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The BBC has axed this year’s MasterChef Christmas special in light of the ongoing investigation into allegations against host Gregg Wallace

Two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials have been pulled from the BBC ’s schedule after Gregg Wallace stepped away from hosting the cooking show, a BBC spokesperson has said.

It comes after the presenter, 60, issued a controversial video statement at the weekend in which he hit out at a handful of “middle-class women of a certain age” over complaints made against him. He has since apologised for his remarks.

The broadcaster previously announced a Celebrity MasterChef Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza as part of its festive schedule, both billed as hour-long programmes for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the chefs taking part and the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals is continuing as planned. The celebrity Christmas specials are obviously a different type of show and in the current circumstances we have decided not to broadcast them.”

It has also been confirmed that three episodes of BBC Two’s Inside the Factory, which are repeats, have been taken out of the schedule.

Two Celebrity MasterChef Christmas special episodes have been axed ( 
Image:
BBC/Shine TV)
Wallace, 60, apologised on Monday for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, adding he will now “take some time out”.

He faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News on Thursday, with many others since sharing their experiences.

Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off, hosted by Wallace and John Torode, was to see celebrities competing for the glittery Golden Whisk Trophy. Emmerdale actor Amy Walsh, comedian Shazia Mirza, reality star Luca Bish, and The Wanted singer Max George, who all appeared on Celebrity MasterChef last year, were set to feature.

The BBC previously announced the Strictly Come Dancing-themed special would involve appearances from professional dancers Amy Dowden, Gorka Marquez, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.

Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse was billed as a mystery guest on the show, with the dancers tasked with creating a two-course menu that would impress the judges.

A BBC series of MasterChef: The Professionals has remained on air since it was announced Wallace would step down amid the external review by Banijay UK, with episodes airing on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Monday, when asked if the cookery show should be pulled off air, that the decision was for the BBC and the show’s production company and reiterated that Downing Street believes it is “right” that a thorough investigation is conducted.

Wallace’s lawyers were previously quoted by BBC News as saying “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.

Fans of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! were shocked when N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos failed to appear on spin-off show Unpacked after erasing all trace of her time on the series on social media

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! fans are worried about Tulisa Contostavlos as she failed to show up on spin-off show Unpakced.

The N-Dubz icon, 36, was something of a fan favourite while appearing as a contestant on the long-running ITV reality show’s 2024 season. On Monday night, viewers were sad to see her bid farewell to the camp as she was voted off the show.

However, fans were alarmed to learn she would not appear on Tuesday night’s instalment of spin-off series Unpacked on Tuesday night. The abrupt news came just hours after the singer erased all evidence she had been on I’m A Celeb from her social media accounts – and reports suggested she had been left “raging” over her time on the show.

Fans were confused to see her seemingly turn on the show after she had been filmed having a great time in the jungle. Viewers watched her bond with her fellow contestants, excel at trials, and win praise for her warm and nurturing nature.

Joel Dommett confirmed the N-Dubz icon would not appear on the show on Tuesday ( 
Image:
ITV)

But the singer has seemingly turned her back on her jungle experience – and fans grew more worried when Unpacked host Joel Dommett revealed she would not be on the spin-off show on Tuesday night. Addressing the cameras, Joel revealed: “Unfortunately we don’t have Tulisa on the show today.” A show source told the Mirror her absence was due to “personal reasons”.

His comments sparked a frenzy of speculation on social media – with many questioning where the N-Dubz icon was. One wrote on X: “Where’s Tulisa? Exclusive interview elsewhere? #ImaCeleb #unpacked.” And others questioned if there was a link between her absence and the sudden erasure of all the I’m A Celeb related posts that had been added to her Instagram page by her team while she was in the jungle.

One fan wrote: “Tulisa removed everything off her instagram to due with the show and now a no show for unpacked…something has pissed her off! #imaceleb.” And another asked: “Oh, what’ s up with Tulisa I wonder?*” #ImACeleb.” While a further viewer wrote: “Is Tulisa having a strop? Going on this show is a publicity move.. don’t f*ck it up. #ImACelebity #ImaCeleb.”

