Category Entertainment News

Kim Kardashian’s ex Ray J has reportedly been taken to hospital with pneumonia and heart pains – four years after fearing for his life in a battle with the infection

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Ray J has reportedly been admitted to a hospital in Las Vegas, with a ‘severe’ case of pneumonia and heart pains.

The One Wish singer, who dated Kim Kardashian from 2003 to 2006, is reportedly in hospital awaiting the results of X-rays and a echocardiogram, a source has claimed to TMZ. Despite the reports of 44 year old Ray J’s ill health, the R&B star’s Instagram account made no mention of his apparent health woes as he posted an advert for his official birthday celebration coming up later this month.

The poster shared on Ray J’s Instagram account teases the event, which will take place from 5pm until 10pm on Sunday January 18 in Austin, Texas. The caption alongside the image read: “1/18/26 ……. AUSTIN TX …. IT’s #STRIPPERBOWL SEASON ….. MY BDAY WEEKEND GOING UP… #RayJ #Music #Tronix #Tron”.

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Fans in the comments shared their concerns following the reports of Ray J’s ill health as one wrote: “Ray….rest. Go to your momma house and chill”. Another added: “and he still posting his bday party what a legend! get better dog!” While a third pleaded: “Ray J I hope you’re okay I need you to make sure you get rest” followed by a string of red heart emojis.

Ray J’s current reported hospital stint comes four years after the singer was diagnosed with non-Covid pneumonia in 2021. When he was first taken to the hospital at the time, Ray J was placed in a Covid 19 ward after he was believed to have had the disease, which he found terrifying.

After undergoing five tests for Covid, he was moved out of the wing. He suspected his “busy schedule and constant travel” caused his health to be at risk.

Ray J was in such ill health at the time, he feared he would die. After a more than a week in hospital, he was released but needed to continue using oxygen and an inhaler to help him breathe. Ray J previously told TMZ of the ordeal: “I thought it was over. I started praying and knew God is good so I just kept praying.”

The singer’s latest hospital stint comes just a few weeks after he revealed he was hitchhiking in the US, which he claimed was for a reality show he was working on. He claimed to be taking the journey from Florida to Los Angeles and asked fans for food and a place to stay.

Speaking in an Instagram video, he explained: “I’m hitchhiking right now to try to get a place to stay tonight. Hopefully I can be the new family, and it can take me in and teach me about their rules and their goals and life, and then send me on my way to the next destination.”

In November he was arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on his ex-wife Princess Love during a livestream. The singer was on a livestream when his ex-wife turned up to the house to get their children and it is alleged he threatened to ‘kill’ a man, according to reports. He was booked into a Los Angeles jail on a charge of making a criminal threat and his bail has been set at $50,000 (£37,000).

Coronation Street’s Rob Mallard has been dating his co-star beau for a few years, and they appear to be going from strength to strength

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Coronation Street’s Daniel Osbourne actor has delighted fans after sharing a sneak peek into his private life with his co-star boyfriend.

Rob Mallard made his debut on the ITV show in 2016, taking on the role of Daniel Osbourne, the son of legend Ken Barlow (William Roache). And over the years, the character has had his fair share of romances on the cobbles.

These included his marriage to Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn), who sadly died in October 2019, and his recent romance with secret predator Megan (Beth Nixon), who is grooming youngster Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale).

However, away from the cobbles, actor Rob has had an interesting love life too – including a ‘hard’ split from cobbles legend Daniel Brocklebank, who played Billy Mayhew.

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Currently, though, Rob is dating actor Matthew Martin. The pair went public with their romance at the British Soap Awards in 2023.

Matthew is also an actor, and last year, he even appeared on Coronation Street, playing a police officer who arrested Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) at the end of a dramatic episode.

And on Wednesday (January 8), Rob took to his Instagram to share with fans a slew of sweet snaps from Matt’s birthday. The soap star re-shared Matt’s Instagram post on his own story.

