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Singer and TV star Tulisa Contostavlos tells of secret problems in I’m A Celebrity camp which almost led her to quit ITV show

Tulisa Contostavlos has told how she suffered a secret anxiety attack in the I’m A Celebrity camp – and headed to the UK because she felt like she was “having a breakdown” if she stayed in Australia.

The 36-year-old singer and former X Factor judge speaks bravely and honestly in an emotional podcast interview this weekend.

And fans listening will get the full story of her life including the latest chapter spent in the jungle and what really happened during the aftermath, when she headed home with ITV’s full support. Tulisa had gone into I’m A Celebrity telling the Mirror she hoped it would be part of her “healing journey” and “like therapy”, But the show was harder than she realised and Tulisa admits she even considered quitting the show.

Tulisa said: “Some of the things you didn’t see, I had night terrors for the first four days. I was waking up out of my sleep, and I was having anxiety attacks. Those parts, not everyone knows, so it wasn’t completely smooth sailing for me at all, but I have a great poker face.

“I really can turn it on and especially when I’m faced with adversity. The last thing I wanted to do was go in there and be the hot mess. So if anything, I’m going to be the biggest soldier there is. So as soon as I’m set with a task and I’m going in and jumping out of a plane, I’m going to look like a warrior, because that is what I do. I might sit and cry under the sleeping bag, that’s also a part of who I am.”

Referring to the problems she faced, she added: “I mean, I did cry on the VT at one point, but I definitely had an anxiety attack off-camera, because I went to the smoking area to do it and even then, I didn’t want them to know that I was having an anxiety attack, so I was trying to bring down my heart rate, literally through my nose.

“I was like, ‘Okay, get the heart rate down. Get the heart rate down’. I wanted to leave that day. I was like, ‘I can’t do this but it’s not what I came here for. I came here to stick it out and do whatever I have to do’. And there were lots of amazing moments, really joyful moments, thanks to the people. The people made those moments.”

Tulisa speaks at length to Paul C Brunson on his We Need To Talk podcast
Tulisa lives in the countryside in Greater Manchester and tends to stay out of the spotlight now when she is not on tour with N Dubz. Speaking to podcaster Paul C Brunson she explained how she recently spent several years “dependent” on prescription sleeping tablets, only managing to stop taking them in January of this year.

The memories of getting herself off drugs like diazepam and a battle with anxiety was still fresh in her memory when she took part in the ITV reality series. Tulisa added: “I am a massive introvert. I was really getting a little bit overwhelmed in there, so I was probably the least around in camp.

“I would go and remove myself and go for walks or go and hide in the dunny. I spent 90% of my time alone. The agoraphobia and being alone for so long, I got super overwhelmed being around so many people. They could see that, and they were really understanding about that. They had jokes like, ‘She’s gone to the Airbnb. She’ll be back.’

“You know, they’re like, What are you doing? I’m like, ‘Bro, I’ve just been staring at a palm tree. I just needed a minute’.

“When I came out, I think actually the biggest thing that tipped me over the edge was introvert overload. I had pushed myself into doing this and I was ready to overcome all the fears and being in the spotlight, but being watched consistently, [for] so many hours a day, nowhere to hide, nowhere to run, feeling so exposed. Everyone can see me, and also this underlying fear – probably irrational – of being watched.”

She says the feeling of being watched reminded her of when she was secretly filmed and “under surveillance” by disgraced journalist Mazher Mahmood, aka the Fake Sheikh, whose claims about Tulisa being a drug dealer were thrown out of court in 2014 and dismissed as lies. Tulisa says when she came out of I’m A Celebrity and went into the hotel on the Gold Coast she was emotional and whilst other contestants were “happy campers” the experience weighed heavily on her.

Tulisa Contostavlos during her time in the I’m A Celebrity camp ( 
Image:
ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She deleted references to the show from her social media and then left the country to go back to the UK instead of staying on for the final as contestants normally do.

Explaining for the first time what really happened next, Tulisa said: “I did what I signed up for, but I came out, I processed, I was feeling the way I was feeling. There’s 11 other really happy campers there that are really happy to be there, happy to have the holiday and do it all with energy, with smiles, and you have someone that’s sat crying in their hotel room. In this current age that we live in, it’s like, ‘You want me to be there out of principle? When I’m having a breakdown right now? I need to go home and process this. If other people are not having the same experience as me, they haven’t had the same experiences in the past and they’re all current people that are doing radios or they’re on television. This is very much the norm for them’. This, for me, was a psychological experiment, for myself.