Tulisa reportedly doesn’t follow boxer Barry McGuigan, who is the only campmate she doesn’t have on social media. “Tulisa was in high spirits when she left the set, but something appears to have happened that’s left her raging,” a source told the Sun. “She wasn’t in a great mood for her post-show interviews and appears to be already distancing herself from the programme. It’s all a bit of a mystery at the moment.”

During her exit interview on Monday, Tulisa said: “You’re just going to be more grateful for everything. The food you eat, the people that you love… you don’t realise how good you’ve got it.” She also said it was “testing” in there, but she stayed true to herself. She appeared on ITV’s Lorraine on Tuesday morning, where she shared more details of her time in the I’m A Celebrity jungle as she hinted that not all of her famous friends were being as authentic as she had been.

Gregg Wallace stepped down from MasterChef this week amid the ongoing controversy around allegations of alleged inappropriate behaviour on the BBC show

Gregg Wallace has presented MasterChef since 2005, but he wasn’t the BBC’s only choice for the role.

Before the former greengrocer, 60, who has stepped down from the show amid the ongoing controversy around allegations of inappropriate behaviour, became a household name on MasterChef, presenter Giles Coren was also up for the job.

Giles, who has presented BBC’s Amazing Hotels with MasterChef star, Monica Galetti, was called into do a screen test for the series back in 2004 alongside John Torode, who had already got the gig.

Admitting he didn’t really want to present that “c**p old show from the nineties” believing “it will never work”, Giles went along to audition anyway. However, after claiming he had zero chemistry with John, who he claimed “would stare blankly” while Giles delivered “pristine culinary witticism like something out of Oscar Wilde”, he was called a taxi home.

Giles Coren was up for Gregg Wallace’s role on MasterChef ( 
Image:
PA Archive)

But then he saw Gregg on his way out, telling The Times: “When I was done, they called me a cab and as I sat waiting, a bald bloke with a very loud voice went through into the “studio”, shouting and laughing as he went. “Who’s that?” I asked. “That’s your competition,” they said. “He’s a greengrocer. Different sort of vibe.”

Giles continued: “The rest, of course, is … well, 20 years of melodramatically raised voices, fake jeopardy, irrelevant cooking and now poor old decent, baffled, wildly out-of-context Gregg hung out to dry by the BBC for being nothing more nor less than exactly what they were looking for. They didn’t want Oscar Wilde for John Torode’s foil in 2004, they wanted a greengrocer. And they got a greengrocer.”

MasterChef fans have called for the show to be taken off air amid the recent controversy surrounding Gregg. The dad-of-three has been accused of making “inappropriate sexual jokes” amongst other behavioural complaints. However, the presenter’s lawyer says: “It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.

On Monday, the Peckham native apologised for his remarks suggesting complaints about his conduct came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”. Taking to Instagram, he said: “I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.

“I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it, I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it. It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out, now while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology.”

The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment on this story.

In Sir Elton John’s upcoming Disney+ film, Elton John: Never Too Late, the iconic singer made a heartbreaking claim which left husband David Furnish feeling upset

Iconic singer Sir Elton John told fans he has “lost his eyesight” in a rare health admission – but another revelation left his husband David Furnish really upset.

The Rocket Man singer, 77, was led away from the stage by David after attending a production of The Devil Wears Prada on London’s West End on Sunday. And he opened up about contracting an infection which left him feeling “stuck.”

However, in his upcoming Disney+ film Elton John: Never Too Late, Sir Elton is said to have made a heartbreaking confession. The singer, who shares Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11, with film producer, David 62, let cameras follow him to capture his final three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

David, Sir Elton and their kids in 2015 ( 
Image:
Getty Images for EJAF)
In one scene, as according to Radio Times, the star tells how he will be cutting back his workload so he can “dedicate more time to my children”. But, in an emotional moment, Sir Elton said on the documentary: “I want to see our children get married, but I don’t think I’m going to be around for that.”

