FOR Ezra Koenig, the critical response to Vampire Weekend’s new album has been more than satisfying.

Their fifth album Only God Was Above Us has been met with heaps of praise.

Michael Schmelling

Michael Schmelling

“I don’t want it to be important to me. But I can’t deny it’s a good feeling to know people have connected with the music and they get it,” says frontman Koenig.

It’s been five years since the band from New York put out Father Of The Bride, essentially a solo record by Koenig.

“It doesn’t feel like five years,” he tells me via a video call from his home in LA.

“Not at all. I was just doing an interview with Rick Rubin for his podcast and we went through our entire career, album by album.

“I remember how much pressure I felt to get Contra out within two years of the first album. Back then it felt like a long time but now, even though I’d like to release music more often, five years feels like nothing.”

Only God Was Above Us is the first album Koenig has written since he became a dad. He and his wife, actress Rashida Jones (daughter of music legend Quincy), had Isaiah five years ago.

“It’s always been important to me to come back to normal life as I don’t like to feel like a full-time musician,” says Koenig.

“With these long breaks, you get a chance to go back into regular life and being a parent is the ultimate regular life.

“You’re engaging in family life and responsibility. This will be an interesting year because I haven’t toured much since he was a baby.

“But, even back in the day, if I got home from tour, I’d be back to the laundromat or the supermarket to feel like I was connecting with real life again.

“But even that’s not quite as real as waking up early the next morning to drive to school.

“Our son is aware of what Mum and Dad do. My wife has done voices on some kids’ shows. There’s a cartoon of the Grinch where she does a voice and he got really obsessed with that for a while.

“And part of the reason the album took a long time is there were long periods where I’d go with my family to London and Tokyo, because Rashida had work in those places.

“I feel like I’ve really defeated my workaholism. Now, when I have time off, I really want to hang out with my family, and take long walks and read rather than lock myself in the studio.”

I feel like I’ve really defeated my workaholism

Koenig

Sonically, the new album is “dark and light” and the “most aggressive record Vampire Weekend have made”.

But Koenig says: “This album contains some of our most positive messages and my most optimistic worldview as a lyricist.”

The contrast can be heard on album opener Ice Cream Piano which begins with a muttered “f*** the world” before it transitions into a galloping indie romp.

The record finishes with the eight-minute epic Hope with its gentle message of acceptance and repeated refrain of “let it go” delivered with warming brass lines and a piano riff. It’s a heavenly album.

Koenig says: “I love having the dark and light together not because I like to be a smart ass but because I believe that’s the real texture of life. That’s what being human really feels like.”

The album is like a journey from a kind of uneasy attitude towards a type of acceptance and hope.

As a staunch supporter of US leftwinger Bernie Sanders during both his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, how does Koenig feel about the possible return of Trump as President?

‘Lot of admiration’

He says: “It’s nothing but chaos but whatever happens it’s about accepting the things you cannot change.

“I’ve never been in AA, but I know people who are and have a lot of admiration for it and I think whether you’re an alcoholic or not the Serenity Prayer can be very meaningful to all people.

“So many people on this planet have been through so many things and we have thousands of years of human history to take inspiration from.”

Father Of The Bride, Vampire Weekend’s 2019 album, was essentially a solo record by Koenig.

But for this new release drummer Chris Tomson and bassist Chris Baio are back on board, again working with producer Ariel Rechtshaid.

The singer tells me: “This album is the first time CT and I have a song, Gen-X Cops, we wrote together on it.

This album contains some of our most positive messages and my most optimistic worldview as a lyricist

Koenig

“Over the course of the band, I’ve been lucky that I’ve received a huge vote of confidence from both Chrises.

They trust me, as a songwriter and as a leader to take the band to good places.

Michael Schmelling

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“That stuff’s not always easy when you’re in your 20s. Famously, so many bands have personality conflicts, but I think we’ve reached a place where they have put their faith in me and I’ve put my faith in them.

“Over the course of five albums, we’ve done it so many ways.

“We’ve done four guys in a room; the singer and the producer hunched over a laptop, I did that with Rostam Batmanglij and I did it with Ariel.

“Vampire Weekend is always going to be a community and it’s not just three of us. It’s the live members and the team we work with including producers.”

The Surfer is another album standout that Koenig had originally worked on with former band multi-instrumentalist and producer Rostam.

We have thousands of years of human history to take inspiration from

Koenig

“Yes, that was one that Rostam and I started a long time ago and it was pretty different,” says Koenig. “The album version was more like Ariel and I working on new music.

“I’d never quite found the right place for it on an album, but I found myself returning to the lyrics I’d written and it was suddenly darker and slower and took on a life of its own. That song was kind of reborn.”

On the harmonious Prep School Gangsters — inspired by a New York magazine cover story from the 90s — Blood Orange aka Dev Hynes plays drums. Koenig is a huge fan.

He says: “I’ve just always loved Dev, he’s a great person to talk to. Whenever we’re in the same city, we love to hang out and catch up.

Psychedelic playfulness

“This time, me and Ariel were working in New York and Dev stopped by. He’d just broken his arm playing football and had a cast on. So, he played on the album with his broken arm.”

New single Mary Boone is another Vampire Weekend classic which celebrates the legendary New York art gallery owner with a psychedelic playfulness and shuffling percussion lifted by a sample of the drum loop from Soul II Soul’s Back To Life

“That sample was Ariel’s idea,” explains Koenig. “And when it comes in, it’s 100 per cent worth it and we’re lucky we were able to clear it.

“A big part of what Vampire Weekend does is push our music as far as it can, while having a sense of familiarity. That’s the frequency we’re trying to operate on.”

Since making Only God Was Above Us, which comes from a New York Daily News headline on the album’s cover, Koenig says he’s only concentrating on Vampire Weekend.

A big part of what Vampire Weekend does is push our music as far as it can, while having a sense of familiarity

Koenig

Past extracurricular activities have included creating an animated series for Netflix, Neo Yokio, and writing and producing songs for Beyonce, Liam Gallagher and — for the Peter Rabbit soundtrack — James Corden.

But he says: “Lately, I feel mostly excited about continuing to work on my albums but I enjoy working and writing for others.

“Liam was a great experience and I could listen to him talk forever. He’s such a funny guy.”

After two years of not touring, Koenig has been enjoying getting back on stage and played a special show in Texas to celebrate the solar eclipse — also the day of his 40th birthday — plus a “last-minute addition” to the Coachella line-up where Paris Hilton joined them for the end of their set.

“Playing a release show in Texas and then Coachella was a good week. It felt like our community coming together,” says Koenig.

“Seven years ago, at the last total eclipse, I’d made a mental note that the next one was coming and it was my 40th birthday.

“We’d booked the show and because it was a show in the day it meant I could enjoy myself with my family and friends. You don’t want to party at midnight when you’re 40!”

Vampire Weekend will be in the UK touring in December but before that you can see them at Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Sunday, May 26, at Luton’s Stockwood Park.

Koenig says: “We can’t wait. And it’s funny it’s in Luton, because I just went there for the first time in February — I went to see a Luton match.

I feel mostly excited about continuing to work on my albums but I enjoy working and writing for other

Koenig

“My manager is involved with the team so we got to meet some of the players and we had a great time. Harry Styles was also there.

“We can’t wait to play London in December as well as we’re doing four different shows which also gives us a nice opportunity to switch things up. It’s been fun to rehearse the new album and breathe some more life into it and at the same time go back to some of the old songs.

“With Vampire Weekend there’s no rules. We just want to get out there and everyone go wild with us.”

• Only God Was Above Us is out now. Vampire Weekend play Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Sunday, May 26.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Only God Was Above Us

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A FUN sports car sure to keep drivers smiling as they thread it along country lanes offers great value for money, according to experts.

The low-weight, rear-drive car costs less than GBP5,000 and has a small engine and wide part availability, meaning it is also cheap to run.

Mazda

Handout

AP:Associated Press

Much-loved convertible Mazda MX-5 (1998 to 2005) has been described as Japan‘s take on the classic British sports car recipe of the 1960s.

It comes with two seats and a folding fabric roof and is, according to experts at carbuyer.co.uk, “truly fun” and great to drive.

The car’s low weight makes it a joy to drive along country lanes, and its relatively small engine, simple mechanics, and wide part availability means it is fairly cheap to run.

Second-generation MX-5s were said by experts to offer the best value for money on the second-hand market.

Prices start from GBP1,500 but the experts advised buyers to consider spending at least double that to lower their chances of ending up with a dodgy car.

Experts further recommended thoroughly inspecting any MX-5’s wheelarches and sills for bubbling and flaking paint, as nearly all of the cars suffer from rust issues.

Also on the list of great cars drivers can buy for less than GBP5,000, according to motor experts from online marketplace Carwow, is the Ford Fiesta.

Ford sold 4.8 million units in a nearly 50-year production run, and the model claimed the title of the most popular in the UK for 12 consecutive years – from 2009 to 2020.

Carwow’s John Rawlings said it was a “great car to drive” and it fits well within the GBP5,000 budget.

Mid-sized hatchback Peugeot 208, the Ford Ka, the Citroen C1, and the Nissan Note also made Carwow’s list of top bargain rides.

The C1, dubbed the “perfect city car” by John, is a little smaller than some of Carwow’s other top picks as it was built on the same platform as the Peugeot 208’s little brother – the 108.

Experts from Warrantywise, meanwhile, said 10 of the most reliable used cars drivers can buy for less than GBP10,000 include the Kia Rio, the Peugeot 107, the Honda CR-V, the Kia Cee’d, and the Toyota Hilux.

The top five most reliable second-hand cars were said to be Toyota’s Aygo and Auris, the Mazda 2, and the Suzuki Swift, with the Toyota Yaris topping the list.

Car Auctions: How To Nab A Bargain

Car auctions are a way to sell vehicles based on a bidding system with the highest offer securing the deal.

Auctions aren’t restricted to the rich and famous as thousands of cars are sold at motor auctions in the UK each week.

Here’s what you need to know before attending an auction:

1. Be prepared: Do your research on the car you would like to purchase beforehand.
2. Check the car: Cars will usually be lined up before the start, so make sure to arrive early to inspect the desired car thoroughly.
3. Have a back-up: Be ready for disappointment as your desired motor may be sold to someone else and select a few back-ups.
4. Be realistic: Realise that there won’t be a “perfect” car at an auction and adjust expectations accordingly.
5. Set a budget: It is easy to overspend in the heat of the moment during bidding. Ensure you have set a budget and do not go over it.

Key phrases to look out for:

• ‘No major mechanical faults’ – suggests that there shouldn’t be any issues with the car’s drivetrain, gearbox, suspension, or engine.
• ‘Specified faults’ – the auctioneer will read out specific faults.
• ‘Sold as seen’ – the vehicle is sold with any problems it may have. The auction company will rarely entertain complaints regarding the mechanical or cosmetic condition of these vehicles after sale.
• ‘Sold with a warranted mileage’ – The car is being offered based on the report, which confirms the mileage through an independent check.

A MRS BROWN’s Boy star has revealed his wife his expecting their second baby following a devastating miscarriage.

Gary Hollywood announced he and his wife Cherylanne are set to become parents again.

BBC

Instagram

Instagram

The BBC actor, who is best known for playing flamboyant Dino Doyle in the sitcom confirmed the news on Thursday evening.

Speaking to OK! Mag, the Welsh native revealed Cherylanne has just gone 16 weeks pregnant.

He said: “This news has just made up our year,” before adding: “We couldn’t be happier.”

The happy couple are already proud parents to their four-year-old son Ollie who they revealed his rooting for a younger sister.

Expectant mum Cherylanne, 35, said: “We found out we were expecting just after my birthday in February, we are just over the moon. We’ve been trying again for a while.

“After I miscarried I said that we wouldn’t do it again, but I think that was just the process of healing. I went into my twelve week scan feeling excited but leaving with absolute devastation.

“So, this time around I do often think about something going wrong but I’m also not trying to wish this time away. It’s definitely a mixture of emotions – but we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Cherylanne tragically miscarried their second child at just 12 weeks leaving the pair devastated.

Reflecting on the traumatic time, she said: “It’s given us so much respect and understanding for other people who’ve gone through what we went through.

“Thankfully we now have a happy story to tell and another addition to our family.”

Garry, 44, previously revealed he was taking legal action against Mrs Brown’s Boys creator Brendan O’Carroll.

He alleged he was “unfairly treated” while working as Dino Doyle on the BBC comedy.

Instagram

PROTESTERS marching against a controversial ‘tourist tax’ slapped on short stay holidaymakers have clashed with cops.

Furious demonstrators wielding colourful placards and banners descended on Venice’s narrow streets and picturesque canals to voice their opposition to the decision.

AFP

Reuters

AFP

The proposal has been debated for years – but Venice will begin charging day-trippers €5 (GBP4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre from today until May 5.

Venice is the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers.

The new measures have been introduced due to the over tourism the area suffers from.

The council executive backed the move just weeks after UN cultural agency UNESCO recommended Venice be added to its list of world heritage in danger, in part because of the impact of mass tourism.

Locals also lined the streets to support disgruntled tourists.

Matteo Secchi, who leads residents’ activist group Venessia.com, said: “I can tell you that almost the entire city is against it.

“You can’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it into a theme park.

“This is a bad image for Venice…I mean, are we joking?”

The city is yet to reveal how many tickets will be sold per day, meaning some tourists could be turned away on entry.

The 30-day trial will take place across public holidays and weekends next spring and summer.

Not everyone will have to pay the charge.

People who live in Venice are exempt, as are students and kids under the age of 14.

And anyone staying in Venice overnight also won’t have to pay the €5 charge.

Simone Venturini, the city’s council member for tourism, said the new scheme was not about making money, but to find a “balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice, and those who visit the city”.

The plans were first discussed back in 2018, with previous plans charging as much as €10 to enter.

Venturini said he had been inundated with questions about the scheme at a recent UN tourism conference.

“We are guinea pigs, and there was great interest,” he said.

Former mayor Massimo Cacciari slammed the ‘ tax’, pointing out that tourists already “pay for everything” and urged visitors to refuse paying the fee.

But tourism councillor Simone Venturini applauded the fee as a pragmatic approach to reducing the effects of over tourism.

“We want to discourage day-trippers from visiting Venice during these 29 designated days,” he said.

“Fewer day trippers does not mean less revenue because overnight tourists are more important to the economy of the city.

“We will see the results in the medium to long-term and in the meantime we will assess how it goes.”

Meanwhile, these new rules have banned tourists taking photos near an attraction in Spain.

And this Spanish city is also cracking down on tourists with new rules.

EPA

Getty

A MAN has revealed he gave up his home and all his belongings to live in his work van full time for good.

Brad, who previously worked as a heating and cooling technician, converted his work van into a mini home as he got sick of paying the bills.

YouTube

YouTube

YouTube

YouTube

The van-lifer decided to sell everything he owned six years ago, including his own home and all the belongings.

Brad, who also runs a YouTube channel called Nomad Brad, said he worked longer hours to pay his utility bills.

He then decided to sell his house and buy a minivan instead which he could transform into his new house on wheels.

He said in a video: “Before I started out my van life journey, I had a house, mortgage, a full-time job everything a regular man has.

“But I was working so many hours I was barely home to enjoy the things I was working so hard for.

“And eventually I got sick of it and realised if I didn’t have all these bills I would not have to work so much.

“And that’s why I sold everything I owned and bought a cargo van.”

Brad, who now works as an electrical technician for other vehicles, revealed he got a 2007 Ford E450 box truck from eBay.

He then took it to his dad’s place in Arizona to convert it into his “house on wheels”.

He said in the YouTube video: “My favourite part of van life is that wherever you go, you are always home.

“You have everything you need – all your clothes, your food, your bed, everything.

“If you wanna make a meal or take a nap, you can do it anywhere you go if you live in a van.”

Giving a tour of his new house, the van-lifer showed around his cosy space – and revealed he uses stacked boxes and containers to store all his things as well as work tools.

He also showed several cabins he built above his table and bed where he stores all his clothes.

Brad also revealed how much it cost him to start his new life on four wheels.

He said he purchased the box van for GBP9,500 and transformed that using DIY methods.

After buying the van, he spent another GBP10,000 to redesign and build the interior.

Brad also revealed he purposefully designed a bigger kitchen area so that he could cook more often – something he really enjoys doing.

Brad said: “The great thing about building your own van is that you get to lay everything out as you like.

“I do a lot of my own cooking so I wanted to incorporate a large kitchen area so I was comfortable making a lot of meals.”

Speaking about his monthly outgoings, the van-lifer revealed he spends just GBP1,000 in a month living in his converted motorhome, which he says is way cheaper than what it costs to live in a house while paying all the bills.

Brad says his favourite part of living in a van is the minimalistic lifestyle that it brings into your life.

He said: “Living in a van makes you realise you really don’t need much to be happy in life. The key is just [having] fewer things and keeping things simple.

“You should still have nice things that you enjoy in life.”

It comes after an aspiring nurse revealed what he does on his off days while living in a van full-time.

Arslan from New Jersey started living in his converted micro-camper car a few years ago after being fed up with paying high rents.

He now travels around the US in his Chevrolet SUV all while saving money from rent to build his own house.

The vehicle is so cramped inside that he can “barely crouch” but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Meanwhile, another van-lifer who’s been living on the road for three years revealed how he gave up his house and mortgage to live a better life.

Ricky, who travels around the Peak District in his Ford Transit van, gave viewers a tour of his unique home on wheels on YouTube.

YouTube

THE best ride on our day out at Chessington World of Adventures Resort was Mandrill Mayhem in World of Jumanji.

It went so much quicker than it looked — and it went backwards right at the start. Even though we’d seen it happen while we were queuing, it was still surprising how fast it went.

Supplied

Then it went upside down and when we looked at our mum’s face it had gone really weird and she was screaming a lot. She wouldn’t put her arms up even though we did.

We loved the whole of Jumanji world as it looked clean and new and it had two other rides we went on.

An Ostrich Stampede that was really bumpy and made us laugh, and then we went on the Mamba Strike ride without our parents and we loved that.

There’s also the Vampire ride, which is one of the fastest. It whips you around the track, and you’re hanging off it, which is so much fun.

We also got to feed some giraffes, which are our dad’s favourite animal.

There were only six of us in the truck and we were driven out to where the giraffes live — and they came and fed out of our hands.

Sometimes they were standing on one side of the truck and their necks were so long they could bend all the way over to the other side to get the food.

We saw sea lions in the zoo, and all sorts of other animals and we could run ahead to look at everything.

It was really nice how there are loads of different worlds, such as Mexicana, Forbidden Kingdom and Tiger Rock where real tigers were lying around while you queued for the log flume.

There is also loads of different kinds of food.

We were too scared to go on Dragon’s Fury rollercoaster, so we’re going to wait until we’re a bit older for that one, but apart from that and Croc Drop — which our mum refused to go on as she was too scared — we could go on every ride we wanted.

Some parks have lots of rides that are too scary or we’re too short for, but at Chessington there was loads we could do.

WAVE goodbye to expensive takeaways – and say hello to delicious homemade pizza.

If you want professional-standard slices at home, it might be worth investing in a pizza oven.

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Here’s what you need to know . . .

SLICE FOR LIFE: You can get a standalone pizza oven for less than GBP100.

Pizzas delivered from big takeaway chains can easily cost GBP25 a time, meaning you’ll make up the cash after four times going with homemade over takeout.

Try the Petra 12-inch oven, GBP99, down from GBP299, at The Original Factory Shop (tofs.com).

The Blaze Box outdoor pizza oven is GBP99.99, down from GBP116.99, at Robert Dyas.

If you have a suitable barbecue, you can add a grill-top pizza oven, GBP49, from George at Asda. Check specific measurements to make sure the accessory will fit.

FAFF-FREE: Making pizza dough needn’t be a hassle.

For a quick and simple method, mix 250g of Greek yoghurt with 250g of self-raising flour until it’s no longer sticky and then roll into shape.

This will make two medium-size bases.

Or for a more traditional recipe, add 7g of dried yeast to 325ml of lukewarm water, leave for five minutes until frothy then gradually add to 500g of strong white bread flour.

Mix until you get a dough ball, then cover and leave to rest for five minutes.

On a floury surface, knead until smooth and elastic before splitting into four balls.

Cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise for two hours, then stretch each ball to a base.

GET COOKING: The pizza oven needs to be preheated to around 800C before cooking.

For a simple margherita, add a passata sauce on to the base and some mozzarella shredded on top.

For extra toppings, root through the fridge and cupboards to find meats and veggies that need using up.

Most pizzas will need less than ten minutes in the oven. Just take out when golden.

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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The bundle is half price at GBP31.25, down from GBP62.50, at lookfantastic.com.

SAVE: GBP31.25

Cheap treat

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WHIP up dessert with a Maltesers ice cream kit, including mix, choc sauce drops and Maltesers pieces. It’s GBP3.99 at B&M.

What's new?

GRAB an easy lunch to go with Ginsters’ new butter chicken bake, GBP1.50, from Sainsbury’s.

Top swap

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Supplied

WHISK up a refreshing spritz cocktail with Aperol, GBP17, from Asda. Or try switching to Aldi’s Aperini, for GBP6.49.

SAVE: GBP10.51

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SAVE: GBP3.60

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CRICKET star Stuart Broad and his family are clearly bowled over by his CBE delivery.

England’s second all-time wicket-taker, 37, was joined at Windsor Castle by his fiancee Mollie King, 36, and one-year-old daughter Annabella on Tuesday.

They watched Stuart get his gong for services to cricket from Princess Anne.

Singer and DJ Mollie put pictures on Instagram and said: “A truly unforgettable day.

“Taking Annabella to Windsor Castle and watching Stuart get presented with his CBE was so special.

“One for our family photo album.”

Broad and Mollie started dating in London in 2012, but later split.

However five years later, the couple got back together in 2018.

On January 1, 2021, Broad got down on one knee and proposed to Mollie, with the former The Saturdays star saying “yes”.

Following the proposal, the pair welcomed daughter Annabella Broad in November 2022.

Stuart was previously romantically linked to lingerie model Bealey Mitchell, whom he dated for three years from 2014.

They split in 2017, but ended on good terms as a source revealed: “They had a good innings together but it just came to a natural end.

“There were no hard feelings between the two and no one else was involved.”

Stuart also dated Laura Coleman, who is a former Miss England winner.

He ended their ten-month relationship in February 2008, due to his cricketing commitments.

MANCHESTER UNITED star Bruno Fernandes put together a real captain’s performance against Sheffield United.

AP

Rex

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The Red Devils faced another embarrassing Premier League result as the Blades’ Jayden Bogle opened the scoring and Ben Brereton Diaz netted his team’s second after Harry Maguire‘s equaliser.

However, Fernandes took matters into his own hands as he scored twice within 20 minutes.

The playmaker also set up Rasmus Hojlund’s strike to seal the valuable three points five minutes before full-time.

What makes the Portugal international’s performance even more remarkable is the fact he was playing injured.

The ex-Sporting Lisbon star broke his hand during Sunday’s dramatic FA Cup semi-final against Coventry.

Fernandes hurt his right hand after a fall that occurred during the clash at Wembley.

United boss Erik ten Hag stated that the Portuguese ace was a doubt for the match against Sheffield United.

According to The Times, however, Fernandes insisted he wanted to fight through the pain and play for his team.

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The United skipper went on to play the entire match for Ten Hag’s side.

Fernandes has received criticism this season due to his frequent outbursts on the pitch.

However, the attacking midfielder’s immense contribution this season is undeniable with 15 goals and 11 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.

AFTER months of build-up the NFL draft is finally here – with the Chicago Bears expected to select their QB of the future.

Most mock drafts have long had Caleb Williams as the top prospect in this draft and the Bears – who have struggled at the quarterback position for decades – are not expected to go in any other direction.

Beyond Williams, the NFL Draft could go many ways, with several other top QB prospects also likely to come off the board early.

The likes of Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, and Jayden Daniels are all expected to be gone very early, while many have WR Marvin Harrison Jr – son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison – as the top non-QB prospect.

