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He’s just finished three weeks in the Australian jungle (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)
Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall has opened up about his contract renewal for the soap, after appearing in I’m A Celebrity.

The actor, who joined the ITV soap at the age of 16 in 1998, has signed a new deal with the show, which will see him playing Tyrone Dobbs throughout the entirety of 2025.

Alan swapped Weatherfield for Australia three weeks ago, as he jetted off ready to appear in ITV’s I’m A Celeb.

It was within the jungle camp that Alan opened up about playing Tyrone for such a long time.

Alan has played Ty since 1998 (Picture: ITV)
Reflecting on these fascinating chats and the news he’ll be playing the beloved character for at least another year, Alan said: ‘I’ve spoken a lot in camp of how humbling it is to be a very small part of Coronation Street.

‘To know that I’ve got a contract that will take me through that is incredibly humbling and proud for me and also proud for my family, being from Salford, growing up Coronation Street fans.

He continued to The Sun: ‘I’m thrilled to bits. That’s the job I love, so long may it continue. I’ll maybe have a couple of pints of Guinness to toast it.’

Alan’s campmate Danny Jones was crowned the winner last night (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)Alan and GK Barry were voted out of I’m A Celebrity a day before the iconic Celebrity Cyclone took place.

Last night, the finale of the show aired.

After two more gruelling Bushtucker Trials, Reverend Richard Coles came third in the competition, with Coleen Rooney missing out on becoming Queen of the Jungle, as McFly’s Danny Jones was crowned the winner.

Tom Fletcher talks Danny Jones’ reality TV domination (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Danny Jones has conquered the I’m A Celebrity jungle and his partner-in-crime, McFly’s Tom Fletcher was hoping his friend would make history.

After 21 years together in show business there’s very little Danny and Tom haven’t done together from communal post-gig showers to writing musicals to judging on The Voice, and much, much more.

So naturally, Tom (lead vocalist of the hit 00s band) was Danny’s number one champion as he faced his biggest challenge yet – winning over the public on live TV.

‘He’s been my best friend since we were 16/17. We’ve grown up with each other so I’ve known for most my life that he is the most awesome human being I’ve ever met. I love that now all of the campmates and everyone watching is getting to see that side of him as well,’ the 39-year-old told Metro before Danny was crowned King of the Jungle.

Danny made quite the impression on the show, shocking campmate Dean McCullough after admitting him and his McFly bandmates took showers and baths together after gigs.

The All About You hitmaker, however, has taken the public revelation in his stride.

Danny has made some interesting McFly revelations in the jungle (Picture: Getty)
He quipped: ‘I mean, well, for us, that’s just normal. We didn’t realise there was anything weird about us for showering and having baths with each other.

‘News to me that that wasn’t just what everyone does after a gig. I thought all bands did that.’

Danny had big shoes to fill after his other bandmate Dougie Poynter won season 11 of the hit ITV reality series and Tom’s wife, podcaster and author Giovanna Fletcher, swooped to victory in season 20.

‘I think deep down all of us want to see him in the jungle doing some horrendous trials so we selfishly told him that he should definitely do it,’ Tom said about Danny asking his friends for advice ahead of the show.

Adding: ‘But I don’t know if he feels the pressure. You can’t go into any of these shows expecting to win. [They are] iconic British institutions and we all feel very lucky we are in a position that we get asked to be part of them.’

Danny was already on a winning streak after landing top spot on last year’s The Masked Singer and sharing the winning coach title with Tom on The Voice.

The duo have been close for over two decades (Picture: Getty)
Tom continued: ‘It would just be the cherry on top if he got to do the triple and win. I don’t think anyone’s ever done that before. I think that would be a pretty awesome end to the year. I think he deserves to win.’

But with so many I’m A Celeb alumni around him, Tom is more than content to pass on risking himself in the Australian wilderness.

’I’ve had my moment on Strictly and I let the side down by not winning,’ he reflected.

‘I think I was the first one of us to not win a reality show so maybe my time’s up. Plus we’ve already got an I’m A Celeb crown in the house so that’s [Gi’s] thing.’

Although Danny has been on the other side of the world, he is still with Tom in spirit as one of the collaborators on the musical adaptation of his bestselling children’s book, The Creakers.