David was emotional in his response as he said: “That really upset me, because in my mind I sort of think Elton is going to live for ever – we all think that – and Elton is so vibrant that it’s an easy thing to believe, but it forces you to confront that reality.”

In London on Sunday, the singer told fans: “I’ve lost my eyesight and cannot see the stage.” He went on to say: “As some of you may know I have had issues and now I have lost my sight. I haven’t been able to see the performance but I have enjoyed it.”

He went on: “To my husband who’s been my rock because I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews… it’s hard for me to see it but I love to hear it and it sounded good tonight OK. Thank you for coming!” Sources have told the Mirror that Sir Elton made sure to stay around and meet the cast and crew of the show following the performance.

After confirming earlier in the year that the infection had stalled his career, Sir Elton added: “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything, and well, I just have to get off my backside. I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see, and my left eye is not the greatest.

“So there’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK, but it’s… I’m kind of stuck at the moment, because I can do something like this (an interview), but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know, because I can’t see a lyric for a start.”

Sir Elton John’s friend Janet Street Porter has given an update on her friend after he admitted recently that he was struggling with his vision

Sir Elton John was attending a production of The Devil Wears Prada on London’s West End, alongside his husband David Furnish, when, during a speech following the production, he admitted to the audience: “I’ve lost my eyesight and cannot see the stage.”

The eye infection caused him to lose the eyesight in his right eye, and he also admitted his left eye is not good either, confessing he felt “stuck” at the moment. Now Janet Street-Porter has opened up on Loose Women about Elton’s health.

Speaking on the show, Janet said: “It’s very tough. He’s been on the phone about it, he’s called me. I think it really affected him because he suffers from glaucoma and he had one eye that was OK and another eye which is a weak eye.

Sir Elton John with friends at The Devil Wears Prada musical ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for The)
“I think the virus got him in the good eye so I think its left him with very very poor vision. It’s impossible for him to read, and it’s very very difficult. It’s made him feel very isolated and he’s a very proud person.”

Admitting Elton wouldn’t have wanted to share the diagnosis, she added: “He would not have wanted to share that because he wouldn’t want people to pity him. He doesn’t want our sympathy, it’s a battle he’s got to fight himself. Nothing we can do for him but send him our love and support. When he started telling me about it, I could see how distressed he was and it really got to me.

“The reason partly is because I’ve got glaucoma in my right eye and very very poor sight in my right eye. I could see what had happened to him and the way he sought all these different remedies and nothing has worked so far, but he’s still optimistic.”

Elton spoke on stage over the weekend ( 
Image:
tiktok.com/@aeronjamesuk)

The musician explained how he felt ‘stuck’ ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for The)
Over the weekend, Elton explained about his eye condition and how it had affected his life and work.

He told theatregoers: “I’ve lost my eyesight and cannot see the stage. As some of you may know I have had issues and now I have lost my sight. I haven’t been able to see the performance but I have enjoyed it. To my husband who’s been my rock because I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews… it’s hard for me to see it but I love to hear it and it sounded good tonight OK.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done anything, and well, I just have to get off my backside. I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see, and my left eye is not the greatest. So there’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK, but it’s… I’m kind of stuck at the moment, because I can do something like this (an interview), but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know, because I can’t see a lyric for a start.”

The designer, who dressed the late Princess of Wales for her one and only Met appearance, spoke about her Dior look in the new series ‘In Vogue: The 90s’

Princess Diana at the Met Gala in New York City in December 1996. Photo: Anwar Hussein/Getty

Princess Diana had a specific vision for her Met Gala dress in 1996.

In the new Hulu docuseries In Vogue: The 90s, fashion designer John Galliano spoke about the parameters that the late Princess of Wales had when it came time to design her dress for what would become her one and only Met appearance. Galliano was then creative director at Dior and spoke about the magic of being tapped to create a bespoke look for the princess.

