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The Sunday Brunch host has said his dad was his ‘hero’

TV chef Simon Rimmer recently spoke from the heart about his late father’s death, and the impact he had on his career and life as a whole.

Turning 60 had a profound effect on him. But it was only after his dad died that he was able to come to terms with it.

It’s not long since he opened up about making the biggest mistake of his life, when his daughter Flo was just a baby.

He and his wife Ali went through a “hideous” period of turbulence and stress. In its aftermath, he made her a teary-eyed promise never to inflict such financial pressure on her again.

Simon Rimmer and his wife Ali have been married for 28 years (Credit: SplashNews.com)

His dad dying brought Simon Rimmer’s life into focus

TV chef Simon Rimmer, 61, and his daughter Flo, 27, appeared on a recent episode of The Apple & The Tree podcast to talk about their shared family history.

He recalled how arriving at the milestone age of 60 had created an angst within him. And he was only able to come to terms with it after his dad died two months later.

He died two months after that, and it really brought me back into focus.

“60 was the only birthday I ever had that I was bothered about,” Simon told his daughter. “30, 40, 50 – they never bothered me.”

But he wasn’t happy, upon reaching 60. He felt like several parts of things were balancing on a knife edge, that “a lot of the sides” of his life were “almost teetering”.

“It was as though if things went the wrong way, the whole house of cards could come tumbling down,” he said. “I knew my dad was fading. I knew we were on borrowed time with him. He died two months after that, and it really brought me back into focus.”

Simon Rimmer’s portfolio now includes at least a dozen UK restaurants (Credit: Lorraine/YouTube)

His daughter was worried about his behaviour around his birthday

Simon and his wife Ali have been married for nearly three decades. He was in his early thirties when his daughter Flo was born.

A year later, the family finances were on the brink of collapse. Simon had just opened a third restaurant, and it was haemorrhaging money.

Flo now works in sales. She admitted that, around the time her father was turning 60, she was worried about his behaviour.

“You were quite emotional and sad,” she said. “You were regretful about certain things that had gone a different way, or where your life was.

“That made me quite sad because you’ve done amazing things. I remember saying to you that night, you need to take a step back and actually look at where you are and what you’ve become.

“Maybe you haven’t hit certain milestones, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t been successful.”

Simon Rimmer has been a regular on our screens for years, but he doesn’t often open up about his private life (Credit: Channel 4)

Simon owes his ambition to something his dad said when he was nine

By this point in the conversation, Simon was struggling to speak as he held back tears.

“When he died,” he said, speaking of his father, “we were all there together at his hospital bed. We got to say goodbye.”

He went on to explain that all of his drive, all of his ambition, “started when I was nine and my dad said to me: ‘If I had my time again: I would never work for anybody else.’”

“He told me he’d only do what he wanted to do. And I have never had a proper job,” he reflected.

“My dad was my hero,” he added. “He taught me everything about being a human being. I will never get over it. I never want to. That’s something I have learned about grief: you never want to get over it.”

Sunday Brunch airs on Channel 4 at 10am on Sundays.

The pair have been together for years

Ben Shephard recently made a rare admission about his home life with wife Annie Perks.

Beloved presenter Ben, 50, and Annie first met at university and ended up getting married in 2004. The happy couple have also welcomed two sons – Sam, 19, and Jack, 18.

And now, Ben – who is on Tipping Point today (May 31) – has revealed he has an “agreement” with Annie at home.

Ben opened up about his home life (Credit: ITV)

Ben Shephard and wife Annie

This Morning host Ben recently got people talking thanks to his photoshoot with eye-catching Men’s Health magazine.

The TV star stripped off for the magazine, as he recreated his previous cover 13 years ago. In the snaps, Ben can be seen smouldering to the camera while showing off his impressive physique.

Meanwhile, talking to the publication, Ben opened up about staying fit at 50.

He shared: “I’m much more conscious of the fact that I’ve probably got less time ahead of me than I have behind me – that’s the reality of it.”

The pair have been married for years (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Ben reveals wife’s ‘agreement’

The TV star also spoke about how his fitness journey has played into his home life with wife Annie.

“My wife does most of the cooking. And I’m turning around saying: ‘I’ve got to have enough protein,’” Ben said of his warning to Annie.

