Archive June 23, 2025

EastEnders’ Samantha Womack’s heartbreaking change after breast cancer battle

Samantha Womack, a former EastEnders actress, lives her best life in Spain with her Emmerdale partner, and exclusively reveals how incredible she has changed since she was diagnosed with cancer.

After her ordeal with breast cancer, Samantha is adjusting.

Chatting from her home in Spain’s Valencia mountains, with only her rescue dogs for company, former EastEnders actress Samantha Womack couldn’t sound happier. The 52-year-old underwent gruelling treatment for breast cancer after being diagnosed in August 2022, but says she now believes the experience has changed her outlook on life for the better.

“I feel so much more enlightened,” says the Brighton-born star. “I know myself better, I feel humbler, I feel calmer.” The biggest day-to-day change to Samantha’s life is that she works far less – although for an actress who’s worked pretty much non-stop since rising to fame representing the UK at Eurovision in 1991 and then launching her acting career in the mid-1990s in Pie In The Sky and Game On , saying no doesn’t come easily.

Peggy and Ronnie
In EastEnders, Samantha portrayed Ronnie Mitchell.

The actress, who declared she was cancer-free in December 2022, admits, “I started turning down a lot of stuff. I didn’t have the bank balance to match that confidence. “My bank account creaked as a result of me saying the word “no.” But there was empowerment in that because I decided, “OK, I need to go through this, spend time with myself, and figure out some things that I haven’t yet figured out, maybe things I’ve buried under a rug.”

Another of Samantha’s post-cancer convictions is the need for women’s health – particularly breast health – to be more of a priority. She received her diagnosis after a private check-up, driven by a gut feeling that she needed to be seen.

“I felt perfectly fine. There was no discolouration of skin, dimpling, irritation,” she recalls. “I knew the NHS calls people in at 50, but I just had this thought of, ‘I need to go and get checked before then.’ I was just on the cusp of catching it too late and the speed with which I had to process information was unbearable. I sometimes think, ‘What if I hadn’t gone to that appointment?’”

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Samantha learned she had a fast-spreading, Grade 3 invasive duct carcinoma and her treatment – a lumpectomy and lymph node removal, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy – couldn’t wait.

As the stepdaughter of a GP, she threw herself into researching breast health. One of the most shocking things she discovered was the number of women who don’t receive accurate mammogram results because of their breast density level. The denser the breast, meaning there is more fibroglandular tissue, the greater the risk of cancer and the harder it is for mammograms to detect tumours.

The star, who is mum to Benjamin, 24, and Lili-Rose, 20, her children with her ex-husband Mark Womack, concluded that women mustn’t put their health at the bottom of their ‘to do’ list. “We all live in busy worlds and tend to put these little niggles to one side,” she says. “I’m an avid lover of the NHS, but if something is worrying you and you have the money to go and get yourself checked, why would you not? I did and it changed my life. Now, I want to empower women to take control of their bodies.”

Samantha recognises her privilege, but admits her finances today are very different from the days when she played Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders from 2007-2017. “Soaps pay very, very well, but the reality of being self-employed means that, yes, you get paid for the jobs you do, but for the six months of the year you don’t work, you don’t get paid,” she says. “I’ve never been a wealthy person. I’ve gone from job to job, always thinking, ‘Better say yes because no one’s going to want me if I don’t.’ I had very low self-esteem. Going back to work after my treatment felt very hard. I couldn’t quite step back into that neurotic, zany energy as easily. I was physically capable, but I wasn’t emotionally capable. I was picking things that felt gentle to me.”

Samantha
Samantha is currently considering life after being free of cancer.

One of those gentle jobs was playing a guest role in the cozy crime series The Marlow Murder Club, which, according to her, featured a “lovely bunch of women” and “felt like a safe space.”

She says, “Now it’s about things I feel I can emotionally connect to without getting too lost in myself.” I’m not ready to boogie around on stage while wearing a gold lamé dress.