As his ‘first fully-fledged musical’, the Brit award winner has described the project as a ‘dream come true’ and a ‘pinch-me-moment’ in his career so far.

And, as someone also working on West End’s highly-anticipated Paddington: The Musical, he has happily shifted gear from album-penning to stage-writing.

The Creakers musical adaptation is a ‘dream come true’ for Tom (Picture: Getty)
‘As an almost 40-year-old [it’s difficult] to find something to write about for the band that isn’t doing the school runs and the mundane of real life. It was a lot easier when we were 18 and were fuelled with angst and romance to find inspiration for lyrics,’ he joked.

The story (as with all Tom’s children-based work, he is sense-checked by his ‘brutally honest’ sons, six, eight and 10) follows Lucy, a young girl who wakes up one day to find all the adults have disappeared.

‘There’s a bit of spookiness, a lot of magic and on the stage, amazing puppetry, incredible choreography, amazing set design and staging. It’s a real magical theater experience for the whole family,’ he teased.

The That Girl singer has accumulated plenty of experience in the music industry over the years. But his success didn’t stop him from feeling ‘nervous’ when he and Danny started as coaches on The Voice.

‘I’ve always been hesitant to give advice and I never wanted to feel like I was coming across like I knew everything about the music business and what people should do. The truth is, no one does,’ he explained.

But after seeing so many of his idols, like fellow mentor Sir Tom Jones himself, ‘winging it’ it gave him the confidence he needed to share his stories.

McBusted are no more – it’s time for the ultimate showdown (Picture: Getty)
Perhaps the most unexpected part of the gig was realising just how much ‘undiscovered talent’ there was.

He added: ‘You weren’t waiting for someone great to come along, you could have turned for anyone.’

As he gets swept up in a busy festive period, however, Tom is already looking toward 2025 which promises an unconventional reunion with Busted.

Danny Jones opens up to the Mirror about his amazing Jungle journey in a wide-ranging exclusive interview

After three long, mostly wet weeks in the Australian jungle, it was the perfect tonic that Danny Jones needed.

His reunion with his wife Georgia and their six-year-old son Cooper was one of the most moving moments of the entire series as he sobbed in their arms. And the scene clearly struck a chord with viewers as they voted in their millions to make him King of the Jungle on Sunday night.

Now in an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Danny has spoken of the tender moments they all shared behind the scenes – which kept him going to the very end. “It was the most beautiful moment of my entire life,” he says. “ I remember Cooper’s little smile and his little face which was so excited to see me…it was just pure love and emotion.”

Going into I’m a Celebrity, Danny says his focal point was to make Cooper proud. And faced with his boy again after such a long time, it was clear from speaking to him that he had done just that. “I said, ‘are you being a good boy for mummy?’ and he said ‘I’m the talk of the school, daddy.’”, says Danny.

Winner: Danny reveals all ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)

In fact, his boy had been trying to emulate his dad on TV by making up his own Bushtucker trials at home. “He went to me, ‘I hope you don’t bring any, any critters home,” he says laughing. As well as the three weeks in camp, Danny was also on lockdown without his phone for a further week.

“I’ve never been away from Georgia or Cooper for that long. Even on tour, we tend to come home at the weekends,” he says. “But there was no contact for a month.” For Georgia, she was thrilled to see her husband again. “She told me how proud she was of me and I just cried and cried. It really kept me going after what had been a testing experience at times,” he says.

It was not the only time Danny let it all out. Viewers also watched as he bravely spoke about how he’d been in therapy since he was 19-years-old for anxiety after his dad left home. It all got too much at one point as he was comforted by Tulisa Contostavlos and Oti Mabuse.

And it seems his McFly bandmates are clearly not afraid to show their feelings too. Danny says how he Face-Timed Dougie Poynter shortly after leaving camp who was left in tears by his victory. “He said to me something that I would never have thought would come out of his mouth,” he explains. “He went, ‘mate, i’m so proud of my best mate, and every time I watched you, I just had tears in my eyes.”

Pool Life: Danny relaxing ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)
Coming from Dougie who won the same show 13 years previously was an extra special moment. “We don’t talk like that normally, and I thought there was a joke coming but there wasn’t,” Danny laughs. “He was like, ‘I was just so proud of my best mate. I said, ‘Dougie, you’re going to make me cry here sunshine if you carry on.’”

