Archive May 12, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Former TOWIE star Jessica Wright spoke to the Mirror about her brother Mark Wright becoming a parent with Michelle Keegan whilst on the BAFTA red carpet

Reality TV star Jessica Wright has opened up about her brother Mark Wright becoming a parent. Jess praised her younger sibling and teased why she isn’t yet offering to babysit her newborn niece, Palma, for the presenter.

Mark, 38, and his wife Michelle Keegan, 37, announced the birth of their “little girl” Palma, who is now two months old, in March. Jess, 39 – who is a parent herself to son Presley, two – later described the couple as “incredible parents”.

The Mirror caught up with Jess at the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises. She was among the guests on the red carpet at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London yesterday ahead of the TV awards ceremony.

Asked what it’s been like seeing her brother Mark take on his new role as a parent, Jess told us: “It’s been amazing.” The former the Only Way is Essex star went on to gush over him and her newborn niece Palma in our interview.

Whilst talking about her sibling, she said on the red carpet: “He’s taken to it like a duck to water. He’s brilliant. He’s amazing. He’s really a great dad already.” Jess shared that she wasn’t surprised though, adding: “I had no doubt.”

Speaking about Mark’s daughter, she said: “She’s amazing! The best little girl.” Jess – who has two nephews through her youngest brother Josh Wright, 35 – then added about the new arrival of the family: “I’m so happy I have a niece.”

When asked if she’s offering to babysit Palma, Jess laughed. She then teased: “Not quite!” She went on to share that her son – who turns three later this month – keeps her busy enough. She said: “Presley keeps me on my toes enough.”

Her brother Mark previously teased that he enjoyed his “first night out” with his wife Michelle since Palma’s arrival at Jess’ Have A Heart Gala last month. Jess also spoke to us about the recent fundraising event on the BAFTAS red carpet.

The gala was held at the Savoy on April 24 in support of the Brompton Fountain, which supports the care of seriously ill children. It was shared prior that Jess was collaborating with the charity to raise awareness and funds to provide support for children with severe heart and lung conditions.

Jess previously announced that her own son, Presley, had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease, Bicuspid Aortic Valve. She shared the news last year and has since spoken about the condition, including having revealed that Presley will need open-heart surgery at some point.

Reflecting on the gala, she told us on the weekend: “It was absolutely incredible. The build up to it was pretty intense but I’m so pleased we did it because we raised a quarter of a million pounds, which is pretty epic for a small charity like the Brompton Fountain – so [I’m] absolutely over the moon!”

Asked what it means to be involved with an event like the Have A Heart Gala and raise so much money, given her personal connection to the cause, Jess shared her pride. She also expressed hope over its potential impact.

She said: “I’m just really proud that I can use my platform to make some good out of some really awful, tragic stuff which is basically, essentially, open-heart surgery on children and other complications within the heart. So yeah, I’m just really, really happy that I can make a change, hopefully in a positive way with the platform that I have so gratefully been given.”

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READ MORE: Mum-of-two loses more than 11 stone doing ‘wall pilates’ at home

A former hotel security officer has told a court that disgraced rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs offered him money in an attempt to silence him following his attack on Cassie Ventura

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs offered hush money to a hotel security officer, a court has heard. Israel Florez, who attended a hotel after the disgraced music mogul attacked his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 told the court how he found the 55-year-old musician wearing nothing but a towel and sitting in a chair, ” slouched down, like with a blank stare … like a devilish stare, just looking at me,” he said.

Prosecutors showed the jury two mobile phone videos and three hotel surveillance videos related to the attack by Combs on Cassie at the Los Angeles hotel. Florez testified that he recorded the hotel’s video of the attack on his cellphone because he wanted to describe what he saw to his wife and feared she wouldn’t believe him.

Jurors were shown video surveillance footage of an attack by Combs on Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016 that prosecutors have maintained is a key piece of evidence in their case against him. The video depicts Cassie with a bag at the hotel’s elevators just before Combs rounds a corner, strikes her and throws her to the ground before kicking her and then dragging her back toward their hotel room.

Florez responded to the call of a woman who was in distress on the sixth floor of a Los Angeles hotel. He said that the hotel’s floor display was ruined and told the rapper it would be charged to the room. But as he escorted Combs and Cassie to the room, Cassie is said to have suggested she wanted to leave.

“You’re not going to leave,” Combs allegedly said. Florez recounted to the court that he replied: “If she wants to leave, she’s going to leave.” After Cassie had left, Florez claims that when he was getting ready to leave, the rapper called him back and held out a stack of money, with a $100 note on top, saying: “Don’t tell nobody.”

Considering it a bribe, Florez told the court he said to Combs: “I don’t want your money, just go back into your room.” Prosecutors were using Florez’s testimony to introduce recordings of Combs beating his then-girlfriend, the singer Cassie, at the hotel in March 2016.

