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Sunday Brunch fans were let down as one guest of the show failed to make an appearance

Sunday Brunch got off to an awkward start on March 2nd after one of the celebrity bookings failed to show up for the Channel 4 programme.

Producers had secured Selling Sunset star Bre Tiesi who was supposed to take a seat on the panel alongside former TOWIE star Megan McKenna, G’Wed actor Jake Kenny-Byrne, writer Liz Pichon, singer Antony Szmierek and Jon Ronson.

With Bre visibly missing but featuring on the show’s schedule, Tim interrupted the programme with a “breaking news” update on the whereabouts of the reality star.

The programme was more than half way into the episode when they finally addressed Bre’s absence, explaining she had attended the 2025 BRIT Awards last night.

Tim Lovejoy brought the programme to a halt for breaking news over missing guest

He confirmed to viewers: “Breaking news Bre from Selling Sunset is in the car and she’s at the hotel,” as chimes of praise could be heard all around the studio.

Tim added: “For anyone that doesn’t know Bre was supposed to be on the show this morning but she went to the BRITs last night and so she is going to turn up, when she turns up but she’s a friend of ours, so we don’t mind.”

“We just hope she manages to make it at some stage,” Tim hilariously added.

Bre had not shown up for her post on the show ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Abyss By Abby)
Bre found fame on the Netflix series Selling Sunset in 2022, starring on the hit programme as one of the real estate agents working at the luxury Hollywood Hills brokerage, The Oppenheim Group.

She is also mother to a son named Legendary Love who she shares with rapper and comedian Nick Cannon. In December last year, Bre spoke out to confirm on Sophie Habboo’s podcast that they were very much an item still.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the programme, Tim started to become nervous that Bre wouldn’t make it on to the show at all, requesting for his co-host Simon Rimmer to guess on whether she’d arrive.

Sunday Brunch chaos as just four guests remained on-airTurning to his co-star Tim asked: “What do you think. Do you think Bre’s going to make it on to the show?” Positively Simon estimated: “Yeah I’m going to go with 12:20pm,” indicating his estimation for her arrival.

It was at this point, Tim received a second update via his earpiece, airing: “Ohh I’ve just heard she’s in the taxi on her way down from Luton to London.”

There was further chaos to come as Tim also had to confirm why TOWIE and X Factor star Megan had now vanished from her seat half way through the show, leaving just four guests on-air.

Addressing her absence, Tim said: “Sorry Megan has just had to step away to feed Landon [her baby son], which is why she’s now missing.”

Bre did finally make it to show, arriving in the studio at 12:30pm, telling the hosts: “I am not well, sorry guys,” the Netflix star confessed she’d drank several tequila shots and got back to her hotel at 6am.

Sunday Brunch airs each Sunday on Channel 4, from 10am.

The 24th instalment of Celebrity Big Brother is set to return to ITV in a ‘brand-new secret location’ soon, with presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best returning as hosts

Celebrity Big Brother has reportedly signed on a huge Coronation Street star to join the new series.

The 24th instalment is set to return to ITV in a “brand-new secret location” soon, with presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best returning as hosts. A teaser aired during the live finale of Love Island : All Stars last month, when narrator Iain Stirling was interrupted by CBB voice Marcus Bentley, who unveiled the show’s iconic eye logo.

While fans wait for the return of the programme, it has been claimed Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd – who is best known for his role as Gail Platt’s son David Platt – will be taking part in the reality series. Last series, fellow Corrie star Colson Smith entertained fans in the Big Brother house.

An insider claimed of Colson and Jack: “The two lads are great mates, and Colson no doubt told Jack he’d have the time of his life on the show. Jack will be making the most of a gap in appearing on Corrie, which comes as he’s about to be at the centre of a huge storyline on the ITV soap.”

Jack is reportedly taking part in the new CBB

The source went on to tell The Sun Jack’s Corrie character will be seen ‘getting left for dead’ on the soap. The Mirror have reached out to ITV and Jack’s reps for comment. A spokesperson for Celebrity Big Brother said, “Any names suggested for Celebrity Big Brother are purely speculation.”

