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The Duke of Sussex was likened to a hapless character from Blackadder by some of his former staff members, according to an explosive new book by royal author Tom Quinn

Prince Harry was given a savage nickname by royal staffers which likened him to a hapless character from the Blackadder series, an explosive new book has revealed.

Speaking anonymously to Yes, Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants by Tom Quinn, which will be released later this month, one insider opened up about what it was like to work for the Duke.

“I remember once in his private apartments I’d muddled something – some of his papers on his desk or something,” they revealed, in an extract obtained by the Daily Mail. “He was immediately angry and it was out of proportion to the problem, or at least I thought it was.”

The source further added that other staff had “experienced similar incidents” – and would make jokes about Harry’s temperament.

Harry was likened to Blackadder’s Prince Regent character, according to a former staffer

“We thought it was a bit rich complaining about me being muddled given that Harry was probably the most muddled of all the royals of his generation,” the insider continued.

“The joke used to be that Harry was very much like the Prince Regent in the Blackadder television series. People used to say that without a servant, Harry would take two weeks to put his own trousers on.”

The Prince Regent character was played in the series by Hugh Laurie – and in one episode does take a whole week to put on his own pair of trousers.

Elsewhere in the new book, it is asserted that Harry’s wife Meghan felt that he was being ‘belittled’ by the fact he lived in Nottingham Cottage – the couple’s first home together.

“‘Meghan felt it was so small that it must be a reflection on how the Royal Family were belittling her husband. She just didn’t understand that real royals don’t care much about houses and material possessions because, having always had them, they take them for granted, said one member of staff who helped out regularly at Nottingham Cottage.”

Quinn continued: “A rather beautiful house in the grounds of a famous palace hardly seemed to Harry the equivalent to being forced to live in a shed at the end of the garden. But for Meghan things were more complex. She saw Kate and William living just a few yards away in Kensington Palace itself with teams of live-in servants.

“She also undoubtedly felt constrained by protocol. ‘Meghan quite rightly hated the fact that when she was in Nottingham Cottage, she had to agree well in advance what time she might leave for an appointment or an event and she had to make sure she didn’t leave at the same time as, or clash in any way with, a more senior royal leaving the palace,’ a former Kensington Palace staffer said.”

Harry and Meghan moved out of Nottingham Cottage in 2019, setting up home in Frogmore Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle – a wedding gift from the late Queen – ahead of the birth of their first child, Archie.

But Meghan was again said to be unhappy with their living arrangements and made a request that the monarch deemed entirely “inappropriate”.

According to The Times , Harry and Meghan wanted to live within the Castle itself and reportedly asked if “living quarters could be made available after their marriage”.

At the time, only the Queen and Prince Philip had private apartments within the actual castle, with everyone else living elsewhere on the estate.

The monarch deemed their request ‘inappropriate’ and “politely but firmly suggested” that they live in Frogmore Cottage instead.

It looks like Prince William’s beard is here to stay. The future King rocked full facial hair during an appearance at Windsor Castle this week, having previously come to blows over the issue with Prince Harry in the past

The Prince of Wales had royal fans feeling a little hot under the collar when he carried out an investiture at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

William, 42, performed the ceremony looking smart in his military uniform – but it was his facial hair that proved to be the main talking point.

The future King is still sporting a full beard – which he first debuted in August. And it seems it is here to stay, much to the delight of royal watchers, who can’t get enough of his rugged look.

Fans quickly took to X in praise of William’s closely-cropped beard, sharing love heart and flame emojis as they raved over his appearance.

Prince William performed an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday – and he’s still rocking a beard ( 
Image:
PA)

It comes after Prince Harry claimed that William was jealous of his beard, and the fact he was allowed to have facial hair at his wedding to Meghan Markle, whereas William was not.

According to military dress codes at the time, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. But he sought special permission from the Queen – something that reportedly infuriated his sibling.

Harry wrote about ‘beard-gate’ in his tell-all memoir Spare . “And yet I now dared to make another ask – Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard? Not a small ask either,” he said.

“A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army.”

