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When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to focus on separate initiatives, it might have seemed like a sound strategy – two individuals pursuing passions while bolstering their shared brand.

But as time has passed, this “divide and conquer” approach looks less like a calculated PR move and more like a sign of deeper trouble, both in their business partnership and with their public image.

The tables have turned in recent months. Gone are the days when Meghan led her husband with a hand on his back or stepped in to answer on his behalf.

Harry now appears to be the driving force behind the Sussex brand, while Meghan has taken a back seat. This imbalance is glaring, and it raises uncomfortable questions: Is this truly a joint strategy, or is evidence of strain to be found in their public appearances?

The Duke of Sussex has had a packed schedule of solo engagements recently, cementing his role as a dedicated humanitarian. He is the royal after all.

From hosting a video call as Global Ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, to surprise trips promoting the Invictus Games, and his solo appearance at the WellChild Awards, Harry is showing that he remains committed to his causes.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle keep dropping hints of cracks in partnership (Image: Rosa Woods – Pool/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Meghan has opted for high-profile but seemingly less impactful events, such as attending the launch of a haircare line in Los Angeles.

Even Meghan’s absence during Harry’s recent trip to Canada – where the couple previously promoted the family-friendly Invictus Games together – raises eyebrows.

The optics of Harry extending his solo trip following a visit to Sentebale to spend time with friends and family, rather than returning home, are hard to ignore.

The couple’s apparent professional divergence reflects poorly on their brand.

Together, they were meant to be a modern power couple, redefining royalty and championing social causes. But the cracks are showing, and the public – who were once captivated by their young and fresh partnership – are now questioning their authenticity.

Adding fuel to the fire, the upcoming German documentary ‘Harry – The Lost Prince’ promises new revelations about Harry’s struggles post-Megxit.

While the title reflects Harry’s attempts to carve out a meaningful role outside the Royal Family, it also underscores a sense of floundering. An extremely apt title for a prince who doesn’t appear to know what to do.

Are the separate paths for the Sussexes a savvy PR strategy to reposition them as individuals? Or are they a symptom of deeper fractures in their working relationship? Either way, it’s a gamble that appears to be backfiring.

Prince Harry’s relentless solo engagements and Meghan’s exile from joint public appearances seem less like complementary efforts and more like two people moving in very different directions.

If Brand Sussex was meant to thrive on their unity, it’s time for them to decide whether their separate public appearances are helping or hurting their cause.

Because right now, all signs point to the latter.

Stacey Solomon has reportedly quit one of her TV roles after fans were concerned that she had quit Loose Women when she failed to appear in the ITV’s show 25th anniversary photo

Stacey Solomon has quit another one of her huge TV projects, according to reports.

The Sort Your Life Out star, 34, recently stepped down from her role as a designer for In The Style to spend more time with her family and now it’s been reported she’s left her role on Rennovation Rescue.

Stacey fronted the Channel 4 show for one season, which saw the plucky mum-of-five come to the rescue of homeowners who’d been left stranded by their builders and needed help to salvage their half-built homes.

Explaining her departure from the show, a source said: “Stacey had a great time making Renovation Rescue but the fact she isn’t doing a second series allows her to focus on her projects with the Beeb.”

Stacey Solomon has quit another one of her huge TV projects, according to reports ( 
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Channel 4)

With her down to earth charm and no-nonsense attitude, Stacey has a string of presenting roles under her belt. Her work on BBC’s Sort Your Life Out earned her a National Television award for Factual Entertainment, with a source telling The Sun of the episodes: “They’ve been a huge success and the NTA win is evidence that the viewing public love what she does.”

The Dagenham-born star has a legion of loyal fans, who follow her career closely. Recently they were concerned when Stacey was missing from the 25th anniversary portrait for Loose Women, which included several panellists and presenters, all wearing silver sparkly dresses.