“I remember one day we all jumped into this old van, and we went to London, where we met Princess Diana. She’d been invited to the Met, and she would wear one of my dresses,” Galliano said in the first volume of the documentary, which premiered on Sept. 13.

Former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful described the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual benefit as the “most influential red carpet in the world,” raising the stakes for Princess Diana’s fashion statement at the party. Diana made her debut at the Met Gala in New York City in December 1996 with her friend and former Harper’s Bazaar editor Liz Tilberis, and Princess Diana attended just a few months after her divorce was finalized from the future King Charles.

Princess Diana at the Met Gala in New York City in December 1996. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
The Most Controversial Met Gala Looks of All Time, from Kim Kardashian and Rihanna to Princess Diana

“It was like a blessing. I mean like, wow,” Galliano said in the series. “We went to Kensington Palace and discussed drawings. I was trying to push for pink, but she was not having it. ‘No, not the pink!’ That was real, real fun.”

“So we did the dress and subsequent fittings, and it was beautifully done,” he said of the “correct” construction. “Fast-forward to the event, and I just remember her getting out of the car,” Galliano said — and gasped. “I couldn’t believe it. She’d ripped the corset out.”

“She didn’t want to wear the corset,” he said about the fashion-forward move, in true Diana style. “She felt so liberated. She’d torn the corset out. The dress was much more… sensuous,” he emphasized, recalling her electric ascent up the Met steps.

(From left) John Galliano, Liz Tilberis, Princess Diana, Helene Arnault and Bernard Arnault at the Met Gala in New York City in December 1996.Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty

Princess Diana’s Most Glamorous Looks of All Time

“I mean, wow! Diana was my first couture client,” Galliano said.

The British designer was one of couture’s most influential visionaries through the 1990s and early 2000s, before he upended his career in 2011 following a string of antisemitic and racist incidents. He was fired from Dior as creative director, stepped back from fashion and returned to design for Maison Margiela, holding the post since 2014.

Much has been made of Princess Diana’s fashion splash at the Met Gala in 1996, where she wore a boudoir-like navy silk slip dress with black lace trim from Galliano’s debut couture collection as the creative director of Dior. She completed the look with a matching silk robe-like topper (which she later removed), a statement pearl-and-sapphire choker necklace and the mini navy quilted Dior bag that the label renamed the Lady Dior in her honor.

The late Princess of Wales was known as Lady Diana Spencer before she married the future King in 1981, and the handheld bag became one of her go-to purses.

Princess Diana at the Met Gala in New York City in December 1996.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images

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During the 1990s, Diana began to experiment more with her style, sporting shorter hemlines and sexier silhouettes. The 1996 Met Gala would ultimately prove to be her only appearance at the event, as she died following a car crash in Paris in August 1997. The late Princess of Wales is remembered as a style icon, and her daughters-in-law Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle continue to take style cues from her today.

“I think all of us were so captivated and fascinated by Princess Diana,” Vogue editor Anna Wintour said in the new docuseries. “At that time, she was the most famous woman in the world. She was enjoying fashion and the spotlight that she put on particularly British designers.”

In Vogue: The ’90s Volume I debuted on Hulu on Sept. 13, and Volume II premieres on Sept. 20.

Diana’s former hairdresser Richard Dalton tells PEOPLE about the royal’s improvised headband

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world’s most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

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Princess Diana in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 31, 1985. Photo: Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Princess Diana remains renowned for her iconic sense of style — which sometimes meant getting inventive on the fly.

The late Princess of Wales made a fashion splash when she wore an emerald-and-diamond choker necklace as a headband in Australia with the future King Charles in 1985, and her former hairdresser Richard Dalton is sharing why — along with the fashion hack that made it happen!

