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Prince Harry’s regret as he’s halfway around the world in Royal Family’s hour of need

Princess Kate was unexpectedly admitted to hospital last week for abdominal surgery, while King Charles is to undergo a procedure on his prostate, leaving royal fans bereft

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020 (
Image: GETTY)

Prince Harry is reportedly filled with “guilt and regret” as he’s halfway around the world when the Royal Family need him most.

It was unexpectedly announced last week that the Princess of Wales had undergone major abdominal surgery at a private hospital in London, and would be recovering for up to two weeks. Royal fans were dealt another blow when Buckingham Palace revealed King Charles would also be admitted to hospital to have a procedure on an enlarged prostate.

Harry, who lives thousands of miles away in Montecito, California, with wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was said to be deeply upset over his sister-in-law’s operation, and both he and Meghan sent their well wishes in a private message. The Prince has been estranged from Princess Kate, brother Prince William and father King Charles since the Sussexes took part in an explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, and the rift was deepened when Harry released his memoir Spare last year.

Harry had a close bond with sister-in-law Princess Kate ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
It has been rumoured the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were planning on heading back to the UK this year in an effort to repair the fractured relationship they have with other senior members of the Royal Family, and Kate’s hospitalisation has put things into perspective for Harry. The Princess of Wales is due to spend 14 days recovering after major abdominal surgery, and 39-year-old Harry is feeling guilty and emotional for not being there for his family.

“Harry has been doing a lot of soul searching in the wake of this news, which caught him and Meghan totally off-guard and left them both in a state of shock,” a source told heat magazine. The Duke of Sussex is now “taking a huge step back” and “totally reassessing his feelings” towards his father Charles, big brother William, and sister-in-law Kate. “It’s stirred up a lot of guilt and regret,” the source added.

Harry is reportedly feeling ‘guilt’ over the estrangement with his family ( 
Image:
AFP/Getty Images)
As the monarch, 75, is also due to undergo a procedure on an enlarged prostate this week, Harry has been forced to look at “the bigger picture”, and he and Meghan have slowly realised they have “hurt a lot of people they really didn’t mean to” after they stepped down as senior royals in 2020. Harry’s explosive memoir Spare also rubbed salt in the wounds, as he discussed the infamous argument over bridesmaid dresses involving Princess Kate and Meghan, as well as a physical altercation with his brother William.

The father-of-two, who was recently given a controversial flying honour, feels “uncomfortable” at the thought of being considered as a “traitor” to the family, after he gave tell-all interviews following the wake of his and Meghan’s dramatic exit from the family. But the source claimed it was “up to Harry and Meghan” to make the first move and repair the damaged relationship between the warring royals.

News of the Princess of Wales’ hospitalisation has made Harry see that reuniting with his family and “proactively mending bridges” is the way forward, rather than adding more drama to the tense relationship he has with his estranged relatives. “They’re still hoping it’s not too late,” the source added.

EXCLUSIVE: Lip reader on Prince Harry reveals his jubilant mood despite testy times for Royal Family

Prince Harry was quick to share his jubilant mood with Ziggy Marley last night in Jamaica despite the current testing times for him within the Royal Family, a lip reader has revealed

A skilled lip reader has analysed a new video of Prince Harry at the new Bob Marley movie premiere, with it being revealed that the Duke was in a jubilant mood despite testing times with the Royal Family.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were seen having chatting to Bob Marley’s family last night when they attended the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love in Kingston, Jamaica. The couple were seen smiling and holding hands on the red carpet and Harry even posed for pictures with Ziggy Marley, the son of Bob and Rita Marley.

And now a video of the Duke of Sussex chatting to Ziggy has circulated online, with a lip reader revealing exclusively to The Mirror what the Prince told Bob Marley’s son as they leaned in for a sweet embrace.

Harry was seen chatting to Ziggy at the Bob Marley: One Love movie premiere on Tuesday ( 
Image:
MEGA)
” Prince Harry hugging Ziggy Marley in Jamaica,” one person penned on Twitter alongside a video clip of the two famous men. In the video, Harry can be seen leaning in to Ziggy, with the pair sharing an embrace while Harry grinned, chuckled and said something while smiling widely.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, lip reader Jeremy Freeman has revealed that Harry said: “We did have a great time. You rock Bob Marley!”