• Round 1: Thursday, April 25, 8pm ET
• Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 26, 7pm ET
• Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 27, 12pm ET
• TV Channel: ESPN / NFL+
• NFL Draft 2024 betting

A WOMAN who lives next to the UK’s biggest designer shopping centre claims she is trapped inside because of rats.

Rita Duvall Jones has neighboured Cheshire Oaks outlet, in Cheshire, for the last nine years but finds it completely bleak.

CheshireLive/MEN

The grandma-of-eight said she struggles to keep her garden separate to the hustle and bustle of shoppers.

To make matters worse, Rita and her next door pal have been invaded by rats in recent weeks.

Blaming KFC, who back onto her garden, Rita said the restaurant rubbish area is running wild with pests – and they spill into her grass.

One night, the vermin even got at all of the bird feed her neighbour had put out.

Rita, who suffers with arthritis, told CheshireLive: “He had like a washing line on the front with birdfeeders, so of a night-time, on the camera, you could see all the rats eating the seed.

“The security light was on-off, on-off.

“I realised that the rats were passing my back door like it was the M6.”

Rita alleges she spoke to KFC about the issue however was left with no choice but to fork out cash on pest control methods herself.

Claiming one lot of exterminator cost GBP80, she said: “Why should I keep buying rat poison?”

A spokesperson for KFC refuted claims rats were causing issues and rubbished any pest issues at the designer outlet franchise.

They said: “We consistently work with Ecolabs and Pest Control to keep our outdoor spaces pest-free.

“Recent checks this week confirmed there were no unwanted guests, but those sneaky squirrels from the neighbouring woods might be the culprit here.

“We’ve let our local customers know that our stringent processes are successful, and we will continue to work with local authorities to ensure it remains this way.”

SPICE Girls fans were given fresh hope of a reunion after the girls got together for Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party.

However, plans to mark 30 years since the ‘girl power‘ band launched are in chaos after Geri Horner allegedly refused to film a documentary.

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There were hopes the five-piece would agree to make a reunion show for Netflix – following Victoria and husband David’s successful series.

According to the Daily Mail, Victoria, Mel B, Mel C and Emma Bunton were all keen to sign up, but Geri has remained unconvinced.

There are suggestions Geri wasn’t up for the project following a difficult time in her marriage to F1 chief Christian Horner.

Red Bull cleared Horner of any wrongdoing after an internal investigation into alleged sexual harassment and coercive and abusive behaviour by a female employee.

The unnamed complainant has since been suspended by the team and has launched an appeal against the decision.

A source told the newspaper: “It might have been awkward for Geri to get out there and talk about Girl Power in these circumstances surrounding Christian.

“But in truth even before it all came out she wasn’t keen on revisiting those days. She just didn’t want to go over all the fun, wild times that they had.”

The girls were filmed singing and dancing at Victoria’s GBP250,000 brash thrown by Becks.

Tom Cruise led a host of star guests including Eva Longoria and Gordon Ramsay.

No expense was spared at the soiree, which served GBP3,000 bottles of her favourite Chateau Mouton Rothschild, GBP500 bottles of champagne and food by a private chef.

Guests were served champagne and cocktails before a lavish four-course dinner, which included oysters. Starters were Italian-inspired shared platters.

Main courses included sea bass and steak, and Victoria was presented with a huge birthday cake.

SHOCKING video has emerged of a councillor being dragged by the hair and lifted by the belt by a raging airport owner.

Chris Makin, 65, was ordered to pay GBP8,000 for assaulting Andrew Mason, 63, who said he feared he might be killed in the attack.

PA

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Footage showed Andrew sitting on a road in front of a tree-cutting cherry-picker before Makin grabbed him by the hair and attempted to drag him from the vehicle’s path.

Andrew managed to break free from Makin’s grip and shouted “get off me” as Chris pulled the councillor along the ground by the leg – then by the arm and then by the belt – but could not move him.

Makin retreated and appeared to urge the operator of the vehicle to “move it forwards” to where Andrew was on the road.

Andrew said feared he might be killed by the machinery.

When the vehicle did not move forward, Makin approached Andrew once again and pushed him as Andrew said: “Get off me, you ignorant man. Get away from me.”

“The police are on the way, you lunatic.”

The video ended with Andrew still seated on the ground in front of the vehicle, leaning his back against a tyre.

Harrogate Magistrates Court heard on Thursday that Andrew had been walking to the village shop in Church Fenton, North Yorkshire for a volunteering shift on April 4 when he spotted Makin and some contractors working on trees on the boundary of Leeds East Airport.

Andrew was said to have been concerned that there were birds nesting in the trees, and told Makin he did not have consent to fell the trees or close the road.

The councillor “protested” the illegal tree felling by positioning himself in front of the cherry-picker.

It was then that Makin launched his assault, dragging Andrew across the road by his hair and his belt, putting him in a headlock, breaking his glasses, and tearing his clothes, the court heard.

Andrew – who claimed he and Makin only knew each other “vaguely” prior to the incident – said he also suffered muscle damage.

The workmen were not involved in the violent altercation.

Andrew told the court Makin was “out of control”, adding: “This was a deep injustice that took place in a village that I love.

“I feared further brutalisation.”

Makin has owned the former RAF Church Fenton base since 2016 and believed he had “lawful justification” for crowning the trees under his responsibility to “make the airport a safe environment”, the court was told.

The airport owner said he had been tending to the trees ahead of a vintage airshow the site was hosting, in line with Civil Aviation Authority regulations.

His lawyer said he only closed the road because it was a “windy” day, and that the bird nests in the trees were empty.

Makin was “not a thug”, the lawyer said, but a man who “is used to getting jobs done and got a job done, but went about it in the wrong way”.

Makin, of Micklefield, was found guilty of assault by beating and was ordered to pay more than GBP8,000 in fines, costs, and compensation to Andrew.

The airport owner had no previous convictions and the court decided that he had “learned a lesson” by the loss of his good reputation.

Outside the court, Andrew said: “Justice has been done. Civil society broke down that day.

“Makin is now a convicted criminal and he has lost his good name.”

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Fears the London stock market will lose another giant company soared yesterday — after a GBP31 billion mining takeover bid.

The approach for Anglo American was made by Australian rival BHP.

Alamy

The mega deal — which would create the world’s biggest copper mining company — is driven by surging demand for the metal by green energy firms.

It is widely used in offshore wind farms and electric vehicles.

Anglo American is the 25th largest company in the FTSE 100.

A takeover would be a fresh blow to the London Stock Exchange and rock the UK’s status as the hub for mining and natural resources companies.

BHP quit the FTSE 100 for Australia in 2021. Swiss mining firm Glencore plans a New York listing for its spun-off coal business. And only weeks ago the boss of Shell threatened to leave London if valuations fail to improve.

Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter said: “The buyout offer from BHP — the world’s largest publicly listed miner — for Anglo American won’t just shake up the mining industry, it’ll send a fresh chill through the City.

“There are concerns that if the deal goes through it could be the tip of the iceberg — and more giants could leave the exchange.”

Australia-listed BHP is using its own stock to offer GBP25.08 a share and said it will spin off Anglo’s South African assets to investors.

The move sparked opposition from South African politicians.

Shares in Anglo American soared by 355p, or 16.1 per cent, to GBP25.60, valuing the company at GBP34.2 billion — suggesting investors bet BHP will have to sweeten its offer considerably. Top shareholders have voiced concern that BHP is trying to wrangle a takeover on the cheap — even though Anglo’s shares have been drifting below its peers.

Anglo’s 11th biggest shareholder Legal & General said yesterday it had “concern” about the “highly opportunistic approach”.

L&G’s head of climate solutions Nick Stansbury said: “We believe the valuation of Anglo American to be depressed and regard the proposed exchange ratio as an unattractive proposition for long-term investors.”

Anglo and its army of advisers are reviewing the “unsolicited, non-binding and highly conditional” offer ahead of a May 22 bid deadline. Analysts said the takeover marks “crisis time” for the LSE because it ­suggests UK PLC is up for sale.

BOSS BAGS GBP13M DESPITE EXODUS

The boss of the London Stock Exchange Group was handed a GBP13 million pay packet — despite it facing a drought of new listings and an exodus of firms to New York.

Chief executive David Schwimmer will bag a GBP7 million rise as his pay doubles from GBP6.25 million.

Nearly 89 per cent of shareholders backed the bump at the LSEG’s meeting yesterday — despite calls to rebel against the “lump sum” increase.

Mr Schwimmer, left, has argued that UK bosses need to be paid more to compete with their US counterparts.

The LSEG makes 70 per cent of its revenues from data and analytics, rather than the stock market it is named after.

Sainsbury’s hope on inflation

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Sainsbury’s boss Simon Roberts reckons food inflation will continue to fall — despite higher wages and poor crop harvests.

The chief executive also said the supermarket is winning shoppers from both discounters and upmarket rivals.

Sainsbury’s sold three times as many legs of lamb at Easter as in the previous year, as it cut prices. But Mr Roberts said a surge in sales of its Taste the Difference range suggested shoppers were no longer entirely driven by price.

The chain yesterday unveiled a 3.8 per cent rise in sales to GBP32 billion for the year to March 2, helped by a 9.4 per cent increase in its grocery sales.

It is targeting GBP1 billion of profits this year, after reporting headline profits of GBP966 million.

Sainsbury’s posted a 6.4 per cent slip in its annual clothing sales, which it blamed partly on disruptions to its Red Sea supply chain and partly on its “own misses” on ranges.

Bank slip number 2

Barclays has posted a 12 per cent slip in profits on the back of a weaker mortgage market and passing on more interest.

It revealed profits for the first quarter of GBP2.3 billion — a day after Lloyds nursed a 28 per cent drop in profits.

Barclays said UK operations income fell 7 per cent as higher interest rates hit demands for credit cards and loans. It also reported a 2 per cent drop in deposits due to rivals’ new account offers.

Sales take off

WH Smith has been boosted by holidaymakers buying more food and beauty products from its airport shops.

The retailer plans to open 110 more around the world this year as its efforts to sell a wider range of products pays off. Total sales grew by 9 per cent to GBP926 million. Chief executive Carl Cowling said WH Smith was in its “strongest ever position as a global travel retailer”.

Headline profits inched up to GBP46 million. Pre-tax profits fell 37 per cent, with store lease writedowns of GBP28 million.

Confidence of consumers continues to grow, according to the closely watched GfK Index. April’s overall score is still negative at -19 — but a big improvement on last year’s -30. Brits feel most positive about their finances at 2 points compared with last April’s -13.

Unilever shift

Unilever’s retreat from some of its environmental targets shows the business is now more focused on realism, its boss said yesterday.

The consumer goods firm has been attacked for its woke agenda such as trying to give a social purpose to its Hellmann’s mayonnaise. It has now pushed back the target for plastic reductions, and narrowed its social remit.

Boss Hein Schumacher said the firm is aiming for realism, adding: “We can all promise the earth but it is important to have achievable targets.”

THE World Snooker Championship has gotten off to a stunning start with plenty of big names tumbling out in the early rounds.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has booked his spot in the last-16 after thrashing Jackson Page 10-1 in his Crucible opener.

John Higgins is also in the next round following his 10-6 triumph over Jamie Jones.

But reigning champion Luca Brecel is OUT after defeat on opening day to David Gilbert.

• Day Six start time: 1pm BST
• TV channel: BBC One/Two/Four/Eurosport
• Live stream: BBC iPlayer

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LUKE LITTLER has reclaimed top spot of the Premier League Darts leaderboard after beating Rob Cross in the final of Night 13.

While World No1 Luke Humphries dropped to second after crashing out to Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals.

PA

Michael van Gerwen won the Premier League in 2023 and is eyeing a third straight title this year.

Last year, the Dutchman beat Gerwyn Price in an epic final – marking Mighty Mike’s seventh time winning the competition.

• Follow all the darts LIVE with our dedicated blog

Premier League Darts fixtures & results

Night One – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday February 1

Quarter-finals

• Rob Cross 6-3 Peter Wright
• Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Gerwyn Price
• Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Michael Smith
• Luke Littler 6-2 Luke Humphries

Semi-finals

• Michael Smith 6-5 Luke Littler
• Rob Cross 2-6 Gerwyn Price

Final

• Gerwyn Price 2-6 Michael Smith

Night Two – Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin – Thursday February 8 – QF

Quarter-finals

• Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
• Michael Smith 6-5 Gerwyn Price
• Luke Littler 6-5 Rob Cross
• Luke Humphries 6-4 Peter Wright

Semi-finals

• Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Michael Smith
• Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Humphries

Final

• Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Littler

Night Three – OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday February 15 – QF

Quarter-finals

• Rob Cross 6-4 Michael Smith
• Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Peter Wright
• Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Luke Humphries
• Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Littler

Semi-finals

• Rob Cross 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
• Luke Humphries 6-3 Gerwyn Price

Final

• Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Humphries

Night Four – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday February 22

Quarter-finals

• Michael Smith 5-6 Nathan Aspinall
• Rob Cross 6-5 Luke Humphries
• Peter Wright 5-6 Luke Littler
• Gerwyn Price 4-6 Michael van Gerwen

Semi-finals

• Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Rob Cross
• Luke Littler 5-6 Michael van Gerwen

Final

• Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Michael van Gerwen

Night Five – Westpoint, Exeter – Thursday, February 29

Quarter-finals

• Luke Humphries 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
• Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Peter Wright
• Gerwyn Price 1-6 Rob Cross
• Luke Littler 6-2 Michael Smith

Semi-finals

• Luke Humphries 5-6 Nathan Aspinall
• Rob Cross 6-3 Luke Littler

Final

• Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Rob Cross

Night Six – The Brighton Centre – Thursday March 7

Quarter-finals

• Luke Humphries 6-2 Gerwyn Price
• Rob Cross 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
• Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Luke Littler
• Michael Smith 6-5 Peter Wright

Semi-finals

• Luke Humphries 6-3 Rob Cross
• Luke Littler 3-6 Michael Smith

Final

• Luke Humphries 6-3 Michael Smith

Night Seven – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday, March 14 – QF

• Peter Wright 6-5 Gerwyn Price
• Luke Humphries 6-4 Michael Smith
• Michael van Gerwen 2-6 Luke Littler
• Rob Cross 5-6 Nathan Aspinall

Semi-finals

• Peter Wright 1-6 Luke Humphries
• Luke Littler 3-6 Nathan Aspinall

Finals

• Luke Humphries 6-3 Nathan Aspinall

Night Eight – 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday March 21

• Luke Humphries 6-1 Peter Wright
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Rob Cross
• Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Gerwyn Price
• Luke Littler 4-6 Michael Smith

Semi-finals

• Luke Humphries 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
• Gerwyn Price 5-6 Michael Smith

Finals

• Luke Humphries 6-2 Michael Smith

Night Nine – SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday March 28 – QF

• Luke Humphries 5-6 Luke Littler
• Michael Smith 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Gerwyn Price
• Rob Cross 3-6 Peter Wright

Semi-finals

• Luke Littler 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
• Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Peter Wright

Final

• Luke Littler 6-4 Nathan Aspinall

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Night Ten – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday April 4 – QF

• Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Rob Cross
• Luke Littler 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
• Michael Smith 6-3 Luke Humphries
• Gerwyn Price 6-4 Peter Wright

Semi-finals

• Luke Littler 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
• Gerwyn Price 6-3 Michael Smith

Final

• Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price

Night 11 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham – Thursday April 11 – QF

• Peter Wright 4-6 Luke Humphries
• Rob Cross 5-6 Luke Littler
• Gerwyn Price 3-6 Michael Smith
• Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Nathan Aspinall

Semi-finals

• Luke Humphries 5-6 Luke Littler
• Michael Smith 4-6 Michael van Gerwen

Final

• Luke Littler 3-6 Michael van Gerwen

Night 12 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday, April 18 – QF

• Michael Smith 6-3 Luke Littler
• Rob Cross 3-6 Gerwyn Price
• Peter Wright 2-6 Nathan Aspinall
• Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Luke Humphries

Semi-finals

• Michael Smith 6-5 Gerwyn Price
• Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Luke Humphries

Final

• Michael Smith 4-6 Nathan Aspinall

Night 13 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday April 25 – QF

• Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price
• Luke Humphries 2-6 Nathan Aspinall
• Peter Wright 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
• Michael Smith 4-6 Rob Cross

Semi-finals

• Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
• Michael van Gerwen 2-6 Rob Cross

Finals

• Luke Littler 6-2 Rob Cross

Night 14 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 2 – QF

• Peter Wright v Michael Smith
• Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall
• Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross
• Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries

Night 15 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday May 9 – QF

• Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
• Luke Littler v Peter Wright
• Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
• Nathan Aspinall v Michael Smith

Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 16

• Fixtures confirmed following Night 15

Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday May 23

• Semi-Finals
• Final

What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

• The Premier League Darts 2024 will be shown on Sky Sports Main in the UK.
• Coverage will start from 7pm every Thursday until the final.
• You can live stream the action on the Sky Go or NOW TV apps, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

What is the prize money?

The prize fund for Premier League Darts is a whopping GBP1million, with GBP275,000 of that going to the winner.

• Winner: GBP275,000
• Runner-up: GBP125,000
• Losing semi-finalists: GBP85,000
• Fifth: GBP75,000
• Sixth: GBP70,000
• Seventh: GBP65,000
• Eighth: GBP60,000

PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS TABLE: LATEST STANDINGS AS EIGHT STARS BATTLE FOR HUGE GBP275K PRIZE

FASHION hits a sticky spot after a designer brought out a pair of jeans with a ready made wet patch across the crotch.

The design, which was created by Jordan Luca and shown off during their Fall/Winter catwalk collection, is on sale now.

Jeans for the brand sell for around GBP500 but not everyone is a fan.

One person commented online: N”o more having to wait for the bathroom, you can just p*** yourself and say it’s the design.”

Another added: “Why would anyone wear this?”

Meanwhile, if your looking for a pair of spring jeans that will get you more positive attention, one TikToker thinks she’s found the perfect pair.

TkTok user @ambermaylowe tried on the ‘ Wide High Jeans‘ from H&M, which she snapped up for the bargain price of just GBP24.99.

The online product description reads: “5-pocket jeans in washed cotton denim with a high waist, zip fly and button and wide, straight legs.”

Delighted with everything from the size to the price, Amber told viewers: “I found the most perfect pair of jeans for spring/ summer.

“They were only GBP24.99 and I just love them.

“Perfect waist, the length, everything!

“I am just obsessed. I love the colour.

“I just absolutely love them – just perfect!”

The fashionista captioned the post: “THE GBP24.99 PAIR OF JEANS YOU NEED FOR SPRING AND SUMMER.

STATUESQUE Christy Turlington proves she’s not lost her supermodel status in a series of stunning photos.

The American beauty, 55, who found fame in the 1980s, showed off her long legs in a slashed dress and high heels.

Ethan James Green

Ethan James Green

Yoga fan Christy turned back the years by going braless in a plunging top, in a second black and white shot.

The mum-of-two was posing for Harper’s Bazaar, also gracing the cover, in a brown faux fur coat.

During the Noughties, the US model launched her own skincare line Sundari, two collaborations with sportswear brand Puma, plus a women’s yoga-wear company.

In 2010 she launched her non-profit foundation Every Mother Counts, which aims to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women all over the world.

She met Saving Private Ryan actor Ed Burns when he was a PA on US TV show Entertainment Tonight and handed her a cup of coffee.

They met again at a party in 2000 and got engaged six months later.

Ed and Christy postponed their wedding, set for October 2001, in the wake of 9/11.

They then split but got back together again and married in 2003. The couple have two children, daughter Grace and son Finn.

In 2017, Christy bravely spoke out about the “harassment and mistreatment” in the modelling industry, while also admitting she may have unknowingly aided men who preyed upon young models.

She said: “The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experienced at some point in our careers.”

Ethan James Green

Ethan James Green

LOVE Island’s Tom Clare made a cryptic dig at Georgia Steel in a gushing post about Molly Smith.

The footballer who won last year’s All Stars with Molly celebrated her 30th birthday.

Sharing a selection of sweet snaps of the couple, Tom said that Molly was “everything he wanted in a girl”.

Tom dated Georgia on the programme before finding love with Molly.

He branded Georgia the ‘snakiest’ person in the villa in a recent podcast appearance.

But in his soppy post, he called his girlfriend “trustworthy” and said he didn’t think he would meet anyone in the villa.

The cover photo was of the couple on a white sandy beach in Dubai.

“Going back on to Love Island I didn’t think I’d meet anyone but I found exactly that, you’re everything I want in a girl, Beautiful, honest, trustworthy, classy, the list could go on,” he wrote in the caption.

“I’m so glad I met you and can’t wait for our future together, I love your family and my family adore you which is huge for me,” he continued.

“We’re always none stop laughing and making memories to last a lifetime which is what’s it’s all about,”

“I’m so proud of you and everything you’re doing you honestly deserve the world, I’m your biggest supporter and I know you are mine.”

“I’ll protect you. You make me the happiest man alive, you’re special, never change, I love you.”

Molly replied to Tom’s post: “You’re the best I love you! Miss you, can’t wait to see you!”

Fans rushed to comment on Tom’s declaration of love, with one saying he’s “fallen hard”.

“O not me crying at insta post at 8 in the morning! ‘I’ll protect you’ Happy birthday Molly! Tom, take a bow …. What a post!” said another.

“You two saying you love each other just made me heart grow three sizes,” echoed a third.

Molly and Tom appeared on Sophie Habboo and Melissa Tattam’s Wednesdays podcast.

Tom was asked which Islander was the snakiest, to which he responded “Probably Georgia Steel.”

Georgia spoke about the dig in an interview with The Sun: “I haven’t heard from Molly or Tom since leaving the villa but, yeah, that’s upsetting,” Georgia says.

“I think it’s disappointing as we all know how it is coming out of the villa, we know the heat we get and it’s been shown that I got a lot of hate. It does make me sad for sure.

“I feel some people I went through that experience with are still targeting me and that’s rubbish. I am a bit gutted about it to be honest.”

Molly recently revealed that Tom had ‘moved in with her’.

Gushing about her romance to OK! Molly revealed: “Tom is basically moving in to mine at the moment.

“He was planning on moving back up north from London anyway, so he’s now in the process of moving all of his stuff in and yeah we’re basically living together.”

“So, we haven’t really spent much time apart, to be honest,” she added.

THE white cavalry horse badly hurt in a panicked dash through London was back at barracks last night — but fears were growing for its stablemate.

Vida was treated by vets for lacerations which saw its coat soaked in blood but Quaker was in an equine hospital with its future “not looking good”, sources said.

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The pair were among seven Household Cavalry steeds on an exercise from Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, central London, that were spooked when builders dropped concrete down a rubbish chute.

Four bolted, throwing their Life Guards Regiment riders before galloping away.

The terrified animals slammed into cars, a people carrier, a cab and a double-decker bus as they ran.

Videos showed a police 4×4 with blue lights tailing them.

The last two were finally rounded up in Limehouse, East London — more than six miles from where they started.

Vida and Quaker were both operated on after the drama.

An Army spokesman said: “Vida was the most visibly injured and the pictures of the horse running through London soaked in blood were horrifying.

“Vida was operated on overnight and is currently in stables at the Hyde Park Barracks under observation. Quaker was also operated on overnight but it was decided to move the horse to an equine hospital for more specialist treatment.

“The extent of the injuries is not completely clear but we don’t believe at this stage there are any broken bones.”

“We are hoping that both these horses make a recovery.”

A military source, however, said things were “not looking good” for Quaker.

Defence minister James Cartlidge described Wednesday’s occurrence as “exceptional”.

He said more than 150 animals were taken on routine exercise in the capital each day.

LUKE LITTLER turned jeers to cheers at Liverpool as the Manchester United fan beat Rob Cross to go top of the Premier League Darts table.

The Nuke began a banter-packed evening cupping his ears to boos from fans but ended it cupping the trophy following his third weekly victory.

Rex

Alamy

Littler, 17, beat Gerwyn Price 6-3 in his quarter-final opener, then stunned last week’s winner Nathan Aspinall with a 6-5 comeback thriller before overcoming Cross 6-2 in the final.

The Warrington starlet’s English rival briefly made him sweat in that conclusion to Prem Night 13.

At 5-0 down and facing a rare whitewash, Cross won two legs in a row.

But the Nuke took the eighth to clinch success at the M&S Bank Arena.