“I think she had sunburn on her neck so we said, ‘Let’s make a headband of it,’ ” Dalton recalled at the Styling Princess Diana panel at Fotografiska New York on May 21, celebrating PEOPLE’s 50th anniversary.

“I asked Evelyn, her dresser, for six inches of knicker elastic, [the kind used by] grannies,” he added with a laugh about how he transformed the dazzling accessory into a headpiece. In 2022, Kate Middleton brought the choker out of the royal vault and wore it for the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston.

Princess Diana’s Most Glamorous Looks of All Time

Dalton first met Princess Diana, then Lady Diana Spencer, when she was 17. He went on to style her hair for more than a decade, including royal tours around the world.

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“My favorite [hairstyle] would be Thailand,” he said at Fotografiska, recalling the floral look from 1988. “[She wore a] purple and shocking pink dress and I said, ‘Why don’t we do orchids?’ I went into the hotel, stealing flowers for the princess. This was my favorite. She loved it.”

Princess Diana at a dinner in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 4, 1988.Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

Dalton is set to publish a new book titled It’s All About the Hair — My Decade with Diana, with The Princess Diana Museum founder Renae Plant, and cited the surprising impact of Diana’s tresses.

“We decided whatever charity she was representing, the hair would sometimes take away from what she was doing,” Dalton recalled. “[In] Saudi Arabia, she wanted it short. We would cut it every day about a quarter of an inch,” he said. “[After] eight weeks, nobody noticed!”

Princess Diana in Saudi Arabia during an official visit in November 1986.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Every Time Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Have Worn Princess Diana’s Jewelry

The choker that Princess Diana memorably wore on her head to the gala dinner in Melbourne was paired with a cerulean one-shoulder gown by her wedding dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel, who also spoke at the Styling Princess Diana panel.

During the conversation, moderated by PEOPLE’s Senior Royals Editor Erin Hill, Emanuel said the assignment of a lifetime was Diana’s 1981 wedding day.

“The aim was to make a fairytale princess dress,” said Emanuel, who famously created the voluminous ivory ball gown with 25-foot train with her former husband David — along with a secret backup dress the bride never knew about.

“We were students, we loved drama, we had free rein, nobody told us what to do, and I think that was the fun of it. That was why the dress was so special,” Emanuel explained. “There was an innocence about her and us.”

Elizabeth Emanuel (left) and Princess Diana (right) coordinating outfits for a royal tour in 1986.Tim Graham/Getty Images

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Diana worked with the Emanuels both before and after her wedding day, from a “grown up” black ballgown in 1980 to looks like the cerulean dress in Australia and more.

“No feedback from the palace, nothing, no protocol,” Elizabeth said of the creative freedom they had in dressing the princess. “I don’t think they expected such a reaction, I think they underestimated the effect of Diana.”

Victoria Beckham was left in “disbelief” and “fury” after her husband David Beckham made a candid admission about their marriage in 2018, according to a new book

(Image: Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham was reportedly left seething after her husband David made a surprising revelation about their marriage in a new explosive book. The ex-footballer admitted that their marriage was “hard work” during an interview with Australian TV show The Sunday Project back in 2018.

In his new book, The House of Beckham, author Tom Bower alleges that Posh Spice’s publicist leaked a story to a journalist about how she was left fuming following Becks’ interview. Bower wrote that the Spice Girls star hadn’t been warned about the chat and was instead in “disbelief” as she watched the interview on her mobile.

He added: “It was like a nuclear bomb had gone off.” Bower also claimed that Victoria accused her husband of becoming “the enemy of her ambition”. Following David’s shocking interview, she reportedly checked into a Baden-Baden spa hotel for two days to regain her “emotional balance”.

Read moreInside Kerry Katona’s new ‘downsized’ home as she ‘gets mortgage after 15 years’

In the tell-all, Bower also claims David admitted he has “grown to ignore some of the negative stuff” that is said about him and Victoria, reports the Daily Record.

He remarked: “But to be married for the amount of time that we have, it’s always hard work, everybody knows that but you make it work. You make difficult situations like travelling away, being away from each other, you make it work.”

