Category Entertainment News

Former Love Island star Olivia Attwood has endured an incredibly busy week at work after a tumultuous month where she confessed that her marriage to Bradley Dack is a ‘work in progress’

Reality TV star Olivia Attwood has made light of her incredibly busy work schedule after a hectic couple of weeks.

The former Love Island star, 34, has been non-stop over the past week as she launched the brand-new season of her hit ITV2 reality show, Bad Boyfriends, attended and presented an award at The National Television Awards, and launched her own collection of clothing with high-street giant River Island.

Throughout the chaos of her incredibly busy work schedule this week, Olivia has also faced more scrutiny about her marriage with Bradley Dack, 31, after he failed to accompany her to the National Television Awards on Wednesday night ,after Olivia confessed that they have both ‘messed up’ and admitted that their relationship has faced ‘challenges’ over the past six months.

Olivia and Bradley did, however, put on a strong united front when the football ace showed up to support her on Thursday night at the launch of her new edit with River Island.

READ MORE: Maura Higgins shuts down rumours she was turned away from NTAs afterpartyREAD MORE: Olivia Attwood backed by husband Bradley Dack at major career event amid marriage fears

Taking to her Instagram stories on Friday, Olivia poked fun at how crazy her life has been of late as she shared a number of light-hearted work-related posts. In one image, Olivia proved that she was working hard late into the evening as she shared a glimpse of one of her new projects.

Alongside a glimpse of a photoshoot, Olivia wrote: “What even is a day off?”. She then shared another look at the photoshoot as she posted the time on her snap. The former Love Island star proved that she was working late into the evening on Friday as she continues to keep on top of her hectic schedule.

However, it seems like it all took a toll on Olivia, who then posted a video of herself passed out asleep while on set. The blonde beauty could be seen snoozing while wearing a full face of glamorous makeup. “As you can tell, it’s been a very long week,” she wrote alongside the video.

It comes after Olivia was forced to defend her marriage after her recent trip to Ibiza with friend Pete Wicks. The former TOWIE star, 36, sparked controversy when he was seen cuddling up to Olivia on a yacht as they soaked up the sun on their Ibiza getaway.

During a recent appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, Olivia set the record straight on her and Bradley’s marriage. She also addressed the infidelity in their early relationship after she found out that Brad had been unfaithful in the early days of their relationship, before the pair rekindled.

“Look, Brad and I had a rocky start. There’s no such thing as perfect, our relationships has ups and downs for sure it’s a collaborative thing, it’s a work in progress,” Olivia said.

“It’s not something I would recommend to everyone to forgive [cheating] and move on. It worked for us, I’d never gone back to an ex before, I never thought I would, but Brad was the exception! In some cases, it can work. The maturity. We were like 20, 21, when me went. He was silly in the beginning, I was silly. You grow up together and learn how to behave.”

When Lorraine mentioned that due to Olivia’s fame, she can be very easily ‘photographed with someone’ and have it go viral, the presenter seemed to take it all in her stride. She said: “I don’t spend time looking at news outlets, or gossip columns. They have a job to do, I’ve got a job to do. It’s part of the job. You’d drive yourself crazy! Look at something else.”

Olivia also admitted that she understands why her husband Bradley was “upset” over her Ibiza photos with Pete. Last week, she made it clear that she and Bradley are very much together, and her connection with Pete is purely friendly and professional.

Reflecting on the controversy, Olivia said both she and Bradley are determined to work through what she calls “difficult times” caused by their busy schedules.

“Me and Brad never pretend to have a perfect relationship, we have been up, down, left, backwards, and the last six months have been really challenging for us,” she told Mail Online.

“My work and his work take precedence over everything, we have to navigate our relationship all the time. It’s the boring side of being an adult in a long-term relationship, we constantly have to work at it and that’s just the truth.”

Strictly Come Dancing’s Stacey Dooley shared an update on life with her partner Kevin Clifton, and their two-year-old daughter Minnie, amid a new project together

Stacey Dooley has opened up about the changes she has experienced since becoming a mum. The presenter and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton welcomed their first child, a daughter named Minnie, back in January 2023.

In recent months, the 38-year-old has been open about co-sleeping with her toddler, and how it has impacted her relationship dynamics.