However, in a bid to get the perfect balance, the happy couple decided to put an “agreement” into place to stop Ben fretting.

Ben revealed: “We came up with an agreement – I’d get what I needed during the day, so I could enjoy our dinners together. You can leave stuff out that you don’t necessarily want, but we still want to share that moment in the evening.”

Ben praises Annie

Despite keeping their relationship relatively low-key, Ben has given fans an insight into married life over the years.

In November 2013, the presenter praised Annie for supporting him from the start of his career.

At the time, he told the Lancashire Post: “I fell into this bizarre world and got a job in telly. My wife’s been involved all the way through, which has been lovely, and now we’ve got kids and life goes on.”

He added: “I’m lucky I do a job that I absolutely love, but it can be erratic with hours and travelling, and we’ve got two little boys who take up a lot of time, so she does put up with a lot.”

She’s been with hairdresser Michael since 2017

Davina McCall is a UK television icon, from her decade hosting Big Brother to her presenting duties on ITV’s Long Lost Family and her role as a judge on The Masked Singer. But what do we know about her personal life with boyfriend Michael Douglas?

Hairdresser Michael, who has been with Davina, 57, since 2017, is set to appear on Katie Piper’s Weekend Escape on Sunday (June 1). And, although they don’t discuss their relationship often, they have dropped a couple of tidbits about their personal life…

Davina has been with Michael since 2017 (Credit: ITV)

Why Davina McCall and boyfriend Michael Douglas keep relationship private

Davina doesn’t often discuss her relationship with Michael. The presenter said previously that they have an agreement not to talk about it in public. She said: “We’ve got an agreement that I don’t talk about our relationship, because our exes and kids don’t have a right to reply, so it’s not fair. Privacy keeps our relationship special to us. There’s something lovely about it and that’s all it is. It keeps it really magical and I like that.

“I would never talk about how our relationship works, about arguments or even things like what we eat for breakfast and who drives the other crazy. I want to keep that for me,” she said. Davina added: “I will give you guys everything. But there are one or two things that I just want to keep to myself, and he’s one of them.”

Davina separated from her second husband, Pet Rescue presenter Matthew Robertson, in November 2017, the same year she began dating Michael. They went public with their relationship in May 2019, at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Davina gets her hair done by Michael in 2020 (Credit: Cover Images)

They’ve known each other for years

It’s thought that the couple have known each other for over 20 years, after Michael styled Davina’s hair for TV. It’s also thought that they worked on Big Brother together.

Davina told Fabulous magazine: “We just get on really well at work and we always have done – that’s never changed.”

Before they entered a relationship, Davina had called Michael one of her “favourite people” when sharing a link to a podcast he had appeared on.

Blended family and ‘devastating blow’

As a result of their long friendship, Michael had met Davina’s family and children before their relationship became a romantic one. Davina has two daughters, Holly and Tilly, and a son, Chester, with Matthew. Michael, meanwhile, has two sons with his ex-wife Tracey Douglas, previously friends with Davina, and Davina met them before they became a couple.

Friends told The Sun at the time that Tracey was “devastated” to learn that Michael and Davina began dating months after they ended their marriage. They said that she had no idea about the romance until it hit the papers.

They said: “Davina had met their children and was the last person Tracey ever thought Michael would end up with. The family had been there for Davina during her split with Matthew. And, Michael was very much a confidante to her.

“So Tracey knew all the ins and outs and was supportive. To find out they are dating, and that they’d been showing off their new relationship in public was an absolutely devastating blow for Tracey.”

They live and make a podcast together

Since January 2020, Davina and Michal have hosted a podcast, Making The Cut, together. Davina has said about the podcast: “I love doing the podcast with him. It’s basically an extension of what we’ve always done as friends, which is recommend things to each other.”

Davina and Michael moved in together in 2022, after five years of dating. She said on their podcast in January 2023: “I am quite enjoying being a new couple doing new things, because we are newly living together. It’s quite nice making new traditions because we did that before Christmas. We sat down together and talked about it: ‘Okay, blank space, what shall we make tradition from now on?’”

She’s paid tribute to Michael when making speeches after winning awards, too. After she won the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards in 2024, and thanked her loved ones, she turned to him and said: “Thank you, I love being on this journey with you. You make me a better person and you make me so happy.”