In their Netflix documentary series, Beckham, the couple openly discussed the trials they faced in their marriage. Victoria emotionally confessed that they “were against each other” during the most challenging times, while David admitted: “I don’t know how we got through it.”

Birmingham City are going head-to-head against Wrexham in what has been billed as one of the biggest League One matches ever

David Beckham and Gary Neville

David Beckham is at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park for Birmingham City’s gigantic clash against Wrexham. Blues are looking to continue their unbeaten start to the League One campaign after a two-week break.

Chris Davies’ side drew their first game of the season against Reading, but have since won their last three matches to leave them in the division’s top-six. Due to a number of players on international duty, Birmingham’s fixture against Exeter – which was meant to take place last weekend – was postponed.

It means that Blues haven’t played a league game for 16 days, while opponents Wrexham played just nine days ago as they beat Shrewsbury 3-0. With Wrexham playing a game more, just three points split the teams going into the game and there was heightened excitement because of that and the fact both have American owners. Blues part-owner Tom Brady and Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney are at the match.

And another of the high-profile names in attendance is Beckham, who has been invited by ownership group Knighthead for the fixture. Beckham and Brady are both in business together. Romeo Beckham, son of David, is also present – as is former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

Neville has a huge affiliation with the EFL, as he is a co-owner of League Two side Salford City. Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are also involved in the Ammies. Neville’s Salford were beaten 2-1 by Wrexham in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy last Tuesday.

As for the game itself, Wrexham took the lead inside the opening couple of minutes through Jack Marriott. The former Derby and Peterborough striker slotted home via a deflection after a corner was half-cleared.

It didn’t take Birmingham long to equalise, however, as Jay Stansfield marked his second league debut with a goal. The 21-year-old pounced on an error from the Wrexham goalkeeper to fire home the leveller.

Meghan Markle’s strained relationship with her father has drawn significant media attention in recent years. The father-daughter pair have remained out of contact, with the Duchess of Sussex reportedly restricting her father’s access to his grandchildren due to their rift.

Meghan Markle, now a part of the British royal family through her marriage to Prince Harry, shares two children with him. While she maintains a close bond with her mother, Doria Ragland, her relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, took a different turn, resulting in a well-publicized estrangement.

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Meghan Markle on September 17, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Meghan Markle on September 17, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Meghan and her father used to have a warm relationship. In a 2021 interview, Thomas shared an emotional memory of his daughter’s birth in 1981, noting that he was the first to hold her. “I fell in love with her and I’d been that way for 40 years,” said the Pennsylvania native who has two older children from his first marriage.

Meghan also reflected on her childhood in an essay for Elle magazine and revealed her parents met in the late ’70s. Her father worked as a lighting director for a soap opera, while her mother was a temp at the studio.

Meghan Markle on the set of “Deal or No Deal,” 2006 | Source: Getty Images
Meghan Markle on the set of “Deal or No Deal,” 2006 | Source: Getty Images

After marrying in 1979, the couple moved to an affordable, tree-lined neighborhood in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. Despite the close-knit bond she shared with both parents in her early years, Meghan’s family life shifted when her parents divorced in 1987.

Meghan Markle attends the DPA pre-Emmy Gift Lounge on September 18, 2009, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images

As she grew up, the public figure pursued a career in acting, eventually crossing paths with Prince Harry in 2016. Yet, in the midst of her rising success and high-profile relationship, her father made a mistake by entertaining the media, which later contributed to the strain in their relationship.

Amid Meghan and Prince Harry’s engagement in 2017, Thomas faced health issues, including a heart attack just days before the wedding in May 2018. He shared that stress, partly due to his eldest daughter’s public remarks against Meghan, worsened his condition.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on November 27, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

After a brief stay at a hospital in Mexico, Thomas expressed concerns about his health, fearing he might suffer another heart attack. During that same period, news broke that he wouldn’t attend the wedding and his ill-health was partly the reason why.