Among those present in the studio snap are Christine Lampard, Judi Love, Katie Piper, Kelle Bryan, Frankie Bridge, Dame Kelly Holmes, Charlene White, Sunetra Sarker, and Olivia Attwood-Dack.

Stacey joined the show in 2016 and has become a favourite with fans since her first appearance. She has not commented about her absence from the photo, however she did post on X, formerly Twitter: “Happy birthday to you, Loose Women. I can’t believe you’re 25 years old and I can’t believe I get to call myself a Loose Woman, I’m such a proud Loose Woman! 25 incredible years and so many more to come. Love you loads and loads.”

Fans were worried when Stacey was missing from the Loose Women 25th Anniversary photo ( 
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No credit)
Earlier this year, Stacey revealed she had stepped down from a huge role after three years to spend more time with her family. The X Factor star welcomed her fifth child, Belle, with her husband, Joe Swash, 42, last year. The couple also shares Rex, four, and Rose, two, while Stacey has 16-year-old Zachary with her ex Dean Cox and Leighton, 11, with former fiancé Aaron Barnham.

Posting a statement on her Instagram story, Stacey told fans: “Today has been a wonderful but emotional day as I shot my LAST EVER collection for In The Style. I have loved every single second of being able to design & create clothing with the most incredible team & literally bring my dreams to life.’

She continued to say that this year, she has “thought a lot about work/family balance’ and what she needs to prioritise and as a result needed to ‘give more of myself back to my family”.

In May, Stacey said her dream was to quit TV work all together to become a stay-at-home mum, stating she wants to only take on work she can do mostly from home apart from the occasional “passion project”.

The Mirror has contacted Stacey’s rep for comment on this story.

Davina McCall thrilled Ant and Dec by joining their Instagram Live on Saturday night joking that she was ‘still here’ as she sent the hosts a message

TV star Davina McCall has made a surprise appearance following her brain surgery – in the jungle.

The star, who recently had a benign tumour removed, left Ant and Dec thrilled after joining their Instagram Live, on Saturday night.

She sent the Geordie duo the message “Hey everyone! Still here” alongside a laughing emoji. Her appearance sparked celebrations in the studio.

Dec said: “Hey Davina McCall is here everybody,” while Ant added: “Hope you are feeling well…sending you lots of love from the jungle.”

Execs behind the camera were heard shouting: “We love you Davina.” The outpouring of love may have been a bit overwhelming – or it may have been past her bedtime – as Davina added: “I’m gonna sign off now.”

Ant joked: “We were too much for her, we were too loud.”

But her appearance comes after her partner Michael Douglas said last week how she was recovering well following the op.

Ant and Dec realise Davina McCall is live ( 
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Instagram/)

Thrilled: Ant and Dec ( 
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Instagram/)
The TV host, 57, had been left in intensive care as a precaution following the tumour’s removal. He said on Tuesday: “Mega progress these last 24 hours. Massive relief to see some light breaking through.

“Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles, up and up. Thanks so much to all the wellwishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU.”

Last week, the ex-Big Brother host revealed a rare colloid cyst had been found during a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work.

The mum of three said the halfinch-wide tumour, which affects just three people in every million, had to be removed as “if it grows, it would be bad”. She said she would be in hospital nine days and Michael, 49, would post updates.

Davina updated fans last week ( 
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davinamccall/Instagram)

, Davina requested her fans to keep her in their prayers as her boyfriend Michael Douglas takes over her social media during her recovery period ( 
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HodaOn Friday, he said the surgery had gone well, describing it as textbook, but adding that Davina was “utterly exhausted”. Davina hosts dating series My Mum, Your Dad, is a Masked Singer judge and has fronted TV shows about the menopause.

Non-cancerous brain tumours are more common in over- 50s, according to the NHS.

Zayn Malik, 31, opened his solo tour in Leeds on Saturday night and paid a moving tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, days after attending his funeral

Zayn Malik has paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne on the opening night of his new tour.