He then told Sky Sports of his sparring with fans: “I knew what was coming this week and I was building up to it.

“I always engage with the crowd and the semi-final I was playing with complete freedom.

“I just felt comfortable tonight. I knew what was coming and I was glad to win.”

Littler even added a touch of what viewers called pure “box office” on his dominant evening – when what appeared a cheeky prediction came true.

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He seemed to suggest pal Aspinall would miss a match-winning attempt at bullseye during their semi-final – and was spot on.

That only helped further whip up the atmosphere in the crowd.

And in the end Littler had most fans on his side as he moved five points clear of world champion Luke Humphries in the eight-man table.

The top four qualify for the play-offs in May.

Earlier in the night, Peter Wright‘s 6-3 quarter-final loss to Michael van Gerwen had put “Snakebite” out of his misery.

Wright, who has just four points, is now officially out of contention with three weeks remaining.

Meanwhile, Littler’s most theatrical moments came at 5-3 down to Aspinall.

The Nuke entertained the audience throughout with his amusing range of facial expressions and gestures.

Inside Littler's massive rise

LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.

The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.

He has since joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.

And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.

The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.

He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.

And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.

Check out all of our Luke Littler stories here.

And when the Asp prepared for a shot at bull when 5-3 up, Littler flicked his finger in a way in the manner of his mate throwing.

Aspinall went on to miss – before Littler snatched the leg and then won the next two for a 6-5 triumph.

After checking out with 56, Littler continued his banter with the crowd by celebrating wildly and goading fans.

Repeating his gesture from the start of the evening, he put his hands to his ears

And he had more fun soon afterwards when defeating Cross.

Littler said: “It’s been looking tight [for the play-off places] the last few weeks but I’m glad to win and be clear of it.

“I’m happy to push myself away from the other people but I know it’s going to be tight for the other bunch.”

Rex

LUKE LITTLER has beaten Rob Cross to the Liverpool crown on a thrilling Night 13.

The Nuke started the night with boos after taunting the crowd following Liverpool’s loss to Everton.

But the teen sensation held his nerve and ended the night with cheers after beating Cross 6-2 in the final.

Next up is the Austrian Darts Open which gets underway TOMORROW!

• Premier League Darts standings

BEST DARTS BETTING SITES FOR UK PUNTERS IN 2024

Follow all the action with our live blog below…

LUKE LITTLER has been hailed as “box office” after appearing to predict Nathan Aspinall would miss a crucial dart.

The friends played out a Premier League classic in Liverpool amid boos and jeers from the crowd directed at Littler.

PA

Alamy

Littler, 17, entertained throughout his clash with Aspinall with funny facial expressions and peculiar gestures.

And he caught the eye after appearing to predict Aspinall would miss when throwing at bullseye to win the match.

Littler flicked his finger in a way which mimicked The Asp throwing his dart.

Aspinall did miss and Littler made no mistake as he checked out 56 to complete his comeback from 5-3 down to win the match.

Littler celebrated in style as he goaded the crowd, cupping his ear just like he did earlier in the night as he walked out to a cry of boos for his first match.

Fans watching on at home loved Littler’s bravado and his cheeky demeanour on stage.

One reacted saying: “Box office.”

Another added: “Luke Littler giving some to the crowd! Love to see it! Need more characters in darts and he’s great for the game.”

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A third wrote: “Luke Littler entering his villain arc. Inject it into me.”

And another commented: “Littler has got that crowd on strings!”

UKRAINE will ramp up long-range strikes inside Russia as billions of pounds of new weapons flood in, Britain’s Chief of Defence Staff says.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin signalled that Britain had no opposition to the attacks on Russian soil.

Reuters

EPA

He said plane-loads of new western weapons would help the blitzes.

He told a newspaper yesterday: “It’s ability to conduct deep operations will increasingly become a feature of the war.”

It comes after US President Joe Biden signed a GBP50billion lifeline to buy arms for Ukraine.

But US weapons come with a caveat that they must be used only in Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

Long-range missiles provided by the US were reportedly used last week to strike Russian targets in occupied Crimea.

Britain has pledged more than 1,600 long-range armaments including Storm Shadow missiles and Paveway IV laser-guided bombs.

The UK agreed an extra GBP500million military aid to Ukraine last week, bringing our contribution to GBP3billion this year.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine desperately needs more air defences to intercept Moscow’s bombardments.

General Sir Jim Hockenhull, head of the UK’s Strategic Command, also backed Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russia — because it was “fighting a war of national survival”.

He said: “The fact that they see military value in attacking the Russians in depth is unsurprising and entirely understandable.”

EPA

GREGG Wallace snapped at a contestant after they served him an under cooked dish as John Torode observed.

The MasterChef judges were back at the helm of the show on Thursday as the competition continued.

BBC

BBC

BBC

Viewers watched as six contestants battled it out for a place in the next round – with only five spots up for grabs.

During the show Patricia made a spicy chilli butternut squash curry, that was inside roasted butternut squash.

She flavoured the dish with butter, sage, brown sugar and cinnamon.

But while her creation appeared to tick all the right boxes on paper, when it came to Gregg Wallace and John Torode things went horribly wrong.

As he took a bite, Gregg said: “That’s not cooked.

“There is a sweetness, a creamy sweetness to it and a little bit of chilli, I like your flavours but even the bits that are stewed here, there’s still a thick skin on them.

“That’s virtually inedible.”

John Torode echoed Gregg, but added: “I’m sad the outside of that butternut squash isn’t cooked all the way through because it would have been really nice actually.”

Despite the mishap Patricia made it through to the next round as David was sent packing.

Meanwhile, during the show Charlotte returned to the kitchen after she sliced the top of her finger off.

The IT programmer from London preparing spicy vegan dumplings when her knife slipped.

Charlotte shouted for help as cameras panned, revealing she had sliced the top of her finger off.

BBC

LOVE Islander Maura Higgins plays it curl for her latest photoshoot.

The Irish reality TV star, 33, goes for the permed look as she models a mirrored dress from her Oh Polly collection.

Maura Higgins x OhPolly

Maura Higgins x OhPolly

In another shot for the clothing brand, she wore a mini nude illusion dress.

She split from Chris Hemsworth’s body-double Bobby Holland Hanton last month.

The couple were first connected in the summer of 2023, after being seen at the Chiltern Firehouse together.

A source said: “It was really fun for a while. But they’re different people.

“It’s over between them.”

It comes off the back of a busy few months for Maura, including a trip to Coachella.

The Love Island legend jetted into California for the annual music extravaganza with other UK reality stars.

Splash

ROY KEANE has confessed to an “absolutely disgraceful” drinking habit during his golden years at Manchester United.

The legendary hardman says he’d regularly neck pints four days in a row if there was no midweek match.

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YouTube / The Overlap

Keane won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League in United‘s famous 1998-99 Treble season.

But he believes the football world might be shocked to hear of some of his behaviour while at Old Trafford from 1993-2005.

The ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder, 52, told Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast: “People used to say I was a good pro.. Some of my stuff was absolutely disgraceful.”

Keane went on to detail his drinking routine if Alex Ferguson’s men knew they were out of action during the week.

He said: “Definitely on Saturday. Definitely on Sunday.

“Many times I’d go Saturday after the game, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Pints or whatever it was I was drinking at the time.”

But he stressed: “I’d draw the line on Wednesday, to be fair.”

Then-United team-mate Gary Neville reckons many top-flight players were habitual drinkers in that era.

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He told Keane during the podcast chat with Ian Wright and Jill Scott: “The reason you got away with it was because a lot of the players in the other teams were doing the same.

“As long as they could all drink 10 pints they were all at the same fitness level.”

Keane suggested his relative youth, plus playing in such a good team, helped him thrive despite drinking.

But when Neville outlined his own all-the-same theory, Keano nodded and said: “Probably.”

Ex-England defender Nev also explained how football’s off-the-pitch standards were promptly transformed.

He said: “I always look at that period pre 1995-96 as all players were doing the same thing.

“1996-2000 professionalised a lot in that period – nutritionists came in etc.”

Keane agreed but joked: “I carried on for a while – they’re not changing me!”

Meanwhile, Neville revealed he once had a fit and fainted while covering an England game at Euro 2020.

Keane’s career faded dramatically after he left Old Trafford following a fall-out with Fergie.

And after seven months at Celtic – the club he supported as a kid – the former Nottingham Forest hero quit playing on medical advice in June 2006.

Two-year spells as manager at Sunderland and Ipswich followed before he became a Sky Sports pundit known for his frank opinions.

FOR The Love Of Dogs fans have suggested four different ways to fix the ITV show.

New host Alison Hammond has suffered backlash since taking over from the late Paul O’Grady at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Rex

Some have pointed out that Alison doesn’t have any pets, which lead them to believe she isn’t as passionate about animals as Paul was.

Here we take a look at viewers’ opinions on how For the Love of Dogs could have been improved before its return last week.

Get Alison a co-presenter

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As a regular presenter on This Morning, Alison is used to working with a co-host.

She teams up with Dermot O’Leary on Fridays, but has gone solo for The Love of Dogs.

One viewer said: “My opinion is they should alter the format a little with preferably a couple of new presenters who are definitely not like Paul as nobody can directly replace his style.”

Rename the show

Others have hit back at criticism over Alison as host – but insist the show should be renamed.

One fan said: “I really like Alison, but I’m not sure how I feel about this.
I felt maybe the show could’ve been retired under the title of For the Love of Dogs and given a new name so it wasn’t Alison directly standing in Paul’s shoes.

“I do feel for Alison a bit as there was always going to be comparisons and criticisms.

“Part of me wonders if she really needed the gig as she has enough TV work going on, but who knows if she does have a genuine passion or interest we haven’t really seen yet.”

Another said: “Whilst the show wasn’t about Paul the title and format were in his style.

“Take the title “For the Love of Dogs” it is an obvious spin on the phrase For the Love of God, which is very much a typical Paulism in my opinion. You can just see Paul saying it and giving an eye roll.

“Format and name change for the best I think but the makers have decided otherwise perhaps to appeal to viewers.”

Replace Alison with Ben Fogle

Rex

Others have suggested Alison isn’t suitable for the role – mainly because she doesn’t have any pets of her own.

It’s been claimed that other presenters may have been better suited – with some naming Ben Fogle for the job.

One fan said: “ Ben Fogle, if he gets tired of all his travelling, would make a good host.”

Change the format

While some believe Paul’s death should have inspired producers to change the format of the show.

They believe that because Paul is “irreplaceable”, the show should have copied the style of The Dog House on Channel 4, which doesn’t have a presenter.

One said: “Give the show a format change and make it more like The Dog House.”

Another agreed saying: “For me they should have forgone a presenter and just used the staff like The Dog House do.”

A CLEANING fan has shared her go-to method to keep her baseboards in tip-top shape.

She explained she’s relied on the inexpensive and simple trick for years.

TikTok / mommapeaches5

The expert ( @Mommapeaches5) shared her cleaning hack in a viral TikTok video.

She gets rid of dust and grime on her white baseboards with common household items.

With a window cleaner, she sprayed it onto her baseboards directly, leaving the product alone for a few minutes to let it work.

Next, she wiped away the residue with some paper towels. The key, she added, is to keep up with the routine once every few months.

“Oh my gosh, just like brand spanking new,” she said, surprised by the difference it made.

A washcloth trick turned a hand towel into a turbo-cleaning weapon.

She ran a clean towel under water and drained most of the water out, leaving a bit in the cloth.

Next, she heated it in the microwave for one minute.

“The whole microwave is steamed up from this so if you’ve got splatters from any kind of food, all you’re going to do now is start wiping this down really good,” she explained.

With the towel, she instantly cleaned the microwave door, bottom, and top.

“Remember, it’s super hot but it’s sparkling clean,” she warned.

She even had a homemade solution to deep-clean her wooden cutting boards.

On a board, she added some salt and half a lemon, squeezing the juice directly on the wood.

After a few moments of “scrubbing” the board with the lemon, the board was free of former food stains and smells.

Oh my gosh, just like brand spanking new.

Mommapeaches5

“You should be. doing this all of time, at least once or twice a week,” she said.

“A little bit of olive oil after you get it nice and rinsed and just like [that], brand new guys.”

Cleaning enthusiasts were impressed with her innovative techniques.

“The washcloth in the microwave trick is genius. Thank you!” said one commenter.

“I am literally fixin’ to do every single one!” said another.

Some shared their own tried-and-true cleaning methods.

“Another hack for microwave cleaning is a glass measuring cup, fill it with water,” said one commenter.

“Add some lemon to it, makes [the] microwave smell good too as well as [cleans] it.

TikTok / mommapeaches5

ANY apple-loving England fans could be shocked to the core at Euro 2024 — the German hosts are banning fruit to boost sales of their sausages.

Supporters trying to take any food into stadiums — including healthy half-time snacks — could be turned away or even barred from the entire tournament.

Rex

But the nation renowned for their love of Bratwurst and Frankfurters will be selling sausages for up to GBP3.77 each.

England kick off their campaign against Serbia at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen on June 16 followed by games against Denmark in Frankfurt and Slovenia in Cologne.

At the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on July 14, single sausages will cost GBP4.77.

Security teams will be searching bags outside all ten tournament venues, while stewards and police will patrol inside.

Uefa’s ban covers “liquids — drinks, e-cigarette refills, etc — and food of any kind, including fruit, such as apples, bananas, oranges, etc.”

Punishments will include “expulsion from the stadium with a report to the police or a stadium ban for the whole or part of Euro 2024”.

Germans have also banned smoking and vapes from the grounds.

Cannabis joints will also be forbidden in stadiums despite new German laws making it legal to puff in public.

Flares, fireworks and whistles are also on the banned list – as well as megaphones and vuvuzela horns.

Nazi flags, plus material supporting sides in the conflict in Gaza will also be outlawed.

WE all know that turning your central heating on costs more than a pretty penny these days.

But according to the experts at Which? you might be making a rookie error if you think you’re making the most of having the heating on by drying clothes directly on your radiators.

Instagram

Getty

Getty

Posting on Instagram, the pros explained that it could end up costing you even more money in the long run, as well as lead to mould in your home – which is the last thing anyone wants.

The issue is that if you turn your heating on and set it to your ideal temperature, say 20 degrees, it will heat up the room until that temperature is reached, the expert explained.

But if there are wet or damp clothes draped over the radiator they “act as a barrier to the heat.”

“This means you could be heating your room for a lot longer than you need to,” he added.

Of course, your clothes might dry quicker, but you won’t feel the benefit of actually having the heating on – and for the price of switching it on you’ll definitely want to feel it.

Not only that, but it’s not just soaring energy bills you’ll have to deal with.

You could also unknowingly be encouraging mould to grow in your home if you dry clothes this way.

So, how do you get around this problem? It’s simple really.

You can opt to dry clothes in a tumble dryer, although this can also be costly, especially if you’re also going to turn the heating on regardless.

One of the best ways to dry clothes without breaking the bank is to place them on an airer near the radiator, rather than directly on it.

This method might take a bit longer, but at least you’ll feel the benefit of having the heating on as well.

Alternatively, the Which? experts suggested buying a heated airer to speed up the drying process.

Although, they noted that heated airers tend to work best with smaller loads of laundry.

You can find the best heated clothes airers for 2024 here.

How to reduce the cost of running a tumble dryer.

If you do want to stick to using a tumble dryer rather than an airer, there are a few ways to help keep costs as low as possible.

You can start off the load and get the worst of the wetness out, then air drying the rest.

Of course, avoiding using the tumble dryer altogether and drying outside is the best way to reduce costs, but isn’t always possible in the famous British weather.

If you do need to use the device, check your manual carefeully.

Eco settings could slash your energy bill.

For big families who do three loads of washing a week, a tumble dryer can cost GBP104.52 a year tumble drying your clothes.

Households that opt for the eco or low heat setting can slash their energy bill by GBP53 a year according to Uswitch.

Another expert tip is using the spin cycle on your washing machine before you whack clothes in the dryer.

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch, previously told The Sun “If your clothes are still very wet when you take them out of the washing machine, you could make use of the spin cycle setting.

“Using the spin cycle will remove excess water, meaning your clothes will dry faster in the tumble dryer or on an airer.”

It’s also worth researching which model you’re going to buy before splashing the cash.

There are three main types of tumble dryer you can buy – heat-pump dryers, condenser dryers and vented dryers.

But research from Which? suggests a heat-pump dryer might be the best way to go – these cost up to GBP51 less each year to run compared to some other models.

That’s because they recycle hot air when drying your clothes, so they don’t need to work as hard.

A DRIVING expert has revealed an unusual 5p hack to protect your car and make parking so much easier using a common household item.

Price inflation has forced repair garages across the UK to hike their prices.

Getty

Getty

While some costs are inevitable, experts have been keen to pass on tips to drivers on how to avoid being fleeced.

Many accidents take place in supermarket carparks, where thousands of cars are packed together like sardines.

Most drivers know what its like to come back to their car to find you are boxed in.

Badly parked cars and huge SUV type vehicles often leave drivers struggling to open the door.

While some drivers use their hands to try and soften any contact between their door and next car, experts have urged them not to do so.

Drivers risk injury and jewellery can mark cars. So now Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch, has offered some tips.

He said: “Your local garage may be forced to increase their prices, so maintaining your car’s health is more important than ever.

“While a car’s MOT fees will still cost up to GBP54.85, any repairs might
see a significant jump this year.

“From watching out for the “side door squeeze” when your parking space is too tight, to ensuring you’ve got enough oil in your engine, there are plenty of car care tips you can use to keep repairs, and costs, down.”

Sam suggested one item that can be picked up in for pennies could be the key in these scenarios.

He said: “Maintaining a safe parking distance from other cars and barriers isn’t always possible in public car parks.

“Whether your neighbouring car has parked poorly or your car is larger than the standard, squeezing into tight spots could be costly.

“Car care isn’t only about maintaining and cleaning your vehicle. Having simple tricks on hand to prevent damage, such as a car door dent, is a good idea to keep costs down and your car looking its best.

“Many of us might use our hands to wedge the car open without touching the other car, but if you’re not careful, you might hurt yourself or scratch a car with any jewellery. Instead, place something soft between the two.

“One hack we’ve seen people doing is using a nappy to cushion car doors – and with some costing as little as 5.9p per nappy, keeping one in your glovebox could be useful for tight emergencies.

“For the best coverage, specific car door bumper guards can help reduce damage and provide convenience and reliability –
perfect for those tight squeezes with your hands full.”

IF fame is a double-edged sword, then for Jill Dando there was no positive side to it.

Her celebrity profile not only cost Jill her life, but also scuppered the chance of finding justice for her murder.

News Group Newspapers Ltd

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BBC

On the day of Jill’s death, I was in the canteen at The Sun HQ when my phone rang with news that she had been murdered on the doorstep of her home an hour earlier.

I was one of the first reporters to arrive at a confused crime scene where it remained uncertain for hours whether she had been shot or stabbed.

One thing seemed certain – it would not be long before police caught a killer who had targeted such a high-profile figure in broad daylight in a busy area of London.

Yet a quarter of a century on, there is no prospect of ever proving who murdered her.

The best chance of securing the necessary evidence was lost within an hour of her death.

Despite clearly being dead, well-meaning medics – apparently overawed by Jill’s celebrity status – tried desperately to revive her, potentially trampling over forensic evidence in the process.

No claim for responsibility

They took her body to nearby Charing Cross Hospital, where a trauma team tried in vain to revive her. Nobody will ever know what forensic opportunities were potentially lost.

The lack of evidence found at the scene and no obvious motive left detectives with a mountain to climb. Speculation still continues over whether Jill was the victim of a Serbian warlord seeking revenge for a Nato bombing of a Belgrade TV station days earlier.

But no claim for responsibility was ever made. BBC Foreign Editor John Simpson was in Serbia at the time and would have been a far easier target. Nothing emerged from a trawl of Jill’s personal life and inquiries into two suspected British hitmen – possibly hired by someone upset by her Crimewatch role – drew a blank.

The only thing which did make sense was that Jill had been targeted by someone obsessed with her.

And there was no shortage of those, with 140 people identified as “having an unhealthy interest or obsession” with Jill. Before Barry George came into the frame, one elderly obsessive – who was apparently seen on Jill’s street the morning she died – was investigated and ruled out.

Jill and her loved ones deserve better, but justice can be fickle – and murder inquiries are often determined by the deck of cards given to detectives on day one.

Convicted sex offender George, however, was believed by police to fit the bill perfectly. The oddball loner had a history of stalking women and an obsession with media personalities and he was seen at a disabled centre a short distance from the murder scene shortly after Jill’s death.

I covered both his trial and retrial – ordered after gunshot residue in his pocket was ruled inadmissible – and did not believe the cases had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Perhaps unfairly, George was denied any compensation for the eight years he spent in prison because no new evidence had come to light to prove his innocence.

A Scotland Yard cold case report later concluded: “There is no evidence that points to any other person being responsible for the murder.”

The last cold case review was six years ago, when no new lines of inquiry through new advanced forensics were identified.

Jill and her loved ones deserve better, but justice can be fickle – and murder inquiries are often determined by the deck of cards given to detectives on day one.

Reuters

Bournemouth News

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Radio Times

ROY KEANE and Ian Wright got embroiled in a heated debate over Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes, 29, has cut quite the controversial figure amid United‘s turbulent campaign as although he has stood out on the pitch he still has attracted criticism over his frequent tantrums.

PA

Some have argued that although the playmaker possesses undeniable talent he still doesn’t deserve to wear the Red Devils’ armband as his outbursts never inspire his teammates.

However, Arsenal legend Ian Wright backed the Portugal international and claims this sort of attitude comes from the fact that he is a “winner” with high standards.

Wright said during the latest edition of Stick to Football: “I think Bruno is a winner. He’s frustrated. Whatever we say, he has his faults where he waves his arms up but he’s the kind of player that is trying [to change things].”

However, United legend Roy Keane, who is considered as one of the club’s greatest skippers, strongly disagreed with Wright’s assessment as Fernandes has “won nothing”.

Keane fired back: “He’s won nothing in his career, he’s 29 years of age. What has he won in his career?”

Wright responded: “He’s won nothing. But, irrespective of wanting to be a winner, his standards are high.

“If you take Bruno out of Man United we’re talking about players who haven’t improved. If he’s not doing what he’s doing United are nowhere near where they are.

“He’s frustrated, he probably sees it in training every day, people not up to the standards of what he’s looking for and it spills over into a Saturday.

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“Because he [still] brings ‘it’ when we say about his histrionics, he brings it. If Man United are saved in a game it’s probably him who’s going to do it. He’s got every right to be upset with them because they should be doing better.”

Keane conceded that Fernandes is “talented” but insists he hasn’t lived up to expectations as captain as he claims he doesn’t help his teammates improve.

Keane replied: “I think he is a talented boy. But does he help people out and does he make others around him better? The answer is 100 per cent no. He does like to dig them out, which is fine, but you’ve also got to drag the others along.

“Would you like to be in that United dressing room today with these guys going, “Not sure about him, I think he’s OK when we’re winning but we’re not going to be winning every time’.

“How do you stop that momentum and flex your muscles in games? That’s what I want. We talk about talented players but sometimes it’s about personalities in big games and getting you over the line in big games.”

That led to a heated back-and-forth argument between the Sky Sports pundits.

Wright said: “Bruno has got that,” before Keane retorted: “Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence?” And Wright replied: “The way he plays and the way he saves the club.”

Keane fired back: “Saves the club? Look, he’s won nothing in his career. He’s won nothing in his career. Look at his CV. if he’s one of your best players there’s a responsibility.”

Anarchy in UK

THE surging crime figures represent a scandalous failure by police and the ­Government.

A 37 per cent rise in shoplifting in one year is truly appalling and shocking.

Alamy

But if thefts worth under GBP200 are treated, at worst, with a fine in the post, what do we expect? Of course serial shoplifters and organised criminal gangs will take those odds.

Home Secretary James Cleverly has ordered police to attend every shop theft. Will they? Or will they just ignore orders from ministers in Westminster, as seems now to be routine?

It’s not just shoplifting. Other thefts are soaring, as are robberies and gun and knife crime.