Other names going around as potential contestants on the ITV show include former Love Island and sports pundit Chris Hughes, and EastEnders actor James Bye (who played Martin Fowler). Professional boxer and Molly-Mae Hague’s ex Tommy Fury, 25, was also said to have been eyed up by producers at the end of last year. It was reported in October that “big money offers” were circulating, with it suggested that he would be a ratings winner

Former I’m A Celebrity and WAG Rebekah Vardy has also been mentioned by bookies, as has Married at First Sight’s Ella Morgan, and TV personality and comedian Paul Chuckle. The reboot made its debut last March, with David Potts winning the first series on ITV2 and Strictly Come Dancing professional Nikita Kuzmin finishing as runner-up.

According to a recent release from the channel, there’s “a new batch of VIPs” ready to “embark on the original social experiment,” promising “tense tasks, nail-biting nominations and gripping gossip”.

Conan O’Brien has addressed the controversy surrounding Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon’s unearthed tweets during his opening speech at the 97th Academy Awards

Oscars host Conan O’Brien addressed the scandal surrounding Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon in his opening speech amid controversy over a number of tweets she posted prior to the film’s release.

After the posts, which made comments about Islam, the death of George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars, were brought to light, the actress apologised and maintained that she had not been “racist” in Instagram posts.

Opening the event, O’Brien, 61, said: “I am excited to be here. Welcome to the 97th Academy Awards. It’s Hollywood’s biggest night. It starts at four in the afternoon. Everyone here just had brunch, I don’t understand it.”

Addressing the controversy, he added: “Little fact for you, (film) Anora uses the F word 479 times. That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofia Gascon’s publicist.” He continued: “Karla Sofia Gascon is here tonight, and Karla if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”

Karla Sofia Gascon is not at the Oscars this evening ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)

Emilia Perez has faced criticism from those in the Mexican film industry for focusing on the country’s drug problems and for its few cast members from the country.

The film stars the first transgender actress to be nominated for a Golden Globe and to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, Gascon, singer and Only Murders In the Building actress Gomez as the crime boss’s wife Jessi, and Saldana, who plays Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar film series and alien assassin Gamora in the Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise.

Mexican actress Adriana Paz features as Epifania, a love interest of Emilia whose husband is among the missing people in Mexico, and Zero Dark Thirty actor Edgar Ramirez plays Jessi’s former lover. In an interview with US outlet Deadline, director Jacques Audiard said he was “shocked” by criticism, and claimed the movie’s critics either “haven’t seen the film properly or they haven’t seen it at all and are acting in bad faith”.

Gascon has also faced criticism for a number of tweets between 2019 and 2024, which saw her make comments about Islam, the death of George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars. After the tweets were brought to light, the actress apologised and maintained that she had not been “racist” in Instagram posts.

Audiard told Deadline the remarks were “absolutely hateful” and said they made it “very hard” for him to think back to his “exceptional” time working with her. After his interview, Gascon announced she would “let the work talk for itself”, and said she was “hoping my silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is”.

MasterChef is reportedly looking at a huge TV chef as the replacement for Gregg Wallace

MasterChef is reportedly looking to sign up Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebbutt as Gregg Wallace’s replacement.

The TV chef is said to be in advanced talks with the show’s producers and could also be in talks to host the MasterChef: The Professionals spin-off. It comes after Gregg was taken off as host of the show while telly bosses continue to probe allegations of his misconduct.

Thirteen women accused him of sexually inappropriate behaviour over the space of 17 years. Wallace has largely stayed quiet on social media after issuing an apology for branding his accusers “middle-class women of a certain age” in a video rant. He later apologised for his remark, saying: “I want to apologise for any offence caused… and any upset I may have caused.” He added: “It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out now, while this investigation is under way.”

And now, an insider has claimed Matt has been in talks become the host of the cooking contest. “He managed the feat of making it his own and almost making viewers forget who his predecessor was — now Beeb bosses, and the show producers Banijay, will be hoping he can work the same magic on MasterChef,” the insider said.

Matt is reportedly in talks to be the new host ( 
Image:
Chris Terry photography)

They added to The Sun: “Nothing is set in stone, of course, and the result of investigations into Gregg’s behaviour have yet to fully conclude.” The Mirror have reached out to the BBC for comment. After Gregg stepped down from his role as host on MasterChef, food critic Grace Dent stood in as John Torode’s co-host.

When Grace was first announced as the new host, she admitted she was ‘drunk on power’. Speaking on ITV’s This Morning about her role, she said: “I am absolutely over the moon. Honestly, I’m already drunk on power.” The critic said she may have had some worries about it for “10 seconds” but they disappeared after she took over the reins.

