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Ola Jordan left Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, and said that the BBC judges are now ‘too nice’ and should be replaced in order to ‘refresh’ the show

Strictly Come Dancing star Ola Jordan, 42, didn’t hide her feelings when speaking about how the show’s doing without her.

Ballroom pro Ola left the BBC series in 2015, after nine years of dancing on the show and securing one big win. The I’m a Celebrity alum hasn’t stopped watching Strictly, and said after this year’s innings that the judges – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke – weren’t being harsh enough.

“Maybe they need to refresh. Strictly is an amazing show. It’s an amazing family show. Everyone loves it. From grandparents to kids, everyone can watch it together. It’s nice because as a family you can all enjoy something on the show,” she told Mecca Bingo. “I just think people could be getting a bit bored of it in some way. It is very samey and nice. With the judges, all the comments are really positive, but not everyone is good, so you’ve got to give some negative, constructive feedback.”

The pro dancer slammed Strictly judges for being too nice to contestants, and said ‘bored’ viewers at home knew better ( 
Image:
PA)
Ola then singled out Craig, who used to be known for his ruthless judging before toning things down. She said: “I feel like Craig’s lost his sparkle. People loved Craig for what he was before. He would say it as it is, saying he wasn’t good, that was rubbish, but it’s almost like he’s got to say a positive now. He’s obviously been told they’ve got to be positive and that they don’t want any negativity in the show and that comes from producers, but they need to look at what the public wants really. It’s too nicey nicey.”

The dancer even suggested rotating guest judges for more excitement, suggesting: “What needs changing to refresh the show? Put a different judge on there, just spice it up a bit because we know what they all say. They’re all the same every year, so maybe they need a new judge – someone with a bit more spice on the panel. You could even have a different guest judge every week.”

“It needs to be someone that won’t come in and say ‘You are amazing. That was amazing. Oh, that was brilliant. Oh, that was great.’ We need someone who will say the truth and say ‘No, listen well done for coming out and giving your all, but come on, let’s face it, that was a bit rubbish, wasn’t it? You forgot half of the routine. You messed up here. You messed up there. Well, come back next week and do a great job. But let’s face it, they’re not all good, I know they need to give some positivity to some people, but it’s too nicey nicey for me.”

Ola married fellow dancer and Celebrity Big Brother contestant James Jordan in 2003, and hinted that they’d be up for the task of taking over judging. She shared: “I think the judges are great. Don’t get me wrong, Shirley is one of the most known people in our business. She knows what she’s talking about. She’s got the knowledge more than anyone on the panel. She’s an amazing teacher. She’s an amazing judge. But I think of the role when you look at the panel, they need to be a bit more truthful. If they want honesty and would ever do a double chair, James and I are here.”

“I think people just get bored of that because I do see what people say on social media, people say they fast-forward the judges because everyone is saying everything is amazing when it’s not. People have seen the show for twenty years now, so people can see when it’s not good.”

Strictly Come Dancing has previously been called out for animal cruelty but the show has heard the calls for change and made a massive pledge to change the way they do things

Strictly Come Dancing is making a major change to its wardrobe department in the wake of ‘cruelty’ claims.

The hit BBC dance competition show drew to a close on Saturday night, with Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell taking home the Glitter Ball trophy, and while the series isn’t set to return again until next year, the show’s creators have confirmed they are making a major change to the dancer’s costumes after receiving an appeal from animal rights group, PETA.

Known for colourful and eye-catching costumes, often accessorised with real bird feathers, the big bosses upstairs have decided it’s time to get rid of them for good. They confirmed today that they have been “increasingly moving away from real feather use over the last few seasons” and, from now on, are choosing to use only faux feathers from now on.

It’s a huge move in the battle against bird and animal cruelty and follows the lead of fashion labels, including Victoria’s Secret and designers such as Stella McCartney, who have pledged to avoid using real feathers in their designs due to the sickening conditions animals are subjected to.

Faux feathers are the only feathers you’ll see on Strictly costumes from now on ( 
Image:
PA)

The costumes are known for being bright, sparkly and donned with feathers ( 
Image:
BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Executive Producer Sarah James said that in addition to moving away from using real feathers, the costume designers will also do their best to avoid recycling feathers from past costumes. PETA was overjoyed to hear the news, telling The Sun that they “applaud” the show for making the decision and are “excited” to see what next season’s costumes look like with the new designs.