The post included gorgeous photos of the pair celebrating Matt’s special day, including snaps of them on a winter walk. Matt captioned the post: “Birthday shenanigans… Thanks all for the Birthday Wishes!”

Rob’s Corrie co-stars quickly reacted to the post and flooded the comments section. Lisa George, who played Beth Tinker, penned: “Omg! Happy birthday, angel!! Say day as my nephew xxx.”

Abi Webster actress Sally Carman also gushed: “Happy, Happy Birthday, lovely!” Vicky Myers, who plays Lisa Swain, then said: “Happy birthday x.”

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Before Rob’s romance with Max, Rob dated fellow soap star Daniel Brocklebank, who has portrayed Weatherfield vicar Billy Mayhew since 2014. The pair went public with their relationship when Rob scooped up a British Soap Award for Best Newcomer in 201.

He gushed in his speech, where he lovingly said: “Even though this is fantastic, Dan, you’re the best thing I’ve ever taken home.” However, just a few months later, Rob and Daniel ended their relationship, blaming the pressures of working together and being a couple.

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Despite dramatically quitting as working royals exactly six years ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kept their royal titles, and in an interview, Harry once revealed why they would not give them up

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It was on this day six years ago that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped the bombshell news they were quitting their royal roles. The explosive announcement sent shockwaves around the world as they outlined their plans to up sticks and move to the United States and become financially independent.

But despite making their major change to their lives back in January 2020, they still retain one huge link to the Royal Family – their royal titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The titles were granted to them by the late Queen on their wedding day back in 2018 and their pair often still use them. However, many have questioned why they shouldn’t have been stripped of the styles, especially as they no longer carry out duties on behalf of the monarch – now King Charles.

READ MORE: Prince Harry ‘confident of huge victory in UK security battle’ with wish ‘nailed on’READ MORE: Prince Harry’s ‘desperate’ wish for King Charles amid heartfelt Archie and Lilibet hope

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In fact, since giving up their royal roles, they’ve also made a series of claims about their royal relatives in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in their Netflix series and in Harry’s controversial memoir Spare. And in the fallout from these accusations, the Royal Family are said to have discussed stripping their titles “at the highest level”.

However, in an interview with Anderson Cooper on US TV while promoting Spare in early 2023, Harry was directly asked why he and Meghan had not given up their titles – especially given how the pair had railed against their treatment while in the Royal Family. And Harry issued a frank six-word explanation to the question and replied: “And what difference would that make?”

Mr Cooper added: “One of the criticisms that you’ve received is that okay, fine, you wanna move to California, you wanna step back from the institutional role. “Why be so public? Why reveal conversations you’ve had with your father or with your brother? You say you tried to do this privately.”

Harry added: “And every single time I’ve tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife. You know, the family motto is ‘never complain, never explain’. But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really hold.”

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One thing Harry did lose in the wake of Megxit though was his automatic right to armed police protection while in the UK. However, it has emerged that the Duke of Sussex is confident he has finally won his fight to have his automatic armed police protection restored when he visits the UK, according to sources close to the Sussexes.

A ruling, reportedly thought to be in the Duke of Sussex’s favour, is set to be announced in the coming weeks after a lengthy battle to have his taxpayer-funded security while in the UK restored.

In May, Harry lost his case at the Court of Appeal against the Home Office to have his automatic police protection restored after his security arrangements when in the UK changed when he and wife Meghan quit their royal roles and the UK. However, last month it emerged that his security arrangements were being reviewed after he wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood shortly after her appointment and submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec).

And now a source close to the Sussexes told the Mail On Sunday that following the new risk assessment: “It’s now a formality. Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is now nailed-on for Harry.”

During his previous High Court case, Harry argued that his security situation in the UK made it “impossible” for him to safely bring his wife Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, back to his home country.

A private conversation between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been decoded by lip readers – and they claim it gives a telling insight on their plot to quit the Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent shockwaves around the world exactly six years ago when they dramatically announced they were quitting their royal roles. But it seems one telling comment between the couple has led experts to believe they had been plotting their departure from the Royal Family years before they relocated to California.