Gregg stepped down as host while the production company conducted an investigation into his conduct ( 
Image:
PA)

Grace has been standing in for Gregg on the show ( 
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Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
“It’s one of the most wonderful shows on British TV and, when you go out into the public, you feel that warmth,” she said. “You can’t eat anywhere in privacy ever again. You can’t even go into a supermarket without people looking in your trolley (saying) ‘I can’t believe she’s bought that’.

“So it is lovely. It was a dream come true to move to this role, and it’s a very different role, because now I’ve got a lot.” In her previous role on the show, she provided feedback on the contestants’ cooking but did not have the responsibility of eliminating anyone.

“Now I am that person. Now I am the baddie, and I don’t enjoy doing that,” she said. “I think that people think that I go out for dinner and want it to be bad so that I can write horrible things. I absolutely don’t. I want the best for these people, and sending people home is horrible.”

Dancing on Ice insiders have opened up about the huge cost of the show, revealing that its large budget can no longer be justified amid dwindling ratings for ITV

Fans should make the most of next weekend’s Dancing on Ice final – because it could be the show’s last ever episode.

Judges Torvill and Dean have now hung up their skates after giving a tearful live performance on the ITV programme last month… And channel insiders say the Sunday night series, presented by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, is likely to be dropped for next year after sinking to its lowest ever ratings – a far cry from its heyday when 12million tuned in.

Last year, the show scored its smallest live audience of all time when 2.9 million tuned in to one episode, a drop of 700,000 on the 3.6 million who’d watched the opener a few weeks earlier. This year, the show could only manage 2.9 million for the launch, and by the fifth episode another half a million viewers had melted away, leaving just 2.4 million.

This year’s line up of intrepid celebrity contestants might be the last to take to the rink in Dancing on Ice ( 
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ITV)
It means that over the past two years Dancing on Ice has lost more than a million viewers, with the 2023 launch watched by 4.1million but this series never making it above 3million, according to official overnight ratings from BARB.

This year’s line up of intrepid celebrity contestants might be the last to take to the rink in Dancing on Ice ( 
Image:
ITV)
It means that over the past two years Dancing on Ice has lost more than a million viewers, with the 2023 launch watched by 4.1million but this series never making it above 3million, according to official overnight ratings from BARB.

Channel chiefs believe the only way to justify the huge costs involved in making Dancing on Ice going forward is by attracting a blockbuster audience, which just isn’t happening. One source said: “There are very real fears this is the end of the road for Dancing on Ice. It’s had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it but the sad truth is there’s just not enough of them. We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it’s difficult to justify the cost.”

Many of the 12 celebrity contestants earn six-figure sums because of the months of training needed to get them through the routines. ITV also pays big fees to presenters Holly and Stephen, the 12 professional ice-skaters and four judges – comprising ice-skating legends Torvill and Dean plus Strictly star Oti Mabuse and fellow dance expert Ashley Banjo. They also have to maintain the purpose-built studio rink at Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire.

An ITV spokeswoman told The Mirror: “The Dancing on Ice team is fully concentrating on the much anticipated series finale this coming Sunday and therefore no decision has been made.” She said that when catch-up viewing was included, the series had averaged 3million viewers across the current run, thanks in part to 3.6m streams on ITVX.

Michaela and Mark are the favourites to win this year – but will they be among the show’s last ever contestants? ( 
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Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Michaela Strachan, who dances with Mark Hanretty, is the firm favourite to take the trophy next Sunday, with bookies putting her at evens. If she does, it would make her the first female winner since gymnast Beth Tweddle triumphed in 2013. The BBC wildlife presenter is the last female in the competition, skating against Corrie star Sam Aston, TOWIE’s Dan Edgar and former footballer Anton Ferdinand,

Torvill and Dean have now officially stopped live performances, having completed their final tour. Announcing their planned retirement from the rink a year ago, the pair insisted: “We have no plans to step back from Dancing On Ice and hope that the series continues for years to come.”

The show launched in 2006 but ended after its ninth run in 2014, when Torvill and Dean said they wanted to leave “on a high” following the 30th anniversary of their Bolero win. “I think there comes a time when you know we’re not spring chickens any more,” Christopher said at the time. “We’re still able to do it, to a certain degree we feel good about it, but that will go.”

Four years later the show returned with the pair swapping their role as mentors to the contestants for the judging panel – where they have been ever since. At least if the show does not return in 2026, it’s not all bad news for Stephen and Holly, who are set to make more episodes of rebooted gameshow You Bet later this year.