“ITV were brilliant and supported me knowing what I needed to do for myself.” Tulisa then found comfort being at home and detoxing from social media. Whilst attention remained high around her she was sat at home watching her favourite films with her phone off.

She said: “I stared at the wall, I think, for the first 24 hours in the bed covers, just thinking, processing, phone off. And then I put the Lord of the Rings trilogy on because I’m a nerd and escapism is my thing when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I just sat in bed for four days, phone detox, social media detox, and the people that know me really well know what I’m like, and they were like, ‘It’s okay, just just leave her’ and they were having to speak to other people, because everyone’s like, ‘We can’t get hold of her. She’s gone off the radar. Is she okay?’ My friends that are closest to me, my inner circle, were like ‘She’s good, she’s recharging. She’s on the recharge’.”

Tulisa also uses the in-depth interview with Paul C Brunson to describe how she has faced up to a battle with prescription drugs in recent years during the covid lockdown. She wants to tell fans everything that has happened to her in life so there are “not any more misconceptions of my character”.

During lockdown she became depressed when her dog got cancer and began self medicating with sleeping pills to numb the pain. But she felt like “she was going to die” when she then tried to kick the habit.

She explained: “I was dependent without realising… I just went cold turkey for five days and I ended up in hospital because I didn’t know, but my body had become dependent on it. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I had pains in my chest…. I just literally felt like I was going to die.”

Tulisa used sleeping pills like zopiclone and diazepam in the covid lockdown to help with anxiety and feelings of depression but then found it very difficult to stop, eventually taking months to taper off her dependency on them.

She adds: “Once I overcame that in January, I didn’t realise how much I had been affected by it and I started to feel alive again. I started to feel me, as a human. I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is reality’. I couldn’t determine anymore what was real and what wasn’t in terms of my anxiety, my depression. I didn’t know what was what. Then it takes so long for your body to get back to normal again and for your nervous system to recover.”

Over the years Tulisa has been threatened with prison over untrue media allegations, had to deal with a leaked sex tape and been sexually assaulted when young, But Tulisa says the dependence on prescription drugs was “one of the toughest experiences actually in my life”.

In some ways she says coming through this period in her life gave her the confidence to then take part in I’m A Celebrity. But once in the Australian camp she did suffer with some feelings she had encountered when coming off the pills. Looking ahead to a positive future, Tulisa also says in her new podcast interview she will continue with her music and has also written a novel which she hopes could one day be turned into a film. She said: “I’m in that peaceful era of just, ‘Do I feel passionate about it? All right, I’ll do it. Do I not? I’m staying at home and I won’t do it’.

Linda Nolan has incurable cancer and her family have been with her every step of the way – and her sister and Loose Women star Coleen has issued a lovely gesture to the star

Linda Nolan is heartbreakingly living with incurable cancer but one thing’s for sure, she still strives to see the positives in her life. And her sister and Loose Women star Coleen Nolan is helping her every step of the way. In fact, during OK!’s exclusive photoshoot, Linda revealed her New Year’s Eve plans with her sisters. She aid: “There’s a big New Year’s Eve party at Coleen’s. She’s booked us all into a hotel up the road, so it should be great fun.”

Linda – who has moved in with her sister Denise and her husband Tom – she continues to live with the disease that also took the life of her beloved sister Bernie in 2013 at the age of 52. “I try to stay positive,” she insisted. “I’ll use jokes and humour as a way to cope, but of course it’s scary. And I have my days where I’m terribly down.” It’s been 50 years since Linda first rose to fame in The Nolans, selling 30 million records with hits such as Attention To Me, Gotta Pull Myself Together and I’m In The Mood For Dancing. It’s clear the support of her siblings has been a huge help to Linda, who lost her husband Brian to liver cancer in 2007.

Linda has incurable cancer ( 
Image:
OK!/David Cummings)

Coleen is hosting a festive party for the family ( 
Image:
OK! Magazine / David Cummings)
Now, with the help of Denise and their surviving sisters Maureen, Anne and Coleen, as well as brothers Tommy and Brian, Linda has managed to find positives in her situation – though she acknowledges not everyone is able to stay as upbeat as she does about her diagnosis. “I’ve got an amazing family and great friends, some I’ve known since primary school,” she explains. “And I try to get out to walk with them at least twice a week, which is key in keeping me active and staying positive. It gets the endorphins flowing.”