As her partner, actor Oliver Farnworth, 42, divides his time between Spain and the UK, where he plays John Sugden in Emmerdale, a significant change has occurred for her.

She explains that the arrangement is successful. He stays there for two or three days, but he’s still filming a lot right now. Having some room on my own has been beneficial for me. It’s unusual for me to have the confidence to do that, so it’s been helpful.

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Last year, the actress hinted she and Oliver were considering becoming parents together. “We’ve talked about adopting, because after the cancer treatment I wouldn’t be able to conceive naturally and because of my age,” she says. “But I think I’m learning to put things in perspective and hopefully, in the next 10 years, one of my kids will produce a sproglet and I can go from maternal to gra-ternal!”

To encourage women to Keep Abreast of their breast density, Samantha Womack and private cancer care provider GensisCare are partnering. Visit https://www.genesiscare.com/uk/breast_density_awareness for more information on dense breast and rapid breast MRI scans.

Peter Andre hits back over ‘drama with exes’ after Katie Price attacks wife

After ex-girlfriend Katie Price made a dig at his wife of ten years, Emily MacDonagh, Peter Andre has criticised how to handle “drames with exes” and how to handle it.

Peter Andre has hit out at having ‘drama with exes’ days after ex Katie Price made a dig about his wife (Image: Ian West/PA Wire)

Peter Andre has detailed how to deal with ‘drama with exes’ in his weekly New! Magazine column, just days after his ex Katie Price hit out at his wife Emily MacDonagh.

Katie revealed that her and Peter’s children, especially Princess, can’t comprehend that they once were a couple because she and Emily are “just so different” during a recent reminiscence about their marriage.

I told her, “We had a laugh and banter together, and I was with your dad for six years. On her podcast, Katie told comedian Katherine Ryan, “She can’t believe that whenever he went everywhere or I was with the kids, we would go as a family.” She says, “Emily doesn’t do all that,’ for Pete.”

Katie Price and Peter Andre
Katie and Pete split in 2009 after meeting five years prior(Image: Getty Images North America)

Peter and Emily have kept a tight-lipped about Katie’s comments, but he did speak out about Sam Thompson’s feud with Louis Tomlinson, giving his advice on exes.

He wrote in his column: “Sam Thompson and Louis Tomlinson were both at Soccer Aid together for an incredible cause. The fact they’ve both been involved with Zara McDermott at some point is secondary for me.

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We don’t know what happened, and having worked for Soccer Aid in the past, I know that people just concentrate on the game and the cause, leaving the rest of the field. That is the way it ought to be.

Katie Price
Katie said her kids can’t imagine her in a relationship with dad Peter(Image: We Need To Talk/YouTube)

Peter and Katie met in 2004 on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, marrying the following year before splitting in 2009.

She made the comments about Emily, which caused a wave of social media comments, with one commenter claiming that Price is jealous of Peter’s new life because Pete and Emily are content and adore their families. She continued to progress despite it never let go. Someone “told her to get in their way and leave them alone,” she said.

However, one person said, “The one who got away. The one and only love she can find.

A source informed us that Pete is desperate for it to end what he perceives as “ancient history” and that he is upset about being dragged into it. Because they split so long ago, Peter moved on and is fed up with her talking about him, the source said.

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It has an impact on his family, particularly Emily, “. He and his wife split up 16 years ago, but he now wants her to end their union. He is content with his life very much.

Sting support act The Christians issue major update after drummer’s cardiac arrest on stage

After Lionel Duke suffered a cardiac arrest on stage, The Christians have shared an update. When Sting unexpectedly collapsed in midair at Liverpool’s Pier Head on Sunday, Drummer Lionel and the band were playing. Crews set up a privacy screen on the stage in response to lead singer Gary Christian’s urgent need for medical attention.

After the emergency services checked him over, Lionel was later taken to the hospital by ambulance. The band has updated themselves on social media right now. They issued a statement, saying: “Thank you so much to all the many messages regarding our drummer, Lionel Duke, who suffered a cardiac arrest while performing at tonight’s amazing concert before Sting.