After she won Inspiration of the Year at the Inspiration Awards in 2023, she told HELLO! that she regretted not thanking him in her speech then. She said: “I didn’t say thanks to Michael, who’s my partner, in my speech. I feel sad about that because he makes me a much better person and he makes me skip to work in the morning and I’m very lucky to have that so I just want to say thank you to him as well.”

Michael nursed Davina back to health after brain surgery (Credit: Splash News)

‘So angry with him’

Devoted Michael also nursed Davina after she underwent brain surgery – even if she was annoyed with him when he pushed her back into work!

Paying tribute to her beau, Davina said: “Michael said to me: ‘I know you; I know how much you love work and how much it means to you.’ He said: ‘I know you’re scared. But this is the final piece of the jigsaw. And I think it’s gonna make a big difference when you go back.’

“I was so angry with him. But when I went back, at the end of the day I sat in the car and was like: ‘Yes!’ It felt so good to see everybody and to be back to normal. It felt like something normal I could do that I love.”

Former glamour model Katie Price has claimed she is discriminated against as she gave an insight into her life since being cleared of her two bankruptcies earlier this year

Katie Price believes she is discriminated against as she voiced her frustrations(Image: We Need To Talk/YouTube)

Katie Price has shared her frustrations following her two bankruptcies as she claims she is discriminated against. The former glamour model, 47, has been open about her financial woes over the years.

She has endured a tumultuous six years of money struggles, including two bankruptcies. The second of which happened following a significant tax debt of more than £750,000.

However, in March she revealed she has been discharged from this – and is now ready to enjoy successes in the future. Katie, who once had a fortune of £40million, has still been hit by the consequences of her bankruptcies despite being cleared.

Katie has been declared bankrupt twice(Image: Getty Images for The Cambridge U)

The mum-of-five has revealed her financial situation is still hammering her life, having moved out of her Mucky Mansion last year. Following the move, Katie admitted she struggled to find somewhere else to live.

She has claimed estate agents held a “black mark” against her name due to her well-known finances. Katie said she would receive calls from agents explaining properties had been rented to someone else after she expressed interest, yet claims they were still up for rent.

It has left Katie believing she is being discriminated against as she tries to move forward. Speaking on the Katie Price Show podcast, Katie said: “I love it how I have gone through all what I have because I will get there again.

“I just have a problem with when you have been in a bankruptcy, you just can’t get anything. It is so annoying because I earn such good money. I earn, like I did back in the day, really good money but it makes no difference if you earn the money.”

She explained: “Once you get that black mark against your name, there’s nothing you can do. Even when I go to rent a house, as soon as they know its my name, it is discrimination.

“They are like ‘Oh no, no’ and I am like ‘Oh is it because of what you’ve read?’. Does it really matter, I have got the money and I can pay upfront. It’s the name that puts people off and it’s such discrimination.”

Katie was first declared bankrupt for a year in December 2019, despite her worth being estimated at £40million at the time.

She agreed to pay an eyewatering £12,000 a month to creditors in a bid to dig herself out of debt. Unfortunately, this plan proved unsuccessful, and in July 2020, Katie was back in court at a bankruptcy hearing, where she revealed she was living in rented accommodation which was costing her £4,200 a month.

In March 2024, Katie was declared bankrupt a second time during a short hearing at London’s Rolls Building, Insolvency and Companies Court.

At the hearing, it was heard that Katie owed £761,994.05 to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and that she had not responded in regards to the debt.

Earlier this year, Katie revealed she has been discharged from her bankruptcies as she celebrated: “I’m so happy. I can finally move on and leave these bankruptcies behind me, focusing only on the positive. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this process.”

Davina McCall, Kelly Osbourne and Claire Sweeney were among stars cheering on DJ Fat Tony and Stavros Agapiou as they got married on Saturday – with Boy George acting as Master of Ceremonies

DJ Fat Tony and Stavros Agapiou are officially married(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage)

Details of DJ Fat Tony and Stavros Agapiou’s lavish wedding have been revealed now the couple have officially tied-the-knot. The couple swapped vows in front of friends, family and A List stars on Saturday.

Night club DJ Tony, whose real name is Tony Marnach, 58, and creative director Stavros, 32, held a ceremony at Limelight nightclub in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue – a venue where Tony’s track-spinning career began back in the 1980s. The wedding was presided over by Boy George, who served as Master of Ceremonies.