Harry was allowed to wear a beard on his wedding day, whereas his brother William was not ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
When William found out he had been granted permission, Harry said he “became livid” and claimed his older brother said: “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”

According to Harry, William would not let the issue drop, with the argument continuing for more than a week. It reportedly culminated with William ordering Harry to shave it off .

The Duke claimed he responded by saying: “For the love of God, Willy, why does this matter so much to you? ‘Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.’ Ah, there it was. After he’d come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he’d been denied.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Prince William’s former hairdresser Sam McKnight issued a message to the Duke of Sussex this week, relating to his recent hairloss.

Harry’s hairdresser recently sent a message to the Duke ( 
Image:
WireImage)The 69-year-old – who was a good friend and personal hair stylist to Princess Diana – shared a recent snapshot of Harry taken at the Invictus Games, highlighting his diminishing top, and urged him to go for a hair transplant.

He wrote, in part: “… the lush hedging is no more, a mere wisp or two of its former self. All is not lost, however, a good short clip at the barbers (like your big brother has done recently) would look sharp and clean, and take years off that handsome face.

“If I were your age I’d go for a transplant, so much more natural these days, unlike the plug plants of yore. And no need for a quick EasyJet trip to Turkey, you’re in California where they have the best!”

He also wrote about Harry’s hair in an article in the Telegraph, in which he likened him to a “1950s geography teacher”.

Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page, who previously spoke on Loose Women about her decision to have her fallopian tubes cut, has admitted to still feeling “very maternal”

Joanna Page has candidly discussed the possibility of expanding her family with her husband, despite previously having her “tubes tied”.

In a recent issue of Woman and Home magazine, the Gavin and Stacey actress and mother-of-four revealed that she’d had discussions with her husband, actor James Thornton, about potentially having more children.

Joanna previously told the Loose Women panel about her decision to have her fallopian tubes cut in her mid-forties, and reportedly considered reversing the procedure. She confessed to still feeling “very maternal”, but disclosed that a health check this year led to a moment that “felt huge”.

Joanna stated: “I’ve been thinking about fostering or adopting. It’s something I’ve chatted about with James because I’m still very maternal, and it’s something that I would think about in the future.”

Joanna Page admitted to still being “very maternal” ( 
Image:
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

“I don’t regret having my tubes tied, and although I felt broody at the start of the year, I don’t any more. At the beginning of this year, I did a health check, which involved a scan that showed that my right ovary had packed up.

“There wasn’t anything left, no eggs. That moment felt huge, as if my body was saying, ‘That is it’.”

She further revealed that she was prescribed HRT patches after visiting a menopause doctor, but was hesitant to use them as she believed that it meant she wouldn’t have any more kids.

However, she admitted: “I was very down, very depressed. I could cope with flushes, they weren’t bothering me. It was just my mood”.

Speaking previously on Loose Women, Joanna revealed she had been feeling “broody”, but, afterwards, didn’t give it much thought. She then realised that having another pregnancy would be impossible, admitting it would leave her “utterly exhausted”.

Joanna revealed that a health check this year led to a moment that “felt huge”
The Love Actually star continued: “But not that long ago, I went on the internet, I looked up: ‘Can you have your tubes put back together?’ You can. One-in-200 women can maybe get pregnant after doing that. I told James, he just looked at me and went: ‘You what? What on earth are you going on about?’ So I will not be having anymore. I’ve got my beautiful four children.”

As a mother of four young kids, Eva, Kit, Noah, and Boe, Joanna has reportedly decided to scale back her acting work and take on presenting roles to spend more time with her family. She previously joked about nearly divorcing her husband after the Covid lockdown affected their sex life, with the couple struggling to find time for each other while caring for their kids during the school closures.

Joanna shared that they argued and threatened to divorce throughout lockdown, even going a month without speaking to each other.

Paddy McGuinness has replaced Gregg Wallace as a co-host on Inside the Factory, with him having worked alongside the likes of Cherry Healey on the BBC show’s new series

Presenter Paddy McGuinness has addressed speculation over romance rumours with his colleague Cherry Healey after having worked together on a show.