We are waiting for news from the Heart and Chest hospital in Broad Green and thanked the amazing team of nurses from On the Waterfront Liverpool for their quick assistance.

Sting had been a Sting support for the band on Instagram (www.thechristianslive).

One commenter praised the medical team’s prompt response, while another praised the fans in a fit for the crowd. Was at the front of the stage watching it all unfold, they said, and thanks to the event staff, his band, first aid workers, and the event staff for making the event a dignified by shielding Lionel with a makeshift curtain while they performed the C. P. R. I know he is in good hands at Broadgreen.

Another comment was made: “Seeing poor Lionel slump forward was terrifying. I was so proud of the respect shown by the Liverpool crowd, which left no photos and many people turning around. After asking us to hold Lionel in our thoughts, Sting sang “fragile” to us. Wishing him a quick recovery. At Broadgreen, he is safe.

Another said, “We were at the Waterfront. Sting was updating us all in the crowd and wishing Lionel well, encouraging us all to think for him, and singing Fragile as the evening’s final song, Wishing Lionel a quick recovery.

The performance was halted as emergency reponders treated Lionel on stage
Due to the need for emergency reponders to treat Lionel on stage (Liverpool Echo), the performance was halted.

A fourth fan wrote, “It was heartbreaking to see. Wishing Lionel the utmost speedy recovery and sending love and wishes to his family and bandmates. Event staff “advertised to fans as the incident unfolded by posting a message on the enormous screens.

We appreciate your understanding and patience, they said. The performer is being treated by medical personnel, and we’ll keep you informed as soon as possible. Moments later, a spokesperson allegedly representing The Christians’ manager addressed the sold-out crowd. She confirmed that Lionel had suffered a cardiac arrest but was later able to turn around.

We’re really hoping he will make it, she said. He apparently has a pulse right now, despite not having one. I appreciate you so much. The band is believed to have encouraged Sting to carry on with his performance despite concerns. The Grammy-winning musician reflected on the heartbreaking incident as he took to the stage.

He declared, “The band’s drummer is fine. He is receiving medical attention. We are praying for his recovery. He is in our thoughts. The Christians, a Liverpool native, had the best debut album on Island Records and the biggest chart successes of any artist in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The band’s name was derived from the first three brothers in the lineup, which is fitting given that Henry Priestman’s middle name also appears in the band’s name. Gary Christian, Roger Christian, Russell Christian, and Priestman, the group’s lead singer, joined the band in 1985. Paul Barlow, Mike Bulger, and Tony Jones were earlier members.

However, in 1987, Roger Christian resigned from the band and instead chose to concentrate solely on a solo album.

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OKC Thunder beat Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 to win NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder won the franchise’s first title since moving from Seattle in 2008 by defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

In the deciding game at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center on Sunday, the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, scored 29 points and added 12 assists in front of a raucous home crowd.

The same player had won the scoring title, regular season, and Finals MVP honors for the first time since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002, and he was also named the best player of the Finals.

The Pacers lost their star point guard early on, ; With an Achilles injury at the halfway point of the first quarter, Tyrese Haliburton saw their hopes threatened by a stifling Oklahoma City defense.

Gilgeous-Alexander responded, “It doesn’t feel real.” There are “so many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief, and so many nights of belief.”

This group puts forth hard work. We deserve this, he continued.

An capped the championship extraordinary run ; The Thunder finished the regular season with a 68-14 record, which is good for the fifth-most wins in a single NBA season.

The surprise Eastern Conference champion Pacers pushed the league’s best team to the winner-take-all finale, which featured little star power but thrills in the final game between two small-market teams.

Five minutes into the game, Haliburton drained his third three-pointer for the Pacers, but it was a terrible mistake for Indiana when he slipped and fell two minutes later.

