emotional. All the hard work pays off, and I couldn’t be more proud to be there with her and to witness those magical moments.”

Karen Carney

The former footballer admitted the emotion was mutual. “I got emotional because Carlos got emotional.

“He was right, we put in loads of work, and to just try and be in that position was really, really challenging for me,” she said.

Mr Gu then revealed the physical toll rehearsals had taken, saying: “Sometimes she couldn’t even breathe. I had to say, ‘Karen, remember, you can breathe.’”

Ms Carney said the pair had developed a bond built on support and shared effort. Turning to her partner, she said: “Seeing you like that, it got me because we are a team, we are a partnership and we work really hard at that and we’re together.

“If he’s happy, I’m happy. If he’s emotional, I’m emotional. We mirror [each other]. But seeing him care about me so much, which you do, just meant a lot and I think everyone else could see that too. So, thanks.”

Carlos Gu and Karen Carney

 | BBC

The duo will now take their partnership into one of Strictly’s most iconic weeks, with fans eager to see how they handle the pressures of Blackpool , and whether their emotional journey continues to win over the judges.

This isn’t the first time the pair have been overcome with emotion during their Strictly journey.

The journalist left her Strictly partner in tears this week after the pair received mixed comments for their American Smooth.

The routine drew a range of reactions from the judges, with Anton Du Beke calling it “brittle” and urging Ms Carney to be “lyrical”, while Craig Revel Horwood told her she was “too fast” and needed to be “softer”.

However, Shirley Ballas praised the former athletes progress, saying: “I watched your VT Karen, and in that VT I saw you trying to get your posture and from week one to now your posture has come along so beautifully,” though she also reminded her to be “more consistent”.

Motsi Mabuse described the performance as “strong”.

Backstage with Claudia Winkleman, emotions spilled over as Mr Gu broke down. “Carlos, none of us like you crying!” Ms Winkleman said, as he tearfully explained: “She worked so hard this week.”

The pro-dancer revealed Ms Carney had trained through back pain, adding: “I know the ballroom is not her strength… she really wanted to show she was improving just a little bit and just hearing them saying that, you have no idea how hard we worked!”

Carlos Gu and Karen Carney posing in front of the Blackpool tower ahead of their appearance at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom

 | INSTAGRAM

Ms Carney admitted she was touched by her partner’s reaction. “I did, but I did not expect this from my guy here, so I want to do well for him,” she said.

“He has been patient with me and protected me and given me the guidance. I am just happy for him. He is my guy and I am happy for that, so thank you.”

Aaron Chalmer’s ex Talia Oatway fears their three-year-old son Oakley could die after devastating new diagnosis

Talia Oatway, the former partner of Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers, has shared the terrifying truth no mother ever wants to face: doctors have warned her that their three-year-old son, Oakley, may be fighting for his life after a devastating new diagnosis.

The Geordie Shore star, 38, welcomed Oakley, three, with ex-partner Talia in 2022 and he was diagnosed with Apert Syndrome at birth

Aaron, 38, and Talia welcomed Oakley in 2022, and from the moment he was born, the little boy has faced more medical challenges than most adults do in a lifetime. He was diagnosed at birth with Apert Syndrome, a rare and severe condition where the bones of the skull, hands, and feet fuse prematurely. The NHS describes it as a complex craniosynostosis that affects essential parts of the body before a child even takes their first breath.

But last week, Talia received the news that shattered her world all over again:
Oakley now has life-threatening hydrocephalus — a dangerous build-up of fluid on the brain.

Now devastated Talia, who has claimed she solo parents their disabled son, was told by doctors last week that her little boy has life-threatening hydrocephalus

Just one year ago, after complications during skull surgery, the little boy slipped into a coma. What was expected to be a five-day stay in hospital turned into seven agonising weeks, during which Talia uprooted her life and slept at his bedside.

A year of emergencies — and heartbreak

Talia emotionally explained the ‘stress’ she is under as Oakley is non-verbal he is unable to tell her when he is feeling unwell

Talia explained that since that traumatic hospital stay, she has been living in a constant state of fear. Oakley has been under general anaesthetic 19 times, and because replacing parts of his skull was deemed too risky, he has spent the past year living with only half of it.

