Category Entertainment News

The Duke of Sussex is celebrating his birthday tomorrow – but for a previous milestone birthday, his party was cancelled at the last minute to accommodate his sister-in-law

Prince Harry will be celebrating his 41st birthday tomorrow, no doubt surrounded by his friends and family in California, just days after returning from his whirlwind trip to the UK – and visit to Ukraine.

While the Duke of Sussex may very well be planning a huge birthday bash, for his birthday 11 years ago, his party plans were abruptly halted due to his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales.

Back for Harry’s 30th, when he was still a working member of the royal family before he met Meghan Markle, the Prince was planning a huge party with the help of his brother Prince William and his wife for his milestone birthday.

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In fact, it was reported that in the lead-up to his 30th birthday in 2014, William and Kate set about planning an intimate family birthday dinner for Harry, with the guest list including his royal cousins Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie and Zara Tindall as well as close pals at Kensington Palace.

However, it seems that Harry pulled the plug on the bash at the last minute as the day approached. Just before his birthday, the now-Princess of Wales started suffering from severe morning sickness while pregnant with Princess Charlotte.

At the time, Kensington Palace officials confirmed that Kate had been suffering morning sickness after becoming pregnant for a second time. And in light of his sister-in-law being under the weather at the time, Harry called off the party.

A source told the Mirror at the time: “Harry was in no doubt that the party should be postponed, even though 30 is an important milestone. Kate had been very involved in organising Harry’s party, and once she fell ill he felt it wrong to let the event go ahead.”

However, Vanity Fair later claimed that the party did go ahead at a later date – but it was at Clarence House instead of Kensington Palace, with King Charles even sending champagne for guests to enjoy.

Prince Harry and Princess Kate ’s relationship is worlds away from where it was in 2014, with the in-laws not crossing paths last week while the Duke of Sussex was on a rare trip to the UK.

On the day he arrived in his home country, Prince Harry travelled to Windsor to honour the life of the late Queen Elizabeth on what was the third anniversary of her death. Just 8 miles away, the Prince and Princess of Wales were also paying tribute to the late monarch with a visit to the Women’s Institute in Sunningdale.

The Princess of Wales was not due to join William at the event, but she made a last minute decision to support him on the heartbreaking anniversary. It’s thought Kate’s last-minute appearance with William at the event could well be a strategic move on her part, with Judi James noting that the mum of three could be trying to “avoid being check-mated by the rogue royal”.

Speaking with the Mirror, Judi explained: “We’ve already seen Harry on a ring doorbell looking like a fan of the impromptu drop-in, and William’s outing to Sunningdale might have left one (future) queen alone and socially vulnerable if a request for afternoon tea was made.

“Kate and Harry used to be so close, and whereas a ‘Sorry I’m up in Sunningdale’ response might be neutral and polite enough, being at home, but turning him down could make Kate risk being made to look like the bad guy when Harry reported back to the US.

“There’s a huge difference between being unavailable and appearing to actively shun someone, and the movements of the royals today suggest they are very mindful of the dangers of the ‘Harry effect’ on their own image and popularity.”

With Christmas fast approaching, now’s the time to get your hands on the perfect gift for Potterheads this festive season as Lego unveils it’s biggest Harry Potter set yet

Though it’s only September, there’s no wrong time to start gearing up for Christmas, as it’ll be here before we all know it. In the run-up to the festive season, Lego has just unveiled its latest Harry Potter set, which is touted as the biggest one yet.

Sure to make the perfect gift for a Potterhead in your life, this Hogsmeade Village Collector’s Edition is a highly detailed set that allows fans to relive the magic of the Harry Potter films from their bedroom floor.

Letting children indulge in the charm of Hogsmeade in winter, this Lego set beautifully captures the enchanting set from the iconic movie series. The set comes sbrimming with seven iconic buildings recreated in stunning brick form, including the first-ever LEGO versions of Zonko’s Joke Shop and the Hog’s Head pub.

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The 3,228-piece set includes 12 minifigures, featuring fan favourites like Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor McGonagall, and Aberforth Dumbledore. Built in three sections, with seven distinct buildings, Hogsmeade comes alive with wonky windows, crooked chimneys and snow-dusted rooftops.

All doors in this set open to reveal intricately designed interiors, packed with authentic accessories and references, from Exploding Bon Bons and Butterbeer to Sneakoscopes and a Remembrall. There’s even a portrait of Ariana Dumbledore that opens to a hidden passage, just like in the final book and film.

Built to the same scale as previous LEGO Harry Potter sets, such as LEGO Diagon Alley or LEGO Gringotts Wizarding Bank, these magical models can be connected, making them perfect for display. Whether revisiting Honeydukes, raising a Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, or delivering letters from the Owl Post, fans can enjoy the snowy magic of Hogsmeade like never before.