The two-time All Star was crying as his team’s medical staff rushed to his aid as a hush poured over the crowded building filled with Oklahoma City fans.

Aliburton was taken to the locker room but did not return, and a TV broadcast claimed he had an Achilles injury despite the team’s official release.

The Pacers put together a strong defensive performance to end the half one point ahead of the other team, keeping the score steady through a fast second quarter.

The Thunder, however, quickly seized control with Gilgeous-Alexander, who went 0-5 behind the arc in the third period, lighting the fuse with a 25-foot three-point jump shot after the third quarter.

Without Haliburton, the Pacers were unable to recover the deficit, with the Thunder giving the opener with a 9-0 run. However, they were masters of the late comeback in the postseason.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is all smiles after winning the NBA Finals in 2025 [Joe Murphy/Getty Images via AFP]

The battle of young champions

In their postgame celebration, the Thunder’s youth was distinctly present.

Thunder player Isaiah Hartenstein compared the post-game celebratory champagne bottles, saying, “No one knew how to open them.”

They were soon able to understand thanks to 31-year-old Alex Caruso, who is both the team’s oldest player and the only one with an NBA title before.

Hartenstein praised AC [Caruso] for giving us a great tutorial.

There was some inconsistentness with the Thunder youth.

The guys were all set to be who they are, and I tried to do that throughout the entire run, according to Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.

The Pacers are still without a championship in the NBA.

Without point guard TJ McConnell, who scored 12 points in the third half and made six of Indiana’s eight field goals in the frame, the Pacers could have had a worse team.

With 24 points off the bench, the Pacers finished the game. McConnell and Pascal Siakam each added 16.

Since 1988, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 108-105, the Thunder became the first NBA Finals team to score 100 or more points.

Caruso, who was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 championship team, expressed his hope that his postgame tutorial would eventually pay off.

The Stevenage tennis player who is Taiwan’s No 1

Images courtesy of Getty

In the course of more intense preparation for Wimbledon, British players will inevitably receive a lot of the spotlight.

Joanna Garland was a potential choice.

However, the Stevenage-born 23-year-old has chosen to play tennis for Taiwan, becoming the nation’s top female tennis player.

Her mother is from East Asia, and her family moved there when she was a child before moving back to Hertfordshire.

Garland feels “a very strong connection” to Taiwan, a nation that has supported her throughout her career, so it’s no surprise then.

She told BBC Look East, “There was a point where I was questioning it.” I was unsure of what to do as I approached Grand Slam qualifiers and was a potential wildcard for Wimbledon.

“I saw Sonay Kartal, Katie Boulter, and Emma Raducanu playing for the British and thinking the situation wouldn’t improve.” I was also putting it in doubt.

“But I’ve had success playing for Taiwan.” Some of my most significant life experiences took place in Taiwan as I was a child.

sharing with mosquitoes and cockroaches

When Garland was four years old, her father, John, who is a professional coach, gave her the first lesson in tennis.

She turned professional in 2019 after reaching a career high of 14 as a junior.

She has organized her own schedule and traveled alone to tournaments since she was 14 years old.

She said, “I’m pretty good at organizing myself.”

My grandmother and mom have been very encouraging. They never declined to support me in ways that might have included playing a tournament in Malaysia alone. They supported me, but they didn’t stop by and watch.

It means that accommodations can be difficult to find while traveling, and that the rankings can become “very lonely.”

Garland continued, “You don’t get picked up from the airport, free meals, or five-star hotels. Dog balls are used to practice. You inquire as to whether you are competent.

“I don’t believe I slept in any of the dorms I stayed in, where there were mosquitoes and cockroaches.”

Joanna Garland sits down in a black shirt in a garden setting

debuting at the Grand Slam

Garland’s early years on the road were plagued by injuries, with a ranking decline of 551 at the end of last year.

However, she had her best year to date in 2025. She won four W35 tournaments sponsored by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in Kenya and Italy, which has helped her win the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings to 144.