Not long after returning home from the coma, Talia sensed something was deeply wrong. Oakley began vomiting relentlessly — so violently that he regularly became dehydrated and required multiple trips to A&E. Doctors diagnosed him with cyclic vomiting syndrome, triggered after he developed meningitis during the previous year.

“He gets migraines… then he starts projectile vomiting. His little body just can’t cope,” Talia explained.

But even with medication, nothing improved. Doctors ordered an urgent CT scan — the moment everything changed. The results were devastating:
hydrocephalus, and signs of brain damage caused by last year’s meningitis. The scan also revealed that the reconstructed part of his forehead was being absorbed by his body.

Talia and Aaron had a whirlwind romance and welcomed three kids – Romeo, five, Maddox, four, and Oakley. She also has daughter Siennah, ten, from a previous relationship

Surgeons immediately fitted a shunt in Oakley’s brain to drain the dangerous fluid build-up. He is now being closely monitored to see how his fragile body responds.

“He can’t tell me when he’s in pain…”

The emotional toll on Talia — now a single mother of four — is enormous.
As Oakley is non-verbal, he cannot tell her when he feels pain, fear, or discomfort.

“The stress… it’s so heavy,” she said. “I have to watch every tiny sign. He can’t communicate when he’s unwell, and that terrifies me.”

Talia has repeatedly claimed she is raising Oakley alone, and although she avoids speaking publicly about Aaron, the strain of single-handedly managing a medically fragile child is evident.

A whirlwind romance, three children, and a heartbreaking end

Talia and Aaron began dating in 2017 and welcomed three children in quick succession:
• Romeo, 5
• Maddox, 4
• Oakley, 3
Talia also has a daughter, Siennah, 10, from a previous relationship.

But when Oakley was just three months old, Talia says the “pressure” of caring for a medically complex child became too much for Aaron, who decided to end their relationship. Since then, public disagreements occasionally surfaced — mostly initiated by Aaron — but Talia has rarely responded, choosing silence and stability for her children.

A mother’s fight — no matter the cost

Asked how she is coping with this relentless emotional and medical battle, Talia said she has no choice but to keep going:

“I have to make sure he’s cared for. I have to make sure he’s safe — always.”

She continues to praise the NHS for their ongoing support and reveals she is now seeing a psychologist weekly to help her manage the overwhelming stress of raising a medically fragile child.

Still, even with her world in turmoil, Talia refuses to allow herself to think about the worst-case scenario.

“I can’t go there. I have to stay strong for him.”

It is a mother’s love — fierce, loyal, and unbreakable — that keeps her fighting every single day.

The supposed journey to find “Golden Love” for former NFL star Mel Owens has been completely overshadowed by the real-life drama of his incredibly messy, drawn-out divorce from his ex-wife, Fabiana Pimentel. Now, sources close to the family confirm that the couple’s two grown sons, Lucas and Andre, are at their wit’s end, reportedly BEGGING their parents to finally finalize the nasty money battle, confessing the long-running legal war is DESTROYING the family again—a crisis intensified by their father’s new, highly public TV fame.

Mel’s public image as a sensitive, commitment-ready bachelor stands in stark contrast to the court documents that detail his nearly five-year legal battle with Fabiana, which involved him being ordered to pay nearly $1 MILLION in unpaid support, property division, and fees.

The Plea: Destroying the Family Again

Mel and Fabiana’s divorce was not finalized until December 2024, nearly five years after Fabiana filed in February 2020. The ongoing legal hostilities and the massive financial settlement—which Mel was ordered to pay Fabiana in a single equalization payment of nearly $980,000—have kept the family in a constant state of turmoil, with Fabiana recently demanding that Mel’s multimillion-dollar home be sold immediately because he had allegedly failed to pay the full sum on time.

The children, Lucas and Andre, have been forced to witness this financial and emotional warfare play out across half a decade.

Sources suggest the sons have made direct pleas to both parents: “They are exhausted. They feel like every time they think it’s over, another filing comes out, and it drags the whole family back into the mud. They’ve begged them to take the drama private, especially now that their father is a public figure and the details are being exposed everywhere. They confessed the constant legal fighting is destroying the family all over again, years after the initial separation.”

Mel himself hinted at the strain, saying he had to focus on his children immediately after the split. His children reportedly told him their mother would not be watching The Golden Bachelor, indicating a clear divide and a desire to distance themselves from their father’s newfound fame, which only brings unwanted attention to the financial mess.