Available right now, parents or dedicated fans can pick up this huge set for £349.99. Similar models like Diagon Alley retail for £389.99, and Gringotts is selling for £369.99.

If these larger models are outside your holiday spending budget, don’t worry. Plenty of Harry Potter sets are available with more wallet-friendly price tags. For instance, Amazon is selling this LEGO Harry Potter Knight Bus for £30.99.

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder got emotional as they discussed having kids on the new series of their BBC show Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India, where they travel across the unique country

Rylan Clark has revealed more about his desire to have children amid his new romance with a fairground worker. It was recently revealed that Rylan is dating a new man, four years on from his split from his husband Dan.

Teasing the new romance, Rylan revealed: “At this time I’m very happy. Recently I have gotten into a relationship and it’s great. And it feels very different to anything I’ve had before, which is a good sign to me.”

He didn’t reveal who it was but the man is believed to be called Kennedy and the pair are said to have become “inseparable” this summer and have already met each others families.

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Speaking in an emotional chat on their show Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India, the former X Factor star explained: “What this trip has done is invigorate in my head how important family is. I want one day, fingers crossed, to have kids. What about you?”

“Don’t forget, I’m older than you. It’s quite a lot [older]. So when I was coming out, it wasn’t a possibility and I’ve got to a stage now where I’m so set in my ways…,” Rob then replied as Rylan quizzed what would happen if he met the right man tomorrow.

Rob then admitted: “I just think I’d be too afraid – I don’t think I’m good enough,” before Rylan added: “Let me tell you one thing, you are good enough. But it’s alright not to want kids. It’s just always been my plan. Get the husband, get the Range Rover, get the kids.

The Good Morning Britain star admitted he feared he was too “selfish” to raise kids. Rylan replied: “But I think the second, you had kids you’d change … You know what Rob, you’d never feel love like it.”

“As long as they were kind and had nice manners,” Rob added, with Rylan then quipping: “They would be because they’d be raised by you – and me probably,” as he joked about being uncle Rylan.

Meanwhile, Rylan has been forced to deny he and Rob are dating. He said: “Like, so many people keep asking, everyone keeps asking me – because there’s all these fake news stories about me and Rob Rinder – we’ve gotten married and all of this. Rob’s my friend. I adore him, and Rob and Rylan’s just about to come out again, and I just thought, ‘Let’s just put the record straight.'”

Beauty charms have become the latest accessory obsession and it’s serving cute yet practical…

Beauty charms are having a moment – and we are so here for it. Firstly it was the Labubu craze taking over the internet, with every fashionista clipping one of the little monsters to their handbag, and now it’s beauty charms coming in hot.

From Dior, to Fenty and even Glossier, they serve as either a practical charm that will keep your lipgloss always to hand, to something more of an accessory and it’s giving serious nostalgia vibes. Whether it’s for self expression or a playful twist on a chic handbag, it is a fresh take on fashion.

With brands across the beauty spectrum offering up their products from lipglosses, balms, powders, perfumes and even setting sprays as a charm, it’s the practical accessories we never knew we needed, but why are we all so obsessed?

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Beauty shoppers have been rushing to personalise everything from lip balms to key chains with jewellery-style charms from their favourite brands. Glossier have released their popular Balm Dotcom (£18) into a key chain which serves as a super cute collectible, functional keychain. Clip it to your keys, jeans, handbag and more for easy access to your favorite Balm Dotcom flavor. Just screw it into the metal cap and go.

“Basically anything you can think of, we will find a way to charm it,” said Margaret Mitchell, chief commercial officer at Space NK, as reported by Business of Fashion. The British beauty retailer is offering complimentary “charming” services in two of its largest stores during the holiday season, where customers who buy a lip balm can have it adorned with branded charms.

The charming craze began to pick up steam at the start of the year when the popularity of the viral insulated reusable Stanley Cups became so great, it created an industry of ways to adorn them.

Take the newest Gen Z beauty brand Trouble Maker for example. Most of their products are available to buy in a case, including their Bubble Trouble lip glosses (£4) and Trouble Maker setting sprays (£5). Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb oil is now housed in a keychain-ready case, turning your lip routine into a major flex.

While Kaja’s Jelly Charm lip and blush tints (£22) come with loops that clip onto belts and backpacks. Even Victoria Beckham’s bottled scents can come in a gold pendant you can wear around your neck.

The singer spent around 18 months overhauling her lifestyle to achieve a slimmer, healthier self – which she flaunted in style at New York Fashion Week

Pop sensation Lizzo has wowed audiences with her stunning transformation, after sporting a much slimmer silhouette while attending New York Fashion Week.

The 37 year old star has been showing off her weight loss in recent weeks, and NYFW was no exception, as she wowed on the front row of designer Christian Siriano ’s show, in a risqué barely there ensemble.