It has been exactly two years since it was revealed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children Archie and Lilibet had been given royal titles despite their parents previously railing against royal life

Meghan Markle is facing a crunch week with the release of one of her biggest projects.

On Tuesday, her make-or-break Netflix show With Love, Meghan will hit screens – and it promises to see her share tips and tricks when it comes to cooking and hosting. No doubt, she will be relying on the support of Prince Harry and her family as viewers finally get to see the eagerly-anticipated show.

It comes as Meghan also prepares for the launch of her lifestyle brand As Ever, which she has been promoting on her new Instagram account. And in many of her videos, she’s had the help of her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, whether it be while making Valentine’s Day treats or watering the garden.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet ( 
Image:
ARCHWELL)
This week is also significant for the youngsters as it will mark two years since it was revealed that the children had been given royal titles. Archie and Lilibet automatically became a prince and princess upon their grandfather’s King Charles accession in September 2022.

But it was several months later, in March 2023, after Lilibet’s christening, that Harry and Meghan confirmed that the youngsters were now prince and princess as they announced their daughter as Princess Lilibet. The couple were keen not to deny them their birthright, but the move raised eyebrows, especially as the Sussexes had railed against royal life in several bombshell interviews since quitting the Firm.

Royal expert Jennie Bond told the Mirror that several years on, it does still seem a ‘odd’ move. The former BBC royal correspondent explained: “I can understand Harry and Meghan wanting their children to have their birthright, even though they have turned their backs on life in the UK.

Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, with their children Louise and James ( 
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Getty Images)
“What I find rather odd is their public use of these titles while the children are so young – and so estranged from their family and heritage. Both Harry and Meghan have made it clear that they found royal life deeply uncomfortable, so it’s hard to think they would ever want it for their children. But they are probably right to keep all options open for them.”

Jennie compares the youngsters to the children of Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, with their titles left up to them on whether they will use them. Jennie added: “I think it might have been better for them to keep the titles private as Edward and Sophie kept their children’s HRH status private until and unless the children decide to use them.

“There’s no doubt that a royal title carries a good deal of kudos, especially in the States, and has a commercial and social value. So they are protecting their children’s interests – even if it does seem a touch cynical.”

It comes as Harry is known to be extremely protective over his children – and both he and Meghan have said in the past that they want to keep them out of the spotlight. Last year, a friend of the Sussexes told People how Harry wanted to protect his children by keeping them out of the limelight. They said: “Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats.

“He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm.” The friend added: “Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself,” referring to the death of Princess Diana.

Princess Diana’s former love interest, James Hewitt, has spoken out about the icy tensions between Prince Harry and Prince William, and has claimed she would do one thing to end it

Prince William and Harry’s relationship remains strained, but the late Princess Diana would have tried her absolute best to bring them back together, according to her former lover.

Since leaving his life as a working royal behind, the Duke of Sussex has been candid about his icy dynamic with William, with whom he was once seriously close.

William however has remained tight-lipped about the state of his relationship with his younger brother – but there are few signs that the pair might be poised to reconcile any time soon.

A once-close confidant of their mother, the late Princess Diana, has claimed that if she was still alive, she would likely have tried to bring the once inseparable pair back together.

James Hewitt, 66, recently appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, where he was asked by host Richard Madeley if he thought the late Princess would have been able to bring her sons to reconcile. He said: “Any mother would be grief-stricken over the separation we’ve seen between Harry and Wills. Do you think she would have been able to make a rapprochement possible?”

James answered that in his view, Diana would have put her best foot forward in trying to bring about a reconciliation. “I think any mother would be worried and concerned about such a rift, as you put it. And she’d do her best to try and get them together,” he said.

James Hewitt met Diana at a party in 1986, thrown by Diana’s lady-in-waiting Hazel West, and the pair quickly got on “famously”, the Princess’s former bodyguard – Ken Wharfe – has said in his book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret, per Town and Country. “He told her he was a riding instructor and, when she confessed she was afraid of horses, offered to help her overcome her fear.”

Mr Hewitt has always denied scurrilous rumours he is Prince Harry’s real father. ( 
Image:
Daily Mirror)

Prince Charles (left) plays polo with James Hewitt who had an affair with Charles’ wife, Princess Diana ( 
Image:
Rex)
After becoming her riding instructor, sparks flew between the pair and they began an affair – with Diana’s marriage to Charles already pretty strained due to his own infidelity with then-Camilla Parker Bowles.