“Behind every feather fashion item is a once-living bird who was shocked, slaughtered, and violently plucked for their plumage,” Yvonne Taylor, PETA’s Vice President, said. “PETA applauds Strictly Come Dancing for putting its best foot forward and quickstepping cruelly obtained feathers off the show. We’re excited to see the exclusively faux feather costumes it unveils in 2025.”

Strictly has already started making moves regarding the pledge, with Saturday’s final episode seeing wardrobe assistants quite literally pluck the feathers off judge Shirley Ballas ’s stunning red dress in between shows. Speaking to the news outlet, a source said the star was “shocked” as it was a “glamorous and expensive” outfit.

“There wasn’t time to change into another outfit and the whole show is run to a tight schedule,” the source said. They added that the decision to take the feathers off Shirley’s dress was a “sudden” one and that assistants were on standby before the show returned to broadcast to ensure Shirley had no feathers left on her dress.

It follows news the series had a weak season viewing wise compared to last with the September premiere seeing 7.1 million viewers, down from the 7.8 million who tuned in for the 2023 premiere. Throughout the season the show peaked at 9.3 million viewers and an average of 8.6 million viewers but still failed to match last year’s figures which peaked at 9.7 million and an average of 8.8 million.

BBC quickly hit back at viewership figures claiming that they are not accurate as “overnights no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch in an on demand world ”. The broadcaster said the true stats won’t be released until the 28 day consolidated figures are available.

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! star, Jordan North, was rescued by Chiswick RNLI after the I’m A Celeb star entered the water to retrieve his dog

Former I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! contestant, Jordan North, was saved from the Thames after rescuing his dog on Monday.

The Capital FM star, 34, was rescued by Chiswick RNLI after Jordan entered the water to retrieve his beloved labrador. A member of the public raised the alarm when the DJ stepped from a pontoon into the water to help his pet, who had fallen into the water while Jordan was out on a run.

The RNLI crew were, fortunately, out on exercise and reached the pair, near Hammersmith Bridge, just three minutes later. They found the former I’m a Celebrity star sat on a nearby float lift with the dog, as members of the public held up phone torches to help the RNLI locate him.

Jordan North was rescued by the RNLI after he tried to save his dog who had jumped into the Thames ( 
Image:
RNLI)
Praising the RNLI, Jordan said on Capital Breakfast: “A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky. I was getting a bit nervy as well because I thought my legs are going to go, I can’t hold on much longer so they got there just in time. The real heroes here are the RNLI who came out and got me, put a blanket round me. They’re the heroes.”

Thames Commander Gavin Simmons alongside crew Sid Blake, Tom Coe and Cameron Crawley found Jordan sat on a float lift with the dog, owned by a member of the public, on his lap.

Speaking about his rescue mission, Gavin said: “We are on call to help all those who find themselves in difficulty on the water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even our beloved pets!

“While we’d always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard instead of entering the water themselves, we’re happy that in this instance we were able to help Jordan and the dog safely back to dry land.”

The RNLI is currently running its annual Christmas fundraising appeal to acknowledge the crews who keep us save over the festive period. Dad-of-two Gavin will be on shift overnight at Chiswick Lifeboat Station from December 23-27 to keep the local community safe. On average, RNLI lifeboats launch over 100 times during the Christmas period every year.

EastEnders icon Michelle Collins teased the huge Christmas episodes this year, as her character Cindy Beale finds her affair finally exposed on the BBC soap

There will be fireworks this Christmas on EastEnders, as an affair comes to light.

Now, Cindy Beale actress Michelle Collins, who takes centre stage in the dramatic set of episodes, has teased what fans can expect. Cindy’s fling with Junior Knight is set to come out to the Beales and the Knights in classic EastEnders fashion.

As the two families sit down for their Christmas dinner, things take an explosive turn when Cindy’s affair confession is broadcast to the entire pub. What follows is drama and chaos as the two families are left reeling, and Ian Beale discovers his wife’s betrayal.

Soon other secrets come to light and accusations are flying, and now actress Michelle as promised fans will be left “on the edge of their seats”. Teasing the huge scenes ahead after a recent trailer offered a glimpse of the big scenes, Michelle promised fans would not want to miss the big episodes this Christmas Day and beyond.

