Blog

Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse appeared on This Morning on Friday and showed off the scars on her legs from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Oti Mabuse left This Morning’s Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary gobsmacked during Friday’s programme.

On the recent episode, Strictly sensation and Dancing On Ice judge Oti, 34, appeared on the show to discuss her experience in the latest run of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The conversation quickly turned to the infamous Bushtucker Trials which put celebs through their paces to earn meals for the camp, often involving creepy crawlies and larger critters.

When Dermot, 51, enquired: “Do you get bitten at all by these things?”, Oti revealed the aftermath on her legs, exclaiming: “Look at my legs, look at my legs” as she presented them to both presenters.

Oti Mabuse left This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary stunned on Friday’s show ( 
Image:
ITV)

Alison was visibly shocked, asking: “Is that from all the ants?” to which Oti confirmed, explaining it was due to “all the ants, all the mosquitos!”

This revelation led a stunned Alison to say: “They’ve actually scarred you!”, with Oti responding: “They’ve actually scarred me!”, reports Plymouth Live.

Dermot further questioned: “Do they just go: ‘Don’t worry, that will heal!’” resulting in Oti quipping: “The Australians are like: ‘You deal with it, it’s fine, it’s normal, move on!’”

In another moment from the chat, Oti teared up as she watched back her emotional reunion with hubby Marius Iepure on the programme.

Oti had several deep and meaningful chats with her campmates during the show. During one episode, she opened up on the personal hardships she has faced, especially recently, after giving birth to her one-year-old daughter, who was born premature at just 28 weeks in November 2023.

Elsewhere during the interview, Oti broke down in tears as she re-watched the moment she was emotionally reunited with her husband ( 
Image:
ITV)
As for the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2024 finale, it aired on Sunday night, crowning McFly’s Danny Jones as the new King of the Jungle.

Oti is set to test her luck on the celebrity edition of Stephen Mulhern’s Deal or No Deal this weekend, marking her first TV appearance since exiting the jungle.

She will be joined on the show by her sister, Motsi Mabuse, who is also a well-known professional dancer and judge on Strictly Come Dancing.

Also part of the star-studded line-up are Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, Dancing On Ice icons Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, ice skater Sylvain Longchambon, and Bad Education actor Layton Williams.

This celebrity special is one of four episodes in the second season of the revamped game show, set to air on Sunday at 7pm on both ITV1 and ITVX.

This Morning presenter Alison Hammond was left in her element as she duetted with Jason Donovan during the latest episode of the ITV show, as she will soon be taking a break from the show

Alison Hammond delivered a surprise performance on This Morning, singing alongside Jason Donovan in an unexpected twist.

The latest instalment saw hosts Alison and Dermot O’Leary chatting with Aussie legend Jason, 56, during which Alison confessed her wish to sing with him.

Fans of the show watched in delight as Alison’s wish became reality, performing a pre-recorded duet of Especially For You with Jason a moment she had fantasized about in a playful lead-up featuring Kylie Minogue’s voiceover.

Taking to Twitter, now X, viewers were left divided over the duet as they shared their thoughts online, reports OK!

( 
Image:
ITV)

One person said: “Very good Alison with your beautiful Brummie accent Xx #thismorning”, a different account wrote: “Alison living her best life #ThisMorning”, another show watcher said: “I love it!!! #thismorning!” while a different account added: “Aww I loved that. Alison actually living my 13yr old self’s dream. Jason Donovan will always have a piece of my heart. #ThisMorning @AlisonHammond @JDonOfficial.”

However, others were left confused as to what was happening as one person said: “What is happening on #thismorning” with laughing emojis, a different account wrote: “Please make it stop #ThisMorning” while another added: “Didn’t expect this to happen.. #thismorning.”

Elsewhere, at the end of the show, Alison announced she would be taking a break from This Morning hosting duties over Christmas.

The presenter will be returning to Panto for a second year to play the Magical Mermaid in the high-flying panto adventure, Peter Pan, at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Alison’s dreams came true as she sung legendary track Especially For You with Jason, which had been pre-recorded ( 
Image:
ITV)
As the show ended, Dermot, 51, said: “Alright, this one is off to Panto! So on Monday I’ll be back with Josie, we’re going to go behind-the-scenes on the new Wallace & Gromit!” to which Alison declared: “See you in January, happy Christmas, I love you” as she hugged Dermot.

It comes as Alison said about her upcoming Panto performance: “Birmingham… I’m back! I’m SO excited to return to the Hippodrome this Christmas in Peter Pan as the Magical Mermaid alongside the hilarious Matt Slack.