The seemingly confidential conversation occurred between the Sussexes at a Service of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in 2018, just six months after their star-studded wedding in Windsor Castle. The couple was joined in the Abbey by the entire Frim, including the late Queen Elizabeth to honour fallen servicemen and women, and to mark the Centenary of the Armistice.

READ MORE: Prince Harry ‘confident of huge victory in UK security battle’ with wish ‘nailed on’READ MORE: Prince Harry’s ‘desperate’ wish for King Charles amid heartfelt Archie and Lilibet hope

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According to the Channel 5 documentary, Lip-Reading The Royals: The Secret Conversations, as Harry and Meghan sat and waited for the ceremony to begin, they started conversing and taking in the situation, with Meghan asking Harry a very serious question.

Lip reading expert Nicola Hickling decoded the conversation for the programme, as she claimed Meghan instructed Harry to “take advantage of the situation”, before she turned to look around at the sea of royals that surrounded them.

She says Harry responded to her comment by asking: “Today?”, as Meghan added: “Do it tonight.” Then, Harry poses a question to Meghan, asking: “You do realise that this is the end?” as Meghan responds: “Yeah, I do know”.

It is then suggested by royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop that the seemingly private comments between the Sussexes could mean that the couple had been plotting their dramatic exit from the royal family years before they actually decided to call it quits.

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Despite having the cryptic conversation at the end of 2018, their first child Prince Archie was born just six months later, as they remained in senior working royal positions for a further eight months after becoming parents.

The Sussexes announced their departure from the royal family in January 2020, sharing a statement on Instagram that they would be “taking a step back” as senior working royals, adding that they would “plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America”.

Their statement also said that by leaving the royal family and relocating to California, it would give them the opportunity to raise their son Archie “with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter.”

Previously, in the couple’s controversial new Netflix show, Harry admitted they had been planning the shock move away from the UK for “a minimum of two years”.

In 2018, Harry claims they discussed moving to New Zealand or South Africa – and almost did move to South Africa before the story was leaked to the press. But Harry says they were forced to scrap the plan as it became a “public debate”, so they desperately looked to find a new home while temporarily living in Canada in January 2020.

Queen Camilla is marking the fifth anniversary of her Reading Room book club charity, which she initially founded in lockdown, with a new drive to encourage people to get into books

The Queen has described her mission to get people reading as “more urgent than ever” as reading rates are at their “very lowest”. Camilla founded The Reading Room book club charity in lockdown, and as it marks the fifth anniversary, it has reached a community of 186,000 book lovers in more than 180 countries.

However, the 78-year-old has warned that with global reading rates plummeting, the aim of her charity to get people into books has never been more important. Currently, only one in two adults in the UK reads a book in a year, while 46 per cent of people say they struggle to finish one due to distractions around them.

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The Queen’s Reading Room’s motto for its milestone year is “Make Room for Reading”, and its new drive is to encourage people to find easy ways of fitting in five minutes of reading a day – just like getting in 10,000 daily steps or five portions of fruit and vegetables.

It comes as the charity says neuroscience research showed that just five minutes reading a work of fiction can immediately reduce stress by nearly 20 per cent, improve concentration and focus by as much as 11 per cent, and reduce feelings of loneliness.

Camilla said: “Five years ago, I founded a book club in lockdown, in the hope that others might derive as much enjoyment from good literature as I do. Since those humble beginnings, that book club has grown into a global charity, supporting a community of book lovers, united by a shared belief in the power of reading.

“I am so proud of what my charity has achieved, reaching millions of people, staging remarkable events and partnering with incredible organisations to bring books to people who need them most. Its groundbreaking research has confirmed what many of us always felt: reading truly changes how we perceive, how we think and how we connect.

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“At a time when global reading rates are at their very lowest, my charity’s mission feels more urgent than ever. Books do make life better, and this is only the beginning.”