Parts of Britain are in danger of becoming lawless no-go zones for businesses and citizens, like certain increasingly dystopian US cities.

What are our cops doing, aside from collaring Twitter trolls and flaunting their liberal values at every possible opportunity?

Wrong route

NO ONE in their right mind would defend our railways over recent years.

Endless cancellations. Routinely late and jam-packed trains. An absurdly complex and confusing ticketing structure. And all of it at rip-off prices.

No wonder Labour wants to nationalise it. It sounds tempting to put rail “back in public hands”. Anything would surely be better than what we have.

But would it? Anyone old enough can recall how abysmal British Rail was before privatisation in the 1990s. And Labour admits it WON’T cut fares.

Meanwhile one major contributor to the chaos is the ceaseless greed of the militant unions. They’re champing at the bit for re-nationalisation . . . far easier then to cripple the entire network.

As for Labour claiming this won’t cost a penny, what rubbish. They won’t set up “Great British Railways” for nothing.

What they WILL do, as with nationalised industries of the past, is strip it of vital funding whenever money is tight.

Our railways must be fixed. But nationalising them is a doomed Labour ideological itch YOU will pay to scratch.

Un imbecile

WHAT a brainless and hypocritical dolt President Macron so often proves to be.

Imagine waving off thousands of illegal migrants from your shores, then piously moralising about how Britain — now overwhelmed by their number — tries to handle them.

The French fool could solve this lethal crisis at a stroke by taking every single one back via return trip. But he won’t.

And his cops are too idle or fecklessly incompetent to stop them setting sail.

Macron brands our Rwanda deterrent a “betrayal of values”.

What shall we call him letting scumbag smugglers pack people on to dinghies in northern France to float to their deaths?

JOE Burgess hopes to leave school pal Luke Thompson feeling far from Yankee doodle dandy – just like he did to unsuspecting American businesses.

Tonight sees the classmates at St Edmund Arrowsmith in Wigan go head-to-head as the Warriors head to Hull KR in a rehearsal for May’s Challenge Cup semi-final.

SWPIX.COM

And it would not be a surprise to hear the odd fake accent being thrown around the Craven Park pitch, just like when prop Thompson, winger Burgess and a few other mates would prank call firms on the other side of the Atlantic.

“We’d go on Skype,” recalled Burgess, who has signed a two-year contract extension. “Then we’d prank call American businesses all the time.

“Luke used to do the funniest accent ever. It was hilarious. I can still remember it now, I was in stitches.

“A few of us got together and Luke would just go on Skype and prank call these businesses all the time!

“It was literally a case of going through the phone book and doing that, all the time. That’s what we did through school.

“It was mainly food businesses and doing things like making reservations.

“We were in the same form at school and he’s always been big. It’s crazy isn’t it? He’s just got more ripped and faster, that’s the only thing that’s changed since school.”

School reunions aside, Burgess is loving life on the other side of the country after leaving Salford – he is even getting to grips with the Hull accent.

Some things do not compare – he believes pies there are a pale imitation of his home town’s – but changes to the way he lives his life are getting more out of him.

And the secret ingredients? Steak and eggs.

The 29-year-old added: “I was living with Tyrone May for five or six weeks and I thought he was crackers with the food he was eating, he was just eating steak and eggs all the time.

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“So I thought while I was living with him I’d try it myself and I feel a lot better from it, so I’ve carried it on – mostly with scrambled eggs. I think that’s been a big change.

“He never ate in the morning, he fasted and then he would have half a cow for his dinner. Before, I’d just have normal things really, chicken, rice and veg. We’re told, ‘Get carbs, veg and protein.’

“A couple of days before a game, I’ll go back to a normal diet but now I’ve changed to this at other times, I don’t feel like I need the other things.

“Through the week, it’s just steak, eggs, avocado and cheese – it’s a lot more expensive but that’s what life’s about.”

KNIFE and gun crimes, robbery and thefts are all rising in lawless Britain.

And the shoplifting epidemic is at its worst for 20 years.

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AFP

Figures show almost 1,200 cases of shop thefts being reported every day — up by a third in a year.

Last year there were 430,104 shoplifting cases reported, up from 315,040 in 2022 and the highest since records began in 2003.

Annual crime figures from the Office for National Statistics show that thefts rose by 18 per cent to 125,563 and robberies increased 13 per cent to 81,094.

Gun crimes rose nine per cent to 6,367 and knife crime was up seven per cent to 49,489.

But the homicide rate fell six per cent, with 577 compared with 616 in 2022.

The Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “Britain has gone from a nation of shopkeepers to one plagued by shoplifters.”

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “These shocking figures show the scale of Conservative failure on law and order.”

Home Secretary James Cleverly has told police to attend every shoplifting case.

He said: “We take it very seriously, crime is crime.”

MARKS & Spencer is offering a cheeseburger pasta salad with more calories and fat than a Big Mac.

The new GBP3.90 meal contains beef meatballs, Red Leicester cheese and burger sauce mayo.

Ian Whittaker

Supplied

It contains 755 calories compared with 493 for the McDonald’s favourite, and 694 calories for a Double Big Mac.

The pasta salad, part of M&S’s Viva Summer range, also contains 33g of fat.

A social media page dedicated to food highlights the cheeseburger salad.

One critic suggests sticking to a hot burger in a bun, writing: “755 calories though. You could have the real thing.”

Another said: “What are they trying to do to this country?” A third added: “Wow. That’s mad isn’t it!” Another foodie said: “Sounds rank.”

M&S has also been given a roasting over its new GBP6 Posh Egg Mayo and Watercress double sandwich.

One shopper fumed: “GBP6 for an egg sandwich! The world has gone mad”, while another said: “GBP6, what the f***. That’s ridiculous.”

A third said: “You could buy a loaf of bread, butter, plus fillings for that much and make many sandwiches.”

A user said: “Add the word ‘posh’ and you can charge what you like lol.”

M&S defended its new offering, saying: “Our food-on-the-move range includes healthy lunch choices across salads, pasta salads and sandwiches which are highlighted by our Eat Well flower on packs.”

Reuters

MODEL Tina Kunakey gets a wrap across the buckles — as she uses a leather belt to hold a towel around her waist.

The model, who is the ex wife of Westworld star Vincent Cassell, wears a black bikini as she poses for Victoria’s Secret.

Victoria's Secret

Victoria's Secret

In another shot from Victoria’s Secret’s Escape to Summer campaign, Tina can be seen sporting a nude bandeau top and white net skirt.

Previously Victoria’s Secret has propelled models including Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and ­ Gisele Bundchen to catwalk superstardom.

But then in 2019 the lingerie brand cancelled its once-beloved show, which was televised annually in the States, due to low viewing figures.

It said: “We think it’s important to evolve the marketing of Victoria’s Secret. We’re figuring out how to advance the positioning of the brand and best communicate that to customers.”

Then in 2021 the catwalk show’s stars themselves, known as Angels, were ditched in favour of The Collective, a more diverse group of women, including plus-size pin-ups, sports stars and transgender models.

The move was widely celebrated at the time, with calls for more inclusion across the board at the once hugely profitable company.

However, Victoria’s Secret came under fire from loyal customers for going “too far”, after it announced what seems to be a revival of its fashion show — a world tour billed as a “global fashion event featuring a new generation of women”.

And that new generation of women featured The Collective — women such as British presenter-turned-photographer Amanda De Cadenet and American soccer player Megan Rapinoe.

However, in a sharp U-turn from the recent Victoria’s Secret campaigns — that have been a bit less supermodel and a lot more woke — the lingerie brand has gone back to its original format of almost scarily sexy women in their undies.

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THE brother of a girl held on suspicion of attempted murder after a school stabbing frenzy was yesterday arrested for making gun threats on social media.

The 15-year-old lad was held and police found a BB gun following reports of threats “involving a firearm”.

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It came hours after his 13-year-old sister was arrested over a knife attack at Dyffryn Aman school which left two teachers and a pupil needing hospital treatment.

The 1,500-pupil school in Ammanford, South West Wales, went into lockdown as children were heard screaming: “That girl’s got stabbed!”

Pupils ran to classrooms and hid under desks as the attack unfolded at about 11.15am on Wednesday.

Special needs teacher and mum-of-three Liz Hopkin, 57, suffered four serious stab wounds, her husband said yesterday.

John Hopkin, who also works at the school, said: “She’s seriously hurt. She’s recovering now, but it’s going to take quite a while.

“She’s very badly injured. Four quite deep stab wounds but they missed anything vital.

“It’s going to take a fair few weeks for the wounds to heal. It was quite frightening. She went off in the helicopter and I drove there (to the hospital). At the time they thought it could be life-threatening but not once they did all the tests on her.

“She’s very shaken, very concerned about the kids that were around and the other members of staff and children who were there.”

Mum-of-two Fiona Elias, the head of Year 9, was also stabbed. Her dad, John Owen, said: “I was extremely worried when I found out there had been an attack at the school.

“She phoned me at about 3pm to say she had superficial wounds to her hand.”

A pupil was also injured but all three have been released from hospital.

Teacher and rugby club chairman Darrel Campbell, who was on morning break duty and wearing a hi-vis jacket, subdued the attacker.

He grabbed the teen and put her in an armlock and snatched the weapon, said to be a butterfly knife.

His brother, Cefin, a Senedd member for Mid and West Wales, said Darrel had stepped in to prevent further injuries.

He added: “He has been a teacher there for 40 years. He was the first at the scene. He had to deal with a very stressful, chaotic situation.

“He did what most people would do and tried to calm things and restrain people from making the situation worse. He has been shaken by the whole experience. He has never, ever seen anything like this.

“Questions will have to be asked about security but our thoughts are with those who have been badly affected. There is a sense of disbelief but also a sense that this community will provide support. We are close-knit and resilient.”

Hundreds of parents gathered outside the school gates while pupils were kept on code-red lockdown for about four hours.

Head James Durbridge praised staff and pupils for their response. He wrote on the school’s website: “Today has been a very difficult day.

“It goes without saying that my thoughts are with the three individuals and their families, who have been affected.

“We’re proud to have witnessed pupils embodying the school’s core values while supporting peers and staff.

“I wish to commend all staff and pupils for their calm and mature response during today’s lockdown.”

The school remained closed yesterday as police looked for evidence.

Dyfed-Powys police declined to confirm the relationship between the two arrested teenagers but locals said they were brother and sister.

A police spokesman said: “A teenager from the Cross Hands area remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of making threats, which had references to the incident at Dyffryn Aman.

“Police carried out a warrant at his home following reports about threatening messages being sent on social media, which led to his arrest during the early hours.”

Supt Ross Evans added: “We would like to thank the many members of the public who reported concerns around messages they had seen online. This allowed us to take swift action in executing a warrant and arresting a suspect.

“While this investigation is being run separately to our enquiries into the major incident yesterday, our officers will be seeking to establish both the credibility of the threats, and whether there was any connection between the alleged offences.”

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• A GIRL aged 13 was last night charged with three counts of attempted murder.

A PRANKSTER has changed the sign on a pothole- ridden road named Patching Hall Lane — to read Patch The Holes Lane.

The protester made the alteration overnight to highlight the crumbling state of the street.

JOHN McLELLAN

JOHN McLELLAN

Residents say there are several 3ft by 2ft, six-inch-deep craters, as well as other smaller potholes, which are regularly damaging cars.

They want them repaired before someone is seriously hurt on the popular shortcut to two schools.

One resident said: “The new road sign made me smile but there’s a serious need for action.”

Homeowners on the half-mile-long street in Chelmsford, Essex, claim the potholes have been there for at least a year.

One said: “It’s a real problem.

“I moved here and had no idea about the awful noise of cars continuously hitting the pothole outside my house, day and night.”

Taxi driver Juber Nayeem, 24, backed the phantom signwriter’s work, adding: “Now maybe the council will be forced to fix the road.”

Chelmsford City Council leader, Lib Dem Stephen Robinson, said: “It’s a shame it takes a gimmick like this to highlight an important issue like road defects that clearly need fixing.”

Essex Highways, which is responsible for road repairs, says Patching Hall Lane is scheduled to be resurfaced in September.

A spokesperson added: “We do ask members of the public not to amend signage as it can mislead residents and cause confusion.”

• DRIVERS have forked out a total of GBP10billion on unexpected repairs in the past 12 months — with some dipping into their savings, putting off work on their house or cancelling a holiday to pay the bill

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FANS think Kevin De Bruyne’s incredible headed effort against Brighton is reminiscent of another Premier League super star.

The Belgian’s leaping header has been compared to a memorable goal scored by Robin van Persie.

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De Bruyne put Man City 1-0 up with his acrobatic effort after Kyle Walker floated a ball into the box.

The midfield magician leapt like a salmon to get his head on the end of the cross and saw his connection make the ball bullet into the top corner of Jason Steele‘s net.

Fans thought the goal was sensational and likened it to the World Cup stunner that Van Persie netted against Spain in 2014.

The Dutchman, who played for both Arsenal and Man Utd, went flying as he got on the end of a long ball forward from Daley Blind to help the Netherlands cruise to a 5-1 win over the Spaniards in their group.

Fans think the two goals are eerily similar and took to social media to express their opinions.

One wrote: “Just when you think you’ve seen De Bruyne do it all. He goes and scores a great header, just like Van Persie.”

While another added: “De Bruyne scored an IDENTICAL goal to Van Persie’s historic goal.”

A third fan posted: “ Kevin De Bruyne‘s opener in Van Persie style!”

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And a fourth wrote: “Okay that De Bruyne header… magnificent!!! Van Persie must be proud”.

Jamie Redknapp even likened the goal to Van Persie’s live on Sky Sports as he said: “The one thing we didn’t expect today was a Robin van Persie style header”.

RVP earned himself third spot in the 2014 Puskas Award with his worldie – with James Rodriguez taking home the prize for his volley against Uruguay.

De Bruyne finished his off with aplomb despite it being the FIRST header he has ever scored in the Premier League.

His goal sparked Pep Guardiola‘s side into life as they quickly added two more goals to put themselves 3-0 up before half-time.

And a second half goal to make it 4-0 meant that City put themselves within one point of league leaders Arsenal heading in to the final few games of the season.

A MASTERCHEF contestant has given a health update as they returned to the show following a horror accident.

Londoner Charlotte left viewers stunned when she had a mishap in the TV kitchen earlier this week.

BBC

BBC

BBC

The IT programmer from London preparing spicy vegan dumplings when her knife slipped.

Charlotte shouted for help as cameras panned, revealing she had sliced the top of her finger off.

Holding her wound as it poured with blood, she looked panicked as she told the film crew she’d cut herself and needed a plaster.

John Torode rushed over and said: “I’m sorry to say this, but you’ve actually cut the top of your finger off.”

Following the ordeal, the 42-year-old returned to MasterChef tonight and gave a health update.

As she was welcomed back by Gregg Wallace, Charlotte could be seen sporting a bandage on her finger.

She told the 59-year-old: “I’m good thanks, I’m healing well.

“I’m so happy to be back.”

Despite the setback the vegan was delighted after being put through to the next round.

After watching Charlotte slice her finger open earlier in the week queasy fans had flooded social media with comments.

One wrote: “Did they have to show us the top of her finger cut off?”

Another said: “I was not prepared for someone chopping the end of their finger off in the first 30seconds of #MasterChef tonight.”

“Charlotte cooking with a bit of claret. Good bloody start,” wrote a third.

“Vegan food can be really exciting! *immediately chops own finger into the meal*” added another.

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WHEELER Dealers host Mike Brewer has given a major update on his new World Tour TV series.

The long-awaited trailer for the beloved show’s spin-off programme dropped this evening, providing a sneak peek into the Mike’s international escapades with co-host Marc Priestley.

Mike Brewer

Mike Brewer

The presenter posted the tease clip on X, former Twitter, as the show prepares to hit screens on April 29 at 9pm.

“MONDAY 9PM @DiscoveryUK, we can’t wait it’s so bloody exciting! By the way it’s perfectly safe now to please go and follow the #WheelerDealer #facebook page and keep on top of all the news,” he wrote.

Wheeler Dealers’ globe trekking series will launch on Discovery+ following Warner Bros announcement that MotorTrend+ was being discontinued.

The show is set to take in locations across Europe, North America and even Down Under on the hunt for old motors to restore.

Fans will now be able to access the content on Discovery+ in the UK and HBO Max in the US instead.

Brewer has previously teased the upcoming series in a video shared on X, where he can be seen in the recording booth with Marc.

Wheeler Dealers World Tour is set to document the team’s global travels, hunting down some of the best and most interesting cars on the planet.

The tour will include a collaboration with popular motoring YouTuber Tavarish, known to Mike as Freddie, whose workshop they were filming in.

Mike teased that this would include a build of a McLaren P1 in collaboration with Freddie at his workshop in Miami.

NERVY WAIT

It comes after news that Wheeler Dealers is yet to be renewed for its 28th series, according to the show’s hosts.

The iconic duo revealed bosses at Warner Bros and Discovery Channel have not yet green lit further adventures.

However, in a promising update to fans the pair revealed discussions are taking place – and they’ve a book full of ideas on where next to take the beloved show.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Elvis said: “I think we both hope there’s going to be more specials and we’re already well into discussions about doing more of this world tour.”

He continued: “We’ve done 10 episodes but there are so many more places we no know this show is hugely popular in parts of the world we can do more.

“There are so many stories, we’ve already fleshed out nearly 20 more stories we can tell so we’re hoping we can do more of this because it’s been a wonderful and as Mike said at the beginning, I think it’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done, the best show we’ve ever made.”

“Not only is it the best show we’ve ever made, but we know we can make it even better, so how about that? That’s kind of exciting for us.

“We’ve come back with this amazing show that we can’t wait for the audience globally to see it.

“But although we’ve now made it and gone around the world doing it, we’ve gone ‘oh well we could have done that a bit better, we could’ve spent a bit more time on this’.”

He concluded: “We know we can improve it next time round.”

Who is Mike Brewer?

MIKE Brewer is an English car trader most notable for presenting Wheeler Dealers.

Born in Lambeth, London, on August 28, 1964, Brewer has become one of the most renowned faces in the British motoring scene.

Having emerged on television in the late 1990’s, Brewer has appeared in a number of motoring programmes.

Brewer’s television shows have included Driven on Channel 4, Deals on Wheels, Pulling Power, Wrecks to Riches and Auto Trader.

He has also appeared in a series called Revved Up, in which cars are modified, and presents coverage of the British Rally Championship on Sky Sports.

Brewer was hired as the presenter of Wheeler Dealers in 2003 and has featured in all 18 series since its launch, including two spin-offs series called Wheeler Dealers Trading Up.

January 2020 also saw the premier of another spin off series called Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car, where Brewer and former Formula 1 mechanic Marc “Elvis” Priestly help car owners trade up their unwanted vehicles to get them the car of their dreams.

For the first 14 years of Wheeler Dealers, Brewer co-hosted alongside mechanic Edd China.

After China stepped down in 2017, Brewer was joined by his replacement, Ant Anstead, on the show.

Outside of Wheeler Dealers, Brewer boasts has two eponymous “Mike Brewer Motors” outlets in the UK, located in Sheffield and Luton.

RYAN Giggs is set to become a dad for the third time aged 50.

The Manchester United legend and girlfriend Zara Charles, 36, are expecting a baby later this year.

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Giggs, who has two kids from a previous marriage, and mum-of-one Zara are said to be “delighted”.

Friends of the couple said they were excitedly planning for their baby’s arrival later this year.

Giggs is already dad to Sheffield United footballer son Zach, 17, plus daughter Libby, 19, from his marriage to Stacey Cooke.

Lingerie model Zara — his partner since 2021 — also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

The delighted couple have told close family, and their exes, about their happy news.

A source said: “Ryan was nervous about what his kids would think but they’ve got to know Zara over the last few years and really like her.

“They’re happy because they know he’s happy.

“But they’ve joked that he might struggle with the early mornings and lack of sleep.

“Ryan and Zara are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents again.

“They have a very solid, loving relationship and are building a long-term future together.

“Their life is very simple, they go for walks, they go for coffees and love keeping fit.”

A separate source said Stacey — who divorced Giggs in 2017 after ten years of marriage — has also given her blessing.

‘Blended family’

She, Giggs and Zara spent Christmas together in December 2022 as a “blended family”, a source confirmed.

They added: “Stacey approves of Zara. Her and Ryan have been through a lot but they have moved on and she’s only interested in him being happy, because that makes him a good dad to their kids. There is no animosity.”

In November Giggs celebrated his 50th birthday with a trip to Dubai with Zara, who surprised him by having red rose petals scattered across their hotel bed.

She posted: “Yesterday was my best friend’s Big Birthday. Happy 50th, Ryan.

“So grateful we got to spend it in one of our happy places. I will love you forever.”

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BackGrid

Stacey approves of Zara

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The couple live in a GBP2.1million, seven-bedroom mansion which Giggs bought last year.

Zara supported him through his assault trial after he was charged with attacking his ex-lover Kate Greville and her sister Emma during a drunken row at his home in Worsley, Gtr Manchester, in November 2020.

He was also charged with controlling coercive behaviour towards PR executive Kate during their three-year relationship.

During the trial, the jury was told how Kate had accused Giggs of cheating on her with several women, including Zara.

In a goodbye letter Kate penned to Giggs, she wrote: “You and Zara were also in a full-on relationship for a year.

“I could go on but I think that’s enough. You got your guy from Harrods to send her shoes, bags, and dresses.”

A jury failed to reach a verdict in August 2022 and Giggs — who always denied any wrongdoing — made a point of publicly thanking “my girlfriend Zara” for support.

He faced a retrial but in 2023 the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew all charges after Kate said she did not want to give evidence, citing the toll the first trial had taken on her mental health.

Judge Hilary Manley then told Manchester crown court: “I formally enter not guilty verdicts in respect of each of the three counts.”

Giggs’s lawyer Chris Daw said at the time: “Mr Giggs is deeply relieved the prosecution has finally come to an end after almost three years in which he’s been fighting throughout to clear his name.

“He’s now been found not guilty of all the charges and going forward would like to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.”

Giggs stepped down from his job as Wales national team manager in June 2022 ahead of the first trial. He has since been trying to rebuild his life out of the spotlight.

Last month it emerged he was working again as Salford City’s director of football.

Giggs is co-owner of the League Two club along with his ex-United team-mates Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.

Ryan and Zara are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents again

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Flying winger Giggs joined the Red Devils as a 14-year-old and went on to win 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two Champions Leagues.

He made 963 appearances and managed the club for four games at the end of the 2014 season after David Moyes was sacked.

He then worked as an assistant to Louis van Gaal for two years before leaving when Jose Mourinho was appointed manager.

He won 64 Wales caps and was appointed national team boss in January 2018.

Current boss Rob Page was appointed in his place in 2022.

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SO is Phil Foden now Manchester City’s finest footballer or does Kevin De Bruyne remain the master?

Sorcerer or apprentice? Take your pick.

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Either way, Pep Guardiola couldn’t give a stuff as his supernatural duo tormented Brighton and fired City into an unassailable three-goal lead inside 34 minutes.

City remained on course for an unprecedented fourth consecutive English league title and were even able to calm their manager’s tetchiness about burn-out by winning this one without breaking sweat.

De Bruyne opened the scoring with a masterpiece header – the first headed goal he has ever managed in the Premier League – and Foden swiftly followed with a brace before a second-half strike from Julian Alvarez.

Guardiola refers to Brighton away as one of the toughest fixtures of the season.

Not this time, it wasn’t. Not with Brighton ravaged by injuries, out of form and playing out from the back to such a ludicrous extent that you’d have thought they were suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder.

This was the polar opposite of the direct approach Sean Dyche’s Everton took in beating City’s title rivals Liverpool the previous evening and it got the polar opposite result.

City certainly didn’t miss the injured Erling Haaland. Indeed there is a genuine debate to be had about whether they are a better team without their Norse god of goals.

They are certainly a different team, a more fluid and aesthetically-pleasing one.

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City are a point behind Arsenal with a game in hand and while they still have three away matches among their remaining five league fixtures, it was difficult to imagine them dropping any more points while watching this.

Despite Guardiola’s whining about the fixture list, City had former Footballer of the Year Ruben Dias, England’s best defender John Stones and GBP100million Jack Grealish among his subs.