Among the star guests were Davina McCall, Kelly Osbourne, Neneh Cherry, Patsy Palmer, Claire Sweeney and David Furnish. The grooms wore custom Dior suits, and the wedding guests were ferried by taxis to a nearby hotel for a lavish reception and after party.

DJ Fat Tony and Stavros Agapiou were seen walking out of the ceremony after tying the knot(Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)

The couple have also posed for photographs with HELLO! magazine – to whom they gave an interview. During their marriage chat, Tony explained exactly why he picked the nightclub venue as the location for his big day.

He told the outlet: “So much went on in that building that was a big part of my life and we really wanted it to be a full circle thing. We wanted to celebrate our love with the people we love around us.”

Further details are set to be shared via the magazine on 9 June. Ahead of the wedding, a number of celebrities took to social media to share their excitement about the big day. Brookside icon Claire Sweeney was one such star – taking to Instagram to share snaps of herself posing in a shimmering summer dress.

The 47-year-old soap star posed in a dress by Eliza Jane Howell Evening Wear. The gown shimmered with sequins and included a floral design, and she beamed as she posed for photos, which she shared online.

Posing with her son Jaxon, 13, whom she shares with her ex Daniel Reilly, the star wrote: “Ready for the wedding of the year @dj_fattony_ @stavrosagapiou.”

Others from the worlds of fashion, music and reality shows were expected to join the ceremony. A list icon Kate Moss and former The Only Way Is Essex star Gemma Collins were tipped to be taking on roles of bridesmaid at the wedding, while other reports suggested Claire too would be in the role of a bridesmaid.

The Daily Mail claimed: “The event is said to be taking place at a church in West London, with the likes of David and Victoria Beckham and David Furnish mingling alongside Alison Hammond and Jedward, while Tony previously revealed that he wanted Boy George as his best man.”

And a source told The Sun: “Tony is one of the most popular people on the London celebrity circuit and his wedding is going to be packed full of stars.

“No one had Kate, Gemma and Claire in a bridal party on their bingo cards this year, though. It’s going to be incredible to see them lining up together.”

They added: “Tony and Stavros have put a lot of thought into their big day, and it’s going to be one to remember. As for having Kylie singing at their evening do, it’s iconic.” The couple also marked their wedding day with a social media post.

The professional DJ shared a slide with the words “Love Wins” written alongside the names Tony and Stavros as well as the date. He added in a caption: “Here we stand at the beginning ………. The happiest chapter of my life.”

EastEnders and Emmerdale were the joint shows to beat at the 2025 British Soap Awards as both had an impressive 13 nominations over 12 categories each – but the BBC soap proved triumphant on the night

The full winners list of the British Soap Awards 2025 has been unveiled(Image: PA)

EastEnders were the big winners at tonight’s British Soap Awards, taking away the top gong. Named Best British Soap, they beat Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks to the coveted accolade.

Walking away with eight awards in total, Steve McFadden picked up Best Dramatic Performance and Best Single Episode for Phil Mitchell’s psychosis. It comes in the soap’s 40th anniversary year.

Hollyoaks got three awards, Emmerdale got two and Coronation Street walked away with one – the Outstanding Achievement Award to David Neilson, who has played Roy Cropper for 30 years. The biggest names in soapland dazzled on the glitter carpet – with Hollyoaks actress Jorgie Porter and Corrie favourite Tina O’Brien both looking sensational in the same dress, a sparkly Oh Polly number.

EastEnders icons Gillian Taylforth and Anita Dobson were in attendance at the awards(Image: PA)

Speaking before she was presented with the scene of the year award, EastEnders legend Anita Dobson said: “It was just perfect.” And asked if she could return again, she said: “I don’t think so, although I should say never say never, it would have to be something extra special.”

Gillian Taylforth, who plays Kathy Beale, added: “It was just brilliant, although none of us knew that she was coming back! We’ll need Ange back if anything ever happened to Kathy, not that I want it too.”

Hosted by Jane McDonald, telly favourites Sir David Jason and Larry Lamb presented awards at London’s Hackney Empire.

The awards were back after being cancelled last year. Watch the British Soap Awards 2025 on Thursday 5 June via ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm.