The 31-year-old singer kicked off his solo tour Stairway To The Sky at the O2 Academy in Leeds last night, after postponing some concert dates in the wake of Liam’s death. As he opened the tour days after Liam’s funeral, the “Pillowtalk” hitmaker left fans emotional as he displayed an emotional message for his former bandmate.

The tribute, on a large blue screen, read: “Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro.” The message, followed by a heart emoji, was shared widely on social media after leaving the crowd in tears.

Zayn paid tribute to Liam on the opening night of his tour ( 
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X/updatingljp)
Zayn’s first-ever solo tour was set to begin in San Francisco on October 23, but after Liam died, he decided to postpone those dates to January. He also had scheduled a show in Edinburgh on the same day as Liam’s funeral, but he moved it to December 8.

The singer also informed his fans that another show previously scheduled for November 21 has been moved to December 9. Liam and Zayn shot to unimaginable fame together in 2010 when they formed One Direction on the X Factor along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.

Paying tribute to the dad-of-one following his tragic death, Zayn admitted he “never got to thank” the late star for supporting him through some of the “most difficult” in his life. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.

One direction stars Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik at the 2014 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California ( 
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Getty Images)
“When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved. Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f***s about telling people when they were wrong.

“Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it. I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next. I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what l’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye.”

Zayn, who left One Direction in 2015, attended Liam’s funeral this week alongside all his former bandmates. The four of them arrived wearing black suits, solemnly taking in the floral displays put on for Liam, whose death on October 16 left the whole world shocked. They attended the ceremony alongside Liam’s loved ones, including friends, family and celebrity pals. The streets were lined with fans, who turned out clutching photographs and flowers in honour of the late singer.

Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield was pictured walking his dog with his daughter Molly two months after returning to our TV screens with Channel 5 show ‘Cast Away’

Phillip Schofield looked glum as he was spotted out and about with his daughter two months after he returned to our TV screens.

The former This Morning presenter, 62, was pictured walking his pet pooch alongside his daughter Molly Lowe in London on Wednesday. He wore a blue hoodie paired with jeans, a black jacket and blue shoes. Molly also donned a casual outfit with a grey sweater paired with a dark brown jacket, black leggings and black boots.

Phillip, who announced his TV comeback in September as he appeared on the new Channel 5 programme “Cast Away”, was also wearing his wedding ring. Despite coming out as gay and separating from his wife, Stephanie Lowe, in February 2020, the pair are still married.

The former This Morning presenter was walking his dog with his daughter Molly ( 
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He met Stephanie when he was 25 and working at CBBC, where she was a production assistant. They tied the knot in 1993 and welcomed two daughters, Molly and Ruby. In the latest photos, the presenter can be seen having a conversation with his daughter as they walk through a park his dog Alfie.

In most of the snaps, Phillip has his left hand in his pocket, but other photos show the hand out, revealing the wedding ring. Earlier this month, the TV presenter was supported by his wife and their daughters at his late mother’s funeral, where he was one of the pallbearers.

He was wearing his wedding ring ( 
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Phillip and his daughter were seen walking in a park in London ( 
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Last month, Phillip announced that his mum Patricia Schofield had passed away as he thanked those who had been involved in her care prior to her death. A funeral was held for Patricia in Cornwall, where she had lived, on November 8. The service at St. Michaels Church in Newquay was attended by family and friends, including Phillip. He was joined by his wife Stephanie, 60, as well as their daughters Molly, 31, and Ruby, 28.

The service is said to have included music performed by the Cornish Kernow Mens Choir and framed photos of Patricia were placed around the church. Photos obtained by the Mirror showed guests outside the venue in the community. Phillip was among the four pallbearers, with him seen carrying the casket out of the church alongside three other guests. Other photos show him interacting with fellow attendees at his mother’s funeral.