Meanwhile Brighton were decimated by injuries and had won just once in their previous eight league matches.

Roberto De Zerbi gave a full debut to teenage Argentinian left-back Valentin Barco, who was signed from Boca Juniors for GBP7.9million.

He blundered badly for Foden’s second but will presumably be sold to a Big Six club for ten times as much, because that’s what Brighton just do.

If there really are a bunch of people called ‘The Purists’ then they’d have clubbed together and bought a hospitality box for this fixture between England’s two most stylistically-lauded teams.

For the opening quarter of an hour it was chess on grass – Guardiola prowling his technical area, stroking his chin as Brighton played high-wire passes around their own penalty area.

Then Foden delivered a free-kick from the left and an unmarked Nathan Ake failed to control his shot at the far post.

No matter, within a couple of minutes, City were ahead – Foden fed Kyle Walker whose airbound cut-back was met by De Bruyne with the sort of flying long-range header a performing seal might make. Give the lad a mackerel.

This was his 255th appearance in the competition and the first time he’s scored with his bonce.

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Yet it was quite some header – shades of Robin Van Persie’s classic Puskas Award nominee at the 2014 World Cup.

Suddenly, Brighton were being picked apart and Alvarez drove wide across goal before Foden’s darting run and tumble earned a controversial free-kick on the edge of the box.

Foden ignored chants of ‘cheat!’ and drilled his shot through a hole in the wall, Manuel Akanji ducking to make space, and the ball cannoned in off the back of Pascal Gross.

It was the England man’s 23rd goal of the season, and the 24th arrived soon after.

This was where Brighton’s tightrope routine ended up with them falling to earth without a safety net.

As they played triangles in their own box, poor young Barco was dispossessed by Bernardo Silva, allowing Foden a comfy first-time finish.

It was just done after 35 minutes and little wonder that Guardiola always praises Brighton so highly, as they allow his team to score goals such as that one.

Straight after half-time Brighton had a decent penalty shout turned down when Rodri dragged down Gross.

The fourth showed De Zerbi the merits of mixing it up – a punt from Ederson sent Walker charging through on goal and he skinned Barco before beating keeper Jason Steele to the loose ball and allowing Alvarez to stab home.

Brighton certainly should have had a penalty soon after when Joao Pedro’s barnstorming ended with Josko Gvardiol shoving him in the back.

Ref Jarred Gillett, from a land down under, must have been playing Aussie rules. Not that it would have made any difference to the outcome.

De Bruyne and Foden got an early cut, making way for Grealish and Matheus Nunes midway through the second half.

And City now head to Nottingham Forest, where they seem to spend more time working out the allegiance of the VAR than the merits of the opposition.

It is difficult to imagine them slipping up at the City Ground, nor anywhere else.

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SEE HOW IT HAPPENED…

SHOPPERS have been left devastated after a posh retailer with 405 stores in the UK is set to shut another branch in just days.

This is the latest store to bite the dust in a fresh wave of closings amid the high street’s retail apocalypse.

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Marks and Spencer has confirmed it will close the gates of a popular branch in Wimborne just six months after it first opened.

The M&S Food store at Crown Mead in Wimborne will close for good on April 26.

The store was first opened on October 12 last year by local school children, the town’s mayor and the friendly character Percy Pig.

The 4,000sq ft M&S Food store offered a bakery, plus a click-and-collect service for clothing and home products bought online.

Fumed locals took to Facebook to share their thoughts after hearing about the store closure.

One frustrated customer said: “It is such a shame they are closing the store.”

While another wrote: “Good grief only six months?”

A third user concluded: “Sign of the times.”

And a fourth shared: “I feel sorry for the staff who will lose their jobs.”

The Sun has reached out to M&S for comment.

M&S has also confirmed the closure date of another store in Hexam.

Local media reports the M&S store on Maiden’s Walk will is due to close for good on May 25

A spokesperson for Marks and Spencer said the Hexham branch closure was part of its “store rotation programme”.

They added: “We have announced that we are investing GBP480 million in bigger, better stores across the UK.

It is understood that the closure comes amid plans the retail giant’s portfolio shakeup plans.

M&S earlier said it wanted to restructure its business and put more focus on its food-only stores.

In October 2022 it announced it would shut 67 “lower productivity” locations over the following five years.

In February, the retailer confirmed it would close its store at the Broadway Shopping Centre in Bradford.

Branded as “absolutely brilliant” by shoppers on Google Reviews, the store is set to pull down the shutters on May 18.

Vickie Smith, M&S regional manager, said: “We would like to thank all customers who have shopped with us at our Bradford Broadway store.

“The store will close on May 18 and we are continuing discussions with colleagues about what this decision means for them.

“Wherever possible, we will offer them alternative roles with M&S.

Why are M&S stores closing?

In November 2016, the high street chain said that it had marked 110 low-performing stores for closure or change as part of a big 10-year restructuring plan.

Store closures began in April 2017 when the first six stores were announced would shut.

In May 2018, M&S then announced that it was accelerating its plans with over 110 clothes stores due to close by 2022.

By May 2019, M&S revised its plans to 120 clothing store closures by April 2024.

It also added 25 food stores to the firing line, saying they face being axed or relocated.

In 2021 the 30 store closures came after a year of high street retailers battling to survive as a result of the Covid crisis.

As non-essential shops were ordered to close during several national lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, many retailers’ sales, including M&S, took a big hit.

In 2022, the changes come as it faces a tough consumer backdrop, rising inflation and a GBP100million hit from soaring energy costs.

The retailer has said that it is accelerating its store overhaul to save around GBP309million in rent costs.

M&S has previously said that it was focused on moving out of tired stores on high streets with low footfall in favour of relocating to retail parks, which continue to prove popular with shoppers.

But it wasn’t just closures that the retailer announced – the chain also said it would open 104 new “bigger and fresher” food stores.

Cities like Leeds and Liverpool have already become home to new M&S stores.

Nine openings in November included six new stores plus three store renewals.

It also plans to open over 100 bigger Foodhall sites by 2028.

M&S plans to operate 180 full-line (which include clothing, home and food) and 400 food halls in the next five years.

The new openings will bring investment in new stores to GBP480million, M&S said in May last year.

Flagship M&S stores have popped up in several major UK cities this year, with more openings to come this year.

Retailers closing stores in 2024

RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.

High energy costs and a move to shopping online are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.

Here’s a list of all the big-name brands closing stores this year:

• Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone UK branches last year as it looks to move away from the high street and focus on expanding its presence in supermarkets.
• B&Q – The chain has over 300 shops across the UK, so chances are you have one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
• Boots – The health and beauty chain announced that it would be closing 300 stores last July. Closures are ongoing and this will see the retailer’s estate reduced from 2,200 to 1,900 shops.
• Clintons – Clintons mulled plans to close 38 shops in a bid to avoid insolvency late last year. We’ve listed the stores affected.
• Costa Coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 sites nationwide, so chances are you’ll have one near you. The chain has shut the doors to dozens of its sites recently. We’ve revealed which stores are due to close this year.
• Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores but closed nearly two dozen sites in 2023, and more selected shops are due to shut.
• Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing up shop locations, which has meant that some stores have to close. But the retailer is also looking to open 12 new supermarkets.
• M&S – M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, has been closing a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers. It’s not all bad news, though, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new shops as well.
• Trespass – The firm announced in July last year that it was closing six branches, but more are on the way.
• WHSmith – The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shuttered eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.

CHELSEA have been dealt a huge blow with Enzo Fernandez ruled out for the rest of the season.

The midfielder now faces a race against time to be fit in time for the Copa America this summer.

Reuters

Fernandez has been suffering with an inguinal hernia for over a month, according to Argentine outlet Ole.

The issue has affected his groin region between the lower abdomen and the thigh and requires surgery.

Chelsea had hoped to treat the injury without Fernandez undergoing an operation, with the 23-year-old also speaking to a kinesiologist whom he worked with during his days at River Plate.

But following a consultation with the Argentina medical team it was decided that surgery was the best course of action.

Fernandez has now gone under the knife with Chesea’s season more or less over after they were knocked out of the FA Cup.

He will likely spend three weeks sidelined as he recovers from the procedure.

Chelsea issued a statement which read: “Enzo Fernandez has today undergone successful surgery on a groin issue and will now begin a period of rehabilitation, sidelining him for the remainder of Chelsea’s 2023/24 season.

“The 23-year-old midfielder will work with the club’s medical department on his rehabilitation at Cobham.”

The World Cup winner will now focus on healing and getting back fit in time for the Copa America opener, which takes place on June 21.

The youngster is a key player for his country despite coming under fire at Chelsea this season.

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But despite his poor form, manager Mauricio Pochettino has kept the faith and promised there is more to come.

He said: “For sure he is going to be much better next season, after the experience of the whole season in this squad and this team,’ he said.

“He’s more experienced, he gets better feelings. The whole season is good for him to learn.

“Even if he is a world champion, he needs to adapt to the Premier League and to this club. For me, there is no doubt that he is going to be much better.”

LOVE Island winner Molly Smith revealed that she was drunk during a tense firepit chat.

The TV star struggled to hold a conversation with Georgia Steel after sipping on red wine.

Sitting down with Olivia Attwood for her So Wrong It’s Right podcast, the pair discussed first dates.

Olivia asked what Molly thought about getting drunk on a first date.

“You couldn’t on yours, one glass of wine,” Olivia added, noting the Love Island drinking rules.

But Molly jumped in: “That’s all it takes for me. Honestly, two glasses of wine, and I remember Georgia Steel talking to me and I hadn’t a clue what she was saying to me.

“I was sat at the fire pit thinking. Like, where am I? Yeah, two red wines. Two red wines,” she laughed.

She and Georgia clashed several times in the villa and have taken their beef into the real world.

Molly celebrated a six-figure deal with Boohoo last month, but Georgia Steel snubbed her star-studded party.

Georgia also claimed that Molly’s boyfriend Tom Clare “ kicked her while she was down” when they branded her the “snakiest” person in the villa.

Molly also recently revealed that she and Tom, who she won the series with, have ‘moved in together’.

Gushing about her romance to OK! Molly revealed: “Tom is basically moving in to mine at the moment.

“He was planning on moving back up north from London anyway, so he’s now in the process of moving all of his stuff in and yeah we’re basically living together.”

“So, we haven’t really spent much time apart, to be honest,” she added.

“I’ve not seen any red flags either, so it’s looking good!”

The couple have also been enjoying sun-soaked holidays together since leaving the show.

The pair splashed their GBP50,000 prize on the perfect holiday in Dubai ahead of Molly’s birthday – with Tom pulling out all the stops to make it perfect for her.

Tom and Molly stayed at Rixos Premium Dubai, a GBP215-a-night all-inclusive hotel, and were welcomed with their room coated in balloons.

The following day they both went skydiving, ticking a major once-in-a-lifetime moment off their list.

A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP match was interrupted after a disrupting frog noise played out from the crowd.

David Gilbert took on Robert Milkins in an all-English battle for a place in the quarter-finals with the former leading with a score of 3-1.

BBC

But Milkins put himself in a good position to claw one frame back as he took a 54-point lead.

The two snooker aces found themselves in an intense back-and-forth resulting in Gilbert being left with a long pot on a red into the corner pocket.

Things got incredibly tensed at the Crucible as Gilbert got into position on the cue ball.

And that was when a ribbit sound echoed around the arena that made him jolt back to his feet.

A spectator appeared to have forgotten to turn their phone on silent and their ringtone interrupted proceedings.

Gilbert appeared to have seen the funny side of it as he smiled to himself as he tried to recompose himself.

Referee Desislava Bozhilova announced: “Please make sure your phones are on silent.”

BBC pundit Shaun Murphy wasn’t at all happy with the incident and didn’t hold back while on commentary.

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Murphy said as he called the action for the BBC: “A frog ringtone there. Incredible… Just turn them off!”

Eurosport commentator Phil Yates doubled down on that disrupting incident.

Yates added: “Oh deary me. It’s not just a phone going off, it sounds like a frog croaking. It’s still going!”

RARELY can the wearing of a half-and-half scarf be justified.

Particularly on the occasion of a passionate Merseyside derby with so much at stake for Everton and Liverpool.

PA

Getty

Yet if Arne Slot wrapped his neck in red and blue, while squirrelled away in his Rotterdam living room this week, it would be just about acceptable, if not advisable.

Replacing outgoing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at the end of this season must be exhilarating — but slightly more terrifying for anyone being seriously considered for the job.

Feyenoord chief Slot, 45, has emerged as the No 1 candidate and while it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, it is also one of the toughest gigs going.

Klopp has won seven big trophies in eight years but, moreover, restored a sense of entitlement at Anfield.

The feeling that the club is back where it belongs among football’s top feeders.

Even if the imposing German was only half his 6ft 3in, those would be big shoes to fill.

Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton has torpedoed the Reds’ title hopes.

And, with them, romantic Scouse visions of Klopp, 56, being carried shoulder high through the Shankly Gates with a second Premier League winner’s medal hanging off him.

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Overnight, the team looks weary and in need of a makeover similar to the manager’s cosmetic tooth job and laser eye surgery.

But doom for Klopp is delight for Slot.

It is now odds-on that the man who has come to symbolise the renaissance on red Merseyside will head off into the sunset with only the Carabao Cup to go with his carriage clock.

And how much easier that makes it for Slot — or whoever takes over — to pick up the baton.

Who wants the job of trying to lead the Kop giants into an entirely new era when the trophy cabinet is bulging with bright, shiny new trinkets?

Nobody wants to follow on from a legend.

Whichever massively underpaid no mark eventually takes on my job will find it a breeze — because the only way is up. See what I mean?

David Moyes found out to his cost what it’s like attempting to remould Manchester United in his own image as the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

Every aspect of life at Old Trafford, from the boardroom to boot room, was soaked in the angry old Scot’s DNA.

Even Fergie’s Glaswegian blood brother Moyes felt alien at United.

Just to make it even harder, Britain’s most successful manager signed off in style by winning the Premier League title by a whopping 11 points from Manchester City to assert United’s local dominance.

That’s the stuff of dreams for the bloke being put out to pasture with a trumpet fanfare.

But a nightmare for the man coming in needing to get a new tune out of the same instrument.

AP

Man United still haven’t solved the problem 11 years on.

The next Liverpool gaffer will have to replace Mo Salah, even if the 31-year-old Egyptian goal machine does not bunk off to Saudi Arabia this summer.

He must turn Darwin Nunez, 24, into a consistent threat who doesn’t shrink on big occasions.

Virgil van Dijk is 32 and not the force of nature he once was. The defence needs work with one new centre-back, maybe two.

That’s some to-do list, but far better to come in when the team is at a low ebb to make picking it up that much simpler.

The fact Liverpool are contriving to turn what was a genuine shot at a goodbye quadruple for Klopp into a slow death march should at least make one man happy, at least on the QT.

HAVE A RETHINK

SHOULD Arsenal go on to win the Premier League title, boss Mikel Arteta knows who to thank.

Pundit Craig Burley has been a repeat critic of Kai Havertz this term — pulling no punches in his analysis of the German forward following his GBP65million move from Chelsea last summer.

Rex

The former Blues midfielder said in August: “There is nothing in this Havertz performance or performances that suggest he is any different, not one iota, from the player who was performing for Chelsea.

“The only difference is he’s wearing a red shirt.”

Burley went as far as to urge Arteta to drop Havertz, labelling him the ‘elephant in the room’ regarding Arsenal’s weaknesses.

The Gunners battered Burley and Havertz’s old Blues side 5-0 on Tuesday — with the German netting twice in the second half — to go back to the top of the table.

Havertz has averaged a goal every other game in the past 14 matches and is now considered a cornerstone of a team making huge strides at home and in Europe.

Burley may well have been right in what he said at the start of the season.

But you’d have to pay a fortune for that kind of reverse psychology on Bupa.

BAD VIBE ON AMO

WHAT a shame West Ham’s attempts to land Ruben Amorim as their next manager look to have collapsed.

No surprise there as relations between the Hammers and Amorim’s current club Sporting Lisbon can’t be that warm.

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Back in 2017, Sporting infamously labelled West Ham’s porn baron owners David Sullivan and David Gold the “dildo brothers” in a row over a transfer deal.

No way was Europe’s most sought-after coach going to come quietly.

BREWTIFUL GAME, EH?

JOACHIM ANDERSEN and his fellow Crystal Palace players have a WhatsApp group where they discuss their love of coffee.

The defender told GQ magazine: “It’s massive for me. We have some connoisseurs here, you know?

“I’m in a WhatsApp group called ‘Coffee Talk’ and we talk about everything — beans, machines, where to get the best coffee at away games.”

How embarrassing that all is! Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned X-rated pics?

BIGWIGS CAN’T LAY INTO REFS

NOTTINGHAM FOREST have done nothing new.

Football fans have been questioning the integrity of referees for years.

And their assistants and VARs when results don’t go their way.

Often en masse and at great volume with choice words included as part of a chant.

What Forest said on the record last weekend about VAR Stuart Attwell’s allegiance to relegation rivals Luton Town is only what most punters consider ‘bantz’ in the pub.

Fans, like the clubs, are also what we call ‘stakeholders’ in today’s game.

But there is a difference and this is what Forest have forgotten.

Whoever sanctioned the daft statement insinuating Attwell’s judgment could have been swayed by his love of the Hatters reduced themselves to a terrace barrister.

While the club’s threat of legal action because pundit Gary Neville labelled them a ‘mafia gang’ only made it worse.

However frustrating it might be to see your team going down the gurgler, a few people in the inner circle at a top club cannot behave like the 25,000 in the stands.

That’s the price you pay for making football your job.

TOM’S TURN

SO it’s congratulations to Tom Cleverley on his appointment as the new permanent boss of Watford — their 11th in the last six years.

Given the high turnover of managers at Vicarage Road, you have to wonder if they even bother with permanent markers to sign the contracts.

NIGEL Farage will become Prime Minister after a massive financial meltdown knocks Sir Keir Starmer out of power, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist has declared.

Steve Bannon slammed the current Tory leadership under Rishi Sunak, saying they are even worse than the American Republicans.

The Sun

The Sun

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PA

Political firebrand Bannon – who hosts the “ultraMAGA” podcast WarRoom – was President Trump’s controversial chief strategist and senior counsellor following his 2016 election victory.

He dramatically left the post in 2017 but has remained a staunch supporter of Trump’s re-election and his “Make America Great Again” pledge.

Bannon dished out some fierce criticism and made some sweeping predictions on The Sun’s new politics show, Never Mind the Ballots.

On our stateside special, Bannon also:

• CLAIMED the Pro-Palestinian movement is the most anti-American ever
• SLAMMED European spending on defence as a “joke”
• LET rip about Trump’s trials and “alien invaders”
• ORDERED Trump to turn his guns on Biden – not the judge in his trial

You can watch the show on thesun.co.uk or The Sun’s YouTube channel.

Bannon warned the UK’s deepening financial woes will spell disaster for Labour.

And he said it would set the stage for Farage to swoop in and lead the UK to the “sunlit uplands”.

The former White House mastermind told The Sun’s hit politics show: “I think the Tories are actually, if you could pick a conservative party worse than Republicans – it would be tough to create it – it would be the Tories.”

After predicting a Conservative Party “election wipe out”, he said: “I think Nigel Farage will be Prime Minister after Sir Keir, and I think Nigel Farage with this kind of populist-nationalist take, it will be a guy that already had the most important political development with Brexit.

“I think he’s the guy to actually see Brexit through, and I believe he’ll be Prime Minister one day and I think he’ll lead the United Kingdom to the sunlit uplands.”

With the UK already grappling with economic instability, Bannon warned there will be a “global financial crisis”.

Bannon went on: “I happen to think it’s going to be on Sir Keir’s watch and that’s what I think will lead back to the premiership of Nigel.”

When the moment comes, the long-time ally of Trump called on Farage to shake up the Conservative Party from within rather than start a new party.

Bannon said: “The way I see it, the Tory Party, like the Republicans, don’t spend a lot of time trying to build third parties.

“Take over the apparatus that’s right in front of you.”

Previously, in 2017 and 2018, Farage was said to be in talks with Bannon about fronting a global alliance of populist and far-right politicians, according to The Guardian.

Farage reportedly said he would be keen to take the role after Bannon discussed the idea of forming a group based around populism and “economic nationalism”.

But the idea – which later became an initiative led by Bannon for right-wing populist parties, called the Movement – foundered amid reports the operation could be illegal in most of the countries in which Bannon planned to intervene.

Bannon reportedly told Farage in the original pitch about the populist movement – at Bannon’s Washington DC headquarters in October 2017 – that he would be “the perfect guy” to front it.

Farage and Trump are known to be friends and have campaigned together, with Farage seen interviewing Trump and at rallies.

Just this month, the ex-US president wished the Brexit campaigner a happy 60th birthday.

In a video message played at Farage’s party on April 3, Trump said: “You’re a historic figure as a prophetic leader, and I know that the people of the UK are grateful for your patriotism and service.

“In fact. I’m very much looking forward to watching what your next move is going to be, it’s going to be an interesting one.”

Farage has said he would happily serve as Britain’s ambassador to the US under a Trump presidency.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss this month said she would like the Reform UK founder to join the Tories.

The Brexit champion said it was “very sweet” of her to say that but insisted he had no intention to do so for the time being.

Farage told ITV: “I’ve got no intentions of joining this Conservative Party at this moment in time.

“I’ve absolutely no idea what they stand for on any issue at all, nor do they.

“It’s very sweet of Liz Truss to say that, but I won’t be joining the Conservative Party.”

The former MEP said he “simply hasn’t decided” whether to take a more prominent role ahead of the election.

Richard Tice is currently leader of the Reform UK but Farage founded the party and has been mulling a comeback for months.

Bannon was dubbed Trump’s “puppet master” with a direct line to the President during his time as chief strategist.

But he dramatically left the post in 2017 amid rumours of a power struggle with Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

In 2019, Bannon was indicted on charges of money laundering, fraud and conspiracy.

He was accused of cheating donors of a “We Build the Wall” fundraiser – which aimed to establish a blockade along the US-Mexico border.

But Bannon’s federal crime was pardoned by President Trump in the final hours of his presidency in a sign their relationship had warmed.

Since then, Bannon has been a staunch supporter of Trump’s re-election, boldly declaring “MAGA could rule for 50 years” just weeks ago.

On tonight’s Never Mind the Ballots, Bannon urged Trump to “focus” on Biden during this “tough part” of his campaign.

Bannon said Trump “needs to turn the guns on” Biden, 81, when he’s out of the courtroom.

The former president is on trial in Manhattan, charged with falsifying business records to cover up an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.

Prosecutors claim that by making payments and covering them up, Trump “orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election”.

Trump – who is running for a nonconsecutive second term in this year’s presidential election – has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denies that the encounter took place.

Bannon said: “We’re in a very tough part of this campaign right now and President Trump has got to focus, continue to focus that his opponent is Joe Biden.

“His opponent is not the judge in the court.”

He continued: “When he’s out of the courtroom he needs to turn the guns on, back on to Biden.

“I think if we do this and you do it smartly this could be a net positive for the campaign.”

Also on tonight’s episode of Never Mind the Ballots, controversial Bannon claimed the pro-Palestine movement has made US colleges more dangerous than cartel-controlled parts of Mexico.

He warned that that Jewish students and Christian conservatives are under attack on campuses across the States.

He told host Harry Cole that pro-Palestinian demos, riddled with Jihadists, have made colleges more threatening than the Darien Gap.

Bannon said: “The pro-Palestinian movement in American is the most anti-American movement I’ve ever seen in the streets of this country.

“If you’re a young Jewish student or quite frankly a MAGA Christian, if you walk across that campus you will be attacked, it’s a very dangerous.”

Over the past week US universities including Columbia and Yale have seen an explosion in pro-Palestinian protests.

The majority of these protests see thousands gather peacefully on campuses across the US.

But some colleges have seen activists pitch up tents to create an “encampment”, where Jewish students who believe in the State of Israel have been banned from entering.

Gaza activists have been filmed screaming at Jewish students to “go back to Poland”.

And there have been calls for young Jews to be attacked by Hamas’ terrorist killer brigade Al Qassam.