The British Soap Awards 2025 winners list in full;

BEST BRITISH SOAP

EastEnders

BEST LEADING PERFORMER

EastEnders: Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater)

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR

EastEnders: Navin Chowdhry (Nish Panesar)

BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE

Coronation Street: Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt)

BEST FAMILY

Hollyoaks: The Osbornes

BEST DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE

EastEnders: Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell)

BEST SINGLE EPISODE

EastEnders: Phil’s Psychosis: The Mitchells In 1985

BEST ON-SCREEN PARTNERSHIP

EastEnders: Rudolph Walker & Angela Wynter (Patrick & Yolande Trueman)

BEST NEWCOMER

Hollyoaks: Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne)

BEST STORYLINE

Hollyoaks: Sibling Sexual Abuse

BEST YOUNG PERFORMER

Emmerdale: Amelia Flanagan (April Windsor)

SCENE OF THE YEAR

EastEnders: Angie Watts’ Shock Return

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

David Neilson presented by Julie Hesmondhalgh

THE TONY WARREN AWARD

Emmerdale – MIKE PLANT

Brooklyn Beckham’s balls of steel, Jeremy Clarkson’s latest folly, a Lowe blow for The West Wing’s Rob, and a likely new victim in Loose Women’s bloodbath, columnist Jessica Boulton brings you Jess Saying, her wry and witty rundown of the past showbiz week…..

Who would have thought a dashcam video could cause so much trouble? For the drama of the showbiz week got off to a racing start on Monday, thanks to Brooklyn Beckham, his wife Nicola Peltz and their ongoing feud with his ma and pa, Posh and Becks.

It all started when the nepobabies posted a very ‘pointed’ video of themselves enjoying a loved-up motorbike ride through LA last weekend – and by the start of this week it was all anyone could talk about on social media.

The video and its loved up soundtrack, was seen by many as a clear message from chef/photographer/filmmaker/influencer/nepobrat Brooklyn to his long-suffering mum and dad Victoria and David Beckham. That message was clear: Thanks for the lavish lifestyle, probable £125million inheritance and hooking me up for jobs with all your high-profile friends….but I’m Team Peltz.

Brooklyn Beckham vows to ‘always choose’ Nicola Peltz in caption to this cringeworthy Instagram video ( 
Image:
instagram.com/brooklynpeltzbeckham)

The controversial motorbike video showed them riding through LA to a soppy soundtrack – and even soppier captions on their associated Instagram post ( 
Image:
@brooklynpeltzbeckham/Instagram)
Brooklyn then went and ramped things up a gear by adding a super-soppy caption addressed to his wife, in which he cooed – **WARNING: SICK BAG REQUIRED** – “I always choose you, baby.”

Insiders on one side of the Posh and Becks V Peltz alleged feud, claimed it was a veiled dig at his parents; insiders on the other, claimed it was a completely innocent declaration of love which Brooklyn just happened to share with his 16.3m followers on a day when his family fallout just happened to be making global headlines. Ahem. I’ll say one thing for Brooklyn: His dad might be Goldenballs, but Brooklyn’s clearly got balls of steel to go so public.

Just Potty Tuesday

Talking of child stars….Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout may not be household names yet….But they soon will be. Because these three lucky, lucky British kids have just won the Hollywood lottery. Yes, they’ve been selected from an open casting call of 30,000 children to be – wait for it – the new Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

L-R: Arabella Stanton (the new Hermione), Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), and Alastair Stout (Ron) ( 
Image:
HBO)
That’s right: one day, these three were going to school and doing the odd bit of acting at a weekend drama club and then – poof! just like magic – the three 9-11-year-olds had landed new roles in the upcoming big-budget HBO TV series and were on the Hogwarts Express straight to a life of fame, riches and A-List perks.

Naturally, my first thought was….“ Oh my gosh, am I seriously jealous of a bunch of nine-to-11-year-olds?” (Yes, Yes I am). And then, more importantly, what exactly does this mean for Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and co? They’ve been the faces of those iconic characters for 25 years and feature on untold billions of bits of merchandising. So how’s it going to feel for them when a whole new generation of fans talks about the half-blood prince and doesn’t picture Radcliffe at all?