On the way back in the stretch hummer from camp to his hotel, he also watched video messages from his other bandmates. “Dougie was awake as he was in the Bahamas, but the other boys were asleep so had done little videos online for me. Tom was saying ‘we love you to bits…we’re so proud of you.’ We don’t speak like that to each other in everyday life, so it was incredible really.”

Entering the jungle, Danny says he never expected in a million years to open up so much. “Only my wife really sees that side of me….in fact only my nearest and dearest have ever seen it,” he says. “I wouldn’t do that usually but that’s what the jungle did to me. I was tired, hungry, lethargic, and my calorie deficit was crazy. My guard was down, and I just let it all out.”

He says he has been amazed by the incredibly positive reaction to his tears. “Hopefully by talking about these things, it makes the world a little less lonely for other people.” On a personal level too, he says his opening up in camp had helped ease his own struggles.

“I’ve not felt anxiety for a while, but I do get a sadness about things these days. I haven’t talked about it for so many years, and now I’m willing to talk about it because I know it helps me. It’s like a little stepping stone to healing, and that backpack that I’ve been carrying since I was 19 years old, is getting a little bit lighter every time.”

Danny Jones won on Sunday night ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)Danny says there was a real camaraderie among the contestants given the atrocious weather conditions, which saw record rainfall hit the camp. He says it got so bad at times they had to be evacuated TWICE and shelter in the Bush Telegraph. “It was one of the hardest nights, we were all quite cramped and I think there were still 12 of us then as well, all boiling-hot in close proximity. The rain also meant the leeches were searching for you and I was literally on leech check every day.”

Viewers watched as Danny gravitate towards Barry McGuigan with the two men striking up a close friendship. In moving scenes, he told on screen how he had “found a dad” as he is estranged from his real father. “I thought I would love Barry because of Barry the boxer, the legend, but all of a sudden, we’re actually bonding, like father and son in there,” he says.

“And he reminded me of my granddad as well, in a way, where he’s just a bit of a laugh, really thoughtful, and he got really protective over me. He filled that space of craving a father figure.” And it was this relationship – as well as with Oti Mabuse and Dean McCullough – that saw Danny emerge from those testing early days and flourish.

Soon he was regaling everyone with his musical talents, and also tackling his job as camp leader with relish. But he was joined in the singing stakes by Barry, who stunned everyone with his smooth, soulful voice. Not least Danny. “I would love to do a song with Barry. Honestly, I think we should do a swing album…that’s a great idea,” he says. “He’s got a really good voice, and I love how much joy he gets from singing.”

As for what’s next for Danny….well, anything’s possible given the clear love the British public has put his way. ITV are thought to be weighing up a series of TV projects for him in the wake of his success , and another McBusted tour is scheduled.

For Danny nothing fazes him. “I feel like they know the real me now..I am not afraid of anything anymore,” he says.

Ruth Jones has hinted that there could be a death in the final episode of Gavin and Stacey in a twist that is set to shock fans ahead of the show airing

Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones has hinted that fans could see a death this Christmas.

Both Ruth and co-creator James Corden appeared on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Tuesday as they revealed they would be wrapping on the BBC sitcom later in the day. On Christmas Day, the show will come to an end after 17 years of entertaining fans with the dramas surrounding Gavin and Stacey Shipman, Nessa, Pam and Mick as well as Gwen and Uncle Bryn.

Writer Ruth confirmed that the new episode will pick up from the final scene of the last episode which aired on December 25, 2019. Viewers at the time saw Nessa propose to Smithy in a dramatic twist following years of a tumultuous relationship. But in a major bombshell, Ruth, 58, hinted that there could be more to be upset over, rather than the fact the show is coming to an end.

“It’s strange, James and I have always felt, they really do exist,” she said when asked whether they were “ready” to say goodbye. Ruth added: “It’s not like they’re dying, well… Watch the final,” as Zoe and those in the studio let out an audible gasp. Zoe exclaimed: “Oh gosh, the whole console have got their hands on their mouth. What?!”

Ruth Jones has hinted there could be more heartbreak for Gavin and Stacey fans ( 
Image:
PA)

The Welsh actress and comedian continued: “We feel like they still exist, for us, they’re carrying on living their lives in Barry, or in Billericay it’s just that we are not party to what goes on in their life anymore.” But after almost two decades of working with one another, James and Ruth left fans guessing over what may have happened on the infamous fishing trip with Uncle Bryn and Jason.