Commenting on the video – which had no audio – fans have reacted to Harry and Ziggy’s sweet moment at the premiere in Jamaica. One person wrote: “Love this,” while another said: “That’s what we like to see. Harry and Meghan out here living FREE.”

“He is having the best time of his life,” penned a third. A fourth then added: “Look at my man! Prince Harry! This is the look of happiness! So glad to see the Sussexes supporting Jamaica.” And a fifth said: “Harry is so comfortable and easy… Him and Ziggy gonna talk later.”

This comes as the world reacts to the Sussexes’ surprise red carpet appearance on Tuesday. The couple were seen holding hands while they were all smiles in Kingston. Meghan wore a black strapless ballgown-style dress with her hair slicked back and in a bun, meanwhile, Harry was wearing a black suit with a white collared shirt underneath his blazer.

Loose Women star Brenda Edwards has revealed the dramatic way in which she keeps her gas bill down to a minimum – as she hasn’t put her heating on in five years

While many people are toying with the idea of whether or not to put the heating on amid a drop in temperature – it seems Loose Women star Brenda Edward s doesn’t have to worry about that dilemma as she made that decision five years ago.

During Tuesday afternoon’s show, the TV star revealed that despite the cold weather, she does not put her heating on and hasn’t put her heating on in five years. The musical star, 54, told viewers on the iTV daytime show: “I’ve never turned my radiators on in five years and I’m not turning them on. You know what the best regulator for heat is – clothing. Put on your clothes, take them off, layers. I know about layers.”

Brenda Edwards told Loose Women viewers that she has not had the heating on five years ( 
Image:
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Brenda’s revelation came after the panel – made up of Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan and Janet Street-Porter – were discussing thermostat spats, as many households argue over whether to put the heating on or not. Ruth then asked Brenda if she actually had heating in her home, to which the former X Factor singer replied saying: “I’ve got radiators I just don’t put them on. I pay the bills and I’m not paying.”

Brenda explained that before lockdown, when she was working in the theatre her heating would be on throughout the day and into the evening as he children were at home. She added: “And that would mean your heating is on 24 hours, I’m not having that. So I switch it off, a standard switch off, we’ve got hot water that’s all you need. What else do you need? If you need something else put on your clothes, put on your jumper, your cardigan.”

 

Last week, the TV personality announced she was set to start her debut directing role for Hairspray: The Musical. Beaming from ear to ear during last week’s show, she said: “I am excited because I’ve been offered by the producers of Hairspray my debut director role to direct Hairspray: The musical next year. I’ve played the role of Motormouth for like five years in this particular production and it was very overwhelming to be asked. At the time, when they asked me I thought about it and, at the end of the day, I am a product of an open audition so I suggested to them that I wanted to conduct open auditions to give opportunities and chances to people who might not necessarily have them.”

Brenda, who has previously played Motormouth Maybelle in three tours of Hairspray, will join the creative team alongside Paul Kerryson to direct a new production of Hairspray which will embark on a major national UK and Ireland tour in 2024. Speaking about her role, Brenda said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be invited by the producers to make my directorial debut on the show as a co-director with Paul Kerryson. Hairspray, and this production in particular, has been such a huge part of my life. The show’s story and themes are as relevant as ever and I cannot wait to hold the open auditions to discover a new cast and work together to present a vibrant new production of this timeless musical for everyone to enjoy.”

 

Loose Women’s Janet Street-Porter has revealed she feels ‘super anxious’ about her skin after suffering with shingles which she first though was just mosquito bites

Working hard producing and presenting TV shows, Janet Street-Porter was used to running on empty.

A non-stop schedule meant rest was not an option and she certainly didn’t have time to be sick. So in her late 40s, at a busy point in her career, she put a painful rash that started to develop around her waist down to mosquitos. “I’ve got really sensitive skin and if anything bites me I’ll come out in a big, hard lump,” explains the 76 year old. “When the rash started I thought something had bitten me.”

But to her surprise, Janet was diagnosed with shingles, a viral infection that causes a painful rash. She was told to rest and was given a liquid to paint on the rash. “I couldn’t believe it was shingles at first,” she says. “I couldn’t even bear my knickers and clothes touching the area. I didn’t know what to do. I became very emotional because you can’t stop the pain.