During a recent appearance on Luke Hamnett’s Live, Laugh, Luke podcast, Stacey and Luke briefly discussed their personal relationships after talking about Stacey’s Sleep Over episode with Lily Phillips.

Lily, an OnlyFans star, made headlines after fronting a documentary about her sleeping with 100 men in a single day.

Sharing his thoughts, TikTok sensation Luke humorously commented: “I couldn’t even s**g for two minutes.”

Stacey agreed, adding: “Especially when you’ve got two-year-olds, and they’re still in the bed. It’s tiresome. Sometimes, I mean, you feel obligated.”

Later in the conversation, the BBC star spoke further about her experiences of motherhood.

She admitted: “It’s no joke, it’s rough out there and she’s two. And she’s no one’s fool, she’s so bossy and sort of won’t really entertain me at the moment.”

Stacey went on to reveal that Minnie currently favours Kevin, and joked she was “terrified” of her daughter at times.

She recalled of a recent situation: “I walked through the door the other day before her, and it was like I had said to her, ‘We’re never going to the park again, I’m taking all your toys, and you’re never having a roast dinner’.

“It was just fireworks and I just thought… and you don’t think you’d ponder to that, you’ve got to sort of be robust with them and tell them what’s what, [but] I’m terrified.”

Along with parenting duties, the duo are also balancing their current West End collaboration in 2:22 A Ghost Story, portraying fictional married couple Sam and Jenny.

The pair are no strangers to working together, having first crossed paths during the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which they ultimately won.

Discussing working together over the years, Stacey explained: “We worked together then in 2018, but obviously, you know the dynamics were so different because I was sort of led by him.

“It was very much his world, and now seven years on, I’ve done the play before so I’ve got a bit more leverage.”

Speaking about their contrasting methods, she added: “Kev really throws himself into it and he’s very immersed and he takes it very seriously.

“I take it seriously, but we’re just pretending. And so, I sometimes feel [that] even if I want to take the p**s slightly, I don’t want to make him feel self-conscious or whatever.”

Emmerdale star Samantha Giles has been honest about the struggles she faced last summer after her mum had a stroke while the actress was doing theatre work

Emmerdale star Samantha Giles was left heartbroken when her cherished mum was struck down by a devastating stroke. And the timing made it even more brutal – it occurred just hours before she was set to take to the stage.

The actress had just touched down in Shrewsbury and was preparing for a matinee performance of comedy production The Syndicate alongside Coronation Street’s Brooke Vincent.

Now, she has candidly opened up on the situation. She was halfway through her tour when the health woes happened. “It was a brain haemorrhage and most people die when they have that,” she said.

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She revealed she got the news on a Wednesday, a day she was expected to have two shows. Remarkably, Samantha, who has been celebrated for portraying spirited Bernice Blackstock on Emmerdale since the 90s, discovered the courage to take the stage.

While many would collapse under such devastating news, she pressed forward because she refused to disappoint her supporters. She explained in a chat with the Daily Star: “If you are doing a TV show and something disastrous happens in your family, you can reschedule things but you can’t do that with a stage show.

“People had bought tickets and everything. There were understudies, of course, but you don’t want to let people down. “I decided to do the show. It was very difficult to navigate going on stage.”

And she said that during each performance she was unaware of how her mum was doing. She labelled the time as “very challenging”.

In an honest admission, she revealed she doesn’t know how she managed to carry on. Thankfully though, she later received the good news that the didn’t have to operate and “everything was under control”.

Despite the health challenges she faced, Samantha persevered and completed the tour. And now she cherishes every moment she gets to spend with her mother.

She revealed: “Mum has done really well because 80% of people who have that kind of stroke die. It’s amazing she is still here; it could have been very different. She is doing OK; cognitively, she is quite challenged. She finds it difficult with dates and days.

“It’s been a slow recovery process, and she’s got a long way to go. It’s frustrating for her at times. She knows she’s not the person that she was. But it’s amazing she is still here.”

Despite all the trials she’s faced, Samantha is eager to return to the stage. And she admitted she would love to take part in more theatre productions, saying she is hopeful something good will soon come up.

She explained it is so different when compared to her TV work and said it is amazing to think it is even the same type of role.

TV and radio star Fearne Cotton has clearly had enough of toxic online critics – and she has told them exactly where they can go as she prepares for a weekend of winding down

Fearne Cotton has snapped back at online trolls who have been targeting her. The 44-year-old TV and radio host told them to f**k off. Over the years, Fearne has been targeted by cruel critics throughout her career.