Tim de Rooij teaches her full-time in the Netherlands, and she qualified for her first Grand Slam at the French Open last month, defeating American Katie Volynets in the first-round.

After qualifying for the French Open, Garland said, “I got a horrendous cold.”

I spent three days in bed. I didn’t practice, and I didn’t sleep. In the third set, I was 3-0 up, but I managed to win with a 6-4 advantage. How on earth did I manage to pull this off, I wondered? ‘. “

Taiwanese messages were flooded onto her phone.

She continued, “It was pretty overwhelming.” My mother informed me that her phone had gone off, and I called her.

Garland lost to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu in the first round to her fellow 32nd seed Julia Putintseva in round two, but the 32nd seed Julia Putintseva won in the second round to bolster her run at Roland Garros.

She is now getting ready to make her first-ever Wimbledon qualifying appearance this week.

She said, “I’m in a good mood and quite excited about the upcoming weeks.”

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Drogba 2.0, frogs and Dragon Ball Z – who is Forest ‘target’ Igor Jesus?

Images courtesy of Getty

A quick nutmeg to make room for two center-backs, a darting run between two center-backs, and a cool deflected finish.

Igor Jesus poses in front of the Botafogo fans while his arms are stretched out.

A memorable result came on Friday against Paris St-Germain, the reigning champion of Europe.

He scored for the Brazilian Serie A champions against the Seattle Sounders four days earlier.

Striker Jesus, 24, won the Club World Cup player of the match in both of his games.

He will likely have another chance to impress against Atletico Madrid, making it undoubtedly his breakout season so far.

Igor Jesus, who is he?

Igor Jesus celebratesImages courtesy of Getty
When he was younger, Jesus was given the nickname “Sapinho,” which means “Little Frog.” Depending on who you ask, it’s due to his incredible body and large head, or because he acrobatic saved as a goalkeeper.

He occasionally skipped school to watch Dragon Ball Z, a Japanese cartoon.

In the anime, protagonist Goku defeats villains through a unique maneuver known as Kamehameha, which Jesus honors with his customary celebration of putting his wrists together, opening his palms, and locking his arms out perpendicularly in front of him.

He has had many opportunities to perfect it. He has scored 70 goals in 206 professional appearances.

Jesus began his professional career at Coritiba, a Serie-B side that was then based in Brazil’s eighth-largest city.

He helped Coritiba advance to promotion by scoring three goals in 24 appearances as an 18-year-old.

However, he left the following campaign midway through the Emirati side Shabab Al-Ahli after initially having a higher level of difficulty.

He spent four seasons in the Middle East, scoring 46 goals in 92 games, before moving back to Brazil and signing with Botafogo in July 2024.

He has excelled there. Last season, his team won the Serie A and Copa Libertadores titles. He was the leader.

Unsurprisingly, numerous clubs around the world are keeping an eye on the scouting departments.

In Chile, Jesus even made his World Cup debut last October, winning 2-1 in the process.

What might Nottingham Forest receive from Jesus?

Igor Jesus celebratesImages courtesy of Getty

For a while, Jesus has had a strong relationship with Nottingham Forest.

The Premier League team’s defenders Jair Cunha and Cuiabano are reportedly attracting interest from the Premier League team.

Botafogo relied on Jesus’ hold-up play and ability to create chances out of improbable circumstances despite having only 25.3% possession against PSG.

When his team had so little ball, Jesus, in Opta’s opinion, had the third-most touches of any Botafogo player (39), which is remarkable for a centre-forward.

He also won five aerial battles and won a team-high 16 duels.

Botafogo frequently went long when they faced Seattle. Jesus won six of his seven aerial duals in that game, while his winner was a header despite being 5′ 10″ (1.78m).

His play fits Forest’s, and he would also provide a little more mobility than Chris Wood, the team’s current talisman.

After beating Gianluigi Donnarumma and Willian Pacho in the world stage, Jesus might be gearing up to advance.

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  • Nottingham Forest
  • Football