She spilled: “You’ll certainly be on the edge of your seats, but I would say it’s dramatic, powerful and moving. A classic EastEnders.” She also joked she’d be resting this festive period to recover from her character’s “big year”.

There will be fireworks this Christmas on EastEnders ( 
Image:
BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Teasing more about the Christmas episodes, Michelle said: “I feel very honoured to be involved in the Christmas storyline because it’s almost like a tradition to watch EastEnders on Christmas Day. It’s always a classic [episode] and it was a classic last Christmas, so it’s great to be involved in this one. I think the episode this year is a real EastEnders classic, so I’m really excited to be a part of it.”

On filming the tense scenes as her lies unravel, Michelle said it was fun but “a whirlwind”. She said: “Why do people always like playing the villains in panto? Because sometimes they’re a bit more fun [laughs]. As an actor playing Cindy, I go through a whirlwind of emotions, so you have to enjoy it a bit and have some fun in between. She is always a challenge.”

But is this it for Cindy, and will her family be torn apart for good after her latest betrayal? Michelle teased: “She is a complex character to play, she’s very self-destructive and she doesn’t have an off button, but I do think she needs some kind of redemption for the character to be believable. Nobody’s perfect.” Viewers will get to see the big affair reveal and the fallout on Christmas Day, with two 30-minute episodes airing that evening!

GK Barry and Richard Coles formed an unlikely bond on this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! but it looks like viewers could see more of them in the future.

TV star Richard Coles has teased a new career venture alongside GK Barry following their stint on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

The 62-year-old formed a sweet bond with GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, in the Australian jungle as they participated in this year’s gruesome show. But while appearing on Tuesday’s Loose Women, Richard seemed to suggest he wouldn’t mind getting involved in another tough reality series with Grace.

Reuniting with Loose Women star Grace on the panel, Richard was asked by presenter Charlene White if they plan to work together again. Richard said: “Yeah, I think so; I mean the SAS thing, you and me probably.”

Surprised, Grace replied: “Wow! Can you imagine?”

Richard Coles teased future work with GK Barry ( 
Image:
ITV)

Richard replied: “Yes, I can imagine. What I would love to do is take some trips to some interesting places,” he added: “Well, someone said I can take her to the opera, and she can take me for a vajazzle.”

After seeing the pair together, fans couldn’t get enough of the duo and headed to social media site X to share their thoughts. One viewer said: “Can’t wait for Keeling’s own show with Richard Coles as her sidekick. This is what ITV loves to see.”

Another chimed in and wrote, “GK Barry is so funny.” Another penned, “Reverend Richard Coles, Saluted. Beautiful man.”

Since their jungle adventure ended, fans have been longing to see more of Grace and Richard on their TV sets, with some suggesting that they should appear in the next series of Celebrity Gogglebox on Channel 4.

Richard is happy to work with GK Barry again
While updating her fans on TikTok that she had returned to the UK after filming I’m A Celeb, fans quickly flooded the comment section with suggestions for the new role. One fan wrote, “Your friendship with Richard was so sweet. You two definitely need to be on Celebrity Gogglebox. Please put him on your podcast.”

More comments came in, with one person writing: “You and the Rev need to go on Gogglebox”. Another social media user said: “Rev Richard for the podcast!”

While a third claimed: “You and Rev NEED a show together,” alongside the clapping emoji. With fans agreeing as one wrote: “Need a show with Rev called ‘By The Grace of God.’”

Loose Women airs Mondays-Fridays at 12:30pm on ITV1.

P Diddy has been accused of drugging a man before sexually assaulting him, with his accuser telling his story to Good Morning Britain

A man who is accusing P Diddy of sexual assault appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning to describe the alleged moment.

The John Doe appeared anonymously on the programme and opened up about the allegations. He described feeling as though he had been drugged by the star, whose real name is Sean Combs.

Speaking to the morning programme, the John Doe said: “We were just talking. He offered me a drink. But maybe after that, two minutes or five minutes, something like that, I guess, I just started to feel sleepy.”

He went on to tell the programme how he believes he was drugged and later woke up to find the musician assaulting him. Continuing his allegations, he said: “I kinda turned around to look and he was behind me and I can remember kind of saying stop or what’s going on?”