For several years, the pair were romantically involved, before James’s military career took him abroad. Ken Wharfe claims this left Diana feeling “betrayed” because “he had chosen his career over her”.

Things seemingly fizzled out between James and Diana, but in 1994 he cooperated with author Anna Pasternak on a book about his affair with the late Princess of Wales, causing a major scandal.

The following year, Diana admitted the affair during her infamous sit-down with BBC’s Panorama, saying: “Yes, I adored him. Yes, I was in love with him,” adding that she “was very let down,” by his cooperation with the tell-all book.

Things have been icy between William and Harry for years ( 
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

For many years, unfounded rumours plagued Prince Harry that James Hewitt was really his father, not King Charles. Harry addressed this gossip in his memoir Spare, “Never mind that my mother didn’t meet Major Hewitt until long after I was born, the story was simply too good to drop,” Harry wrote.

Hewitt has always categorically denied the gossip too, and the Duke of Sussex also said in a witness statement submitted to the High Court in 2023, that the rumours were “hurtful, mean, and cruel”.

The revelation regarding Andrew’s involvement with a Dutch company follows reports King Charles is “dismayed” by the Duke of York’s business dealings

Prince Andrew has suffered a new blow, with a deal over his Dragons’ Den style start-up business said to be in doubt.

Dutch company Startupbootcamp have been in talks about buying Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace network for a multi-million pound sum. But sources close to the European firm say that despite an announcement of an intended takeover no deal has been agreed, nothing has been signed and no transactions have been carried out.

The revelation follows reports King Charles is “dismayed” by Andrew’s business dealings, amid claims of his ties to former ambassador to Russia Oleg Firer and Chinese businessman and alleged spy Yang Tengbo. Ukraine-born Firer, who has been banned from entering the Commonwealth nation Grenada, is vice-chairman of Middle Eastern investment firm Waterberg Stirling, which is described as a key stakeholder in Startupbootcamp.

Prince Andrew set up Pitch@Palace in 2014 ( 
Image:
PA)
It has been claimed the Duke last year met the Chinese ambassador to promote Waterberg Stirling, which is reportedly linked to China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, the nation’s policy of winning influence by building infrastructure projects in developing countries.

It is said Andrew’s role is to pass on his contacts made from his Pitch@Palace programme, which he had to abandon after the scandal of his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew’s finances have been under intense scrutiny, with questions about how he can afford to live in his Royal Lodge mansion after he was cut off financially by King Charles.

The Mirror revealed last month the Duke was facing a £1million bill for urgent repairs to the Royal Lodge, which is a 30-room mansion. He spent £7.5m in renovations 20 years ago when he moved in and agreed to meet all future upkeep costs. But with his finances shrouded in mystery, huge questions remain over his ability to meet the financial obligations.

Andrew is facing mounting questions over his finances ( 
Image:
Jim Bennett/REX/Shutterstock)
Pitch@Palace had been a Dragon’s Den-style pitching competition for new business ideas, set up Prince Andrew in 2014 and run by him before he stepped down from royal duties in 2019. Waterberg Stirling was registered in Bahrain in late 2024 by Dominic Hampshire, an adviser to Prince Andrew. The prince has had long-standing business connections with Bahrain.

There are also strong links between the UK and Bahraini royal families, with King Hamad of Bahrain visiting King Charles in Windsor in November 2024. Mr Hampshire is the only named director of Waterberg Stirling on registration documents, but another person linked to the firm is Mr Firer’s business partner Adnan Sawadi.

In July 2024, Mr Sawadi gave a presentation in China showing the intended partnership between SBC and the successor to Pitch@Palace, Innovate Global. His speech singled out for praise Yang Tengbo, the man who later that year would be accused of being a Chinese spy, seeking influence over Prince Andrew, claims that Mr Yang has continued to reject as untrue.

Mr Firer set up an embassy for Grenada in Moscow, but he was stopped by immigration officials in Grenada in 2023 and surrendered his diplomatic passport. He was told the immigration minister had assessed him as an alleged threat to national security. Mr Firer said the decision was politically motivated. He appealed it but lost.

The latest claims come after his links to alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo were made public

According to a court judgment, there was an allegation of serious financial impropriety, with Grenada’s government reportedly facing an £800,000 bill for the rental of the embassy in Moscow. Mr Firer denies wrongdoing.

Adnan Sawadi previously said: “Startupbootcamp executives are in negotiations to acquire the former Pitch@Palace network on a territory-by-territory basis, approved by Buckingham Palace.