She continued: “But a lot of people just don’t know what to say to me. I don’t sit and talk about cancer all the time. But people don’t realise that. I’ve had people I know cross the road to avoid me. If you don’t know what to say to me, tell me that. It’s OK to say, ‘I don’t know what to say, but I’m here for you.’” One thing Linda’s not keen on hearing, however, is talk of wills and finances, giving a strong insight into her thought process around death.

“When people start talking about putting things in order – I don’t want to talk about that,” she says, sighing. “I don’t want to think about my affairs. It’s so final. Every birthday, I want to make it to the next one. I have to be like that, I can’t be a grey cloud of doom. There are days when I do need to stay in bed, I just can’t ‘do’ the day, but on the whole, I try to stay as strong as possible.”

Coronation Street is lining up an unmissable Christmas Day episode this year, with one icon bowing out of the ITV soap for good, while there’s drama, danger, bombshells and a proposal

Fans can expect festive fun and some full-on drama on Coronation Street this Christmas Day.

Spoilers for the big episode have revealed sad scenes will air, as Gail Platt will bow out of the ITV soap for good. After 50 years in the role, actress Helen Worth is stepping away from the show and Christmas Day will be her final episode.

With some details about the episodes being kept under wraps, it remains to be seen whether she will get a happy ending. Elsewhere this Christmas Day, two residents find themselves in trouble with the law, as one character takes a brutal revenge.

This results in quite the catfight. There’s also a proposal amid a secret betrayal, and an affair prediction lands one character in danger. Here’s all you need to know about Christmas Day in Weatherfield…

Gail Platt leaves Coronation Street this Christmas ( 
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ITV)

There’s drama, danger, bom

Gail’s final episode

Gail Platt makes her exit from the ITV soap in this episode. it’s said to focus around the Platts and Gail, as she questions whether she can go through with her wedding to Jesse Chadwick.

Falling out with her family who do not approve of Jesse, Gail is unsure about her plans to move to France with him. But will she make it down the aisle, and will she and Jesse head off into the sunset?

It’ll be tears all round as we see Gail, and actress Helen, bid farewell to the street and her loved ones after five decades on the show. While we can’t reveal how she leaves and whether it’s a happy ending, we can confirm there’s a lot going on as the Platts gather for the wedding that may or may not go ahead.

Danger teased and bombshells

Adam Barlow could be left injured, as David Platt’s determination to uncover a truth leads to chaos. David suspects wife Shona Platt of cheating on him, and he believes Adam is the man in question.

Adam knocks back whisky, unaware David is drinking water. Soon Adam realises what’s gone on and there’s a row, with Adam tumbling down some steps, but will he be okay? Shona could be forced to reveal that she has cheated on David with Kit Green, with it teased bombshells go off all across the episode.

Spoilers for the big episode have revealed sad scenes will air ( 
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ITV)

A proposal

Amidst the chaos, love seems to be in the air as Daniel Osbourne pops the question to girlfriend Bethany Platt. Of course she has no idea that he’s cheated on her with his ex Daisy Midgeley.

When Bethany senses Daniel is not himself and she fears he is no longer interested in her, Daniel declares his love for her and proposes on Christmas Day. But will she say yes, and how will Daisy react to the big news?

Violent showdown

There’s a catfight on the way as sisters Leanne and Toyah Battersby go to war over Nick Tilsley. Leanne has secretly been plotting revenge against ex Nick and sister Toyah after they continued their secret romance.

Leanne had just about gotten over their affair months ago, only to find out they had reunited in secret. Leanne has tried setting the pair up, framing Toyah for fraud and intending on dragging Nick into it too.

On the day of Nick’s mum Gail’s wedding, there’s chaos when the police show up and tell Nick and Toyah that they need to ask them some questions on a fraud allegation. As Kit shows Nick the account in question, Nick assures Kit he’s never seen it before – but is he in big trouble?

At the police station a row breaks out between Toyah and Leanne, and it soon escalates into a huge fight. Will the sisters be able to come back from this?

In the trailer for Molly-Mae Hague’s brand-new Prime Video docuseries, the former Love Island star is seen slamming down the phone to ex-fiancé Tommy Fury after their split

Emotional Molly-Mae Hague hits out about ex-Tommy Fury in her new documentary and declares: “I am angry at him and I am very hurt – sometimes it really hits you that I’m in this alone.”

The first trailer from her Prime documentary series Molly-Mae: Behind It all which is released on January 17 shows there will be lots of revelations about the breakdown of Molly’s relationship with Tommy.