“I loved every second of Jack and the Beanstalk last year, we had so much fun, but it went by so fast that I had to come back for another. Birmingham is home to the best audiences, and I can’t wait to see them all in Neverland soon!”

This Morning host Alison Hammond presented alongside co-host Dermot O’Leary on Friday and made an announcement to viewers

Alison Hammond is taking a break from hosting ITV’s This Morning as she takes on another role. The popular presenter made the announcement at the end of Friday’s show.

Alison was hosting alongside Dermot O’Leary and as they drew the programme to a close Dermot told viewers that Alison was “off to panto!” as she replied: “See you in January. Happy Christmas.”

And then turning to Dermot she said: “I love you!” and gave him a big hug as the credits rolled. Alison is going to be appearing in panto in her home city when she stars alongside Danny Mac in Peter Pan at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

While Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard usually host the show from Monday to Thursday it appears they are now on their Christmas break as Dermot also shared that he’ll be back on screen on Monday, December 16 and alongside him will be Josie Gibson, who’s been missing from the sofa for some time.

Alison Hammond has announced a break from This Morning ( 
Image:
ITV)

Dermot said: “Monday I’ll be back with Josie and we’ll be going behind the scenes on the new Wallace and Grommit.”

It comes after viewers of This Morning were left questioning why Josie was “missing” from the This Morning presenting line up in recent months.

But it seems that other work commitments have been keeping her away from the ITV sofa. In a conversation with the Express last September, Josie revealed she’d be away from the programme for a stint due to an independent venture on Channel 5, where she will immerse in the high life of luxury travel.

Josie Gibson is making a return to This Morning ( 
Image:
ITV)

She reassured that despite this temporary break, there’s substantial work ahead, and asserted her continued bond with This Morning.

Josie expressed her gratitude to This Morning, saying: “I’m very grateful for This Morning and everything they’ve helped me with because they grew me as a presenter.”

Loose Women abruptly came to an end on Friday as it was pulled off air 30 minutes early to which host Kaye Adams made a show announcement over the schedule shake-up

Loose Women abruptly came to an end on Friday as it was pulled off air 30 minutes early.

During the latest instalment, instead of finishing at its usual time of 1:30pm, the ITV chat show instead ended at 12:55pm.

Marking the schedule shake-up, host Kaye Adams said: “Hardly any time today because of the racing, we’ve got a great line-up next week though!” as she revealed Reverend Richard Coles and GK Barry would be on the show following their time on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Friday’s TV schedule shake-up sees Loose Women finish early followed by ITV Lunchtime News at 1pm, ITV News at 1:20pm and then ITV Racing: Live From Cheltenham at 1:30pm until 4pm, where Deal Or No Deal then takes over.

Loose Women abruptly came to an end on Friday as it was pulled off air 30 minutes early ( 
Image:
ITV)

It comes as Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan revealed she’s ‘booking a day of crying’ on Thursday’s show.

During the instalment, the panellists were discussing the topic ‘where do you go to cry’ when Coleen, 59, admitted she typically holds her emotions in but was planning a day to cry.

It comes as Coleen recently split with her partner of three years as she embraces single life on her new farm.

Talking to her fellow panellists on Thursday’s show about allowing yourself to cry, Coleen said: “I’m terrible for it, I hold it in and it will be a moment that I’m not expecting it and it won’t be over anything that I thought I was going to cry about.

“It’ll be something like I dropped a cup on the floor and all of a sudden it will just come and I’ll think: ‘I’m not even bothered about the cup!’”

She added: “I’m booking a day of crying, I’ve told my children, it’s in the diary, they’re getting locked out. Go wherever you want, I’m going to lock my front door and I’m just going to cry all day.”

It comes as Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan revealed she’s ‘booking a day of crying’ on Thursday’s show
Coleen continued: “I need [to do it], it is my own therapy, I know I need to do it as I’ve been holding a lot in. The thing with me, and my fear is, if I start I won’t stop as it’s not over one thing, it’s over everything I’ve ever held in.

“So it’ll be my sister being sick, it’ll be over losing Bernie, and then it will be over things that are happening now. It all then comes out and my problem is, I get to a point, whenever I do cry, I instantly try and stop myself crying as if I don’t stop myself, I’m not going to stop, then it wears me out, I’m so worn out by the end of it.

“If I’m going to do it, I know I need to be on my own so I don’t feel I have to stop because there’s people there and also then I’ve got the rest of the day to get over it.”

It comes as Coleen recently parted ways with Michael Jones, citing her busy lifestyle as the reason as she juggles work with settling into her new home.

Queen Camilla’s son has revealed his mum’s emotional Christmas plea after a “hell of a two years”.