The trip has been shrouded in secrecy, with neither character speaking about it. When the trip is brought up in conversation, the room automatically falls silence before the topic of conversation is changed. But it appears that any drama is firmly in the past as the cast enjoyed one last laugh together.

Although the team have been enjoying working together once again, during their appearance on the Breakfast Show, Ruth and James confirmed that the final time they will all be in the same room is fast approaching. The pair will be joined by Joanna Page, Mat Horne, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb and Rob Wilfort as they take over the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show for one day on Monday, December 23.

Gavin and Stacey will come to an end on Christmas Day after almost two decades of entertaining fans ( 
Image:
PA)
Ruth confirmed that this date would be the final time she and her co-stars appear together, despite fans pleading for more episodes in the future. And it appears that the group have already figured out their roles, with Ruth revealing that James Corden had decided she would be in control of the mixing deck for the morning.

However, Ruth recently confirmed that there were also plenty of tears on the set as filming came to an end. She said: “It was sad, of course. This is the last time these characters will ever be on screen. And it was nostalgic because we’d be on set with the cast and we’d go down memory lane.”

Meanwhile, James who plays Gavin’s best friend, Smithy commented: “Gavin & Stacey is just a huge part of my life, it changed my life in every way. The thing it means to me most is my friendship with Ruth. To have an idea with a friend in a hotel in Leeds 20 years ago and then be sat here today with what it’s become… If you think about it too much you could really just start crying all the time. I love her so much and I’m so proud of what we’ve done.”

Joanna, 47, who plays Stacey, said: “Being on set for the last time with everybody for the last day was traumatic. I burst out crying again and again. I just alternated between hysterically crying and hysterically laughing. It just felt like it was such a huge journey that was ending.”

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale airs on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Coleen Rooney was the last woman standing in the jungle and came second in the series, narrowly losing out to McFly star Danny Jones. She speaking exclusively to the Mirror about her time on the show

With her quiet confidence and stoic resilience, she appeared on the face of it to practically breeze through to the I’m a Celebrity final.

But Coleen Rooney has revealed for the first time how she secretly questioned her place on the show after just one week – because she missed her family too much.

Speaking to the Mirror after narrowly losing out to Danny Jones, she says how she sobbed after just a few days after being reminded of Wayne and her sons whose faces were emblazoned on her pillow.

“In that first week, I did wake up one morning and I looked at the pillow and I saw on it obviously Wayne and the kids, and I had a little cry and I thought I don’t know whether I can go all this way,” she says. But she says she “soon snapped out it” by getting stuck into her chores instead – namely the washing up.

“I went off and did the washing up and collected the wood and did whatever I had to do,” she says. “I just got on with it.” She says the first few days were also tough as she worried she wasn’t a big enough personality like some of the other campmates, and too quiet.

Coleen Rooney won the hearts of the nation during her time on I’m A Celebrity ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)

The Scouse star tells the Mirror’s Tom Bryant all about her jungle experience ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)
“In the first week I just thought I can’t see me going all the way because I was just me,” she says. “We had loads of personalities in there who were great and I got on with, but they were performers and I felt like I was, at times, just sat there thinking, ‘what do I bring?’

“It wasn’t uncomfortable. They made it comfortable. It was just me sitting back and looking at that camp and thinking I was more quieter than everyone else. But obviously people enjoyed it and wanted me to stay in there longer and see a bit more of me. I don’t know why but they did.”

She also says it quickly dawned on her that she had signed up for the show without properly giving it enough consideration She says: “I think my head before I went in was just to get everything sorted for the kids and get everything done for Christmas. I wanted to get out of here so I could just enjoy it. But then I didn’t actually think about going in. It wasn’t until I was in there that I thought, ‘what have I signed myself up for? What am I doing in here?’”

Coleen – who says she got terrible headaches after detoxing from caffeine and sugar – said the first few days were “tough before it started getting better.” But she adds: “As it got better, the weather got worse. And then that was tough.”

The weather was the worst in the show’s history with the camp battered by endless storms. “There was one night where we got all got woken up in the early hours in the morning to go into the Bush Telegraph because of a storm” she says. “I was asleep in there, Alan was asleep. You think this isn’t what we thought the jungle would be.”