In another scene the mother-of-one says: “We were utterly obsessed with one another. All I ever wanted was to get married. Suddenly, overnight, every part of my life changed.” She is then shown on the phone in her car, presumably with Tommy as the call ends with her saying: “I actually am not having this conversation with you.”

Another scene, where she looks to be backstage at a clothes event she sobs: “It is not going how I planned.” The trailer ends with Molly declaring: “I don’t know what the future holds. This is a good opportunity to say how I actually feel.”

Molly-Mae slams down phone to Tommy Fury in brand new trailer for her tell-all docuseries ( 
Image:
Amazon Prime)

Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury split earlier this year ( 
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Molly-Mae Hague/ Instagram)

The six-part series previously promises to give viewers “an unprecedented access into Molly-Mae’s life behind the vlog camera”. Molly has 21-month-old daughter Bambi with her former Love Island co-star Tommy. Bambi is shown being cuddled by Molly and saying the word ‘daddy’ in the trailer.

She had stayed relatively tight-lipped about the split until she spoke to Vogue this month. “I didn’t want what happened to happen,” she confessed, reiterating that she “wanted to get married to Tommy, one hundred percent, and that didn’t change”. She said the breakup was “a bit of a shock” due to the difficult “circumstance”.

Boxer Tommy recently admitted he was “heartbroken” by the news and has slammed rumours he had been unfaithful to the mother of his 20-month-old daughter Bambi.

He wrote on Instagram: “These last few weeks have been heartbreaking. The false allegations about me have been horrendous, thank you to everybody who has stood by me through this.”

The first three parts are out in January with the latter three episodes will drop in Spring 2025. The first image from the doc which was released in November showed Molly in a white shirt on a sofa preparing to be interviewed.

Prime says the documentary will take viewers “beyond the headlines to uncover the real Molly-Mae, following her journey after her highly publicised break-up”.

It said viewers will see Molly-Mae adapt to the challenges of motherhood, all while preparing to launch her biggest business venture to date: ‘Maebe’. It also promised an intimate look at the “powerhouse entrepreneur she is today” where she has to balance motherhood with brand success.

A Prime statement added: “This is Molly-Mae as we’ve never seen her before – raw, real and redefining what it means to thrive under intense public scrutiny.”

Eamonn Holmes turned down a lucrative offer from ITV Celebrity Big Brother bosses, admitting he feared being away from his girlfriend Katie Alexander and a possible lack of support in the house

Eamonn Holmes refused offers from Celebrity Big Brother bosses.

The GB News anchor, 65, had been at the top of the list of who producers wanted in the upcoming series which will air next year. Following his divorce from Loose Women’s Ruth Langsford after 14 years of marriage, they believed Eamonn would have been the ideal housemate.

But Eamonn had feared that due to his mobility issues, he wouldn’t have the right support in the house and also worried about missing his new girlfriend, Katie Alexander. It comes amidst reports that the former This Morning legend could be planning to pop the question to his lover.

Now, a source have said that while Eamonn was “flattered” by the offer – it’s not something he’s willing to take on at the moment. Speaking to the Mirror, our source said: “Eamonn was approached to do Celebrity Big Brother. He was flattered by the offer and it was a huge six-figure sum.

Eamonn didn’t think being in the house would work for him given his mobility issues ( 
Image:
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Bosses believed he would be the ideal housemate following his split from Ruth Langsford ( 
Image:
Mike Marsland/WireImage)

“After giving it some serious thought, he ultimately turned it down. The logistics of navigating the house and needing a wheelchair really concerned him and he didn’t feel confident that the support he’d need would be there.” Eamonn has, in recent months, been using mobility aids such as a walking stick and most recently, an electric wheelchair following major surgery on his back.

However, the outspoken broadcaster has opened up about being able to use a walker for shorter distances after enduring an “epidemic of pain”. Our source went on to add: “Eamonn also values his time at home with his partner Katie, and being locked away from her for such a long period wasn’t something he could come to terms with.

“The producers were really keen to have Eamonn on the show, they saw him as a huge draw for viewers and were willing to pull out all the stops. With his controversial opinions he would made the perfect housemate. But Eamonn knows his limits, and the idea of being in such an unpredictable environment, without Katie and the support he relies on, made it a no-go.”

They went on to say that Katie had been a “huge support” for Eamonn after his bombshell split from Ruth, having dated the star since 1996. “It was a tough decision for Eamonn because the financial offer was incredibly tempting, but he has to prioritize his health and mobility,” our insider added.