It was announced in the summer of 2023 that Paddy, now 51, would replace Gregg Wallace on Inside the Factory. He’s since filmed the new series alongside co-host Cherry, 44, who has been on the BBC show since it launched in 2015.
Paddy made his debut in a Christmas special that aired last month, ahead of the ninth series launching on Tuesday. He reminded of the show’s return later this week in a message to his followers on Instagram over the weekend.

The post included several photos of Paddy and co-star Cherry – who present Inside the Factory alongside historian Ruth Goodman – together. The pair were seen beside each other in selfies, as well as in a photo of them at a restaurant.

Alongside the photos, Paddy wrote about his colleagues in the accompanying caption of the post. He told his followers last week: “The whole crew on Inside The Factory have been a joy to work with. A small but perfectly formed team.”

He continued: “Also I’d never met @cherryhealey before but we hit it off straight away. Absolutely love working with her, she’s an absolute diamond!” Paddy concluded: “The new series starts Tuesday 7th on BBC1 & @bbciplayer.”

Paddy McGuinness (left) has shut down speculation that he’s begun a romance with his Inside the Factory co-star Cherry Healey (right) ( 
Image:
Instagram/ @mcguinness.paddy)
The post was met with speculation about a potential romance between the colleagues. One person reacted: “Is this a soft launch of the new Mrs?” Another asked: “Ooh I’m liking this. New lady, Paddy? You look cute together.”

Paddy however has since addressed the rumours, which he shut down when responding to a fan who asked: “Is this your new love? If so all the very best (you look very comfortable together).” Paddy replied: “Not at all. She’s just a great person.”

Former Top Gear presenter Paddy was once in a long-term relationship with Christine McGuinness. The pair, who share three children, announced the end of their 11-year marriage in a joint statement released back in July 2022.

They said at the time: “We’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children. We’ll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.”

His colleague Cherry was once married to Rory Allen, with whom she shares her two children, but the former couple split up in 2016. She later began a relationship with Justin Mountstephens and they are thought to still be together, having celebrated her birthday together last month.

Darragh Ennis, also known as The Menace on ITV quiz show The Chase, appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday (January 22), where he opened up about losing his dad to dementia

The Chase star Darragh Ennis has revealed he struggled to film the ITV gameshow after his dad died from dementia.

Darragh, who is also known as The Menace, appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday (January 22) to discuss his father’s battle with the neurological disease.

After losing his dad in July 2024, Darragh shared that was “playing to a script” while going about his daily life, especially when he returned to The Chase.

“In the end it was quite sudden. He had been physically quite well but then I got a phone call, and I barely made it home in time,” he said, adding that he was left “broken” inside.

Darragh Ennis appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday (January 22) ( 
Image:
ITV)

“We had a natural break in filming, but when I did go back to work, I was put under that stressful situation,” Darragh continued.

He revealed that he struggled to answer questions under time restraint, saying: “Normally when I start making mistakes, I’d naturally be able to handle it.

“I’d just plant my feet and keep going, but this time when I went to put my feet down, there was nothing underneath them. They just fell away.”

Darragh also shared that he got “camera shy” as the pressure completely “overwhelmed” him.

Darragh Ennis lost his father to dementia in July 2024 ( 
Image:
ITV)
“I had a couple of episodes like that, where every time I tried to reach for that part of myself that’s normally very calm under pressure, it wasn’t there anymore,” he continued.

Darragh explained that the producers quickly clocked onto his struggles and offered him extra time off. They’ve also arranged for counselling

When he was first offered help, Darragh initially “shrugged it away” as he didn’t want to admit that he was struggling. Once he accepted the support, he acknowledged that it felt like he was being saved from “drowning”.

In light of his experiences, Darragh has since become an Ambassador for grief charity At a Loss.

The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV1

One Direction star Liam Payne’s former fiancée Maya Henry has spoken out for the first time since his tragic death as she reflected on their rocky relationship

Liam Payne’s ex fiancée Maya Henry has spoken out for the first time since his shock death and made a series of bombshell claims about her relationship with the late star.