The father and daughter duo were seen enjoying a relaxed outing ( 
Image:
BACKGRID)As he appeared on Cast Away, Phillip ruled out a return to daytime TV and appeared to take another pop at Holly Willoughby as he spoke of “shedding skin” to become a new person following his island adventure. In the final episode of the show, the TV host reflected on his life and how it has changed since he admitted to having a consensual affair with a younger male colleague who worked on This Morning.

On his last night in camp, he said: “This bonfire will mark my last night on the island. And I hope, the start of a new beginning. You shed all sorts of skins through your life. There are things that didn’t work out. There are there are people that you hoped would be around and you know, then they’re not and you shed that skin.” He also said: “There’s a lot of freedom in not giving a shit. There is. There’s a lot of freedom. And say what you want. Do what you want. Honestly, I don’t give a sh**. Life is beautiful.”

Phillip was walking his pet pooch ( 
Image:
BACKGRID)One person he may have hoped would “be around” could be Holly Willoughby. The pair were best friends on and off screen for more than a decade hosting This Morning and Dancing On Ice together. But tensions grew last year and since he left This Morning after an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague, the pair are no longer thought to be friends.

After leaving the island off the coast of Madagascar to return home he says: “I’m not saying I’m done, but you know, never in a million years will I go back to daytime telly. I’ve lived a hundred TV lives. I think the most important thing I’d like anyone to take away would be to say, okay, that’s the guy he is. That’s what he’s like. This is the person that my family sees. This is who I am.” In an earlier episode, Phillip said he understands how he has been “lucky” during his more than four decades of TV career until it came to an end in 2023.

Jeremy Clarkson clashed with BBC journalist, Victoria Derbyshire, today at an angry rally in Westminster, which criticised the Government’s £1m inheritance tax on farms

Jeremy Clarkson snapped at Victoria Derbyshire today at the fraught farmers’ rally in Westminster.

The Clarkson’s Farm presenter, 64, descended on Parliament Square with his Amazon Prime co-star, Kaleb Cooper, 26, to protest against the Government’s £1m inheritance tax on farms.

Joined by a convoy of tractors and angry farmers, Jeremy stuck up for his agricultural allies, which have become part of his life since he started his smash hit show. However, when asked by BBC journalist, Victoria, if he was at the rally simply for “himself”, he fumed: “Typical BBC. You people!”

The argument began when Victoria asked the Top Gear star why he was protesting, clarifying: “So it’s not about you, your farm and to avoid inheritance attack?”

Jeremy Clarkson clashed with BBC journalist, Victoria Derbyshire ( 
Image:
BBCNewsnight)

Rolling his eyes at the seasoned star’s question, Jeremy quipped: “Classic BBC there. Classic.” Victoria shot back: “Is it?”, referring to an article in the Sunday Times where the dad-of-three wrote about the tax benefits of buying a farm.

Jeremy then disputed the claim that it was a “fact” that he bought his Oxfordshire farm for tax purposes, insisting it was because he loved country sports such as shooting.

The now visibly angry presenter continued: “Typical BBC. You people”, and would later say to the crowd around them: “Are you listening to this?” when Victoria repeated Rachel Reeves’ claims that the inheritance tax raised would “raise money for public services”.

Jeremy defied doctors’ orders to attend the protest ( 
Image:
PA)
Continuing his rant, which was being recorded for BBC’s Newsnight he said: “Let’s start from the beginning I wanted to shoot, which comes with the benefit of not paying inheritance tax, now I do.

“People like me will simply put it in a trust, and so long as I live for seven years that’s fine. As my daughter says, you might be in a deep freeze at the end of it, but you will live for seven years. It is incredibly time consuming to have to do that, why should all these people have to do that, why should they?” Jeremy added that the “only reason’” Rachel Reeves bought in the inheritance tax on farmers was to “stop wealthy people using it”.

Earlier today, the Top Gear star admitted he was flouting his doctor’s orders by attending the rally after being warned not to put himself in ‘stressful’ situations. However, the outspoken petrolhead was determined to make his voice heard in Westminster, even though he was rushed in for an emergency heart operation only last month.