But Eamonn is said to have believed that “with all the challenges” of the Celebrity Big Brother house, it didn’t feel “realistic” for him to enter, given his use of aids such as a wheelchair when it came to manoeuvring it around the property. Despite thinking “long and hard about it,” the “practical” star failed to see how it would work.

The source commented: “Producers were desperate to have Eamonn involved and even tried to address some of his concerns. The money was astronomical, but for him, it’s not just about the pay cheque. The thought of being away from his partner and his home comforts didn’t feel worth the stress.”

A spokesperson for Eamonn declined to comment.

Pickle Cottage has been decked out for weeks, with Stacey Solomon preparing the house for her and Joe Swash’s blended family’s Christmas – but there are significant changes to their festive plans this year

Joe Swash has revealed that he and wife Stacey Solomon have made a major change to their Christmas plans, just weeks after they were allegedly seen rowing in the street.

The couple have been preparing for Christmas at their £1.2 million Pickle Cottage with their children, with Loose Women star Stacey, 35, starting her decorating back at the start of November. She shared a video on social media showing a section of their home covered in multi-coloured lights and Christmas decorations swinging from the ceiling.

Between them, Stacey and Joe have six children, sharing their youngest three, Rex, five, Rose, three and one-year-old Belle. Stacey has two boys, Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 12, from a previous relationship, while Joe’s eldest Harry, 16, is from his relationship with Emma Sophocleous.

Their blended family shared last Christmas together, with Stacey going all out. She even has her own BBC show Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas, in which she shows viewers how to make homemade gifts and decorations.

Joe Swash and Stacy Solomon make major change to their Christmas plans ( 
Image:
@staceysolomon/Instagram)

But this year’s festive celebration will be a significantly smaller affair than last year, with the couple toning down the occasion compared to last year. Joe, 42, told Metro : “Last year, we had about 28 people at our house for Christmas dinner. This year is a bit more quiet: just me, Stacey, the kids and three or four other people coming.”

Fans will be hoping their pared back Christmas is nothing to do with their argument, which saw Stacey appearing to be consoled by a film crew in the street after the pair had fell out. The couple ended up leaving separately, according to a source, with Stacey appearing to be hugging a production member.

Joe and Stacey will have a pared back Christmas ( 
Image:
BBC/Optomen TV/Mark Dolman)
The onlooker said that Joe left a building alone and “stormed off down the street” while vaping. He was then taken to one side while someone else went to check on him, it was claimed.

They added that 15 minutes after their “tense” exchange, Stacey shouted at Joe, with the pair leaving separately. The Sun shared footage and photos of the incident, with a witness claiming: “Joe came out of a building on his own and stormed off down the street, he looked upset and was sitting on some steps for a while. Stacey came out of the building in tears and she looked really emotional, she was hugging someone.”

They added: “About 15 minutes later Joe was having an animated talk with the man. Eventually Stacey walked towards Joe in the car and shouted something. They ended up leaving separately. It all looked very tense.”

Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell looked in great spirits as they led the Strictly stars leaving a London hotel on Saturday morning.

The comedian, 47, who is the show’s first blind contestant, put on an animated display punching the air and whooping as he donned a light brown jumper and grey jogging bottoms.

Chris carried a black rucksack over one shoulder and completed the look with some white trainers with colourful stripes.

Meanwhile his pro partner Dianne, 35, beamed as she linked arms with Chris and threw her free arm into the air.

Dianne was bundled in layers making sure to wrap up warm against the early morning chill.

She wore a green puffer coat with a faux fur trim and layered a jumper underneath with dark black leggings.

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Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell looked in great spirits as they led the Strictly stars leaving a London hotel on Saturday morning

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The comedian, 47, put on an animated display punching the air and cosied up to professional dancers Dianne Buswell and Lauren Oakley

The pair were joined by Strictly professionals Nanxy Xu and Lauren Oakley, who was the stand-in dance partner for JB Gill when Amy Dowden withdrew due to injury.

Nancy dressed head to toe in brown with a long wool coat, brown jumper and brown and black aztec printed trousers, which she paired with knee high boots.

She completed her look with oversized dark glasses and gave a thumbs up to the camera as they dancers larked around in the street.

Lauren kept things comfy in a grey tracksuit and puffer coat as she too smiled and cosied up to the two dancing favourites.

Tasha Ghouri looked pleased with herself as she left the hotel after making it through to the grand finale which takes place tonight.