In a matter of weeks, the Royal Family will be heading to Sandringham for their festive celebration with King Charles and Camilla set to host relatives, including the Prince and Princess of Wales along with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. And according to Tom Parker Bowles, the Queen’s oldest child, Camilla has requested that he and his family also join in with the royal gathering this year. In previous years, Camilla has spent Christmas Day with the royals without her children Tom and Laura and her grandchildren.

However, according to Tom, although it is not ‘100 per cent’ confirmed, he does plan to take his family to Sandringham this year. He told The Telegraph that the invitation to go to Sandringham has always been there, but his mum specifically asked him to be there this year.

He explained: “My mum said ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time’. “It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it.”

Tom says that he usually spends Christmas relaxing with his ex-wife Sara Buys and their two children Lola and Freddie meaning a Sandringham Christmas would be very different, although he says he’s not quite sure what to expect. He added: “I genuinely know nothing about it. I know there’s turkey and sprouts and church. And I have to bring a suit and a dinner jacket.”

Christmas this year comes amid a year of health worries for the royals with the King still receiving his treatment for cancer and Camilla getting over the lingering effects of a bout of pneumonia.

Charles and Camilla at Sandringham last Christmas Day ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
In previous weeks, the King visited his Sandringham home to make sure it is ready to welcome the family to Norfolk for the festive holidays. Royal sources revealed how Charles had been touring the estate and main house, busy liaising with staff about Christmas plans.

A royal insider said: “The King is embracing the Christmas period already and really getting into the spirit. Staff who have seen him this week remarked how happy and healthy he was looking.” It is believed both the King and Queen have been enjoying spending time at the estate so much together that they are planning an extended festive break and will spend New Year’s Eve in Norfolk.

A source close to the King said: “His Majesty has taken great solace in being among nature and enjoying time outdoors throughout his cancer treatment. It’s something he believes has helped him incredibly throughout his ordeal. He is very much looking forward to spending quality time with as many of his close family as possible.”

There is nothing like a shared experience to bring two people even closer together. Without a doubt, King Charles and the Princess of Wales will have found strength in each other as they confront their own respective health battles.

That bond has never been more in evidence than at Trooping the Colour in mid-June. In a break with protocol, King Charles arranged for his “darling daughter-in-law” to stand next to him as the family gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to the crowds. Their closeness was clear to see as Kate whispered something to Charles, making him laugh before the National Anthem was played.

Last year, Charles stood next to his son William, the Prince of Wales. The change of order was viewed as a mark of respect for Kate and an acknowledgment that she had chosen his official birthday to return to the public eye.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold exclusively told OK!, “It is changing protocol to show the King and Kate united with each other and going through similar battles, so I would say this is down to the King’s preference. The balcony [line-up] is orchestrated, so I have a feeling the King said to Kate, ‘You stand next to me.’”

The timing of the pair’s illnesses has been eerily similar. In January, both Kate and Charles were treated in the same hospital, the London Clinic, at the same time and were able to offer reassurance to one another in the early stages of their treatment. Then, the announcement of their cancer diagnoses came just a month apart, Charles’ in February and Kate’s in March.

After Kate’s public video message on 22 March, in which she revealed her diagnosis to the world, the King released a statement saying that he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did”. It added that the King was in “the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law” and that both he and Queen Camilla “continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time”.

It was a remarkable public expression of their private fondness, with royal expert Hugo Vickers telling us he would not be surprised if there hadn’t been “a lot of plodding along the hospital corridor to see each other”.

Kate and Charles have been leaning on each other amid their respective cancer diagnoses ( 
Image:
WireImage)
Kate’s closeness to Charles has long been recognised in the royal family, and she has even been overheard calling him “Grandpa”. The strength of that relationship is due to the fact that in the early stages of William and Kate’s relationship, Charles made a special effort to bring his son’s girlfriend into the family fold.

The princess has described her father-in-law as being “very, very welcoming, very friendly”. In 2004, she was invited to Charles’ 56th birthday party at Highgrove. There were also invitations to several family ski trips to Klosters – where Kate and William were first pictured together – and in 2008, the fact Kate was included on another ski trip showed that she was truly back in the fold after her brief split from William.

Royal expert and author Duncan Larcombe says, “Charles and Camilla adore Kate, and I think they have from the very beginning. One of the very early signs of that was the fact that William got permission for Kate to come on Charles’ ski trip with the family in 2004 and 2005. Charles wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t approve of her then.

Charles said at William and Kate’s wedding that the family were “lucky to have her” ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
“That was the start of this bond between Charles and Kate. He’ll be absolutely over the moon with how she’s grown into the role, how she’s made it her own and how the public have warmed to her.”