This week Columbia was forced to move all classes online after a hike in threats to students who disagreed with the left-wing protesters.

Bannon claimed the shocking scenes are a result of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

He said: “People should understand this revolt of Sharia supremacists in this country is just picking up steam and it’s going to be quite violent and quite dangerous.

“The jihadists, the Sharia supremacists have won and have taken over at least Columbia, I think you’ll see many more Ivy League schools like this, I think NYU’s going to go like this.”

The right wing agitator argued that Joe Biden hasn’t been tough on protests because he’s trying to appease Muslim voters.

Bannon said: “He understands he has to appease the Muslim community, the Arab-American community which has been a key component of the Democratic Party or he has no shot of winning Michigan.

“I believe if he can’t win Michigan it’s going to be very tough for Biden to win the presidency.”

The Mega Agency

The Mega Agency

AP

Darren Fletcher

STEVE Bannon pulled no punches as he gave his take on Donald Trump’s trial, immigration chaos and the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Mr Trump’s former aide told the Sun’s politics show Never Mind The Ballots his ex-boss is in for a “tough” time as his hush money criminal trial continues.

The Sun

The Sun

AFP

But he insisted the American firebrand needs to keep his focus on his true opponent Joe Biden – rather than the judge.

The former US President faces 34 charges of falsifying business records to disguise a hush-money payment to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair.

On our stateside special, Bannon also:

• CLAIMED the Pro-Palestinian movement is the most anti-American ever
• SLAMMED European spending on defence as a “joke”
• CALLED Nigel Farage the next Prime Minister after Keir Starmer
• ORDERED Trump to turn his guns on Biden – not the judge in his trial

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies having the affair.

You can watch the show on thesun.co.uk or The Sun’s YouTube channel.

Mr Bannon told our Political Editor Harry Cole: “He (Trump) is definitely going to be the (presidential) candidate.

“But I think that you see right now… the lawfare is really starting to kick in here, he’s in a court in lower Manhattan on these kind of bizarre trumped up charges of these bookkeeping issues that they’ve got him up on.”

He added: “We’re in a very tough part of this campaign right now and president Trump has got to focus, continue to focus that his opponent is Joe Biden, his opponent is not the judge in the court so everyday is going to be a tough one.”

The White House former chief strategist also slammed Republican Speaker Mike Johnson for failing to uphold his promise to secure the US southern border before advancing other policies, like funding for Ukraine.

He said even Mr Biden admits “eight million illegal alien invaders” have entered the US since he took over as President.

He added: “We calculate it’s between 12 and 15 million.

“The Republican establishment promised nothing would go forward on Ukraine until that was secure.”

While Bannon claims figures are between 12 and 15 million, US Customs and Border Protection data states the number of southwest land border encounters since Biden came into office in 2021 is 7,298,486.

Bannon – who hosts the the “ultraMAGA” podcast WarRoom – was President Trump’s controversial chief strategist and senior counsellor following his 2016 election victory.

He dramatically left the post in 2017 but has remained a staunch supporter of Trump’s re-election and his “Make America Great Again” pledge.

Elsewhere during the interview, Mr Bannon demanded a probe into the October 7 Hamas attacks given the blatant intelligence failure from security agencies.

He said: “I can’t believe we had an intelligence failure from MI6, from CIA, DNI, that didn’t understand that Hamas had taken almost two years to train for this…

“I cannot believe that we were caught blind by this.”

Asked if he believed someone knew it was coming and let it happen he said: “I don’t know, there has to be an investigation.”

There is no evidence that any intelligence service had prior knowledge of Hamas’ attack – which claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians.

He also claimed the pro-Palestine movement has made US colleges more dangerous than cartel-controlled parts of Mexico.

He warned that that Jewish students and Christian conservatives are under attack on campuses across the States.

He told host Harry Cole that pro-Palestinian demos, riddled with Jihadists, have made colleges more threatening than the Darien Gap.

Mr Bannon said: “The pro-Palestinian movement in American is the most anti-American movement I’ve ever seen in the streets of this country.

“If you’re a young Jewish student or quite frankly a MAGA Christian, if you walk across that campus you will be attacked, it’s a very dangerous.”

Over the past week US universities including Columbia and Yale have seen an explosion in pro-Palestinian protests.

The majority of these protests see thousands gather peacefully on campuses across the US.

But some colleges have seen activists pitch up tents to create an “encampment”, where Jewish students who believe in the State of Israel have been banned from entering.

Gaza activists have been filmed screaming at Jewish students to “go back to Poland”.

And there have been calls for young Jews to be attacked by Hamas’ terrorist killer brigade Al Qassam.

This week Columbia was forced to move all classes online after a hike in threats to students who disagreed with the left-wing protesters.

Mr Bannon claimed the shocking scenes are a result of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

He said: “People should understand this revolt of Sharia supremacists in this country is just picking up steam and it’s going to be quite violent and quite dangerous.

“The jihadists, the Sharia supremacists have won and have taken over at least Columbia, I think you’ll see many more Ivy League schools like this, I think NYU’s going to go like this.”

The right wing agitator argued that Joe Biden hasn’t been tough on protests because he’s trying to appease Muslim voters.

Mr Bannon said: “He understands he has to appease the Muslim community, the Arab-American community which has been a key component of the Democratic Party or he has no shot of winning Michigan.

“I believe if he can’t win Michigan it’s going to be very tough for Biden to win the presidency.”

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AP

AFP

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Getty

Jack Hill

AP

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A FORMER aide to Donald Trump has slammed European spending on defence as a “joke” if western leaders really believe Vladimir Putin will sweep across the continent.

Steve Bannon insists allies must spend billions of pounds extra to have any chance of stopping Russia’s military might.

AFP or licensors

His comments came as he was grilled by The Sun’s Harry Cole on the Never Mind The Ballots show as part of our stateside special.

Political firebrand Bannon – who hosts the the “ultraMAGA” podcast WarRoom – was President Trump’s controversial chief strategist and senior counsellor following his 2016 election victory.

He dramatically left the post in 2017 but has remained a staunch supporter of Trump’s re-election and his “Make America Great Again” pledge.

Bannon said Trump’s current trial in New York could help him WIN the US election later this year and his ex-boss needs to attack his opponent Joe Biden – rather than the judge.

On our stateside special, Bannon also:

• CLAIMED the Pro-Palestinian movement is the most anti-American ever
• LET rip about Trump’s trials and “alien invaders”
• CALLED Nigel Farage the next Prime Minister after Keir Starmer
• ORDERED Trump to turn his guns on Biden – not the judge in his trial

He also predicts that Nigel Farage will be Prime Minister in the UK after Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer is swept away after a financial crisis.

And he says that pro-Palestinian demos have made colleges more threatening than the Darien Gap – a lawless area between Panama and Colombia.

But Bannon’s defence warning comes as western allies have been under huge pressure to aid Ukraine financially amid their on-going war with Russia.

Bannon said: “If the powers that be in Europe believe that Putin’s going to come across the north German plane into Poland, into Germany.

“If they believe he’s going to go to the Balkans, if they believe he’s going to Finland and Scandinavia then step up to the plate and start spending some money.”

The warning shot came ahead of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreeing to spend 2.5 per cent of UK GDP on defence spending by 2030.

The move will mean an extra GBP75 billion will be spent in the next six years with an extra GBP23 billion alone in 2030 after pressure from senior Ministers and MPs.

But Bannon slammed the Europe’s own internal defences as “a disaster and a joke” with the money coming in stages.

He added: “None of your intelligence services actually believe that Putin’s going to go on offence here militarily.

“If it’s such a big deal why don’t you put the money – and this 50 billion Euro deal you talk about is not 50 billion, it was 12 billion year one, 12 billion year two and then an option for the other years.”

His comments come after a major aid package for Ukraine was approved this week by the US worth in the region of GBP90 billion.

The vast majority is earmarked for armaments for the country and fund logistics to get the weaponary across Europe.

The EU has pledged GBP42 billion to be spent up until 2027. It comes after the International Monetary Fund puts Ukraine’s funding gap at around GBP30 billion this year.

Bannon was dubbed Trump’s “puppet master” with a direct line to the President during his time as chief strategist.

But he dramatically left the post in 2017 amid rumours of a power struggle with Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

In 2019, Bannon was indicted on charges of money laundering, fraud and conspiracy.

He was accused of cheating donors of a “We Build the Wall” fundraiser – which aimed to establish a blockade along the US-Mexico border.

But Bannon’s federal crime was pardoned by President Trump in the final hours of his presidency in a sign their relationship had warmed.

Since then, Bannon has been a staunch supporter of Trump’s re-election, boldly declaring “MAGA could rule for 50 years” just weeks ago.

WHO doesn’t love a total bargain? Well one shopper cleared the shelves when she discovered a household cleaning staple was on offer.

It’s no secret that the price of cleaning products has soared recently, so when Diane Palmer realised that the large bottles of Lenor Gold Orchid fabric softer had been slashed in price she grabbed four of them.

Getty Images - Getty

B&M Bargains, Extreme Money Saving Deals

Taking to the popular Facebook group B&M Bargains, Extreme Money Saving Deals and More she shared a snap of her haul and wrote: “It’s worth using the B&M app to scan your items, these were 50p each for 50 washes.”

In most supermarkets the large bottles are usually priced around the GBP4 mark, so nabbing four of them for just 50p each was a deal too good to miss for Diane.

The barcode scanner in the app allows shoppers to discover discounted items before the staff have even reduced them.

Products that are typically discounted are seasonal items and old stock that B&M is trying to shift, or they’re labelled “big brands” and “big savings”.

It’s a terrific hack to use, especailly has the cost of basics, including cleaning products, have soared recently.

The scanner is completely free as well – you just need to download the B&M app.

After raving about her bargain find online, other keen money-savers commented on the post congratulating her on the find.

“Wow my favourite softener well done you,” one wrote.

“I love this! Well done,” a second said.

“The best scent too, great find,” someone else wrote.

And another asked: “How do I use the app for this?”

How do I find bargains with the B&M scanner?

When you’ve found a product you want to scan, simply point your smartphone camera toward its barcode in store.

The app will then automatically bring up the item’s price – this is when you’ll know if it is reduced or not.

Bargain hunters have previously raved about some items come up as GBP1.50p or even 10p through the app – what’s not to love?

One thing to note hover is that the reductions do sometimes vary between stores.

This means just because something is reduced in one B&M, it doesn’t mean it’ll cost the same price elsewhere.

But if you do get lucky and find a bargain, the product should scan at that price at the till.

The scanner also only works in stores, so you can’t use it online.

BRITAIN’S top diplomat in America fears hate-filled pro-Palestine protests could hit universities at home.

Dame Karen Pierce spoke out as demonstrations at US campuses such as Columbia and Yale led to a wave of disorder and arrests as Jewish students face anti-Semitic harassment.

Reuters

Britain’s Ambassador to the United States intervened in the row while talking to The Sun’s Political Editor Harry Cole on a US special edition of our Never Mind The Ballots show.

Speaking from the Embassy in Washington DC, she said: “Well, the campuses obviously reflect the very strong views about what’s going on in Israel, Gaza.

“There’s no place for anti-Semitism on campus. The administration, congressional figures have been very clear about that. The British government’s been clear about that.

“Students have a right to protest. It has to be within the law. It’s the same back home in the UK. I don’t know whether this is indicative of a bigger trend.

You can watch the show on thesun.co.uk or The Sun’s YouTube channel

“I think some commentators have said that the Israel-Gaza is, if you like, the cause of this generation.

“What we need to do now is ensure the hostages get out, get more aid in, get all the crossing points open so that more aid can get in, encourage the Israelis, urge the Israelis to take more care over civilian casualties.

“ The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have been very strong on that.

“But fundamentally, we support Israel’s right to self defence. And that’s why we joined the action against Iran the other day.”

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Anti-Semitism on campuses in the United States is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s. The world cannot stand idly by.”

“It has to be condemned and condemned unequivocally.”

Meanwhile, former aide to Donald Trump Steve Bannon said US colleges have become more dangerous than cartel-controlled parts of Mexico.

He said pro-Palestinian demos, hijacked by jihadists, have made colleges threatening places for Jewish students and Christian conservatives.

Mr Bannon said: “The pro-Palestinian movement in America is the most anti-American movement I’ve ever seen in the streets of this country.

“If you’re a young Jewish student, if you walk across that campus you will be attacked, it’s very dangerous.”

I SUPPORT Manchester United and it’s a painful experience.

Not just because they’ve been pretty crap this season but because — and I’ll do the gag before you do — like all true fans of the club, I live in the South.

PA

And that means relying on the p**s poor Avanti trains to get me and my lad to Old Trafford.

Last time, after shelling out the usual GBP80 to this shameless monopoly service provider, we sat on the floor.

A previous trip was an hour late leaving. Another was cancelled due to the latest maddening strike. The time before that . . . you get the picture.

Britain’s trains are broken. A rip-off. A global embarrassment.

Something has to change.

Labour think they have the answer and yesterday reminded us that if, when, they get to power this year they will re-nationalise this train wreck of a service.

In other words, bring back British Rail.

The party’s plan is to refocus the nascent Great British Railways being set up by the Tories to replace Network Rail and use it to drive this renationalisation, reabsorbing the franchises not already taken back under state control.

It is a bold move given that for many, notably John Major who did away with BR by 1997, the phrase “nationalised rail service” brings back memories of smoke-filled carriages and filthy trains and, yes, those sandwiches.

Complaints have rocketed

But Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, who fleshed out the policy yesterday, knows the increasingly exasperated public likes it — 69 per cent according to a YouGov poll this month.

She insisted her party will nationalise the “failing system” within five years in England, which will “top to bottom work in the interest of the passenger”.

Well, it could hardly get much worse for us.

Latest figures, for 2022/23, show only two thirds of trains arrived on time.

Complaints rocketed by 23 per cent from the previous year.

Customers are stuck in a doom loop of ever-rising prices, late or cancelled services and endless crippling strikes (more are planned for next month).

Reuters

The dogmatic dinosaurs who run the rail unions are also effectively the Fat Controllers of the railways.

These money-grabbing Marxists still think we’re living in the steam age, protecting jobs that should have been binned or automated years ago while demanding eye watering wage rises.

Train drivers can’t live on GBP60,000 a year, they must have more, more, more.

Under a new GBP600-a-shift overtime deal announced last month, some drivers at Avanti — which had its franchise renewed last year despite running what Haigh then described as “an abysmal service” — could earn a reported GBP100,000.

Union negotiations with the train operators only ever end up with another massive bill for the taxpayer, who already prop up the train industry to the tune of GBP21.1BILLION.

GBP30million for TfL

This is the culture that Labour has to extinguish if it stands any chance of fixing this monstrous mess and stopping the train operators taking us for a ride.

The party formed out of the trade union movement must now get tough with those unions.

Has Sir Keir Starmer, who recently praised union-smashing Mrs Thatcher for affecting “meaningful change” in Britain, and his new New Labour got the bottle for that fight?

At present the signs are not great. TFL, the publicly owned London travel network, is forever being held to ransom by unions threatening to shut down the Tube unless their ludicrous pay and working practice demands are met.

They have had much success.

During their heist in January, Labour mayor Sadiq Khan magically found GBP30million of public cash — syphoned from business rates and council tax — to accede to their pay demands, to shouts of “blackmail” from the Tories.

This money with menaces could get worse if the unions, licking their lips at this plan, think their team is in power.

Already Haigh has hinted that she has a mountain to climb, admitting she could not guarantee fares would not go up, despite promising a “best-price ticket guarantee”.

So a shiny new train may be coming into the platform but we shall have to wait to see if it arrives on time . . . or just ends up hitting the buffers.

Keeping schtum on sexy Sydney

Getty

LOOKING at the acres of coverage about that old bat who said Sydney Sweeney was “ not pretty”, you’d think only women were allowed to wade into the row.

Presumably, red-blooded men like me can’t be trusted not to say something “inappropriate”.

You know, something like how she looks so utterly stunning and cool you’d burn your Cup Final tickets just to sit next to her on the bus.

No, men aren’t allowed to say things like that because it’s sexist.

So I’m staying out of it.

It’s a snip at GBP15,000

Rex

MASSIVE k*** spotted on This Morning this week.

No, Phillip Schofield hadn’t made a surprise return, it was courtesy of guest Matt Barr, 40, who has the dubious honour of owning Britain’s largest penis.

His 12in school ruler size whanger is TWICE that of the average todger. But rather than helping him collect notches in his bedpost and being hero worshipped by his pals, it’s driving him to despair.

A visibly nervous Matt – presumably poised for a barrage of pecker puns – told the admirably restrained hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley that he’d even considered REDUCTION surgery but had baulked at the GBP15k price tag. Apparently such surgery is very rare. No surprise there, perhaps, but it did get me wondering. What do they do with all the bits they cut off?

Do they follow the hairdressers route of handing the offcuts over to those who could use them more?

Asking for a friend.

PA

HONOURS are handed out like sweets to celebrities these days, many undeserved.

So it was nice to see Glastonbury founder and good egg Michael Eavis being made a Sir by the Princess Royal for his charity work and running the world’s best music festival.

It felt especially heartwarming as it will no doubt annoy the right-on Glasto hippies, who reckon such trinkets are a throwback to the evil British Empire.

My only complaint was Eavis turned up for the ceremony in a suit rather than his trademark shorts.

That really would have been a “Glastonbury Moment”.

Tay has the ex-factor

YOU have to feel for Taylor Swift’s latest “boyfriend”, Travis Kelce, as he dissects her latest album and its indelicate dissing of her exes.

The peculiar pop star seems only to enter into a relationship in order to find material for her next record.

A staggering 14 former flames have now been, er, flamed by her caustic cuteness.

It must make date nights pretty awkward with every move big Trav, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, makes having the potential to become the soundtrack to a future teen drama montage or perfume ad.

Already AI geniuses have created Taylor’s first break-up single with a saccharine-soaked ballad bursting with American Football wordplay.

Sample lyric: “You put the ‘end’ in ‘tight end’.”

Check it out on @ThereIRuinedIt on Instagram.

Carr crash jokes

Rex

JIMMY CARR has become the latest comedian to do a Netflix special, which means only one thing: A new volley of “offensive” jokes.

Now, I like a bad-taste gag, especially one at my expense, and am rarely shocked.

So I streamed Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer with interest.

How low could he go?

The answer was very low indeed.

Carr, whose bizarre physical transformation now makes him look and act like a ventriloquist’s dummy, seems to be mildly obsessed by jokes about rape.

I won’t repeat them here because we’re a family newspaper.

Suffice to say they are extremely edgy and will not be to everyone’s taste.

But then he goes a bit weird.

In an effort, presumably, to look like a decent guy who isn’t just preoccupied by rape, he breaks out of the routine for a spot of “serious face” virtue signalling.

“Those are very clearly jokes about rape, but we don’t take rape seriously enough as a society, as a culture,” he informs us, before expressing irritation about the idea of “date rape”.

“We shouldn’t be calling anything date rape. It’s rape,” he insists to a fulsome round of applause, burnishing the “one of the good guys” halo he evidently craves.

But, alas, all is not so simple in the world of the former tax avoider.

This apparent outrage over the assault and violation of women comes just minutes after a sinister “joke” so knucklehead-in-the-pub unfunny I’m surprised it made the cut.

It goes: “My girlfriend snores quite a lot…but luckily I’ve got these noise cancelling fists.”

Oof!

That’s Jimmy Carr, ladies. He’s on your side.

CRACKING pun from my daughter after I explained how a recent spicy Thai meal had left my guts feeling a little tender.

“You know what you’ve got, Daddy? Fire-rrhea.”

Gold star.

WATCHING porn may seem harmless – but experts say the pleasure surge it triggers in the brain can be addictive.

The number of middle-aged men seeking treatment for an X-rated fixation has soared, with an average of two over-50s a week turning to the UK Addiction Treatment Centre in London for help.

Olivia West - The Sun

Danny Wolfenstein*, 45, of Watford, was viewing porn over ten times a day. Here, the software developer shares his secret with Georgette Culley.

*Surname has been changed

WHAT began as innocent curiosity quickly morphed into an all-consuming addiction, gnawing at the fabric of my existence like a relentless predator.

It all began when I started to work more from home.

On the days when I wasn’t in the office, I would spend several hours a day on free sites like Fetlife watching kinky lesbian role plays.

I spent every waking hour thinking about porn and when I could next watch it.

When I had to go into the office, I’d watch it in the work toilets on my mobile phone.

If my girlfriend was at home, I’d secretly watch it behind her back.

I’d tell her I was going for a shower, but I’d just turn the water on and sit in the corner of the room getting my next fix.

I felt bad about lying to my girlfriend.

But how could I tell her the truth? It would crush her.

She would think she wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t do that to her.

If truth be told, we had a very healthy sex life before my addiction started.

We’d have sex most days and I had no complaints.

But pornography became my drug of choice — a toxic refuge from the harsh realities of life.

At first, I enjoyed the thrill, but soon I was spiralling down a rabbit hole of perversion and excess.

My three-year relationship started to crumble beneath the weight of my addiction.

The intimate connection I once shared with my partner withered away when real sex became boring.

Insatiable obsession

She always suspected my porn addiction, but didn’t know the full extent of it until we broke up.

Sometimes she’d see the websites I’d accessed in my Google search history, but I always played it down.

My porn habit had warped my mind and I couldn’t get excited by trying new positions or locations. It wasn’t enough.

Eventually it took its toll on our relationship and we broke up in late 2022.

In the aftermath of our split, my days blurred together in a haze of arousal and self- loathing.

My insatiable obsession seeped into every corner of my life and I started to miss work deadlines.

My boss didn’t know what was wrong with me and I was too ashamed to tell him.

Colleagues flashed each other pity-laden glances every time I went to the loos to secretly watch it.

I spent so long in the bogs they thought I had some sort of embarrassing bowel condition, but the truth was far worse.

Physically, the toll was undeniable.

Sleepless nights spent in the clutches of addiction left me a mere shell of my former self.

Dark circles appeared beneath my eyes, a constant reminder of the hours I’d squandered in pursuit of fleeting pleasure.

Neglecting my health and wellbeing, I stumbled through life in a perpetual state of exhaustion.

But even as I teetered on the brink of oblivion, the allure of escapism proved too powerful to resist.

People think porn is harmless fun, but for some it can become highly addictive.

But unlike other addictions, it’s not taken as seriously.

If your weakness is alcohol, smoking or drugs, people take you more seriously, but I felt totally alone and broken.

It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom in autumn 2023 that I finally acknowledged I needed help.

Almost free

I couldn’t fight this alone any more.

My girlfriend had left me and I was hanging on to my job by a thread.

I finally opened up to a close friend about my secret demons.

I thought she’d laugh in my face, but she was incredibly sympathetic.

She helped me find Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous and, desperate to heal, I contacted them for therapy.

Their programme is similar to 12 steps for Alcoholics Anonymous.

Recovery is a slow and agonising process, fraught with setbacks and relapses.

But with each passing day, I reclaim a fragment of my former self.

Although the scars of addiction might never fully heal, I am slowly emerging from the darkness with a newfound sense of resilience.

I’m no longer a slave to my impulses and every day I get stronger.

Now, after nine months in therapy, I am almost free.

Of course, there are moments of weakness when I am tempted to surrender to the flickering screen in the dead of night, but I haven’t yet.

I’m determined to win this 7 war within — once and for all.

Getty

Getty

PRESENTER Nick Ross was at home writing a script for a TV show when the phone rang with news that his colleague Jill Dando was dead.

Nick and Jill — who was shot in the head aged 37 on the doorstep of her London home in 1999 — were literally partners in crime.

Camera Press

Rex

For almost four years, the pair had presented BBC’s Crimewatch UK, the appeals programme that helped police solve some of the nation’s biggest mysteries.

Today, exactly 25 years after Jill’s death, no one is behind bars for her callous murder.

In 2001, Barry George, now 64, was sentenced to life for the shooting.

But his conviction was considered unsafe and it was quashed in 2007.

He was retried and acquitted the following year.

A quarter of a century on, crazy conspiracies continue to swirl about who killed Jill Dando.

But in an exclusive interview with The Sun, Nick reveals how her legacy is still all about fighting crime.