On Saturday morning, she stripped back her look in a long brown coat, pink hoodie and blue leggings.

Still adding a stylish twist to her outfit, the fresh-faced blonde added a pair of cosy fluffy slippers and oversized tote bag.

She wore a pair of large white headphones around her neck and gave a smile to the cameras who clicked away as she left the building.

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Chris’s pro partner Dianne, 35, beamed as she bundled in layers wearing a green puffer coat with a faux fur trim and layered a jumper underneath with dark black leggings

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The pair were joined by Strictly professionals Nanxy Xu and Lauren Oakley, who was the stand-in dance partner for JB Gill when Amy Dowden withdrew due to injury

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Nancy dressed head to toe in brown with a long wool coat, brown jumper and ztec printed trousers, which she paired with knee high boots

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Lauren kept things comfy in a grey tracksuit and puffer coat as she too smiledfor the camera ash she made her way to the studio for the grand finale rehearsals

Tasha’s professional dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec gave a thumbs up as he left the hotel in brown trousers, a black jumper and oversized coat.

Kai Widdrington who is set to star as Captain Hook at Liverpool’s Auditorium panto and was part of Strictly’s ‘golden couple’ with Nadiya Bychkova before they split in the summer, kept his head down as he made his way into rehearsals.

He donned a black coat and trousers, with a white jumper and sheielded his face with a white baseball cap.

With the BBC grand finale taking place this Saturday night, the stars heading to rehearsals comes after Chris admitted he’s suffered an ’emotional’ few days and is feeling ‘worn down’ as he and Dianne appeared on Strictly It Takes Two.

Despite the funnyman being the runaway favourite to win the series, the pair revealed that the past few days have been emotional and nearly left them in tears.

Speaking earlier this week to It Takes Two host Janette Manrara, 41, Chris admitted that he’s still recovering.

He said: ‘Do you know what, I haven’t really truly recovered, it’s been an emotional few days this week and it’s been…I feel worn down.’

‘My resilience has been worn down and I kind of fell apart a bit on Saturday and I haven’t fully recovered.’

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Tasha Ghouri looked pleased with herself as she left the hotel in a long brown coat, pink hoodie and blue leggings complete with a pair of cosy fluffy slippers and oversized tote bag

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Tasha’s professional dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec gave a thumbs up as he left the hotel in brown trousers, a black jumper and oversized coat

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Montell Douglas wrapped up in a furry beige coat as she left the hotel with Shane Ward

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Shane looked rather dapper in a chocolate brown winter coat, cream jogging bottoms and a flat cap

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Jamie Borthwick bared the cold in shorts and a blue hoody in preparation for the final

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Head judge Shirley Ballas looked in great spirits as she beamed while doing the peace signs on her way to Elstree Studios

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Sam Quek waved as she cut a stylish appearance in a green khaki jumper and beige cargos

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Toyah Wilcox looked smart in a red winter coat as she prepared to appear in the final after being voted out in the show’s early weeks

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Jamie was followed by Wynne Evans and Tom Dean, who left the competition on Week One

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Kai Widdrington who was part of Strictly’s ‘golden couple’ with Nadiya Bychkova before they split in the summer, kept his head down in a white baseball cap as he made his way out of the hotel

He added: ‘We’ve been, you know, training this week and I’ve had a few wobbles haven’t I?’

Dianne agreed, telling Chris: ‘You have, emotional wobbles’ Chris then added: ‘It’s incredible but I’m still feeling quite emotional.’

Dianne then opened up about how Chris has beaten the odds and turned a ‘weakness’ into a strength.

She told Janette: ‘I had a lot of messages tell me (at the start) that I would have a pretty quick season but we showed people that there’s so much more that is possible than what people actually think and that’s a real nice feeling, isn’t it Chris? to show that we can do more than what they think we can.’

She added: ‘And you never know, it might work out, and it certainly did.’

Discussing the comments on their latest dance, Chris told Janette: ‘Craig did say it needed more energy but I would like to say to Craig, that if I gave it any more energy then I would have left in an ambulance before the Viennese Waltz.’

Tonight’s show will see the dance partners bring back a Waltz they danced in week three to Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone, and Dianne is hoping to improve Chris’ performance this time too.

Confessing his achievement so far this week almost reduced her to tears, she said: ‘His legs are stronger, the rise and fall is just so much more controlled.’

Whatever the outcome, the former CBeebies star will not be getting the live support from his parents as he tries to lift the glitterball trophy.