The book project started life when Camilla shared a list of nine of her favourite books, which she previously described as being “literally scribbled on a piece of paper during the first lockdown” in 2020. Her Reading Room book club officially launched on Instagram in January 2021, serving as a community space for book lovers and featuring Camilla’s recommendations and interviews with authors.

The Queen has personally recommended 76 books over the past five years, while the King, the Princess of Wales and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians have all contributed their own selections, and more than 120 authors have recommended their favourite reads.

In 2023, the book club became The Queen’s Reading Room charity and has gone on to host an annual literary festival, launch a podcast and introduce The Queen’s Reading Room Medal to celebrate unsung local heroes who champion reading, with the first recipient due to be unveiled in the spring.

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The charity has also donated more than 2,300 books to 11 grassroots locations, including 1,400 to inpatients at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, as well as supporting reading groups at St Mungo’s homeless shelters and working with domestic violence refuges.

The Reading Room’s chief executive, Vicki Perrin, praised Camilla for bringing her “special magic” to the organisation and said the Queen very much still personally chooses its books.

She said: “She founded the charity. It’s very much her baby… She still chooses all of the books that are featured on the book club, and is by far the most well-read person I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

“Often, when I go in to see her, the defining image of Her Majesty is in her armchair with piles and piles of books on the side table and on the floor by her feet, and she’s talking about this latest one that she’s read, and she’s got a proof of a new book that’s coming out, and that she’s really enjoying.”

Ms Perrin described current reading levels as a crisis and said the charity was “deeply concerned” about the falling rates among children. The National Literacy Trust, of which Camilla is patron, reported that just one in three children and young people aged eight to 18 in the UK said they enjoyed reading in 2025 – the lowest level since the question was first asked in 2005.

Ms Perrin said: “We, as a charity, are obviously deeply concerned about the falling reading rates among children, just as we are among adults.”

Brig Brother’s Henry Southan revealed on Instagram that he was targeted by a masked phone thief during a store robbery that took place while he was trying to upgrade his phone

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Big Brother star Henry Southan has revealed that he was targeted by masked phone thief in a shocking incident. The 27 year old took to Instagram to share that a masked man tried to steal his phone right in front of him – only to find he’d taken nothing but an empty box.

Via his Instagram Stories, Henry told his followers how he had gone to an O2 shop to upgrade his phone when the thief came in. He said the camera: “Guys, little story time, I just upgraded my phone, I’ve been in O2 like all day.

“I was doing the transfer from my old phone to the new phone in store, and this masked man came into the shop and grabbed the empty box that my new phone was in and he ran out.”

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He added that he was embarrassed for the “s*** thief”. “I felt such second-hand embarrassment for him, imagine, he’s just gonna see it’s an empty box, what a s**t thief he is.”

Henry continued to say there was another person there who called his accomplice an “idiot”. He said: “His accomplice, there was another guy in there, he was like “oh you idiot”, you just couldn’t write it. I got the ick to be honest, I was like babe you could have pulled that off a bit better couldn’t you.”

This came not long after another star of the small screen, Bridgerton’s Genevieve Chenneour, said she no longer feels safe in London after being targeted by another phone thief. Back in February 2025, Genevieve was walking her dog with her boyfriend when the thief targeted her. The two managed to drag the thief to the floor before he could take off with her phone.

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The actress told LBC that she moved out of London following the incident. She said: “The level of anxiety putting myself even in a public space now is pretty awful. I’ve left London.

“I don’t feel comfortable living in London at the moment. Had this happened two years earlier, when I was just getting my career going, this could have been the end of my career, because you have to be in town for meetings and available all the time.

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Appearing on Magic Radio, actress Rosamund Pike also shared her experiences with a phone thief. The Pride & Prejudice star admitted the crime, which happened in 2006, was “15 minutes” of hell. “I was on the phone to my mother — on a mobile phone walking along a road — and I was mugged,” she said.

“The phone was snatched so all she heard was me scream and a thud and the phone went dead.” She added that the mugger punched her on the side of her cheek as they took her phone.