The One Direction singer tragically died at the age of 31 in October last year after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was in a relationship with girlfriend Kate Cassidy at the time of his death, having started dating in 2022. Liam was previously with Maya on and off from 2018 till 2022.

The former couple had even considered tying the knot, yet Maya has claimed there were many strains on their relationship. Maya insisted she was hurt “for years” after they broke up due to their tumultuous time together. Last year, Maya wrote a fictionalised account of her time with Liam in her novel, Looking Forward.

Just under two weeks before his death, Maya posted a TikTok where she claimed Liam has been harassing her, her family, and her friends from various iCloud accounts. Maya’s lawyer sent him a cease and desist order days later to demand he stopped harassing her. Now, the influencer turned author has laid bare the dark side of their romance in a lengthy statement – while other sources and those close to the star spoke out on the star’s behaviour. Maya declined to answer specific questions on their rocky romance – but shared a statement. Here, we take a look at all the bombshell claims…

Liam and Maya had an on and off relationship ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation)

Maya has spoke out for the first time ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Bvlgari UK)

Being held ‘captive’ by star’s drug use

In a written statement to Rolling Stone, Maya opened up on Liam’s drug use as she admitted it was what “tore them apart”. Maya explained feeling torn as while she “loved him deeply” the singer “did things to hurt me in ways I’ll never fully understand”. Maya also claimed Liam “continued to hurt me years after we broke up”.

She said: “On drugs, he became someone unrecognisable – so different from his sober self. I kept hoping each incident would be a wake-up call for him to get help, but it never was. I tried to be there for him. I loved him so much that I convinced myself I could fix things.”

Maya added: “Anyone who has been with an addict understands how difficult that is.” Describing how she had “tried to be there” for Liam, Maya revealed she had mistakenly believed she could “fix things” and thought that if she held on for long enough, she could make him change. By her own admission, this often meant “ignoring every red flag” and putting herself in “unsafe” situations.

Meanwhile, a source close to Maya claimed to the publication that Liam’s drinking, drug use and mental health struggles were “such a burden” that the singer “couldn’t work properly”. The source added that Maya was “kind of held captive” by the star’s struggles as she couldn’t “do anything”.

By the time the pair split Maya learned the full extent of Liam’s addictions as it has been claimed by a source it was “normal” for Liam to do “cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and pharmaceutical pills”. It has also been claimed Liam “got into smoking heroin”.

Harrowing abortion ultimatum

The publication also claims that Maya learned she was pregnant in 2020, and Liam ‘gave her an ultimatum’ – it is claimed the options he gave her were to have an abortion and stay in the relationship or “raise the kid alone and he will not acknowledge either of them”.

They added the move was a “surprise” to Maya as Liam “wanted to have a family, and they were trying” to conceive. Maya later went on to have an abortion.

Sexting betrayals

Maya hinted at betrayals in their relationship as she said: “I saw the signs; I felt the distance. In the end, it wasn’t just the betrayals or the addictions that broke us — it was the realization that I had spent years in something that was never what I thought it was. I don’t fault him for his struggles.”

The publication also claims that Maya discovered sexting conversations “with strangers” when he “accidentally broadcasted them to their TV”.

Heartbreaking split after becoming ‘tired’

Liam and Maya split in 2022 – an insider claimed the influencer was “tired” of “babysitting”. They added: “Maya spent years helping and staying by the side of Liam, who in return wouldn’t get help or seek help for his drug use, violent outbursts, or addictions.”

Maya felt ’empty’ after their split ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

They started dating in 2018 ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fri)Meanwhile, in her statement Maya detailed the pain she felt from their split as she “left with nothing but emptiness”. Maya said she had stood by Liam “in his darkest moments” and “through things that broke her in ways she can’t explain”. She insisted: “But what I do know is this: It wasn’t about me or anything I did. It was about struggles beyond my control. And in the end, I had to choose myself. I had to walk away, no matter how much it hurt, because staying in his world meant losing myself.”