She was just a teenager when she began her career – popping up on early-morning GMTV children’s programme The Disney Club when she was 15. From then on, she went on to enjoy huge success as a TV and radio host – presenting major shows including Top of the Pops and winning praise for her team captain role on ITV’s Celebrity Juice.

But with success came vicious abuse – and Fearne has spoken out about the vicious comments that she has attracted over the years in the past. In recent days, the star has appeared exasperated as some trolls have taken to sending her insults yet again.

READ MORE: Celebrity Juice’s Leigh Francis ‘done’ with TV career as he rejects lucrative offersREAD MORE: Fearne Cotton’s ex Jesse Wood looks loved-up on romantic stroll with new girlfriend

The star has not taken the abuse lying down, however, and has not minced her words while telling her critics where to go. Taking to Instagram over the weekend, the mum-of-two suggested she was quitting social media for a quieter life offline.

But then she took to Instagram Stories to assert her position, tell her bullies where to go, and revealed she has been getting support from a chart-topping friend. Posting a selfie of herself holding a mini margarita cocktail can, she wrote: “I mean, when I said bye… I meant more f**k off to the k**bs, but actually I’m not going anywhere.”

And she added: “I shall be drinking this tonight. Thanks @sophieellisbextor for my goodies. I love u.”

Fearne has endured hardship this past year, having seen her marriage to Jesse Wood end after a decade last December.

The former CBBC star has previously revealed she was unfairly targeted for her own success, having found fame as a teen. She told a newspaper in 2010: “I got a huge amount of s**t for it from the older girls. I would want to bunk off school most days. I had a tough time for a while.

“They would shout stuff across the lunch hall, bitchy comments, and throw things. It happens in every school; there’s always an element of bullying. But my friends were brilliant because they stuck up for me and would be mouthy back.”

She added: “To be doing what I’m doing now, it was worth it, in a cheesy way, to have gone through a tiny amount of s**t at school.”

She also brushed off criticism for her Radio 1 work at the time, branding her critics: “Very negative people”.

Fearne – who has won praise for her podcast Happy Place – added: “I’m a very positive person and people might find that saccharine, but that’s how I like to live my life. I have to ignore them, otherwise you would feel absolutely crushed.”

Since the collapse of her marriage, Fearne has found love with TV exec Elliot Hegarty, 53. She went public with the romance in April as they were seen kissing and holding hands in Soho.

Meanwhile, soon-to-be ex-husband Jesse, 48 – who is the son of Rolling Stones icon Ronnie Wood – has since found love with Made In Chelsea star Gemma Gregory, 39. They went Instagram official in April this year.

Strictly pro dancer Katya Jones tells us about how she’s coped with 10 years of highs and lows on the BBC dance show – and the major change she’s hoping for in her personal life

As Katya Jones prepares to waltz back on to the dance floor for her 10th series of Strictly Come Dancing, she is as raring to go as she was a decade ago. Now 36, the three-times World and nine-times National Latin American champion has spent some hugely formative years on the show – with her fair share of highs and lows – and she arrives for her OK! exclusive photoshoot excited for what the next few months have in store.

“I’m always curious about how I’ll feel when the call comes to tell me if I have a job or not and this year was no different,” she says. “Every year I ask myself, ‘Is this still what I want to do? Do I love it as much as I did on day one?’ and the answer this time was, ‘Without a shadow of a doubt, yes.’”

Russian-born Katya, who began dancing aged six, won the Glitterball with Holby City actor Joe McFadden in 2017. It sits in her ‘hobby room’, next to her beloved piano and sewing machine (currently being used to upcycle a jacket for friend and fellow pro Luba Mushtuk). But their victory gave her more than just a sparkly trophy – it helped her believe in herself.

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“Before, as a multi-World and British champion, the feeling was, ‘You’re never good enough,’” Katya tells us. “Standing on the podium, I often didn’t feel I deserved to win. I’d be thinking, ‘But I didn’t do this bit right,’ or, ‘What will my coach say?’”

Today, Katya recognises that her and Joe’s success was “pretty incredible” and that her role as pro-dancer runs deeper than bagging the much-coveted prize. She is proud of bringing out the best in her celeb partners – as viewers saw for the first time with ex-politician Ed Balls in 2016.