The funnyman’s father John, 71, revealed they will not be able to travel as his wife Valerie, 69, is ill.

Speaking at the family’s terraced home in Liverpool, he said: ‘We’re very proud of him – he’s done very well.

‘Unfortunately the wife’s in bed with flu so we’re not able to go down and see him.”

Asked if his son was going to win, John added: ‘You never know’.

EXCLUSIVE: Strictly Come Dancing star Sarah Hadland has admitted that she will not treat co-star Chris McCausland as a rival as the BBC competition show draws to a close

Strictly’s Sarah Hadland says she won’t treat Chris McCausland as a rival.The pair are competing for the Glitterball trophy on the BBC dance contest, which has millions gripped. If bookies are to be believed, it’ll be hot favourite Chris who nabs it – but Sarah insists she won’t mind.

 

Strictly’s Sarah Hadland says she won’t treat Chris McCausland as a rival.The pair are competing for the Glitterball trophy on the BBC dance contest, which has millions gripped. If bookies are to be believed, it’ll be hot favourite Chris who nabs it – but Sarah insists she won’t mind.

Just like the rest of the nation, she’s been staggered that he’s able to pull off such incredible routines despite being blind. Sarah says: “I will be happy if Chris wins. What he’s doing week on week is jaw-dropping. When you’re lucky enough to see it up close, it’s extraordinary.

“What Chris has done for the blind community is just wonderful. People like him are being represented on the show and it’s not like people are saying, ‘He’s doing well considering he’s blind’. He’s doing incredibly well, full stop. Those lifts he’s done are amazing.”

The star of the sitcom Miranda and the Scouse comedian might be pitted against each other on the show, but they’ve become close friends. Sarah adds: “Chris is hilarious and a lovely bloke. He’s a great laugh. We have lovely chats. He’s a lovely human being and so deserving, so I would be delighted for him if he won.”

Chris and Sarah will be going head to head in the final (Image: PA)

Ballroom dancing is famed for being very competitive, but Sarah found that’s not the case at Strictly. She says: “Sometimes when we’re rehearsing, another dancer will say, ‘What would be good is if you do this with your foot. They give you tips and that is so lovely. I wasn’t expecting that. People help each other.”

Sarah has also bonded with the other contestants: “With Strictly, you meet people you never would have crossed paths with otherwise. You form really lovely friendships. It’s incredible, I would happily go for a meal with everyone still on the show. We’re all really good mates. They’re lovely, we lift each other up. When people are dancing, we’re all screaming for them.”

Sarah is competing alongside her professional partner Vito Coppola (Image: PA)
“Rather than competing and wanting to be better than someone, we all want each other to be really good.” Sarah is competing with hunky pro dancer Vito Coppola: “When I first met Vito I straightaway thought, ‘This person has got loads of energy – that’s what I need.’

“I wanted someone who has a lot of energy, personality. I knew that would work for me. You have to go with your gut. We are both live wires. We are constantly saying we’re very similar.”

Sarah and Vito are getting through gruelling training sessions with plenty of comfort food and their secret weapon is something that has always famously divided the nation – Marmite spread. She says: “I’ve got Vito eating homely cuisine. I convinced him to try Marmite on toast and now he loves it. I explained that people love it or hate it. And now he loves it. He has it every day.

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! runner-up Coleen Rooney is set to lose up to half of the reported £1.5m she earned for taking part in the ITV reality show.

Coleen Rooney not only lost out on being crowned Queen of the Jungle on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! 2024, she is also set to lose up to half of her prize earnings.

Reports claim that Wayne Rooney’s wife was offered more than £1.5 million for her time in the jungle, making her the highest-paid campmate of all time.

However, she will have to hand back a big percentage of the record-breaking sum to the Australian taxman.

According to tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, the show’s stars are subject to a 45 percent tax rate on their appearance fees.,

Coleen Rooney to have up to half of her I’m A Celeb prize taken away. (Image: ITV)

Coleen Rooney was rumoured to be paid £1.5m for her I’m A Celeb appearance. (Image: ITV)

He told the Daily Star: “I was offered I’m A Celebrity a few times and I didn’t want to do it. But when the money they were offering got really high, I decided to do it.

“But they neglect to point out that the Australian taxman takes nearly 50 percent of it straight off the top, which takes some of the cream off.”

The journalist, 78, said that after the Australian government had taken their share, he only ended up with half the amount he thought he would be getting.

 

With the show being filmed in Australia, HMRC receives very little from the celebrities compared to what it did when the show was set in Gwrych Castle in Wales.