Their replacements weren’t even born when the last Potter movie was released in 2011. And when the spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hit screens in 2016, they were only toddlers at best. That’s more of a mindboggler than a pint of polyjuice.

All that brings me to two very disturbing realisations:

There’s a packet of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans at the back of my cupboard which is older than the new Harry;
This guy (below) is no longer the only one feeling a bit old hat….

The Hogwarts’ Sorting Hat

LGBTQEIEI…O Wednesday

You can’t mention JK Rowling without plunging headfirst into the Trans rights row. But the pro-trans rights lobby found itself a very unlikely ally this week: Mr Jeremy Clarkson.

For in the latest episode of Clarkson’s Farm, farmer Kaleb Cooper was seen explaining some interesting news to the former Top Gear host: Endgame, his prize bull, was gay and one of the piglets was possibly trans. Quite how Kaleb knew this, is about as clear as mud (that the piglet was playing in). But how lovely that someone so, um, ‘ Clarkson-like ’ as Clarkson has such an inclusive farmyard.

I mean, who would have thought? A gay bull, some trans pigs and a morbidly-obese donkey all under one roof?

Oh, hang on, my mistake. Diddly Squat is home to a giant ass.

But he doesn’t live in the barn.

Loose Lips Thursday

Nadia Sawalha might have been a bit rash when she decided to livestream on Thursday. Because if there’s one thing you probably shouldn’t do when your show’s about to implode….Is throw petrol on the fire (and blow yourself up along with it).

But Loose Women star Nadia bravely/stupidly wasn’t pulling any punches when she let rip about the savage ITV daytime cuts in a new social media video she posted this week. Speaking alongside her producer husband Mark Adderley, the former Mirror columnist started by tearfully blasting the ‘hundreds” of “brutal” redundancies.

“I cannot tell you how upsetting it was to see people walking around numb with shock and fear about what they are going to do,” she said. “It’s brutal.”

Don’t get me wrong, it’s admirable Nadia’s speaking out. But when Loose Women’s about to turn into a bigger bloodbath than your average soap wedding, one wonders if it was the wisest thing to do.

And yet, Nadia continued. And amazingly, she even decided to save HR the trouble of digging out her contract, to check her employment terms. “We are all freelance,” she told fans. “I could be let go tomorrow, in five years, you don’t know because we’re not employees.”

Nadia Sawalha’s lifestream with hubby Mark Adderley. Inset, what she should be wearing considering how loose lipped she’s being…..
I don’t know what you’re thinking Nadia, but with the way you’re going, I figured I best send you this snazzy t-shirt (inset, above). Now you can have a target on your front….to match the one you’ve just put on your back.

Gazza gets booked Friday

Someone’s looking on top form! Yes, Gazza is making a comeback after embarking on a new fitness regime – and looks healthier than ever. The footie ace, 58, has a newfound enthusiasm for cycling, fishing, tennis, and – surprise, surprise – penning books.

Gazza says he’s the happiest he’s been in years ( 
Image:
Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

….And now he’s preparing to show the world the real him in what promises to be an explosive new tell-all, when it hits shelves this October ( 
Image:
Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
For the star has just announced he’s going to be doing his first tell-all autobiography in 20 years, as he finally feels ready to show people the “real” him. It’s good news for the fans. But there’s one person the former Lion’s a little worried to think will be reading it: Mamma Gazza. “There’s laughs, tears, madness – and probably a few things I’ll regret saying once me mam reads it,” he admitted.

Never mind, Mrs Gascoigne – I’m sure whatever Paul has to share, it won’t be the most embarrassing thing he’s ever put you through. No, that ship sailed 35 years ago….Not with his famous tears on the pitch at Italia 90. But with our infamous tears over his pitch…on THAT 1990 single. “Fog On The Tyne, is all mine, all mine,” he ‘sang’. So my question is: if that was true, why didn’t he just do us all a favour and keep it to himself?

Picture of the Week

*Thirst Trap: Def. [noun] A snap that makes you stop in your tracks on social media. Usually involves a six pack – but only of the abs variety. Demonstrated superbly above by Rob Lowe, 61, and son Johnny, 29. ( 
Image:
rob lowe / instagram)
As family traditions go….I don’t hate it. For Rob Lowe is no stranger to an Instagram ‘thirst trap’* and it seems he’s now got his lookalike son Johnny, 29, involved. The pair, who star together in Netflix’s comedy Unstable, shared this snap of them showing off their abs in a post-workout snap this week. And despite being 61, I’ve got to say…. Rob’s still looking hotter than St Elmo’s Fire.