“Waterberg Stirling categorically has no financial or commercial arrangement with the Duke.”

The future King has been learning the language ‘phonetically’ by using phone learning app Duolingo

Prince William has delivered a St David’s Day message in fluent Welsh.

The Prince of Wales pre-recorded the social media video to mark March 1, the day Wales’s patron saint is honoured, and “to celebrate Wales – its history, its culture, and its incredible people”. The royal, 42, has been learning the language by using phone learning app Duolingo, but this is the first time he has been heard speaking more than a few words.

In his new message, he said: “Hello. Today, on St David’s Day, we come together to celebrate Wales – its history, its culture, and its incredible people. From its breathtaking landscapes to its language, Wales continues to inspire.

“Today, we will celebrate everything that is magical about Wales. To the people of Wales and everybody around the world, Happy St David’s Day.”

It is the first time William has been heard speaking more than a few words in Welsh ( 
Image:
PA)

William’s words in Welsh follow a visit to Wales with wife Kate on Wednesday, when the couple toured Pontypridd and cooked Welsh cakes for a market stall holder. William revealed in September 2022 that he was trying to learn the Welsh language, after being named Prince of Wales following the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

William and wife Kate, 43, inherited the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales, having previously been the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In 2024,

William revealed he was using popular language app Duolingo to help him learn Welsh. On a visit to Llanelli for a Welsh language youth festival, he said he had the language learning app, Duolingo, downloaded and that he was trying to learn Welsh “phonetically”.

Since taking over the title, William has made it clear he wants immerse himself in learning more about the culture and language. In July, it was announced he and Kate are looking for a new Assistant Private Secretary, based in London, but who can ideally speak fluent Welsh.

William and Kate during a visit to Pontypridd, Wales, earlier this week ( 
Image:
PA

It concluded: “Conversational Welsh is essential, and fluent Welsh, both written and spoken, is desirable.

William’s father King Charles, 73, learned Welsh after taking over the title of the Prince of Wales more than 64 years ago. The King had formal lessons in the Welsh language, studying from April to June 1969 at Aberystwyth University ahead of his investiture as the Prince of Wales in July that year at Caernarfon Castle.

Charles’s tutor was the Welsh nationalist Tedi Millward but despite their apparent differences the two men became firm friends. William has not had an investiture since his father announced he had created his eldest son and heir as Prince of Wales during his first televised address as monarch, the day after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is in the UK, where he will meet Sir Keir Starmer as well as King Charles after clashing with Donald Trump at the White House

King Charles is set to welcome Volodymyr Zelensky at Sandringham on Sunday, just two days after the Ukrainian president’s chaotic talks with Donald Trump.

The monarch previously expressed his support for Zelensky and Ukraine, saying the country had experienced “indescribable aggression” following Russia’s “unprovoked attack on their land”. Zelensky landed in the UK this morning and this afternoon he will meet Keir Starmer in Downing Street before holding crunch talks with European leaders to discuss a future Ukraine peace deal on Sunday.

It has now emerged that Charles, 77, will also meet Zelensky, opening the doors of his country retreat to the Ukrainian leader. A spokesman for Zelensky confirmed: “Tomorrow (Sunday), there will be a series of bilateral meetings, including one with King Charles III and the European leaders’ meeting on supporting Ukraine.”

Zelensky and Trump clashed in the White House on Friday ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Insiders told The Sun that the King was already planning to meet Zelensky before the Ukrainian leader and the US president clashed in front of the world’s cameras in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday. A source told the newspaper: “Zelensky was always due to be in the UK this weekend and so a meeting with the King was pencilled in.

Another source said that while the monarch and Zelensky have a close friendship, all meetings between world leaders are organised and signed off by the Foreign Office and the Government. Currently, it is not known what Charles will discuss with the Ukrainian president during their meeting.

The war of words in the White House was met with a volley of supportive messages from European leaders. Starmer’s response to the clash came somewhat later than that of allies including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Downing Street signalled that Sir Keir, who has tried to position the UK as a bridge between Europe and the US, had sought to smooth over relations between Ukraine and the US by calling both leaders. A No 10 spokeswoman said the Prime Minister “retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine.”

The Prime Minister believes a deal will have to involve US military assets providing surveillance, intelligence and potentially warplanes giving air cover to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour. But hopes for unity between European nations and the US on Ukraine’s future have now been left in disarray.