A man appeared on GMB accusing P Diddy of drugging him ( 
Image:
GMB)

When asked if Combs had said anything to him afterwards, the accuser replied: “I actually remember just sitting there with my pants kind of down asking him what the hell just happened.”

The allegation comes as Combs remains behind bars following his arrest in September. The Bad Boy Records founder faces federal charges of of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to his indictment.

He has continued to deny all accusations made against him. However, he has seen his bid for bail turned down on a number of occasions.

Since his arrest, a number of other alleged victims have come forward to put a case forward against Combs. It was claimed earlier this month that the alleged victim total could reach 300.

According to US attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing a number of claimants, the number is set to rise. So far, the lawyer has filed 20 lawsuits on behalf of men and women accusing Combs of sexual assault and other misconduct. Buzbee’s team is currently preparing for what could be one of the largest legal battles in the entertainment industry’s history. Combs’ legal team has vowed to fight back, however, and say the truth will clear his name.

Combs dismissed the cases as “sickening” and said his accusers were chasing a “quick payday”.

Combs’ lawyers have described the growing number of lawsuits as part of a “reckless media circus.” They cited Buzbee’s creation of a toll-free tip line as a publicity stunt and Combs’ attorney Erica Wolff said in a statement: “In court, the truth will prevail. Mr Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”

Combs is currently being held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre ahead of his trial in May.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their new docuseries Polo through streaming platform Netflix last week, but it has since attracted some negative reviews

A number of viewers have shared that they were not impressed with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest docuseries for Netflix following its release just last week.

Polo promises to be a “rousing docuseries” going behind-the-scenes of the sport. The streaming platform teases that the project, which was released on December 10, offers an “unprecedented look” into the lives of polo players.

Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, are executive producers on the show, which comes from their production company Archewell Productions. They only briefly appear in the series, which centres on the US Open Polo Championship.

Following the release of the five-part docuseries, some viewers have shared their thoughts on review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. At the time of writing there are 85 audience reviews, with just a handful of critic reviews.

Polo currently has an 25 per cent average score on the site’s Popcornmeter, which indicates the percentage of audience reviews that have been rated positively. It means that only an average of 25 per cent of audience reviews gave the show a rating of 3.5 stars or higher on the platform.

It has been suggested by some reviewers that the new docuseries was “boring” and that those who featured in it were unrelatable. One person said on Rotten Tomatoes that they turned the show off after about 10 minutes.

Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle (left) have been met with some negative reviews over their new Netflix docuseries Polo ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
One review reads: “Just absolutely awful. Animal abuse now considered a sport only for the elite of course. Like who honestly find polo interesting? This is one of the worst documentaries Netflix has come out with. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are truly disgusting and their elite film is total rubbish.”

Another reviewer wrote: “I was keen to watch this series but after about 10 minutes I had to wonder what on earth this show was about. […] I turned off after about 10 minutes because it was dreadfully boring with nobody I could relate to or be remotely interested in. Pretty dreadful all round I’m afraid.”

Sharing their thoughts, one person wrote in their review: “Candyfloss content. This is just boring and I feel sorry for ponies. The people featured are rich and egotistical. This is nothing, I would think, that most people can relate to.”

There were some positive reviews though, with one fan writing: “I watched the entire series and found it captivating!” Whilst another said: “Really enjoyed this. Not familiar with polo particularly and thought this was very well done.”

Polo is the latest project released by Netflix in collaboration with Prince Harry and Meghan. Previous projects on the streaming platform included the docuseries Harry & Meghan, with the six-part show released back in 2022.

A royal expert has claimed that despite Princess Kate being ‘thrown under the bus’ by Prince Harry, the future Queen may still be the key to healing the feud between the Sussexes and the other royals

It’s no secret that the relationship between Prince Harry and some of the other senior royals has been pretty cold in recent years – but Kate may be the key to healing the ongoing feud, a royal expert has claimed.

For many years, Kate and her brother-in-law Prince Harry clearly enjoyed a really close relationship – and in his memoir, Spare, Harry opened up about just how much Kate meant to him, calling her the “sister I’ve never had and always wanted”.