In her book Kate: The Future Queen, royal author and biographer Katie Nicholl writes, “William’s father was very fond of Kate and already saw her as a future daughter-in-law.”

Charles backed this up in practical ways, too, allowing Kate to use his lawyers Harbottle & Lewis when she was besieged by paparazzi in the London years. He also offered up his house, Highgrove, as a bolthole for the young couple so they could spend time together privately – perhaps mindful of how much scrutiny the late Diana, Princess of Wales, had come under in the early stages of their relationship.

In Katie’s book, a senior member of Charles’ household is quoted as saying, “Charles was like any other father: he was very kind and hospitable towards Kate from the beginning. He was delighted William had found such a lovely girlfriend, and she was made to feel at home.”

Unlike Diana, the young Kate took to country pursuits like deer stalking and shooting immediately. In 2007, Kate and Charles were pictured, without William, in what appeared to be a lesson in the art of the sport.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with senior royals remains achingly fraught, but one bond has stayed strong throughout.

Harry and his cousin Eugenie – the younger daughter of Prince Andrew – have always shared a close relationship and even throughout the last few difficult years, which has seen much strife between Harry and his brother Prince William, and father King Charles, it’s stayed solid.

Eugenie has visited Harry in the US, and recently Harry and Meghan are reported to have purchased a home in Portugal – their first European home since the couple were evicted from Frogmore Cottage – where Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank also own a place.

However, recent reports have claimed that despite her strong relationship with her cousin Harry, Eugenie has begun to find the strained and icy relationship between the Sussexes and some of the other senior royals “tiresome” and has at times acted as a go-between of sorts between her uncle King Charles and Harry.

“Eugenie is in a difficult position because she’s always been close to Harry, but she is mindful of how that relationship could affect her standing with the rest of her family. She is always trying to manage a difficult balancing act, which can become quite tiresome at times,” an unnamed source explained to The Express, who also claimed that Meghan and Harry have invited Eugenie, Jack, and their two children – August, three, and Ernest, one – to spend the festive season in California with them.

The source claimed that while the invite to spend Christmas in Montecito was welcomed, it was not the only royal invitation Eugenie received this year. “Harry and Meghan have invited Eugenie and Jack to join them in California during the holidays. It’s a very difficult position for Eugenie because she has also been invited to Sandringham,” the source explained.

Every year the monarch hosts many of the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas, a tradition that has been going on for decades – and sees the House of Windsor conduct a walkabout and chat with the public on their way to the annual Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

This isn’t the first time that Eugenie is reported to have found herself in the middle of Harry’s icy relationship with his father and brother, with a source expressing similar sentiments to back in October.

Royal expert Jennie Bond – the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years – said to OK! that she believed Charles was likely “grateful” to be able to get updates on his youngest son from Eugenie. ” Eugenie undoubtedly does have something of a challenge on her hands to maintain good relationships with both Harry and Meghan—and the rest of the royal family,” the expert said. “But I think the king is probably happy that Harry still has at least one royal cousin he clearly trusts, and presumably wants to see more of.

“However, I think it’s a positive thing that Charles does have someone he can quietly ask about Harry‘s well-being, if he is so inclined. And Harry can presumably gauge the mood of the family via Eugenie,” Bond added. “Any reconciliation—which at this stage still seems unlikely—has to start somewhere and with someone. And that person could possibly be Eugenie.”

Prince Harry didn’t hold back in shutting down rumours about his marriage to Meghan Markle, but his remarks reveal some hidden personal struggles according to one expert.

The duke laughed as he brushed off the claims in a recent sit-down interview with the New York Times, and addressed the fact that he and Meghan have been attending work engagements solo more often recently.

He didn’t hesitate in his response, joking that claims about the couple moving house come up as often as those that they are heading for a divorce. “Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?” Harry joked to Andrew Ross Sorkin, the columnist hosting the event.

Despite finally addressing the rumours about his marriage head on, a royal expert has claimed out the comments did reveal something of the “inner turmoil” that Harry suffers from. “[Harry] said that all the pundits must be very disappointed, and he felt sorry for them that none of these things actually happened,” royal author Hugo Vickers told The Sun.

“What else can he say? He must be roundly fed up with all the kind of speculation that’s been going on over his whole life, ever since he was a little boy, so in that respect, I sympathise with him.”

The royal author added that Meghan and Harry working separately likely does not indicate any marital woes, and instead is probably part of a larger strategy for their careers going forward, in which they both are able to play to their personal strengths.

“They’re always playing to their particular skills. They’re also always having to reinvent themselves. They’re always having to try and keep focused in the public eye,” he added.