Farmers are staging protests calling for the Government to scrap its changes to agricultural inheritance tax. Protests already erupted outside the Welsh Labour conference over the new taxes for farms worth more than £1 million, which have been fulled by uncertainty about Treasury figures the Budget bombshell is based on.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members – three times as many people as originally planned – to urge backbenchers to stand up to the Government’s plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.

And thousands more are expected to join a separate rally in Whitehall as they protest against last month’s Budget, which also sped up the phase out of EU-era subsidies as funding is switched to nature-friendly farming schemes.

Farmers have reacted with anger to the inheritance tax changes for farming businesses, which limit the existing 100% relief for farms to only the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property.For anything above that, landowners will pay a 20% tax rate, rather than the standard 40% rate of inheritance tax (IHT) applied to other land and property.

Mishal Husain, who has worked on the Radio 4 Today programme for 11 years, is said to be getting ready to step down from her role – and there talks are underway regarding a new job

BBC broadcaster Mishal Husain is reportedly preparing to step down from her Radio 4 Today show after 11 years.

According to reports, talks are underway with BBC bosses about finding a new role for the journalist, who joined the show in 2013. Ms Husain is now abroad filming a BBC TV show but is due to return to Today shortly.

The broadcaster, who was paid up to £345,000 last year, will remain on air into the new year but after that, she is expected to take some time off. It is unclear whether she will re-join in a permanent capacity afterwards. A source said the BBC is working closely with Ms Husain as she is “very highly thought of” within the company.

Mishal Husain joined the Radio 4 programme 11 years ago ( 
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BBC)
The source told The Times: “After 11 years Mishal has reached the point where the 3.30am alarm call is no longer a welcome noise. She is very highly thought of and there will be an extremely big effort to make sure that she’s accommodated well elsewhere.”

The journalist presents the show, which discusses news and current affairs, alongside Emma Barnett, Justin Webb, Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson. The broadcaster previously hinted at her exit from the show in an interview with The Sunday Times in June during which she said she was “thinking about what is beyond Today” and was “wondering what the next act of my career might look like.”

Ms Husain with Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak during the election debate at Nottingham Trent University in June ( 
Image:
BBC via Getty Images)
Her career began at the age of 18. She initially worked as a city reporter in Islamabad, before gaining work experience at the BBC producing several stints. Her job on Radio 4’s Today Programme began in 2013, where she worked alongside co-host John Humphrys. The star is also a familiar face on the BBC News at Six, the weekday edition of the BBC News at Ten and during major breaking news stories.

Earlier this week, presenter Zoe Ball announced her departure from the Breakfast Show and confirmed that Scott Mills would be replacing her in the New Year. It has been reported that one of the driving factors to Zoe stepping down as was the death of her mum Julia in April. Zoe took time away from her show in March, so that she could be at her mum’s side.

A source said the BBC is looking for new opportunities for the presenter ( 
Image:
BBC)After returning briefly to radio in August, Zoe took another extended break in September, when it is believed she took stock of her life and made her decision to quit her show. Zoe succeeded Chris Evans in 2019 and her final broadcast is scheduled for December 20.

Updating listeners on her next steps, she said that she wasn’t “going to be a stranger” and is staying with her “Radio 2 crew”, though didn’t share any more details. Zoe said: “While I’m stepping away from the Breakfast Show, I’m not disappearing entirely – I’ll still be part of the Radio 2 family, with more news in the New Year.”

Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley were back to front Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

Richard Madeley unexpectedly left the Good Morning Britain studio on Tuesday.

During the weather segment, Richard went outside as he wanted to see if it was snowing – and much to his delight, it was.

As he returned to the studio, Susanna Reid said: “Richard, are you reporting from the scene?”

“It is absolutely tipping down with snow outside; it has just started about five minutes ago after you first spoke…nothing, and suddenly it has happened,” Richard beamed.