The Loose Women panel welcomed back one member of the team after she was ‘hospitalised’

The Loose Women panel welcomed back their colleague as she returned to the programme after taking time out to focus on her well being after collapsing and being hospitalised.

Denise Welch, 66, has been noticeably absent from the ITV programme for some time now and host Ruth Langsford introduced the the actress as she made a comeback on Tuesday (February 11).

On the show, the former Coronation Street actress who can curently be seen in Celebrity Hunted, bravely spoke about her ordeal after she “collapsed” before doing her pantomime performance in December.

The former soap star had to pull out of playing Captain Hook in the 2024 Peter Pan pantomime at Nottingham Theatre Royal due to ill health, with Richard Winsor needing to step in to replace her.

Having battled with depression for decades now, Denise detailed how she’d recognised some of the signs and symptoms that she was about to become poorly.

Loose Women star returns to show after collapsing
She’d felt a “tingling sensation” in her arm and also recalled a “metallic taste” in her mouth, knowing that something bad was about to happen, and then it did.

Denise drove up a side street the wrong way and was greeted by an angry motorist behind the wheel of another car, who was shouting at her, instead of responding she just knew something was deeply wrong.

Denise bravely opened up about her absence from Loose Women
At the same time, Denise also noted that she had a number of personal struggles going on in her life, one being her stalker’s release from prison early.

Opening up the show, Denise said: “I ploughed on and I started the pantomime, within three days I collapsed in the foyer of the hotel I was staying in and I got back to the room and I said to my agent ‘you’ve got to pull me out’.”

Denise had to take time off due to poor mental healthShe went on to say: “My agent Bex and my husband, who have been amazing, phoned the company manager of the Panto and the first thing he said was…”

Denise struggled as she became emotional, then relaying her manager’s kind offer: “‘Is she on her own?’ and ‘does she want me to go and be with her?’”

Despite trying to battle on, it all became too much for Denise and she ended up “collapsing” before the pantomime kicked off, resulting in the star being replaced from the production and taking a back-step from her Loose Women duties too.

Denise explained that she was also due to return to her ITV post last week but as she readied to come back was once again taken ill and to hospital, with acute peratinital perforated diverticulitis.

She was treated with an intravenous drip as medics deliberated on whether she might need to have surgery, fortunately this turned out not to be the case.

Holding her hand over her face she stated: “So I’ve been in hospital on a drip for a b****y week,” the Corrie star added: “Excuse me,” before confirming: “Anyway they didn’t have to do surgery, they got it with antibiotics.”

Loose Women airs on ITV1, from 12:30pm.

Loose Women star Stacey Solomon has opened up on the concept of “self-care”, insisting that she doesn’t like to put any unnecessary pressure on herself and when she does achieve it, it’s not through the means of a “bubble bath”

Stacey Solomon has confessed that she and her husband Joe Swash often spend evenings not speaking to each other as a way to prioritise “self-care”.

The Loose Women presenter, 35, and Joe have a blended family of six children – Harry, Zachary, Leighton, Rex, Rose, and Belle – and reside in their countryside home, Pickle Cottage, regularly sharing glimpses into their lives on Instagram.

In a recent interview, Stacey shared her thoughts on “self-care”, revealing that she doesn’t believe in adding extra pressure to achieve it. She also admitted that her self-care routine doesn’t involve indulging in a relaxing “bubble bath”.

Speaking to Grazia, Stacey said: “I think we all put ourselves under a lot of pressure to be like, ‘Don’t forget you! ‘ and ‘Don’t forget to fit your self-care in or you’re going to go down the drain.’ Sometimes in life, it’s just not possible.”

Stacey Solomon reveals son Zach is training for job

Stacey told the publication about the importance of being flexible and not putting too much pressure on oneself. She then described what self-care looks like in her household, which usually takes place after the kids are tucked in, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Stacey said you must “go with the flow” and not put pressure on yourself ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
She mentioned the moment when she’s finished with work for the day, sharing that she enjoys playing cards with her family. However, there comes a point when she and Joe choose not to interact with each other.