“It’s tingling nerve pain and it does your head in. Then you get this scab and it takes weeks to go. The liquid they gave me stung and felt like acid – though this was 30 years ago. My doctor told me to do as little as possible, but I couldn’t stop work as I was contracted to present shows.”

Janet was told to rest, but she couldn’t stop working ( 
Image:
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

“Having shingles threw me because with other problems I’ve had, you can see a path to recovery. But you get shingles and you’re told to do nothing.” Unusually, Janet, who remembers having chickenpox as a child, went on to develop shingles again in 2012. “It was mild compared to the first time and it cleared up relatively quickly.”

There was also a false alarm between cases. Janet, by now “super anxious” about her skin, suspected she had shingles again. “But it turned out I had fleas!” laughs the presenter, who had been filming a television report in a London squat. The presenter, who has now had the shingles vaccination, is working with pharmaceutical company GSK to raise awareness of shingles and the expanded NHS Shingles National Immunisation Programme.

“I want to encourage people to find out if they can get vaccinated,” says Janet. “There is a lack of information about shingles, and a reluctance to have yet another jab. People think you can catch it from other people and that’s completely wrong – it’s dormant in your body after you’ve had chickenpox and can reactivate when your immune system is low.”

Janet believes it’s especially important that older women look after their health. “We were talking about this on Loose Women recently – women in their 60s and 70s are working harder than ever, looking after grandchildren and in full or part-time work. We’re using our bodies more, placing them under more stress. Consequently, our health is even more important.

“Both times I got shingles I was working really hard. It’s especially the case with working women, if there’s something slightly wrong with your body, you tend to put it on one side and say, ‘I’m too busy to deal with that’. But if you leave it to progress to the next stage, it’s too late.” Not that she entirely learned her lesson about slowing down.

After surgery in 2020 to remove a basal cell carcinoma, Janet took herself straight back to the studio. “I went on Loose Women ­immediately with the stitches all down my nose to show people – you can’t even see it now.” Still working hard in her mid-70s, Janet is finally prioritising her health and, perhaps surprisingly for someone who has built a career on being opinionated, says silence has become increasingly important to her.

“I was in the Loose Women WhatsApp group for two hours and left because I couldn’t cope with the chat,” she reveals. After she was added to a new group for the Loose Women Live tour this summer, Janet swiftly bailed on that too. “You might find it entertaining but actually, I like silence. I like walking by myself. I read every day. I still lead basically the same sort of life, but I’ve built more silence into it.”

A fan of playing computer Scrabble to stay mentally agile, Janet found herself becoming more addicted than she was comfortable with. “I’ve had to cut it down because it was getting totally obsessive,” she says. “I was playing six times a day.” As for her physical health, the presenter is determined to stay agile with the passing years. “As you get older, you don’t want to become a shuffler,” she says. “I see some of my friends are shuffling – every time they get up from the chair, they make the ‘uh!’ noise.

The thing is to keep moving and active – you don’t have to do any formal exercise. I’m not Wonder Woman. “I’ve been blessed with relatively good health. I’ve only ever broken one bone, I’ve had a knee replacement and two spinal operations, but none of it stopped me. You’ve got to look on your body like an expensive piece of machinery. It is the most valuable asset that you have, don’t deny it something that can protect it.”

‌Get Shingles Ready is a campaign by GSK supported by Janet Street-Porter. Find out if you are eligible for the vaccine here.

Coleen Nolan and her sisters were honoured with a blue plaque at the Cliffs Hotel in Blackpool on Monday as Loose Women viewers were told Linda was in fine form

Coleen Nolan offered fans a little update about her sister Linda after the pair reunited with the rest of their family this week.

She spoke on Loose Women on Tuesday after the gang got together to mark a big moment. Coleen told her fellow panelists Janet Street-Porter, Ruth Langsford and Brenda Edwards all about the family reunion – and clearly Linda wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

The Nolans appeared at the official unveiling of their blue plaque which has been installed at the Cliffs Hotel in Blackpool to celebrate 50 years of the ground. It’s a very special venue for the sisters after they were spotted by an industry figure back on Christmas Day in 1973.

Coleen spoke about the reunion on Loose Women ( 
Image:
ITV)
Coleen said: “I found out all our nieces and nephews clubbed together and paid for the whole thing. So it was really, really an emotional day, you know as well as to have Linda there, and she looked great as well.” She went on to reveal that she took a trip down memory lane after photos were laid out of the band from when they were younger.