Coleen formed a special bond with her campmates ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)
Viewers watched with tears in their eyes as she was reunited with mum Colette, and her two boys Kit, eight, and Cass, six, in camp. Coleen was seen sobbing in her mum’s arms in what she says was a rare show of emotion. “I do snap myself out of things really quickly, and I’m not a crier, bur when my mum came in that really surprised me,” she says.

“You know, when I think back to that moment, it was like someone had told me someone had died. And I don’t think I’ve been shocked more than that in my whole life. That is the biggest shock I’ve ever had.” Saying goodbye to her mum again was tough – and it reminded her of the isolation when she was in America for Wayne’s job

“I was like ‘you’re here now, I’m not going to let you leave.’ My mum said ‘do you feel like you are in America now?’ When I was in America, I was homesick and whenever we got together, we didn’t want to leave. And the only other time she said that to me was during COVID, when we couldn’t see each other.”

Seeing her `boys, she says, gave her the “urge to then battle through the next few days” to the final. After coming out of the jungle, the first thing she did was phone home, where Wayne and the elder boys Kai, 15, Klay, 11, had thrown a family party to celebrate her in the final.

And she laughed as she said her two eldest had given themselves the day off school yesterday (Mon) as it was such a late night. “I spoke to Wayne as soon as he got in the car,” she says. “They all had a gathering in the house and watched it together. Wayne and my two older ones were at home as it harder for them to come out to school.

Coleen’s two youngest sons were there to meet her as she left camp on Sunday night ( 
Image:
Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)“The little ones, obviously it’s easier. The (two eldest) did say they weren’t going to school tomorrow because their mum was in the final. I am not sure what the school has to say about that but obviously they haven’t gone all the way to Australia so maybe they do deserve a day off.”

She said she was moved by Wayne’s reaction. “He just said how proud he was. In the letter I got in camp, he said he’s never missed me as much and I can understand that, because we’ve been apart for weeks and weeks on end, but we speak a number of times a day. We FaceTime. So to not have that communication has been tough and not knowing or keeping up to date on the kids’ school and football. I’m so involved in all that back home that was hard.”

Coleen also laughed after learning that he had been mobilising his millions of followers to try and get her to do trials. After one plea on social media, she was voted the next day to do a trial She added: “So I heard but you know what? I’m so glad he did, because I was desperate to do a trial. And at that time, I thought, What’s the point in coming here if I’m not doing any trials?

After one trial, a cockroach got stuck in her ear. “I could just feel it going round, and I could see people’s faces, and they were like: ‘that’s not right’ But I didn’t panic, and they squirted the water up there and it was all ok,” she says.

Viewers, as well as her campmates, were also impressed by her willingness to muck in and do chores. But Coleen says that’s part of everyday life for her and she’s always got stuck in. “I might not have camped that much but I used to clean chalets at Pontins when I was younger,” she says. “ I don’t mind getting my hands dirty, that doesn’t bother me. I’ve got four boys.”

Alison is 22 years her boyfriend’s senior

TV star Alison Hammond has hit back at those who have had something to say about the age gap between her and her boyfriend.

The Great British Bake Off host, who also presents This Morning, has been dating 27-year-old masseur David Putman since last year. While they like to keep their relationship fairly under wraps, Alison hasn’t been shy of talking about her man.

Alison Hammond opens up about age gap with boyfriend

During an interview with Good Housekeeping, Alison described boyfriend David as “so mature and sensible,” admitting: “I’m so not.”

She added: “And the things he says to me… they’re just so lovely. It’s like a jigsaw; we fit and it all comes together.”

As for the age gap, Alison, 49, explained that hasn’t impacted their relationship. “Yes, I’m 22 years older than he is, but if you saw us together, you’d understand. People have said to me: ‘We get it now,’” she said.

When the pair read the popular term “toyboy” to describe their romance, Alison insisted it “bears no relation to what we have at all”.

Alison defends age gap with 27-year-old boyfriend (Credit: YouTube)

‘If you could feel the way my son loves me’

Before David, Alison was engaged to cab driver Noureddine Boufaied, who she dated between 2005 and 2014.

The pair share a son, Aidan, 19, who she also opened up about in the same interview.