Winner Danny Jones will also lose out on half his I’m A Celeb prize money. (Image: ITV)

Blick Rothenberg director Robert Salter said: “When the show was in Wales, HMRC was able to receive all the tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) which were due on the stars’ appearance fees.

“This meant that with the highest earning stars, HMRC could actually receive up to 47 percent of their fee income (45 percent income tax and 2 percent NICs).

“However, with the show being filmed in Australia, the initial taxing rights on the appearance money sits there, where the highest earners from the show will be liable to a marginal tax rate of 45 percent on their appearance fees.”

It has also been reported that the celebrities have to hand back a chunk of their future earnings after appearing on the ITV show.

According to the Mirror, contracts at ITV Studios say the company will receive 30 percent of the celebrities’ earnings for six months after they have left the jungle and their profile has been raised.

Wynne Evans, one of the celebrity contestants on Strictly Come Dancing, was seen looking visibly dejected as he made his way to Elstree Studios alone,

without his professional dance partner, Katya Jones. The sight of Evans walking solo raised eyebrows, especially after the pair had become the subject

of public scrutiny following an awkward incident involving their hand movements during their most recent performance. The incident, which many viewers and critics labeled as an awkward misstep,

quickly became the talk of the show, and soon after, the bookmakers made Evans and Jones the favorites to be eliminated in the upcoming episode.
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Evans, a well-known Welsh tenor, has been a popular figure on the show, but recent events have cast a shadow over his journey.

The incident in question occurred during their most recent dance, where viewers and judges alike pointed out a somewhat clumsy and uncomfortable moment where Evans

and Jones seemed to fumble with their hand positioning. The moment didn’t go unnoticed by the audience at home, and it was subsequently highlighted in post-performance analysis,

both on social media and by the panel of judges. While the judges did offer praise for their overall effort, the awkward hand movements seemed to stick out in a way that led to some criticism.

The mishap, which became a major talking point, sparked a wave of disappointment among viewers who had grown fond of the pair’s chemistry on the dance floor.

However, it was also the catalyst for a rise in the odds that had Evans and Jones as the favorites to be eliminated in the next round.

The bookmakers began to favor them to be sent home, which only added pressure to the already stressful environment of live  television.

In the face of this mounting expectation, Evans seemed to cut a dejected figure as he made his way into Elstree Studios, looking less upbeat than usual.

The fact that he arrived solo, without his professional partner by his side, did not go unnoticed.

While it’s not unusual for contestants and their partners to arrive separately on the day of the show, the solo arrival of Evans seemed to underline the tension that had developed since the “hand incident.”

Fans and media outlets alike speculated that the mishap had strained their working relationship, or at least affected their spirits.

In a sport as emotionally charged as competitive dancing, a single mistake can have significant repercussions, both on and off the dance floor.

In interviews earlier in the competition, Evans had expressed how much he had enjoyed working with Katya and how much he had appreciated her expertise.

The two had shown great potential as a partnership, despite their occasional stumbles in performances.

Evans, a novice to the world of dance, had made significant progress under Katya’s guidance, and many had been rooting for them to advance further in the competition.

However, the hand incident seemed to dampen the mood, leading to concerns about their standing in the competition.

As the bookmakers continued to adjust the odds, many fans took to social media to express their disappointment at the sudden shift in fortunes for the pair.

Some lamented how one small mistake could so drastically impact their position in the competition, while others were more critical, suggesting that Evans might not have the “natural grace” required to succeed in a show like Strictly.

Despite these opinions, many fans rallied to support him, urging viewers to vote for Evans and Katya, hoping that they could overcome the setback and prove their resilience.

The upcoming episode is crucial for their chances of staying in the competition, and Evans’ solo arrival without Katya may have been a sign that he is taking the situation seriously.

The dance world, particularly in the context of Strictly Come Dancing, is filled with ups and downs, and moments of doubt are common for even the most seasoned performers.

However, the pressure of the live shows and the high stakes of public voting can sometimes amplify the emotional toll of these setbacks.

Whether this awkward incident marks the beginning of the end for Evans and Katya remains to be seen, but it certainly highlights the unpredictable nature of the show.

As the pair prepare for their next performance, all eyes will be on how they handle the pressure and whether they can turn things around to keep their place in the competition.

In the meantime, Evans’ solitary walk to Elstree Studios serves as a reminder that, in the world of Strictly, the road to success is rarely without its challenges.