She continued: “They’d done the room up and printed out about 300 photos of us, my kids, from when we were little and we were performing on stage, oh my goodness.” Linda accepted she will never be cancer-free, but is thrilled to have recently learned that the disease is at bay.

Coleen can’t get over her sister’s ability to get up and keep fighting cancer after she’s been diagnosed multiple times. She said: “She’s unbelievable, you know. Cancer just hits her again and again and again and she just keeps going.”

Linda has reveals how Angela Rippon has inspired her new look amid cancer treatment. She wrote in her Mirror column that the Strictly Come Dancing star has set the trend and says it’s so uplifting to watch people have such a great time with the show “perfect medicine”.

“I have Angela Rippon’s eyebrows. Naturally I wish I had her legs, too, but that’s another matter,” she told readers. “It’s absolutely true. Eyebrows are a frontline defence in the fight against Mr Potato Head when you lose your hair, and so I got mine tattooed for the first time in 2014, and yes, asked for Angela’s.

“Hers were the eyebrows of my dreams. I first noticed them when she used to read the news, and now here I am watching them glide and gallop across the Strictly ballroom as she performs gobsmackingly. She’s as glamorous as always. So I’d like to say thank you, Angela, your eyebrows mean more to me than ever today, but also thank you, Strictly.”

Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has wowed fans with her latest appearance as she takes on a new role away from the ITV soap after 30 years of playing Eileen Grimshaw

Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver looks almost unrecognisable in her new role away from the cobbles.

The actress, who has played Corrie favourite Eileen Grimshaw for over three decades, isn’t leaving the ITV soap but has been allowed some time off to pursue new projects – just like when she took a break from filming last year to appear in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

This time around 60-year-old Sue will be swapping jungle nasties for rosary beads as she takes on the role of Mother Superior in the UK and Ireland tour of the Olivier-nominated production of Sister Act The Musical.

Announcing the news in a video post on Instagram where she donned a nun’s habit, Sue told fans: “Hi I’m Sue Cleaver and I’m playing Mother Superior in Sister Act. Today we’re here to do a photoshoot for the launch of the new Sister Act tour. So getting to meet everybody, getting into costume, having those pictures done. So, we’ve got lights, we’ve got cameras – and we’ve got a nun!”

Speaking about why she is taking on the role, Sue confessed it’s been over 30 years since she’s been on stage, but said theatre has always been her first love. She added: “I’m a real fan of Sister Act the film and the musical. I mean what’s not to love?

“This is a great experience for all the family. It’s very accessible, it’s fun, it’s uplifting. Yeah, everyone needs a bit of Sister Act in their lives.” As fans went wild for Sue’s upcoming appearance her former onscreen son Ryan Thomas, who played Jason Grimshaw in the soap, commented: “Can I come?”

Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver told fans about her new role ( 
Image:
Instagram)

She revealed she will be swapping the Rovers for rosary beads while she stars in Sister Act ( 
Image:
Instagram)
And it’s not the first time Sue has wowed fans with her changing appearance. The TV star, who appeared in Band of Gold and Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies before landing her Corrie role, revealed she has lost three stone recently.

She revealed she started to become more health conscious after collapsing on set and being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes back in 2011. Following the incident, Sue embarked on a health journey and transformed her diet – going from a size 16 to a 12 in 2019.

The soap star is said to favour a Mediterranean diet, which is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil and usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods.

In addition to eating better, Sue has also given up drinking alcohol after revealing she had been drinking “loads of wine” during the pandemic. She now no longer drinks at all and although she is often spotted in the Rovers Return in Corrie, she says being a pub is now her idea of “hell”.

Sue has lost three stone in recent years ( 
Image:
Instagram/Getty)“I went on HRT about a year and a half ago and realised I should have done that about five years ago. I was walking around in a bit of a fog and then I literally made some massive changes,” she told The Sun. Sue confessed she put on “a lot of weight” by drinking wine in lockdown. She added: “Then I did dry January and I thought: ‘I wonder what life would be like if I stopped completely?’”

Despite her recent transformation Sue had a health scare earlier this year. Appearing on Loose Women as a guest panellist, she shared she underwent a hysterectomy and said if she looked as if she’d lost any weight, it was because she had been rushed to hospital due to a health problem. As a result of her hospital trip, she was given emergency surgery but insisted she is doing much better now.