Dressed in a brown chiffon corseted halter body suit beneath a black chiffon pareo, Lizzo completed her look with a pair of high heels as she opted to avoid any further accessories in order to let the outfit speak for itself.

The About Damn Time artist, who is a vocal advocate for body positivity, began her weight loss journey in January 2023, and over the course of a period of around 18 months managed to slice a whopping 10.5 points from her BMI, while losing 16% of her body fat.

Addressing her slimmer physique in a Women’s Health profile last month, Lizzo said: “I like how I look now. I still think I’m big. I’m still wearing plus-size clothing. I have the same rolls. I got the same belly, the same thighs — I think I’m just a smaller version,.”

“Body positivity has nothing to do with staying the same. Body positivity is the radical act of daring to exist loudly and proudly in a society that told you you shouldn’t exist.”

Primarily focusing on a completely lifestyle overhaul, Lizzo swapped her vegan diet which included a lot of fake meats and carbs, to one focused on whole foods, including beef, chicken, and fish, which she found more satiating and energy-boosting.

She also began exercising more, with activities such as pilates, skipping and dancing helping to shave off the pounds and pave the way to her new healthier lifestyle.

However, despite attributing her weight loss to this lifestyle overhaul, Lizzo did confess that she had also briefly turned to medication such as Ozempic and other GL1-P drugs to help her on her journey – but soon gave them up.

“I’ve tried everything,” she admitted on the Just Trish podcast in June. “It’s just the science, for me, calories in vs. calories out. Ozempic works because you eat less food.”

“It makes you feel full. So, if you can just do that on your own and get mind-over-matter, it’s the same,” she explained.

Officially licensed as a drug for the treatment of diabetes, some people, like Lizzo, have found success in using the drug off-label to aid in their weight loss journey.

The medication, which is a brand name of semaglutide, belongs to a group of drugs called GLP-1 antagonists which increase the levels of incretins – hormones – which are naturally produced by the stomach when you eat.

Former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison opens up about her nerves ahead of the BBC show, which is due to kick off later this month

Strictly Come Dancing may prove tricky for Vicky Pattison as she will be ­suffering with more than just a contestant’s nerves. The reality star’s anxiety will be through the roof before anyone has even danced a step because of a health condition that brings on panic attacks, insomnia and exhaustion.

In 2023, Vicky was diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which can floor her physically and emotionally every month. But the plucky personality, who won 2015’s I’m a Celebrity and was a finalist on Celebrity MasterChef in 2019, is ready to give the BBC dance contest her best shot when it kicks off on Saturday.

Vicky, 37, first found fame on the MTV reality show Geordie Shore as cameras followed her “getting mortal” on wild nights out in Newcastle. But she says of Strictly: “It’s so out of my comfort zone… I’m not a performer. I’m a drinker, not a dancer. It’s been a long time since I’ve done the jungle and MasterChef, but Strictly definitely ups the ante on the anxiety front.”

Since she first appeared on Geordie Shore in 2011, the Newcastle-born star has gone on to become a panellist on Loose Women and bagged her own reality show, My Big Fat Geordie Wedding, which saw her marry partner Ercan Ramadan.

But being on Strictly is a fulfilling a dream for Vicky. She says: “You’ve got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and when you’re in your late 30s, that’s hard to do. I feel so lucky to be asked. It was something that was on my vision board that I wanted to tick off, but I am scared. I don’t want to let anyone down – my partner, family or the viewers.”

Vicky also spoke out about living with PMDD, and how hugely supportive Strictly has been as she struggled through rehearsals. “It affects me in the 10 days before my period,” she admits. “That is panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, exhaustion and in some moments, there can be suicidal thoughts. Like every woman dealing with it, I’m just riding the wave.

“There are moments I can be OK and be the bright, shiny version of myself that everyone expects, and then there are moments where I’m debilitated by it. Now, everything feels heightened and stressful. I’ve been burying my head in the sand a little bit saying it’s ages away, but it’s not. I’m learning as I go. Strictly take things into ­consideration.”

Vicky says show bosses have picked the perfect partner for her – a person who can help calm her nerves. He will be revealed on Saturday’s launch show. “They have found me someone that is kind and measured and patient and supportive,” she says. “There are people with big energy and that’s amazing, but that would have exacerbated how I was feeling.

“I hope that when I get the hang of it, I’ll be less nervous. I hope I’m blessed to be here long enough to get a few shows under my belt.”

Joining Vicky on the dancefloor are Doctor Who actress Alex ­Kingston, model Ellie Goldstein, Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and EastEnder Balvinder Sopal. YouTuber George Clarke, drag queen La Voix, rugby ace Chris Robshaw and The Apprentice’s Tom Skinner are also taking part.

The line-up is completed by Neighbours favourite Stefan Dennis, Lioness Karen Carney, ex-Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, reality star Dani Dyer and TV host Ross King. They will be judged by Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday for its launch show.