Alison seems very loved-up (Credit: Cover Images)
“If you could feel the way my son loves me, it’s magical,” Alison said, describing him as a “gentleman”.

“I’m all, ‘Woo-hoo!’ and he’s more, ‘Mum, chill.’ He doesn’t try to rein me in, though. He wouldn’t try to change me because, well, why mess with perfection?” she added with a laugh.

Read more: Alison Hammond breaks down in tears as she issues emotional apology to her son

What do you think of this story? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.

He revealed his crush for her during his time in camp

Carol Vorderman has sent Melvin Odoom a private message on social media, in the latest instalment of the duo’s I’m A Celebrity romance saga.

Following his eviction from the camp, Melvin revealed some of the less delightful details of his least pleasant night in the jungle.

Fans were gutted when Melvin became the fourth celebrity to leave camp. But they’re the moon to learn about what’s been going on behind the scenes…

Melvin didn’t hide his crush on Carol Vorderman during his stint in the jungle (Credit: YouTube)

Melvin Odoom receives DM from Carol Vorderman

I’m A Celebrity 2024 contestant Melvin Odoom posted on X on Thursday evening that Carol Vorderman is “in the DMs”.

Well, that and 236 exclamation marks.

He attached a video, in which he checks his direct messages and reads out the one his account received from “Vorders herself”.

“So I’m about to check my DMs now,” he says, “and I’ve noticed there’s a message from Vorders herself. Let’s have a little look-see.”

Carol Vorderman has been on our TV screens for decades (Credit: YouTube)

At which point Jane Moore, who’s sitting beside Melvin, chimes in with a suggestion: “‘Get lost, loser?’”

“OK, OK, no,” he laughs it off. “So… someone’s looking after my page. And she goes, ‘Please give him my best. He’s done so well. Heart emoji.’”

Isn’t it sweet?

— Melvin Odoom (@Melvinodoom) December 5, 2024

Fans have been crossing their fingers for a Melvin–Vorders date

“I have been living for this day!” writes one fan on Melvin Odoom’s X page, in response to his revelation about Carol Vorderman sending him a private message.

“You deserve it,” writes another.

“Sort a date out,” demands a third.

Some have even gone so far as to mock up images celebrating the possibility of their union.

pic.twitter.com/bIWQ0hnPSe

— PONGY CARTOONS (@PONGYCARTOONS) December 6, 2024

Melvin was without his mobile phone for two weeks during his stint in the jungle. Someone was managing his socials during this time, as he explains in the video. But he was fairly quick to admit his crush on Vorders.

As a result, he was oblivious to the things Carol posted onto her own Instagram during his time in camp.

Read more: I’m A Celebrity host Sam Thompson hints Unpacked co-star Kemi Rodgers will appear in jungle next year

Liz Hatton, 17, who lost her 10-month cancer battle last week, touched hearts when she was pictured with Kate, the Princess of Wales, at Windsor Castle in October

A talented photographer who ended up shooting celebrities and models after sharing a hug with the Princess of Wales loved life until the end, her mum says.

Liz Hatton, 17, who lost a 10-month cancer battle last week, touched hearts when she was pictured with Kate at Windsor Castle in October.

The meeting led to a string of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for Liz, including snapping celebs on the red carpet at the Royal Variety Show and joining acclaimed photographer Rankin to lead a fashion shoot.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meeting young photographer Liz Hatton and family at Windsor Castle ( 
Image:
Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Speaking publicly for the first time since losing her girl, Victoria Robayna, 43, said “Liz was still independent and loving life until the very end, which is exactly how she would have chosen it to be. We could not have asked for it to have been a better way for Liz.”

The family met the Prince and Princess of Wales when Liz was invited to Windsor to take pictures at an investiture ceremony William was holding.

Victoria said: “All any parent wants is for their child’s dreams to come true, and the Prince and Princess of Wales were a big part in making that happen.”

Liz Hatton works alongside the press photographers during the UK Premiere of “Venom: The Last Dance” ( 
Image:
WireImage)

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Image:
Getty Images)
She added: “Liz’s final two months with us were the happiest we have ever seen her, and a lot of that was down to their kindness – we truly can’t thank them enough.

“Before that day at Windsor Castle Liz had had some opportunities, but the meeting really brought her into the public eye and allowed her dreams to become reality.”