She explained: “I had a really bad year. I had a hysterectomy in March. Then a few weeks ago, I ended up in A&E, I don’t need to go into details, but it was a scary, scary time. I had surgery and ended up in intensive care.”

Despite her health problems, the actress went on to gush over how her fifties have been the happiest ten years of her life, adding she’s happy with herself and where she is now.

Janet Street-Porter has come under fire after posting a comment on social media following the tragic death of Friends star, Matthew Perry, who was found unresponsive in his hot tub

Loose Women’s Janet Street-Porter has been slammed for an insensitive tweet she made following the death of Friends legend, Matthew Perry.

The Chandler Bing star, 54, died at his home in Los Angeles over the weekend after being found unresponsive in his hot tub. Following the devastating news, a host of celebrities paid tribute to the troubled actor, including his Friends co-stars. However, Janet’s response to the tragedy has angered many of Matt’s fans.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, she said: “Am I the only person who has managed to live a fulfilling life without watching Friends?” The outspoken host was quickly criticised online with many asking why she felt the need to criticise the show after the actor’s tragic passing.

Loose Women’s Janet Street-Porter has been slammed for an ‘insensitive’ tweet she made about late Friends legend, Matthew Perry ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park)

Matt tragically died after being found unresponsive in his hot tub ( 
Image:
WireImage)
One enraged fan, said: “I haven’t either, but I am showing respect to the cast and viewers by not posting anything irrelevant or disrespectful to them. Remember the Be Kind campaign?????”, referencing a social media campaign that was launched back in 2017.

Another wrote: “No but you’re the only one who feels the need to tell everyone love. Maybe let people enjoy what they want to enjoy and remember a wonderful actor, bless your heart.” While a third replied: “I don’t think you are able to understand just how much this show was the background to a lot of our lives, sure it may not have been your thing but it really was/is escapism and a warm comforting hug away from the reality of life. Try it, it just got better and better.”

A fourth questioned the timing of tweet while a fifth quipped: “‘I think we must cancel each other out then Janet because I live a happy and fulfilling life having never watched Loose Women. Each to their own.” Matt will be remembered for starring in one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow.

On Monday, the cast of Friends said they were “utterly devastated” by the death of their beloved co-star in a statement released to People magazine, which read: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

They added: “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

Sarah, Duchess of York is swapping royal life for ITV’s Loose Women as she helps to launch their breast cancer campaign, following her own diagnosis earlier this year

Sarah, Duchess of York will be swapping royal palaces for the ITV studios as she joins the Loose Women panel.

The Duchess will appear alongside regulars Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan and Brenda Edwards as she urges women across the nation to attend their mammograms. It comes just months after the royal, 64, underwent a mastectomy after having been diagnosed with breast cancer herself.

On Thursday, the former wife of Prince Andrew will make her debut on the programme and open up about her diagnosis for the first time. The Duchess will sit alongside Brenda who in 2016 was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, while Coleen’s older sister, Bernie Nolan, passed away from breast cancer.

Sarah, Duchess of York will be joining the Loose Women panel ( 
Image:
ITV)
Ahead of joining the programme which will air on Thursday, the Duchess said: “I almost missed the screening appointment that saved my life. I couldn’t face a journey into London on a hot day this summer and it was only my sister Jane’s insistence that I went, that persuaded me. My cancer was completely symptom-free – I never found a lump and did not feel ill. My experience underlines the vital importance of getting screened when you’re called in. It’s a matter of grave concern that 1.2 million mammogram appointments have been missed, according to the latest figures, many of them during the pandemic.

“I am proud to be supporting the campaign by Loose Women, backed by NHS England, to persuade women to catch up on missed appointments and to turn up when they are called in. Don’t skip your screening – it could save your life as it did mine.” It was confirmed in June by a representative for Sarah that she was delivered the news following a routine mammogram.

The Duchess will open up about her own breast cancer ordeal ( 
Image:
ITV)
Shortly after, she went under the knife and had a single mastectomy at the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, Central London, which was hailed as a “success”. Now, the mum to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie has revealed she has named her new breast ‘Kevin’ as it makes her laugh.