The West Wing star captioned the shot: “Lowe family tradition: self indulgent shirtless gym photos.” It seems not everyone is buying into the tradition though. Rob’s other son Matthew, 32, made a very cheeky quip, saying: “Why does it look like you photoshopped your head on [Johnny]”? Ouch. I’m guessing that’s what you call a Lowe blow?

Jess a little one

Aww, just look at that happy face! And those puppy dog eyes! He’s such a good, good boy, isn’t he?… And – yes – the dog’s cute too. (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Dr Janey Lowes of WCare with pup and Ben Fogle

Yes, the lovely Ben Fogle is proving an all-round Mr Nice Guy again after signing up as the new patron of WECare. The charity is run by former Daily Mirror Animal Heroes winner Dr Janey Lowes, and has helped 25,000 Sri Lankan street dogs, be it through with neutering and vaccination programmes aor treating injuries. Presumably Ben’s role as patron includes many official duties, but if cuddling the patients is one of them… these pups are some lucky sons of a you-know-wotsits.

‘Today is not a good day’

Fans of Dick Van Dyke have shared their concerns over the actor’s health after he dropped out of an event last minute.

The 99-year-old acting legend was due to host a musical fundraising event, Vandy Camp, last weekend.

However, Dick had to cancel his appearance after getting “sick” – and concerns have since poured in for the award-winning actor.

The actor had to pull out of an event (Credit: CoverImages.com)

Dick Van Dyke drops out of event due to ‘sick’ health

Dick was expected to co-host the Vandy Camp event with his wife Arlene Silver on Saturday (June 28) at the Arlene & Dick Van Dyke Theater at Malibu High School.

Unfortunately, Arlene announced at the event that Dick was not having a “good day” and had to drop out of his appearance.

After walking on the stage, she told the audience she was “not the Van Dyke you’re expecting,” according to People magazine.

His wife announced the news (Credit: CoverImages.com)

‘Today is not a good day’

“I have to inform you that Dick is not up to coming to celebrate with us today. I’m sorry,” Arlene said.

She added: “When you’re 99-and-a-half years old, you have good days and bad days, and when you’re 40 years old, you have good days and bad days.

“Unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he’s sick that he can’t be here.”

Dick ended up attending the event via a livestream later on. Arlene also told his fans that Dick would be at the next Vandy Camp event “in person”.

Fans share their concerns

Following the news of Dick dropping out of the event, fans online rushed to X to share their concerns.

One person said: “Prayers that he’s feeling much better soon.”

Someone else wrote: “Please Please Please for the love of goddess, we have got to take care of Dick Van Dyke! He is American Entertainment Royalty of which there is very few left, Hollywood & NY are not producing any young up & coming entertainers close to his level.”

A third fan also penned: “Sending all my best wishes to Mr Dick Van Dyke at this time.”

Katie admitted if her “childhood had been different” she might have attempted to kill her ex-boyfriend

LOOSE Women star Katie Piper has revealed she considered murdering her ex-boyfriend and attacker after he raped, stabbed and arranged an acid attack on her.

The TV presenter was left with life-threatening injuries after the horrifying string of violent attacks in 2008, which saw David Lynch order a friend to throw sulphuric acid at her face.

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Katie has admitted she considered killing her ex after the attackCredit: Splash

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Katie travels to Louisiana in her new UKTV documentary series about prisonCredit: U&W
Katie has long been open about her fears of Lynch, 48, wanting to harm or even attempt to kill her again on his release, but she’s now admitted she’s also had to work through thoughts of killing Lynch.

Sitting down with a female inmate in her new series Locked Up In Louisiana, who was put behind bars for murdering her husband in what she claims was self-defence against long term domestic violence, Katie admitted: “I was beaten and raped, and then a couple of days later I had acid thrown in my face.

“I had that moment where I felt like he was beating me, he was going to kill me.

“I always thought if someone was going to kill me, I would defend myself, but what happened was I froze out of fear and I didn’t do anything to him and a couple of days later, somebody threw the acid at me.