“My first year with Ed was unexpectedly wonderful for me, and I think it was an unexpected highlight for everyone else,” she says. “Because of that, it was the first time in my life I thought, ‘I’m good at this.’

“Being able to encourage someone to train after an awful day is a win for me. Working out a routine that lets my celeb partner shine is a win. There are lots of less obvious wins than the Glitterball win, even though that’s pretty incredible, too.”

Another memorable moment, she says, was dressing up in a giant inflatable T-Rex costume and eating Chinese takeaway on the rehearsal room floor with a tired and sore Adam Peaty. “It really turned things around, we nailed it after that,” she laughs. “We are there for the celebrities when the mood is low, and I would do everything in my power to support them. Those are the times I think I’ve done my job well. They are what’s really special.”

Of course, Katya has had her share of tough times. In 2019, she and fellow Strictly pro Neil Jones separated after six years of marriage. More recently, she was dragged into the saga about the on- and off-screen conduct of her partner Wynne Evans.

The show has also faced scandals surrounding the ‘Strictly curse’ and abuse by pro dancers, but no one could accuse Katya of using the dramas to boost her profile. In fact, she’s one of the more private pro dancers, and on our shoot she is full of energy and warmth, a far cry from what some headlines would have us believe.

“The press interest in the show is huge, so I just focus on the work. People can like or dislike me, they can criticise me, but not my work if I do it well.

“It’s like I have two parallel lives – my public life and what really happens in my life. They co-exist but they’re not the same. My real life is when I go for a walk with the dogs or play piano. Whatever noise is out there about my parallel life, I won’t let it spoil real life. This is the message I would love everyone to hear from me – the outside noise doesn’t define your true life.”

While she refuses to let negativity affect her, insisting there’s no point “fighting it”, there have still been some difficult days that “could have gone either way”. “I remember, about a year after the first big scandal, I read some silly online comments and had a breakdown in my car,” she recalls. “I FaceTimed my mum, who was in a gym class and I couldn’t get my words out.

“I was probably looking for sympathy and soft words but my mum knows me so well. She said, ‘Stop crying! Do you think everybody’s going to be nice to you? No. So wipe your tears and go and crack on with your job. You’re good at it and you signed up to it.’ It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it worked. What I needed in that moment was a kick up the a**e from my mum!”

Throughout her years on Strictly, Katya has strived to remain consistent.

“When I joined, I told myself I must stay true to myself,” she shares. “Pretending to be someone else is hard work and I didn’t need that on top of such an intense job. I’d like to say I’ve remained myself, on and off the show. That’s what has allowed me to do it for 10 years.”

She continues to work on herself, too, adding, “I consciously want to be the best version of myself for my friends, for my family, for someone who will hopefully walk into my life. But this year I realised it’s probably time to just live.

“I’ve learnt that I’m in control of my reactions, the way I communicate, what I bring to situations. I trained myself to pause, create a mental gap before reacting, and think, ‘What’s the right thing to do to make myself proud?’ That’s quite powerful.”

Though Katya’s parents still live in Russia, her own life is very much in London, where she loves getting a “family fix” from Janette Manrara, Aljaž Škorjanec and their daughter Lyra, who live nearby.

Her best friend Aimee Fuller, a two-time Olympic snowboarder, ticks almost every other box. As well as sharing a love for yoga, kickboxing, padel and wakesurfing, they share household budgets, car insurance policies and “keep toothbrushes in each other’s bathrooms”.

Katya’s close friendships don’t tick the romance box however, so is that something she’s seeking?

“For the last few years I’ve been so happy on my own. I have passions and things I enjoy doing, but I’m at the point now where I’m so ready,” she grins. “I would love that to happen. Me and Aimee talk about how exciting it’ll be when we both have partners. I feel like I can be really good for someone and I have so much love to give.”

She has tried dating apps, but found them less than successful, with her inbox filling with requests such as, ‘Are you going to teach me to dance?’, as well as a few preconceived ideas about who she is.

“On Strictly, you only have a few seconds to talk to the presenters and I want it to be about the celebrity, not me,” she says. “So someone might think they know me, but they don’t really. They don’t know that I sit in silence and sew or that I love playing the piano. Sometimes it’s nice to show up to a date and talk about who I really am, and what’s important to me.”