However, in recent years things between them have simply not been the same. Harry and Meghan’s shock royal exit in 2020, and the couple’s subsequent candid revelations about life inside the monarchy – and allegations against some of the other senior royals – have left their relationships with much of the House of Windsor seemingly in tatters.

While Harry rushed back to the UK upon King Charles’s cancer diagnosis early in the year – and came back to attend his father’s coronation – things with his elder brother William are reported to have remained icy, with the two brothers still far from reconciling.

However, one royal expert believes that if anyone can bring Harry back into the royal fold it is Kate, and that after a year of difficult health challenges, the future Queen may well be more inclined to try and encourage peace between William and his brother.

Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, royal author and journalist Katie Nicholls explained that despite the fact Kate herself may feel somewhat betrayed by her once-close brother-in-law, the new perspective she has gained during her cancer treatment may lead her to encourage a still-angry William towards reconciliation.

“Kate’s been thrown under the bus by Harry, he’s said hurtful things about her, he’s brought the children into the narrative. I think the Prince of Wales remains very, very angry and upset and feels very betrayed,” the expert said, adding that the timing of any future peacemaking would be crucial.

“Possibly the Princess of Wales is still open to a reconciliation in some form. I still feel it’s quite early. But I do think when you go through something like a cancer diagnosis and you go through the sort of journey that she has done, and you confront your own mortality, you realise life is short.

“It’s far too short for rifts and family feuds. And perhaps that will be a role that she will play at some point in healing that rift, because I think we look to the Royal Family as a symbol of unity. We will want to see them together at Christmas, this will be the sixth Christmas that Harry won’t have been a part of.

The royal author also noted that Kate understands part of her duties as the future Queen is to model behaviour for the public and set a good example.

When Kate announced that she had begun a course of chemotherapy in an emotional video message to the nation, and appealed for privacy for herself and her children during the challenging time. Harry and Meghan were quick to back her publicly – and also reportedly reached out to Kate in private.

“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” Harry and Meghan said in a statement shortly after the announcement. Kate completed her chemotherapy in September and has been gently dipping her toes back into royal duties since, appearing at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday, and hosting her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.

However, she noted at the time that her main focus is to “stay cancer-free” so will “continue to take each day as it comes”. In the unusually candid video message that marked the end of her treatment, Kate noted that the “scary and unpredictable” cancer journey had provided her a “new perspective on everything” and reminded her and her husband to focus on the “simple yet important things in life”.

Prince Andrew has been “asked to keep his head down” too many times, according to one royal insider who has spoken out following the scandal around Duke of York’s link to a Chinese “spy”

The Duke of York is unlikely to ever appear in the public with the Royal Family again, one insider reportedly fears.

The source has spoken out as it emerged Prince Andrew, 64, is to stay away from the royal family’s traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham this year. Controversy continues to surround the Prince’s links to an alleged Chinese spy, who was unmasked on Monday as 50-year-old Yang Tengbo.

Andrew will miss what was expected to be one of the largest festive events at his brother, the King’s private Norfolk estate. However, an insider believes the Duke of York may never been seen in public with prominents members of The Firm again. They said: “I find it hard to imagine he will ever join them again in public, if I’m honest. There’s only so many times the duke can be asked to keep his head down and wait for the storm to pass. Enough is enough.”

The damning criticism as Andrew has already been stripped of holding any public role or patronage over his links with disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and accusations – strongly denied – of sexual assault.

In January 2022, Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.”

The Duke of York is pictured passing well-wishers after church last Christmas ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
As the Duke has hit the headlines again, with the “close” links to Mr Tengbo emerging, the source told the Daily Mail Brits should expect to only see Andrew with the Royals at events like weddings and funerals. He was due to join the family on the traditional walk to church at Sandringham on Christmas Day – when millions see images and video of The Firm in the press – but he’ll now be absent.

The Duke’s ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York will also miss Christmas at Sandringham, in what will be seen as a show of solidarity for her former husband. The pair are said to be preparing to spend the day together at Royal Lodge, the home they still share in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.

It is not yet known whether the Duke will attend Charles’s traditional pre-Christmas lunch for the extended family at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. It was reported on Monday Andrew had been urged to “uninvite himself” from this function to again spare the Royals from further embarrassment amid the Chinese “spy” row.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have young families, had already planned to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws this year for the first time, sources said.