The expert’s comments reflect many things that Harry has said over the years, about the massive amount of scrutiny his personal life has generated given his royal position. In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote extensively about how the “role” carved out for him in the public imagination brought him a lot of mental distress, especially when he was younger.

“I’d been cast in my role in the Rolling Royal Melodrama. Long before I was old enough to drink a beer (legally) it became dogma. Harry? Yeah, he’s the naughty one. Naughty became the tide I swam against, the headwind I flew against, the daily expectation I could never hope to shake,” Harry wrote in one moving passage.

“I didn’t want to be naughty […] but every sin, every misstep, every setback triggered the same tired label, and the same public condemnations, and thereby reinforced the conventional wisdom that I was innately naughty.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales both received top-tier educations, attending the UK’s finest institutions. Their children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—are also enjoying a privileged start at Lambrook Prep School in Berkshire.

William was schooled first at Wetherby Prep, then Ludgrove School, and ultimately Eton College from 1995-2000. Kate enjoyed her education journey through St Andrew’s School and two exclusive private schools. Though unconfirmed, expectations are that Prince George and Prince Louis will carry on to Eton at age 13. But as for Princess Charlotte, questions linger about whether she’ll attend her mother’s alma mater in Wiltshire.

The Princess of Wales was educated at Marlborough ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Kate first went to Downe House School in Berkshire before transferring to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where by all accounts she blossomed and became exceedingly popular among her peers. A school friend disclosed to the Daily Mail about Kate’s early struggles, saying: “Apparently she had been bullied very badly and she certainly looked thin and pale. She had very little confidence.”

Marlborough college, which charges students £39,930 a year, is widely regarded as one of the UK’s top boarding schools, boasting state-of-the-art sports facilities and grounds. The prestigious school has produced many notable alumni, including Princess Eugenie, comedian Jack Whitehall, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter and actress Emerald Fennell, who portrayed Queen Camilla in seasons three and four of Netflix’s The Crown, reports OK!

Prince William would go and have tea with the Queen at Windsor during his school days at Eton ( 
Image:
Getty)

The Princess also had an impressive education ( 
Image:
PA)

If the Prince and Princess of Wales decide not to educate all their children at Marlborough, it’s possible that Prince George and Prince Louis could follow in their father’s footsteps and attend Eton College. This speculation is fuelled by the fact that Prince George was seen touring the renowned school with his parents last year.

Eton, established by King Henry VI in 1440, charges a hefty £48,501 a year and boasts royal alumni such as Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince William of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, as well as Samuel and Arthur Chatto. Known for its incredible facilities, Eton offers everything a student could possibly want, including approximately 40 football/rugby pitches, a 2km rowing lake, 19 cricket pitches, and 50 tennis courts.

Should the two princes attend Eton and the couple wish to keep their three children close to their Windsor home, Princess Charlotte might potentially go to St Mary’s School in Ascot. This is the same school where Prince William’s cousin, Lady Louise Windsor, studied before heading off to the University of St Andrews.

The Royal Family’s Christmas celebration is always a big affair – and it seems this year, King Charles will be hosting the biggest gathering in years.

The past 12 months have been a tumultuous time for the Firm and will mark the first time the royals have come together en-masse after the King and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer within days of each other.

Earlier this week, Prince William hinted at just how big the festivities are shaping up to be telling guests at a party he will be celebrating the big day with around 45 relatives. Last month, the King travelled to Sandringham, where the royals traditionally celebrate the big day, to see how his Norfolk home is being prepared for the big day.

William, Kate and their children at Sandringham last Christmas ( 
Image:
Samir Hussein/WireImage)
A royal insider said at the time: “The King is embracing the Christmas period already and really getting into the spirit. Staff who have seen him this week remarked how happy and healthy he was looking.”

However, two royals who are not expected at the big bash are the King’s estranged son Prince Harry, wife Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It was revealed earlier this month that they will not be returning to the UK for Christmas as they have not received an invite for this year’s get-together at Sandringham, according to a source close to the couple. But who is expected to be there on the big day? Here we take a look…

Prince Andrew and Fergie walk to church on Christmas Day last year ( 
Image:
Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
Of course, the two main guests will be the King, who is hosting his third Christmas at Sandringham since taking the throne, and Queen Camilla. Joining them will be the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Royal sources previously told the Mirror how the King is ‘delighted’ to have William and Kate and their three confirmed for Christmas.

Also expected are Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and their two children Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, the Earl of Wessex, who turns 17 next week. The King’s trusted lieutenant Princess Anne is expected along with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. Meanwhile, the King’s embattled brother Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Fergie are expected with sources suggesting the King has underlined his commitment to having the family united, especially over the Christmas period.