Liz’s life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a rare Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour and told she had six months to three years to live.

But she was determined not to let it get in the way of pursuing her dream of becoming a photographer.

Instead of worrying about the future, Liz drew up a bucket list and set about making it happen.

Liz’s eight-year-old brother Mateo

Liz Hatton smiles at her exhibition ( 
Image:
Getty Images)Word reached William about her plans and she was invited to shoot the investiture. Much to her surprise, she was asked to join the royal couple for tea along with mum Victoria, stepdad Aaron and brother Mateo.

Liz was pictured hugging Kate, weeks after the Princess revealed she had completed her own chemotherapy. The pair chatted about their shared love of photography.

Victoria said: “Liz and Kate talked about their favourite photographers, cameras, things they like to photograph and how helpful photography can be as a way of escaping real life. She showed Kate her camera and they were both just enjoying talking about something they love and share a passion for.

“Liz loved how normal she and William were – there was no pretence or artifice, she instantly clicked with them and they with her. We couldn’t ask for them to have been any kinder or any more wonderful at any point.”

Liz was terrified of leaving her brother behind
Victoria, of Harrogate, North Yorks, also revealed a touching conversation between the royal couple and Liz’s little brother Mateo, eight.

She said: “When we met the Prince and Princess, talking to new people was something Liz’s eight-year-old brother Mateo struggled to do.

“They really went out of their way to include Mateo and made him feel every bit as important as she was, and by the end he was busy chatting to them about his Jellycat chip teddy – that meant everything to Liz.

Liz with family
“Liz was not scared of dying but was terrified of leaving her brother behind, so she wanted to make memories with him that he would have for the rest of his life. The Prince and Princess made that possible.”

The meeting at Windsor meant Liz – who began taking photos in year six at primary school – became an overnight sensation. She went on to photograph comedian Michael McIntyre, circus performers, the Royal Ballet and Storm Agency models.

The inspiring teen also spent two days with Los Angeles-based portrait photographer David Suh, who flew from the US to work with her.

Her project culminated in her own photography exhibition in London, which was attended by palace staff.Just six days later, Liz passed away – just 10 months after her diagnosis.

Liz Hatton in action with her camera
Despite her agony, Victoria is trying to hold on to the special final evening spent with her girl. She said: “Liz went to watch her brother swim in his first session at a local swimming squad, to make sure he settled in.

“She was so proud – he was absolutely buzzing about how much he’d enjoyed it and she was absolutely buzzing because he’d loved it. We then had a chilled evening at home.

“Liz and Aaron sat on her bed watching Heartstopper, a series she loved – and I was on the floor wrapping Christmas presents.

“Before bed, we told her we loved her and she went to sleep.”

Liz’s dying wish was for DSRCT treatments to improve, so she decided to donate her body to the University of Glasgow’s medical department. Saying goodbye was a bittersweet moment for Victoria. “It gives us all comfort to know she is doing good and she is still somehow here, but equally hard that she is not here with us,” she said.

Liz photographed at the BFI IMAX Waterloo ( 
Image:
WireImage)
“We talk about her being away at university, because she would have gone to university at the end of this year anyway – so she has gone away to do good for three years, and then she will come back to us.”

Liz left strict instructions to be cremated because she hates worms and insects, and for her ashes to be made into a Jellycat toy. Victoria explained: “It means we can still give her hugs. She was certain it wouldn’t be one of her Jellycats because she wouldn’t want them to suffer, so it had to be a new one. Mateo will choose it.”

The family has started a fundraiser to pay for research into treatment for DSRCT – which affects just 12 people in the UK each year. Victoria added: “We’re determined to do her proud.”

Dozens of royals rallied around the Princess of Wales at her carol service in Westminster Abbey this week – but Princess Eugenie, the King and the Queen were among those who did not attend

Princess Eugine didn’t join dozens of fellow Royals who rallied around the Princess of Wales at her Christmas carol service in central London this week.

The ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service, held at Westminster Abbey, marked Princess Kate’s first solo event of the year after she underwent a major abdominal surgery in January and announced she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Kate announced she would be gradually returning to royal duties after her preventative chemotherapy treatment ended in September. After a rough year, the theme of this year’s carol service was announced as a celebration of those supporting others in need, with a focus on the importance of love and empathy.

The ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service marked Kate’s first solo event of the year ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Kate was joined by her husband Prince William and their three children – Louis, six, Charlotte, nine, and 11-year-old Prince George. Other Royal attendees included the Duchess of Edinburgh, Lord Frederick Windsor, Zara Tindall and a pregnant Princess Beatrice.

But her sister Princess Eugenie did not attend, along with the King and Queen. While the reasons for Eugenie’s absence are unknown, it is likely due to her decision to split her time between the UK and Portugal with her husband and two sons, August and Ernest. Her husband, Jack Brooksbank, is believed to working in Portugal with Michael Meldman’s Discovery Land Company.

Princess Eugenie of York did not attend Kate’s event ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)

Princess Eugenie and her family in Portugal ( 
Image:
Instagram)
A royal source told the Express: “The villa in Portugal is more an investment than anything else and construction hasn’t even been completed yet”, adding: “It hasn’t been purchased as a new home, but more as a holiday retreat and something they can put their money into to protect their assets.”

The public were given a rare insight into Eugenie’s life in Portugal earlier this year after the 34-year-old royal revealed that her sons, three-year-old August, and one-year-old Ernest “love swimming”, despite her being “scared” of the ocean growing up.

Kate’s carol service, held on Friday evening, saw the her stop for a chat with guests giving the readings, including actors Richard E Grant, Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery, Sophie Okonedo, nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Hotel Rwanda, and Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty.

Guests also had the opportunity to leave a message on a “kindness tree”, where six-year-old Prince Louis added a note to thank his ‘Granny and Grandpa’. The young royal wrote: “Thank you to my granny and grandpa because they have played games with me.”

The event included traditional carols, music, readings and prayers, all hihglighting the importance of compassion and kindness.

The King told a group of women who had attended his mother’s coronation that he had felt ‘anxious’ about a key moment during the ceremony

In a new documentary, King Charles shares new insight into the weighty concerns he had ahead of his coronation, as well as a rare glimpse into his early family life. The film tells the tale of 50 young Canadian women who journeyed across the Atlantic to witness Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in the summer of 1953.

The documentary, Coronation Girls, follows 12 of these women, now averaging 89-years-old, as they retraced their steps and returned to London in December 2023, where they were surprised by Charles during a visit to Buckingham Palace. The King shared his own vivid memory, saying: “My grandmother explained things to me while I was there.”

Despite only being four years old at the time, he told them: “I can remember quite a lot, yes, well, particularly what I was dressed in and what the barber did to me before.”

King Charles had learned about the full weight of wearing the crown from his mother ( 
Image:
PA Archive/PA Images)
In the 90-minute film, Charles warmly greeted each woman, including climate activist and author Yvonne Harris and former adoption worker Carol Shipley, and made light-hearted comments about the practicalities of wearing the crown.

He added: “I remember it all so well then, because I remember my sister and I had bath time in the evening. My mama used to come up at bath time wearing the crown to practice. You have to get used to how heavy it is. I’ve never forgotten, I can still remember it vividly.”

He added: “It is very important to wear it for a certain amount of time, because you get used to it then. But the big one that you’re crowned with, the St Edward’s Crown, it weighs five pounds.”

The St Edward’s Crown has been used at royal coronations for more than 300 years ( 
Image:
PA Archive/PA Images)
King Charles told them: “It is much heavier and taller, so there’s always that feeling of feeling slightly anxious, in case it wobbles. You have to carry it, you have to look straight ahead.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury crowned the King in the 17th-century golden St Edward’s Crown at his coronation in Westminster Abbey in May 2023. The women told the documentary that their trip to Elizabeth’s coronation was “life-changing” and “magic” and described the moment the new Queen passed them in the gold state coach during the procession.

“The crowds were so joyous and so loud they drowned out the marching bands,” one said. At the time, the late Queen was around nine years older than the girls, which, some said, helped them feel a special connection with the new monarch.

Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation drew citizens from across the Commonwealth, including the group of 17 young women from CanadaIn June 2022, the group wrote a letter to Elizabeth where they asked if they could have tea with her a few months before she died.

The documentary, which explores themes of enduring friendship and the impact the historic event had on the young women, will be aired on Boxing Day on WNED PBS in Canada.