Stacey added: “Or Joe and I will sit on the sofa and not talk to each other and watch some mind-numbing TV. That’s self-care for us. It’s not a bubble bath, I’m lucky if I have time to wash my important bits in the shower!”

Joe, who’s recently got into batch cooking to feed his big brood, including two dogs and four ducks, spilled the beans to OK! about the challenges of parenting, branding it “difficult bringing kids up”.

He even owned up to his once-messy ways before Stacey stepped in, confessing: “It took Stacey a while to whip me into shape, to be fair.”

Joe went on to share: “It involved a lot of making me go back and tidy up the mess I’d left behind. A lot of, ‘This is how the cupboards are meant to look,’ and ‘I don’t want it to look different to this’.”

Stacey and Joe have been together for more than a decade ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The pair have been an item for over ten years, sparking up a romance post-Stacey’s I’m a Celeb victory in 2010 and tying the knot at Pickle Cottage in July 2022.

On their festive BBC programme last year, ‘Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas ‘, where Stacey showed off her creative flair with decorations and gifts, she couldn’t resist giving away that Joe was a total softie on their big day, mentioning: “Your mum had to come out and warn me. I could see your tears from the beginning of the aisle.”

To which Joe quipped: “Well at least one of us got emotional at the wedding eh. Oh ice queen.”

Emmerdale’s Matthew Wolfenden has revealed why it was time to leave the show, and the reason being the stern backstage rule being the reason why.

Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden has revealed why it was time to finally leave the show after 17 years, and the stern rule backstage being the reason why. Announcing his plans to leave in August, 2023, Matthew accepted the lead role of Buddy in Elf the musical in London’s West End which ran for eight weeks.

Producers of the ITV1 soap told the actor he had to choose between the show and the musical as there was a strict ‘no panto rule’, despite Matthew asking for a short break, wanting to return. Wolfenden told The Sun that this was a major problem for him as the show does not “let people out at Christmas to do panto” as an exception would result in many actors opting for it. The actor said production’s “reasoning is if [they] left one person out, [they]’ve got to open it up to everyone and could lose half [the] cast at Christmas.”

Matthew Wolfenden on the Red Carpet at the National Television Awards, 2020 ( 
Image:
WireImage)

Matthew left his role of 17 years for the eight-week job of Buddy the Elf ( 
ImageConfirming that Elf was not a pantomime, Matthew stated that “it was a big West End musical, over panto season” and the producers were unwilling to budge on the steadfast rule. “If we set a precedence to let you out for three months to do that we’ve got to let other people out too” recalled Matthew, who “absolutely understood”.

Exiting the show officially in April, 2024, the now West End star recalled his contract “coming to an end” and being left with the “big decision” – asking himself: “Do I leave an 18 year job to do an eight week show?”. Upon reflection, Wolfenden called his decision “to leave a well paid job to go and do an eight week run” “a little crazy”.

Matthew’s character David Metcalfe left Emmerdale’s village after uncovering son, Jacob, in a relationship with his ex, Victoria – the overwhelming betrayal being Matthew’s way out. “I’m 44 now, I was 43 at the time and I thought if I don’t do it now then I’ll never do it.” Additionally, this exit avoided the ‘killing off’ of Matthew’s character, allowing the actor a future opportunity to return to the soap in the future, which is a potential he has left open.

Matthew’s exit from Emmerdale included a heart-breaking storyline where he discovered his son and ex’s affairMatthew received a “lovely email” from “big boss”, John Whiston, which said: “Look, we’re not going to kill you off, [but] that is not me saying you can come back”. Wolfenden labelled this “lucky” and stated that they “obviously can’t say that, but the door will be left open for the character of David, which was very nice”.

“It does give you that option, you never know, I might go knocking on the door and say ‘Can I come back please’ it’s such a great place to work. It’s on my doorstep and the people are fantastic”. Matthew “absolutely adored” the set and his decision to leave had “nothing to do with the fact that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore”. His only reason being that he wished to “spread [his] wings” after 17 years of one show and “do some more musical theatre”.