“We will show you the pictures in a minute, it is really heavy.”

Susanna chipped in: “Can I recommend that next time you go out with a coat.”

Richard Madeley walked out of the studio ( 
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ITV)
The host laughed as Richard continued: “This is live television, Susanna, every minute counts, there was no time to put a coat on. I suffer for the news.”

Following the unexpected moment, fans took to social media to share their own videos and pictures of snow in their areas.

“Snowing where I live as well now after a night of heavy rain,” one viewer wrote.

“We have snow in Hertfordshire and it’s settling,” another shared while a third added: “Snowing in Billericay, Essex.”

Richard Madeley went outside to see if it was snowing
Elsewhere in the show, Richard left Susanna with her head in her hands after he “broke” Ofcom rules. The moment unfolded as they were discussing Ed Sheeran’s recent admission regarding the upcoming 40th anniversary re-release of Band Aid.

The singer, who appeared on the charity single in 2014, has confessed he would’ve declined to have his vocals used for the track.

With Sir Bob Geldof speaking out about the backlash, Susanna told ITV viewers he hasn’t held back when sharing his thoughts on the matter.

“He’s been very trenchant, we can’t repeat them but he’s basically said, ‘if this is patronising colonial my backside’. Except he didn’t say backside, it rhymes with farts,” Richard stated.

Clearly taken aback by her co-star’s strong words, Susanna burst out laughing and put her head into her hands.

She replied: “I’m not sure we avoided the Ofcom ruling on that one!”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

Chris McCausland has confirmed he’ll be sticking with his own stand-up tour, Yonks, in January and February next year

He’s the standout star of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing but Chris McCausland has confirmed he will not appear in the show’s live tour from January.

The bookies now have him as the runaway favourite to win after scoring his first 10s in Blackpool last weekend and, if they are right, Chris will be the first winner not to join the tour since it began in 2008. But the Liverpool-born comedian has a very good reason – the dates clash directly with his own stand-up tour which he’d already shifted to take part in Strictly in the first place.

Now the star, who is partnered with Dianne Buswell, is refusing to let down the thousands of fans who have bought tickets to see him perform all over the UK in January and February.

Strictly Come Dancing duo Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell dazzled once more on Saturday evening, this time wowing the audience at the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom ( 
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ITV)
A spokesperson for the comedian, who has been blind since his twenties, said: “Chris has already shifted the dates of his tour to do Strictly and that wasn’t an easy thing to do. There were a lot of disappointed people and it was stressful – we got a lot of messages. So he couldn’t move them again, absolutely not.

“Everyone has been very straight about this all the way along the line. It’s a great shame, because he’d love to do the tour, but Chris is not available. He said at the point of signing up that he wouldn’t be able to do it, that it wasn’t going to be possible, it was always clear.

“The lovely thing is no one could have foreseen just how well it was going to go for him on Strictly. No one thought he’d get this far. But having already moved his tour dates once to accommodate the show, he is unable to do it again. His own tour was pre-planned and came first. There’s no way it can be moved for a second time, that just wouldn’t be fair on his fans.”

Dianne and Chris had a great time in Blackpool as Strictly Come Dancing celebrated its 20th anniversary ( 
Image:
BBC)

Chris and Dianne wore silly glasses as they goofed around in Blackpool ahead of performing their American Smooth, which got 37 points ( 
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It comes after the funnyman, 47, last month added 100 extra dates to his tour, which now runs from January 2025 to April 2026. Most of the original dates have sold out. But his non-availability is a headache for both Strictly tour bosses and BBC Studios, who fear it could have a knock-on affect on ticket sales. It also calls into question Craig Revel-Horwood’s assurance that the event, which charges between £35 and £100 for tickets, will allow fans to see “their favourite celebrities and dancers up close and personal.”

On Saturday in Blackpool Chris and Dianne scored their first 10s of the series from judges Anton du Beke and Shirley Ballas for their American Smooth, reducing Dianne to tears of joy. Shirley told Chris that he had the “best feet I’ve seen in a long time” while Anton described it as “exquisite”and said he’d be amazed it anyone did better.