A fund in her memory, which Sun readers helped raise cash for, paid for a unique institute to study crime science — and its findings are being used by countries across the world.

Based at University College London and founded in 2001 on the second anniversary of her death, the Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science has the world’s only professor of future crime and a top-secret data lab.

It has also pioneered work in making cars thief-proof and in changing architecture to foil crime.

‘Girl next door’

Nick, 76, says: “It’s incredible to think it’s 25 years ago. It was such a shock because everyone who saw her on the TV felt they knew Jill.

“I still think about her. She was someone I knew and liked very well. She was a brilliant colleague.

“Newsrooms in those days were very macho places and when Jill was working in the news, a lot of the blokes said, ‘She’s only here because she’s good looking, she’s not really a journalist’.

“Actually, she’d been a journalist since the day she left school. I’ve only known one other broadcaster as good as her and that was David Dimbleby.

“Jill was completely natural in front of the camera, totally unfazed by live broadcasting, and that’s what endeared her to people.

“She just chatted to you as an individual, not as though you were one of millions of people out there.

“The interesting thing about Jill is she was just the same when the camera went off as she was when it was on.

“I think that’s why she was often dubbed ‘the girl next door’ because she was just herself.

“While a lot of people in broadcasting tried to seize the limelight, she was completely generous.

“At the end of our first Crimewatch we came together to do a joint ad-lib to camera.

“She was wearing par-ticularly high heels but I noticed that she surr-eptitiously kicked off her shoes so that I was taller than she would have been if she’d been wearing them. Extraordinary.”

BBC

Three weeks after the killing, Nick presented Crime- watch on his own, telling the full story of how his colleague was murdered on the morning of April 26, 1999, as she was about to open the door to her house.

Nick, who hosted Crime-watch for 23 years until 2007, says: “It was the hardest thing I’d ever done.”

Detectives were desperate for information. None of Jill’s friends or her fiance, surgeon Alan Farthing, had a motive for wanting her dead and all had cast-iron alibis.

The murder scene, in the tiny front garden of her home in Gowan Avenue, Fulham, West London, had been totally compromised.

Three doctors and five para-medics trampled over the blood-stained path as they battled to save Jill, who had been shot in the back of the head at just after 11.30am.

There was little forensic evidence, only a casing from the bullet, the 9mm bullet itself and trace residue on Jill’s clothing and in her hair.

Calls flooded in to Crimewatch.

The murder team became swamped with more than 7,000 lines of inquiry that had to be checked, as the Dando case became one of the biggest investigations in the history of the Met.

Witnesses reported seeing a man waiting on his own near the house.

One neighbour heard a scream and another saw a lone man walking hurriedly away.

‘Good enough for MI5’

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Hamish Campbell and his team were under intense pressure from top brass and the media to prioritise any potential links to her work investigating the world of crime.

Every one of the investigations that had been highlighted in the 42 episodes of Crimewatch Jill worked on were checked out for someone with a grudge.

In the week she was murdered, Jill appeared on the cover of Radio Times dressed in motorbike leathers.

Could that have been a trigger for her killer?

Nick says: “When Jill died, those of us on Crimewatch and her producer on Holiday, the travel show she presented, were very keen to do something in her honour.

News Group Newspapers Ltd

Reuters

“I came up with this idea — why don’t we start a university dep-artment of crime science and get a public appeal?

“So, we founded the Jill Dando Fund.”
For a year, Nick wore a forget-me-not flower badge in Jill’s memory as GBP1.5million poured in from her devoted fans.

The money was enough to set up the Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science at University College London.

The department has been copied in Australia, New Zealand, the US and Netherlands.

Nick says: “It is fantastic. It has the world’s first and only professor of future crime, whose role is to scan new products and services so we can forestall the next crime wave rather than just fall into it.

“It has a centre for city policing, which works directly with the police, crime analysts and intelligence officers on coming up with new and effective crime-reduction strategies.

“There’s also a top-security lab where secret data can be examined in complete confidence. It is good enough for MI5 or MI6 to use.

“It now has about 60 under-graduates each year from all around the world, many of whom will go into policing, intelligence and security.

“Jill went straight into journalism after school.

“When she went into the BBC, many of her colleagues had university degrees.

“I think she was a little bit diffident that she didn’t.

“Not that it mattered, she was so much better than almost everybody else.

“But she’d be thrilled that there’s a university department named after her.”

Jill’s fiance Alan, 60, went on to marry in 2008 and have two sons.

The consultant gynaecologist was a member of the medical team that delivered Prince William and Kate’s children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Jill’s death, Scotland Yard put out a statement confirming her case is “inactive” — no longer being investigated or reviewed.

The Met added: “No unsolved murder is ever closed and detectives would consider any new information provided to assess whether it represented a new and realistic line of inquiry.”

Bournemouth News

Radio Times

Darren Fletcher

News Group Newspapers Ltd

VANISHING CHANCE TO NAIL KILLER

By Mike Sullivan

IF fame is a double-edged sword, then for Jill Dando there was no positive side to it.

Her celebrity profile not only cost Jill her life, but also scuppered the chance of finding justice for her murder.

On the day of Jill’s death, I was in the canteen at The Sun HQ when my phone rang with news that she had been murdered on the doorstep of her home an hour earlier.

I was one of the first reporters to arrive at a confused crime scene where it remained uncertain for hours whether she had been shot or stabbed.

One thing seemed certain – it would not be long before police caught a killer who had targeted such a high-profile figure in broad daylight in a busy area of London.

Yet a quarter of a century on, there is no prospect of ever proving who murdered her.

The best chance of securing the necessary evidence was lost within an hour of her death.

Despite clearly being dead, well-meaning medics – apparently overawed by Jill’s celebrity status – tried desperately to revive her, potentially trampling over forensic evidence in the process.

They took her body to nearby Charing Cross Hospital, where a trauma team tried in vain to revive her. Nobody will ever know what forensic opportunities were potentially lost.

The lack of evidence found at the scene and no obvious motive left detectives with a mountain to climb.

Speculation still continues over whether Jill was the victim of a Serbian warlord seeking revenge for a Nato bombing of a Belgrade TV station days earlier.

But no claim for responsibility was ever made. BBC Foreign Editor John Simpson was in Serbia at the time and would have been a far easier target.

Nothing emerged from a trawl of Jill’s personal life and inquiries into two suspected British hitmen – possibly hired by someone upset by her Crimewatch role – drew a blank.

The only thing which did make sense was that Jill had been targeted by someone obsessed with her.

And there was no shortage of those, with 140 people identified as “having an unhealthy interest or obsession” with Jill.

Before Barry George came into the frame, one elderly obsessive – who was apparently seen on Jill’s street the morning she died – was investigated and ruled out.

Convicted sex offender George, however, was believed by police to fit the bill perfectly.

The oddball loner had a history of stalking women and an obsession with media personalities and he was seen at a disabled centre a short distance from the murder scene shortly after Jill’s death.

I covered both his trial and retrial – ordered after gunshot residue in his pocket was ruled inadmissible – and did not believe the cases had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Perhaps unfairly, George was denied any compensation for the eight years he spent in prison because no new evidence had come to light to prove his innocence.

A Scotland Yard cold case report later concluded: “There is no evidence that points to any other person being responsible for the murder.”

The last cold case review was six years ago, when no new lines of inquiry through new advanced forensics were identified.

Jill and her loved ones deserve better, but justice can be fickle – and murder inquiries are often determined by the deck of cards given to detectives on day one.

A FORGOTTEN Love Island star has revealed he’s back working a very normal job two years after the show.

Fans of the hit ITV2 dating show saw Billy Brown enter the TV villa back in 2022.

ITV

ITV

Rex

Instagram

The hunk was one of the bombshells to arrive during Love Island‘s infamous Casar Amor week.

Unfortunately for Billy his time was short-lived and he was dumped from the villa two weeks after his arrival.

Two years on, Billy has now revealed he’s back working his old job as a roofer.

Now 24, he took to social media to share an update with fans on a construction site as he wrote “pushing on”.

He continued on camera: “Another day, doing the house.

“Have a look, pushing on now, the floor joints are going in….that’s how it’s looking from above.

“Next stage is the floor and then the top steels.”

The hunk is also on top of his fitness and regularly posts snaps of him playing football to his 117,000 followers on Instagram.

Earlier this year Bobby sparked rumours he’d be returning to Love Island for its All Stars series.

Love Island All Stars final places

WINNERS – Tom Clare and Molly Smith

2nd place – Callum Jones and Jess Gale

3rd place – Sophie Piper and Joshua Ritchie

4th place – Georgia Steel and Toby Aromolaran

5th place – Georgia Harrison and Anton Danyluk

He uploaded a video of what appeared to pre-holiday preparations, including a Nandos takeaway meal and a packed suitcase.

In his voiceover, Billy teased his fans as the camera panned over his Love Island suit case saying: “Don’t ask me why that’s there,” before letting out a mischievous laugh.

Instagram

CELEBRITY Big Brother co-stars Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Louis Walsh have reunited months after falling out in the famous house.

The pair’s controversial clash led to Ekin’s early exit after she dramatically turned on Louis by putting him up for eviction.

Splash

Splash

Splash

Despite the pair being best friends on the ITV reboot, Ekin-Su’s betrayal during face-to-face nominations led to her downfall.

However, the pair have put their past behind them and teamed up for a major new beauty store launch.

They were also joined by Bradley Riches who narrowly missed out on a place in the final after a back door eviction.

Love Island star Ekin-Su, 29, and her pal Louis marked the opening of BPerfect’s Belfast store.

They posted a video of their reunion, captioning it: “We get each other.”

In the short clip, Louis pretends to be meeting Ekin for the first time – and asks for her number.

She tells him: “It’s 999” as they both burst out laughing.

The reunion is all the more surprising given Ekin has distanced herself from all things Big Brother after being voted out of the house.

She skipped the CBB final after being grilled by hosts Will Best and AJ Odudu on sister show Late and Live following her exit.

Studio guest Layton Williams also criticised her after she complained at being edited unfairly, despite not having seen the footage.

After her now show, she then revealed she would be taking a break from the spotlight.

Her ill-fated time on the reality show saw her slammed for her “flirty” antics towards co-star Nikita Kuzmin, 26, and her negative attitude when quizzed about her Love Island past.

However, last week she claimed to be “refreshed and recharged” and she now appears to be back on top.

Eroteme

Eroteme

AN iconic shoe chain with 320 branches has suddenly closed a town centre store leaving a worker jobless after 70 years service.

Jill Cornick began at the Blandford Forum Clarks aged 14 cleaning nail studded boots in 1956 and can count her days off sick on one hand.

However the shop closed on Monday, bringing Jill’s remarkable career to an abrupt end.

Although Jill lost her husband in 2016 she was determined to hold down her job in her home town.

Speaking to The Sun in 2020 she said: “My husband died in 2016 and I’m on my own.

“I love meeting the customers. It would be heartbreaking if I couldn’t go back to work. I would not know what to do with myself.”

Unsurprisingly the workaholic found lockdown hugely frustrating, and relished the chance to return to the shop when it was deemed safe to do so.

She said: ” I’m so glad. I thought I might not be allowed to return because I’m over 70, which would have been devastating.

“I may be old but I see myself as a young old so I’m not afraid of catching the virus. I love my job.

“The technology has changed a lot over the years but I’ve adapted and kept up all the way.

“This shop is my life.

“When I read the government is considering not letting over-70s back to work it really upset me.”

The high street giant was founded in 1825 and operated across 1,400 stores and franchises internationally at its peak.

Clarks has previously said it has a strong duty of care to all its employees, and is working closely with the store teams.

All is not lost for shoppers though, as the retailer has also relocated and opened new shops.

Which Clarks shops have closed?

A raft of Clarks stores brought down their shutters for good in 2022 and 2023, including:

• Kent in Ashford – end of 2022
• Gillingham, end of 2022
• Murraygate, Dundee – July 25, 2023
• Fareham shopping centre, Hampshire – August 5, 2023
• High Street, Inverness – end of September, 2023
• Grimsby – end of October, 2023
• Newport Retail Park – November, 2023
• Riverside Shopping Centre, Norwich – November, 2023
• Westwood Cross Shopping – mid November, 2023
• High Street, Newcastle – by end of 2023
• Bicester Village, Oxfordshire – December 31, 2023
• The Bridges Shopping Centre, Sunderland – date unknown

A Clarks spokesperson, said: “We sincerely thank all members of the Blandford Forum store team for their contributions and commitment to providing outstanding customer service – specifically Jill, whose remarkable and unprecedented 68 years of service and dedication to our customers is hugely valued by all at Clarks.

“We wish Jill all the very best.”

SIR Keir Starmer could not have wrapped himself more in the England flag this week without actually dressing in chainmail, wearing a cross of St George as a cloak and popping a lit flare up his backside.

The Labour chief was lauded for managing to say happy Saint George’s Day in a glossy video without being lynched by his infamously snobbish colleagues.

Reuters

Getty

Just don’t tell the whopping one in eight Labour voters who think the red and white standard is racist, though.

Starmer is in another one of his policy-light, big on the feels, “Frank Hope” phases.

Sources say he’s deliberately dressing like a trusty mid-table football manager who screams neither glory nor relegation, but a safe pair of hands.

Obviously Labour have a lot of work to do to convince normal people that they no longer sneer at patriotism and want to turn the Army into a peace corp.

Yet in sharp contrast, the Prime Minister had a rather different week.

While Starmer was all vibes, Rishi Sunak was actually pulling his finger out. At last!

After being battered by top brass and MPs alike, he finally got on board with hiking defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP.

Two long years after deriding Boris Johnson for announcing he would do so, reality seems to have kicked in — both to the threat to Britain and the threat to his own leadership at home.

Sunak’s rather good, if expensive, trip to Poland came fresh on defeating the hold-out Lords and an army of moaners on the Government’s flagship — and must- deliver — Rwanda deportation scheme.

And that came on the back of another manifesto commitment on keeping the benefits bill down, and a push on tackling mind-boggling levels of out-of-work Brits post- pandemic.

War-weary ministers and even some clucking and wavering backbenchers have been pleasantly surprised by Sunak’s shock and awe approach in the last few days.

Finally they can start to see the battle lines drawn for an election campaign, that some of the most senior figures in government whisper should come sooner rather than later.

‘Will you ground the planes?’

If the PM is really confident of his Rwanda plan being wheels-up, then what better backdrop for the election campaign than the policy in action?

Just imagine one taking off the night of one of the TV debates — “will you ground the planes Sir Keir? Will you?”

The concept is popular, even if the price has made some voters wince a bit.

But Labour will be seeing the same focus group results No10 are — voters saying something must be done and a deterrence is needed.

Yet right now Starmer is only shouting “smash the gangs”, which is not a credible policy when that’s already been tried.

More politically savvy ministers feel the timing of this summer far outweighs autumn for the chance to make Starmer actually choose a position on the Channel crisis.

This week we’ve learnt more about Rishi Sunak and where he wants to go and how he wants another five years in power to look like.

To govern is to choose, as they say, and Sunak has finally come off the fence on defence and at least has something to say about getting slackers back to work.

In contrast, Starmer’s vague talk of a mission-led government — long on the rhetoric and short on any policy — is starting to look pretty woolly.

What are his answers on benefits, defence, immigration? We don’t really know yet.

All the polls say Starmer will be the next PM, but mostly by dint of not being the other team.

But there is still a sizeable chunk of the public who believes Starmer stands for nothing — and if he was forced to say what he really thinks on the biggest issues, they might not like what they hear.

“He is a blank page, a weathervane, a technocrat — and that’s the most dangerous thing of all,” one MP says.

“The longer you give Starmer before polling day, the longer you give him to work out the answers to awkward questions,” another tells me.

In his brilliant new Brexit book No Way Out, Tim Shipman, a fellow scribe at the Sunday Times, writes of Theresa May: “Those that succeed at politics know where they want to go strategically, how to get there tactically and have the necessary skills to execute their plans.

“Politicians that lack any one of these three struggle; those lacking two, fail.”

Plenty of people in Westminster believe Starmer is equally vulnerable to at least some of those weaknesses.

Sunak might be wise to put that to the test sooner rather than later.

Steve: Doms party is false start

THERE are a lot of similarities between Steve Bannon and Dominic Cummings.

Neither suffers fools gladly, both were chief of staff in all but name to blond bombshell leaders, and both were forced out when they became the story rather than their respective principals, Trump and Boris.

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Both are now looking at what the future of right-wing politics will be, with Cummings returning to his idea of a new “Start-Up Party” to rise from the ashes of a Tory routing at the election.

But his fellow svengali has a word of advice, telling The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots: “It’s like the Republicans – don’t spend a lot of time trying to build third parties. Take over the apparatus that’s right in front of you.”

Bannon’s message? “I would tell my brothers and sisters in the United Kingdom, you can do this at the grassroots level . . . you need to put Great Britain first, the United Kingdom first, you need to put particularly your citizens first.

“What’s happened is London’s become the global city of the global elite.”

A quote that could easily come from one of Cummings’ rambling blogposts.

Smoke and mirrors

AS Britain moves toward banning fags, vaping and even cigars, across the pond things are going the other way.

Large swathes of the land of the free have de-criminalised weed – and boy, you can tell.

There’s an almost constant pong, 24 hours a day, whenever you walk in New York or Washington DC as people openly smoke joints walking down the streets.

Freedom isn’t odour-free.

CELEBRITY chef and restaurateur Salt Bae’s latest food venture has been revealed – and it is set to cater to ultra-rich people on their special days.

The flamboyant Turk, famous for serving some of the priciest grub at his restaurant, is now branching out his business into weddings and birthdays.

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The 40-year-old’s firm has applied to trademark his name in capital letters with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to establish his latest business.

The classifications of the venture include providing food and drinks for “special occasions”, namely, “wedding receptions”.

Salt Bae is infamous for the ridiculously pricey dishes he serves at his restaurants around the world.

It is said that the chef, who charges up to GBP700 for a piece of steak, will only cater to ultra-rich people who are willing to spend a few million on special occasions.

He previously cooked for a pre-wedding brunch Rio Ferdinand and Kate Wright tied the knot in October 2019.

But Salt Bae, whose fans include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonardo DiCaprio, appears to be too busy for a partner of his own.

Despite being surrounded by beautiful female diners in many of his posts, and happily flirting with them, mystery surrounds the love life of the superstar chef.

He once claimed he was too busy for a relationship, getting up at 3am to go to meat markets and getting just five hours of sleep at night.

And any partner he does choose will have to compete with his first love – meat.

“I’m so concentrated on meat that I can’t see a woman or anything. I don’t have any time for a girlfriend.

“I love meat. I can’t imagine a life without meat. I eat meat seven days a week including breakfast.

“I can’t finish my breakfast without either smoked meat or sausage.”

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TAKING your dog on a long relaxing walk is always followed by the less-than-relaxing tick check.

However, a household item may be able to protect your pet from the parasites.

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In her viral video, Mary Futher ( @madamesweat) revealed the household item she swears by to protect dogs from ticks.

The Instagrammer explained that experts predict 2024 to be “one of the worst years for ticks because of global warming.”

She added that the warmer weather in North America means a “big feeding season for ticks.”

Mary told her followers that her homemade hack for tackling ticks on her pets is approved and recommended by vets.

She revealed that she applies apple cider vinegar to her dogs “because it stinks.”

“Even ticks can’t stand some smells and apple cider vinegar is one of them,” Mary explained.

She recommended diluting the solution with equal parts water before pouring it on your pets.

“Saturate all of your dog’s coat and brush it through so that it’s smelly,” she said.

Mary advised her audience to focus on the ears, neck, and legs as that’s where ticks usually burrow.

She suggested using the trick before your next walk in a wooded area or somewhere with long grass.

The experts at Wag! explained that this natural remedy should only be used as a preventative measure.

“If a tick does land on your four-legged friend, these remedies will not kill the tick,” they said.

“They are specifically aimed at keeping the pests at bay.”

Ticks are known for carrying Lyme disease and can cause other afflictions with short and long-term effects on those bitten.

If you notice a tick on your dog, you should take your pet to the vet as soon as possible.

Instagram users shared their thoughts on the trick in the comments section.

“That’s definitely a good thing to do before I take my dogs hiking. Thank you so much for this post,” wrote one viewer.

“Thank you for sharing, I’ll use this technique,” said another impressed follower.

“Apple cider vinegar is amazing for the skin, diluted 50/50,” commented a third person.

“Thank you so very much for your knowledge and information, I really appreciate it,” said another Instagram user.

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WINNING the Premier League is the pinnacle of English football – and it’s a three-horse race this season.

But securing the Golden Boot is every attacker’s side mission – and it is up for grabs once again.

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Erling Haaland stormed to the prestigious award in spectacular fashion last season by breaking the goal-scoring record with 36 goals.

And football fans have tipped the Norwegian superstar to secure back-to-back Golden Boots having got off to a flying start.

However, a number of players across the division will be determined to dethrone Haaland.

Premier League top scorers 2023/24

Premier League top scorers as of Thursday, April 25:

Who has previously won the Premier League Golden Boot?

• 1992/93 – Terry Sheringham (Tottenham), 22 goals
• 1993/94 – Andy Cole (Newcastle), 34 goals
• 1994/95 – Alan Shearer (Blackburn), 34 goals
• 1995/96 – Alan Shearer (Blackburn), 31 goals
• 1996/97 – Alan Shearer (Newcastle), 25 goals
• 1997/98 – Chris Sutton (Blackburn), Dion Dublin (Coventry), Michael Owen (Liverpool), 18 goals
• 1998/99 – Michael Owen (Liverpool), Dwight Yorke (Man Utd), Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink (Leeds), 18 goals
• 1999/00 – Kevin Phillips (Sunderland), 30 goals
• 2000/01 – Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea), 23 goals
• 2001/02 – Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 24 goals

• 2002/03 – Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd), 25 goals
• 2003/04 – Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 30 goals
• 2004/05 – Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 25 goals
• 2005/06 – Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 27 goals

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• 2006/07 – Didier Drogba (Chelsea), 20 goals
• 2007/08 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd), 31 goals
• 2008/09 – Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), 19 goals
• 2009/10 – Didier Drogba (Chelsea), 29 goals
• 2010/11 – Carlos Tevez (Man City), Dimitar Berbatov (Man Utd), 20 goals
• 2011/12 – Robin van Persie (Arsenal), 30 goals
• 2012/13 – Robin van Persie (Man Utd), 26 goals
• 2013/14 – Luis Suarez (Liverpool), 31 goals
• 2014/15 – Sergio Aguero (Man City), 26 goals
• 2015/16 – Harry Kane (Tottenham), 25 goals
• 2016/17 – Harry Kane (Tottenham), 29 goals
• 2017/18 – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), 32 goals
• 2018/19 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), 22 goals
• 2019/20 – Jamie Vardy (Leicester), 23 goals
• 2020/21 – Harry Kane (Tottenham), 23 goals
• 2021/22 – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Son Heung-min (Tottenham), 23 goals
• 2022/23 – Erling Haaland (Man City), 36 goals

TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a headless human torso was found wrapped in plastic.

The victim, who cops say is a man in his 40s, was brutally dismembered and dumped at a Salford nature reserve, in Manchester.

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His body was horrifically discovered in Kersal Dale wooded area on April 4 – with forensics combing the area.

After launching a murder probe, Greater Manchester Police today stormed a bus in the city, where they arrested a man, 42, on suspicion of murder.

Shortly after, officers raided a property on Worsley Road where another man, 68, was also arrested on suspicion of murder.

Both men are known to each other.

The victim has still not been able to be identified – with the force scrambling to find out who he is so they can inform loved ones.

Police say he is white, believed to be European, and most likely had blonde or light brown hair with blue eyes.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes of GMP said: “Today’s arrests are undoubtedly a significant step in our investigation, and our focus now is questioning the men in custody, which could be key to finding answers.

“We are continuing to work round the clock looking through every single line of enquiry that we have established, and you may see further searches in the city over the coming days as we work to leave no stone unturned.

“At the centre of our efforts, remains our victim. Our investigation is moving at pace, and we are determined to identify him and find out how he has met this tragic outcome.