TV Fame vs. Financial Reality

Mel’s stint on The Golden Bachelor has provided a massive platform, but it has backfired spectacularly by putting the gory details of his financial reality on display.

Public Scrutiny: His narrative of being heartbroken but ready to love contrasts sharply with court documents showing a reluctance to meet his financial obligations to his ex-wife, including alleged unpaid child and spousal support that accumulated over time.

The Home Threat: Fabiana’s recent court filing, demanding the sale of the Orange County home where Mel currently resides (valued at over $2 million), is a direct and public threat to his life and stability—a final, painful act in a long-running saga of financial mistrust.

The sons’ desperate request highlights the personal cost of their parents’ protracted, costly legal battle, which their father’s TV fame has only magnified for the entire world to see.

“THE IRWIN WIN-OR-DIE APOCALYPSE”: Robert and Witney Go ALL IN With an EXTREME, High-Stakes Finale, Risking Everything and Defying Gravity in a DESPERATE Gamble to Claim the DWTS Mirrorball Before It’s Too Late

Britain’s acting legend Dame Judi Dench has shared a deeply moving update about her eyesight, revealing she’s now unable to see the stage or television — not even to watch her dear friend Celia Imrie on The Celebrity Traitors.

The 90-year-old double Oscar winner, who suffers from macular degeneration, confessed: “I can’t see any more. When I go to the theatre, I can’t see. Hopeless.” She spoke candidly during an appearance at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, where she serves as patron.

Though she can no longer enjoy performances visually, Judi hasn’t lost her spark for storytelling. Laughing softly, she said she still manages to keep up with her friends’ TV appearances thanks to others filling her in. “Somebody told me what was happening. I want to hear the dirt that went on,” she joked when asked about The Celebrity Traitors, where her close friend Celia Imrie is a contestant.

Beyond her acting career, Dame Judi continues to lend her voice to meaningful causes. She’s backing a campaign by Alzheimer’s Research UK, calling on the government to ensure faster dementia diagnoses on the NHS.

“Dementia doesn’t just take away memories – it can take away identity, connection, and the future you thought you had,” she said. “Watching loved ones slip away, and not knowing why, is something no one should face without answers.”

Currently, almost a million people in the UK live with dementia, yet a third have no diagnosis — with some waiting up to a year for confirmation. Judi emphasized how crucial early detection is: “A diagnosis may not fix everything, but it gives families clarity, control, and time to make the most of the moments they have left.”

Hilary Evans-Newton, CEO of Alzheimer’s Research UK, praised the actress for shining a light on the crisis: “We’re incredibly grateful to Dame Judi for helping make unseen dementia visible.”

Even as her sight fades, Dame Judi’s vision for compassion and awareness shines brighter than ever.

Alex Jones was left emotional on Friday night when her husband Charlie Thomson made a surprise live appearance on The One Show to celebrate her remarkable 15 years as host.

The 48-year-old Welsh presenter thought she was simply wrapping up the special anniversary episode when co-hosts Roman Kemp and Richard Osman stunned her by inviting Charlie – her husband of 10 years – onto the iconic green sofa.

Charlie, carrying a bouquet of flowers, walked in to warm applause. Alex, visibly shocked, rose to embrace him, the pair sharing a kiss before sitting together. “It’s very weird,” Alex admitted when asked how it felt to see him on the sofa. “You’re usually in the garden, building the treehouse now.”

Charlie, 46, spoke proudly about her achievements: “I’m extremely proud, not just of what she’s done here, but also how she balances everything at home. Covid times, tough times – she’s always been there.”

Holding back tears, Alex said: “I couldn’t do it without this man at home, who keeps everything running, sorts the children and bedtime when I’m here. And my family, friends, and all our viewers – thank you for putting up with me for 15 years.”

Earlier this week, Alex reflected on her journey with the show: “It doesn’t feel like 15 years. I started as a young girl and have grown up with our viewers. They’ve been with me through everything – engagement, marriage, children. They’re like extended family.”

The couple, married in 2015, share three children – Edward, Kit, and Annie. Alex has previously spoken about a “rough period” in their marriage when Charlie battled Lyme disease and viral meningitis, which deeply affected his mental health. She now says he’s in a “much better place.”