Having spent four days in intensive care following the surgery, Sarah said: “I’m taking this as a real gift to me to change my life, to nurture myself.” According to research and support charity Breast Cancer Now, Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with 1 woman diagnosed every 10 minutes. Around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.

Loose Women has teamed up with Breast Cancer Now for their Don’t Skip Your Screening campaign, encouraging women to attend screenings and seek advice on any unusual changes that they discover on or around their breasts.

Sarah, Duchess of York, joins Loose Women on Thursday, November 2, from 12:30pm on ITV and ITVX.

Anyone looking for support or information can speak to Breast Cancer Now’s expert nurses via our free, confidential Helpline on 0808 800 6000.”

Madeleine’s father is Palestinian, and aside from helping her local community in Manchester and doing charity work the beauty queen will soon travel to a Palestinian refugee camp

It’s a bit of a cliche for beauty queens to call for world peace at pageants, but when Madeleine Roche was crowned Miss Great Britain last week, the first mixed-race winner in 78 years of the contest and proudly half Palestinian, peace was genuinely, and heavily, playing on her mind.

After five years of competing in the contest, she recalls the moment her dream finally came true. “I was just closing my eyes and really, really hoping that I’d hear them shout out ‘Madeleine’. When they did it was all a bit of a blank. I just remember thinking ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry. You’ll have really ugly pictures if you cry,” explains the 33-year-old, who is married to Shane Jr, son of the Mirror’s Coleen Nolan and EastEnders ’ actor Shane Richie.

But away from the pageant final, the Israel-Hamas conflict raged on, making her win bittersweet as she feels a responsibility to represent her people. “It’s been really hard when you’re seeing everything that’s going on over there. Any loss of life is really tragic and I found it really emotional, and it really did affect me, is affecting me, as I’m sure it is people all around the world… But hopefully I made my Arabic family proud. I’m just praying for there to be a peaceful solution,” she explains.

 

Madeleine’s father is Palestinian, and aside from helping her local community in Manchester and doing charity work the beauty queen will soon travel to a Palestinian refugee camp

It’s a bit of a cliche for beauty queens to call for world peace at pageants, but when Madeleine Roche was crowned Miss Great Britain last week, the first mixed-race winner in 78 years of the contest and proudly half Palestinian, peace was genuinely, and heavily, playing on her mind.

After five years of competing in the contest, she recalls the moment her dream finally came true. “I was just closing my eyes and really, really hoping that I’d hear them shout out ‘Madeleine’. When they did it was all a bit of a blank. I just remember thinking ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry. You’ll have really ugly pictures if you cry,” explains the 33-year-old, who is married to Shane Jr, son of the Mirror’s Coleen Nolan and EastEnders ’ actor Shane Richie.

But away from the pageant final, the Israel-Hamas conflict raged on, making her win bittersweet as she feels a responsibility to represent her people. “It’s been really hard when you’re seeing everything that’s going on over there. Any loss of life is really tragic and I found it really emotional, and it really did affect me, is affecting me, as I’m sure it is people all around the world… But hopefully I made my Arabic family proud. I’m just praying for there to be a peaceful solution,” she explains.

Madeleine in beachwear ( 
Image:
Instagram/madeleine_roche)
Madeleine’s father is Palestinian, and aside from helping her local community in Manchester and doing charity work the beauty queen will soon travel to Jordan to a Palestinian refugee camp where her grandparents lived after escaping war in her new role as Miss Great Britain.

“My family were displaced and they were forced to leave Palestine back in the fifties. My grandfather’s house was bombed and his father was killed and his family had to escape,” she says. “They actually lived in caves on the side of the mountain while they were waiting for an escape route.

“My grandmother and her family had to live in a fire station after their house was obliterated and they escaped to Jordan. They were refugees there and were granted Jordanian nationalities and passports because they were stripped of their Palestinian ones.” This will be an emotional experience for the newly crowned Miss Great Britain, but she knows the importance of using her platform to help others.

Madeleine after being crowned Miss Great Britain ( 
Image:
Instagram/madeleine_roche)
“I hundred percent feel so passionately about it. But equally I think it’s so important to take passion out of it and actually come with facts and figures and correct information, which is what I try and do and what I try to share on social media. But at the end of the day, it’s harrowing. Obviously peace and ceasefire is so important. And with that should come equality and basic human rights on both sides.”