This weekend is another big one for Dianne, because her parents have flown in from Australia to be in the audience for their Paso Doble to Manuel Panella’s El Gato Montes. The Strictly Live Tour claims to capture “all the joy” of the TV series while also promising to give audiences “the chance to experience everything they love about the TV show live on stage.”

The Strictly Come Dancing judges have been blown away by Chris’s ability to dance, with Shirley telling Dianne she was doing a magnificent job of teaching him ( 
Image:
PA)Launching it, Craig declared: “It’s going to be bigger and better than ever before. Audiences will be able to enjoy all of the glitz and glamour of the TV show and see their favourite celebrities and dancers up-close and personal. And with Motsi joining us for the first time, it’s going to be even more FAB-U-LOUS!”

Every TV winner since the live tour began in 2008 has appeared on the tour from Tom Chambers, who won that year, to the most recent, Ellie Leach. The very first tour featured a mixture of contestants from the first five series, including series three winner Darren Gough. Other previous winners, including Jill Halfpenny and Mark Ramprakash also appeared on the tour several years after lifting the glitterball trophy.

The only winner since the tour launched not to take part is Bill Bailey, because the Covid pandemic meant it was scrapped in 2021. Those to have participated in recent years include Hamza Yassin, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Kelvin Fletcher, Stacey Dooley and Joe McFadden. Prior to them came Ore Oduba, Jay McGuinness, Caroline Flack, Abbey Clancy, Louis Smith, Harry Judd, Kara Tointon and Chris Hollins.

This morning Ladbrokes have Chris as the “runaway favourite” to win at 1/6, with Sarah Hadland the nearest challenger at 6/1, and Tasha Ghouri at 14/1. A spokesperson said: “Chris McCausland seems to be running away with the competition this year – punters only see one winner.”And William Hill agreed, commenting: “There’s no stopping Chris McCausland – the comedian seems to already have one hand on the glitterball trophy.

Dianna Buswell was thrilled to see her father in the Strictly Come Dancing audience on Saturday night.

Tess Daly halted Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night so that Dianne Buswell’s dad could send his daughter a special message.

The host began: “Now, since week three, Chris and Dianne have had one goal – to dance live in front of Dianne’s parents.

“Mark and Rina, here they are all the way from Australia, it is so lovely to see you. On behalf of all of us, the warmest welcome to you.

“I mean we all feel like family at this point, we really do. I know you have waited seven years for this to see Dianne live.

“Would you mind doing the honours, Mark, here you go.”

Dianne’s dad introduced her to the dancefloor
Dianne’s dad read out: “Dancing the Paso Doble, here is Chris and our Dianne.”

After Dianne and Chris McCausland took to the dancefloor to perform, Mark was left in floods of tears.

As Tess went to speak with Chris and Dianne, she pointed out: “Mark is crying, don’t make me cry, Mark.”

Turning to the judges for their feedback, Craig Revel Horwood told them it was “wonderful” but “lacked the Spanish fare of this dance.”

He stated: “I could see you going for it, however, knees were a little bit too high and you need a straight leg, but wow, strength of character there, that was a really solid performance.”

Chris and Dianne performed the Paso Doble
Motsi Mabuse told them: “I think this is what Strictly is about, it is such a beautiful gesture doing this for Dianne and this moment and you are sharing this together and it’s absolutely beautiful.”

However, the judge pointed out that “in some places it was wrong” to which Shirley Ballas interjected and asked “Where?”

The head judge commented she was “very impressed” with Dianne’s routine and “there wasn’t a step out of place”.

When it came to the scores, Chris and Dianne received a total of 33 points from the judges

On Sunday night, another celebrity will be eliminated from the competition after the dreaded dance-off.

According to the bookmakers, Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal are in danger of exiting the competition this weekend.