Matthew had previously been in West End for nearly five years before landing the part of David Metcalfe. He assumed it would be a short role for “three months” and planned to see his parents during the filming, and then head back to London’s theatres. “Three months turned into six months and then 17 years later I was still there!”. The Elf star admitted that musical theatre has been his forever passion and that the want to return has always been in the back of mind – 2023 being the time he finally “bit the bullet”.

Several months after making the decision to leave, a scandal broke out accusing Matthew of cheating on his wife. The couple split up around November 2023, to which Matthew denied the rumours and took to Instagram to state that the affair was a “lie” being told. Shortly after the split with Charlie Webb, the mother of their three children, Matthew posted pics of his new girlfriend – Heather Scott Martin, who is a personal trainer and musical theatre actress which he reportedly met during the production of Elf.

Meghan Markle nailed her cosy winter outfits at the Invictus Games with Prince Harry, and her waterproof snow boots that are great for rainy days now have £60 off

Her appearance at the Invictus Games might have been brief, but that didn’t stop Meghan Markle from giving us some major winter outfit inspiration before she left. The Duchess of Sussex appeared alongside husband Prince Harry in Canada for the games, where she tried her hand at snow tubing alongside competitors.

To keep warm in the snowy conditions during two of her appearances, Meghan wore a full length puffer coat and a pair of her go-to Sorel Joan Of Arctic Boots, which the Duchess has been spotted wearing on several occasions. The Sorel boots were the perfect choice for the conditions, and fans who want to add a pair to their own winter wardrobes can now get them on sale, down from £195 to £136.50.

READ MORE: Kate Middleton’s brown suede boots give her latest recycled look a fresh feel

READ MORE: Zara Tindall’s top waterproof winter jackets are still available to shop

The Sorel Joan Of Arctic Boots come in three different colour options, with Meghan pairing the quarry and black pair with her white puffer coat, and a no-longer available cream pair with a cosy black quilted coat. You can get a similar camel pair reduced to £177, which are still available in sizes 3 to 5.5, whilst the quarry colourway is in stock in sizes 3 to 8, with half sizes available.

Whether you’re planning on hitting the slopes or just want something extra warm and waterproof to wear for your daily commute in the winter, Meghan’s Sorel Joan Of Arctic Boots are a great pick. They have a waterproof suede upper that’s been seam-sealed to keep your feet dry, with a faux fur cuff which helps keep the cold out and the warm in.

Meghan wore two different pairs of the Sorel Joan of Arctic winter boots

Meghan wrapped up warm against the Canadian weather ( 
Image:
2025 Eric Charbonneau)
To maximise on their warmth, the Sorel Joan Of Arctic Boots also have a 6mm felt inner boot with sherpa pile snow cuffs, which is fully removable and washable. The midsole also has a bonded felt frost plug, with a vulcanised rubber outsole that gives you plenty of extra grip and keeps your feet warm in the frost and snow.

Sorel shoppers are also a big fan of them, giving the Joan Of Arctic Boots more than 1400 five star reviews. One wrote: “My second pair of these and I just love them! These shoes will make your days beautiful in any weather. Pure Love.”

Whilst another added: “The boots arrived very quickly, wasn’t really sure what to expect. If Meghan Markle loved them then I knew I would too… Cannot wait to wear them.”

One shopper did write: “A bit tight and heavy, they looked nice but not very comfortable, I sent them back.”

Meghan wore the quarry and black pair ( 
Image:
Sorel)
However another said: “These shoes are really beautiful, comfy (be careful it might be difficult for large feet), warm and can go with different types of clothing. You can walk easily on different types of roads (not for trail,running for sure).”

If you’re after something a little more lightweight for your winter adventures, the Columbia Women’s Minx IV Waterproof Tall Snow Boots are still available in sizes 3.5 to 7.5 for £110. They feature fully waterproof and breathable uppers, with 200g of insulation and a faux fur lining to keep your feet warm. They also have adjustable webbing to keep them secure, a cushioned midsole for added comfort and a grippy outsole for added traction in wet and snowy conditions.