Loose Women star Coleen, 58, was in the crowd when Madeleine was crowned winner and says she screamed louder than she ever has in her life. Madeline says: “I’d been practising my walk in Coleen’s kitchen; she gave me the space to do it. But they were so proud and so happy. They were all crying more than I was.”

Coleen, who has been joking she can call herself a Miss GB winner-in-law, said: “I cannot tell you how proud I am of my daughter in new Maddie becoming the new Miss Great Britain. Maddie was the best person for the job.” Madeleine has been competing in pageants since she was young, and this was her fifth attempt at the Miss Great Britain contest.

Madeleine on her wedding day ( 
Image:
Madeleine Roche)

She explains that she was emboldened to compete to show other girls that there are all different ways to be beautiful. “Growing up there wasn’t really anybody that looked like me in the media or anybody in pageants,” she says. “I thought that it would be amazing to be able to show my little sister and other women everywhere that there is a place for Arab girls.”

Madeleine grew up in Deal, Kent, where there were not many ethnic minorities. “There was my dad and his best friend and that was about it,” she says. “I was bullied a little bit when I was younger due to my ethnicity. So I think that gave me a bit of a step back as to what actually what beauty meant here. Just name calling unkind names.

Being from such a small, predominantly white town was quite hard.” However Madeleine explains that pageants helped her confidence to grow, as did the love of her husband Shane, whom she met seven years ago when his band played at a pageant she was competing in. “He taught me to be more fun, I used to be more uptight. I just prefer the version of myself when I am around him,” she says.

 

Coleen Nolan has revealed her children were ‘confused’ about her romance with Michael Jones after the Loose Women star struggled to commit to the relationship in the first year

Coleen Nolan has admitted that her children weren’t “sure” about her new boyfriend, admitting her own uncertainty about the relationship in its first year left the three young adults “confused”.

The Loose Women host is currently dating Michael Jones, after swiping ‘right’ on his Tinder profile during the Covid-19 lockdown. Their romance hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, however, with Coleen splitting from the supermarket logistics worker in April 2022 after one year together.

They have since reunited and even have plans to move in together when Coleen’s youngest child, Ciara, goes away travelling with her boyfriend in January. The reality TV star has now confessed that her lack of commitment in the first year of their relationship didn’t exactly help the 57-year-old integrate into her family.

Coleen and Michael have reunited after their split ( 
Image:
Instagram/coleen_nolan)

Coleen has revealed Michael will move into her home when her daughter Ciara goes travelling in January ( 
Image:
coleen_nolan/Instagram)
“The first year I was with Michael, they weren’t sure because, one minute I was all about him and the next I was saying I finished it, so they were confused,” the 58-year-old told OK! magazine. After they’d split, Coleen found herself desperately missing Michael and reconsidering their breakup.

The distance gave her the band singer the space to “sort my head out and accept that I deserve to be and can be loved like that,” after previously being cheated on by her first husband, Shane Richie. “But now I’m very different and Michael feels more secure, the kids get on great with him. They’re really supportive now, so it’s nice,” Coleen continued. “They were super protective of me so they didn’t want me to go back on the dating scene and jump, because they’ve seen me go through things before.”

Coleen with her three children, Shane, Jake and Ciara ( 
Image:
Coleen Nolan/Instagram)

Coleen has since admitted she never expected to fall in love again after enduring infidelity and two divorces in the public eye. “If someone had told me three years ago that I’d find love again I would have laughed hysterically! But I feel so lucky now that it’s happened,” she said. “It feels wonderful to be forging ahead with someone I love by my side. And if it doesn’t work out at some point then I know I can be alone too and still survive.”

Coleen has previously hailed Michael for boosting her self-confidence, revealing that she doesn’t feel the need to dress up for him. “I’ll be sitting there in my pyjamas with no makeup on, swollen eyes and a cold sore and he still looks at me like I’m the best thing since sliced bread,” she said. “Normally I’d be thinking, ‘I need to put make-up on or he won’t fancy me or love me!’ And Michael’s come along and he just looks at me like I’ve never been looked at before.”

Coleen was first married to EastEnders’ Shane Richie, with whom she shares two sons, Jake and Shane Roche Jr. She also has a daughter, Ciara, with her second husband, Ray Fensome. The pair split in 2017, after 11 years of marriage.