“This victim could be a father, brother, son, or cousin. He is a man over the age of 40, with white skin tone, believed to be European, and most likely had blonde or light brown hair and blue eyes.

“We continue to appeal to anyone missing a loved one who matches this description to come forward.

“We are by no means finished with our investigation; we are still in the early stages of finding out what has happened but please be reassured that we are making good progress.

“We still need your help, anyone out there who thinks they know something, or have maybe seen something suspicious in the area – please think about this victim, and a family that will one day hear the most devastating news”

Anyone with information can contact cops on 101 quoting log number 2695 of April 4, 2024.

Details can also be shared through independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox have united for their first collaboration concentrate, released as part of Perfecto 30 – a huge celebration of the labels’s 30^th anniversary.

Paul says; “I’m going back to doing straight club records – underground tracks that I love. Perfecto is now a 30- year old brand. There are generations that have grown up with the sound. They got into dance music and have grown up with the label. It’s turned into much more than a label.”

A seamless blend of Paul and Carl’s unique styles, Concentrate is a testament to their collective prowess showcasing a fusion of cutting-edge sounds and infectious rhythms, an exhilarating slice of techno from two giants of dance music doing what they do best. And what better way to mark 30 years of Paul’s iconic label.

Paul tells us; “Teaming up with Carl for ‘Concentrate’ was a natural evolution for us. It’s our way of paying homage to our history and to show where we’re at right now musically. Carl is a pioneering legend that was signed to the label so it marks a nice full circle moment. This is the first collaboration of many to come.”

Carl Cox adds, “Working with Paul on this track was an absolute blast. ‘Concentrate’ represents the perfect synergy between our styles, and we can’t wait for our everyone to hear it.”

Concentrate comes out as part of this year’s Perfecto 30 – a year of special releases, remixes, collaborations and live events to celebrate a huge milestone of one of dance music’s most iconic labels. There’s a documentary coming, Welcome to Perfecto (which features commentary from the legendary likes of Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Todd Terry and David Guetta and more) and Paul himself will make a series of special DJ appearances crisscrossing America and the UK to Ibiza and Australia –involving the parties, festivals, and superclubs like Cream where he made his name.

He’ll be revisiting Perfecto classics and deep cuts like PPK’s ResuRection, Planet Perfecto’s Bullet in a Gun, and his own smashes like Starry Eyed Surprise (the hit collaboration with Crazy Town’s Shifty Shellshock from Oakenfold’s platinum debut solo album, 2002’s Bunkka). And they’ll be releases from today’s most cutting-edge artists and producers including Velvet Cash, Danny Stubbs, Blink, Adam White, and Nat Monday.

For the next chapter of Perfecto, Oakenfold claims he’s returning to the roots of the label’s original mission. “I’m going back to doing straight club records – underground tracks that I love,” Oakenfold says.

We caught up with Paul to find out more this week and he very kindly recorded an exclusive mix for The Night Bazaar Sessions which you can listen to by clicking or tapping the image above.

Reflecting on the three decades since Perfecto’s inception, how do you feel the label has influenced the global dance music scene, and what does this milestone mean to you personally?

Perfecto Records is one of Britain’s longest independent dance labels with over 10 million records sold. We’ve flown the flag for British dance music around the world and pioneered some of Britain’s biggest dance acts. The milestone is a big personal achievement for me, and I think a lot of artists on the label and dance music in general, we are no longer seen as a small industry. Dance music is global now and massive.

You’ve been recognized by Pete Tong and even the British Empire for your contributions to dance music. Can you share a moment or decision in your career that you believe was pivotal in earning you the Pioneer of the Nation accolade?

It’s an absolute honour to be recognized by the British Empire as a Pioneer of the Nation by spreading dance music around the world. I’ve been making, releasing, and signing dance music for over 40 years now. Proud to be British.

I’d say some pivotal moments would be becoming a DJ opening for one of the biggest bands in the world, playing stadiums for two years, championing British music. And then playing at the special Olympic Games in Abu Dhabi to over a billion people worldwide.

With Perfecto 30 marking a return to your roots, what inspired you to focus on underground club records again, and how do you feel the current dance music landscape has evolved to embrace these sounds?

It certainly made me want to head back to my roots and make some great underground dance music I can share with a lot of people. We are starting off with my collabs with Franky Wah and Carl Cox.

The current landscape in dance music is incredibly healthy. It’s a worldwide industry that gets richer ever year.

Your last album, Shine On showcased an impressive array of collaborations. How do you choose your collaborators, and is there an artist or producer you’re particularly excited to be working with for the Perfecto 30 series?

I really enjoy collaborating with young new artists and established artists from different genres. I choose my collaborations based on talent and being a fan. There’s so many great young musicians out there. Barry Can’t Swim, Anyma, John Summit, Rebuke, Teddy Swims, Anne-Marie, Anunnakis, Velvet Cash, AP Dhillon, and LUM1NA.

You’ve performed at some of the world’s most unique venues, from Stonehenge to the Great Wall of China. Can you hint at any upcoming performances that might continue this tradition of groundbreaking shows?

After I DJ’d at Basecamp Mt. Everest, and then I went to DJ in Area 51 in Nevada, I’m being offered a lot of unique and wonderful locations, which I’m certainly looking at.

Looking back at the journey of Perfecto and your career, how do you want to be remembered in the dance music world, and what future ambitions do you have for both yourself and the label?

Perfecto will be doing festivals and signing new talent from around the world. It’s a very exciting time for the label. It’s been a wonderful achievement for Perfecto and the artists on the label. We have a documentary coming out toward the end of the year, where we interviewed lots of colleagues. And we are signing a lot of new young artists, helping them today and making them stars tomorrow.

In an unprecedented collaboration, you and Carl Cox have joined forces to create Concentrate marking the first time you two legends have produced a track together. Can you share the creative process behind this collaboration and what it was like to blend your distinct styles into a single track? Additionally, what do you hope listeners and fans of both your music will take away from Concentrate?

I loved working on this track with Carl. It’s a blend between techno, trance, and the old rave scene. It’s a really unique sounding record.

The process behind any collab is back and forth, whether you’re in the studio or not. It was the same working with Carl. Ideas flow and you share them. It was a great experience. I hope everyone likes the song!

Concentrate by Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox is out now.

EMMERDALE has revealed the true identity of Rose, the woman from Will Taylor’s past.

The ITV soap has been teasing the identity of the woman who arrived in the soap tonight having ended up in hospital.

Viewers watched as a shocked Will took a phone call from the hospital alerting him to the news that Rose had been in an accident.

He kept the news from his family and rushed off to go to the hospital where Rose’s identity was confirmed.

Will was shocked to see his ex-wife and mother of daughter Dawn at the hospital – though she didn’t appear to be in a bad way.

Instead she was cracking jokes with the nurses as Will arrived having been called as her next of kin.

She revealed she’s travelled all over the world and has settled down in Benidorm.

“I had to leave to live and I have zero regrets,” she said. “Not one.”

Will was furious at Rose’s dismissal of how abandoning her family had affected their daughter.

She told him: “She’s alive, safe and happy. So I’m good.”

Will tore into Rose for everything that happened, telling her how after she left Will had been forced to take on a dodgy job that landed him in prison – and Dawn in care.

“Dawn was forced from one bad home to another and I could do nothing about it,” he said.

“I tried to track you down but you were well gone. Dawn grew up alone and unloved, all because you didn’t leave a forwarding address.”

He asked her if she would’ve returned home and she confirmed she wouldn’t have done leaving him furious.

EMMERDALE NEWS

Everything you need to know about Emmerdale

• New, leaving and returning Emmerdale cast
• Where is Emmerdale filmed?
• All the Emmerdale spoilers
• Our soap spoiler live blog with up-to-date news
• The history of Emmerdale’s iconic pub The Woolpack

Meanwhile back at Home Farm Will kept it all secret from Kim – but with him looking at Rose’s social media profiles, Kim discovered it and was troubled.

But what will she do?

AS Gen Z rediscovers the trend of knowing your colour type, Deputy Fashion Editor Abby McHale goes back to the original colour consultancy to check hers out

MY wardrobe looks like a rainbow has exploded in it.

Fab Daily News UK

Olivia West

You name a colour and I’m pretty sure I’ll have something that shade in there.

And while I do like a neutral, I’m certainly not afraid of going bright.

That said, I have no clue what colours actually “suit” me.

So with colour analysis filters now popping up all over TikTok, I am intrigued.

These filters show a series of different colours like a rainbow with space in the middle for your face.

As you scroll through them, you can see which set most compliments your skin tone.

The countless filters, which have been viewed more than 1.4billion times on the app, have taken social media — and especially Gen Z — by storm.

But this is far from a new phenomenon.

In fact, the trend first exploded in the late Seventies with Colour Me Beautiful, the seminal book on the subject by highly regarded colour consultant Carole Jackson.

It taught people which hues suited them best based on their skin tones, hair and eye colour, categorising them into either spring, summer, autumn or winter types.

Decades later, the Colour Me Beautiful movement is still going strong, with 220 consultants around the country, though they now categorise people as light, deep, warm, cool, clear or soft.

I make an appointment (GBP160 for 90 minutes) with colour consultant Angi Jones to test it out.

When I arrive at her house, she places a multi-coloured collar around my neck to get a feel of which shades suit my face.

We can instantly see that warm, brighter colours look best on me — my skin glows more, my eyes sparkle — while paler shades do nothing for me.

Angi explains this makes me “clear”, with elements of “warm” and “deep” — which means I would have been “autumn” on the old categories.

Next we narrow down exactly which shades work for me by holding countless swatches up to my face.

The winners are blush pink, ruby red and warmer blues, while I’m to avoid pastels like lilac which, ironically, is the colour my nails are painted.

I can see why.

As soon as we hold it against my face, my skin looks dull and my eye bags more prominent.

This is due to my fair skin tone. Cooler tones emphasise the bluey undertones of under-eye circles.

For neutrals, Angi recommends I stick with soft white, navy, mahogany, brown and black — a huge relief, considering black is a staple of mine.

And she tells me gold is my go-to for jewellery.

I never wear silver, so this is music to my ears.

With my 90 minutes drawing to an end, I’m given a handy fabric wallet with my best colours.

I found the whole experience great.

Angi made me feel really comfortable and I can definitely see the appeal, especially if you’re someone who really struggles with colour and what to wear.

And while I am a big believer in wearing whatever you feel best in (which is why there is so much colour choice within each category), it has made me think twice about wearing certain shades again and my lilac blazer has stayed locked away in the closet.

While the TikTok filters can give you a flavour of what shades may suit your skin tone, this is much more in-depth and I’d say more accurate.

Getting your colours done is an investment that will last decades.

Once you know yours you will never go wrong again.

And those in the industry say that the service is more popular than ever.

“In all my 20 years of practising as a Colour Consultant I have never seen so much demand for this service,” says independent colour consultant Jules Standish.

“Having a colour analysis is a wonderful way to feel good in an instant because discovering your best colours really can have the same effect as a face lift, making your skin glow.”

She adds: “What’s interesting is how many young people are wanting to have their colours done!

“With so much choice of what fashion to buy, knowing your best colours is a wonderful guideline to purchasing outfits that suit you.”

• Colour consultations start from GBP160 for 90 minutes. See colourmebeautiful.co.uk.

HOW TO FIND HUES THAT FLATTER YOU

Olivia West

THE first thing to do is see if you have a cool or warm skin tone . . . by checking what colour your veins are.

You need to do this in natural daylight.

If you have blue-tinted veins and a rosy undertone you’re cool.

Green-tinted veins and a golden undertone means you’re warm.

Adele and Nicole Kidman would be seen as cool toned, while Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce would be warm.

The white paper test is also a great way of finding your colours.

With no make-up on, hold a piece of white paper underneath your chin.

Then using a mirror, see how it has affected your face.

If your face looks brighter and rosy, then you’re cool. If it leaves you looking colourless, you’re warm.

You can also do the jewellery test. If gold makes your skin look healthier, then you are warm toned. If silver makes your skin pop more, then you’re cool.

You will know if a colour is right for you if your skin looks glowy and your eyes sparkle. It is the wrong colour if it makes you look washed-out and reveals under-eye circles.

COOL SKIN TONE

IF like Adele and Nicole Kidman you have a cool skin tone, you should wear lavender, emerald, bright blue, charcoal grey, purples, ice blue and pink.

Avoid oranges, yellows, red, gold.

WARM SKIN TONE

IF you’re warm like Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce, you should wear reds, rust, turquoise, oranges, browns, navy, warm greens and corals .

Avoid icy colours such as pastel shades, dark overpowering colours and rosy or berry undertones.

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Olivia West

WWE chief Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque hinted he is open to hosting WrestleMania in London within the next four years.

British professional wrestling fans have been begging the wrestling giants to bring the Showcase of the Immortals over to the other side of the pond for decades.

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It all started when WWE hosted SummerSlam at Wembley Stadium in 1992 but the wrestling giants wouldn’t hold another major pay-per-view event in the UK for another 30 years.

They instead put together RAW and SmackDown episodes as well as some non-televised house shows and minor events called Insurrextion.

But everything changed in 2022 when the Principality Stadium hosted Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, which sparked fresh hopes WrestleMania was finally coming to Britain.

And London Mayor Sadiq Khan seems determined to turn that dream into reality as he has promised to bring some of the greatest sporting events to the capital if he’s re-elected on May 2.

Khan pledged to lead the effort of bringing the Superbowl, NBA and WrestleMania to London.

And the Mayor will also look to bring the Olympic Games back in 2040.

Khan tweeted: “London is already the sporting capital of the world.

“If I’m re-elected next Thursday – we’ll go even further.

“We’ll look to bring WrestleMania, Superbowl and the NBA to London, and put together another bid for the 2040 Olympics.”

WWE chief content officer and head of creative Triple H seems open to finally hosting the first ever WrestleMania outside of North America.

And the 14-time world champion responded to Khan on social media telling him he is open to holding talks.

Triple H responded: “Let’s talk.”

Khan showed he means business as he swiftly responded: “I’ll be in touch.”

Elated WWE fans flooded the comments’ section as they called for The Game to “give the people what they want”.

One fan tweeted: “YESSSSSS SIRRRRRR. FINALLY SOME REAL WRESTLING AT WEMBLEY.”

Another commented: “OMG IT’S (POSSIBLY) HAPPENING!!!”

A third wrote: “Looks like Wembley is about to have its all time record broken.”

This fan said: “FINALLY MANIA WHERE I LIVE I’M SO ALIVE.”

And that one pleaded: “Wrestlemania 41 please Hunter.”

A PHYSICALLY healthy Dutch woman suffering from crippling depression has made plans to end her life by euthanasia today – on her 34th birthday.

Jolanda Fun, who has prepared for her funeral in advance, says she hopes to be the latest person in the Netherlands to receive a doctor-assisted death.

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Jolanda has been fighting crippling depression since the age of seven – and described her life as constant pain.

She was medically diagnosed at the age of 22 – and has tried to seek help from dozens of therapy sessions.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Jolanda revealed she has long suffered from mental health problems including depression, autism and mild learning difficulties – and now wants to “step out of life”.

The Dutch woman said she puts up a mask in all her social situations to hide her inner feelings, which she described as “dark, overstimulation, chaos in my head, loneliness”.

She said in her interview: “Most of the time I just feel really s***ty, sad, down, gloomy.

“People don’t see it, because that’s the mask I put on and that’s what you learn to do in life.”

“My father is sick, my mother is sick, my parents are fighting to stay alive, and I want to step out of life,” she added.

Jolanda chose euthanasia as her preferred course two years ago after a medical counsellor said laws in the Netherlands permitted it for psychiatric reasons.

She made a post on Facebook where she wrote she was looking for medical experts who could help her with the process.

And during her interview with the publisher, Jolanda revealed her euthanasia was scheduled for April 25 – her 34th birthday.

She described euthanasia as a “dignified and painless death” – and added that one can peacefully step out of life with their loved ones around them.

Euthanasia has been legal in The Netherlands since 2002 – but remains illegal in the UK.

Under Dutch law, a patient qualifies for an assisted death after they have exhausted all reasonable treatments and can prove they have “unbearable suffering without prospect of improvement”.

More people are turning to euthanasia as a legal way to end their suffering as they struggle with depression or anxiety – made worse by economic uncertainty and social media.

In 2017, out of 6,585 deaths from euthanasia in the Netherlands, 84 were on the grounds of psychiatric suffering.

But the approval procedure for psychiatric petitions can take years and only approximately 10 per cent of applications are granted.

A few days ago, another Dutch woman Zoraya ter Beek revealed she wants to end her life by euthanasia after suffering from severe depression.

She is scheduled for the process in May after being told her condition will “never get better”.

Zoraya once aspired to become a psychiatrist but couldn’t finish her studies because she was struggling with depression and autism.

For ten long years, she tried all possible solutions from therapy to medications to improve her condition.

IT is the showbiz feud that refuses to die.

And Kim Kardashian has stoked the coals of her almost decade-long war with Taylor Swift this week by posting a selfie with the singer’s former bestie, Karlie Kloss.

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Instagram

It comes one week after Taylor released what many saw as a diss track about Kim on her chart-topping album The Tortured Poets Department.

In the track, titled thanK you aIMee — spelling out KIM in strategically placed capital letters — Taylor, 34, sings about being unable to forgive a “spray-tanned” bully who threw punches at her.

Following the song’s release, Kim lost more than 100,000 Instagram followers — a huge dent to the audience on one her most lucrative platforms.

It comes as The Sun can exclusively reveal deep-seated speculation from Swifties that Kim, 43, had been targeting Taylor’s friends to appear in her Skims campaigns.

Last month, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor’s long-time pal and the main support act on her Eras world tour, starred in a campaign for the reality star’s lingerie line.

The sponsored posts, showing the up-and-coming star posing in Barbie pink underwear, saw Sabrina gain 30,000 followers on Instagram overnight.

It prompted an outcry from Taylor’s fans — known as Swifties — who flooded the comments section to tell Sabrina they were “disappointed” in her, with one saying: “It makes me question your friendship with Taylor.”

Go into hiding

The collaboration is the latest in a long line of Skims partnerships that fans think will have ruffled Taylor’s feathers.

In February, Kim recruited singer Lana Del Ray — another of Taylor’s closest pals and collaborators — to model her Valentine’s underwear range.

No expense was spared on the campaign, which received widespread media attention and launched just days before Taylor and Lana attended the 2024 Grammys together.

And in October 2023 — shortly after Taylor confirmed her romance with Kansas City Chiefs American football player Travis Kelce — Kim enlisted Taylor’s new Wag bestie Brittany Mahomes and her husband Patrick, who plays alongside tight end Travis, for a family pyjama campaign.

But it is her latest post with model Karlie that cuts the deepest, with Taylor’s former best friend and once-closest confidante defecting to the side of the Kardashian star.

Kendall was never part of Taylor’s squad.

Kim on the feud

This picture wasn’t a campaign image intended to drive underwear sales but an intimate photograph of the pair at a party with other friends.

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E! Networks

Fans were quick to point out that the picture of Kim and Karlie was at least two years old and questioned why she would post it now — four days after Taylor’s album release — if it was not a pointed attack.

Karlie and Taylor — once inseparable, with Karlie a prominent member of Taylor’s infamous girl squad and even appearing on the cover of Vogue magazine with her — have never addressed their feud publicly.

But it is widely believed they fell out after Karlie maintained a working relationship with record label executive Scooter Braun when he sold the masters of Taylor’s first six albums for GBP240million in 2020.

It prompted the I Knew You Were trouble hitmaker to start re-recording her entire back catalogue and hit out at Braun for “bullying” her, which he vehemently denies.

While other stars distanced themselves from Braun in the aftermath, Karlie invited him to both of her weddings, where Taylor was notably absent.

In the cheap seats

Swifties also hit out at Karlie for never speaking out against Braun when Taylor publicly begged other stars under his management to help her. While her other best friends, model Gigi Hadid and singer Selena Gomez, both hit out at him, Karlie was slated for posting a stream of photos of herself amid the ongoing drama.

Last August, Karlie was seen in the cheap seats at the final show of the Eras tour in LA while the rest of Taylor’s world-famous friends enjoyed the show from a VIP tent, cementing the end of their friendship to the singer’s legion of loyal fans.

And now Karlie is friends with Kim, it seems there is no going back.

I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone any more. I went down really, really hard.

Taylor on the feud

Kim launched her first attack on Taylor in 2016, when her then-husband Kanye West released Famous, a song which included the lyrics “I made that b***h famous” in reference to him storming Taylor’s VMAs acceptance speech in 2009, and claimed he could “still have sex” with her if he wanted.

Taylor branded the lyrics misogynistic, and Kim retaliated by posting a secret recording of a phone call taken some months before in which Kanye had read a selection of his lyrics out to Taylor which she seemingly agreed to. Kim’s fans then flooded Taylor’s Instagram account with snake emojis, calling her out as a liar. And Kim did nothing to calm the storm, posting a string of snake emojis on her own social media.

The hashtag #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty began trending, prompting Taylor to go into hiding for two years.

It was during this time she wrote her 2017 Reputation album in response to the drama.

Fans took the track Look What You Made Me Do to be an attack on Kim, with the lyrics: “I don’t like your little games/Don’t like your tilted stage/The role you made me play of the fool/No, I don’t like you.”

A clip of the full conversation between Kanye and Taylor resurfaced in 2020 and appeared to dispel any evidence that Taylor had agreed to the lyrics — and suggested the original clip had been manipulated.

But the damage was already done.

Taylor spoke openly in several magazine interviews about the impact the feud had on her, telling Time magazine: “That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before.

“I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone any more. I went down really, really hard.”

In the years that followed, famous friends of the pair have been forced to choose between the two camps.

Kim’s sister Kendall Jenner, one of the A-listers who supported Taylor on stage in London in 2015, has not been seen with her since, with Kim saying in a 2017 interview: “Kendall was never part of Taylor’s squad.”

Meanwhile, Taylor’s long-term best friend, Selena Gomez, distanced herself from the Kardashians after the drama, despite having fledgling friendships with both Kylie and Kendall.

And while Kim had appeared to try to quash the feud in recent years, posting Taylor’s songs on her social media profiles and telling one chat show host that the war was over, it seems Taylor’s latest release has dispelled any peace between the pair.

In fact, this might just be the start of their biggest battle yet.

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SKims

Skims

LAURA WOODS stunned as she attended the Sport Industry Awards.

The award-winning presenter posed on the red carpet as she arrived at the star-studded ceremony.

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Laura sported a classy black dress with a cape feature over her shoulders as she smiled for the flashing cameras.

The 36-year-old was attending the Sport Industry Awards – an event celebrating the work done within the sport sector including social media, streaming, events and more.

Other stars were also in attendance for the evening with Gabby Logan, Dan Walker, Troy Deeney and Tommy Fury amongst those spotted on the red carpet.

Laura is no stranger to an awards ceremony, having previously won both the Broadcast Sports Presenter of the Year award and the SJA Sports Presenter of the Year awards.

When she isn’t picking up awards or waltzing down the red carpet, football fans can see her on their TV screens with the former TalkSPORT radio host now the face of TNT Sports‘ football coverage.

Laura managed to escape the bright lights of the TV cameras and full stadiums for a small getaway with her boyfriend last month.

The avid Arsenal fan is dating Love Island star Adam Collard and the pair jetted off to Mexico together to soak up some sun.

Laura shared some loved-up photos of the pair enjoying their holiday to her Instagram where she boasts an incredible 754,000 followers.

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The star is regularly sharing updates of her life with her adoring fans on social media.

Most recently she shared some snaps with the caption “Things I love” which included photos of her dog and her boyfriend Adam.

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Instagram

Instagram @laurawoodsy

Instagram / @adamcollard

A DAZZLING breakthrough has figured out how to produce diamonds in just 150 minutes compared to the billion-year natural process.

The researchers behind the invention are confident they’ll be able to yield large amounts of synthetic diamonds with their new creation process.

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Gong et al., Nature, 2024

The research was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Researchers led the quick-diamond invention from the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea.

“We discovered a method to grow diamonds at 1 atm pressure and under a moderate temperature by using a liquid metal alloy,” the paper said.

The instant diamonds were created by using a completely new process of blending metals and diffusing carbon.