Now in her mid-thirties, Katya is looking into the option of freezing her eggs, in case it takes her longer than she hopes to find her Mr Right.

“It gives you that peace of mind so you don’t feel like you’re being rushed. It’s liberating to have options,” she says. “But, you know, I might meet someone tomorrow. Things change so quickly. Maybe we’ll be having this conversation in a year’s time and I’ll be married with kids. So I’m exploring it, but I’m really hopeful I’ll meet someone.

“My parents had me and my brother young, in their 20s, but times have changed. I have an amazing job that I love and I explore the world and travel – I have so many amazing opportunities. So we have to look at the idea of family differently. It’s not a template any more. My parents have been married for 41 years and they still hold hands. I adore it. That’s what I want.”

Although she’s had a lot to deal with in the past decade, would Katya have thought twice about joining Strictly?

“I wouldn’t change a single thing. It’s all shaped me into the person I am today,” she says, before adding with a devilish laugh, “and there are a lot of fun stories for dinner parties!

“I know my body won’t let me dance at this level forever, so I’m already thinking about the future. Judging on Dancing With The Stars Belgium this year was a dream. I loved every second. It felt natural and I realised I can bring something different to the panel, not just as a champion dancer but also from years of guiding celebs as a pro. So don’t be surprised if you see me eyeing up a judge’s chair for good.”

TV presenter Davina McCall has revealed she was initially very hesitant to take a routine health check that later uncovered a rare brain tumour which completely changed her life

Davina McCall has revealed she was initially reluctant to take the health check that ultimately uncovered a rare brain tumour.

The 57-year-old TV presenter told fans last November that doctors had found a ‘very rare’ colloid cyst, a condition affecting just three in a million people. She later underwent surgery after medics warned the cyst could pose serious risks if it grew.

Speaking on BBC Woman’s Hour on Friday, Davina explained her hesitation about confronting her health issues. She explained: “I don’t need a health check, I’m Davina. I’m healthy, I’m fitness lady, that’s what I’m known for. I felt fantastic, I felt the best I’ve felt in year.”

The health check, which was a gift following a menopause talk she gave, included a Dexter scan and a mole map. After a lot of hesitation, Davina finally decided to bite the bullet and finally get her health check after using sunbeds for years.

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“I thought, ‘oh, well that would be quite useful,’” she recalled. “I was sunbed queen in the 80s… I’m ashamed of that. So I had the health check, and what had flagged up is I heard the word benign.”

Davina went on to stress the dangers of so-called “benign” brain tumours as she shared a stern warning with listeners.

“I just want to say to anybody listening, that knows anyone with a benign brain tumour, benign does not mean fine. That’s a really important thing to say because benign cysts can be devastating. They can be inoperable, they can kill you. Just because it’s not cancerous doesn’t mean it’s not deadly,” Davina shared.

Earlier this year, in April, The Masked Singer star confirmed a ‘final MRI’ scan showed the colloid cyst was “not coming back” following surgery in November 2024.

Amid her life-changing health battle, Davina has been celebrating love after being supported every step of the way by her boyfriend Michael Douglas, 49.

Davina previously gushed that she would not have been able to get through her brain tumour diagnosis with Michael’s support and love. After an incredibly stressful year for both Davina and Michael, it looks like they are more excited than ever for their future after it was reported that they have secretly become are engaged.

The joyful news comes just days after Michael told The Mirror about their upcoming wedding plans at National Television Awards.

“There could be wedding bells on the way, who knows, I’m not going anywhere else if that’s why you mean. But we’re in no rush for any of that, we just enjoy each other’s company,” he shared.

Davina and Michael first met decades ago when he worked as her hair stylist on Big Brother, reconnecting in 2019. They moved in together in 2023, with Michael supporting her through her recent surgery.

Friends say he’s “her absolute rock” and that the couple, with “insane” chemistry, resemble “lovesick teenagers.”

Reflecting on her outlook after her health scare, a friend told The Sun: “Basically Davina thought ‘f*** it, life is short,’ and decided it was time to, as the kids say, lock in the love of her life.”

Davina was previously married twice: to shop manager Andrew Leggett in 1997 for a brief period, and later to TV presenter Matthew Robertson, with whom she has three children – Holly, 23, Tilly, 21, and Chester, 18.