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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.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have carried on the tradition of releasing a family Christmas card, and many royal fans have commented on a photo showing Princess Lilibet

Royal fans are all saying the same thing about Princess Lilibet after she was pictured with brother Archie on Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Christmas card.

Alongside five other images from appearances that the Sussexes have made throughout the year, a sweet image is included of Archie and Lilibet running into Harry and Meghan’s arms – with both children seen sporting Harry’s famous red locks.

As well as Lilibet’s long hair, which backed up Harry’s previous claim that his daughter had inherited Meghan’s long hair, royal fans couldn’t help but notice how tall the three-year-old is.

Taking to X, one fan commented: “Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet look so tall!” Another wrote: “OMG look how big Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Christmas card

And a further stated: “What a beautiful and happy family [teary eyed-face emoji] Lilibet is almost as tall as Archie!” Delighted that the couple decided to include a picture of their children, one fan commented: “Another amazing year for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex [clapping-hands emoji] And how tall are Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet now, so cute!”

A fifth fan, also commenting on Lilibet’s height, wrote: “I needed this today. #PrincessLilibet is so tall and honey blonde.” Alongside the pictures, Meghan and Harry also included a heartwarming Christmas message on their card.

The festive message read: “On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundations. We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and a joyful new year.”

Archie and Lilibet have made very few public appearances over recent years, with Harry and Meghan keen to keep their children out of the spotlight.

Despite quitting as working royals almost five years ago, the Sussexes have continued the tradition of sharing the picture used on their Christmas card like other members of the Firm. Last year’s card featured a snap of the couple beaming at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf with Harry looking smart in a black shirt and jacket combination and Meghan wearing an elegant dark green strapless gown.

The couple have not included their children on their recent Christmas cards, but did delight fans with a sweet family picture to mark Christmas in 2021. This was also the first-ever picture released of their daughter. A then-two-year-old Archie was seen perched on his father’s knee, whilst Meghan held Lilibet, then aged seven months.

A tourist who saw Liam Payne fall to his death said the plunge is “burned into his brain” in a new documentary branded “invasive” by horrified fans.

TMZ Presents: Liam Payne: Who’s to Blame?, which aired yesterday in the US, has been blasted as insensitive by viewers, upset it has made broadcast so soon after the tragedy. In it, a guest at the hotel – who saw Liam plunge to his death – revealed he was “haunted” by the tragic incident. The guest, Bret Watson, said: “We happened to be looking out of the window of our hotel at the pool area to show her [the planner] the view from the hotel.

“We saw Liam fall… and so we immediately rushed out on the balcony to see what it was and when we looked down we could see that it was Liam laying on the ground,” he added. The guest added that he believed the singer died immediately.

Liam, singer in One Direction, died aged 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. A report from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office determined that traces of “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” were found in Liam’s system. Officials also ruled out suicide, explaining that “in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing and could not understand it”.

Hotel guest Bret Watson said he was ‘haunted’ by what he saw ( 
Image:
ITV)

But speaking on the TMZ documentary, Mr Watson added: “The wedding planner and I looked at each other like ‘oh my God, this is real, this actually happened’.” He also called the entire incident “heartbreaking” and “haunting”, admitting it was something that he would never forget.

His harrowing account was featured alongside an exploration of police documents – despite an investigation ongoing into the death. The three suspects arrested as part of the probe also talk to the camera in the piece but the Mirror has, so far, refrained from using excerpts of these sections because of the active investigation.

Mourners pay tribute to Liam outside the hotel ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
And, it is for this reason, some people online have expressed their ire at the programme being aired in the US, just two months after Liam’s death. One fan on X wrote: “Some of these topics are so invasive. just let him rest.” Another posted: “I can imagine how mad, disappointed, furious and angry Liam Payne’s family and his former bandmates feel.” One fan stated: “This is so gross. the case is not even closed.”