Just ahead of the ceremony, Meghan announced in a statement from Kensington Palace, “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding.” As a result, Thomas missed the opportunity to walk his daughter down the aisle though he felt her mother was a good choice to do the honors.

Meghan Markle on her wedding day on May 19, 2018, in Windsor Castle. | Source: Getty Images

In his absence, then Prince Charles ultimately walked Meghan down the aisle. Reflecting on this, Thomas expressed his appreciation saying, “I certainly couldn’t have asked for a better replacement. Although, I would love to have done that.”

King Charles III walking Meghan Markle down the aisle in St. George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images

In addition to his health woes, the father of three missed the wedding following backlash over staged photos he sold to a photo agency. He explained that he hadn’t intended to harm Meghan or the Royal Family, but was frustrated with paparazzi who had repeatedly caught him in unflattering situations, often misrepresenting him.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving St George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images

Thomas divulged that he had declined high-paying interview offers since Meghan started dating the prince. He accepted a smaller fee from a photo agency, hoping the images would improve his public image. However, he later admitted the photos looked “stupid and hammy” and expressed regret over his decision.

Thomas’s secret collaboration with a British paparazzo for staged photos caused embarrassment for the Royal Family ahead of the wedding, especially after Prince Harry’s earlier pleas for media restraint.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their carriage procession on the Long Walk on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images

The situation was particularly upsetting for the Duke of Sussex, who had previously spoken out against paparazzi behavior, recalling how similar pursuits had led to his mother, Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997.

As such, during Thomas’s recovery in the hospital, the royal reached out, remarking, “If you’d listened to me, none of this would have happened.”

Prince Harry during his official visit to Denmark on October 26, 2017 | Source: Getty Images

Thomas reportedly ended the call abruptly—a decision he later came to regret, acknowledging that this moment marked the beginning of their rift.

Following the initial fallout, he confided to friends in July 2018 that he hadn’t spoken to Meghan or Prince Harry in a long time. He feared he might never see his daughter again.

Thomas Markle during an interview. | Source: YouTube/GoodMorningBritain

Heartbroken over their growing estrangement, he expressed a sense of finality, saying, “I think they’re shot of me now,” as he struggled to understand why he’d been excluded from Meghan’s life. Thomas later claimed he had been set up to disrupt the wedding, presenting himself as a victim in the situation.

Adding to the strain, Meghan had written him a personal letter, which was subsequently leaked by a media outlet. This breach of privacy led Meghan to pursue legal action against the outlet for sharing the contents of her private message.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a visit to Millennium Point on March 8, 2018, in Birmingham, England. | Source: Getty Images

Due to their ongoing rift, Meghan’s father has never met her two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, whom she welcomed in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

Thomas has since voiced his wish to see his grandchildren. He revealed in a 2023 interview that he first learned of Lilibet’s birth through media reports.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Archie Mountbatten-Windsor during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019, in Cape Town, South Africa. | Source: Getty Images

The distance between Meghan and her father only deepened after he suffered a stroke in May 2022, temporarily losing his ability to speak. Thomas shared that neither Meghan nor Prince Harry had reached out to check on him.

Reflecting on this, he admitted, “I’m heartbroken. I’m very upset,” describing it as painful and “cruel” for them to keep him from seeing his grandchildren. The animosity between the father and daughter remains, with Thomas reportedly no longer considering Meghan his daughter.

In a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan discussed her strained relationship with Thomas. She recounted how the media’s intense pursuit led tabloids to track down her father, even setting up near his home.

The royal revealed her efforts to protect him from the press, yet Thomas ultimately went behind her back to speak with them. Feeling betrayed, she explained that he basically lied about his involvement, which contributed to their estrangement.

Despite the ongoing conflict, Thomas still believes he was a good father and does not deserve this treatment from Meghan Markle. His final hope is for his daughter to reach out, bridging the distance that has kept their family apart.