Defence lawyers had unsuccessfully tried before the trial to get the video banned from the trial on the grounds that a recording that aired on CNN last year was unfair because it was edited and incomplete. Prosecutors say they are not airing the recording that CNN aired. Instead, they plan to show the jury recordings taken within the hotel.

The first witnesses are set to testify following an hour-long lunch break. Meanwhile, Diddy’s defence team are arguing that the prosecutor’s evidence may show other crimes that he committed, but it is not proof of the sex trafficking and racketeering crimes he has been charged with. Combs continues to deny all allegations against him.

Attorney Teny Geragos, who is defending Diddy, called the beating “horrible, dehumanising violence,” but told the jury that it “is not evidence of sex trafficking. It is evidence of domestic violence.” She went on to add that all of Diddy’s sexual liaisons were part of his swinger lifestyle, involving consenting adults.

She acknowledged that some jurors might not condone “his kinky sex and his preferences for sex”, but she urged them to judge the case with an open mind. Those sexual predilections, she said, do not equate to sex trafficking. Geragos conceded Combs is extremely jealous and “has a bad temper,” telling jurors that he sometimes got angry when he drank alcohol or “did the wrong drugs.”

But “domestic violence is not sex trafficking,” she said, and being mean is not running a racketeering enterprise. Geragos took a relaxed tone, telling jurors they may end up thinking: “I think he’s a jerk and I think he’s kind of mean.” But she said he’s not charged “with being mean or a jerk.”

She said he is physical and a drug user and has “a bit of a different sex life.” She added: “We’ll fight for his freedom throughout the next eight weeks. Sean Combs is a complicated man.. But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money,” his attorney began in her opening statement.

Prosecutors, she said, are trying to turn sexual relations between consenting adults into a prostitution and sex trafficking case. “There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case over the past year,” Geragos told jurors, noting immense news media coverage and social media chatter. “It is time to cancel that noise.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told jurors that they will see Diddy’s violence for themselves, including videos of Cassie and Jane, who is identified by a pseudonym, “pretending they enjoy themselves during Freak Offs”, and will see Diddy “brutally beating Cassie during a Freak Off at an LA hotel.”

After the video of Combs assaulting Cassie in the hotel aired on CNN last year, Combs apologised and said he took “full responsibility” for his actions. “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.” The trial continues.

For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk

If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999

Love Island star Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu reportedly wanted to rub shoulders with the A-list stars at this year’s BAFTA TV Awards but was ‘humiliated’ as she was escorted out

Ekin-Su Culculoglu is said to have tried her luck at entering the official BAFTA TV Awards afterparty but failed miserably. The Love Island star, 30, was hoping to rub shoulders with A-list stars including Damian Lewis, David Tennant, Billie Piper and James Corden.

She had already walked the red carpet at the annual event in celebration of the small screen. Ekin-Su was invited by the show’s sponsors P&O Cruises to attend the three-hour ceremony in the 2,700 seater venue.

However, Ekin-Su’s invite ended there as she reportedly was not on the list to be treated to an exclusive dinner following the ceremony.

The reality TV star, who found love with Curtis Pritchard on the latest All Stars series of Love Island, appeared not to give up hope as she attempted to sneak into the luxury dinner.

Ekin-Su was allegedly forced to walk around the lavish venue while the stars tucked into their meal, as there was no seat waiting for her. “It was actually quite tragic to witness,” a source told Daily Mail.

“She tried to blend in with the crowd, but was eventually spotted without a dinner invitation by BAFTA’s security team and was asked to leave. It was so humiliating.”

However, sources close to Ekin-Su told the publication she was trying to find her way out of the venue instead.

On the night, it was revealed some stars even snuck out of the award ceremony to hunt for food due to the lack available. Despite being offered drinks, there is said to have been very little food on offer for attendees.

Love Island All Stars contestants Gabby Allen and Ekin-Su are said to have tried to sneak out of the awards to grab a bite to eat. According to The Sun, the duo had hoped to run to a shop nearby to source snacks for the lengthy ceremony.

However, it has been claimed the reality TV stars were told in no uncertain circumstances that if they were to leave, there would be no option to return. It reportedly left the pair backing down from their quest.

Amid her antics on the night, Ekin-Su sparked concern for her love life as she attended the event without boyfriend Curtis. Ekin-Su walked the red carpet solo, despite being constantly seen with Curtis since their Love Island exit.

Ekin-Su won Love Island in 2022 with her ex, Davide Sanclimenti, but they split up on the outside following a rocky romance. She re-entered the Love Island villa in January for the All Stars spin-off and found love with Curtis.

They have been going strong ever since, however, Married At First Sight UK star Georges Berthonneau threw a spanner in the works as he has been dissing Ekin-Su. He alleged he was in a relationship with the brunette beauty while she was dating Curtis.

Speaking on Fubar Radio, George claimed: “On the day before my birthday, she was out with him that night, and they’d had an argument.

“She was messaging me whilst he was asleep in bed with her being like, I need to see you. Blah, blah, blah, like, I’ve got the receipts on my phone.”

The Mirror has contacted Ekin-Su’s representatives for comment.

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