A further X user said: The way they’re talking about him is what’s frustrating… It is already pi**sing me off.” Another viewer wrote: “It should be against the law discussing [this] case with [an] accused.”

The Mirror has published several warm tribute pieces, celebrating the musician’s life. His girlfriend Katie Cassidy had said: “I don’t even know where to begin. My heart is shattered in ways I can’t put into words. I wish you could see the huge impact you’ve had on the world, even as it feels so dark right now” as she paid tribute to the star.

Three arrests have been made but the investigation into Liam’s death continues ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
She added: “You brought so much happiness and positivity to everyone – millions of fans, your family, friends, and especially me. You are so incredibly loved. You are – because I can’t say were – my best friend, the love of my life, and everyone you touched felt just as special as I did. Your energy was contagious, lighting up every room you walked into.”

Multiple celebrities, including his One Direction pals, attended Liam’s funeral in Buckinghamshire last month. Cheryl Tweedy, who was in a relationship with Liam between 2016 and 2018, was also seen leaving the church. Music mogul Simon Cowell was seen embracing Payne’s father Geoff and mother Karen as they left the building.

Those being investigated have been named as Roger Nores, Braian Paiz, hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra, hotel security Esteban Reynaldo Grassi and manager Gilda Martín. Last week, judge Laura Bruinard ordered that footage of Liam’s fall which was captured on CCTV should be reviewed – eight weeks after his death. Authorities will examine the video which had previously not been shared.

The musician, pictured performing in London in 2019, sold more than 18 million singles in his solo career alone ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Just moments before Liam’s death, the singer was seen “convulsing” in the lobby of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel before being carried to his hotel room. Despite their concerns regarding his welfare, the staff left Liam alone.

However, they went on to make a 911 call, demanding urgent medical assistance stating that Liam’s life may be in danger. Just moments later, Liam fell over his balcony and hit his head on the base of an umbrella in the court yard of the restaurant below his room.

During the distressing call, the hotel employee stated that they feared Liam’s life was in danger as he could escape from the balcony. Reports claim that the One Direction star had been attempting to scale the balcony and plan an escape from his room which went wrong.

The Archbishop of York is facing calls to resign over a sex abuse scandal, just weeks before he takes charge of the Church of England.

Stephen Cottrell apologised for not acting sooner in the case of disgraced priest David Tudor. As Bishop of Chelmsford from 2010 to 2020, Mr Cottrell has been criticised for letting Tudor stay in post despite several accusations of sexual misconduct.

Tudor was eventually suspended in 2019 and banned for life in October after he admitted sex abuse allegations against two girls dating back to the 1980s. The Bishop of Newcastle, the Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley, called for Mr Cottrell to quit.

Tudor was suspended in 2019 and banned for life after admitting to sex abuse in the 1980s
She said: “I think that it completely undermines his credibility. How can you have the moral and ethical authority to lead an institution? So yes, I do think that he should consider his position.”

Mr Cottrell claimed that it was not possible to remove Tudor from office until fresh complaints were made against him in 2019. He added: “I am deeply sorry that we were not able to take action earlier, but that was the situation I inherited. It is extremely disappointing that this story is being reported as if it was an abuser being ignored or protected.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. And to present it this way only re-traumatises already hurt people.” At least seven women say they were abused by Tudor, who worked for the Church of England for 46 years.

He was convicted of indecent assault in 1988, but the verdict was quashed because the judge misdirected the jury. In 1989, he was banned by the Church for five years for sexual misconduct. Then-Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey agreed he could come back under supervision in 1993.

From January 2008, Tudor had been working under a safeguarding agreement preventing him from being alone with children or entering schools.

In 2012, Tudor paid one victim £10,000 without admitting liability. Seven years later, the Church paid another victim a six-figure sum.

Mr Cottrell will lead the Church from January 6 until a replacement for Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury is chosen. Mr Welby quit last month over a separate abuse scandal.