“I spent a lot of time in hospital, it was very different from prison, but I spent a lot of time isolated and in bed thinking that I should’ve killed him.”

The former model has undergone hundreds of surgeries to repair her face and eyesight following the attack, which took place when she was 24 years old.

This year, she underwent a procedure to give her an “artificial eye”  to protect her damaged left eye.

Katie’s criminal ex, who organised an acid attack on her, could face release in the coming weeks after he was granted a parole hearing next month to discuss moving him to an open prison.

Lynch, 48, was put behind bars for life with a minimum sentence of 16 years in 2009 for instructing Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulphuric acid at Katie days after raping and stabbing her in a hotel room.

Lynch will appear before the parole board on June 3 and 4 to ask to be moved to a facility with greater freedom, which is a step closer to his release, which is currently due in two years.

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Katie travels to New Orleans for her new series on U&W, in which the Loose Women panellist sits down with female inmates accused of murder to discuss what pushes people to commit violent crimes.

Among them is Tonica Williams, 45, who was charged with second degree murder for killing her husband, and is facing a mandatory life sentence for a crime she claims was self-defence.

In the series, she reveals the relationship between her and her late ex-husband had long been abusive, having even “sent him to jail” on domestic violence charges before the altercation that killed him.

Reflecting on Tonica’s decision to kill her husband, Katie added: “I’d never experienced trauma or abuse until I was attacked, but that’s not the case for these women behind bars.

“Tonica first saw somebody shot and a dead body at the age of six, and I can’t comprehend what that must have been like and what that does to you.

“Lots of the women in this film were in a situation of kill or be killed, obviously that isn’t a path that I took but maybe if my childhood had been different, who knows?”

Katie Piper: Locked Up In Louisiana airs on U&W from April 27.

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Katie has undergone hundreds of surgeries after the horrifying attackCredit: Instagram

Ryan Thomas is back in Coronation Street tonight as Jason Grimshaw, but why did he leave in the first place and why is he back on the ITV soap?

Ryan alongside his co-stars Gareth and Sue(Image: ITV)

Ryan Thomas is back on the Coronation Street cobbles – nine years after Jason Grimshaw left for Thailand. The Corrie legend is back tonight, reprising his role as Jason after nearly a decade.

Ryan is back on the Cobbles amid a huge exit storyline for his mum Eileen Grimshaw, as actress Sue Cleaver quits her role on the soap after decades playing the iconic character. He returns tonight – but for a very specific reason.

“He’s struggling for money, his girlfriend left him, and he needs his mum. He says he’s come back for Eileen, but he really needs a cuddle and his safety net,” he tells us of his character’s decision to come back.

Ryan admitted he felt nervous about his return and it was a “shock to the system” being back. He said: “I couldn’t sleep the night before. Even though I’d been there half my life, I felt like the new kid at school. It took me half a day to get rid of the nerves. It was a bit of a shock to the system at first. I even went on YouTube to rewatch old scenes and got nervous.

Jason is back from Thailand!(Image: ITV)

“He’s embraced the Thai way of life. I wanted to come back in the builder’s outfit, but it made sense that he’s in a different phase of his life now. He is all linen trousers and bracelets and beads. It gives you a feel of this older Jason whose life is away from the Cobbles.”

Fans will be no doubt hoping that Jason might be making a permanent return to the show – but sadly, it has been confirmed his return will just be a brief stint to help Coronation Street fans say goodbye to Eileen.

“It was a mix of nostalgia and gratitude for what the show has done for me. When they told me Eileen was leaving, it felt right to be a part of that storyline for her and revisit where it all started,” he said.

Ryan says he has “no regrets” about coming back and admits it was “real fun” stepping into the character once again.

“I have no regrets. It’s been the perfect storyline and a real memory I can cherish. It felt like the old days, we’ve all been in the canteen, having lunch together and I had real fun,” he said of his return.

The specifics of Jason’s return are being kept under wraps – and how long he stays. He had originally left all the way back in 2016. At the time, he called his decision a big risk.

“It’s a risk to leave a show like Coronation Street. I was in a bubble for 16 years. I love the place, it feels like home and I miss people there. But I really enjoy my time out of Corrie, getting to do new things. There’s a time to spread your wings and I felt like that was the time for me. I was ready,” he told The Mirror about his decision to leave.